Archive for the ‘4ABlog’ Category

Region 1

The lineup: Albany, Americus-Sumter, Cairo, Crisp County, Dougherty, Monroe, Westover, Worth County

Teams to watch: Westover, Crisp County, Monroe.

Players to watch: Javoris Cooks, Crisp County; D.J. Jackson, Crisp County; Jabari McGhee, Monroe; T.J. Cromer, Westover.

Strength of region: 3

Last season: Albany appeared in the third round of the Class AA state playoffs and Crisp went 17-10 and went to the third round in AAA. Westover bowed out in the AAA second round.

The skinny: Albany is coming off a 25-3 season but lost seven seniors off that team. Cooks and Jackson may make Crisp the team to beat, while McGhee is a big-time recruit and could push Monroe to another level.

Teams that could win state: Monroe appears to have the best chance.

Region 2

The lineup: Baldwin, Howard, Mary Persons, Perry, Rutland, Veterans, West Laurens, Westside-Macon.

Teams to watch: Westside, Howard

Players to watch: Jonathan Robertson, Veterans; Ronnie Mays, Westside.

Strength of …

Continue reading Class AAAA boys basketball preview »

Region 1

The lineup: Americus-Sumter, Albany, Cairo, Crisp County, Dougherty, Monroe, Westover, Worth County

Teams to watch: Westover, Crisp County, Americus-Sumter

Players to watch: Kayla Bowens, Americus-Sumter, Nasheema Oliver, Crisp County; Shanteria Williams, Westover.

Strength of region: 3

Last season: Monroe was the last team standing from Region 1-AAA last year, bowing in the third round to Washington County. Albany made the AA second round, while Westover, Crisp County and Dougherty all made the second round in AAA.

The skinny: Westover has won 97 games over the last four years, but sustained heavy losses to graduation. Williams, the daughter of Westover great Dontonio Wingfield, is expected to step into a leading role. Monroe also was hit hard by graduation. Americus-Sumter has most of its team back from year’s club that went 17-9, and Bowens is primed for a big year.

Teams that could win state: None.

Region 2

The lineup: Baldwin, Howard, Mary Persons, Perry, …

Continue reading Class AAAA girls basketball preview »

Monroe Area clinched its first region championship since 1969 by beating Chestatee last week, and the Hurricanes are looking for more heading into their regular-season finale against Eastside-Covington.

“We want to go 10-0,” said Monroe Area coach Matt Fligg. “That’d be the first ever in the history of the school.”

At the same time, quarterback Stanton Truitt has missed two games with an ankle sprain, and Fligg said he’s questionable this week. The Hurricanes haven’t missed a beat with receiver Michael Gallup moving over to quarterback. Gallup has led the ‘Canes to 98 points and two victories.

Just the same, Fligg would like to have him back at receiver.

“Stanton’s our quarterback and we want to have him back,” Fligg said. “For us to make a big run in the state playoffs we’ve got to get all of our people back.”

Rematch time …

The region play-in setup in four of the eight regions resulted in three rematches in Class AAAA involving ranked teams this week.

Though …

Continue reading Monroe Area eyes history, possible playoff run »

Things we learned in Class AAAA Friday night

No. 1 Sandy Creek had a pedestrian offensive night by its offensive standards – the Patriots gained 274 total yards – but the defense had little trouble with No. 4 Carrollton’s wing-T attack in a 30-7 win, holding the Trojans to 107 total yards. That total included some 50 yards in losses on two bad punt snaps, but the Patriots’ defensive dominance was unquestioned.

Statement game?

Sandy Creek coach Chip Walker declined to take the bait.

“I hope it’s a statement that we’re a pretty good football team,” he said.

Carrollton’s Rayvan Teague was a little more to the point.

“They’re going to be very tough to beat with all the talent they have,” he said.

Marist flexes: Chamblee’s dream of an undefeated season crashed in a 24-0 loss to Marist, which won its 17th straight over the Bulldogs according to ghsfha.com, a streak that dates back to 1983. Chamblee came in averaging 30 points per game, but Marist held them without a …

Continue reading Class AAAA: Sandy Creek, Monroe Area keep rolling. »

Hs4ablog.110112

Games to watch in Class AAAA:

No. 4 Carrollton (6-2, 5-0) at No. 1 Sandy Creek (8-0, 5-0): The battle for the Region 5-AAAA title features two of the state’s best offenses and two solid defenses in a rematch of the 2010 Class AAA state final. The big question is whether Carrollton can slow down Sandy Creek QB Cole Garvin (1,586 passing yards, 14 TDs) and RB Eric Swinney (801 yards, 12 Tds).

No. 2 Marist (7-1, 4-0) at Chamblee (8-0, 4-0), North DeKalb Stadium: Running back Dezmin Reed leads the unranked Bulldogs against Marist. The Bulldogs have reversed their fortunes from a year ago, when they went 4-6, including a 28-3 loss to the War Eagles. Marist and quarerback Myles Willis have put up 38 points per game over the past five contests.

No. 6 Monroe Area (8-0, 5-0) at Chestatee (7-1, 5-0): Monroe Area coach Matt Fligg returns to Chestatee, where he started the program and coached from 2002 to 2005. This could easily be the shootout of the week; Monroe Area …

Continue reading Class AAAA games to watch »

In the case of Region 5-AAAA, it was complete happenstance that the schedule fell the way that it did, with powers Carrollton and Sandy Creek playing this week. Also, the Troup-LaGrange rivalry game and the Fayette County-Shaw matchup have playoff implications.

There are great high-stakes games all over the state this weekend. Cairo and Monroe-Albany clash for the top spot in Region 1. Unbeaten Chamblee plays host to No. 2 Marist and unbeaten Carver-Atlanta takes on once-beaten Grady in 6-AAAA. Stockbridge plays Locust Grove with the top seed in 4-AAAA Division A on the line. And in 8-AAAA, No. 6 Monroe Area plays at Chestatee with the region title on the line.

None of those carries the weight, or at least the story lines, that go along with No. 4 Carrollton’s visit to No. 1 Sandy Creek. It’s two top-five teams, a rematch from the 2010 AAA state championship game and an old-guard, long-time power (Carrollton) against what might be termed a nouveaux elite (Sandy Creek) with …

Continue reading Carrollton-Sandy Creek headlines monster slate of AAAA games »

.

The Region 5 showdown is on. No. 1-ranked Sandy Creek and No. 4 Carrollton avoided pre-showdown letdowns with big wins Friday night, setting up a de facto region championship game next week. Rushing for five touchdowns, including three by Eric Swinney, Sandy Creek throttled LaGrange to stay unbeaten. Meanwhile, Carrollton got four first-half touchdowns from Trey Chivers and rolled over winless Alexander.

Other things we learned in AAAA Friday night:

Marist does its part: No. 2 Marist whipped Stone Mountain Friday night to stay unbeaten in sub-region play. The War Eagles, who are 7-1 overall, play next week against Chamblee, which was unbeaten heading into Saturday’s matchup against struggling Lithonia.

Statesboro’s defense stands up: The No. 5-ranked Blue Devils (7-1, 2-0 Regio 3-AAAA Division A), ranked No. 5, held their fourth straight opponent to single-digit points in a 13-6 win over South Effingham, which went into the game averaging 32 points. Running back Quan Daniels …

Continue reading Sandy Creek, Carrollton turn eyes to battle royale »

Games to watch in Class AAAA this week

No. 1 Sandy Creek (7-0, 4-0) at LaGrange (4-3, 3-1): The top-ranked Patriots, who have won 36 straight regular-season games have only been tested once, and that was in a 25-point win over Shaw. With quarterback Cole Garvin directing traffic, Sandy Creek has averaged 45 points per game. The Grangers, with a capable quarterback in Zach Giddens and a group of solid skilled players, could pose a trap for the Patriots, who have a showdown with No. 4 Carrollton looming next week. This is the first meeting between the two schools.

Baldwin (4-3, 3-1) at Mary Persons (5-2, 3-1): Baldwin and quarterback Tahjea Chambers battle Mary Persons for second place in 2-AAAA. The Braves beat Mary Persons 20-7 in 2011, their second straight win in the series. Mary Persons got a strong night from backup running back Dee High in a win over Rutland last week.

Riverdale (6-2, 3-1) at No. 9 Jonesboro (6-1, 2-1), Saturday Tara Stadium: With the second seed in …

Continue reading Class AAAA: No. 1 Sandy Creek visits LaGrange »

A few weeks back we touched on some unranked teams in Class AAAA that might merit consideration, and among those were a handful of teams in Region 6-AAAA.

Perhaps it speaks to the strength of schedules for the ranked teams that there are as many unbeaten, unranked teams in 6-AAAA (two) as there are unbeaten teams in the AAAA rankings this week (Sandy Creek and Monroe Area). The only 6-AAAA team in the rankings is No. 2 Marist, and few would quibble with that spot for the War Eagles, whose only loss is to AAAAA power Thomas County Central.

If any team in the AAAA rankings falters, a couple of other 6-AAAA teams have a case for inclusion.

Chamblee is 7-0, and the Bulldogs are solid favorites to move to 8-0 this weekend, facing a 1-6 Lithonia club.

An 8-0 Chamblee start would be remarkable for a number of reasons. Allen Johnson is the Bulldogs’ third coach in four years. They haven’t started 8-0 since 1981; even in their run to the 2007 Class AA semifinals, they lost in week …

Continue reading Chamblee, Carver wait their turn for rankings »

With two big showdowns looming in the next two weeks against LaGrange and Carrollton, top-ranked Sandy Creek reverted to form on defense Friday night, holding Alexander to 173 total yards in a 42-6 win, led by defensive linemen Michael Henderman and Chris Williams.

The Sandy Creek offense topped 40 points for the fifth time in seven games, including a pair of rushing touchdowns from Delvin Weems. For the defense, it was the fourth time the Patriots have held their opponent to a touchdown or less. Kyle Wilson ran back the opening kickoff 72 yards for a touchdown for Sandy Creek, which won its 36th straight regular-season game.

“I think we’re playing pretty good,” said Sandy Creek coach Chip Walker. “We can play better.”

Alexander’s Brian Desmereau, who scored the Cougars’ lone touchdown on a 42-yard run, was taken from the game in an ambulance with a neck injury according to the Douglas County Sentinel.

Stockbridge appears ready to take off: With the tandem of Malik …

Continue reading Defense keeps Sandy Creek rolling »

Games to watch in Class AAAA

Dutchtown (5-2, 1-1) at No. 7 Stockbridge (5-1, 1-0): This is a matchup between Region 4-AAAA Division A’s highest-scoring team (Dutchtown, 33 points per game) and the region’s stingiest defense (Stockbridge, 11 points allowed per game). Stockbridge has won five straight but will have its hands full with Bulldogs quarterback Donovahn Jones. Stockbridge has won five of the eight games between the two schools, including a 28-12 victory in 2011.

Shaw (3-3) at No. 3 Carrollton (4-2): In a Region 5-AAAA Carrollton, behind running back Trey Chivers, has scored 46.4 points per game over its last five contests. This one has great potential to be a shootout. Shaw quarterback Chandler Whittlesey has given opponents fits and last week accounted for four touchdowns against top-ranked Sandy Creek.

Baldwin (4-2, 3-0) at Westside-Macon (5-1, 3-0): In a battle for the top spot in Region 2-AAAAA, Baldwin and Westside have each cruised since starting region play. …

Continue reading Big showdown in Henry County between Stockbridge, Dutchtown »

Region 2-AAAA doesn’t have Peach County, owing to the way the reclassification fell in this two-year cycle. So there’s that. One less juggernaut for the region to deal with.

That doesn’t mean that the teams in 2-AAAA aren’t being tested, including front-runners Westside-Macon and Baldwin, who face off this week.

“We actually have been tested,” said Westside coach Sheddrick Risper, whose team’s only loss was to Class AAAAA Northside-Warner Robins.

Risper points out that against both Mary Persons and West Laurens, his team needed late scores to win with breathing room.

Flip the equation around, and it’s Westside’s opponents who have been tested. In Risper’s spread no-huddle offense, the Seminoles are averaging 40 points per game.

“We try to run a play every 15 seconds,” said Risper. “We want to run a whole bunch of plays and score points while we’re doing it.” Through six games, with quarterback Noah Grayer spreading the wealth, Westside has already scored as many …

Continue reading 2011 struggles paying dividends for Westside-Macon »

Some may have expected top-ranked Sandy Creek to roll over Shaw of Columbus, but the Patriots’ 51-26 win Friday was very much in doubt early in the fourth quarter, when the Raiders pulled within 31-26. According to published reports, a pair of touchdowns from Eric Swinney and an interception return by Khari Lane allowed Sandy Creek to pull away for its 35th straight regular-season win. Swinney finished with three touchdowns.

Burke County can play defense too: The No. 3-ranked Bears held Richmond Academy under 150 yards of total offense in a 38-7 win. Burke quarterback Donquell Green outdid that by himself, rushing for 153 yards and passing for 31 according to the Augusta Chronicle.

Monroe Area can win in a nail-biter: The No. 7 Hurricanes trailed Stephens County 17-7 at halftime, but quarterback Stanton Truitt had a big second half and the Monroe Area, scoring one of his two touchdowns and gaining 83 of his 121 rushing yards after intermission, according to the Anderson …

Continue reading Sandy Creek passes test against Shaw »

Shaw and quarterback Chandler Whittlesey take their shot at the top-ranked Patriots, who have won 34 straight regular-season games. Shaw leads the series 4-2 according to ghsfha.com, but Sandy Creek has won the last two meetings. The Patriots behind QB Cole Garvin are scoring 44 points per game.

Other games to watch in Class AAAA this week:

Grady (4-1, 1-0) vs. No. 6 Washington-Atlanta (5-0, 1-0), Saturday, Georgia Dome: Grady will find out if its two shutouts in the last two games are a function of the quality of their opponents. In a game that likely will factor heavily in Region 6-AAAA playoff race, the Grey Knights face a Washington team that is averaging 32 points per game.

Stephens County (4-1, 1-1) at No. 7 Monroe Area (5-0, 2-0): The Region 8-AAAA race heats up as Stephens County, which hasn’t lost back-to-back regular-season games since 2009, tries to bounce back from their loss on Sept. 28 to Chestatee. It figures to be a duel between Stephens’ Chaz Thornton and …

Continue reading Shaw takes it shot against No. 1 Sandy Creek »

If there’s a word to describe the reaction to Locust Grove’s 5-1, it’d have to be disbelief. Even with skilled players Cortez McDowell and Keenan Wise, the Wildcats really had nothing in their history to suggest they’d reel off a five-game winning streak and force their way into discussions about potential playoff teams in Region 4-AAAA.

“I’m on cloud nine,” said Locust Grove coach Clint Satterfield. “It’s a little bit beyond my expectations. I knew we were going to be better. It’s the fourth year of the school and a lot of these kids came in as ninth-graders.”

The fifth game was the real eye-opener. Down 31-0 late in the first half last week against a surging Dutchtown team, the Wildcats stormed back to win 40-37. One one span of six offensive plays in the third period, they scored three touchdowns. McDowell caught eight passes for 186 yards and three touchdowns.

Their lone loss, a 25-21 setback against county rival Union Grove, finished with the Wildcats on the …

Continue reading Locust Grove excelling in tight games »