Region play begins in 1-AAAAAA this weekend, and the state’s toughest region gets right down to business with three games involving teams ranked in the top 10. Here’s a look at the games that will set the tone for the region’s playoff race in the second half of the season.
*No. 7 Valdosta at No. 6 Camden County: Camden County made a big impression in its Region 1 debut last year when it traveled to Bazemore-Hyder Stadium and won 43-6, handing Valdosta its worst home loss in 38 years. The victory ignited Camden’s 5-1 run through the region schedule that led to the league title, while Valdosta finished one game back but as the third-place team. Valdosta has one of the state’s top backfields with all-state candidates Nelson Herring and Malcolm Joseph, so this one should be a lot closer than last year. But still look for Camden County to win.
*No. 3 Colquitt County at Lowndes: Lowndes has outscored its opponents 192-2 in its three victories, but the Vikings were the victims of the upset of the season when they lost to otherwise winless Newton 15-14 at home on Sept. 6. Expect Colquitt County to inflate Lowndes’ defensive numbers, as the Packers have the region’s leading rusher and receivers and just scored more points against Carver of Columbus than any team in two years. The computer Maxwell Ratings project Colquitt County as a 19-point favorite. I think it will be a lot closer than that but agree that Colquitt will win.
*No. 10 Coffee at Tift County: It’s difficult to be under the radar when you’re ranked in the top 10, but Coffee fits the bill considering its high-profile region rivals. The Trojans have quietly put together a 4-0 record against a fairly difficult schedule, but this will be their first game this season against a Class AAAAAA team. Coffee hasn’t blown anyone out, and that won’t change this week, but expect the Trojans to win fairly comfortably against a Tift team that hasn’t won a region game since 2010.
The other team in the region – Brunswick – has the week off and will face Lowndes at home on Oct. 4.
THE WEEKEND PREDICTIONS
Last week: 134-35 (.793); Overall: 569-177 (.763)
THURSDAY
Winner##Loser
Appling County##Savannah
Banneker##Redan
Creekside##Mount Zion-Jonesboro
Lovejoy##Druid Hills
Rutland##Veterans
Troup##Alexander
Whitewater##Forest Park
FRIDAY
Alcovy##Luella
Allatoona##South Paulding
Alpharetta##South Forsyth
Aquinas##Twiggs County
Archer##Dacula
Athens Academy##Lakeview Academy
Baconton Charter##Stewart County
Baldwin##Perry
Beach##Brantley County
Benedictine##Atkinson County
Bleckley County##Putnam County
Bowdon##Manchester
Bremen##Jordan
Brooks County##Early County
Brookwood##Parkview
Bryan County##Long County
Buford##Banks County
Burke County##Cross Creek
Cairo##Westover
Calhoun##Coosa
Callaway##Jackson-Atlanta
Camden County##Valdosta
Carrollton##Columbus
Cartersville##Coahulla Creek
Carver-Columbus##Pike County
Cedar Grove##Decatur
Cedar Shoals##Loganville
Cedartown##Southeast Whitfield
Central-Carrollton##B.E.S.T. Academy
Charlton County##Wilcox County
Chattahoochee##Johns Creek
Chattooga##Murray County
Christian Heritage##Mount Zion-Carroll
Clarke Central##Apalachee
Clarkston##Hapeville Charter
Claxton##Wheeler County
Clinch County##Telfair County
Coffee##Tift County
Collins Hill##Mountain View
Colquitt County##Lowndes
Creekview##Osborne
Crisp County##Dougherty
Cross Keys##North Cobb Christian
Dade County##Pepperell
Dalton##Cass
Darlington##Trion
Dooly County##Brookstone
Dublin##Westside-Augusta
Duluth##Meadowcreek
Dutchtown##Spalding
Eagle’s Landing##Riverdale
Eagle’s Landing Christian##Holy Innocents’
East Laurens##Josey
East Paulding##Villa Rica
Eastside##Madison County
Effingham County##Bradwell Institute
Elbert County##East Jackson
Emanuel County Institute##Portal
Etowah##Roswell
Fitzgerald##Pelham
Flowery Branch##Salem
Gainesville##Heritage-Conyers
George Walton Academy##Commerce
Gilmer##LaFayette
Gordon Lee##Whitefield Academy
Grayson##Shiloh
Hancock Central##Warren County
Haralson County##Douglass
Harris County##Douglas County
Hart County##Franklin County
Hawkinsville##Schley County
Heard County##Kendrick
Henry County##Central-Macon
Hillgrove##Campbell
Houston County##Grovetown
Hughes##Newton
Jackson##Southwest-Macon
Jefferson##Greene County
Jefferson County##Wesleyan
Jenkins##Groves
Jenkins County##Montgomery County
Jones County##Greenbrier
Jonesboro##Woodland-Stockbridge
Kell##North Springs
LaGrange##Shaw
Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe##Gordon Central
Lamar County##Taylor County
Landmark Christian##Mount Vernon Presbyterian
Lassiter##Woodstock
Lee County##Dodge County
Liberty County##Hephzibah
Lincoln County##First Presbyterian
Locust Grove##North Clayton
M.L. King##Arabia Mountain
Macon County##Crawford County
Marietta##Pebblebrook
Marion County##Greenville
Mary Persons##Howard
Mays##North Atlanta
McEachern##Kennesaw Mountain
McIntosh##Mundy’s Mill
McIntosh County Academy##Bacon County
Miller Grove##Dunwoody
Milton##Wheeler
Mitchell County##Miller County
Model##Armuchee
Monroe Area##Lanier
Morgan County##Oconee County
Newnan##Hardaway
Norcross##Mill Creek
North Cobb##Harrison
North Forsyth##Lambert
North Hall##Dawson County
North Oconee##Jackson County
North Paulding##Woodland-Cartersville
Northeast-Macon##Monticello
Northwest Whitfield##River Ridge
Pace Academy##Our Lady of Mercy
Pacelli##Central-Talbotton
Paulding County##Lithia Springs
Peachtree Ridge##Habersham Central
Pierce County##Tattnall County
Pinecrest Academy##Hebron Christian
Pope##Cambridge
Prince Avenue Christian##Athens Christian
Rabun County##Social Circle
Richmond Hill##Glynn Academy
Ridgeland##Pickens
Ringgold##Adairsville
Riverside Military##Oglethorpe County
Riverwood##Northview
Rockdale County##Morrow
Rome##New Manchester
St. Pius##Towers
Sandy Creek##Fayette County
Savannah Christian##Johnson County
Screven County##Harlem
Sequoyah##Sprayberry
Sonoraville##North Murray
South Effingham##Glenn Hills
South Gwinnett##Central Gwinnett
Southeast Bulloch##Johnson-Savannah
Spencer##Temple
Starr’s Mill##Drew
Statesboro##Butler
Stephens County##Chestatee
Stephenson##Southwest DeKalb
Stockbridge##Griffin
Terrell County##Calhoun County
Thomasville##Cook
Thomson##Westminster
Toombs County##Jeff Davis
Tucker##Lakeside-DeKalb
Turner County##Lanier County
Union Grove##Northgate
Vidalia##Metter
Walnut Grove##Lumpkin County
Walton##Cherokee
Warner Robins##Evans
Washington-Wilkes##Union County
Wayne County##Richmond Academy
West Forsyth##Centennial
West Hall##Fannin County
White County##East Hall
Wilkinson County##Georgia Military
Woodward Academy##Blessed Trinity
Worth County##Americus-Sumter
SATURDAY
Monroe##Albany
Northside-Warner Robins##Lakeside-Evans
Ware County##Windsor Forest
Westside-Macon##West Laurens
*Games involving out-of-state teams not included
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