Five teams that shine so far
High school football teams in Georgia have 12 weeks in which to play 10 games, and this is the seventh Friday night of the season.
By the time this weekend’s play concludes, just about every team in the state will have played at least five games. This is a good point in which to step back and take a look at what’s going on with teams in Middle Georgia.
Here are five teams that have made themselves known heading into the second half of the season:
JONES COUNTY
The skinny: With a new head coach and a sophomore quarterback, few knew what Jones County was capable of doing before the season. When running back Walker Juhan went down during the offseason with a knee injury, that further clouded the outlook. But with Bradley Hunnicutt passing for 1,204 yards, former Griffin offensive coordinator Justin Rogers has led the Greyhounds to a 5-0 start, an eight-point win over Northside and sole possession of first place in GHSA Region 2-AAAAA. They’re also ranked sixth in the Georgia Sports Writers Association Class AAAAA poll.
The big game: Jones County at Houston County, Oct. 16. Sure, it’s a Thursday night game at McConnell-Talbert Stadium that comes the day before the big Northside-Warner Robins rivalry. But a win over the Bears would prove that the Sept. 19 home win over the Eagles wasn’t a fluke.
PEACH COUNTY
The skinny: After a rare four-loss season a year ago, Peach County is back on its usual track with a 5-0 start. The Trojans’ defense has been especially strong this season, averaging five points against per game and allowing just one team -- Perry -- to break into double-figures. Peach County’s schedule so far hasn’t been the strongest, but it did open the season with a 19-0 win over Warner Robins.
The big game: Westside at Peach County, Oct. 31: Only three teams had winning records in GHSA Region 2-AAA prior to Thursday’s games, and Westside and Peach County were two of them. Both are unbeaten and are ranked in the state poll (Peach County fifth, Westside eighth), and there’s every possibility that both will enter the showdown in Fort Valley with unblemished records, with Jackson serving as the biggest roadblock for both.
WESTSIDE
The skinny: Like Peach County, Westside seems to be in the playoff mix every season. The Seminoles have never finished a season below the .500 mark, and they’re off to a 5-0 start this season with just one close call, a 35-29 win over Harris County on Sept. 4 at Mercer University Stadium. Like Peach County, Westside has a favorable schedule, but there are questions ahead.
The big game: Westside at Peach County, Oct. 31: The Seminoles and Trojans each have won two games in the series, with Peach County winning comfortably in the two most recent games, in 2010 and 2011.
LAMAR COUNTY
The skinny: Lamar County went through a complete overhaul following its 2013 GHSA Class AA runner-up showing, losing three players to Georgia Tech and its head coach to Ware County. But even after playing larger schools during the non-region portion of its schedule, the Trojans are 3-1-1, ranked eighth and a bounce or two away from a 5-0 start. Lamar County opened the season with a tie against Class AAAA Howard, and its loss to Class AAAA No. 10 Mary Persons came when a disputed lightning detector reading interrupted an attempt at a two-point conversion in a game that was eventually called early.
The big game: Lamar County at Macon County, Nov. 7: Lamar County and Macon County are the only two teams in Region 4-AA with winning records. While Lamar County is coming off last year’s run to the title game, Macon County is gaining attention thanks to Roquan Smith, who is one of the country’s top prospects at linebacker.
TATTNALL SQUARE
The skinny: Tattnall has gotten off to the best start of the three former Macon GISA schools who entered the GHSA this year. The Trojans are 4-0 and have yet to have a close call, winning each of their first three games by 33-point margins and topping Hancock Central 28-8 in their most recent game two weeks ago.
The big game: Stratford at Tattnall, Oct. 10: The longtime rivalry enters the GHSA era. Its importance to the Region 7A-A race will rise significantly should Stratford beat FPD on Friday.
Contact Ron Seibel at 744-4222 or rseibel@macon.com
This story was originally published October 2, 2014 at 6:27 PM with the headline "Five teams that shine so far."