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DEL.ICIO.USAJC 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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Permalink | Comments (16) | Post your comment | Categories: Weekend Predictions
Comments
By Mark Rigor
October 31, 2008 12:13 PM | Link to this
Region 5-AAAAA Championship
Chris, not to look ahead, how do you think Region 5-AAAAA will shape up after the next two weeks of play? Assuming all three 7 – 1 teams win this week, East Paulding at Cherokee, Etowah hosting North Cobb and the banged up Harrison Hoyas traveling to Northcutt Stadium to meet the a good Blue Devil team, how do you see things shaking out next week? Who would you give the edge to when Harrison travels to Etowah while East Paulding hosts a good Woodstock team to win the Region 5-AAAAA Championship? Make a prediction.
By cathy
October 31, 2008 12:42 PM | Link to this
turner is going down to wilcox
By VRforReal
October 31, 2008 12:59 PM | Link to this
Villa Rica will take care of business with tri-cities and look forward to the region championship against Sandy Creek. Either way home field for 1st round of playoffs. This is a team that can do real damage in the playoffs even though they have flown under the radar for most of the year. (especially to Todd)
By Brookwood Mom
October 31, 2008 1:08 PM | Link to this
Hey SweetPea: Thanks for picking my BRONCOS as winners. Ok all my blogger friends on the count of three. one.two..three… GOOOOOO BRONCOS!! WHOOOOOO!! Wish us luck tonight!!
By Head East
October 31, 2008 1:18 PM | Link to this
Mark - Will #21 be healthy? Not dissing Harrison which has a very good team but we self-destrucked over there kind of like Etowah did at East, so Etowah should be about a tossup at home, a favorite if 21 can’t go for the Hoyas. Bad news is Eagles can only win the region for East, unless they get help from Woodstock. I like Eagles in two weeks resulting in East, Etowah, and Harrison falling to the 3 spot. The Hoyas can find redemption in round 2 at Grayson. BTW, regardless of the order we’ll sweep the mediocre region 6 teams in the first round.
By Raiders08
October 31, 2008 1:42 PM | Link to this
East, Etowah, and Harrison are how I see it, assuming all three teams play to their potential. Rumor has it # 21 will be going for Harrison tonight. His condition and his role are huge as far as the Hoyas’ future goes.
By noneya
October 31, 2008 1:57 PM | Link to this
“Grayson pummels OPEN”
Lol…
By HPhil
October 31, 2008 2:42 PM | Link to this
I suspect #21 will only see limited play tonight, maybe just special teams, or only on defense, or just on and off depending on the play. But IMO Harrison should be capable of beating Marietta without him, but then they should have been able to beat McEachern. It looked as though they soaked their jersey’s in oil before last week’s game. Harrison’s defenders just could not hold on to make tackles.
By Head East
October 31, 2008 3:09 PM | Link to this
HPhil - We ran straight through Marietta on two consecutive long second half drives, so you’ll be able to run on them with #25. I think you may need your star healthy for Etowah, they got a lot of yards against us, more than you did, at least from scrimmage.
By Beall
October 31, 2008 3:10 PM | Link to this
Go Braves!!!
By HPhil
October 31, 2008 3:33 PM | Link to this
I think you may need your star healthy for Etowah, they got a lot of yards against us, more than you did, at least from scrimmage.
You may be right for I did not see that game. But remember in the East/Harrison game, Harrison started running up the clock and playing a defensive game after they were two touchdowns ahead.
By Chris Whitfield
October 31, 2008 4:42 PM | Link to this
Chris, not to look ahead, how do you think Region 5-AAAAA will shape up after the next two weeks of play?
I don’t predict Harrison or East Paulding to lose again. Wooodstock will provide a great test to the Raiders since they may be playing for their playoff life in the finale. I see Harrison winning at Etowah, but the crystal ball could become a little more cloudy next week. I spoke with Robby Godhigh myself this week, and he will be back tonight in a limited roll. If he is 100 percent come next Friday, I give the edge to Harrison. That means the guru is picking Harrison 1, East 2, Etowah 3. But those are early numbers. They could change drastically after tonight.
*Hey SweetPea: Thanks for picking my BRONCOS as winners. *
Anything for you BrookwoodMom!
“Grayson pummels OPEN”
I told y’all at the beginning of the year that I would pick Grayson every week to prove my Gwinnett bias, and I am a man of my word.
BTW, regardless of the order we’ll sweep the mediocre region 6 teams in the first round.
I like that overall matchup of Region 5 vs. Region 6 in the playoffs and give Region 6 more credit that you do. There are a lot of great athletes over there that can give all of the Region 5 teams a first-round headache. Remember that your region champion last year fell in the first round on its home field.
By Joe
October 31, 2008 6:06 PM | Link to this
Go Mays
By footballer
November 2, 2008 2:37 PM | Link to this
Peachtree ridge killed norcross
By T Miller
November 7, 2008 9:00 AM | Link to this
Are you not picking Winners/Losers this week?
By Big Pappi
November 7, 2008 10:15 AM | Link to this
Predictions?