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Thursday, October 30, 2008
AJC Football Predictions: Crunch time in many regions, but Buford strong
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Crunch time. Separating the men from the boys. Do or die.
Yes, my friends, we have made it to the 10th week of the high school football season, and things are really getting interesting. Each week brings games with bigger meaning, games with more intensity and games where you might be getting a little tired after seeing the same halftime show for nine games. (Band parents, that e-mail address is cwhitfield@ajc.com)
It’s almost the most wonderful time of the year, and I am not talking about the day-after-Thanksgiving sales.
Some regions are a mess. Some regions as predictable as they were back in August, and some regions are just downright screwy. Some questions abound.
Region 6-AAAAA is home to Walton and Roswell, but who saw Kell playing for home-field advantage in the playoffs? What happens if Peachtree Ridge, North Gwinnett and Collins Hill all end up 7-1 in the region since Collins Hill and North Gwinnett don’t play each other? Does Collins Hill get the edge for playing a 3-5 Dacula team rather than the nation’s preseason No. 1 like North Gwinnett did?
With the most crucial time of the year comes crunch time for pickers as well, and on the year, I am sporting a 64-28 mark after last week’s 8-4 record. It is a week of ranked vs. ranked all across the state. Let’s start with them.
DeKalb dominoes: Except in the win column, Southwest DeKalb and Tucker are almost mirror images of each other. The Panthers lost to Marist 27-21 last week, which is a lot closer than the 38-point blowout that the Tigers suffered at the hands of the War Eagles. For some reason, I just feel that SWD has something to prove this year after losing 21-0 last year. Plus, Tucker betrayed me big-time when I picked the Tigers to beat Marist. Weekend Predictions has a long memory. Take the Panthers and coach Buck Godfrey.
Buford hiccup: Did the rest of the state get a glimpse of Buford being human and almost losing a game last week? Unfortunately, Westminster, you get to be the whipping boy who takes the punishment for last week’s close game. Buford by a bunch.
Rest of the best vs. the best: No. 2 Baldwin vs. No. 9 Washington County was going to be off the charts this week, but then the Golden Hawks lost. Heck, still pick the Braves to get upset in the House of Pain in Sandersville. … Lowndes has won six straight and 12 of the last 13 against Coffee. Make that seven straight. … Westside vs. Thomas County Central will be the best game in the state, and I would love to pick the Jackets, but the game is in the House that Robert Davis Built. Westside survives by a hair. … Turner County in a mild Class A upset against Wilcox.
Here and there: Northside exorcises some Demons. … Roswell drops Walton from the rankings. … Norcross knocks Peachtree Ridge out of the race for first. … McEachern climbs Kennesaw Mountain. … Grayson pummels Open, and Gwinnett Rules!
WEEKEND PREDICTIONS WIN / LOSS PERCENTAGES Last week: 136-38 (.782) • Season: 1,150-323 (.781)
FRIDAY’S GAMES
Winner / Loser
Alcovy / Forest Park
Aquinas / Hancock Central
Apalachee / Madison Co.
Appling Co. / Tattnall Co.
Athens Academy / Lakeview Acad.
Atkinson Co. / Bacon Co.
Bainbridge / Amer.-Sumter
Banks Co. / Oglethorpe Co.
Banneker / Alexander
Beach / Jenkins
Blessed Trinity / Decatur
Bowdon / Walker
Brantley Co. / Long Co.
Bremen / Trion
Brooks Co. / Cook
Brookstone / Central-Talbotton
Brookwood / South Gwinnett
Brunswick / South Effingham
Buford / Westminster
Burke Co. / Thomson
Cairo / Crisp Co.
Calhoun / Adairsville
Callaway / Heard Co.
Camden Co. / Savannah
Campbell / Wheeler
Carrollton / Cedartown
Cartersville / Haralson Co.
Carver-Atlanta / Therrell
Central-Macon / Monticello
Central Gwinnett / Meadowcreek
Chamblee / Stone Mountain
Chapel Hill / Lovejoy
Charlton Co. / Jeff Davis
Chattooga / Dade Co.
Clarke Central / Winder-Barrow
Claxton / Calvary Day
Clinch Co. / Pelham
Collins Hill / South Forsyth
Coosa / Temple
Creekview / Lumpkin Co.
Dacula / Berkmar
Dalton / N.W. Whitfield
Darlington / Gordon Lee
Dawson Co. / East Jackson
Dooly Co. / Irwin Co.
Dublin / S.E. Bulloch
Dunwoody / Druid Hills
Eagle’s Landing / South Atlanta
ELCA / Fellowship Christ.
Early Co. / Mitchell Co.
East Coweta / Riverdale
East Paulding / Cherokee
Eastside / Morgan Co.
ECI / Montgomery Co.
Etowah / North Cobb
Evans / Cross Creek
Fannin Co. / Rabun Co.
Fitzgerald / Albany
Forsyth Central / North Springs
Gainesville / Johnson-Gaines.
Georgia Military / Hebron Christian
Griffin / Dutchtown
Glenn Hills / Westside-Aug.
Glynn Academy / Effingham Co.
GAC / Cross Keys
Greenville / Stewart Co.
Harlem / Josey
Harris Co. / Upson-Lee
Harrison / Marietta
Hart Co. / Franklin Co.
Henry Co. / Howard
Heritage-Conyers / Monroe Area
Hillgrove / Paulding Co.
Holy Innocents’ / Our Lady of Mercy
Jefferson / North Oconee
Jefferson Co. / Screven Co.
Jenkins Co. / Wheeler Co.
Jones Co. / Lee Co.
Kell / Alpharetta
Lakeside-Evans / Butler
Lakeview-Ft. Ogle. / S.E. Whitfield
Landmark Christ. / SACA
Laney / East Laurens
Lassiter / Centennial
Liberty Co. / Richmond Hill
Lincoln Co. / Wilkinson Co.
Loganville / Rockdale Co.
Lovett / Avondale
Lowndes / Coffee
Luella / Douglass
M.L. King / Redan
Macon Co. / Spencer
Marion Co. / Chattahoochee Co.
Marist / Lithonia
Mary Persons / Spalding
Mays / Lithia Springs
McEachern / Kennesaw Mtn.
McIntosh Co. Acad. / Pierce Co.
Mill Creek / Northview
Miller Co. / Calhoun Co.
Miller Grove / Lakeside-DeKalb
Milton / Pope
Monroe / Perry
Mount Paran / N. Cobb Christ.
Mount Pisgah / Pace Academy
Mt. Zion-Jones. / Ola
Newnan / Mundy’s Mill
Norcross / Peachtree Ridge
North Forsyth / Chattahoochee
North Gwinnett / Duluth
North Hall / Gilmer
North Paulding / Allatoona
Northeast-Macon / Putnam Co.
Northside-Col. / Columbus
Northside-W.R. / Warner Robins
Oconee Co. / Jackson Co.
Pacelli Catholic / Taylor Co.
Parkview / Shiloh
Pepperell / Model
Pike Co. / Lamar Co.
Ridgeland / LaFayette
Ringgold / Heritage-Catoosa
Riverside Military / Union Co.
Rockmart / Armuchee
Roswell / Walton
St. Pius / Riverwood
Salem / Habersham Cent.
Sandy Creek / Northgate
Sav. Christian / Portal
Sav. Country Day / Bryan Co.
Schley Co. / Webster Co.
Seminole Co. / Randolph-Clay
Sequoyah / Murray Co.
Social Circle / Commerce
Sonoraville / Gordon Central
South Paulding / Osborne
S.W.-Macon / Greene Co.
Sprayberry / Hiram
Starr’s Mill / Fayette Co.
Stephens Co. / Elbert Co.
Stephenson / Greenbrier
Swainsboro / Dodge Co.
Telfair Co. / Hawkinsville
Thomasville / Berrien
Tift Co. / Valdosta
Toombs Co. / Vidalia
Towers / Clarkston
Treutlen / Metter
Troup / Kendrick
Turner Co. / Wilcox Co.
Union Grove / Newton
Villa Rica / Tri-Cities
Ware Co. / Wayne Co.
Washington Co. / Baldwin
Wash.-Wilkes / Warren Co.
Wesleyan / Athens Christian
West Forsyth / Chestatee
West Hall / East Hall
Westlake / Pebblebrook
Westside-Macon / Thomas Co. Cent.
White Co. / Pickens
Whitewater / McIntosh
Windsor Forest / Groves
Woodland-Carters. / Cass
Woodstock / South Cobb
Woodward Acad. / Jackson
Worth Co. / Westover
SATURDAY’S GAMES
Winner / Loser
Colquitt Co. / Houston Co.
Creekside / Morrow
Grady / North Atlanta
Manchester / Jordan
McNair / Columbia
Richmond Acad. / Hephzibah
Rutland / Jackson-Atl.
S.W. DeKalb / Tucker
*Games against out-of-state teams not included
— Compiled by Chip Saye
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