Sportsbyfletch continues its preview for Georgia high school football today with a gander at Classification AAA. Last season I was on hand at the Georgia Dome to see Cairo rally for a 28-14 win over Flowery Branch in the state title game. Flowery Branch might be back in the Dome this season but I think Cairo lost too many seniors (42 I believe) to return to the Finals. But you never know...........
Let's go to the Regions, shall we?
Region 1
Champ: Peach County
2 Cairo
3 Crisp Co
4 Dougherty.
Sorry Syrupmakers, but losing Reggie Bryant and Angelo Pease will hurt...BIG TIME. Ronnie Wooten too. Peach County meanwhile might have given you a run for your money had QB Patrick Taylor not gotten a freako hip injury early in game No.2. He's back along with 14 other starters and the fill-in QB goes back to his natural receiver spot. This offense for Peach County will be explosive, assuming everyone stays healthy.
Player of the Year: Patrick Taylor, QB Peach County. He was on fire last season before the injury, passing for over 400 yards in 6 quarters. Look out for this one.
Coach of the Year: Tom Fallow, Cairo. He lost 42 seniors, but watch him STILL make noise in the playoffs. Just watch!
Region 2
Champ: Carver-Columbus
2 LaGrange
3 Shaw
4 Troup
The Grangers lost 9 starters on D including Qua Huzzie, but the offense returns Jamius Gunsby and Braxton Smith at QB and Ocie Salter and his FB Xavier Head. That they are preseason #4 is a little high, but they will be good. Would be region champs if not for Carver-Columbus. As much as it pains me, Devin Burns is really good and he has a pair of future Clemson Tigers to help him this season in DE Corey Crawford and OG David Beasley. C-C will make a big time run at the state title.
PoY: Devin Burns, QB Carver Columbus
CoY: Del McGee, Carver-Columbus
Region 3
Champ: Baldwin
2 Washington County aka WaCo
3 Burke Co
4 Thomson
Jesse Hicks lost several important players off of last season's squad including Corrico Hawkins and Jerrico Ford, but Hicks' Braves reload, especially with QB Roshaun Milline, S Bennie Milline and CB John Willis. WaCo returns 15 starters and may be the only team to give Baldwin (and that tough defense) any sort of challenge.
PoY: John Willis, CB, Baldwin. He's maybe the best shutdown corner in the state. Yeah, sorry Ryan Ayers.
CoY: Jesse Hicks, Baldwin. DE-Fense! DE-Fense! Paul Mac LOVES this guy
Region 4
Champ: Jackson
2 Woodward Academy
3 Rutland
4 South Atlanta
Jackson has a monster at DE/LB in Neiron Ball and Mike Parris's team will win with defense, especially with Delino DeShields' transfer to Norcross two weeks ago.
PoY: Ball, DE, Jackson
CoY: Mike Parris, Jackson
Region 5
Champ: St. Pius X (Sub-region B)
2 Dunwoody (Subregion A)
3 Washington (Subregion B)
4 Cedar Grove (Subregion A)
St. Pius returns two QBs Brian Gee and PG Standard, but the REAL story is Cole Moon...who is ONLY A JUNIOR. Good Lord this kid is good and he's ONLY A JUNIOR. Look for St. Pius to just ride him deep into the playoffs. Dunwoody lost Cooper and Scales, which is too much to try and overtake St. Pius
PoY: Cole Moon, RB St. Pius
CoY: Paul Standard, St. Pius
Region 6
Champ: Carrollton (Sub-B)
2 Ridgeland (Sub-A)
3 Cartersville (Sub-B)
4 Ringgold (Sub-A)
The B Subregion is where the power is just northwest of Atlanta. Well just north of Kennesaw
PoY: Parker Tuggle, QB Carrollton
CoY: Frank Barden, Cartersville
Region 7
Champ: Gainesville (Sub-B)
2 North Hall (Sub-A)
3 Flowery Branch (Sub-B)
4 White Co (Sub-A)
The Red Elephants exited the playoffs too early last season. Forget what Blake Sims and Tai-Lor Jones too on offense (which is A FREAKING LOT), but think about those two plus Daunte Carr on defense. WOW. Bruce Miller will have a strong defense and with Sims and Jones, they will blow folks out on offense. That game against FloBranch in the Falcons new stadium should be explosive. The Falcons will have Connor Shaw (the best QB in the state. he's headed to Spurrier's Gamecocks) and Imani Cross, but these guys lost too much on defense to take the region. Let's not forget sub-region A though. North Hall is well coached with Bob Christmas. They have the big ugly Daniel Blitch to play OT and DT and he is a force. These guys will get a nice No.2 seed and should make some noise in the playoffs. White County, behind JR RB Ashley Lowery will steal that last spot.
PoY: Blake Sims, QB/S Gainesville. Because he goes both ways is the only reason he gets the nod over Shaw
CoY: Lee Shaw, Flowery Branch. His system is dynamite, especially with his son at the helm.
Region 8
Champ: Eastside
2 Franklin County
3 Stephens Co
4 Hart Co
Eastside won 11 games last season and they should take advantage of a rebuilding region. Hart has Jermonte Hickman while Franklin has a set of twins at QB and WR. Don't count out Stephens' offense, though their defense will give up plenty of points.
PoY: Dre Cunningham, RB, Stephens Co
CoY: Joby Scroggs, Hart Co. He's won the most and is plain and simple the best coach in this area.
Classification PoY: Blake Sims, QB Gainesville. This is the season the Red Elephants make it to the Dome.
Classification CoY: Del McGee, Carver-Columbus. Yep, Gainesville makes it to the Dome, where they'll lose to McGee's Tigers. Two titles in three years...good enough for me.
Preseason Top 10
1.Carver-Columbus
2.Gainesville
3.Peach County
4.Baldwin
5.Flowery Branch
6.LaGrange
7.Jackson
8.Carrollton
9.Cairo
10.St. Pius X
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