It’s hard to imagine that any team in state history has put together a more impressive non-region portion of the schedule than what Lovett has accomplished this season.
The Class AA No. 2 Lions opened the season with four games against ranked teams from higher classifications and then went out of state to play a team that reached the playoffs in Alabama’s Class 5A last season. Now comes another tough test, playing host to Class AAA No. 3 Washington County on Friday.
So far the Lions have been perfect, beating Woodward Academy, Blessed Trinity, Marist, St. Pius and Fort Payne, Ala. The 5-0 record marks a dramatic turnaround from last season, when Lovett lost to Washington County to fall to 2-4. Still, the Lions remained in the rankings and eventually reached the Class AA quarterfinals.
The impressive start has not been lost on Washington County coach Joel Ingram.
“It’s going to be a fun game Friday night,” Ingram told GHSF Daily’s Todd Holcomb. “We always strive to play the best competition possible. But I don’t think neither Mike [Muschamp, Lovett’s coach] nor myself could’ve anticipated how good this game was for both of us in terms of preparing us for the rest of the year and hopefully the playoffs when we inked it two years ago. They are top-notch from top to bottom. Last year’s game with Lovett helped us so much in going on a playoff run. I hope we can be competitive Friday night. They’re very, very good.”
Look for Lovett to keep the hot streak going and improve to 6-0. The Lions then have three winnable region games before facing off with third-ranked Greater Atlanta Christian for the 6-AA championship on Nov. 8.
THE WEEKEND PREDICTIONS
Last week: 149-28 (.842); Overall: 718-205 (.778)
FRIDAY
Winner##Loser
Adairsville##North Murray
Alcovy##Newton
Alexander##Shaw
Allatoona##New Manchester
Aquinas##Hancock Central
Archer##Shiloh
B.E.S.T. Academy##Haralson County
Bacon County##Long County
Baconton Charter##North Cobb Christian
Baldwin##Rutland
Benedictine##Bryan County
Berkmar##South Gwinnett
Bleckley County##Crawford County
Bowdon##Jordan
Bremen##Kendrick
Brooks County##Thomasville
Brookstone##Pacelli
Brookwood##Dacula
Buford##West Hall
Callaway##Chapel Hill
Calvary Day##Savannah Country Day
Camden County##Coffee
Carrollton##Fayette County
Cartersville##Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe
Carver-Atlanta##Banneker
Cedar Grove##Towers
Cedartown##River Ridge
Central-Macon##Southwest-Macon
Chamblee##Redan
Charlton County##Turner County
Chestatee##Johnson-Gainesville
Christian Heritage##Gordon Lee
Clarke Central##Salem
Coahulla Creek##Gordon Central
Colquitt County##Tift County
Commerce##Athens Christian
Creekside##Starr’s Mill
Dalton##Ridgeland
Dawson County##Banks County
Dooly County##Hawkinsville
Drew##Forest Park
Dublin##East Laurens
Dutchtown##Locust Grove
Early County##Berrien
Effingham County##Windsor Forest
Elbert County##Oconee County
Emanuel County Institute##Wheeler County
Evans##Greenbrier
First Presbyterian##Georgia Military
Fitzgerald##Cook
Flowery Branch##Apalachee
Forsyth Central##North Springs
Franklin County##Jackson County
Gainesville##Cedar Shoals
George Walton Academy##Hebron Christian
Grady##Therrell
Grayson##Central Gwinnett
Greater Atlanta Christian##Thomson
Greene County##Social Circle
Greenville##Central-Talbotton
Harrison##Kennesaw Mountain
Hart County##East Jackson
Heard County##Chattahoochee County
Hephzibah##Butler
Heritage-Conyers##Winder-Barrow
Hillgrove##Pebblebrook
Hiram##Lithia Springs
Holy Innocents’##Mount Vernon Presbyterian
Irwin County##Telfair County
Jackson-Atlanta##Rockmart
Jefferson##Washington-Wilkes
Jefferson County##Dodge County
Jenkins##Bradwell Institute
Jonesboro##North Clayton
Kell##Riverwood
LaGrange##Columbus
Lakeside-Evans##Grovetown
Lamar County##Northeast-Macon
Landmark Christian##Our Lady of Mercy
Laney##Screven County
Lee County##Hardaway
Liberty County##Glenn Hills
Lincoln County##Warren County
Lovejoy##Rockdale County
Lovett##Washington County
Lowndes##Brunswick
Luella##Druid Hills
Macon County##Putnam County
Manchester##Temple
Marion County##Schley County
Marist##Columbia
Mary Persons##Westside-Macon
McEachern##Campbell
McIntosh County Academy##Toombs County
Metter##Jeff Davis
Mill Creek##Meadowcreek
Miller County##Calhoun County
Milton##Etowah
Mitchell County##Randolph-Clay
Monticello##Taylor County
Mount Paran Christian##King’s Ridge Christian
Mount Pisgah Christian##Walker
Mount Zion-Carroll##Glascock County
Mundy’s Mill##Mount Zion-Jonesboro
Norcross##Habersham Central
North Cobb##South Cobb
North Gwinnett##Duluth
North Hall##East Hall
North Oconee##Morgan County
Northside-Warner Robins##Houston County
Northview##Cambridge
Northwest Whitfield##Heritage-Ringgold
Pace Academy##Strong Rock Christian
Peach County##Henry County
Peachtree Ridge##Collins Hill
Perry##West Laurens
Pickens##Cass
Pierce County##Appling County
Pike County##Jackson
Pope##Osborne
Portal##Jenkins County
Prince Avenue Christian##Athens Academy
Rabun County##Riverside Military
Richmond Hill##Groves
Ringgold##Sonoraville
Rome##Paulding County
St. Francis##Cross Keys
St. Pius##McNair
Sandy Creek##Troup
Savannah Christian##Claxton
Seminole County##Terrell County
Sequoyah##Creekview
South Effingham##Cross Creek
South Paulding##North Paulding
Southeast Bulloch##Savannah
Southeast Whitfield##LaFayette
Statesboro##Swainsboro
Stockbridge##Eagle’s Landing
Stone Mountain##Lithonia
Tattnall County##Brantley County
Thomas County Central##Bainbridge
Treutlen##Montgomery County
Union County##Oglethorpe County
Union Grove##Ola
Upson-Lee##Spalding
Veterans##Howard
Vidalia##Atkinson County
Walton##Lassiter
Ware County##Glynn Academy
Warner Robins##Jones County
Washington##South Atlanta
Wayne County##Burke County
Wesleyan##Lakeview Academy
Westside-Augusta##Harlem
Wheeler##Roswell
Whitefield Academy##Fellowship Christian
Whitewater##Northgate
Wilcox County##Lanier County
Wilkinson County##Twiggs County
Woodstock##Cherokee
Woodward Academy##Decatur
SATURDAY
Griffin##Riverdale
*Games involving out-of-state teams not included
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