Archive for September, 2012

Teams scoring 45 points per game or more, and those allowing six points per games or less:

Offense

56.0 – Monroe Area

49.5 – Camden County

48.3 – Calhoun

47.7 – North Cobb

46.5 – East Paulding

46.3 – Heard County

46.0 – Westside (Macon)

45.5 – Stephens County

45.3 – Northside (Warner Robins)

45.0 – Gainesville

Defense

2.0 – Richmond Hill

3.0 – Trion

3.0 – Washington-Wilkes

3.3 – Toombs County

4.0 – Northeast

4.3 – East Paulding

4.8 – Camden County

5.3 – Cook

5.3 – Heritage (Conyers)

5.8 – Lowndes

5.8 – M.L. King

5.8 – Woodward Academy

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Continue reading Teams scoring most and allowing fewest points »

This is what the first round of the state playoffs would look like, based on our updated projections of the final region standings. The fields for the Class A public- and private-school playoffs will be determined by the power rankings.

Class AAAAAA

(R3 #4) Hughes at (R2 #1) Lovejoy

(R4 #3) Marietta at (R1 #2) Lowndes

(R5 #4) Etowah at (R8 #1) Grayson

(R6 #3) Chattahoochee at (R7 #2) North Gwinnett

(R2 #4) Druid Hills at (R3 #1) Newnan

(R1 #3) Colquitt County at (R4 #2) McEachern

(R8 #4) Archer at (R5 #1) Lassiter

(R7 #3) Mill Creek at (R6 #2) Johns Creek

(R4 #4) Hillgrove at (R1 #1) Camden County

(R3 #3) East Coweta at (R2 #2) Alcovy

(R6 #4) Lambert at (R7 #1) Norcross

(R5 #3) Milton at (R8 #2) Brookwood

(R1 #4) Valdosta at (R4 #1) North Cobb

(R2 #3) Newton at (R3 #2) Tri-Cities

(R7 #4) Peachtree Ridge at (R6 #1) West Forsyth

(R8 #3) Parkview at (R5 #2) Walton

Class AAAAA

(R3 #4) Jenkins at (R2 #1) Northside-Warner Robins

(R4 #3) Whitewater at (R1 #2) Bainbridge

(R5 #4) North …

Continue reading Projecting the playoff field: Week 6 »

Quarterback Cameron Johnson threw for two touchdowns and ran for another score to lead Clarke Central to a 35-12 win over Apalachee on Thursday in high school football.

Jelani Payne also had a pair of rushing touchdowns for Clarke Central, which improves to 2-2. Meanwhile, Apalachee drops to 1-3.

Johnson threw a 7-yard pass to Denzel Maxey for the game’s first touchdown, while Apalachee answered with a 61-yard touchdown run from Zay Henry.

Johnson went 41 yards on a quarterback keeper to put Clarke Central ahead 14-6 in the first quarter, and it stayed that way until halftime.

Continue reading Clarke Central 35, Apalachee 12 »

Region 1-AAAAAA teams have waited for years for a regular shot at Camden County, which dominated over the past decade in a weak Savannah-area region. Now they get their chance as Camden has moved to Region 1. Valdosta gets the first opportunity, at home on Friday. But be careful what you wish for. Look for Camden to have a successful debut in the region, and expect Lowndes to beat Colquitt County in the region’s other big game. And I’m going with Parkview in the Battle of Five Forks Trickum.

Congratulations go out to Ted Johnson of Broxton, who was last week’s winner in the High School Football Pickoff contest. Broxton was one of three contestants to correctly pick the winner in 14 of 15 games and won the tiebreaker for the closest guess of the score in the Cartersville-North Murray game. Click here to sign up and participate in this week’s contest.

THE WEEKEND PREDICTIONS

Last week: 144-26 (.847); Overall: 584-162 (.783)

THURSDAY

Winner##Loser

Burke Co.##Cross Creek

Clarke …

Continue reading Predictions: Camden to make successful debut in 1-AAAAAA »

By S. Thomas Coleman
For the AJC

Here’s a look at some of the best games on the board in Week 6, with extended previews of two:

No. 4 Wilcox County (2-1) at Charlton County (2-2). This game pits two teams that have played the most brutal early-season schedules of any teams in the state, regardless of classification.

Wilcox faced an always talented Wilkinson County team to open the season, followed by a game against a solid Class AAAA team in Monroe, and then a physical contest against Dooly County. Charlton’s gauntlet was even more difficult as the Indians have faced AAA Brantley County, AAAAA Ware County and Bradwell Institute, and Fitzgerald, ranked No. 5 in AA.

Both Wilcox head coach Mark Ledford and Charlton head coach Rich McWhorter confess that they weren’t trying to see how big and bad their teams were early, when they completed their schedules. They are both victims of circumstance.

“Being in a region with just seven teams, that means you have six region games, which …

Continue reading Class A: Wilcox at Charlton, ELCA at Holy Innocents, Commerce at GWA headline top games »

Five things to watch this week in Class AAAAAA –

Brookwood-Parkview, the rivalry is back! – A decade ago, this was Georgia’s hottest rivalry. The two played for a state title, and Parkview won, making it 45 straight wins and three consecutive state titles. But Parkview has not won a region title since 2004 and has gone 1-6 against Brookwood since then. Parkview’s upset of previous No. 1-ranked Grayson changed things. A victory over Brookwood would put Parkview in the driver’s seat in 8-AAAAAA at 3-0 in region play, with all of the victories coming against playoff teams from last season.

Region 1 skirmishes begin – There three Region 1 games on the docket, each with special intrigue. Camden County goes to Valdosta. Camden has won 86 straight games that count in region standings, but this is Camden’s first game in R1 – the toughest in the state – after years in embarrassingly weak Region 3-AAAAA. Lowndes plays at Colquitt County in a game between Top 10 teams. Tift County plays …

Continue reading AAAAAA blog: Let’s talk Brookwood-Parkview, Camden-Valdosta, Norcross-Mill Creek, Skye Overton, Tyler Queen »

Region 8 in the second-highest classification had one of the best championship races in the state last season, as Clarke Central, Flowery Branch and Heritage-Conyers fought until the final weekend only to end up in a three-way tie for the title.

Those three teams are back and undefeated in 8-AAAAA, but now the region also has Gainesville, which won four consecutive region titles in AAA before moving up this season. The first meeting of the year between two of those top four teams takes place on Friday, when Heritage travels to Gainesville.

Gainesville has the fourth-best offense in Class AAAAA, averaging 45 points per game behind dynamic junior quarterback Deshaun Watson. Heritage’s defense is the third-rated unit in AAAAA, allowing just 5.3 points per game.

Here are some of the other big games in Class AAAAA this weekend:

*Stephenson vs. Southwest DeKalb (Hallford Stadium): These two DeKalb County rivals haven’t met since 2005, and this reunion will have added meaning as they …

Continue reading Gainesville-Heritage the first of several heavyweight matchups in 8-AAAAA »

One of the most balanced leagues in Class AAA is Region 5. As most teams reach the midpoint of the season tonight, it appears that No. 7 Cartersville is the best of the region. There are plenty of other teams that fall in the good to above-average categories. How they establish themselves over the next few weeks will determine who makes the playoffs and who stays home.

One of those games takes place this week when Gordon Central (4-0) gets its first serious test of the year when it travels to play Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe (4-0). Neither team is ranked, but the winner of this contest between a pair of Warriors will be knocking on the door for statewide consideration.

Gordon Central will need to close the door if it gets the opportunity this week. The Warriors had a 21-point lead against Ringgold last week, only to clinch to a final 27-26 victory. Gordon Central is led by quarterback M.J. Reynolds and Chandler Curtis is a good two-way player at receiver and defensive …

Continue reading Five games to watch »

Games to watch this week in Class AAAA

Stockbridge (3-1) at No. 2 Griffin (4-0): In a Region 4-AAAA crossover game, Stockbridge visits Griffin in search of a signature win, not only for it’s own sake, but for all of Henry County. Griffin is 28-0 all-time against Henry schools according to records pulled from ghsfha.com. Stockbridge will need to slow down Griffin QB Jaquez Parks and a Bears offense averaging 40 poins per game to put an end to that streak.

Chestatee (2-1, 1-0) at No. 5 Stephens County (4-0, 1-0): This could be the AAAA shootout of the week. Visiting Chestatee averages 39.7 points per game and is coming off a 57-56 double-overtime win against Eastside-Covington last week. Stephens County, behind running back Chaz Thornton and receiver Tomas Colbert, is averaging 45.5 points.

No. 10. Monroe Area (4-0) at Lanier (3-1, 1-0): This tilt serves as a litmus test for both teams. Lanier’s three wins are against opponents who are a combined 2-8. Monroe Area, behind …

Continue reading Class AAAA games to watch this week »

There are 19 teams in Georgia that are unbeaten, untied and unranked with three or more games played:

AAAAAA

Central Gwinnett

Johns Creek

Lambert

South Cobb

AAAAA

Lee County

Richmond Hill

Riverwood

AAAA

Carver (Atlanta)

Chamblee

AAA

Gordon Central

Lakeview-Ft. Oglethorpe

AA

Heard County

Northeast

Union County

A

Athens Academy

Georgia Military College

Pacelli

Trion

Walker

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Continue reading The 19 unbeaten and unranked teams »

Brookwood at Parkview

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Big Orange Jungle, Lilburn

Records, rankings: Brookwood is 2-1 overall, 1-0 in Region 8-AAAAAA and unranked; Parkview is 3-1, 2-0 and No. 10.

Last meeting: Brookwood won 23-19 in 2011.

Three things to know: 1. Both teams escaped with narrow victories against Archer in their most recent games. Brookwood scored 10 points in the final 2:41 to win 20-19 on Sept. 14, and Parkview won 20-18 when Archer missed a 51-yard field goal in the final seconds last weekend. 2. Parkview and Brookwood ran the ball successfully against Archer. Parkview’s Chris Carson rushed for 143 yards, two touchdowns and a two-point conversion, while Brookwood’s Jamaal Cole ran for 108 yards and a touchdown (and had five receptions for 72 yards). 3. A victory would put Parkview in the driver’s seat in 8-AAAAAA at 3-0 in region play, with all of the victories coming against the region’s playoff teams from last season. Parkview has not won a region title …

Continue reading Top 10 games of Week 6 »

Of this week’s Class AA games, one way, way down the road might be biggest.

It’s in Quitman, 13 miles from the Florida line, where No. 2 Brooks County hosts No. 8 Early County in a Region 1-AA matchup. You know, about 32 miles south of Moultrie, where AAAAAA’s eighth-ranked Colquitt County hosts No. 4 Lowndes in 1-AAAAAA in another of only four games between ranked opponents in all classifications, in an otherwise calm week around the state.

Early-Brooks should pack excitement, considering the host Trojans (4-0) are one of only five 4-0 teams in AA, and the Bobcats (3-1) have just one loss. In a series that dates back to Brooks’ 21-9 win in 1970, Early holds the lead, 19-13-1. Yet the Trojans have won the teams’ last four meetings, including 25-8 last year at Early.

Here are other games to watch:

– Bleckley County (2-1) at Putnam County (2-2): This would have been both teams’ region 4-AA opener, had not Putnam faced Crawford in a region Game 2 because of a scheduling quirk. …

Continue reading Bobcats, Trojans square off in Quitman »

This is the first game for Camden in its new region. A state power in a notoriously weak region for over a decade,

Camden County, the No. 1-ranked team in Class AAAAAA, has won 86 straight games that counted in region standings.

That streak is endangered this week as Camden travels to Valdosta.

The last 82 of those victories were won in old 3-AAAAA, a notoriously weak region that included several undersized Savannah schools that chose to play higher than their enrollment recommended.

That’s not to say the streak – which is a state record – was not impressive. It just means that the move to Region 1-AAAAAA this season marks a new era. The region features Lowndes and Colquitt County, current members of the Top 10. Even the region’s projected lower half of Coffee, Tift County and Brunswick would’ve been regular playoff teams in Camden’s old region.

For history’s sake, Camden did lose to a region opponent from the opposite subregion of 3-AAAAA in 2000. That was Benedictine. The …

Continue reading History lesson: Camden’s 86-game region win streak is threatened »

By David Purdum / For the AJC

Forget the refs, the most polarizing topic of the football season so far has been the acceptable level of effort used when running the always-thrilling quarterback kneel down.

Two weeks ago, New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin got very grumpy after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers bull-rushed and knocked over quarterback Eli Manning on a kneel-down play.

Coaches, players and members of the media all took sides on the issue. There was no definite winner. The absolute proper way to execute and defend the victory formation is still up for discussion.

The debate boils down to one question – At what point does sportsmanship trump the desire never to give up?

The answer, in my opinion, is the scoreboard. If it’s a one-score game, anything goes. The offense is allowed to continue to attempt to win the game until the clock runs out. The defense should be afforded the same opportunity.

If it’s more than a one-score game, then the defense should accept defeat and …

Continue reading Victory formation debate: Coaches weigh in »

Eight teams have allowed seven points or fewer in each of their games this season:

Athens Academy

Heritage (Conyers)

Northeast (Macon)

Richmond Hill

Sandy Creek

Toombs County

Trion

Washington-Wilkes

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Continue reading Teams that have allowed seven points or less in every game »