FPD, Twiggs County set for key Class A matchup

After three straight losses at the hands of Lincoln County, Stratford, and Mount de Sales, the FPD Vikings needed to get things going in the right direction.

The Vikings, however, have turned things around lately, with one of the big reasons being running back Dontrez Johnson, who has 388 yards on the ground the past two games after having only 221 in the first six combined. But head coach Greg Moore says the entire team has turned it up a notch.

"I think that Dontrez has been the main beneficiary of us as a team zeroing in on a scheme and a concept that is bringing us success," said Moore, whose team is now 4-4 and faces a huge game Friday night against Twiggs County. "It is very rewarding for me and my coaching staff to see a locker room that is finally in sync and playing with a renewed energy. The mindset of our team right now starts with the tremendous leadership of all 10 of our seniors."

FPD is led by Johnson's 609 yards on the ground, but they are also capable of throwing the ball. Quarterback Will McCormick has 845 yards passing, and Daniel Weaver has turned into a steady receiver with 26 catches for 370 yards.

FPD is currently 17th in the GHSA Class A private school power ratings with the top 16 teams getting into the playoffs. But that's a number Moore insists he has not brought up often.

"We, as coaches, do not talk about where we are in the rankings, but I am sure the team knows that 16 make the playoffs, and we are 17 right now," Moore said. "The only thing we can really worry about is trying to beat a much improved Twiggs County team. (Head coach Ashley) Harden has his kids playing extremely hard, and it is obvious that they have bought into his plan."

Twiggs County will offer a stiff test for FPD. It has won four of its past five games, with the only loss coming to Stratford. Leading rusher Ja'Mon Height, who has rushed for 770 yards, missed the Stratford game with an ankle injury. The Cobras are coming off of a 22-20 comeback win over Tattnall Square, and win that leaves them a 4-4 record and a No. 12 ranking in the Class A public school power ratings.

"We are excited about where we are right now and where we are going," Harden said. "I knew from watching films from last year that this team had shown some flashes of good football, but we had to keep on getting better. It really is a great feeling to be playing for something this late in the season, but we know if we lose the next two games, we probably aren't going anywhere. FPD is pretty doggone good, that is for sure, and it will be a great test for us as a football team."

Twiggs County relies heavily on Height to carry the load on offense and will look to Kelvin Jenkins, Davonte Glover and Devieon Height to slow down an FPD offense that has scored 31 points in each of its past two games.

This story was originally published October 29, 2015 at 8:42 PM with the headline "FPD, Twiggs County set for key Class A matchup ."