Michael A. Lough: Huge football twinbill set at The Mac

There are no bowls in high school football.

But this is just about bowl week around here, especially on the new turf at McConnell-Talbert Stadium for the next two nights.

We thought a few weeks last year were special, above and beyond the norm and worthy of hype and some hyperbole, and they were. And this week a year ago was a head-shaker for different reasons.

Houston County turned a good game against Warner Robins into an attention-getting rout, scoring 62 points against the Demons. Something like that hadn’t happened since 1966.

Meanwhile, Jones County was placing the state high school football world on its ear by knocking off Northside and assuring that several thousand residents of Gray and the surrounding area would not sleep much that night.

They’re back, and there’s a little difference. We can watch both games, Jones County-Northside on Thursday and Warner Robins-Houston County on Friday. We can watch four undefeated teams that have won all but one game by double figures. We can watch three teams in the state sports writers poll’s top five in GHSA Class AAAAA battle, with the fourth team all the way back at 15th.

We can watch players who will suit up on Saturdays in the next year or two and play in those 3:30 p.m. CBS and prime-time ESPN games. And we can watch a whole bunch of just really good, tough, hard-working high school football players.

It’s an almost absurd two-day buffet on the same table. Thursday night games inspire a little grumbling, but they can be great things.

Houston County head coach Von Lassiter got pushback for playing Veterans on a Thursday to open the season when McConnell-Talbert was open. But there was a marquee element to that game, and playing on Thursday dropped a nice chunk of change into the bank account with the ability of Northside, Warner Robins and all sorts of other folks being able to check it out. It was a wise move.

Same goes for this week, although it’s by necessity. It’s not like Jones County is Effingham County and has a huge travel issue to deal with. So there’s no reason for the visitors’ side to not be full.

If you just like good stuff and live within 45 minutes and can stay up a little bit, it’ll be worth the drive. And those with more than a passing interest in Warner Robins and Houston County can show up and be entertained, as well as load up with ammo for second-guessing down the line.

For those who like a chess match and drastic contrasts in philosophy, well, the next two nights at The Mac will make your season.

Jones County and Houston County are in a hurry, like they’re running from a bookie. The heels on the offensive players’ shoes are pretty fresh, because they don’t slow down enough to wear out the entire bottom of the shoe. Lassiter and Jones County head coach Justin Rogers want to put pressure on defenses by wearing them out before the snap and after the snap.

Northside and Warner Robins are going to huddle, stroll to the line and mostly try to power their way down the field and wear their opponents down for a longer period of time and slide in one of those tricky passes.

Both work.

There is joy in watching any well-executed offense, whether it’s impatient or in no hurry. I can watch a passing spread, a running spread, a wing-T with some passing, any form of bone or multiple option and be enthralled if it’s done well.

For all of the points, yards and discussion generated by the offenses, it’s no stretch to say all four defenses might be at least even with their offensive mates, if not ahead.

Of course, we don’t know much, because the Augusta programs again provided little challenge for the four locals. It’s safe to say that none of the head coaches are too sure yet of what they’re dealing with.

We know, of course, that Northside fans on hand Friday night will have to sit in an end zone since few of them can stomach being surrounded by Demons or Bears.

And we know we’ll be talking about these games in the morning.

Contact Michael A. Lough at 744-4626 or mlough@macon.com.

This story was originally published September 16, 2015 at 8:15 PM with the headline "Michael A. Lough: Huge football twinbill set at The Mac ."