They don’t really pass the eye test like some of the other undefeated teams in Class AAA. Central Carroll doesn’t have any a long list of players on the watch list of big-time college recruiters. But the Lions have learned that eye candy doesn’t always equate to success. And they hope their hard-working attitude will take them to place the program hasn’t seen in many years.
The No. 7-ranked Lions on Friday will host No. 6 Westminster (10-1) in the second round of the playoffs. Central reached the quarterfinals a year ago and are seeking their first state championship since winning back-to-back titles in 1986 and 1987 under Ronnie Birchfield.
“We don’t have SEC-caliber players on our team,” said coach Rico Zackery. “We just have kids on defense that run to the ball and play hard.”
Zackery brought a defensive mindset to Central when he arrived four years ago as defensive coordinator for head coach Grant Chestnut. He was promoted to head coach last year and produced a 10-3 season that ended at Ringgold.
Defense is the cornerstone of the Central program. This year the Lions have three shutouts and did not allow double-digit points until the eighth game. Only one team has scored more than 14 points against Central this season.
The defense is led by middle linebacker Kirey Thompson, cornerback Blake Brewer and nose guard Max Whitlock, a 5-foot-11, 220-pound junior and three-year starter who may be the strongest player on the field. Whitlock leads the team with seven sacks.
“They work hard every single day. They never take a day off,” Zackery said. “The Sonoraville coach told us, ‘You’re not very big, but you’re strong and fast.’”
The offense is old-school Wing-T, which flourishes despite undersized linemen. Quarterback Wesley Long runs the offense well; he rushed for 246 yards and thrown for 292. The top backs are Kyle Terrell (1,024 yards, 13 TDs), Jayleen Terry (965 yards, 10 TDs) and Damarious Owensby (635 yards, eight TDs).
Central will find the going a bit tougher in the second round against Westminster, which has good size and features an outstanding tailback in Zay Malcome. The speedy sophomore has 1,300 yards rushing this season.
Westminster has lost only to No. 3 Blessed Trinity. The Wildcats beat Class AA power (and arch-rival) Lovett in the season opener and holds two wins over Laney and another over Elbert County.
“They’re very tough,” Zackery said. “They’re well-coached and they don’t make many mistakes. They’re smart and can adjust within a game.”
The winner plays the Hart County-Cook winner.
Callaway (7-4) at No. 1 Washington County (11-0): Washington County continues to score points at an alarming pace. The Golden Hawks put 73 on the board against Jackson, has scored 50 or more in seven straight games (one short of matching a state record) and average 54.2 points. Quarterback A.J. Gray ran for 170 and two TDs and threw for 144 yards and two TDs and intercepted a pass.
Callaway will be one of the most athletic teams that Washington County has faced this season. The Cavaliers are led by quarterback Terry Godwin, one of the state’s top athletes, and running back Eddie Culpepper, who had nearly 200 yards rushing and two touchdowns a week ago against Ringgold. Culpepper scored 10 touchdowns in four playoff games a year ago. Godwin missed last week’s game with a bad ankle.
These two teams met in the second round of the 2012 playoffs with Washington County posting a 28-0 victory.
The winner plays the Pierce County-Oconee County winner.
Oconee County (8-3) at Pierce County (9-2): This could be an offensive display. Pierce has averaged 40.4 points in its nine wins and Oconee has scored 42 or more points in four of its last five wins. Pierce had 464 total yards last week in a 49-21 win over Jackson, which set a school record for most points scored in a playoff game. Oconee County got 270 yards passing and three touchdowns from Zeb Noland in its win over Region 7 champion West Hall. Pierce quarterback Stetson Bennett has thrown for 1,676 yards and 20 touchdowns.
The winner plays the Callaway-Washington County winner.
No. 9 Adairsville (10-1) at No. 3 Blessed Trinity (11-0): Blessed Trinity has one of the most physically impressive teams remaining. The Titans are led by quarterback Conor Davis (1,454 passing) and running back Milton Shelton (1,112 yards, 15 TDs). Adairsville, behind quarterback Marcus Childers and running back Sidnee Johnson, brings a dynamic offense to the table; the Tigers have scored fewer than four touchdowns only once and have averaged 54 points in the six games since suffering its only loss to Calhoun.
The winner plays the Dodge County-Jefferson winner.
Dodge County (9-2) at No. 5 Jefferson (11-0): Dodge County will try to use its stout running attack to eat the clock and keep Jefferson's high-powered offense off the field. Dodge was opportunistic last week and forced five turnovers in an upset over Westside-Macon. Jefferson, led by quarterback Evan Shirreffs (2,246 yards passing) and running back Sammy Williams (1,168 yards rushing), are trying to reach the third round for the third straight year.
The winner plays the Adairsville-Blessed Trinity winner.
Cedar Grove (9-2) at No. 2 Calhoun (11-0): The Saints face the difficult task on hitting the road to meet a Calhoun team that has reached the quarterfinal round each year since 2007. Calhoun will have to slow down Cedar Grove running back LaBron Morris, who rushed for 193 yards and three touchdowns in the first-round win against Westside-Augusta to increase his total this season to 1,597 yards. The Calhoun defense will be a difficult test; the Yellow Jackets allow only eight points per game.
The winner plays the Appling County-Elbert County winner.
Appling County (8-3) at Elbert County (8-3): Elbert County's fortunes turned around a bit two weeks ago when quarterback Mecole Hardman returned from knee surgery. The junior ran for 232 yards in the first round of the playoffs, taking some of the pressure off running back Rantious "Boochie" Reed, who has 1,248 yards and 19 touchdowns. Appling forced seven turnovers last week against Peach County. The Pirates are led by quarterback Vernon Dasher, who has fought through a leg injury this season, and Maurice Paulk.
The winner plays the Cedar Grove-Calhoun winner.
No. 8 Hart County (10-1) at Cook (9-2):
Hart County has the longest road trip in the classification this week. The Bulldogs won their 10th game last week, the first time that's happened since 2007. Quarterback Cameron Fouch threw for three touchdowns and run for another last week and has 2,422 yards and 21 touchdowns this season.
Cook prefers to run the ball behind its Wing-T attack. Last week three different backs topped 100 yards, including Jay Smith with 178. The Hornets will try to possess the ball and keep it away from Fouch.
The winner plays the Westminster-Central Carroll winner.
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