Ron Seibel: Some stirring going on in region races

There are some regions in the Middle Georgia high school football ranks that are naturally going to get more attention than others.

The big GHSA Region 2-AAAAA race, for example, is getting a lot of notice because the four big Middle Georgia teams in that region -- Houston County, Jones County, Northside and Warner Robins -- all have run the table except for games against each other.

Exciting, yes. But also expected. Those same four teams swept that region’s playoff spots last year.

Region 2-AAAA, as we’ve outlined elsewhere in this edition of High School Kickoff, is a bit of a free-for-all. Every team in that region is showing some life, and there are going to be some battles in the season’s second half.

But what about some of the other regions in Middle Georgia? More of the same, or some twists and turns?

At this point of the season, it’s definitely the latter.

For starters, Region 2-AAA won’t be the two-team runaway that it was last year. Defending champion Peach County picked up an important win last week over a much improved Central squad, but Westside’s loss to Jackson shook up the race. There are now three teams with a good shot at the region title (Peach County still has to play both Jackson and Westside), and Central still might have a say in things if it can avenge its double-overtime loss to Jackson from a year ago when those teams meet Oct. 23 at Henderson Stadium.

Then there’s Region 7A-A, a sub-region that basically was turned upside down last week when Tattnall Square, last year’s sub-region champion, was shut out at Wilkinson County. What was essentially a race a year ago between Tattnall, Stratford and FPD that was decided early is now poised to be a drawn-out competition that could drag on the entire month. A Stratford win over Tattnall on Friday would only give the Eagles a share of first place with the Wilkinson County-Twiggs County winner, while a Tattnall win would give the Wilkinson County-Twiggs County winner sole possession of first.

There’s also a bit of intrigue playing out in Region 4-AA, where Putnam County (5-1) is looking to crash a race that was dominated last season by Lamar County and Macon County. Most teams have yet to open region play in Region 4-AA, so it’s too early to tell what will happen there.

It’s shaping up to be another fun October in the Middle Georgia high school football ranks. This week should give us a little more clarity in Region 2-AAAA and Region 7-A, while next week features the second round of Middle Georgia showdowns in Region 2-AAAAA. With the final third of the regular season set to begin next week, it’s getting to be that time when teams gear up for the postseason and when things get really interesting.

Contact Ron Seibel at 744-4222 or rseibel@macon.com

This story was originally published October 8, 2015 at 4:44 PM with the headline "Ron Seibel: Some stirring going on in region races ."