For previews of the ELCA-Pace Academy and Jefferson-Rabun County games, see the GHSF Daily’s top 10 games here.
Also, a new episode of of the Class 2A Blogcast is available! This week’s topic: As someone who used to work for one of the major recruiting services as an analyst, I take you behind the scenes and into the discussions analysts have to determine who becomes 4- and 5-stars, and how the player rankings are determined. You can listen here, and on Apple and Spotify.
Hardaway Golden Hawks at Callaway Cavaliers
When, where: 7:30 p.m., Friday, Callaway Stadium, LaGrange
Records, rankings: Hardaway is 1-0 and unranked in 4A; Callaway is 1-0 and No. 2 in 2A.
Last meeting: N/A
Watch the game: NFHS Network
Maxwell’s projection: Callaway by 19
Notes: This is the first-ever meeting between the two schools, with Hardaway about 50 miles south from Callaway in Columbus. Both the Golden Hawks and Cavaliers looked impressive in their season debuts last week, with the Hawks beating 3A’s Americus-Sumter 33-3 and the Cavs posting a 27-7 win over Troup. The Hawks are led by 6-foot-5, 258-pound defensive end Mykel Williams, a 4-star junior with 28 offers including Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Georgia, LSU, Ohio State and USC. Williams is also a preseason all-state selection. The Hawks also have JQ Hardaway, a junior 3-star safety with 12 offers including Georgia Tech, Michigan State, Tennessee, USC and Virginia Tech. The Cavs' preseason all-state selections and top recruits were mentioned in Week 2′s previews. Cavs running back Charlie Dixon, who replaces graduated 5-star and current Auburn Tiger Tank Bigsby, led the team with 113 yards and two scores on 23 carries in Callaway’s opener, according to Kevin Eckleberry of The LaGrange Daily News. Eckleberry also noted the Cavs' dominant defensive effort, led by offensive lineman-turned-linebacker Austin Thomas and his 11 tackles.
Turner County Rebels at Fitzgerald Purple Hurricane
When, where: 7:30 p.m., Friday, Jaycee Stadium, Fitzgerald
Records, rankings: Turner County is 1-0 and No. 9 in 1A Public; Fitzgerald is 2-0 and No. 3 in 2A.
Last meeting: Fitzgerald won 13-0 in 2003.
Maxwell’s projection: Fitzgerald by 28
Notes: These teams — located less than 25 miles apart — haven’t played in 17 years, with the Purple Hurricane leading 8-2. The Rebels last beat Fitzgerald in 1987, though the teams have only met twice since then. The series began in 1964. The Rebels are coming off a bye but prior to that, they catapulted into the rankings with a 35-21 win over 2A’s Worth County on Sept. 4. Last season, they finished 7-5 and beat Macon County to advance to the second round in Nick Hayes' only season as coach. Kevious Johnson takes over the Rebels and becomes their third coach in three years. The program is hoping Johnson brings stability, as the Rebels are on their sixth coach since 2012. The Purple Hurricane are 2-0 for the fist time since 2016, when they started 4-0 and finished 13-2, reaching the 2A title game. This season they’ve beaten 4A’s Cairo 21-17, and 1A Public’s then-No. 1 Irwin County, the defending state champs, by a score of 21-6. That ended an Irwin County 13-game win streak. Fitzgerald senior defensive back Chance Gamble will be the only preseason all-state selection on the field. He holds offers from Air Force and Army and is being recruited as a receiver.
Thomasville Bulldogs at Cairo Syrupmakers
When, where: 7:30 p.m., Friday, West Thomas Stadium, Cairo
Records, rankings: Thomasville is 1-1 and No. 6 in 2A; Cairo is 0-2 and unranked in 4A
Last meeting: Cairo won 45-21 in 2019.
Maxwell’s projection: Thomasville by 1
Notes: This storied rivalry is one where, regardless of each team’s record, the game is always expected to be competitive. This will be the 75th meeting in the series, which began in 1922. Cairo, which is 16 miles west of Thomasville, leads the series 41-28-6. The Bulldogs last won in 2018 by a score of 15-14 — their second win over the Syrupmakers in as many years. Cairo has stumbled to an 0-2 record for the first time since 2018, when they followed their second loss with a 10-game win streak to win Region 1-4A and reach the quarterfinals. But don’t let their record fool you — they’ve lost both games (Fitzgerald, 21-17; Brooks County, 26-24) by a combined six points with Fitzgerald ranked No. 3 in 2A and Brooks County ranked No. 1 in 1A Public. Cairo has a pair of preseason all-state selections in junior linebacker Gary Davis and senior kicker Noah Jones, who holds a Power 5 offer from Arizona. The Bulldogs also lost narrowly to Brooks County, 20-14, in their opener, but then rebounded with a convincing 34-7 win over Thomas County Central last week. In that win, the Bulldogs were led by Malik Harper’s 96 yards on just 10 carries, Joe Williams' two interceptions and Dimitrius Myrick’s seven tackles and two sacks. Bulldogs preseason all-state selections and top recruits were listed in Week 1′s previews.
Bremen Blue Devils at Pepperell Dragons
When, where: 7 p.m., Saturday, Dragon Stadium, Lindale
Records, rankings: Bremen is 2-0 and No. 8 in 2A; Pepperell is 0-2 and unranked in 2A.
Last meeting: Pepperell won 14-6 in 1983.
Maxwell’s projection: Bremen by 10
Notes: Pepperell leads the all-time series, which began in 1937, 3-2-1. The teams, separated by less than 40 miles, have met sporadically over the years since the series began (1937, 1951, 1974-75, 1982-83), with Bremen last winning in 1982. The Blue Devils have opened the season with blowout wins over 1A Private’s Landmark Christian (38-0) and 1A Public’s Bowdon (59-22) to go from being unranked in the preseason to climbing to No. 8 in the polls. In last week’s win, Tay Banks rushed for 175 yards and four touchdowns in the first half. They’re aiming for their seventh consecutive trip to the playoffs and hope to advance past the second round for the first time since 2011, when they reached the 1A quarterfinals. The Dragons are in danger of starting 0-3 for the first time since 2014, which was their last losing season (3-7). They’ve been adjusting to life without their starting quarterback Gage Moses, an all-region selection who suffered an injury in the preseason. It’s unclear when he’ll be able to return, but Dragons coach Rick Hurst is hopeful he’ll play this season. Senior Tray Robinson and sophomore Matthew Waddell have seen playing time in his place. The Dragons lost 28-10 to Haralson County in their opener and put up a better showing against then-No. 10 Heard County, falling short 36-29.
Correction: An earlier version of the story incorrectly stated that Michael Woolridge was in his first season at Hardaway. He has coached the Golden Hawks since 2016.
Follow the AJC’s Class 2A coverage on Twitter. Listen and subscribe to the Class 2A Blogcast on Apple or Spotify, among other platforms.
About the Author
