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Thursday, November 1, 2007
Playoff cards in Cards’ favor
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Of course, Mt. Zion coach Jarrett Laws and Jonesboro’s Clint Satterfield are looking at this from the perspective of keeping their state playoff hopes alive. But here’s the reality: The reward for winning tonight’s showdown at Tara Stadium is … an all-expenses paid trip to Warner Robins for a matchup with No. 1-ranked Northside in the Region 4-AAAA playoff. That team will have to win at McConnell-Talbert Stadium to get into the state playoffs. Stranger things have happened, I suppose, (Appalachian State, anyone?) but … Anyhow, there are local bragging rights to consider. Jonesboro is looking to finish strong with an eye toward next year; Mt. Zion is trying to give Martin Ward a positive sendoff from what has been an otherwise disappointing senior season. Says here, Cardinals wing their way to Warner Robins next week.
GAME OF THE WEEK
North Clayton at Lovejoy — 7:30 p.m. Thurs., Twelve Oaks Stadium
RECORDS: North Clayton 5-3, 4-1 Region 4-AAAA Division A; Lovejoy 4-4, 3-2.
COACHES: North Clayton, Don Shockley (82-64-1); Lovejoy, Al Hughes (63-63).
PLAYERS TO WATCH: North Clayton — DB Edward Ndem (Sr., 6-1, 190), DT Albert Carlisle (Jr., 6-0, 245), WR Daamon Cooper (Sr., 5-10, 160). Lovejoy — OL Andre’ Harris (Sr., 6-4, 320), QB Kyle Lacy (Sr., 6-1, 190), WR T.J. Brown (Sr., 6-2, 190).
LAST YEAR: North Clayton won 32-0.
LAST WEEK: North Clayton beat Mt. Zion 26-18; Lovejoy beat Forest Park 29-6.
THE SKINNY: The difference between playing at home in the Region 4-AAAA playoff and hitting the road against No. 4 Baldwin is likely going to be one play. North Clayton and Lovejoy are separated by one game in the standings and they might bet the two most evenly matched teams in the state this week. North Clayton has scored 161 points and allowed 130; the Wildcats have scored 152 and allowed 130. Each has a narrow loss to Griffin. All of which points to a tight game.
PREDICTION: North Clayton, 26-24.
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Two state volley champs on tap?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Don’t look now, but it could be that the county winds up with two state champions in volleyball. McIntosh and Starr’s Mill fill half the state semifinals bracket in Class AAAA (Starr’s Mill faces St. Pius, while McIntosh takes on Woodward Academy), and Sandy Creek, behind hitter Olmpia Haney, faces Westminster in AAA.
LOOKIN’ FOR HISTORY
If Fayette County beats McIntosh Friday, and says here they will, the Tigers will claim the Region 2-AAAA championship. According to the Georgia High School Football Historians Association, it will be their first ever, and it’s been a long wait for the county’s oldest school.
SEE-SAW EFFECT
Starr’s Mill has alternated losses and wins since football season began, but their end of the seesaw will stay up this week against Northgate, which has been shut out four times and has lost seven straight.
GAME OF THE WEEK
Whitewater at Woodward Academy — 7:30 p.m. Fri.
RECORDS: Whitewater 6-2, 5-1 Region 2-AAAA; Woodward Academy 4-5, 3-4.
COACHES: Whitewater, Amos McCreary (102-47); Woodward, Mark Miller (15-14)
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Whitewater — FB Collin Wooddy (Sr., 6-1.210), CB Chris Asbury (Sr., 5-9, 175), DE Thomas Richard (Jr., 6-1, 200).
LAST YEAR: Woodward won, 17-12.
LAST WEEK: Whitewater was off; Woodward lost to Starr’s Mill, 28-12.
THE SKINNY: The Wildcats have shaken off a 1-2 start and won five straight, during which time they’ve allowed just 34 points, and now appear headed for the second-place spot in 2-AAAA. Woodward is trying to avoid its second losing season in three years, but Whitewater’s defense likely will be the difference; only one team, Newnan in the season opener, has scored more than two touchdowns against the Wildcats.
PREDICTION: Whitewater, 31-9.
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Chargers should take 5-A title
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Two weeks ago, a perusal of the schedule would have prompted the peruser to pause at Eagle’s Landing Christian’s game Friday against Landmark Christian with the thought: Will this be the year the Chargers unseat Landmark as Region 5-A champion? Now, though, the Chargers have lost two straight and the War Eagles’ stranglehold on the region title has been usurped instead by Fellowship Christian, which has beaten both of them. This duel on Highway 42, though, probably means a home playoff game for Landmark, while ELCA can clinch a postseason berth. Says here that the Chargers, who had suffered back-to-back single-digit losses, will break through.
MOVING ON…
The optimism generated by a 4-0 start has given way to disappointment for Stockbridge, which has lost four straight to the Region 4-AAAA powers, but the Tigers still have a good chance to finish with their first winning season since 1995. They were within a point last year of beating Jones County, this week’s opponent, and they’ve been a play away the last two weeks against Westside-Macon and Upson-Lee. Says here the Tigers get it done this time.
GAME OF THE WEEK
Luella at M.L. King — 7:30 p.m. Sat., Panthersville Stadium
RECORDS: Luella 5-3, 4-1 Region 2-AAAAA; M.L. King 8-0, 5-0.
COACHES: Luella, Paul Burgdorf (17-26); M.L. King, Corey Jarvis (27-5)
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Luella — WR Chance Masters (Sr., 5-11, 170), TE Jake Burgdorf (Sr, 6-0, 230), QB/DB Roderick Sweeting (Jr., 5-11, 175).
LAST YEAR: M.L. King won, 31-9.
LAST WEEK: Luella beat Lithonia 10-0; M.L. King beat Newton 47-12.
THE SKINNY: This battle between Lions could settle the issue of the Alpha Helmet in 2-AAAAA. Luella has weathered the storm that came with its fracas during the Union Grove game Oct. 12 and now hits the road for the biggest game in the school’s short history. They’ve reached five wins for the first time, have won four straight and need one more win to clinch their first-ever playoff berth. None of which is to say it will be easy. M.L. King is ranked No. 3 in AAAAA and has topped 40 points five times in eight games. The big question is whether Luella is ready for its close-up.
PREDICTION: M.L. King, 30-19.
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The ABCs of prognostication
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Winless Protection Program left me 26 games short this week. That’s 23 games that involved at least one 0-fer and three others that actually qualified for double-secret winless probation because neither sideline has known victory since back when Georgia wasn’t Arizona.
Winless Protectees drop beneath the prognostication radar because their games simply have become too easy. At some point you have to subtract the monotony of “[insert team of futility here] loses again” this week and go to playoff mode.
At least three 0-fers will rejoin the fold next week because they’re forced to win. Until then, I present the ABCs of prognostication.
A is for accident. As in, what it would take for McEachern to beat Harrison this week, or what many Harrison fans consider that Sept. 14 loss to North Cobb.
B for blunder. No matter how badly teams from regions 1-AAAA and 6-A blunder, they can’t miss the playoffs.
C is for catastrophe. If GAC accidentally blunders and loses to Decatur, it’ll be a catastrophe.
D is for Dutchtown, which has the most football appropriate-sounding school name in the state (just transpose the D and the second T), but not enough else to stop Baldwin today.
E is for East Coweta remaining unbeaten because it’s idle and just benefited from F is for forfeit, erasing a season-opening loss to an Alabama team which used an illegal player.
G is for Glascock County, which practically invented winless protection when it lost 82 in a row but has no need for it now. However, it could use a little Athens Christian Protection today.
H is for Henry County, which will beat Ola to tie its most wins in a season since 1955 (eight).
I is. U is, too. Don’t do this in English class, kids, or the F you get will not be for forfeit.
J is for Jefferson, which hasn’t beaten Commerce since 1995, but breaks the streak tonight.
K is for Kell, which most minimally has avoided winless protection, but doesn’t have enough left to beat Corey Tower-less Wheeler.
L is for Laney, which will avoid an unfortunate alliteration — “Lucy Laney loses” by beating Jefferson County in a big Region 3-AAA game.
M is for McNair, which has a worse record than Southside, but will beat the Lasers handily.
N is for Northside-Warner Robins, perhaps the state’s best team with Marques Ivory, but a tempting upset pick without him and with Westside-Macon as the opposition. But I’ll resist.
O is Oconee County, today’s only “O” winner.
P is for Peachtree Ridge, which is back in fourth in Region 7-AAAAA, the spot from which it launched a state title-sharing run last season.
Q is for Quiles (quarterback is too easy), as in Marquese, the North Gwinnett star defender who has a week until the big Norcross game.
R is for Rome rocks Ridgeland. Right.
S is for Salem settling a score with Cedar Shoals and snatching the subregion lead.
T is for time off, exactly what Claxton will have until August after losing to Bryan County.
V is for Valdosta victory No. 837 tonight.
W is for “Westminster wins” because it does and “wrong” because I have been about them for much of the season. And for “whoa.” Don’t want to get in the habit of that.
X and Z are for Xzavian Brandon, vainly trying to keep Northview from losing to Roswell today.
There’s no Y, OK? That’s Y I end on a Y not.
Check out his video • See the full list of predictions
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