Peach vs. Northside, Perry vs. Harris: here are the Week 2 Middle GA games to watch
Football is back in Middle Georgia as some teams look to build on their first games of the season. The second week of games has some intriguing matchups, with some of the top players in the area as some teams will make their season debut on Friday night.
Here is a look at this week’s top games:
Peach County vs. Northside
Story of the game: Peach County is making its season debut with will be a new look; the team graduated a lot of key players, including Clemson linebacker Sergio Allen and Western Kentucky running back Noah Whittington. Northside is coming off of a 17-7 loss to Veterans in head coach Chad Alligood’s debut.
Keys to the game for Peach County: Finding out who the playmakers are for this season should be at the top of the Trojans list on Friday night. This is a brand new team from the powerhouse of the last few years: Peach has been one of the top teams in the state over the last three years, making a pair of state title game appearances. Peach County always seems to have the next class prepared mentality, so expect them to still be competitive. It might come with some growing pains at key positions.
Keys to the game for Northside: The offense still seems to be the biggest question mark for the Eagles. They held Veterans to 17 points but struggled to answer those scores. Peach County typically has a great all-around team which could make figuring out some of those issues even more difficult. Look for Northside to get the ball in the hands of wide receiver Justin Luke. He racked up 7 catches for 138 yards and a touchdown in the opener.
Staff pick: Peach County
Perry vs. Harris County
Story of the game: Perry is coming off a tough loss against Houston County. The Panthers held a 10-9 lead heading to the fourth quarter, but were unable to hang on for the win. Harris County knocked off Troup County in its season opener by a score of 28-14.
Keys to the game for Perry: Quarterback Lane Rucker opened the season with an efficient performance against a good Houston County defense. However, the yards and touchdown just weren’t there in the stat box. The Panthers need Rucker to stuff the stat sheets to be competitive this season. Look for him to attempt more passes this week after just 17 attempts last week.
Keys to the game for Harris County: Six turnovers. That was the story of Harris County’s season opener. The Tigers forced six total turnovers against Troup County as the defense showcased just how good they can be. If they are able to force Perry into mistakes then look for Harris County to move to 2-0 on the season.
Staff pick: Perry
Veterans vs. West Laurens
Story of the game: Veterans picked up a win over Northside in the opener behind another strong defensive performance. West Laurens lost its opener to Bleckley County after opening up a 19-0 lead at the half. The Raiders were held scoreless in the second half and lost 27-19.
Keys to the game for Veterans: Running back Lebron Fields opened up his season with a 100-yard rushing performance against Northside. This fits the Warhawks identity. They like to run the football and let the defense lead them to wins. Veterans will need another big performance from Fields to get off to a 2-0 start.
Keys to the game for West Laurens: For one half of football, the Raiders looked dominant in the season opener but could not close out the game. West Laurens will need to get off to another hot start against this talent defensive group on the other side. But more importantly, the Raiders will need to figure out how to close out games as the season goes on once they grab a lead.
Staff pick: Veterans
Week 2 schedule
All games are set for kickoff at 7:30 p.m. on Friday unless designated otherwise
Jones County vs. North Gwinnett
Stratford vs. George Walton
Dublin at Dodge County
Bleckley County at Wilcox County
Mary Persons at McDonough
Houston County at Crisp County
Mount de Sales at Wesleyan
Tattnall at Hawkinsville