Irish eyes are smiling midway through high school football season

Here’s what’s going on in Region 3-2A at the season’s midpoint:

In front so far: Dublin (5-0, 1-0) and Washington County (3-1, 0-0) are the only teams in the region with winning overall records at this point. Eighth-ranked Dublin has survived close calls with Tattnall County, Veterans and Swainsboro, while Washington County has wins over Baldwin and Evans and a forfeit victory over Jones County.

The challengers: Southwest (2-3, 1-0) and Northeast (1-4, 1-0) topped Dodge County and Bleckley County, respectively, to gain an early edge. East Laurens (1-4, 0-1) is one of three teams at 0-1 in region play, but that loss is to Dublin.

Three key players

Ramon Pittman, Dublin: The Irish’s top rusher and scorer has 371 yards and six touchdowns.

Randy Green, Southwest: With college prospect B.J. Sharpe getting a lot of looks, the sophomore has quietly taken the team lead in tackles with 61, including 33 solo stops and nine tackles for loss.

Nolan Ussery, Northeast: The sophomore quarterback is gaining confidence each game, accounting for 687 yards of total offense, running for four touchdowns and passing for three more.

Three key games

Southwest vs. Northeast, Oct. 7 at Henderson Stadium: Macon’s biggest public school rivalry goes into its 47th edition with each team having won 23 games, and it’s a region game for the first time since 2011.

Bleckley County at Dodge County, Oct. 28: After first-week losses in region play, the loser of this neighborhood rivalry likely will be on the outside looking in for the playoffs.

Dublin at Washington County, Nov. 4: Unless the Macon schools come up with some statement wins, this likely will decide the region championship.

This story was originally published September 29, 2016 at 2:39 PM with the headline "Irish eyes are smiling midway through high school football season."