It doesn’t happen often that a team’s most important region game is the first one, but that could be the case for No. 6 Ware County and No. 7 Coffee – again – when the teams play their 3-AAAAA opener Friday night in Douglas.
Ware County went undefeated during the regular season and won the region championship in 2014. The decisive game was its 24-21 victory over Coffee on Sept. 12. Coffee finished the regular season 9-1, 7-1 in region play, and was the runner-up.
Both teams run the ball well and play great defense. Ware County averages 223 yards rushing per game, led by Jaquez Bolds, and has given up two inconsequential touchdowns in two blowout victories. Coffee’s running game is led by Demetrius Davis (16 carries, 229 yards, four touchdowns), and the Trojans have opened the season with consecutive shutouts for the first time since 2008.
Don’t discount Glynn Academy from the 3-AAAAA title chase, however. The Red Terrors are 2-1 overall and 1-0 in the region, with their only loss being a hard-fought 24-17 game against Class AAAAAA No. 10 Camden County last week. Glynn Academy hosts Coffee next weekend.
Here are some of the other top games involving Class AAAAA teams this weekend:
- Dutchtown at Starr's Mill (7:30 p.m. Friday): This could be a pivotal game for two teams in opposite subregions of 4-AAAAA. Dutchtown (2-1) and Starr's Mill (2-0) appear much improved from a year ago, when they were a combined 1-4 coming into Week 4. The winner of this game should have some big momentum heading into subregion play in two weeks.
- East Paulding at South Paulding (7:30 p.m. Friday): East Paulding (2-0, 1-0) caught the attention of 5-AAAAA when it beat defending region champion Allatoona 17-10 in the season-opener. Now the Raiders face one of the biggest remaining challengers for the top spot in the region. South Paulding (2-0, 1-0) beat the Raiders 24-14 last season and finished in second place behind Allatoona.
- Gainesville at Winder-Barrow (7:30 p.m. Friday): Winder-Barrow made the playoffs last year for the first time since 2003, and the Bulldoggs (1-1, 1-0 in 8-AAAAA) appear ready to contend again. A loss to Gainesville (0-1, 0-0), the region runner-up last season, certainly wouldn't sink Winder-Barrow's hopes, but a victory would put it in great position to return to the postseason.
- Northside-Warner Robins at Lakeside-Evans (7:30 p.m. Friday): Lakeside just missed a playoff berth in 2014, and it will need an upset to break into the top four teams this season in Region 2-AAAAA, which includes three of the top four teams in the Class AAAAA rankings as well as undefeated Warner Robins. Northside is No. 1 and the defending region and state champion.
