The first round of the Georgia High School football state playoffs saw two big upsets (one that we called here at SBF) and the end of a high school career that makes us a little sad.
I was at the Marist/Sprayberry game and Marist certainly looks like it could make another run all the way to the Georgia Dome once again. Matt Connors, the senior FB is 6'0, 210 lb and he is a load to bring down. Sprayberry has a pretty strong defense and yet it was taking 3 Yellow Jackets at a time to bring down the big man. Factor in Andy Perez at QB (who looks like he was born to run Alan Chadwick's defense) and Sam McNearney at RB and you have a precision offense that will dull you right into submission (and I mean that in a good way). Marist next faces Apalachee and while I love Jon Lee at tailback, I think that Marist can go on the road and run that offense to knock off the unbeaten Wildcats. Sorry WIMO, but it looks like the season ends here. Maybe Christian Hoard and co prove me wrong. But Marist looked too good running that offense.
Griffin will certainly take out either of those two teams though.
Sandy Creek should have the athletes on offense to take out Tucker, considering I personally watched the Tigers get taken out by SWD, a team that Sandy Creek reminds me of in many ways (athletic tailback, tough defense with an additional threat of a talented crew of wideouts). Sandy Creek should easily get through to the Final Four.
On the other side of the bracket, SWD annihilated NW Whitfield and will likely beat up Clarke Central, considering this is a down year for C-CHS. North Clayton will once again have Clarence Jackson to run around and over Brunswick (a mild upset), setting up a huge RB v RB matchup with Ken Malcome.
Let's look at Class AAAAA...
Brookwood got three TDs from Julian Suber and 133 yards from QB Ben McLane to end the high school career of Rajaan Bennett. Rajaan led the Indians to a 10-0 season, starring in the Pistol before they lost the Corky Kell rematch to the Broncos. Wow. My Score Atlanta Co-Host IJ Rosenberg said he wasn't that surprised, considering that Brookwood had playoff experience and McEachern didn't. I was still a bit surprised. But I guess that's just me. Never fear though, Brookwood loses this weekend at the Lions Den, right down the road from my house at Peachtree Ridge. The Lions survived 6 fumbles (that's right. 6!) to beat Kell 14-7. WOW. Look for Brad Roby and Lombardo to recover and take out the Broncos with a few less turnovers.
Newnan/ML King should be interesting with the great defense of Newnan going against the Mouth of the South Mack Brown. No word on if he has guaranteed a victory or 9000 yards in this game, but if he does, look for Alec Ogletree to smack the mouth off the future Gator. Ogletree is a future Dawg...
Also in that bracket, Grayson faces Roswell and kudos to Roswell for winning last week without its QB Brian Hickman, who quit the team, along with his father who was an assistant coach. Hmmmm Leo Barker's two years at Roswell have amounted to a losing season and the QB quitting the team the week of the first playoff game. WOW. Grayson is probably LOVING the idea of a backup QB in there. PS, Grayson/Newnan next week...SWEET!
Camden County v Lowndes in the second round is so crazy. Those are the past two champions, doing battle in the second round. Look for Lowndes to crush the defending champs because, quite frankly, they can. They have about 6 running backs that can take it to the house at any time (Khary Franklin, I'm looking right at you!) and Camden IMHO just lost too much from last season. The winner of this one gets North Gwinnett likely (sorry Woodstock) and it will be a pleasure to see the air attack going up against the ground game. Who wins, the Air Force or the Marines? Hmmm. I really don't know. Tom Cruise was cool in Top Gun, but you get the feeling that Jack Nicholson from A Few Good Men would have torn him UP in a celebrity deathmatch.
In the final part of that bracket, Lasssiter may have found a team with just as much offensive fire power and I think people are sleeping on South Gwinnett. Hutson Mason probably pulls it out at the end (he has his own TV show these days) and he probably needs another game to set the season TD record, but expect Kent Rollins, Aaron Wimberly, Jonathan Krause and CO to push the Trojans to the max. Finally, Stephenson with perhaps the best D in the state goes against Rush Propst and Colquitt Co. Great game. I might be calling it, so I will withhold a prediction. Expect big hitting and I'd love to be able to write about The Colonel next week....
In Class AAA, who called Flowery Branch over Ridgeland? Oh, that's right....I DID. Connor Shaw and his fellow Falcons should pass right over Grady. Sorry Gracie. I'd love to see Carver-Columbus with Isaiah Crowell go up against FloBranch. WOW. What a game that would be.
Gainesville shut out Lakeview FTO and that is why I think this is the Red Elephants year. So many years, the Red Elephants have had the offense. They still have it with Sims to Jones, but they also have the defense, led by Carr and Sims in the defensive secondary. I fully expect them to roll in the mid-50s over Dunwoody then put it to Baldwin (as I think Jesse Hicks's boys take out the defending champion Cairo). Baldwin doesn't have the defense it has in past seasons to slow Blake Sims and the under appreciated RE defense will shut down a Brave offense that I saw stopped by Carver earlier this year.
If Peach Co can get by WaCo (which I think they can) congrats you get either St. Pius with Cole Moon or the underrated North Hall (enh, did I call North Hall or what?) I still think Peach Co comes out of this bracket.
In Class AA, Fitzgerald looked impressive in a 42-21 win over Greene (and by looked impressive, I read a newspaper article about them... They looked impressive to that reporter) and Buford gets ready for T McFerrin of the 300+ wins and region titles with 7 different Georgia schools. Impressive resume. I'd take Buford though.
On the other side of the bracket, Calhoun is just biding its time until it potentially gets another shot at Buford (in the state title game) while Lovett and Charlton seem bound on a collision course that typically Buford has to go through.
In Class A, Wesleyan won and will win four more. Bank on it.
Not sure where we are this week for gpb.org/football but tune in this Friday at 7 when the expanded pregame show begins. Enjoy it everybody!
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