It’s opening week for most Class AAAAAAA teams this week. It starts Friday with Marietta, the preseason No. 1 team in the highest classification, traveling to No. 2 Rome of AAAAA in the Corky Kell Classic.
Here are some random notes about the season that’s about to begin.
The Rankings: In case you missed them:
1. Marietta
2. Colquitt County
3. Parkview
4. Archer
5. Grayson
6. Milton
7. Lowndes
8. North Gwinnett
9. Hillgrove
10. McEachern
Why Marietta: To repeat from a GHSF Daily article this week, the Blue Devils start No. 1 in the rankings in the highest classification despite a losing record in 2018 and no advancement beyond the quarterfinals in 25 years. The reason is simple: Talent. Marietta has seven players ranked among the consensus top 100 senior recruits in Georgia. Those include quarterback Harrison Bailey and lineman B.J. Ojulari, both committed to Tennessee, and tight end Arik Gilbert, an AJC Super 11 pick. Marietta's struggles last season were partly attributable to Bailey's late-season injury and a challenging schedule. Marietta is the only Georgia team ranked in the top 25 by USA Today (No. 9) and MaxPreps (No. 24), the two most widely known national polls. ESPN announced last week that one of its networks will be televising its Aug. 30 game against St. Joseph's Prep of Pennsylvania. Marietta opens on Thursday at Rome, the No. 2 team in AAAAA.
Super 11: Four of the 11 are in the highest classification – Harrison Bailey and Arik Gilbert of Marietta, Myles Murphy of Hillgrove an Paul Tchio of Milton. Click here to read about more from the them.
Hard to replace: Two former AAAAAAA players are among the top-most-irreplaceable list in GHSF Daily this week. Here's a recap:
*Dominique Blaylock, Walton: Blaylock, now at Georgia, was a four-year starter with 211 receptions for 3,657 yards and 31 touchdowns, plus another 1,541 yards rushing, passing or returning. His spot will be taken by Teagan Bierria, a senior who had 11 receptions for 210 yards and a touchdown last year. "He has great speed and elite athleticism," Walton coach Daniel Brunner said. "He did not get as many looks last year with Dom and another 1,000-yard receiver [Kendall Alford] in the same offense. We are expecting him to fill the void these two left. It's impossible to replace a player like Dom because he's a once-in-a-lifetime talent, but Teagan provides some of the same skills that Dom possess."
*Jordan Yates, Milton: Yates passed for 2,590 yards, rushed for 958 and led Milton to its first state championship. He's now at Georgia Tech. Jackson Weaver, a senior, will start Friday against Buford, but he and sophomore Devin Farrell will share the load into the season until one emerges as the clear starter. Weaver has been the backup the past two seasons and knows the offense better. "He has a good arm and can extend plays with his feet when needed," Milton coach Adam Clack said. "He would not be considered a dual-threat quarterback but is athletic enough to keep defenses balanced." Clack calls Farrell "a tremendous athlete" who runs well and could play in the secondary when not behind center. He's also a point guard on the basketball team.
This week's games: They include the projected margins of victory courtesy of the computer Maxwell Ratings. You're probably wondering ... How can Marietta be a 16-point underdog? The Maxwell Ratings express what should happen based on a recent history of scores. Marietta's recent history (lost to East Coweta in the Blue Devils' last game) isn't as good as Rome's recent history. That's probably about to change. Rome beat Marietta 51-41 last year.
Thursday
Rome vs. Marietta -16 (Corky Kell game)
Friday
Archer vs. Tucker -28 (Corky Kell game)
Camden County vs. West Forsyth -4
Central Gwinnett at South Gwinnett -1
Cherokee vs. North Forsyth -6
Dacula at Discovery -37
Decatur vs. Lakeside -8
Eagle's Landing vs. Rockdale County -10
Harrison vs. Lassiter -15
Hillgrove at Douglas County -25
Lanier at Peachtree Ridge -14
Lowndes vs. Drew -41
Milton vs. Buford -2 (Corky Kell game)
Newnan at Chapel Hill -5
Newton vs. Alcovy -30
North Cobb at Woodstock -9
North Paulding at Paulding County -28
Parkview at Mountain View -17
Pebblebrook at South Cobb -15
Shiloh vs. Duluth -7
South Forsyth vs. Sprayberry -23
Tift County vs. Warner Robins -4
Villa Rica vs. Campbell -5
Wesleyan vs. Meadowcreek -1
Westlake at Creekside -19
Wheeler vs. Lambert -5
Saturday
Colquitt County vs. North Gwinnett -12 (Corky Kell game)
McEachern vs. Brookwood -12 (Corky Kell game)
Mill Creek vs. East Coweta -21 (Corky Kell game)
Walton vs. Norcross -7 (Corky Kell game)
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