As the playoffs continue and the number of teams dwindle down, several metro teams have positioned themselves for a run to the Georgia Dome. Grayson, behind Robert Knemdiche, is in a prime spot as West Forsyth pays a visit. Mickey Conn will no doubt rely once again on his defense and power running game, but if the Rams do need to go to the air, Nick Schuessler can air it out as well as any Gwinnett County quarterback. The Wolverines have things clicking though in their running game and could pose a threat if they can contain Nkemdiche. ... Lassiter has pulled off a pair of upsets thus far in the playoffs, and Jep Irwin’s Trojans hit the road once again to square off with the Lions of ML King. The secondary of Lassiter is sure to be tested by Jonquel Dawson and the talented trio of Lions receivers. Keep an eye on the Niles Clark/Blake Tibbs match-up. Last week Clark blanketed McEachern’s Amba Etta-Tawo and picked off a late pass intended for the Maryland-committed receiver. Meanwhile Kenderius Whitehead will be a handful for a Lassiter offensive line that struggled to keep McEachern defenders away from Eddie Printz last Friday. ... Folks may look at Dacula and wonder how the Falcons advanced to the third round, but Jared Zito’s bunch has earned its way through tough work and the selflessness of Rocky Capobianco. The senior has played both running back and quarterback this season. ... Flowery Branch faces Tucker in a game that features a power Tiger defense against a strong Falcons offense. Flowery Branch was ranked No. 2 heading into the final game of the regular season before falling to Clarke Central. Following a tiebreaker, Flowery Branch fell to a No. 3 seed and now meets Tucker in the third round.
GPB Game of the Week Preview
Walton’s playoff run continues this week as the 12-0 Raiders welcome in Dacula (9-3) to Raider Valley. The Falcons have battled back from an 0-2 start to the third round of the playoffs. Senior Rocky Capobianco is a big reason why. When new coach Jared Zito arrived he asked Capobianco to do a little bit of everything on the offense, including stepping aside to let Brandon Goodson play quarterback on certain occasions. Capobianco still will line up at quarterback in the Wildcat formation, where he is quite effective. Last week Capobianco carried the ball 35 times for 162 yards in Dacula’s 32-21 victory. Marcus Cox is also a weapon out of the backfield, both running and catching the ball. Defensively the Loyd brothers star at linebacker along with Alex Armah. Dacula is 3-2 on the road this season with its last road loss coming to Grayson back on October 7.
The Walton attack starts with junior tailback Tyren Jones, a member of the 24 2Look4 for 2012. Last week against South Cobb, Jones totaled 314 yards, 217 rushing and 97 receiving along with five touchdowns. Jones has 10 thus far through two playoff games and 34 on the season. Junior quarterback Parker McLeod can find the open man and has a strong enough arm to be a difference-maker at the next level. The Walton offensive line, led by Harrison Davis and Brandon Kublanow, have kept opposing defenses at bay for most of the season while opening up holes for Jones. Defensively Zack Blaylock is a threat to intercept any pass thrown and he has taken four interceptions back for scores this season. Koty Allen can also apply pressure to opposing quarterbacks. Walton has won all six of its home games so far this season, averaging 42.6 points per game. No team has scored more than Marietta’s 14 points against Walton at Raider Valley.
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