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Thursday, October 23, 2008
AJC Football Predictions: Bet on Harrison, but Union Grove falls
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Where did the season go?
For all you fans out there with a passion for those Friday night lights, it is hard to believe that this is Week 9 of the high school football season. Just yesterday it seemed like we were working on our preseason Super 11 and picking our Top 150 recruits in the state of Georgia.
It has gone by fast, but for some people, the season is just now getting interesting. Take Region 5-AAAAA, for example.
Now, on the surface, last week’s victory by Harrison against East Paulding would put the Hoyas in prime position for a region title and a deep run in the playoffs. However, Harrison didn’t come out of this one without some major wounds.
Harrison isn’t a one-man team, but the loss of Robby Godhigh is devastating. Add in a few others on the disabled list, and the Hoyas are primed for an upset from their west Cobb rivals in McEachern. Also, first-year McEachern coach Kyle Hockman has never lost to Harrison, winning the last two seasons at Campbell.
All that being said, it would take more than that to make me to pick against Harrison three weeks in a row. Take Harrison, but if this were on the board in Vegas, I would avoid it like the plague.
Speaking of crap shoots, I was a pitiful .500 last week, which will let you leave Vegas with exactly what you came in with, but I am a high roller, baby! On the year, your fearless football forecaster is 56-24, which would definitely get me the No. 2 seed in the NBA’s Eastern Division.
Gwinnett groove: I won’t be able to show Grayson any love next week. Not because the Rams will lose, but because they are off. Besides, my love alone should be enough to get them past Meadowcreek this week and the season finale with Central Gwinnett. Undefeated and headed to the playoffs! Go Rams! … Blessed Trinity seems to think they have something up their sleeve for Buford. Best of luck with that. Wolves roll again.
A country? A fruit stand? Union Grove is our latest metro media darling, to borrow a phrase from our blogs, but can anyone really call this team a dominating force? I guess it helps to have all the tough teams at the end of the schedule, but Union Grove’s ranking this week for the first time ever seems a little bogus. The Wolverines have a 7-0 record against teams with a combined record of 17-32-1. Well, 8-2 will get the Wolverines into the playoffs. Have fun against Region 1. Go with Stephenson this week.
Up with the Hill: Not enough has been written this year about the phenomenal job that Chris Parker has done in his first year at Chapel Hill. Douglas County’s also-ran school was 1-9 last season in Class AAAA, but the former Sequoyah assistant has taken the Panthers to AAAAA and is 6-1 in Region 4. Given the playoff brackets, Chapel Hill could be playing 12 games this season. Sorry Creekside, but Cinderella is still balling.
Fast and quick: Marist squeaks by SW DeKalb … Cat-scratch Fever (Dalton) in a mild upset of Rome … Sequoyah on the road at Northwest Whitfield … Dunwoody big over McNair … Carrollton over rival Central … Coffee on the road at Valdosta. … Roswell reigns in Milton’s running attack.
THE WEEKEND PREDICTIONS
Last week: 137-31 (.815) • Season: 1,014-285 (.781)
FRIDAY’S GAMES
Winner / Loser
Adairsville / Sonoraville
Apalachee / Heritage-Conyers
Appling Co. / McIntosh Co. Acad.
Armuchee / Temple
Athens Academy / Wesleyan
Bainbridge / Upson-Lee
Baldwin / Liberty Co.
Banneker / Lithia Springs
Berkmar / Central Gwinnett
Bowdon / North Paulding
Bremen / Gordon Lee
Brookstone / Webster Co.
Brookwood / Dacula
Bryan Co. / Portal
Buford / Blessed Trinity
Cairo / Perry
Calhoun / Dade Co.
Callaway / Crawford Co.
Camden Co. / Jenkins
Campbell / Centennial
Carrollton / Central-Carroll
Cartersville / Cedartown
Carver-Atlanta / North Atlanta
Cass / Murray Co.
Cedar Grove / Towers
Central-Talbotton / Taylor Co.
Chamblee / Forsyth Central
Chapel Hill / Creekside
Charton Co. / Brantley Co.
Chattahoochee / Northview
Chattahoochee Co. / Stewart Co.
Chattooga / Gordon Central
Clarke Central / Cedar Shoals
Claxton / Sav. Country Day
Coffee / Valdosta
Collins Hill / Mill Creek
Columbia / Clarkston
Commerce / Lakeview Acad.
Cook / Berrien
Creekview / Pickens
Crisp Co. / Dougherty
Dalton / Rome
Darlington / Mt. Zion-Carroll
Douglass / Newton
Dublin / East Laurens
Dunwoody / McNair
Dutchtown / Forest Park
ELCA / Landmark Christ.
Early Co. / Albany
East Coweta / Morrow
East Paulding / Kennesaw Mtn.
Elbert Co. / Jackson Co.
ECI / Metter
Etowah / South Cobb
Evans / Hephzibah
Fannin Co. / Banks Co.
Fitzgerald / Brooks Co.
Flowery Branch / West Forsyth
Gainesville / Gilmer
Glenn Hills / Josey
Glynn Academy / Wayne Co.
Grayson / Meadowcreek
Greene Co. / Howard
Greenville / Pacelli Catholic
Groves / Savannah
Habersham Cent. / Rockdale Co.
Harlem / Butler
Harris Co. / Lee Co.
Harrison / McEachern
Hart Co. / Morgan Co.
Heard Co. / Lamar Co.
Hebron Christian / Mount Paran
Henry Co. / Northeast-Macon
Hillgrove / Hiram
Jackson-Atlanta / South Atlanta
Jefferson / Rabun Co.
Johnson-Gaines. / East Hall
Johnson Co. / Treutlen
Jonesboro / Griffin
Kell / Wheeler
LaFayette / S.E. Whitfield
LaGrange / Columbus
Lakeside-Evans / Westside-Aug.
Laney / Swainsboro
Lanier Co. / Bacon Co.
Lithonia / Lakeside-DeKalb
Loganville / Monroe Area
Lovett / GAC
Lowndes / Houston Co.
Luella / Redan
Lumpkin Co. / White Co.
Macon Co. / Manchester
Marion Co. / Schley Co.
Marist / S.W. DeKalb
Miller Co. / Randolph-Clay
Miller Grove / North Springs
Montgomery Co. / Jenkins Co.
Mount Pisgah / Our Lady of Mercy
Mt. Zion-Jones. / Alcovy
Newnan / Pebblebrook
Norcross / Duluth
North Cobb / Marietta
North Gwinnett / North Forsyth
North Hall / Chestatee
North Oconee / East Jackson
Northgate / McIntosh
Pace Academy / S.W. Atl. Christian
Paulding Co. / Osborne
Peach Co. / Worth Co.
Peachtree Ridge / South Forsyth
Pelham / Atkinson Co.
Pepperell / Coosa
Pierce Co. / Jeff Davis
Pike Co. / Jordan
Pope / Alpharetta
Putnam Co. / Monticello
Richmond Acad. / Cross Creek
Richmond Hill / Long Co.
Riverdale / Mundy’s Mill
Riverside Military / Oglethorpe Co.
Rockmart / Model
Roswell / Milton
St. Pius / Grady
Salem / Winder-Barrow
Sandy Creek / Starr’s Mill
Sav. Christian / Calvary Day
Screven Co. / S.E. Bulloch
Sequoyah / N.W. Whitfield
Social Circle / Prince Avenue
South Gwinnett / Shiloh
Southwest-Macon / Central-Macon
Spalding / Rutland
Sprayberry / South Paulding
Statesboro / South Effingham
Stephens Co. / Franklin Co.
Stephenson / Union Grove
Tattnall Co. / Benedictine
Terrell Co. / Calhoun Co.
Thomas Co. Cent. / Hardaway
Thomasville / Mitchell Co.
Thomson / West Laurens
Toombs Co. / Bleckley Co.
Tri-Cities / Douglas Co.
Trion / Walker
Troup / Shaw
Tucker / Stone Mountain
Turner Co. / Dooly Co.
Twiggs Co. / Telfair Co.
Union Co. / Dawson Co.
Vidalia / Dodge Co.
Villa Rica / Mays
Walton / Lassiter
Ware Co. / Brunswick
Warner Robins / Colquitt Co.
Warren Co. / Aquinas
Washington / Riverwood
Washington Co. / Burke Co.
Wash.-Wilkes / Wilkinson Co.
Westlake / Lovejoy
Westminster / Cross Keys
Westover / Monroe
Westside-Macon / Amer.-Sumter
Whitefield Acad. / Holy Innocents’
Whitewater / Fayette Co.
Wilcox Co. / Hawkinsville
Windsor Forest / Johnson-Sav.
Woodland-Stock. / Eagle’s Landing
Woodstock / Cherokee
Woodward Acad. / Mary Persons
SATURDAY’S GAMES
Bradwell Institute / Beach
Carver-Col. / Kendrick
Decatur / Avondale
Eastside / Oconee Co.
M.L. King / Greenbrier
— Compiled by Chip Saye
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Stormy weather: Will Friday’s forecast keep you from going to the game?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
In the words of the ad for that local barbecue chain, Friday’s football forecast is as follows: It’s gonna be messy, but it’s gonna be good.
With an all-day rain predicted for metro Atlanta Friday, we wonder how many fans (if any) will stay away from this weekend’s big games, including super-rivalries like McEachern-Harrison and Roswell-Milton as well as potential upset specials like McNair-Dunwoody or Stephenson-Union Grove.
Tell us: Are you hunkering down at home instead of heading out to your favorite high school game this Friday? Or are you such a superfan that neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays you from the swift completion of your appointed rounds while looking for that perfect seat in the stands? How do you plan to beat the rain, wind and cold?
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