No. 1 Tucker and No. 2 Stephenson have a lot in common, beyond their lofty rankings in Class AAAAA and their first-place status in Region 6-AAAAA. That’s what makes their game at Hallford Stadium on Friday so difficult to forecast.
Both teams play great defense. Stephenson has the top-ranked scoring defense in the classification, allowing 6.2 points per game. The Jaguars also give up just 154 yards per game in total offense, including 36.8 rushing. Tucker is second in scoring defense at 8.0 points and gives up 161.4 yards per game.
Both teams also run the ball well. Tucker averages 290.2 yards rushing and spreads the workload in doing so. Elijah Sullivan is the leading rusher with 342 yards on 34 carries, but Dominick Sanders (253), Myles Donaldson (226) and Devin Towns (217) also have at least 200 yards. Eighteen Tigers have at least one carry.
Stephenson averages 183 yards rushing and is led by Dallas Rivers, a transfer from Tucker who rushed for 1,100 yards for the Tigers last season. Rivers has 404 yards and 13 touchdowns on 71 carries. Another threat is Cortese Logan, who has just 17 carries but has rushed for 225 yards and four touchdowns.
And both teams are positioned to win the 6-AAAAA title. They are tied for first place with Mays at 4-0 in the region, one game ahead of M.L. King. Stephenson and Tucker both play Mays and M.L. King in the season’s final weeks, but the winner of Friday’s game will be favored to win out.
I look for Tucker to win a close, low-scoring game. But Stephenson fans can take comfort in that I’m often wrong about the Jaguars (like last year in the playoffs, when I picked them to lose to East Paulding and then beat Ware County).
THE WEEKEND PREDICTIONS
Last week: 139-23 (.858); Overall: 857-228 (.790)
THURSDAY
Winner##Loser
Carrollton##Troup
Glynn Academy##Groves
Monroe##Americus-Sumter
Sandy Creek##Shaw
FRIDAY
Alpharetta##North Forsyth
Appling County##Brantley County
Archer##Central Gwinnett
Athens Academy##Pinecrest Academy
Athens Christian##Hebron Christian
B.E.S.T. Academy##Jackson-Atlanta
Banneker##South Atlanta
Benedictine##Toombs County
Blessed Trinity##Decatur
Bowdon##Temple
Bradwell Institute##Windsor Forest
Bremen##Spencer
Brooks County##Fitzgerald
Brookwood##Shiloh
Buford##White County
Burke County##Richmond Academy
Cairo##Worth County
Calhoun##Pepperell
Callaway##Central-Carrollton
Calvary Day##Savannah Christian
Cambridge##Forsyth Central
Camden County##Tift County
Campbell##Pebblebrook
Carver-Atlanta##Therrell
Carver-Columbus##Henry County
Cedar Grove##McNair
Cedartown##Pickens
Chamblee##Columbia
Chapel Hill##Douglass
Charlton County##Lanier County
Chattahoochee##South Forsyth
Chattooga##Armuchee
Chestatee##Walnut Grove
Clarke Central##Heritage-Conyers
Clarkston##Johnson-Gainesville
Claxton##Portal
Coffee##Brunswick
Cook##Pelham
Creekside##Northgate
Creekview##Northview
Cross Creek##Hephzibah
Dacula##Parkview
Dade County##Coosa
Darlington##Christian Heritage
Dodge County##Wheeler County
Dooly County##Central-Talbotton
Dublin##Josey
Eagle’s Landing##Dutchtown
Eagle’s Landing Christian##Mount Vernon Presbyterian
East Coweta##Westlake
East Paulding##Hiram
Eastside##Lanier
Emanuel County Institute##Treutlen
Fayette County##Columbus
First Presbyterian##Twiggs County
Flowery Branch##Winder-Barrow
Gainesville##Salem
Georgia Military##Warren County
Gilmer##Cass
Glenn Hills##Butler
Grayson##Berkmar
Greater Atlanta Christian##Westminster
Greenville##Schley County
Habersham Central##Meadowcreek
Harlem##East Laurens
Harris County##Bainbridge
Hart County##Oconee County
Hawkinsville##Brookstone
Heard County##Manchester
Hillgrove##North Cobb
Holy Innocents’##Our Lady of Mercy
Houston County##Lakeside-Evans
Hughes##Douglas County
Irwin County##Clinch County
Jefferson##Rabun County
Johnson County##Montgomery County
Jones County##Evans
Kell##Osborne
LaFayette##Heritage-Catoosa
LaGrange##Alexander
Lakeview Academy##Cross Keys
Lamar County##Monticello
Lambert##Centennial
Landmark Christian##Strong Rock Christian
Laney##Westside-Augusta
Lincoln County##Aquinas
Locust Grove##Woodland-Stockbridge
Loganville##Apalachee
Lovejoy##Morrow
M.L. King##Dunwoody
Macon County##Bleckley County
Madison County##Lumpkin County
Marietta##Kennesaw Mountain
Marion County##Pacelli
Marist##Lithonia
McEachern##South Cobb
Miller County##Randolph-Clay
Mitchell County##Terrell County
Model##Murray County
Monroe Area##Stephens County
Morgan County##Elbert County
Mount Paran Christian##Whitefield Academy
Mount Pisgah Christian##King’s Ridge Christian
Mundy’s Mill##Drew
Newnan##Tri-Cities
Newton##Druid Hills
Norcross##Collins Hill
North Cobb Christian##Providence Christian
North Gwinnett##Mill Creek
North Hall##Fannin County
North Oconee##Franklin County
North Paulding##Rome
Northeast-Macon##Taylor County
Northside-Warner Robins##Grovetown
Northwest Whitfield##Dalton
Oglethorpe County##Social Circle
Ola##Mount Zion-Jonesboro
Paulding County##Woodland-Cartersville
Peach County##Jackson
Peachtree Ridge##Mountain View
Pierce County##Southeast Bulloch
Pike County##Southwest-Macon
Prince Avenue Christian##Commerce
Richmond Hill##Effingham County
Ridgeland##Southeast Whitfield
Riverdale##Spalding
Riverwood##Sprayberry
Rockdale County##Luella
Rockmart##Haralson County
Savannah##Johnson-Savannah
Savannah Country Day##Jenkins County
Seminole County##Stewart County
Sequoyah##North Springs
South Paulding##New Manchester
Statesboro##Liberty County
Tattnall County##Beach
Thomas County Central##Northside-Columbus
Thomasville##Berrien
Thomson##Swainsboro
Trion##Mount Zion-Carroll
Tucker##Stephenson
Turner County##Wilcox County
Union County##Riverside Military
Valdosta##Lowndes
Villa Rica##Lithia Springs
Walker##Fellowship Christian
Warner Robins##Greenbrier
Washington##Grady
Washington County##Jefferson County
Washington-Wilkes##Greene County
Wesleyan##Hapeville Charter
West Forsyth##Johns Creek
Westover##Crisp County
Whitewater##McIntosh
Wilkinson County##Hancock Central
Woodward Academy##Towers
SATURDAY
Albany##Dougherty
Chattahoochee County##Jordan
Mays##Arabia Mountain
Miller Grove##Lakeside-DeKalb
St. Francis##Baconton Charter
Southwest DeKalb##North Atlanta
Stone Mountain##Redan
Upson-Lee##North Clayton
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