Georgia News

[GardenStateBaller]

4 minutes ago, Nolebull813 said:

Then they have to go to Moeller in Ohio after Buford. That is a crazy stretch.

BC is still my #1 in 4A. 

[Nolebull813]

47 minutes ago, GardenStateBaller said:

BC is still my #1 in 4A. 

Same with Cedar Grove. The always play all these better teams to equip them for a run. They won 3A with 5 losses because 4 of the 5 teams were superior. They conditioned themselves for that run. 
 

Now when CG and Benedictine play some 10-1 team in the playoffs who hasn’t played anyone, they will be able to show them what’s what 

[GardenStateBaller]

34 minutes ago, Nolebull813 said:

Same with Cedar Grove. The always play all these better teams to equip them for a run. They won 3A with 5 losses because 4 of the 5 teams were superior. They conditioned themselves for that run. 
 

Now when CG and Benedictine play some 10-1 team in the playoffs who hasn’t played anyone, they will be able to show them what’s what 

#playthebest #anyoneanywhere #nocowardsallowed 

[GardenStateBaller]

Are these guys for real??

 

[Nolebull813]

12 minutes ago, GardenStateBaller said:

Are these guys for real??

 

Colquitt is number 1 until their not!!!

[Sportsnut]

2 hours ago, GardenStateBaller said:

Are these guys for real??

 

Hughes, TCC and Douglas County are to be feared. All are athletic top to bottom. All are loaded with talent. All are well coached.

Hard to match up with.

[GardenStateBaller]

Today’s interviewee is Prep Gridiron Logistics founder Joe Maimone, who is the nation’s top matchmaker for games involving nationally prominent football programs. He ranks the nation’s top 25 teams on NationalHSFB.com. He works with the Flo Football Channel to stream some of them online, including tonight’s game with Peachtree Ridge at Monarch in Florida. Other Flo games with Georgia teams this year will be Creekside vs. DeSoto, Texas (Aug. 31), Grayson at Mallard Creek, N.C. (Sept. 6), Newton at East St. Louis, Ill. (Sept. 7) and Benedictine at Moeller, Ohio (Sept. 14).

 

Joe Maimone,

Prep Gridiron Logistics founder

1. Are there any interesting stories about the Georgia teams that you matched this season? “I've been friendly with Peachtree Ridge head coach Matt Helmerich since he was the defensive coordinator at St Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale. When he was there, they played out-of-state competition annually. Early on he made it known to me that he wanted to travel and play a solid, out-of-state team this season. It's with this in mind that I was able to get him into the Broward County National High School Football Showcase this weekend in Fort Lauderdale to play Monarch. It'll be sort of a homecoming for him. Plus his game will be broadcast to a national audience.”

 

2. What Georgia schools are the most attractive to you as a matchmaker, and why? “Any Georgia team with the courage to schedule elite, out-of-state opponents would be welcomed. My first Georgia clients were Buford and Grayson. In 2018 we held a Gwinnett vs The USA doubleheader event at Buford where I brought down Deerfield Beach (N.J.) and Bergen Catholic (N.J.) to play them, respectively. Both out-of-state teams came out on top that day. In recent years Buford has also played Chaminade-Madonna (lost) and St Frances, Md. (won). Milton became my next client. Coach Adam Clack loved challenging his teams with quality, out-of-state competition his entire tenure there. We sent them to California to play JSerra Catholic (lost) and to Philadelphia to play St Joseph Prep, Pa. (won). Creekside, Newton, Cedar Grove, Langston Hughes and Peachtree Ridge are also valued clients. In south Georgia, we've worked with Lowndes (lost to American Heritage, Fla., and beat Christ School, N.C.) and Colquitt County (beat Deerfield Beach, Fla. and Dutch Fork. S.C). Benedictine also loves to test themselves scheduling-wise.”

 

3. You have Milton and Buford in your national top 25. What makes them top-25 programs in your mind? And are those very top private schools like Mater Dei and St. John Bosco out of reach of some of the best public school teams, or can a public school be No. 1? “In our NationalHSFB.com Top 25 Poll, the No. 1 criteria is strength of schedule. Milton scheduling No. 17 American Heritage this season definitely helped their cause. Although I was disappointed that Buford didn't schedule a high-profile, out-of-state opponent, playing Milton was the next-best thing. In our final poll last season, Milton and Thomas County finished in our Top 25 rankings.

 

“No high school football team in America is invincible. Just last season, public Kahuku Hawaii beat St John Bosco. And two years ago, public Miami Central beat IMG. And as earlier noted, Milton and Buford had big wins over power privates. In my opinion the top-five public programs in America this season are as follows: Centennial, Calif.; Milton; DeSoto, Texas; Massillon, Ohio; and Duncanville, Texas. Any of those five teams would give the power privates all they could handle.”

 

4. When you compare Georgia football to other states, what is different about it? “Georgia is definitely a public-program-heavy state. It's very similar to Texas in that way. All of us promoters and pollsters recognize that in Georgia the top five teams in every class are all extremely good teams. This is one of the reasons I attend the Georgia high school football championship games on an annual basis. It's admirable that kids grow up wanting to play for their respective local high schools. The sense of community is as real as it gets. You don't see that in other top high school football states like California and Florida, where the power privates dominate.”

 

[GardenStateBaller]

Here is where Georgia teams stand in several national polls. The numbers on the left are this week's rankings; the numbers in parentheses are last week's rankings.

 

CalPreps

(Top 100)

11. (11) Milton

27. (17) Carrollton

28. (16) Buford

38. (44) Thomas County Central

44. (43) Colquitt County

50. (50) Douglas County

52. (66) Coffee

82. (90) Walton

84. (60) Lee County

90. (NR) Collins Hill

91. (39) Grayson

92. (64) Camden County

94. (NR) Mill Creek

 

USA Today

(Top 25)

10. (10) Milton

12. (12) Carrollton

21. (25) Buford

 

MaxPreps

(Top 100)

6. (6) Milton

12. (12) Carrollton

21. (21) Buford

32. (43) Douglas County

34. (34) Thomas County Central

58. (59) Camden County

62. (63) Mill Creek

67. (NR) Collins Hill

75. (83) Gainesville

78. (36) Grayson

83. (81) Woodward Academy

88 (88) Rome

 

Massey Ratings

(Top 100)

25. (18) Colquitt County

27. (50) Milton

37. (29) Mill Creek

44. (73) Hughes

45. (33) Carrollton

46. (72) Coffee

48. (32) Walton

56. (45) Thomas County Central

61. (80) Lee County

65. (NR) Collins Hill

67. (58) Rome

77. (NR) Douglas County

88. (24) Buford

 

High School Football America

(Preseason Top 100)

9. Milton

23. Colquitt County

26. Buford

43. Carrollton

49. Walton

53. Thomas County Central

58. Mill Creek

74. Coffee

78. Gainesville

86. Creekside

89. Rome

 

SBLive/Sports Illustrated

(Preseason Top 25)

6. Milton

13. Buford

18. Carrollton

 

NationalHSFB.com

(Top 25)

9. (9) Milton

18. (18) Buford

 

Blue Star Media

(Top 25)

9. (9) Milton

10. (10) Carrollton

19. (12) Buford

[Sportsnut]

Watched a lot of ball these 2 weeks. 

Clearly, the power in Georgia this year is in 5A. Saw plenty of top 10 action from both 6A and 5A.

The class is also much deeper in quality teams. Seems the polls have taken the popularity approach, overlooking deserving teams.

No worries. It will all show itself as soon as in the next 2 weeks.

[JCGIII]

5 hours ago, Sportsnut said:

Watched a lot of ball these 2 weeks. 

Clearly, the power in Georgia this year is in 5A. Saw plenty of top 10 action from both 6A and 5A.

The class is also much deeper in quality teams. Seems the polls have taken the popularity approach, overlooking deserving teams.

No worries. It will all show itself as soon as in the next 2 weeks.

And a good number of questions are going to be answered in the regular season. Some potentially epic games are on the way. And the 5A playoffs are going to be a wild ride.

[Sportsnut]

17 hours ago, JCGIII said:

And a good number of questions are going to be answered in the regular season. Some potentially epic games are on the way. And the 5A playoffs are going to be a wild ride.

So true. There will be many games with pl a yoff seeding taki g place esrly. I was wondering if anyone has taken a look at the playoff brackets. They threw a twist in there for the first round.

 Maybe my eyes are not working well but it appears region match ups have shifted.

[Sportsnut]

5A is loaded. They 2nd season will be very good for the hsfb fan.

[GardenStateBaller]

Class 6A

1. (2) Carrollton (2-0)

Last week: Beat Columbia 35-7. Julian Lewis was 20-of-26 passing for 274 yards and four touchdowns, three to Ryan Mosely, who had five receptions for 107 yards. Carrollton is No. 1 for the first time since 2019 and the first time ever in the highest class, which it joined in 2022. Next: Friday vs. Rome (0-0)

2. (1) Buford (1-1)

Last week: Beat Benedictine 29-28. Buford scored a touchdown and two-point conversion with 1:05 left after trailing 21-10 in the third quarter. The conversion was a trick play, as Buford had lined up for an extra point. Dayton Raiola (11-of-24 passing, 193 yards) threw a 27-yard TD pass to Ethan Irvin to get Buford within 28-27. Jordan Allen had seven receptions for 127 yards. Next: Sept. 6 at Roswell (1-0)

3. (3) Douglas County (2-0)

Last week: Beat Jonesboro 48-8. Zamarcus Lindley rushed for 134 yards and two touchdowns on seven carries. D.J. Bourdeaux was 13-of-18 passing for 157 yards and two touchdowns. James Johnson had seven receptions for 59 yards and threw a TD pass. Next: Saturday at Newton (1-1)

4. (4) Colquitt County (2-0)

Last week: Beat Monroe 52-14. The Packers scored the game’s final 31 points after Monroe stayed close into the second quarter. Freshman QB Cohen Lawson was 6-of-10 passing for 82 yards and two touchdowns. Chance Sims returned a fumble 47 yards for a touchdown. Next: Friday vs. North Gwinnett (1-0)

5. (5) Walton (2-0)

Last week: Beat Lambert 41-10. Alex Ward returned an interception 100 yards for a touchdown and a 28-10 lead just before halftime. Kaden Gilstrap was 11-of-29 passing for 245 yards and three touchdowns. Christian Ward had five receptions for 113 yards and a touchdown. Nori Thompson had 104 yards from scrimmage. Next: Friday at Roswell (1-0)

6. (6) Mill Creek (2-0)

Last week: Beat Norcross 21-10. Shane Throgmartin was 16-of-25 passing for 171 yards and two touchdowns. Daniel Smith rushed for 178 yards and a touchdown on 29 carries, and his 9-yard TD run with 4:14 left gave Mill Creek the final margin. Next: Friday vs. Archer (0-2)

7. (7) North Gwinnett (1-0)

Last week: Off. Next: Friday at Colquitt County (2-0)

8. (8) Camden County (2-0)

Last week: Beat East Lake, Fla. 60-15. Parks Riendeau was 17-of-22 passing for 211 yards and a touchdown. Jordan Hardy rushed for 90 yards and four touchdowns on 18 carries. Xavier Brown had two tackles for losses and intercepted a pass. Next: Friday vs. West Broward, Fla. (1-0)

9. (9) Valdosta (2-0)

Last week: Beat Mundy's Mill 55-22. Khalil Mollay was 15-of-20 passing for 182 yards and two touchdowns. Damari Baynard rushed for 72 yards on 11 carries. Todd Robinson, limited in a game that was 48-6 at halftime, rushed for 53 yards on six carries. Eldmetrius Hunter had three receptions for 111 yards and two touchdowns. Next: Friday vs. Dougherty (1-1)

10. (10) Collins Hill (2-0)

Last week: Beat Woodward Academy 21-14. Deuce Geralds scored on a 41-yard run to break a 14-14 tie, and Collins Hill held off Woodward Academy with four stops inside the 10-yard line to seal the victory. Geralds, a four-star defensive lineman, also had three sacks. Makyree Cross was 15-of-23 passing for 219 yards and two touchdowns. Next: Friday vs. Cedar Grove (0-1)

[GardenStateBaller]

Class 5A

1. (1) Milton (2-0)

Last week: Beat American Heritage, Fla. 37-28. Luke Nickel was 16-of-25 passing for 246 yards and two touchdowns, the last one a 72-yarder to Ethan Barbour with 2:56 left for the final margin. Barbour had seven receptions for 131 yards, had a rushing touchdown and threw a 26-yard pass. T.J. Lester rushed for 135 yards on 24 carries. Next: Friday vs. Alpharetta (0-2)

2. (2) Gainesville (2-0)

Last week: Beat Moody, Ala. 31-7. Gainesville held Moody to four first downs. Karim Hughley passed for 218 yards. Shane King had five receptions for 101 yards. Carmelo Byrd rushed for 114 yards. Next: Friday at Westlake (1-1)

3. (3) Lee County (2-0)

Last week: Beat Hapeville Charter 66-6. Lee County led 56-6 at halftime. Ousmane Kromah, playing one half, rushed for 94 yards and three touchdowns on seven carries. Weston Bryan scored two touchdowns and passed for one. DL Jeramiah McCloud returned an interception for a touchdown. Next: Friday at Tift County (1-1)

4. (4) Thomas County Central (2-0)

Last week: Beat Cairo 44-14. Jaylen Johnson was 12-of-19 passing for 269 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 58 yards and two scores on five carries. Jabari Watkins had four receptions for 147 yards and two touchdowns. Jayden Rubbo scored a safety. Next: Friday vs. Florida State High (0-1)

5. (5) Hughes (2-0)

Last week: Beat Mays 52-16. Christian Langford was 19-of-23 passing for 267 yards and three touchdowns, two to Jabari Jones. Carsyn Baker rushed for 149 yards on eight carries. Hughes scored 31 points in the first quarter. Mays completed only two passes. Next: Sept. 6 at Douglas County (2-0)

6. (6) Coffee (2-0)

Last week: Beat Ware County 20-16. Tyrese Woodgett rushed for 209 yards and three touchdowns on 35 carries. His 18-yard TD run gave Coffee the final margin with 6:34 left. Ware had two more possessions but failed to mount a threat. Next: Friday vs. Columbia, Fla. (1-0)

7. (8) Rome (0-0)

Last week: Off. Next: Friday at Carrollton (2-0)

8. (9) Roswell (1-0)

Last week: Off. Next: Friday vs. Walton (2-0)

9. (10) Houston County (2-0)

Last week: Beat Effingham County 44-41. Antwann Hill was 18-of-26 passing for 342 yards and three touchdowns. Isaiah Mitchell had 12 receptions for 232 yards and a touchdown. Javien Durham rushed for 144 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. Houston County led by 10 points or better most of the game and allowed a touchdown on the game's final play. Next: Friday at Perry (2-0)

10. (7) Woodward Academy (0-2)

Last week: Lost to Collins Hill 21-14. Woodward Academy got inside the red zone five times without scoring, including turning the ball over on downs at the 8-yard line with two minutes left. Woodward also forced four turnovers. Tyree Myrick forced two and returned a fumble 51 yards for a touchdown. Next: Friday vs. Marist (1-0)

[GardenStateBaller]

[Sportsnut]

On 8/26/2024 at 10:06 AM, GardenStateBaller said:

Class 5A

1. (1) Milton (2-0)

Last week: Beat American Heritage, Fla. 37-28. Luke Nickel was 16-of-25 passing for 246 yards and two touchdowns, the last one a 72-yarder to Ethan Barbour with 2:56 left for the final margin. Barbour had seven receptions for 131 yards, had a rushing touchdown and threw a 26-yard pass. T.J. Lester rushed for 135 yards on 24 carries. Next: Friday vs. Alpharetta (0-2)

2. (2) Gainesville (2-0)

Last week: Beat Moody, Ala. 31-7. Gainesville held Moody to four first downs. Karim Hughley passed for 218 yards. Shane King had five receptions for 101 yards. Carmelo Byrd rushed for 114 yards. Next: Friday at Westlake (1-1)

3. (3) Lee County (2-0)

Last week: Beat Hapeville Charter 66-6. Lee County led 56-6 at halftime. Ousmane Kromah, playing one half, rushed for 94 yards and three touchdowns on seven carries. Weston Bryan scored two touchdowns and passed for one. DL Jeramiah McCloud returned an interception for a touchdown. Next: Friday at Tift County (1-1)

4. (4) Thomas County Central (2-0)

Last week: Beat Cairo 44-14. Jaylen Johnson was 12-of-19 passing for 269 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 58 yards and two scores on five carries. Jabari Watkins had four receptions for 147 yards and two touchdowns. Jayden Rubbo scored a safety. Next: Friday vs. Florida State High (0-1)

5. (5) Hughes (2-0)

Last week: Beat Mays 52-16. Christian Langford was 19-of-23 passing for 267 yards and three touchdowns, two to Jabari Jones. Carsyn Baker rushed for 149 yards on eight carries. Hughes scored 31 points in the first quarter. Mays completed only two passes. Next: Sept. 6 at Douglas County (2-0)

6. (6) Coffee (2-0)

Last week: Beat Ware County 20-16. Tyrese Woodgett rushed for 209 yards and three touchdowns on 35 carries. His 18-yard TD run gave Coffee the final margin with 6:34 left. Ware had two more possessions but failed to mount a threat. Next: Friday vs. Columbia, Fla. (1-0)

7. (8) Rome (0-0)

Last week: Off. Next: Friday at Carrollton (2-0)

8. (9) Roswell (1-0)

Last week: Off. Next: Friday vs. Walton (2-0)

9. (10) Houston County (2-0)

Last week: Beat Effingham County 44-41. Antwann Hill was 18-of-26 passing for 342 yards and three touchdowns. Isaiah Mitchell had 12 receptions for 232 yards and a touchdown. Javien Durham rushed for 144 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. Houston County led by 10 points or better most of the game and allowed a touchdown on the game's final play. Next: Friday at Perry (2-0)

10. (7) Woodward Academy (0-2)

Last week: Lost to Collins Hill 21-14. Woodward Academy got inside the red zone five times without scoring, including turning the ball over on downs at the 8-yard line with two minutes left. Woodward also forced four turnovers. Tyree Myrick forced two and returned a fumble 51 yards for a touchdown. Next: Friday vs. Marist 

Woodward will go to 0-3 this week.

[GardenStateBaller]

23 minutes ago, Sportsnut said:

Woodward will go to 0-3 this week.

I chuckled when ESPN put them on national TV. It's no wonder why they're bankrupt when it comes to HSFB. 

[GardenStateBaller]

 

[Sportsnut]

23 hours ago, GardenStateBaller said:

I chuckled when ESPN put them on national TV. It's no wonder why they're bankrupt when it comes to HSFB. 

They will probably win region though.

No chance in the playoffs.

[GardenStateBaller]

 

[GardenStateBaller]

 

[Sportsnut]

1 hour ago, GardenStateBaller said:

 

I picked NG in n the AJC Pick 'Em.

[GardenStateBaller]

1 minute ago, Sportsnut said:

I picked NG in n the AJC Pick 'Em.

Does SoGa EVER beat NoGa???

[GardenStateBaller]

Rome 14

CT  24

Q3 4:27

[Sportsnut]

12 minutes ago, GardenStateBaller said:

Does SoGa EVER beat NoGa???

Not too often. If you research, you will find a general dominance by the north.

When they are good though...they are good and have had an edge in the recent past but historically, the north rules. For some reason, those country boys can't match the speed or have too few athletes compared to the more metropolitan teams. No disrespect meant as there are athletes everywhere but population makes a difference when you have more....from an athletic standpoint. In South central to southwest Georgia, there are 2 large schools, Valdosta and Lowndes. Other than the schools on the Atlantic coast,  Richmond Hill and Camden are basically the only large class schools.

Georgia is about 11 million strong and at least 8 or 9 of them are in metro Atlanta.