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AJC > Sports > Highschools > Blog > Archives > 2006 > October > 05 > Entry

Ledford: Region 2-A is state’s toughest

By Craig Custance | Thursday, October 5, 2006, 01:13 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Fans of Region 1-AAAAA have some competition in the argument for the toughest region in the state. Region 2-A, Division A has four teams ranked in the AJC’s top ten, and the fifth team in the region has three wins.

No. 3 Dooly County and No. 6 Wilcox County are both undefeated at 5-0, while No. 5 Hawkinsville has one loss, to a Class AA team and No. 7 Turner’s only loss is to Class AAA’s Clinch County.

So is this the most competitive region in the state?

“Yes. How’s that?,” said Wilcox County coach Mark Ledford. “You have four teams that have been in or around the top ten — and this case we have some in the top five or six, depending on the poll. And [unranked] Irwin County is a good football team too, that’s a team that came down from AA.”

We’ll get a real good idea on who is the favorite to win this region after Friday’s game between Hawkinsville and Dooly County.

Dooly coach Darryl Silas anticipates a school-record crowd at the game, and estimates his stadium has a capacity of 4,000 - tickets he expects to be long gone an hour before kickoff.

Adding to the rivalry is the fact that Silas was once a coach at Hawkinsville, and has two assistants who were born and raised in Hawkinsville.

Dooly County hasn’t beaten the Red Devils since 1999, a 20-13 win at home, but Silas thinks this could be the year they break the five-game losing streak.

“We’re thinking we match up pretty well, they have just as much quickness and spped that we have,” Silas said. “In the past they may have had more talented athletes than we have. Now, the talent pool is even.”

  • Manchester, which last won a state championship in 1997, and only had five losses in a four-year span (1994-97) is returning to that form in Greg Oglesby’s second run as head coach. Manchester is 5-0, including a 3-0 start in Region 5-AA. The defense hasn’t allowed a touchdown in three games, and now the Blue Devils have a week off to prepare for Heard County, the only other undefeated team in the region. “Emotionally, I’d love to be playing, physically we do need the week off, especially with somebody like Heard County coming up,” Oglesby said. The week off will give safety Caleb Davis time to rest his hurt ankle.

  • The State Report got a call this week from Hancock Central athletics director Marcus Morris. Evidently his quarterback had a huge day against Monticello and word hadn’t reached Atlanta. Brandon Nolley, a senior QB who is also a standout basketball player at the school, tallied 572 total yards on Friday. He rushed for a touchdown, threw for another, and scored on a kickoff return. He rushed for over 100 yards, threw for another 200, returned three punts for 90 yards, and had 180 return yards leading the Hancock Central kickoff return team. He”s getting looks from Louisville and Kentucky, Morris said. “I tell you what, this cat is something special,” Morris told us. “When he gets on the field, everybody is like ‘There’s No. 9’”

    The State Football Report features high school football news from outside Metro Atlanta. If you have news for the State Football Report or a team you’d like to see featured, e-mail ccustance@ajc.com.

    • Permalink | Comments (4) | Post your comment | Categories: State Football Report

    Comments

    By dwalk

    October 5, 2006 03:26 PM | Link to this

    OK lets stop with the jokes, if region 2A think they’re the best region in the state the must haven’t looked at region 4 in Class 4A. It has 4 top ten teams in the class in the AJC in which of them are the top 3 teams, and depends on which poll you look at they have 3 in the top 5!!! 4 teams are undefeated and Stockbridge which has two loses would probably beat alot of people if the didn’t have to play in that region. Now that’s the number one region in the state. Baldwin, Griffin, NSWR,Westside-Macon, keep up the good work!!!!

    By Fat Rabbit

    October 6, 2006 03:37 PM | Link to this

    Baldwin will lose tonight and next week and 4AAAA won’t look as tough

    By dwalk

    October 8, 2006 05:55 PM | Link to this

    I guess baldwin didn’t lose, and if they did they would have lost inside the region,which further would have proven my point.Region 4-AAAA is the best in the state period…….

    By suwannoochee

    October 13, 2006 11:21 PM | Link to this

    Don’t wanna be a killjoy, but I live in Clinch County, and when last I checked, our local high school was still in Class A.

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