AJC > Sports > Highschools > Blog > Archives > 2008 > October > 16
Thursday, October 16, 2008
AJC Football Predictions: East Paulding-Harrison a region title
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
We have had Lowndes-Valdosta, Grayson-Brookwood, Marist-Tucker and Northside-Lowndes as star attractions in this column, but the game that people in northwest Metro have been clamoring for all season is finally upon us.
Yes, it is time for that big McEachern-North Cobb contest we have all been waiting for. What? That wasn’t the game you were waiting for me to pick this week?
Oh, yeah, now I remember! There is a little contest about to be played off of Due West Road that we might want to talk about. The blogs have been full of it and the cannon has been loaded and the Hoyas have been unleashed, so let’s get to East Paulding at Harrison.
This game has been the source of intense speculation all year. After barely avoiding the Upset Special of the Week by the hair of Robbie Godhigh’s little pinky that deflected a would-be game-winning field goal, No. 8 Harrison should be firmly focused on the Raiders. No. 10 East Paulding took care of business at North Cobb last week, and now the anticipated showdown between ranked and undefeated teams to decide the Region 5-AAAAA title is upon us.
Having seen both teams play, it is hard to see a whole lot of difference between the two. Both teams have solid lines of scrimmage, and both teams have shown they know how to win even when it seems like they shouldn’t. Both teams have opportunistic defenses that force turnovers and skill people that can make the difference.
Harrison gets an edge at home, but is it a big enough edge? The Hoyas also own two victories against the Raiders, but that was a decade ago. So who has the edge? People are going to accuse me of jumping on the East bandwagon and having something against the Hoyas, but neither is the case. I just think that right now, the Raiders have a lot to prove and some respect to earn. This victory will bring the respect they have been craving.
Don’t worry Hoya fans, I have been wrong about you before, but for the record I was 10-3 last week and am 51-19 on the year,
Gwinnett groove on: With Region 1-AAAAA practically shut down this week, it has been kind of quiet in south Georgia, but that just means I get to show Gwinnett some more love. My big crush on Grayson continues this week as Berkmar joins the ranks of the fallen. … Talk about a team needing some love, how about Collins Hill? Even though they are undefeated and at home, I am picking Peachtree Ridge to end the Cinderella run of the Eagles.
Here, there and everywhere: Let’s cruise around the state in a haphazard manner. Johnson County is good, but ECI is on another plane. Washaun Ealey breaks another record against the team that Herschel used to run for. … Stephenson and M.L. King are both 5-1, so this one should be must-see viewing at Hallford Stadium. Since the King family is out of sorts this week, gimme Stephenson. … Who saw Hillgrove at Sprayberry as a big game? I like a feel-good story, so take the third-year school in Hillgrove. … Chamblee to bounce back over Tucker. … Lassiter over Milton. … Kennesaw Mountain handles Woodstock. … Dunwoody to keep rolling past Columbia.
WEEKEND PREDICTIONS W-L PERCENTAGE
Last week: 137-27 (.835) • Season: 877-254 (.775)
FRIDAY
Winner / Loser
Adairsville / Chattooga
Alcovy / Ola
Armuchee / Coosa
Apalachee / Loganville
Appling Co. / Brantley Co.
Athens Academy / Athens Christian
Bainbridge / Hardaway
Baldwin / Richmond Hill
Beach / Groves
Bleckley Co. / Dodge Co.
Blessed Trinity / Cross Keys
Bowdon / Trion
Bradwell Institute / Savannah
Bremen / Mt. Zion-Carroll
Brooks Co. / Berrien
Brookstone / Marion Co.
Brookwood / Central Gwinnett
Brunswick / Glynn Academy
Buford / Thomson
Burke Co. / Liberty Co.
Cairo / Dougherty
Calhoun / Sonoravillee
Calvary Day / Portal
Camden Co. / Johnson-Sav.
Cartersville / Central-Carroll
Cedar Grove / Clarkston
Cedar Shoals / Salem
Central-Talbot. / Webster Co.
Chamblee / Tucker
Chattahoochee Co. / Pacelli
Chestatee / White Co.
Claxton / Bryan Co.
Clinch Co. / Atkinson Co.
Crawford Co. / Lamar Co.
Creekside / Lovejoy
Creekview / Gilmer
Dacula / Shiloh
Douglass / Redan
Druid Hills / Towers
Dublin / Swainsboro
Dunwoody / Columbia
ELCA / Pace Academy
East Coweta / Chapel Hill
East Jackson / Rabun Co.
East Laurens / Screven Co.
East Paulding / Harrison
Eastside / Jackson Co.
Effingham Co. / Wayne Co.
ECI / Johnson Co.
Etowah / Marietta
Evans / Josey
Fannin Co. / Riverside Military
Fitzgerald / Early Co.
Flowery / Branch / East Hall
Franklin Co. / Elbert Co.
Glascock Co. / Mount Paran
Gordon Central / Dade Co.
Gordon Lee / Walker
Grayson / Berkmar
GAC / Avondale
Greene Co. / Central-Macon
Greenville / Taylor Co.
Griffin / Stockbridge
Habersham Cent. / Monroe Area
Haralson Co. / Cedartown
Hart Co. / Oconee Co.
Heard Co. / Jordan
Hephzibah / Harlem
Heritage-Conyers / Madison Co.
Hillgrove / Sprayberry
Hiram / Osborne
Holy Innocents’ / Fellowship Christ.
Jackson / Eagle’s Landing
Jefferson / Banks Co.
Jefferson Co. / S.E. Bulloch
Jenkins / Windsor Forest
Jenkins Co. / Metter
Jones Co. / Americus-Sumter
Jonesboro / Forest Park
Kell / Campbell
Kennesaw Mtn. / Woodstock
LaFayette / Ringgold
LaGrange / Northside-Col.
Lakeside-Evans / Cross Creek
Lakeview-Ft. Ogle. / Heritage-Catoosa
Laney / Vidalia
Lanier Co. / Pelham
Lassiter / Milton
Lincoln Co. / Wash.-Wilkes
Long Co. / Jeff Davis
Marist / Miller Grove
McEachern / North Cobb
McIntosh Co. Acad. / Tattnall Co.
Mill Creek / Chattahoochee
Miller Co. / Seminole Co.
Model / Temple
Montgomery Co. / Wheeler Co.
Mount Pisgah / S.W. Atl. Christian
Newnan / Westlake
Newton / Greenbrier
Norcross / North Forsyth
North Gwinnett / Northview
North Hall / Pickens
North Oconee / Dawson Co.
N.E.-Macon / Monticello
Parkview / South Gwinnett
Peach Co. / Westover
Peachtree Ridge / Collins Hill
Pepperell / Rockmart
Pike Co. / Macon Co.
Pope / Wheeler
Prince Avenue / Lakeview Acad.
Putnam Co. / Howard
Richmond Acad. / Glenn Hills
Ridgeland / S.E. Whitfield
Riverdale / Pebblebrook
Riverwood / Therrell
Rockdale Co. / Winder-Barrow
Rome / N.W. Whitfield
Roswell / Alpharetta
Sandy Creek / Fayette Co.
Sav. Christian / Sav. Country Day
Schley Co. / Stewart Co.
Sequoyah / Cass
South Cobb / Cherokee
South Forsyth / Duluth
South Paulding / Paulding Co.
Spalding / Jackson-Atlanta
Starr’s Mill / McIntosh
Stephens Co. / Morgan Co.
Stephenson / M.L. King
Telfair Co. / Irwin Co.
Terrell Co. / Randolph-Clay
Thomas Co. Cent. / Harris Co.
Thomasville / Cook
Towns Co. / Georgia Military
Tri-Cities / Alexander
Twiggs Co. / Hawkinsville
Union Co. / Oglethorpe Co.
Union Grove / Luella
Upson-Lee / Lee Co.
Villa Rica / Douglas Co.
Walton / Centennial
Ware Co. / Statesboro
Warner Robins / Houston Co.
Warren Co. / Hancock Central
Washington Co. / West Laurens
Wesleyan / Commerce
West Forsyth / Johnson-Gaines.
West Hall / Lumpkin Co.
Westside-Aug. / Butler
Westminster / Decatur
Whitefield Acad. / Our Lady of Mercy
Whitewater / Northgate
Wilcox Co. / Dooly Co.
Wilkinson Co. / Aquinas
Woodland-Carters. / Murray Co.
Woodland-Stock. / South Atlanta
Woodward Acad. / Rutland
Worth Co. / Perry
SATURDAY
Carver-Col. / Shaw
Charlton Co. / Benedictine
Forsyth Central / Lakeside-DeKalb
Grady / Carver-Atlanta
Mays / Banneker
St. Pius / Washington
S.W. DeKalb / Lithonia
Stone Mountain / North Springs
— Compiled by Chip Saye
Permalink | Comments (74) | Post your comment | Categories: Weekend Predictions
