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Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Take 10: A look at our dream high school football matchups
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
You’ve thought about it. Somewhere out there is a team you’ve just been dying to play. It could be the history, the attraction of a new road game or maybe you just hold a grudge from a girl that broke your heart freshman year at UGA. (We know you’re out there, Julia from Smyrna.)
After seeing Northside-Warner Robins eke out a 7-6 win over Carver-Columbus, we at Take Ten got to thinking about our own dream matchups. Seeing a pair of defending state champions tangle is the perfect example.
Here are our top 10 dream football matchups:
10: Carver-Columbus vs. Tucker - The Tigers faced a former Class AAAA powerhouse. How about a current one? We like the idea of seeing two of the state’s best linebackers in Tucker’s Jonathan Davis and Carver’s Jarvis Jones. The Tigers offense would have its hands full with the Tucker defense. Prediction: 4-2 Tucker (Tigers win on a pair of safeties. Offenses combine for negative yardage.)
9: Cartersville vs. Sandy Creek - This game is contingent on Patriots wideout Braxton Lane coming out of retirement. Cartersville’s Donovan Tate did. Watching Tate cover the receiver who broke all of Calvin Johnson’s receiving records (in three years) would be fun. Maybe we could throw in baseball gloves to make them feel more comfortable. Prediction: 24-21 Patriots
8: ECI vs. Athens Academy - The Bulldogs have an 18-game winning streak lead by tailback Washaun Ealey and linebacker Dexter Moody. We thought giving someone like the Spartans a shot at the champs would be quality entertainment. Athens is led by wideout McKay Academy. The Spartans have already logged a quality 40-14 win over Whitefield Academy. Prediction: 35-34 Bulldogs
7: Buford vs. Hollywood - If you read our Take Ten last week, you saw the Wolves’ well-crafted video mergers of famous films and game highlights. We’ve had our ear to the ground this week and learned that Peter Jackson (The Lord of the Rings series) and The Wachowski Brothers (The Matrix series) are ticked off. Lawsuits are coming. We think Dallas Lee and the Buford defense can handle themselves. Prediction: 58-7 Buford (The shutout is broken in the fourth quarter after Gandalf hits Neo for a 53-yard pass.)
6: Newnan vs. Etowah - These are two of our favorite teams to watch. The Eagles can fly high with the split-back veer, and the Cougars offense is potent with quarterback Russell Powell. We’d like to see one of them make noise in the playoffs this year (like Newnan did a year ago). Prediction: 35-28 Cougars
5: East Paulding vs. Maryville (Tenn.) - It would be difficult to know the significance of this unless you knew East Paulding coach John Reid. The Raiders coach has made a quick turnaround at his first Georgia coaching gig. East Paulding had one winning season in 11 years prior to Reid’s arrival in 2006. Since then, the Raiders are 26-3. Maryville is one of the best program’s in the nation, winning 12 titles and four straight in Tennessee’s Class AAAA. Reid’s previous coaching stop was at Alcoa, Tenn., where he suffered three losses to the crosstown rival Maryville Rebels. It would be nice to see if Georgia talent made a difference. Prediction: 31-14 Rebels
4: Harrison vs. Walton - The two best teams in Cobb County should see each other before the postseason, but they won’t. Walton took the most recent matchup 37-28 in the second round of the playoffs last fall. Hoyas tailback Robbie Godhigh vs. Walton’s defensive front would be the key matchup. Prediction: 17-15 Hoyas
3: Peachtree Ridge vs. Roswell - How could you not want to see these teams again? Most of the faces have changed, but we can guarantee some bad blood remains. Two year ago, the pair tied for a state title. Then, the rematch came in the playoffs in 2007. Instead of some sort of finality, the game ended in uproar as Hornets tailback Alex Daniel scored (we think) on a controversial overtime touchdown. Prediction: 39-38 Roswell (Peachtree Ridge recovers a fumble with 24 seconds remaining only to have the refs overturn the play due to a prematurely blown whistle. Roswell goes on to score and win on a two-point conversion. Oh, wait…)
2: Camden County vs. Northside-Warner Robins - The Wildcats are No. 2 in our latest rankings poll, while the Eagles are third in their new classification. Neither of these teams need more tests. Camden County has faced Norcross and Hoover (Ala.) in its first three games. The Eagles played the aforementioned Carver game. Prediction: 27-21 Wildcats
1: Lowndes vs.Trinity (Euless, Texas) - Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.) is the nation’s top-ranked prep football program according to USA Today. Trinity is second. We’ve already seen Byrnes challenge the state of Georgia, downing North Gwinnett 36-21. What we’d like to see is the best team in Georgia take on the best team in the “best state of high school football.” Let’s see how the Peach State ranks with the Lone Star State. Prediction: 21-20 Vikings
Go on. Take Ten. What are the games that you’ve been dreaming about? Who are the schools that should be playing this season? Were we missing something on our list? Let us know. Here’s your chance to set the record straight.
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