A couple of weeks ago we looked at the top defenses in the state, pointing out that while teams are scoring more than ever, defenses still tend to make a big difference when the best teams get together.
Everybody’s heard that defense wins championships, but what about the first half of the adage: Offense wins games. There’s no strenuous statistical testing needed to verify that. Just glance at the records of top five scoring offenses in AA this year: a combined 32-1. And that one loss came when only when the No. 4 scoring offense (Greater Atlanta Christian) defeated the No. 2 scoring offense (Benedictine) in the opening week of the season.
Of course, some of the preceding is due to some fortuitous scheduling. Games are about to get tougher for just about all of these schools, and for a few of them that starts as soon as Friday night. But these gaudy stats are no fluke. Let’s look at little bit closer at the top five scoring offenses and see how those numbers are being achieved.
Union County
Points per game: 44.1
Record: 7-0
Opponents’ record: 12-34
Last year: 30.6 ppg, 6-5
What they do: Sling it around the yard. Coach Brian Allison has had some dangerous offenses in Blairsville, but he might be working with his most talented group this season. Junior quarterback Joseph Mancuso averages nearly 270 passing yards per game with 25 touchdowns and only one interception in 165 attempts. He’s also second on the team with 276 rushing yards. Though the pass is what makes the offense click, the Panthers have actually run the ball slightly more than 50 percent of the time. Four rushers have more than 200 yards, led by Bo Lynch with 376 on 60 carries. Senior Jacob Rogers (27 catches, 548 yards, 10 touchdowns) leads a trio of receivers with more than 400 yards.
No. 4 Benedictine
Points per game: 40.7
Record: 5-1
Opponents’ record: 21-19
Last year: 44.3 ppg, 13-1
What they do: Mix it up. The Cadets are averaging in the neighborhood of 250 yards per game rushing and passing, led by quarterback Stevie Powers, receiver Brad Stewart and the running back duo Chance Jackson and John Kennedy. The Cadets are showing more trust in the passing game this season and Powers is a big reason why. The senior has eclipsed over 1,500 yards after throwing for 340 last week. It helps to have Stewart, one of the top receivers in Class AA, if not the entire state. The senior with scholarship offers from a handful of FBS and Ivy League schools is closing in on 700 yards through six games.
No. 3 Vidalia
Points per game: 39.5
Record: 6-0
Opponents’ record: 16-21
Last year: 30.8 ppg, 10-2
What they do: Triple option. The Indians operate out of a modified double slot offense, similar to Paul Johnson’s at Georgia Tech but more often incorporating a tight end and wing back on one side of the formation. Regardless of how they're aligned, the results have been big yards. Each of the top three rushers average more than 7.5 yards per carry, and Vidalia averages more than 6.5 per carry and 270 yards per game as a team. Quarterback Jordan Black leads the way with 483 yards and 10 touchdowns on 46 carries.
No. 1 Greater Atlanta Christian
Points per game: 37.6
Record: 7-0
Opponents’ record: 19-28
Last year: 44.5 ppg, 10-2
What they do: Feed the studs. RB/DB Micah Abernathy and WR/DB Darius Slayton might be the most gifted pair of teammates in Class AA, and the Spartans are wise enough to put them to use. Abernathy, who committed to the University of Tennessee last week, has run for 444 yards in the four games since he returned from an injury sustained in the season opener. Slayton, a consensus top-20 receiver in the country, has nine receiving scores and a punt return for a touchdown. Sophomore quarterback Davis Mills has proven to be a dangerous weapon as well, tossing three touchdowns in a game on four separate occasions this year.
No. 10 Screven County
Points per game: 34.7
Record: 7-0
Opponents’ record: 15-31-2
Last year: 23.6 ppg, 6-5
What they do: I-formation, triple option. Tailback Malik Prescott has assumed the role of go-to back for Tavarius Johnson, who has missed the last three games due to injury after rushing for 363 yards through four games. Prescott leads the team with 535 yards and 10 touchdowns on 7.5 yards per carry, while quarterback Donta Wilburn has run for 319 yards and four TDs on 43 carries. As a team, the Gamecocks average 254 rushing yards per game and 6.6 per carry.
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Big week ahead. Here's a look at the top 10 schedule.
1. GAC (7-0) OFF
2. Vidalia (6-0) at No. 4 Benedictine
3. Lovett (5-2) vs. Holy Innocents'
4. Benedictine (5-1) vs. No. 2 Vidalia
5. Brooks County (5-2) vs. No. 7 Fitzgerald
6. Thomasville (4-3) vs. Berrien
7. Fitzgerald (5-1) at No. 5 Brooks County
8. Lamar County (4-1-1) vs. Northeast-Macon
9. Darlington (6-1) OFF
10. Screven County (7-0) vs. Swainsboro
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