Editor’s Note: On this week’s installment of “Four-Down Territory”, we’ll take a brief departure from our weekly game previews, and instead have more thoughts on the region races that could define the final six weeks of the high school football season. So, without further ado, on to this week’s post.
FIRST DOWN: Is Region 3-3A the toughest in the GISA? So far, the answer is yes. Entering the final week of September, the five teams that makeup GISA Region 3-3A combined for an overall record of 15-4, with four of those teams suffering at least one loss, including the Deerfield-Windsor Knights at 3-1 overall. Three other teams; Brookwood (Thomasville), Southland, and Valwood sit at 4-1 overall, while Tiftarea is the lone undefeated team in the region at 4-0 overall. While Tiftarea plays host to Valwood to open region play this week, DWS won’t open league action until October 12. That’s when the Knights will return to Webb Stadium to take on Brookwood. It’ll be interesting to see which of these four teams will advance to the GISA Class 3A playoffs this season.
SECOND DOWN: Who’s the team to beat in GHSA Region 1-2A? With just one more non-region game to play before entering region play in October, there doesn’t appear to be a clear-cut favorite as this article is being written. However, the defending region champion Thomasville Bulldogs have proven themselves as one of the state’s best teams at 4-1, with their lone loss coming to the Class 7A Colquitt County Packers. As this article was being posted, the Early County Bobcats improved to 5-1 overall with a 13-0 shutout win over Dothan (Ala.) in a Thursday night contest, while Berrien also carried an overall mark of 4-1 into their Friday night clash against archrival Cook. It’s too bad that at least one of these teams will be on the outside looking in when postseason play arrives on the week of November 9.
THIRD DOWN: What about GHSA Region 1-5A? While the Thomas County Central Yellow Jackets have gotten off to a fast 4-1 start under first-year head coach Ashley Henderson, the balance of power in this league is in Middle Georgia. That’s where the Veterans Warhawks of Kathleen have gotten off to a surprising 6-0, while last year’s 5A state runner-up Warner Robins Demons are 4-1, with their lone loss so far coming to last year’s Class 7A runners-up in the Colquitt County Packers. Then there are the Bainbridge Bearcats, who have lost three straight games after winning back-to-back games to start the 2018 season, as well as the Harris County Tigers, who got their first win over a struggling Northside (Columbus) squad last week. Indeed, Region 1-5A will be just one of many races to watch when the calendar transitions from September to October.
FOURTH DOWN: Will any of Albany’s three GHSA teams make the playoffs? Yes, it’s possible for either the Dougherty Trojans, Monroe Tornadoes, Westover Patriots, or even all three of them, to find themselves playing beyond the week of November 2. But all of them will have their work cut out for them.
First, a look at the Patriots. Westover fell to 2-3 overall, and 1-2 in GHSA Region 1-4A after losing to Cairo 27-25 in a Thursday night contest at Hugh Mills Stadium on September 20. If the regular season ended right now, the Patriots from Albany would fall just short of the playoffs, currently sitting one game behind fourth-place Columbus, who downed first-year head coach Olten Downs’ squad 46-26 just three weeks earlier on September 6. With five games still left to play, including critical games at Carver (Columbus) and Americus-Sumter, Westover has no margin for error whatsoever if they’re to advance to the playoffs for the first time since 2014.
Moving on to Monroe, being in a region with just three other teams aside from them in 1-3A, all the Tornadoes have to do to guarantee themselves a playoff berth is to win at least one game in league play. The first opportunity for head coach Charles Truitt and company comes on October 12. That’s when they travel to Cordele to take on the Crisp County Cougars in the 1-3A opener for both teams.
As for the Trojans from Albany, at 0-5 overall and 0-3 in Region 1-4A action, Dougherty might have the longest shot out of all of the GHSA squads from Dougherty County. However, in order for the Trojans to even have the slimmest of chances to play the spoiler’s role, much less land in the playoffs, they must win that first game under first-year head coach Damien Gary. Their next chance to finally get over the hump will happen on, you guessed it, Thursday, October 4, at Northside (Columbus).
Related Posts:
High School Football Round-Up Podcast: Mid-Season Report
High School Football Round-Up: Mid-Season Thoughts
Follow the Southwest Georgia Network on Twitter @swganetwork.
