Class 2A blog: What to watch — Week 9

Now onto the previews:

Haralson County Rebels at Temple Tigers

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Tigers Stadium, Temple

Records, rankings: Haralson County is 5-0, 0-0 in Region 5 and No. 5; Temple is 5-2, 1-0 and unranked.

Last meeting: Temple won 42-10 in 2017.

Maxwell’s projection: Haralson County by 2

Notes: Last week in their region opener, the Tigers knocked off a Heard County Braves team they were 0-10 against dating back to 2003, winning 34-28 in overtime. According to the Times-Georgian, the Braves held on after leading 21-0 through the first quarter and giving up 21 points in the fourth quarter. Tigers running back Phillip Johnson, a workhorse who was recently named to the GHSF Daily POY Watch, finished the game with 120 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Johnson has over 1,000 rushing yards on the season. Now the Tigers are looking to start 2-0 in region play for the first time since 2011. The Rebels, on the other hand, are looking to do something they haven’t since Oct. 9 — play a football game. They had a scheduled bye on Oct. 16, then their highly anticipated Oct. 23 region opener against No. 1 Callaway was postponed and has since been rescheduled three times, most recently to Nov. 10. This game will serve as the region opener for the Rebels, who shut out Banks County 44-0 in their last game. The Rebels defense is allowing an average of just 5.4 points a game, though only one of those opponents, Model (4-2), has a winning record and none of them were ranked. Marc Harris is the Rebels' leading rusher with 718 yards. The last time these two schools — located 17 miles apart — played, the current seniors were freshmen, though this is the first time they’ve played as region opponents. They’ve played eight times dating back to 1996, with Temple leading 5-3.

Cook Hornets at Thomasville Bulldogs

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Veterans Memorial Stadium, Thomasville

Records, rankings: Cook is 5-2, 2-0 in Region 1 and No. 8; Thomasville is 4-3, 2-0 and No. 6.

Last meeting: Thomasville won 28-18 in 2019.

Watch the game: NFHS Network

Maxwell’s projection: Thomasville by 7

Notes: This will be fifth ranked team the Bulldogs have played this season. They are 1-3 in those games, losing to 1A Public’s No. 2 Brooks County, 4A’s No. 7 Bainbridge and 3A’s No. 3 Oconee County, while beating then-No. 5 and region rival Early County. They are averaging 43.5 points in region play in two games against Early County and Worth County. They’ve dominated the Hornets 25-6 in the all-time series and have won three straight dating back to 2017. The Hornets last beat them in 2016, which was Bulldogs coach Zach Grage’s first year, 43-18. Bulldogs senior quarterback Ronnie Baker has thrown for 1,160 yards on the season and Ricky Fulton is their lead back and scored four touchdowns last week — three rushing, along with 165 yards, and one receiving — according to the Thomasville Times Enterprise. The Hornets will likely need a win to stay in the polls, where they find themselves for the first time since 2015. They’ve won four in a row and have been on the radar since beating 1A Public defending champions and No. 4 Irwin County, then narrowly losing to top-ranked Brooks County in consecutive weeks. They haven’t lost since the Brooks County game on Sept. 25. The Hornets have beaten Berrien and Worth County in region play, though they only beat Worth County 21-14 on Oct. 16; the Bulldogs beat Worth County 56-23 last week. Jamarian Walker, the Hornets' leading rusher, had 665 rushing yards heading into last week’s game against Berrien. Jamie Rogers is in his second year coaching the Hornets, who are playing for their first winning season since 2015.

Westside Patriots at Laney Wildcats

When, where: 2 p.m. Saturday, Lucy C. Laney Memorial Stadium, Augusta

Records, rankings: Westside is 4-3, 3-1 in Region 4 and unranked; Laney is 3-3, 3-1 and unranked.

Last meeting: Westside won 6- in 2019.

Maxwell’s projection: Laney by 1

Notes: This game will likely determine the No. 3 seed in Region 4, assuming Putnam County and Jefferson County — the teams ahead of Westside and Laney in the standings — continue to play to their capabilities. No other team outside of those four has a winning record and are unlikely to crack the top four. The Patriots haven’t been to the playoffs since 2014 and haven’t advanced since 2002. The Wildcats haven’t qualified for the postseason since 2016 and last won a playoff game in 2013, when they reached the quarterfinals. This is a series rich in history, dating back to 1972 and with the Patriots leading 33-16. The series has see-sawed a bit too, with the Wildcats winning the first three meetings, then the Patriots going 29-0-1 from 1975-98. Since then, however, the Wildcats are 13-4. The Patriots' win last season snapped an eight-game losing streak dating back to 2007. The Patriots have won three in a row — all in region play — and have given up an average of just four points in those games, which were against Glenn Hills, Josey and Butler. The win streak balances out the three-game skid that proceeded it, which consisted of losses to Warren County and Lincoln County from 1A Public, and Putnam County in their region opener. The Patriots are in their second season under Jon Wiley and playing for their first winning season since 2006. The Wildcats' region opponents are identical to Westside’s, with their lone loss in region play also coming at the hands of Putnam County. The Wildcats also have a second-year coach in Rashad Dunn, who looks to guide them to their first winning season since 2015.

Toombs County Bulldogs at Jeff Davis Yellow Jackets

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, The Pinelands at Yellow Jacket Stadium, Hazlehurst

Records, rankings: Toombs County is 5-1, 1-0 in Region 2 and No. 7; Jeff Davis is 5-1, 0-1 and unranked.

Last meeting: Toombs County won 31-0 in 2019.

Maxwell’s projection: Toombs County by 4

Notes: The Bulldogs have dominated the recent history of this series, going 9-1 since 2002. The one loss was in 2018, when Jeff Davis coasted to a 35-14 win. The Bulldogs lead the all-time series, which began in 1987, 13-10. The Jackets are looking to bounce back after giving up a season-high 42 points last week in a region-opening loss to Vidalia. Heading in, they’d given up an average of just 12.5 points. The loss snapped a five-game win streak to open the season and prevented them from starting 6-0 for a second year in a row. They beat 1A Public’s then-No. 9 Lincoln County 24-14 in their opener, and the Bulldogs will be the first ranked opponent they’ve played since. They’re looking to make the playoffs for the third time in four seasons under Lance Helton after narrowly missing out last year despite a 7-3 record. The Bulldogs are on a three-game win streak since losing 27-7 to West Laurens on Sept. 25, shutting out Berrien (49-0) and beating 1A Public’s No. 3 Macon County and Bacon County last week in their region opener. The Bulldogs beat Bacon County 35-28 in overtime to avoid being bumped from the polls after just one week for the second time this season. They had just climbed into the rankings with wins over Dodge County and Tattnall County to open the season and claim the No. 7 spot when they lost to West Laurens. The Bulldogs are aiming to make the playoffs for a fifth year in a row under fifth-year coach Richie Marsh. Before Marsh arrived in 2016, the Bulldogs hadn’t qualified for the playoffs since 2008.

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