High school football predictions

I’ve seen a lot of high school football games in the past few years, 251 since the start of the 1997 season, to be exact (yes, I’ve kept track). But it has been a long time since I’ve written a predictions column.

When that last column appeared, Ronald Reagan was president, the Braves had won only two division titles, and Clarke Central was playing for the state championship.

My title-game predictions that appeared in the Athens Daily News and Banner-Herald on Dec. 13, 1985, were Clarke Central 17, Warner Robins 10 in Class AAAA and West Rome 21, Washington-Wilkes 7 in Class AA. For the record, Clarke Central won 21-7 and West Rome won 28-10. Not too shabby.

Despite all that has changed over time, there is a lot about high school football that seems to always stay the same. For instance:

● Buck Godfrey is still at Southwest DeKalb, so the Panthers will be good: Godfrey has been coaching the Panthers since 1983 and has had a losing record only one time, and even that team went to the playoffs. This year’s team could be one of his best, rivaling the 1995 state champions led by Quincy Carter. T.J. Stripling is the big name for a program that has more than 130 players this year. The Panthers are ranked No. 1 in Class AAAA, but to keep that spot they’ll have to figure out a way to stop Mack Brown and M.L. King, ranked No. 8 in AAAAA. M.L. King won last year, but look for Southwest DeKalb to even the score this time.

● Gwinnett County has legitimate championship contenders: The power in Gwinnett may have shifted away from Brookwood and Parkview, but the road to the championship, at least for metro Atlanta teams, still goes through the county. Grayson proved it deserves the No. 2 ranking in Class AAAAA with its 14-10 victory against Camden County at the Georgia Dome last weekend. Now it’s Peachtree Ridge’s turn to show it’s worthy of the No. 3 spot. The Lions travel to Harrison, which remains a force in Cobb County, and Cobb teams showed some fight with a 2-0 record against Gwinnett in the Corky Kell Classic. Plus, there is the danger that the Lions could be looking ahead to next week’s game at No. 1 Lowndes. But Peachtree Ridge is loaded and should take care of business. And we haven’t even mentioned No. 6 North Gwinnett, which hosts Alabama power Prattville on Saturday. We’ll talk more about the Bulldogs next week.

● Marist vs. St. Pius is always big: Marist has dominated this heated rivalry of late, winning 25 of the past 27 meetings. St. Pius injected life into the series last season, winning 21-10 in the opener against a Marist team that went on to play for the Class AAAA championship. Marist, ranked No. 4, will set things right this year, launching it to a 4-0 start heading into the showdown with its other big rival, No. 2 Tucker, on Sept. 25.

● Elsewhere: Region 1-AAAAA teams go 7-0 tonight and Saturday (Northside-Warner Robins played Perry on Thursday night), but don’t be surprised to see Roswell give Tift County a battle. ... As for the previously mentioned Clarke Central, last year’s loss to Loganville essentially determined the championship in Region 8-AAAA. Loganville might be even better this year, so take the Red Devils again.

The weekend predictions

Friday

Winner+Loser

Alpharetta+South Forsyth

Apalachee+Monroe Area

Appling Co.+Wayne Co.

Archer+Mountain View

Armuchee+Trion

Athens Academy+SW Atlanta Christian

Athens Christian+Oglethorpe Co.

Bainbridge+Early Co.

Baldwin+Glenn Hills

Berkmar+Upson-Lee

Berrien+Atkinson Co.

Blessed Trinity+Oconee Co.

Bradwell Institute+Glynn Academy

Bremen+Alexander

Brookstone+Landmark

Burke Co.+Effingham Co.

Calhoun+Dalton

Campbell+South Cobb

Carrollton+Westminster

Cartersville+Cass

Carver-Col.+Spencer

Cedar Grove+Stone Mountain

Cedar Shoals+Habersham Central

Cedartown+Rockmart

Centennial+Northview

Chapel Hill+Lithia Springs

Chattahoochee+Milton

Chattahoochee Co.+Calhoun Co.

Chattooga+Darlington

Clinch Co.+Charlton Co.

Coffee+Ware Co.

Collins Hill+Parkview

Colquitt Co.+Randolph-Clay

Columbia+Lakeside-DeKalb

Cook+Pierce Co.

Coosa+Lakeview-Ft. Ogle.

Creekside+Tri-Cities

Crisp Co.+Dooly Co.

Dacula+Mill Creek

Decatur+Druid Hills

Dodge Co.+SE Bulloch

Douglass+Chamblee

Dublin+Screven Co.

East Paulding+Rome

Eastside+Harris Co.

Elbert Co.+Riverside Military

ECI+Sav. Country Day

Evans+Greenbrier

Fannin Co.+Gilmer

Fayette Co.+Stockbridge

Fellowship Christ.+Lakeview Acad.