Bibb County football starts. Players to watch and top storylines heading into Week 3
Football is back in Middle Georgia as teams in Bibb County begin their seasons on Friday. The third week of games has some intriguing matchups, with some of the top players in the area looking to lead their teams to wins.
Here is a look at this week’s top games:
Westside vs Central
Story of the game: The game was originally set for Thursday night to kick off the football season in Bibb County but was moved to Friday night due to the potential for inclement weather. Westside is coming off of a 6-5 season and a first-round exit in the state playoffs. Central also lost in the first round after winning three of its last four games to make the playoffs. Westside is 18-0 all time versus Central but Westside lost a lot of key players on both sides of the ball.
Keys to the game for Westside: The biggest question for the Seminoles coming into the season is how to replace a host of D-1 talent and quarterback Victor Dixon Jr. This game will give head coach Spoon Risper the chance to see which players are going to step up. Westside always seems to rebuild on the fly. Since Risper took over as the head coach in 2009, Westside has been above .500 in all but one season and has made the playoffs in all but one season.
Keys to the game for Central: This might be Central’s best chance to grab an elusive win over Westside. Last season, the Chargers came up just short, falling 24-20. Look for playmaker Jalik Thomas to make an impact on both sides of the ball. If Thomas gets going early, the Chargers have the ability to pull off the upset.
Staff pick: Central
Player to Watch: Westside RB Vansean Jackson
Northside vs. Howard
Story of the game: Northside is coming off of an upset win over Peach County. It was head coach Chad Alligood’s first victory as head coach of the Eagles. This team will be pumped up emotionally after pulling out the win on the road against one of the state’s top teams.
Howard will be starting its season Friday night after an additional two week delay for Bibb County schools. Howard lost some of its key playmakers from a season ago including kicker Elizabeth Rodenroth. The Huskies will need to replace a lot of production on the offensive side of the ball in particular.
Keys to the game for Northside: The biggest key is to not get caught sleeping. It is easy for a team to grab an emotional victory like the one over Peach County and then come out flat in the next game. Howard will be hungry to open its football season and will be looking to pull an upset of its own. Look for Northside to get the ball in the hands of talent receiver Justin Luke as he has put together a pair of good games to open the season.
Keys to the game for Howard: The Huskies will be starting the season off which should lead to some mistakes on both sides of the ball. For long term success, the goal it is for coaches to figure out what they have on this team. Howard has been a run-first offense which shouldn’t change much but it will be about finding who can step into the key roles.
Staff pick: Northside
Player to Watch: Northside WR Justin Luke
Veterans vs. Jones County
Story of the game: Veterans has gotten off to a hot start behind its stout defense. In the first two games against Northside and West Laurens, Veterans has given up just 7 points en route to two wins. Jones County has gotten off to an opposite start losing both of its games but the competition has been two of the top teams in the state with Grayson and North Gwinnett. This will be the true test of Jones County’s capabilities this season.
Keys to the game for Veterans: Jones County got off to a hot start on offense last week against North Gwinnett and held a 21-9 lead in the third quarter before its offense ultimately stalled out. The Warhawks will need to avoid letting them get hot early as their offense isn’t as potent and could struggle to stage a comeback like North Gwinnett did. Look for Veterans to try to limit playmakers — like wide receiver Maleek Wooten.
Keys to the game for Jones County: The Greyhounds can’t let losses in their first two games rattle their confidence. There is a lot of talent on both sides of the ball and there have been flashes of how good this team can be through the first two games. Jones County need to find sustained success and the swagger this team showcased a season ago should return.
Staff pick: Veterans
Player to Watch: Jones County RB Andrew Carner
WEEK 3 SCHEDULE
All games are set for kickoff at 7:30 p.m. Friday unless designated otherwise
- Peach vs. Griffin (kickoff at 8 p.m.)
- Bleckley vs. South Atlanta
- Mary Persons (Monroe) vs. Greene
- Northeast (Bibb) vs. Therrell
- Tattnall Square at ACE Charter
- First Presbyterian at Brookstone
- Houston at Heritage
- Rutland at Luella
This story was originally published September 17, 2020 at 2:03 PM.