Looking for a contrast in styles this weekend for the second round of the playoffs? Cast your eyes no further than George Maloof Stadium on Friday, when No. 8 St. Pius hosts No. 4 Cartersville.
Cartersville (9-1) is loaded with skill players and enjoys flinging it all over the lot. But what would you expect from a program that gave birth to possible NFL No. 1 pick Trevor Lawrence?
Compare that to St. Pius (9-1), which passes the ball like Simon Cowell tosses compliments. The Golden Lions prefer to hand it off or pitch it and take advantage of their blocking to clear the way. In last week’s win Loganville, St. Pius threw only eight passes. (Cartersville may throw that many on one scoring drive.)
Cartersville’s flash has certainly caught the eye of St. Pius coach Paul Standard.
“They’re like a fast-break basketball team,” Standard said. “Their quarterback is exceptional and their receivers … my goodness … they get open and they’re just incredible. I don’t know if I’ve seen a team with that many weapons at one time.”
The Cartersville numbers are impressive. Quarterbacks Carlos Del Rio-Wilson has thrown for 785 yards and 10 touchdowns in five games since he transferred in and Stratton Tripp has thrown for 1,391 yards and 12 touchdowns.
The game-breaking receivers are Sam Phillips (52 catches, 664 yards, five TDs) and Devonte Ross (29 catches, 691 yards, 10 TDs). Phillips was shaken up early in the first-round win over Jackson, but Ross – who recently committed to Marshall -- caught eight passes for 100 yards. Quante Jennings has rushed for 634 yards and 16 touchdowns.
St. Pius is an experienced team – there are 25 seniors on the squad – and they know the playoff drill. Quarterback Dennis O’Shea will manage the offense and running backs like Mason Benefield, Luke Jacobellis and Jack Graham will do most of the heavy lifting. The Golden Lions hope to dominate time of possession.
“I hope we can keep the ball away from them and shorten the game,” Standard said.
This is the third meeting between the two teams. St. Pius won a second-round playoff game in 2013 and Cartersville won a playoff opener in 2008.
No. 3 Ware County (9-1) at Creekside (7-2): Dutchtown managed to slow Ware County quarterback Thomas Castellanos (a season-low 127 yards passing and 19 yards rushing), but the Gators still won 24-0. That’s because junior Cartervious Norton turned in his third straight productive game, rushing for 84 yards and one touchdown. And the Ware County defense finished with its first shutout of the season.
Creekside survived a tussle with Harris County and advanced with a 47-28 win. The Seminoles, who have won seven straight, continues to put up big numbers – averaging 37.3 points over the last six games. Running back Kamauri Davis needs only 28 yards to reach the 1,000 milestone and has five touchdowns. Jamond Lee has rushed for 627 yards and 12 touchdowns and quarterback Nyqua Lett has thrown for 751 yards and 11 touchdowns and rushed for 484 yards and six touchdowns.
Series: The teams have never met. Winner plays: Winner of Cartersville vs. St. Pius.
No. 7 Calhoun (8-3) at No. 9 Clarke Central (8-2): This will be one of the most high-profile games of the weekend. Both teams are good on both sides of the ball, are blessed with playmakers and are accustomed to playing in the spotlight.
Calhoun outscored Lithia Springs in the third quarter of its playoff opener in rolling to a 46-21 win, prompting coach Clay Stephenson to tell the Calhoun Times, “We’ve got to start better. If we’ve got to fix one thing, it’s to prepare better, so we don’t get behind the eight ball like we kind of did on Friday.” The Yellow Jackets feature running back Jerrian Hames and one of the state’s top passing combinations in quarterback Christian Lewis and receiver Cole Speer. Calhoun has reached the third round of the playoffs in 10 of the last 11 seasons.
The Clarke Central defense will be tested by Calhoun’s firepower. Top tacklers Kyle Cowan, Tyreon Millsap and Jaavan Mack will be challenged. Likewise, the Gladiators will test the Calhoun defense with its array of valuable skill position players – quarterback Will Robinson (1,711 yards, 12 TDs), running back William Richardson (669 yards, 13 TDs) and receivers Jairus Mack, Antonio Jewell and Justin Hodges. Mack even occasionally lines up in the Wildcat, which offers additional matchup troubles.
Series: The teams have never met. Winner plays: Winner of Coffee vs. Starr’s Mill.
No. 5 Coffee (8-2) at No. 6 Starr’s Mill (9-1): Perhaps one of the best-kept secrets this season has been the Starr’s Mill defense. The experienced group, which replaced only one real starter, has allowed only 65 points all season – 21 of those coming in the season opener the Region 2-7A champion East Coweta. Safety Cole Bishop and linebacker Wes Haney are three-year starters who lead the way.
Coffee survived one of the toughest games in the opening round. The Trojans used a big second half to break open a close contest and beat Ola 31-7. Coach Robby Pruitt’s team has been an offensive machine most of the year, scoring at least four touchdowns in each of their wins. The offense revolves around dual-threat QB A.J. Wilkerson (1,332 yards, 12 TDs passing; 363 yards, six TDs rushing), but is hardly a one-many show. Three other runners have at least 300 yards and junior Maurice Turner, who scored three touchdowns last week, has caught 36 passes.
Series: The teams have never met. Winner plays: Winner of Calhoun vs. Clarke Central.
Decatur (7-1) at No. 1 Blessed Trinity (7-0): It’s Decatur’s turn to try and stop the Blessed Trinity attack. That’s been a futile task for seven previous opponents this season. The Titans, who are seeking their fourth straight state title, have not scored fewer than 35 points in a game and have put up at least 48 points in five contests. Blessed Trinity has been mashing its opponents. Justice Haynes has 1,176 yards rushing and 16 touchdowns and Englan Williams has run for 424 yards and six touchdowns. The Titans average 328.8 yards on the ground.
Decatur will need big nights on defense from Chapman Smith (14 tackles for loss), Marquis Hood (11 TFL) and Kristopher Williams (44 tackles). The Bulldogs will need to hold serve on offense with quarterback Harrison Hannah (917 yards, 11 TDs passing) and running backs Hood (726 yards, eight TDs) and Isaac Dimmock (246 yards rushing).
Series: Blessed Trinity leads 5-3 and won the last meeting 42-14 in 2015. Winner plays: Winner of Woodward Academy vs. Warner Robins.
Woodward Academy (7-4) at No. 2 Warner Robins (9-1): Warner Robins continues to roll up yardage and points. The Demons average 408 yards per game (172 rushing, 236 passing) and have scored 42-plus points in seven games. Senior quarterback Jalen Addie has thrown for 1,373 yards and 13 touchdowns and the stable of running backs are led by Malcom Brown (818 yards, eight TDs) and Jalen Rutherford (779, six TDs).
The means the Woodward defense needs a big night from experienced guys like seniors Errington Truesdell (98 tackles, 14 TFL) and Chris Marshall (12 TFL) and sophomore Spencer Snipe (69 tackles). Woodward’s offense has been led by junior Damari Alston (1,434 yards, 23 TDs) and quarterback Banks Snellings (1,089 yards passing).
Series: The teams have never met. Winner plays: Winner of Decatur vs. Blessed Trinity.
Griffin (7-4) at No. 10 Jones County (8-3): These two familiar foes are quite similar. Both are balanced, with offensive numbers nearly split between running and passing. Both have explosive moments on offense and are steady on defense.
Jones County averages 194 yards rushing and 164 yards passing. John Alan Richter has thrown for 1,680 yards and 15 touchdowns and Andrew Carner has run for 1,158 yards and 22 touchdowns. Griffin averages 134 yards passing and 157 yards rushing. Quarterback Quamari Williams has thrown for 525 yards and eight touchdowns and the stable of backs includes Gerrod Pope (362 yards) and R.J. Johnson (292 yards).
Series: Jones County leads 3-2. Jones County defeated Griffin 49-14 in the 2019 quarterfinals. Winner plays: Winner of Eastside vs. New Manchester.
Eastside (9-2) at New Manchester (6-3): New Manchester continues to set a higher bar for the relatively young program from Douglas County. The Jaguars won their first region title two weeks ago and followed that with their first victory in the state playoffs, a 21-17 win over Hiram. Quarterback Rico Jones has thrown for 1,342 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Eastside quarterback Jaylen Woods has thrown for 682 yards since returning four games ago. His return has allowed Dayton Green to return to wide receiver, which gives the Eagles another weapon to add to their outstanding running back group led by Dallas Johnson (1,204 yards, six TDs) and Sincere Johnson (341 yards, nine TDs).
Series: The teams have never met. Winner plays: Winner of Griffin vs. Jones County.
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