Final Four Hillsman Heavy Top 10 GA

The Final Four matchups are set after an exciting and sometimes controversial Elite Eight across Georgia. The 18th Hillsman Heavy of the season reflects all quarterfinal games played from  Tuesday 3/1/2022 through Wednesday 3/2/2022. This will be the last Hillsman Heavy until AFTER the state championships. There WILL NOT be a Hillsman Heavy prior to the state championship games. The next Hillsman Heavy will be released on Tuesday March 15.

Semifinal locations vary depending on the classification. 7A/1A-Private: Buford City Arena, 6A: West Georgia University, 5A/4A: Fort Valley State University, 3A/2A: Georgia College & State University, 1A-Public: Valdosta State University. All semifinal games will be played on March 4th and 5th. The state finals will be played in Macon, GA at the Macon Coliseum from March 9th through March 12th. The 19th Hillsman Heavy of the season will be released on Tuesday March 15.

As a reminder teams from the GHSA, GISA and GICAA/GAPPS are considered however they are not ranked by association or classification within an association, it is one ranking. The Hillsman Heavy Top 10 GA ranks using the following criteria for ranking; OVERALL performance, Team Chemistry, Coaching, Schedule (quality OOS/Head-to-Head/Common Opponents are all heavily considered) and Scheduling For Roster Talent (meaning is the team very talented but stacking up wins against lesser talented teams but struggling against teams equal or greater in roster talent and vice versa; yes a team with more losses can be better than a team with fewer losses because of scheduling). While player recruiting status is not a heavy focus and determining factor, it is considered when looking at a team’s overall performance. When we load and unload the bus and plane with these 10 teams these are the teams that we can take anywhere as they are the best 10 in Georgia for that week.

This Week 3/1/2022: 1-Pebblebrook, 2-Wheeler, 3-Greenforest, 4-Milton, 5-North Gwinnett, 6-Berkmar, 7-Grayson, 8-Newton, 9-Eagle’s Landing, 10- Norcross, OUT- Pace Academy

The Hillsman Heavy 3/3/2022

HILLSMAN HEAVY TOP 10 GA 3/3/2022

1-Pebblebrook– Head Coach: George Washington; 26-2; This Week: 7A State Tournament Elite Eight: defeated Milton, 7A State Tournament Final Four vs Berkmar Key Notes: Region 2-7A Champs. 22-0 vs Georgia opponents

2-Greenforest – Head Coach: Rory Griffin; 25-4; This Week: 1A Private State Tournament Elite Eight: defeated Galloway, 1A Private Final Four; vs Heritage-Newnan Key Notes: Region 2-1A Private Champions. 3-4 vs 7A teams, 2-0 vs 2021 GA state champion teams.

3- Berkmar (UP 3) – Head Coach Greg Phillips; 25-5; This Week: 7A State Tournament Elite Eight: defeated Grayson, 7A State Tournament Final Four; vs Pebblebrook  Key Notes: Region 7-7A Champions, 20-1 vs Georgia opponents-only loss to Georgia opponent was to Greenforest.

4-Newton (UP 4)– Head Coach: Charlamagne Gibbons: 23-5; This Week: 7A State Tournament Elite Eight: defeated Archer, 7A State Tournament Final Four: vs Norcross  Key Notes: 20-3 vs Georgia opponents. GHSA losses are to Pebblebrook and Wheeler. Defeated Norcross 83-67 earlier this season

5-Norcross (UP 5)- Head Coach: Jesse McMillian; 24-6; This Week: 7A State Tournament Elite Eight: defeated North Gwinnett, 7A State Tournament Final Four: vs Newton Key Notes: 21-5 vs Georgia opponents. Loss 83-67 to Newton in November

6-Wheeler– Head Coach: Larry Thompson; 24-5; This Week: 6A State Tournament Elite Eight; loss to Grovetown. Season Complete  Key Notes: Region 6-6A champions; 23-2 vs Georgia opponents

7-Milton (DOWN 3) – Head Coach: Allen Whitehart; 22-8; This Week: 7A State Tournament Elite Eight: loss to Pebblebrook. Season Complete  Key Notes: Region 5-7A Champions, 17-3 vs Georgia opponents, Georgia losses are to Pebblebrook (2x) and Berkmar.

8- Grayson (UP 1) – Head Coach Geoffrey Pierce; 20-9; This Week: 7A State Tournament Elite Eight: loss to Berkmar. Season Complete  Key Notes: Region 4-7A Champions. 16-6 vs Georgia opponents, did not lose a game by more than 10 points, did not lose to a Georgia opponent by more than five points

9-North Gwinnett (DOWN 4)– Head Coach Matt Garner; 26-4; This Week: 7A State Tournament Elite Eight: loss to Norcross. Season Complete Key Notes: Region 8-7A Champions 24-3 vs Georgia opponents, Georgia losses are to Pebblebrook, McEachern and Norcross.

10- Eagle’s Landing (DOWN 1)– Head Coach: Elliott Montgomery; 26-3; This Week: 5A State Tournament Elite Eight: defeated Hiram, 5A State Tournament Final Four: vs Jonesboro  Key Notes: Region 4-5A Champions, 1-2 vs 7A teams, 20-3 vs Georgia opponents, Georgia losses to Grayson, Pace Academy and North Gwinnett.

Others To Watch (alphabetical order) (record)

Buford (24-6; 5A Semifinalist), Butler (21-6; 2A Semifinalist), Cross Creek (23-6; 4A Semifinalist), Grovetown (27-3; 6A Semifinalist), Jonesboro (21-8; 5A Semifinalist), Langston Hughes (19-12; 6A semifinalist), McDonough (26-2; 4A Semifinalist), Sequoyah (25-6; 6A Semifinalist), Spencer (29-2; 4A Semifinalist), Thomson (23-3; 3A Semifinalist), Tri-Cities (21-5; 5A Semifinalist), Westside-Augusta (21-5; 2A semifinalist), Westover (24-3; 4A Semifinalist), Windsor Forest (21-5; 3A Semifinalist)

Langston Hughes and Sequoyah return, they are no other new teams.

The Triangle Offense 3/3/2022

THE TRIANGLE OFFENSE 3/3/2022

SHUFFLING: Six of the Hillsman Heavy teams from Tuesday 3/1/2022 advanced to the semifinals in their respective classifications. Four teams lost and their season is complete. Of the four that lost, three lost to teams in the Hillsman Heavy on 3/1/2022 and all remain. Wheeler is the only team to lose to a non-Hillsman Heavy team when they lost to Grovetown. Grovetown has been in the “Others to watch” group for multiple weeks now. North Gwinnett lost to Norcross, Grayson lost to Berkmar and Milton lost to Pebblebrook. All teams from 3/1/2022 remain but there was some shuffling ahead of the Final Four. Grovetown, Langston Hughes, McDonough, Sequoyah, Spencer, Tri-Cities and Westover in alphabetical order have the greatest chance to crack into the Final Hillsman Heavy when it is released on 3/15/2022 while Drew Charter and Social Circle have outside chances despite not being in the “Others To Watch”. Well it just depends on how the season ends for everyone on who makes the Final Hillsman Heavy.

OTHERS TO WATCH FROM 3/1/2022 THAT LOST IN ELITE EIGHT (SEASON COMPLETE):

Archer (20-10), Chapel Hill (24-5), Druid Hills (25-5), Dublin (28-2), Monroe-Albany (24-4), Sumter County (26-3), Washington County (22-5)

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN SEMIFINALS AND FINALS:

We cannot get too far ahead of ourselves as there is a ton of basketball left to be played over the next eight days, however there are some things you should be looking for as you attend semifinal and finals games over this time. Any media members making predictions and then doing broadcast is not good. Take for example the popular national college football show, if one on the panel is calling a game where they are doing predictions that one does not make a prediction. The same should apply across all of sports regardless of level. If one is announcing a game you should not predict that game, it openly inserts bias into the broadcast regardless of what is said during the actual game. Journalistic integrity should be maintained at all times. Many of these are common basketball things but with so much involved as the stakes raise, we want to do our part to help you see the game of basketball fully.

–GAMESMANSHIP: Remember when Chris Paul (while with OKC Thunder in the 2019-20 season) was able to win a game by getting a second delay of game called on his opponent for checking into the game with an untucked jersey resulting in a technical foul? That is a prime example of gamesmanship. By definition via Merriam-Webster, gamesmanship is 1 : the art or practice of winning games by questionable expedients without actually violating the rules. 2 : the use of ethically dubious methods to gain an objective. You will know gamesmanship when you see it and there are plenty of examples we could give however we will not, you will know it when you see it. Most gamesmanship is subtle in nature and if coaches, players, officials, fans and/or game administration are not paying attention it can be missed OR if caught can be explained in a way where it was not a violation of a rule and therefore “worked”.

–CLOCK MANAGEMENT: This will be the final semifinals and finals played without a shot clock in Georgia. So prepare yourselves for the last two or three minutes in a multiple possession game (4-6 points or greater) which could result in the soon-to-be outdated “Stall/Holding” the ball tactic.

–TIME/SCORE/SITUATION/EARLY FOULS: Again something small but major when it comes to high stakes basketball games and winning championships. This will show team and coaching preparation and execution for these types of moments. End of quarters and halves is a prime example. Early fouls and foul trouble is everyone’s worst nightmare when the stakes are as large as they will be. I mean EVERYONE from fans, coaches and players hate early foul trouble. Early foul trouble can swing a game quicker than you may realize because it may cause a team and coach to adjust their prepared game plan, rotation patterns and/or in-game strategy. Early foul trouble most greatly affects teams that use a small rotation of for example- eight players, therefore it may mean a ninth or tenth player may be used more than they normally have in the state tournament. This is where development of the full team/roster, playing experience and coaching come in. This can also lead to more offense-for-defense (and vice versa) substitutions at various parts of a game and sometimes earlier than the normal late game situations, again comes back to coaching.

-MATCHUPS: There will be and could be several excellent coaching and player matchups throughout the semifinals and finals. Basketball is a game of runs, personnel and MATCHUPS. How will this team/player MATCHUP against that team/player. Will the size, speed and strength of one team/player provide a better matchup even if for just a few possessions. Will the players that are highly-ranked or talked about in recruiting circles go up against each other for more than a possession, how will those players respond to changing defenses or in-game coaching adjustments? Things of that nature are key and you should watch for them. We believe in EQUAL and BETTER competition therefore how will these players perform in high stake games against maybe some of the best competition they may or may not have seen. Who will have a solid performance and make a “name” for themselves heading into travel ball season and the next high school season for underclassmen (2023 and lower)? People talk all the time about how they are tired of hearing about the same teams and players, but never stop to think, why? It’s usually because they are some of the top teams and players and sometimes they may not “be that good” but time only tells that and now is the time. It’s still a team game and yes we know there will be some breakout performances in the semifinals and finals and college coaches will have a pulse on these players and performances.

-HILLSMAN HEAVY STATE CHAMPION PREDICTIONS: NONE! There will be eight state champions crowned and eight runner-ups. We will not be predicting or “hedge” the outcomes of any semifinals or finals games. We will be in multiple gyms throughout the semifinals and in Macon for the finals. All of the semifinals and finals will have some form of intrigue so all of them will be interesting games.

-OFFICIALS: There will be some bang-bang calls, there will be some questionable calls and yes there will be some bad calls. We cannot play the games without officials. Yes everyone with a rooting interest of a team will see calls differently, it’s the nature of sports. However we all can agree that all we ask for is consistency. If it is called on one end, it should be called on the other end. Officials are human and they have a hard job and yes there are some really bad officials in Georgia, yet there are some really good officials in Georgia. Let’s all just hope that the really good officials are assigned to these games and do there best to allow the players to determine the outcome of the game.

Langston Hughes Assistant Coach Passes Away

Langston Hughes (Fairburn, GA) has been playing with heavy hearts the last week since the passing of assistant coach Kenny Green. Green had been on head coach Rory Welsh’s staff the previous seven seasons at Langston Hughes including Langston Hughes’ back-to-back 6A State Championship seasons in 2016-17 and 2017-18.

“Kenny Green wasn’t just a coworker or coaching buddy, he was my dear friend,” Langston Hughes head coach Rory Welsh said.

Welsh met Green at Paul Hewitt’s Summer basketball camp at Georgia Tech in 2006. Later Green was the first coach that he reached out to to hire for his staff once he became the head coach at Langston Hughes.

Kenny Green shows off his two state championship rings he won as an assistant at Langston Hughes.

“He brought a level of accountability to the daily work habits in our program that did not allow our kids to cut corners or make excuses,” Welsh continued.

Green played his college basketball at Texas Pan-America where he is a member of the sports Hall Of Fame and was among the national leaders in rebounding. He was drafted by and played for the New York Knicks in the 1980’s and also played professionally in the CBA and overseas. He was known as the box-out/rebounding machine within the Panthers program. “He never let up about (rebounding) ever.”

“His raspy voice was one of a kind and his personality lit up a room. He was a hilarious guy always equipped with jokes and looking for a good laugh,” Welsh recalled.

Green’s last game on the bench with Welsh and the Panthers was a 73-34 victory over Kendrick (GA) at the Columbus Classic Shootout on November 26th. Prior to his time at Langston Hughes he was also an assistant for 10 seasons at Creekside. Green passed away last week at his home.

The remainder of the 2019-20 Langston Hughes season is dedicated to Coach Kenny Green.

“I will make sure that his legacy will live forever on the campus of Langston Hughes High School,” Welsh said.

 

 

Georgia Goes 2-5 In Memphis Vs Atlanta Vs Birmingham Roundball Classic

The 12th Annual Memphis vs Atlanta vs Birmingham Roundball Classic was held over the weekend at Tucker High School in Tucker, GA. The host state Georgia teams compiled a 2-5 record in the event as teams from Alabama, North Carolina and Tennessee left the peach state with victories.

Host Tucker (GA) (9-0) withstood every blow Lausanne Collegiate (TN) (4-2) could deliver in a 77-73 double overtime win in the nightcap.  Lausanne’s Dylan Andrews drilled a three-pointer in the corner with less than 3 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to force overtime 56-56. Tucker took a 62-59 lead with 1:05 left in overtime on a three-pointer by Christian Yeates. Moussa Cisse scored back-to-back buckets to give Lausanne a 63-62 lead. Jermonte Hill split two free throws with one second remaining to force a second overtime 63-63. In the seocnd overtime Tucker was able to hold off Lausanne for the 77-73 victory.

Jalen Montgomery (Lausanne) and Terrance Edwards (Tucker) were named Team MVPs

Cisse had 22 points to lead Lausanne while Jalen Montgomery, who fouled out in the first overtime which led to controversy at the table on how many fouls he actually had, finished with 21. Terrance Edwards had a game-high 28 points and Hill finished with 11 for Tucker.

Joryam Sauzonou (McCallie) and Chris Youngblood (East Coweta) were named Team MVPs

East Coweta (GA) (8-1) defeated McCallie (TN) 67-60 in the opening game of the event. Chris Youngblood led the Indians with 24 points while Brandon Stroud finished with 16. Joryam Sauzonou led McCallie with 21 points

Fairfield (AL) got five three-pointers and 22 points from Torrance JaDarrius in a 59-52 win over Therrell (GA) (8-2). Malachia Holt-Bennett finished with 10 for Fairfield. Therrell, playing without junior forward Robbie Armbrester, was led by Roman Son’s 16 points and 13 points from Ra’Sean Fredrick.

De’Marquiese Miles was named Team MVP for Lee

Montgomery Lee (AL) (7-0) used a full court press and a barrage of three-pointers to stifle Langston Hughes (GA) (3-4) from the opening tip in a wire-to-wire 76-45 win. De’Marquiese Miles led Lee with 26 points, Demarshia Davis put in 17 while Nicholas Barnes recored 11 for Lee. Lee connected on 10 of their 12 three-pointers in the first half. PJ Carter led Langston Hughes with 15 points.

Kam Woods was named Team MVP for Pinson Valley

Pinson Valley (AL) (7-1) set the tone with a 25-point first quarter and never allowed Columbia (GA) (3-2) to threaten in a 66-57 win. Kam Woods had a game-high 36 points while Kool Aid McKinstrey had 12 as Cam Scott finished with 10 for Pinson Valley.  Devin Longstreet had a team-high 17 for Columbia followed by 16 from Kawasiki Ricks and 10 from D’Kwon Harris.

Memphis Arlington (TN) used a 14-9 fourth quarter to defeat Miller Grove (GA) (7-2) 51-44. Dontae Strayer led eight Arlington scorers with 23 points (15 in the first half). The loss snapped Miller Grove’s seven-game winning streak. Zyair Green led Miller Grove with 18 points .

Charlotte Christian (NC) (5-2) defeated Meadowcreek (GA) (0-8) 44-38 behind 21 points from Peter Lash. Kendall Campbell led Meadowcreek with 10 points and 12 rebounds. Meadowcreek has yet to find any team chemistry or win this season since the surprise coaching change one week prior to the season beginning.

Georgia HSFB Notes, Scores Of Interest Week 3

Georgia Week 3 of high school football was played over the weekend with only a handful of games cancelled or postponed due the approaching Hurricane Irma. Most of those games were in the southeastern coastal portions of Georgia after mandatory evacuations were issued. Here is a look at some the games of interest from Week 3 in Georgia

Cartersville’s (4-0) Trevor Lawrence passed for over 280 yards and 3 touchdowns while Rico Frye rushed for over 100 yards and two touchdowns and caught a touchdown pass as class 4A Cartersville defeated 7A Westlake (1-2) 38-5.  EJ Turner caught a pair of touchdown passes for the Purple Hurricanes who won their 34th consecutive game.

Mays (2-1) won its second consecutive game since a season opening loss to Stockbridge with a 32-20 region 5-6A victory over Langston Hughes (2-1). Jaquez Milam connected with Christian Royalston on a 42-yard pass to give Langston Hughes an early 7-0 lead. Later Mays pulled to within 7-6 on a touchdown run by Tyree Nelson. Mays took a 12-7 into halftime after quarterback Jaquez Evans hooked up with Amir Abdur Rahman on a 56-yard touchdown pass.  In the third quarter the team quickly exchanged touchdowns as Langston Hughes’ TJ Portress briefly gave the Panthers an 14-12 lead on a 4-yard touchdown run. On the ensuing kickoff Ihbin Tophia returned it 80 yards for a touchdown for an 18-14 lead. The Raiders expanded the lead to 25-14 on Nelson’s second touchdown run of the game. Antoino Grier block a punt and recovered it in the end zone for a touchdown and 32-14 Mays lead in the fourth quarter. Langston Hughes completed the scoring with a Tyrea Swanson 10-yard touchdown run for the final 32-20 margin.

Meadowcreek (3-0) improved to 3-0 for the first time in the programs 32-year history with a 29-27 win over Forsyth Central (0-3). Meadowcreek, located in Norcross, Ga in Gwinnett County, is 73% Hispanic. The Mustangs have one of the largest offensive lines in Georgia averaging around 320 pounds which paved the way for two rushing touchdowns by Chauncey Williams (180-plus yards rushing). Jeremiah Caldwell had a receiving touchdown while Alonzo Howard returned an interception for a touchdown. Meadowcreek led 26-6 at one point before Forsyth Central rallied. The Bulldogs closed to within 26-20 on a late third quarter touchdown run by Devron Orasn. Meadowcreek added its cushion early in the fourth quarter on a field goal by Christopher  Linares to put the Mustangs up 29-20. Forsyth Central added another Orasn touchdown to make it 29-27 however on their next possession were unable to convert a fourth down which sealed the victory for Meadowcreek.

Cedar Shoals (3-0) defeated North Oconee (1-2) in dramatic fashion 13-6. Ken Johnson rushed for two touchdown but it was his 5-yard touchdown with 38 seconds remaining in the game that propelled the Jaguars to the victory. Cedar Shoals has won the last two meeting between the two schools.

Stephenson (1-2) defeated Southwest Dekalb (2-2) 31-18 in a sloppy game featured five fumbles between the two teams . Ira Henderson return the second half kickoff 86 yards fro a touchdown to jump start Stephenson after trailing 6-0 at the half.  Stephenson’s Deshon Stoudemire caught a pair of touchdowns, one from Ga’von Wray another from Daren Parker. Justin Tomlin passed for three touchdowns for Southwest Dekalb.

Georgia High School Football 

Stockbridge (3-0) for the second consecutive week allowed their opponent to score on their opening possession and for the second consecutive week after that they did not allow their opponents to score again. Dutchtown (2-1) jumped out a 7-0 lead after Shanaan McKoy’s short touchdown run capped the Bulldogs opening drive. Stockbridge pulled to within 7-6 after a 30-yard interception return for a touchdown by Demaje Carter. Marquez Ezzard added a touchdown run in the fourth quarter for the final 13-7 margin. Dutchtown’s final drive ended with an interception to cap another stingy night of Stockbridge defense which has allowed only 14 points in three games this season. It was Stockbridge’s eight consecutive victory over county and region foe Dutchdown. Lovejoy (41.5), Dutchtown (41) and Mays (36.1) are all averaging 36-plus points in games this season when not including their game against Stockbridge in which all were held to single digits (Mays was shutout).

Grayson (3-0) defeated John Curtis (LA) (1-1) 22-9 on the strength of a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns. Quarterback DJ Irons rushed for a touchdown then hooked up with Jalen Rivers an 21-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter as the Rams overcame an early 9-3 deficit for the win. Grayson collected its second victory over an out-of-state opponent this season and have International School of Broward (FL) and Ramsay (AL) remaining on the schedule.  Grayson has won 17 consecutive games, including two over Alabama power Hoover, since losing to IMG Academy (FL) in their 2016 season opener.

Colquitt County (4-0) shutout Roswell (1-2) 28-0 to win its third consecutive game. Ty Leggett rushed for two touchdowns in the second half while Nigel Hillery rushed for a touchdown in the fourth quarter for the final margin.

Dacula (1-2) picked up its first win of the season by snapping  Arabia Mountain’s three-game win streak with a 9-0 shutout victory. Jalen Perry rushed for the lone touchdown of the game and Zachary Gerts connected on field goal for Dacula. Arabia Mountain (3-1) had a short touchdown run called back for holding in the first half and missed a field goal in the second half.

North Gwinnett has won three in a row since losing its season opener to Walton

North Gwinnett (3-1) won their third straight game defeating Norcross (2-2) 35-14. North Gwinnett’s Tyler Goodson rushed for over 240 yards and three touchdowns. Jimmy Urzua, who took over as quarterback for injured starter Cade Fortin in the first quarter of the Milton game, has led the Bulldogs to all three victories. Urzua and Devin Crosby each rushed for touchdowns as North Gwinnett amassed over 330 yards rushing as a team.

New Manchester (2-1) shutout Creekside 23-0. AJ Taylor rushed for over 100 yards and two touchdowns while Eddie Ellis caught a touchdown for New Manchester. Creekside (0-3) has been been shutout in all three games being outscored 89-0.

Other Scores/Notes of Interest:

Woodstock (2-1) became the fourth Georgia team to score 70-plus points this season in their 77-49 shootout victory over Kennesaw Mountain (2-1). Rockdale County (75 vs Berkmar), Habersham Central (72 vs East Hall) and Mountain View (71 vs Osborne) are the others.

Jenkins (3-0) defeated Liberty County (1-2) 43-41; Jenkins quarterback Javonte Middleton passed for three touchdowns.

Class 7A Tift (4-0) handed former region foe and defending 6A state champion Valdosta (1-3) its second straight loss with a  20-10 victory

Abbeville (SC) defeated Lincoln County (1-2) 28-24

Cedar Grove (3-0) shutout Columbia (1-2) 33-0

Peachtree Ridge (0-3) struggles to begin the season continued after losing 47-28 to Newton (3-0).

McEachern earned its first victory of the season with a win over Jonesboro

McEachern (1-2) defeated Jonesboro (2-1) 49-10

Douglas County (3-0) won it’s region opener on the road shutting out Northgate (2-1) 21-0

Hapeville Charter (3-1) shutout Wesleyan (3-1) 35-0

Games of interest postponed/cancelled due to Hurricane Irma:

Camden County at Glynn Academy

Grady at Ware County

Shiloh at Lowndes; The concern with this game was Shiloh having to travel back Gwinnett County after the game in heavy traffic due to Hurricane Irma evacuations from Florida.

Pierce County at Richmond Hill

 

 

Georgia HSFB Notes Week 1; Other Scores

The High School football season cranked up with a full schedule in Georgia on the final Friday in September. Here are some notes and scores from around the state.

In a battle of state champions from the highest class in Georgia (Grayson) and Alabama (Hoover), host Grayson jumped out a 14-0 lead and held on late for a 35-26 victory over the Buccaneers. Hoover (0-1) pulled to within two points, 28-26 on Larry McCammon’s third rushing touchdown with just over seven minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Grayson answered quickly when DJ Irons hooked up with Keynon Jackson for 71-yard touchdown pass to give Grayson (1-0) the 35-26 cushion which they held for the victory. Ronald Thompkins rushed for over 100 yards and two touchdowns while DJ Irons passed for 200 yards and touchdown and rushed for a touchdown. Hoover falls to 2-4 all-time against Georgia opponents and 0-2 all-time to Grayson.

High School Football

In Moultrie, GA the Colquitt County (2-0) Packers won their second straight game with a 26-7 victory over Vista Murrieta (CA). Daijun Edwards rushed for two touchdowns, Cam Singletary scored on a 46-yard touchdown reception and the Colquitt County defense held their second straight opponent under 150 yards of total offense. It was the Packers first-ever game against a team from California.

Lowndes (2-0) shutout its second opponent in a row with a 56-0 victory over International School Of Broward (FL). The Vikings have outscored their first two opponents 111-0 to open the season including a 45-0 victory over rival Valdosta in the season opener. Valdosta (1-1) defeated Woodland-Stockbridge (1-1) 26-0 to earn it’s first victory of the season while handing the Wolfpack it’s first loss.

Walton (2-0) under first-year head coach Daniel Brunner withstood Brookwood (0-2) 42-35. DJ Soyoye rushed for three touchdowns, quarterback Austin Kirksey passed for over 260 yards with a touchdown while highly-touted receiver Dominick Blaylock caught a touchdown pass for Walton. Brookwood was powered again by its rushing attack from Matthew Hill (rushing and receiving TD) and Dante Black (3 rushing TDs).

Defending 5A state champion Rome (1-0) defeated 6A Harrison (0-1) 33-21. Rome score the final 16 points of the contest after Harrison scored 14 unanswered points to take a 21-17 lead in the second half after trailing 17-7. Knox Kadum passed for a pair of touchdowns- both to Xavier Roberts, while Jamious Griffin rushed for a touchdown and defensive lineman JaQuon Griffin returned a fumble for a touchdown. Highly-touted Harrison quarterback Justin Fields passed for two touchdowns and rushed for another while finishing with over 300 yards of total offense.

Clarke Central (1-1) rebounded from a season opening loss to Winder-Barrow by defeating Oconee County (0-1) 27-11. Leading 14-3 in the third quarter, Jonathan Sewell caught a 41-yard touchdown pass from Jack Mangel. Kapres Forbes put the game away by returning a punt 51 yards for a touchdown giving Clarke Central a 27-3 lead later in the third quarter. Mangel and Nadarrius Smith each had rushing touchdowns against the Warriors.

Stockbridge (1-0) used a Gabe McKensize touchdown run, a short field goal and a stout defense to defeat Mays (0-1) 9-0 for the second consecutive season. It marked the first time Mays was shutout in 64 games.

Mill Creek (2-0) scored 31 unanswered points enroute to a 31-13 victory over class 6A Stephenson (0-2). The Hawks, who overcame a deficit for the second consecutive week (defeated McEachern in season opener after trailing), rushed for over 200 yards and four touchdowns as a team.

Cartersville (2-0) won their 32nd consecutive game with a 52-45 victory over Bartram Trail (FL) (0-1). Rico Frye rushed for a one-yard touchdown with just over three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter to break a 45-45 tie and give Cartersville the 52-45 lead. Bartram Trail moved to the Cartersville 11 yard line after a pass interference call in the end zone however on the next play Riley Smith’s pass was incomplete as time expired. Cartersville’s highly-touted quarterback Trevor Lawrence passed for over 400 yards with three touchdowns while Rico Frye rushed for over 125 yards and two touchdowns. Bartram Trail rotated Smith and Gatewood at quarterback most of the day. Gatewood passed for over 160 yards and a touchdown while rushing for over 115 yards.

Cedar Shoals (1-0) overcame a halftime deficit to defeat Discovery (0-2) for the second consecutive season 22-12. Trailing 12-7, Cedar Shoals’ Cameron Hudson returned a lateral for a touchdown for a 15-12 lead after a successful two-point conversion. The Jaguars sealed the deal with a 19-play drive capped by a Jephari Colbert 7-yard touchdown with just more than three minutes remaining in the game. Colbert rushed for over 100 yards and two touchdowns for the Jaguars.

Other scores of interest:

Tucker (2-0) defeated Lakeside-Dekalb (0-2) 54-0; Tucker travels to Colquitt County this week.

Cedar Grove (2-0) defeated Southwest Dekalb (1-1) 37-7

North Gwinnett (1-1) defeated Milton (1-1) 31-28

Langston Hughes (2-0) defeated Westlake (0-1) 16-13; Langston Hughes is off this week before hosting Mays on Sept. 8th. Westlake will host Shiloh this week

Venice (FL) (1-0) defeated Camden County (1-1) 35-3; Camden County does not have a passing touchdown through two games this season in its new spread offense.

Redan (1-1) defeated Lithona (0-2) 18-9

Dutchtown (1-0) defeated Ola (1-1) 39-7

Central Gwinnett (2-0) defeated Dacula (0-1) 36-33

Valdosta (1-1) defeated Woodland-Stockbridge (1-1) 26-0; Woodland-Stockbridge travels to Tri-Cities this Saturday

Buford (2-0) defeated Melbourne Central Catholic (FL) (0-1) 34-17; Buford hosts International School of Broward (FL) this week

Lovejoy (2-0) defeated Mundy’s Mill (0-2) 33-14; Lovejoy faces Stockbridge this week at Tri-Cites on Saturday

 

 

Georgia HSFB Update Sept 30th

Roswell (5-0) continued its impressive defensive play this season shutting out its second straight opponent with a 17-0 victory over Milton. The Hornets have not allowed more than seven points (Buford in season opener) in a game this season. Sheldon Evans rushed for two touchdowns for the Hornets.

Mill Creek (6-0) pulled away from North Gwinnett (3-3) late in the second quarter and posted its second straight victory over the Bulldogs 44-17. Cameron Turley passed for three touchdowns and Cole Wroble rushed for a pair of touchdowns for the Hawks

Lowndes (6-1) racked up over 600 yards of total offense to defeat Ware County 56-35. Ware County (2-3) jumped out to a 14-0 lead only to see the Vikings roar back with a strong third quarter and cruise to victory.

Nolan Donley hit Demond Ellison on a 40-yard touchdown pass with less than thirty seconds remaining as Cherokee (3-3) knocked off Etowah (4-2) 28-21. Etowah’s Tyray Devezin rushed for two touchdowns in the loss.

Norcross (6-0) defeated Parkview (3-2) in the battle of quarterbacks committed to play collegiate baseball. Norcross’ Byron Radcliff passed for three touchdowns as the Blue Devils defeated Parkview for the seventh time in the last eight meetings 38-15.

Trailing 14-13 with less than five minutes remaining, Daetrich Harrington raced 55 yards for a touchdown as Alexander (5-0) defeated Northgate 21-14. Kyle Cater rushed for a touchdown for Northgate in defeat.

Lovejoy (4-3) defeated Mt. Zion-Jonesboro (2-4) 35-9. Lovejoy QB John Seter passed for three touchdowns as the Wildcats improved to 4-0 in region play with a 35-9 victory.

Camden County (2-4) picked up its second win of the season by displacing Forest Park 67-14. Camden County scored more than 17 points in a game for the first time this season. Forest Park (0-7; one loss by forfeit) scored a season-high 14 points, cracking the double digit mark for the first time this season. Forest Park head coach Dale Myers is a native of Kingsland, GA and former Camden County player.In his second second, Myers has yet to pick up a victory as Forest Park is now 0-16 under Myers. Forest Park has not won more than three games since a seven-win season in 2000 and have had eleven head coaches during that span.

Preston Taylor nailed a 39-yard field goal with one second remaining to give Newton (4-1-1) a 13-12 victory over South Gwinnett (4-2). South Gwinnett took a 12-10 lead on a 34-yard field goal by Dawson Newman with less than a minute remaining. Blake Brok rushed for Newton’s lone touchdown.

Leading 20-0 in the third quarter, Shaun Jolly returned a punt 75 yards for a touchdown as Stephenson (3-3) defeated Jonesboro (0-6) 27-0.

Tucker (5-1) defeated Mundy’s Mill (1-5) 34-14. Tucker quarterback Xavier Sheppard passed for a pair of touchdowns in the victory.

Isaiah Green passed for three touchdowns and rushed for two more as Langston Hughes (5-1) defeated Creekside 35-34. Creekside (4-2) scored with just over one minute remaining in the game however failed on the two-point conversion attempt.

Georgia High School Football Week 3 Update

The Mays Raiders (2-1) won their first game without former head coach Corey Jarvis 47-28 over region foe Langston Hughes (2-1). The Raiders jumped out to a 27-7 lead and never looked back defeating Hughes 47-28. It was the first game between the two schools as region opponents. Mays leads the all-time series 2-1.

The Cedar Shoals Jaguars improved to  3-0 for the first time to begin a season since 2007 with a 40-7 victory over North Oconee. Osiris Walker and Jerphari Colbert rushed for two touchdowns apiece while quarterback Akeem Glenn passed for touchdowns to Stavion Stevenson and Snipe Hall. The current three-game winning streak for Cedar Shoals is their first since 2013. Cedar Shoals hosts Oconee County next week before hosting Clarke Central in the 50th meeting of the two rival schools.

Kell jumped out to a 30-7 lead on Rome yet needed a 23-yard field goal from Connor Mendelson in the final minute to hold off Rome 33-30. Rome took a brief 7-0 lead in the first quarter before Kell ripped off 30 unanswered points. Josh Blancato kick return for a touchdown, John Lampley connected with Michael Luckie for a 29-yard touchdown pass and Kendall Bailey returned an interception for a touchdown putting Kell up 21-7 through a quarter of play. Lampley hooked up with Jared Hill for another touchdown and the Longhorns added a safety for a 30-7 halftime lead. In the Second half Rome came roaring back with a Tyrish Martin 27 pass from Knox Kadum to Tyrish Martin touchdown in the third quarter and two touchdown runs by Jamious Griffin. Griffin finished with three rushing touchdowns on the evening

Quarterback Davis Mills made a surprise start for Greater Atlanta Christian (2-1) for their cross country trip to face Valor Christian (CO). The Spartans fell 21-17 to Valor Christian (1-2) despite Mills’ surprise start. Mills suffered a non-disclosed, non-football related injury to his knee the day after a scrimmage game in mid-August and had been ruled out for 3-4 months. Mills finished 5-of-17 for 44 yards in the loss.

Glynn Academy (3-1) defeated Camden County 56-7 for its third consecutive victory. Camden County is 0-3 for the first time since 1988 (two wins were forfeited) and since 1969 in games with out forfeits. Camden will face Brunswick (2-1) next week. Former Camden County running back Brandon McMaster is now at Brunswick. McMaster rushed for 100 yards and two touchdowns Friday as Brunswick defeated Wayne County 33-17.

Other games of interest:

Newton downed Peachtree Ridge in a thriller 34-32 at Sharp Stadium in Covington. Myron Middlebrooks passed for the game-winning touchdown in the final minute for Newton.

Blake Jones intercepted a pass in the final seconds to seal Etowah’s 28-20 victory over Newnan. It was the second week in a row Jones intercepted a pass to seal an Eagles victory.

Roswell (3-0) dropped Colquitt County to 0-4 with a 34-3 win, avenging last seasons loss in the Georgia 6A championship game.

Stephenson (1-2) picked up its first win of the season by handing Southwest Dekalb (2-2) its second straight loss 21-0. The Jaguars are still without head coach Ron Gartrell who is still recovering from hip surgery.

High School Football: Georgia

Grayson jumped out to a 7-0 lead over IMG Academy on a 56-yard touchdown pass from Chase Brice to Jamyest Williams early in the second quarter. From there it was all IMG Academy. Ascenders quarterback Kellen Bond rushed for two touchdowns and passed for another while Cooper Graham connected on two field goals as the Ascenders scored 26 unanswered points to win 26-7. Grayson committed three turnovers. IMG Academy had more penalty yardage.

Langston Hughes led Westlake 10-9 when the intra-classification and non-region game was called in the third quarter due to weather. Isaiah Green passed for a touchdown for Hughes. Trey Dixon rushed for a touchdown for Westlake.  No information was available on whether the game would be concluded at a later date.

Leroy Ryals won his first game as head coach at Cedar Shoals 42-6 over Discovery. Cedar Shoals (1-0) quarterback Akeem Glenn passed for four touchdowns and a two-point conversion. Stavion Stevenson and Altavious Wright each caught two touchdowns passes, Osiris Walker added a touchdown run, Trent Harris hit a field goal and the defense recorded two safeties. Cedar Shoals scored 40 or more points for the first time since 2011. The Jaguars travel to Decatur this week.

Etowah led North Cobb 20-17 after an Allen field goal in the fourth quarter. North Cobb (1-1)answered back with a touchdown by to go up 24-20 and eventually held on for that final score. Tyray Devezin scored on a 70-yard run for Etowah (1-1) who will host Spartanburg (SC) (2-0) next week. Spartanburg defeated T.L. Hanna 14-7 in overtime last week.

Other noteable games:

Tucker (1-1) raced out to a 35-3 halftime lead over Lakeside-Dekalb (1-1) and went on to win 48-10

Trailing 14-6 at halftime, backup quarterback Cori Pritchett replaced starter Xavier Dennis- who left with an injury late in the first half, in the second half to lead Redan (1-1) to its first win of the season 24-20 over Lithonia (0-2).

Glynn Academy knocked off Ware County 17-10

Southwest Dekalb (2-0) won its second consecutive game to open the season with a 21-20 come-from-behind victory over Cedar Grove (1-1) at Buck Godfrey Stadium. The Panthers Justin Tomlin connected with Michael Pace on a 20-yard touchdown pass and the extra point was successful with just over three minutes remaining to give Southwest Dekalb the victory.

Brookwood became the second straight opponent to score 40 or more points against Walton in their 40-13 victory. Brookwood (2-0) has posted 77 points through the first two games this season against North Gwinnett and Walton. Last season the Broncos scored 20 points in the first two games in losses to Mill Creek and Norcross. Walton (0-2) has been outscored 86-27 in two games this season.

Stockbridge (1-0) withstood Mays (0-1) 35-34 in the nightcap of the Inner City Classic at Lakewood Stadium. Mike Pierce returned an interception for a touchdown at the end of the first half to give Stockbridge a 14-13 halftime lead.. Tigers quarterback Kenderick Duncan rushed for a 15-yard touchdown with just over 2 two minutes remaining to give Stockbridge the 35-34 lead. Ryan Massey sealed the victory by intercepting Mays QB BJ Phillips with less than a minute remaining.

Venice (FL) handed Camden County its second consecutive loss 46-17. Camden County (0-2) will travel to Florida again next week to take on Columbia. Columbia defeated Gainesville (FL) 17-12 on Thursday.

Oconee County (1-0) handed David Perno his first loss at Clarke Central (1-1) 34-13.

Parkview (2-0) erased a 10-7 halftime margin to Shiloh (1-1) by outscoring the Generals 30-2 in the second half for the 37-12 victory.

Allatoona dropped to 0-2 on the season after a 21-13 loss to Alexander.

Venice (FL) handed Camden County its second consecutive loss 46-17. Camden County (0-2) will travel to Florida again next week to take on Columbia. Columbia defeated Gainesville (FL) 17-12 on Thursday.

 

 

 

 

Tucker Uses Balance To Get By Langston Hughes

Garrett Rigby has commanded the Tucker Tigers high-powered rushing Wing-T offense all season from the quarterback spot. In the first round of the state playoffs the senior signal caller balanced the run with the pass.

Rigby passed for a season-high three touchdowns while running backs Chris Broadwater and Myles Donaldson each rushed for over 100 yards in a 38-28 victory over visiting Langston Hughes.

Behind the play of Rigby the Tigers scored four touchdowns on six first half possessions to open up what began as a back and forth affair.

Sam Bryant scored on a 4-yard touchdown to put Tucker ahead 7-0. Langston Hughes answered back in two plays when Isaiah Green hit Karam Puckett for a 56-yard touchdown to even the score with just over three minutes gone by in the opening quarter.

The Panthers would recover a fumble on the ensuing kickoff but were turned over on downs by the Tigers. Moments later Rigby found leading receiver Joshua Vann for a 27-yard touchdown pass to put Tucker up 14-7. Langston Hughes again answered back with a Green 1-yard touchdown run to even the score at 14 with 37 seconds left in the quarter. Green’s 38-yard pass to Rashad Burch set up the score.

Rigby went back to air capping an eight-play 73-yard drive with a 25-yard touchdown pass to Sam Bryant. Rigby later hit Vann again, this time from 20 yards out, giving the Tigers a 28-14 halftime lead.

Tucker stretched the lead to 21 points in the third quarter on a 14-yard touchdown run by Sam Bryant with 7:03 left.

Langston Hughes mounted a rally as Green hit Tony Jones Jr on a 27-yard touchdown pass in the third and then scored his second rushing touchdown from a yard out in the fourth quarter to pull Hughes to within 35-28 with 7:09 remaining. Tucker put the game away on its next possession as Adam Lippy made a 27-yard field goal for the final 38-28 margin with 2:25 left in the game.

Tucker (7-4) will travel to South Forsyth (10-1) in the second round. Tucker faces the War Eagles for the first time since 2003 and leads the all-time series 2-0.

Langston Hughes (5-6) will look toward next season with much experience gained for a youthful team that will only lose three starters on each side of the ball.

Langston Hughes and Tucker Will Complete Georgia 6A Bracket

The first round of the Georgia high school football playoffs began on Friday, the second round bracket will be completed tonight shy of midnight as the winner of Langston Hughes (5-5) and Tucker (7-3) will fit in the final piece of the puzzle.

Both teams have played solid schedules in the regular season, Tucker took on an OOS (out-of-state) foes Godby (FL) and Blackman (TN). Langston Hughes stacked its non-region schedule with the likes of Mays. Grayson and Creekside, two of which advanced to the second round of the Georgia playoffs in its respective class.

Tucker runs the ball at a clip of upwards of 300 yards a game on the legs of leading rusher Chris Broadwater. Langston Hughes throws it off the arm of Isaiah Green at a clip upwards of 285 yards per game.