Still trying to get handle on Harrison

There comes a time in every man’s life when he has to look in the mirror and accept that he reached high and grabbed, well, mediocrity.

Last week was that week for me. For the season, I have a prognostication record of 69-33, which is pretty stout. But last week I was a ho-hum 5-5. Sort of like Georgia’s performance in Jacksonville, my picks just weren’t up to par.

Instead of rounding into playoff shape, I took a step back, but now is when it really matters and there are plenty of big games out there to refocus my energies.

> The Amazing 5-AAAAA Race: If there has been one school that has been the bane of my existence this year, it has been Harrison. Whenever the Hoyas have appeared in this column, it is good bet that they will do exactly the opposite of what I say. For that reason, East Paulding fans will be very sad to hear that I am picking Etowah to win the season-finale against the Hoyas. East Paulding will take care of its business against Woodstock, but since I have picked Etowah to win, it looks like Harrison emerges as the region champs. A Raiders victory against Woodstock also puts Kennesaw Mountain in the playoffs after the Mustangs beat Marietta.

> Gwinnett gratification: Lots of good action this week in the best county in the state that starts with a G (take that Greene, Gilmer, Glynn and Glascock), but how telling is it that the landscape of Gwinnett football has changed so much that the Brookwood-Parkview game isn’t the biggest of the week. (Take Brookwood on the road, by the way.) No, the biggest game will be at Peachtree Ridge, where the Lions try to hand North Gwinnett its only in-state loss of the season. I picked against The Ridge last week, and since they don’t have Gwinnett in their school name, I will pick against them again this week… . Collins Hill is the only 8-1 team in Class AAAAA that isn’t ranked in our Top 10. Norcross will show you why tonight with a big victory over the Eagles… . Dear Grayson, you are so dreamy! OK, that might have been a little too much, but the lovefest with the Rams continues.

> Region title games, historical and religious references: Rome and Sprayberry will play for the top seed in Region 7-AAAA, but there are plenty who would argue that the top two teams in the region aren’t playing for the region title. I would argue that Sprayberry isn’t even the fourth-best team in the region, but this is the world of subregions that we live in. Rome rolls… . Dunwoody looked poised and focused when I saw it play earlier this year, but take the Fighting Popes of St. Pius for the 5-AAA title… . Speaking of Popes, Walton beats Pope for the Region 6-AAAAA top spot… . I’ve got no ties to 18th century preacher George Whitefield, but I’ll take the school that is named for him against Eagle’s Landing Christian for the top spot in 5-A.

> Around the state: Dublin over Jefferson County for the 3-AA title… . Lassiter topples Roswell… . Pepperell holds off Calhoun, which is coming in as the hottest team in AA… . Thomas County Central over Bainbridge in the Ed Pilcher Bowl… . Charlton County to reign supreme in the Swamp over McIntosh County Academy.

cwhitfield@ajc.com

THE WEEKEND PREDICTIONS

> Last week: 147-24 (.860) > Season: 1,297-347 (.789)

TODAY

Winner…………Loser

Adairsville ……Model

Alexander ……..McIntosh

Alpharetta……..Campbell

Apalachee ……..Salem

Appling Co. ……Benedictine

Athens Academy….Social Circle

Athens Christian..Lakeview Acad.

Atkinson Co…….Randolph-Clay

Avondale……….Cross Keys

Baldwin ……….Thomson

Banks Co. ……..Union Co.

Banneker……….Northgate

Bowdon…………Bremen

Brookstone……..Schley Co.

Brookwood ……..Parkview

Buford…………GAC

Burke Co. ……..West Laurens

Cairo …………Westover

Calhoun Co. ……Pelham

Callaway……….Pike Co.

Camden Co………Bradwell Institute

Carrollton……..Ridgeland

Cartersville……Ringgold

Cass…………..Paulding Co.

Cedar Shoals……Heritage-Conyers

Cedartown ……..Lakeview-Ft. Ogle.

Centennial……..Wheeler

Central-Macon ….Putnam Co.

Chapel Hill ……Westlake

Charlton Co…….McIntosh Co. Acad.

Chattahoochee ….Duluth

Chattahoochee Co…Webster Co.

Clarke Central….Madison Co.

Clinch Co………Miller Co.

Coffee…………Tift Co.

Commerce……….Prince Avenue

Cook…………..Early Co.

Creekside ……..Riverdale

Creekview ……..Chestatee

Dacula…………Meadowcreek

Dalton…………Hillgrove

Darlington……..Trion

Dougherty ……..Perry

Douglas Co. ……Heritage-Catoosa

Dublin…………Jefferson Co.

Eagle’s Landing ..Columbus

East Laurens……Dodge Co.

East Paulding ….Woodstock

Eastside……….Franklin Co.

ECI …………..Calvary Day

Etowah…………Harrison

Evans …………Richmond Acad.

Fellowship Christ…S.W. Atl. Christian

Fitzgerald……..Thomasville

Gainesville ……Flowery Branch

Georgia Military..North Paulding

Glascock Co…….Towns Co.

Glenn Hills ……Butler

Gordon Central….Armuchee

Gordon Lee……..Mt. Zion-Carroll

Grayson ……….Central Gwinnett

Greenville……..Marion Co.

Haralson Co…….S.E. Whitfield

Harlem…………Westside-Aug.

Harris Co………Amer.-Sumter

Hart Co………..Elbert Co.

Heard Co. ……..Crawford Co.

Henry Co. ……..Monticello

Hephzibah ……..Cross Creek

Jackson ……….Spalding

Jefferson ……..East Jackson

Jenkins Co. ……Bryan Co.

Johnson-Sav…….Savannah

Johnson Co. ……Claxton

Jordan…………Spencer

Jonesboro ……..Stockbridge

Kell…………..Milton

Kennesaw Mtn. ….Marietta

LaGrange……….Troup

Lakeside-Evans….Josey

LaFayette ……..Central-Carroll

Landmark Christ…Mount Pisgah

Laney …………S.E. Bulloch

Lanier Co………Seminole Co.

Lassiter……….Roswell

Lincoln Co. ……Warren Co.

Lithonia……….North Springs

Loganville……..Winder-Barrow

Lovett…………Decatur

Lowndes ……….Warner Robins

Luella…………Newton

M.L. King ……..Union Grove

Manchester……..Lamar Co.

Marist…………Lakeside-DeKalb

McEachern ……..Cherokee

Mill Creek……..South Forsyth

Miller Grove……Chamblee

Mitchell Co…….Berrien

Montgomery Co…..Portal

Murray Co………Allatoona

Newnan…………East Coweta

Norcross……….Collins Hill

North Atlanta ….Druid Hills

North Clayton ….Dutchtown

North Cobb……..South Cobb

North Forsyth ….Northview

North Gwinnett….Peachtree Ridge

North Hall……..Lumpkin Co.

North Oconee……Fannin Co.

Northeast-Macon ..Greene Co.

Northside-W.R…..Colquitt Co.

N.W. Whitfield….South Paulding

Oconee Co………Morgan Co.

O.L. of Mercy ….Pace Academy

Pacelli Catholic..Central-Talbotton

Peach Co. ……..Crisp Co.

Pebblebrook ……Mundy’s Mill

Pepperell ……..Calhoun

Pickens ……….East Hall

Pierce Co………Long Co.

Rabun Co. ……..Oglethorpe Co.

Redan …………Greenbrier

Riverside Military..Dawson Co.

Riverwood ……..Clarkston

Rockdale Co…….Monroe Area

Rockmart……….Chattooga

Rome…………..Sprayberry

St. Pius……….Dunwoody

Sandy Creek ……Villa Rica

Sav. Christian….Metter

Sequoyah……….Hiram

Sonoraville ……Coosa

South Effingham ..Wayne Co.

South Gwinnett….Berkmar

S.W.-Macon……..Howard

S.W. DeKalb ……Stone Mountain

Starr’s Mill……Lithia Springs

Statesboro……..Brunswick

Stephens Co…….Jackson Co.

Stephenson……..Douglass

Tattnall Co…….Brantley Co.

Taylor Co………Stewart Co.

Telfair Co. ……Wheeler Co.

Temple…………Dade Co.

Terrell Co. ……Bacon Co.

Thomas Co. Cent…Bainbridge

Toombs Co………Swainsboro

Towers…………Therrell

Treutlen……….Sav. Country Day

Tri-Cities……..Fayette Co.

Tucker…………Forsyth Central

Turner Co………Hawkinsville

Twiggs Co………Dooly Co.

Upson-Lee ……..Jones Co.

Valdosta……….Houston Co.

Vidalia ……….Bleckley Co.

Walton…………Pope

Ware Co………..Effingham Co.

Washington……..Cedar Grove

Washington Co…..Richmond Hill

Wash.-Wilkes……Aquinas

West Forsyth……West Hall

Westside-Macon….Hardaway

Westminster ……Blessed Trinity

White Co. ……..Gilmer

Whitefield Acad…ELCA

Whitewater……..Mays

Wilcox Co………Irwin Co.

Wilkinson Co. ….Hancock Cent.

Woodward Acad…..Woodland-Stock.

SATURDAY

Columbia……….Grady

Lovejoy ……….Morrow

Mary Persons……Jackson-Atlanta

McNair…………Carver-Atlanta

Monroe…………Worth Co.

Rutland ……….South Atlanta

—- Compiled by Chip Saye