Ron Seibel: Don’t overlook Central-Westside
A year ago this week, I covered Jones County’s dramatic upset of Northside, a game that changed the face of Middle Georgia high school football.
It was one of the most exciting high school football games I have ever covered. It was one of those games in which horns were being blared in town an hour after the game. That kind of fan intensity isn’t found in a lot of places, but after a win like that, a win that put Jones County football on the map, the celebration was appropriate.
Heading into 2015, it appeared as if all four Middle Georgia teams in GHSA Region 2-AAAAA would be in prime contention for playoff spots. Through last week’s games, those teams haven’t disappointed, running the table on their opponents.
It’s appropriate that the first round of games between those schools garner a lot of attention this weekend. Thursday night’s Jones County-Northside game certainly deserved the hype, and Friday’s Houston County-Warner Robins game has a lot of meaning, as well.
Meanwhile, in Bibb County, a series in which only one side has won might be in for some interesting times Friday.
Westside is 13-0 all-time against Central. Most of the games haven’t even been close. Central has scored more than a touchdown just three times against Westside, and the only game decided by a touchdown or less came in the 1998 series opener.
This one’s different. And it’s not because Westside is any weaker than previous Seminoles squads. In fact, this Westside team has shown some early improvement from last year’s team, rolling past a Harris County team it barely squeaked past last year and defeating a West Laurens team that was ranked fifth in GHSA Class AAAA.
Why this game is interesting is because Central now has the pieces in place to operate the type of game head coach Jesse Hicks had success with at Baldwin. It’s the type of team, both with skill players in the right places and a strong defensive line, that has the potential to do some special things this season.
Central’s most recent winning season came in 2005, when the Chargers went 6-4 in the fourth year of Anthony Hines’ nine-year run with the Central program. Before that, Central last had a winning record in 1997, the year before Westside fielded its first varsity schedule and the final year of Tom Simonton’s 19-year run as the Chargers’ head coach.
The Chargers have the players and the coaching to finish with a winning record. To get there, they will have to beat both of the Columbus teams remaining on their schedule (Spencer and Kendrick), as well as two teams from this part of the state.
Central certainly can attain that winning record without beating Westside. But a Chargers victory over the Seminoles would be much like Jones County’s win last year over Northside: a game-changer, especially considering Westside has never lost to another Bibb County program.
I’m not predicting a Central victory. As much as Central has improved, I think Westside just might have one or two more pieces that will swing things the Seminoles’ way in what should be a close game. The big question, at least in my mind, is what the Westside secondary looks like. The Seminoles really haven’t gone up against a big passing team so far this year, with West Laurens going back to the run after having a good quarterback-receiver combo last year.
Central will test the Westside secondary in this one. It’s a matchup worth watching. If the Chargers can work some of their receivers open, then things will get interesting.
That’s exactly what happened at Greyhound Field a year ago.
Contact Ron Seibel at 744-4222 or rseibel@macon.com
This story was originally published September 17, 2015 at 5:35 PM with the headline "Ron Seibel: Don’t overlook Central-Westside ."