week 5

So I am in a bit of a slump here
I mean everyone misses some games but some of my picks have been awful
Maybe worse than awful
I start by saying I have no idea why I picked Stratford to beat Fellowship Christian. My faith in Mark Fariba was just too strong.
I don't know why I picked Central over Northeast. That was another stupid pick
So I find myself at 37-11 which is highly unacceptable and no doubt I need to have some really good weeks coming up.
This week is difficult and I have only 10 games because a lot of locals are off. NO Jones County, no FPD and no Howard.
I really only had nine games to pick but I added a gimme game of local teams. I have to win something don't I ?

ABSOLUTE GAME OF THE WEEK
Northside vs Warner Robins
This is the biggest game of the week every year because over 10,000 people are going to be at this game. Records don't matter and Northside can give WRHS a challenge. They will want to run the football with Mason Ford while the Demons will throw it with Addie and Marcayll. Who will be able to stop each other ? Since one of these is where I graduated from and I grew up hating blue and orange , I will go with the Demons
WRHS 31 Northside 21

Northeast at Bleckley
I think I have lost on Northeast every single time. The Raiders are 2-2 and Bleckley is 3-1 and this is a huge region game for both teams. Northeast had a quarterback who can throw the ball, as evidenced by his 300 yards of passing in their win over Central and Deondre Duehart has three 100 yards games already with nine touchdowns. It will be a tough one and a close one but Northeast gets it done
Northeast 23 Bleckley 20

Stratford at MDS
I would be shocked if I picked Stratford to win again this year. They are very small and lacking at skill positions and not even a great coaching staff and gritty players will find many more wins this year. Meanwhile the Cavaliers are loaded with Dexter Williams and Josiah Cotton in the backfield. Both of these young men are 200 pounds plus, and not many teams in class A can deal with that size.
Stratford surely wont on Friday night
MDS 34 Stratford 13

Central vs Jackson
Central is getting better as evidenced by a great game against Southwest. But Central lacks any kind of consistency as evidenced by the thrashing they took at the hands of Northeast. Jackson is a pretty good football team and they need a win right now.
Jackson 37 Central 7

Westfield vs John Milledge
Bruce Lane is back in Georgia and it has not been a warm welcome so far. He is 0-4 so far and it wont get any better on Friday as John Milledge handles them easily.
JMA 44 Westfield 7

Tattnall Square vs Twiggs County
Another game that doesn't seem to be close. Tattnall needs a win and they will get that win on the road
Tattnall 36 Twiggs 13

Westside-Rutland
Westside gets healthy and Rutland isn't there yet
Westside 48 Rutland 6

Perry - Veterans
Veterans beat HOCO last week and nobody expected that. The Warhawks are pretty damn good and Perry , at this time aren't really good
Veterans 26 Perry 14

Kendrick -Peach County
Lets just say 41-0 peach

Southwest - Dodge
I want Joe Dupree to win this football game against a 1-3 teams but I just don't think they can. Dodge has played great competition so far and they are ready for another win
Dodge 27 SW 13

Smells like a perfect week to me

week number four

What a great weekend of high school football it was and even though it hurt my overall record for the year, it strengthened my knowledge of really who is a pretender and who is a contender.
My 7-5 record puts me at 29-7 which puts me somewhere in the 80 percent area.
Nope not good enough
I have 11 games picked out this week and I guess I need to win at least 10 of them to get things going again. Remember I do post my winning and losing percentage because well, the other people don't. I am not competing against them because in all reality, I am better than them lol. I may be teasing or maybe I am not.
Remember my typical line which is "I have forgotten more sports than you will ever even know"
Now on with the picks

Veterans takes on HOCO
HOCO beating Peach last week makes HOCO for real for real good. I mean very few teams go to Peach County and finds a way to beat them. Lets remember Lee County came to Fort Valley and got whooped and I thought HOCO would have the same thing happen. Nope HOCO wasn't scared.
I also thought Veterans was really good and they lost last week on the road to what must be a very good football team.
Veterans will want to rebound against a huge rival but I don't think Max Rigby and his 930 yards of passing will let that happen.
It will be a good one
HOCO 32 Veterans 26

Brookstone takes on FPD
I thought FPD was pretty down this year but then they go on the road and get a win. They have been able to run the ball a little bit and the quarterback play has continued to improve. I think FPD will be fine playing against schools their size.
FPD 30 Brookstone 20

Jackson plays Howard
Jackson is good, Howard is good, and my only question is can Paul Carroll keep his team motivated to play yet another tough football team. The running back combo of Kelly and Meadows is for real with over 1200 total yards combined in four games and Jaylon Clark continues to improve a s a passing threat.
Howard 28 Jackson 26

Baldwin plays Northside
Coach Hicks at Baldwin does not mind losing the first five games against great competition and then flying through the region. At least I hope that is his plan.
Northside 27 Baldwin 14

Southwest plays Lee County
Last year when Joe Dupree talked at the Macon Touchdown Club he said his team was preparing to play the University of Lee County and unfortunately that's what he has this weekend. Southwest will compete but they cant win this game
Lee County 41 Southwest 7

Woodland plays Jones County
and will wish that they didn't. This one is a stat builder for the Hounds
JOnes Co 43 Woodland 14

Central plays Northeast
How the hell am I supposed to pick this game when either team can win or either team can lose, not to mention both of them have great bands. Geezzzz ok I know both teams are improving greatly but Central is a bit more on the verge of winning than Northeast. Its going to be a fun game.
Central 33 Northeast 30

Fellowship Christian against Stratford
It is our DSBN game of the week and I will be there , so I cannot pick against the Eagles because they will boo me. Stratford is coming off of a nice win and lets go ahead and give them two in a row.
Stratford 20 Fellowship 17

Peach against Mary Persons
Chad Campbell does not lose two straight games ever. Did you hear me Chad Campbell will not lose two game in a row. That's a bad break for Mary Persons
Peach 31 MP 21

MDS- Greene County
I picked it last week because I thought that's when they played. They would've won last week and they will win this week by even more
MDS 34 Greene 6

WRHS goes to Colquitt
Nothing really to say about this game except it will be a war and it is a war that both teams will be ready for. I just have to go with the home team


A quick look at our top 13 offensive players in Middle Georgia

1. Hunter Costlow-Jones County- almost 1100 yards of passing in four wins so far
2. Jaylon Barden- Westside-132 yards recieiving per game
3.Max Rigby-HOCO- Led team to huge win over Peach County- 930 yards passinf already with 9 touchdowns
4. Jeremiah Kelly- Howard- over 100 yards in every game this year
5. Jontavis Robertson- 21 catches for 388 yards
6.Dexter Williams- MDS- Best dual threat quarterback in the area
7.Victor Gibson-Westside- 934 yards passing and 9 touchdown
8-Marcayll Jones-WRHS- 14 catches 202 yards coming off a subpar game
9-NOah Whittington- Peach County- Big game against Mary Persons on Friday
10-Javarsia Meadows- 629 yards of offense this season
11-Jayden Gibson- Peach County- quarterback once again putting up big numbers
12-Malik Wooten- Jones County- 440 yards as a pass catcher
13-Jalen Addie-WRHS- 613 yards passing and 141 rushing
Colquitt 24 WRHS 23

Picks of the week

I lost a game last week
I know that's hard to believe but you know, I went with Lee County over Peach which I thought was a safe pick considering how good Lee County has been over the years.
I didn't know Peach was that damn good
SO I am sitting at 21-1
I will take that for sure, but this week is going to be much much tougher. But as fearless game pickers always do, I attack and get after it.
GAME OF THE WEEK
Peach County vs HOCO
Nobody would have thought much about this game at the beginning of the year but HOCO is all of a sudden a very good football team. We will see exactly how good they are this weekend as they get Peach County and Noah Whittington. Max Rigby has turned the corner as a quarterback and HOCO will play well, but this is football powerhouse Peach County.
Peach 34 HOCO 20

SECOND GAME OF THE WEEK
Westside vs Howard
Oh my god what a game this should be. Howard is going to run the football and Westside is going to pass the football and 95 percent of the time, so I guess the logical thing to do to pick the team that runs the football the most with Kelly and Meadows. So my pick is
Spoon getting a win with the passing game
Weatside 31 Howard 27

Jones County vs Union Grove
Jones County is real good and Union Grove is real average. Costlow to those receivers all night long
Jones County 47 Union Grove 20

Veterans vs Statesboro
Veterans gets tested but wins for the fourth straight weekend
Veterans 24 Stateboro 20

Tattnall Square vs Lincoln County
I have no idea who to pick in this game. Lincoln has played two teams from out of state so I have no clue if they are any good at night. Tattnall has looked great offensively so far and I think that will continue, but Lincoln County is at home. This is one of those pick-em games
Tattnall 31 Lincoln 28

Baldwin - WRHS
The Jesse Hicks will lose the first five games of the year and then win out in the region to make the playoffs is in full effect
WRHS 36 Baldwin 13

Holy Innocents- Rutland
I want Rusty Easom to win this football game for a home win but unfortunately I don't think the Canes are quite ready.
Holy Innocents 27 Rutland 13

Monroe-Perry
Perry gets a second win in this game and the Panthers start to heat up
Perry 34 Monroe 14

Northside- Whitewater
Northside finally finds a team they can beat up and get their first win of the season
Northside 36 Whitewater 13


other winners
Southwest over Central- yes I know it was Thursday but I announced my pick on the DSBN broadcast last night so I am claiming this as a win
MDS over Greene County 36-6
gee that's 11 and I have two more to pick so I will go 13 this week

Stratford gets a tough win over Washington Wilkes 16-13
FPD falls to Hancock Central in another close game 24-21

top 25 offensive threats

I am crazy for writing this blog talking about the top 25 offensive threats on a football field in Macon
I open myself up for criticism across the board to be honest but I guess I feel like its more important to get kids names in print, even if it is just through a blog.
Will I miss some kids ? No doubt I will
Will I rank differently than others ? Sure I will because I am going to rank on what they mean to the team and what they have done so far this year.
I am ranking 25 offensive threats in the Middle Georgia area. If I miss someone let me know. If you don't agree let me know. I like positive or negative feedback.
I tried my best to involve as many schools as possible because hey everyone likes mentions
25)Vansean Jackson - The Westside running back has to give the Seminoles yards because no team can pass every play. Westside had that mix last year and it led to a great year. Jackson has delivered so far in a smaller way, averaging around 70 yards per game. I expect his carries to go up as teams make Westside run the football

24)Hunter Alexander- In case you were wondering who would replace four year starter Miles Morris at quarterback for Tattnall Square, we have found out the answer and that is Alexander. While Morris was a master at running the wing-t, Alexander is straight athlete who can run and pass. He had four rushing touchdowns in the last game and also threw the ball 10 times. Tattnall will score points this year and Alexander is a big key

23)Travion Searcy- This kid is small , I mean I am betting 135 pounds but I saw him play against Westside and he is not scared to sit in the pocket and show off that rifle of an arm. He is only a sophomore so watch out for this guy , who gets to learn from head coach Joe Dupree, who by the way still ranks as one of the top quarterbacks ever to come out of Macon. Southwest is primed to have a solid year with Searcy running the show.

22)Tijah Woolfolk- Peach County is loaded and Woolfolk has already rushed for 176 yards in two games.

21)Andrew Carner- Jones County is loaded also and have showed that so far this year. Everyone knows they want to chunk it but Carner has showed everyone that he is more than capable of gaining yards on the ground with 272 yards and four touchdowns. I just want to know who beats this team.

20)Jaylon Clark- He is Howard's new quarterback and he offers a great run/ pass option for the Huskies offense. Howard if off to a 2-1 record so far and will have to be very good to get a win over Westside. It has been a few years, actually many years, since Macon has had so many good quarterbacks. This kid looks the part and has great skill players around him so it could be a very interesting year for the Huskies.

19)Travion Solomon- The Northeast quarterback has also been impressive early in the year with 325 yards passing

18)Malik Wooten-I really don't know where Jones County gets all these athletes from . I mean its a small town and all of a sudden they have all these guys who can play d1 football. Malik Wooten can fly and he already has 387 yards receiving and four touchdowns. Someone will have to stop this offense or score 55 to beat them because the Hounds proved what they are capable of when they pounded Northside.

17)Mason Ford _ Northside is off to a slow start but Ford has already gained 410 yards and scored six times. Don't worry about the Eagles . They will probably fight back and make the playoffs. If they don't its time for a change.

16)Blake Ethridge- Mr. Ethridge is the new signal caller at Veterans and they are off to a quick 3-0 start. He has 349 yards and two touchdown through the air and has added another 56 on the ground. Watch out for the Warhawks this season

15)Enrico Harden- He has the reigns of the Mary Persons offense and has responded well with over 400 yards of offense in three games for the Bulldogs

14)Wes Allen- First of all he could start for any team in this area. He runs hard and is the leader of a Tattnall team that will surprise some people this year. He put up 162 yards rushing against a very good Trinity Sharpsburg team and I am sure those numbers will continue to grow.

13)Jalen Addie- Warner Robins doesn't have a Fromm at quarterback but Jalen Addie is pretty good. The Demons are 2-0 and Addie has 349 yards passing with five touchdowns and also has 87 yards rushing. Warner Robins wont miss Mike Chastain this year and will just continue to win.

12)Jaydon Gibson- I saw him in his first varsity start last year againt Northside and he beat them and he has just continued to beat people on a regular basis. Peach County is for real and Gibson is one of the main reasons with 370 yards passing and three touchdowns in the first two games.

11)Julian Barnes- Veterans can always run and throw and this is the running back that makes things go. The Warhawks are 3-0 and Barnes has already carried the ball 62 times and gained 371 yards.

10)Noah Whittington- The area is loaded obviously and Whittington will probably be moving up the list as Peach County gets into some competition. The Western Kentucky commit has put up cose to 250 yars of rushing/receiving numbers in two games and hos versatility will be a huge plus for the team.

9)Jeremiah Kelly- Explosive, elusive, quick, tough, physical are just a few of the things that describe the Howard senior running back. I have been watching this guy since he was a sophomore and he never has disappointed . He is one of the main reasons that that Huskies will make a playoff run. He has had issues staying healthy but lets hope he can have an injury free year.

8)Javarsia Meadows - The second (or first) part of the Howard running backs. This kid can flat out play and he is dangerous as a runner and pass catcher. I saw him go over 100 yards rushing and receiving in a game this year. He is a little bigger than Kelly, but runs hard and looks quick in pads.

7)Max Rigby- Imagine having to replace Jake Fromm and then getting hurt in his very first start as a sophomore. All of that is now forgotten and Rigby is collecting college offers and winning football games as HOCO is 3-0 on the season heading into a huge game with Peach County this weekend.

6)Dexter Williams - Mount de Sales has a senior quarterback who has the chance to lead his team deep into the playoffs and they have to be considered the favorite to win the region. He is maybe the best dual threat guy in the area and he has already committed to the University of Indiana. MDS was the favorite last year and didn't get it done. This is their year. Williams in two games has 159 yards rushing and 397 yards passing with five touchdowns.

5)Marcayll Jones- A record breaking receiver from last year comes in at number five mainly because he is breaking in a new quarterback and has 12 catches for 192 yards. These numbers will sky rocket throughout the year. He is a University of Memphis commit.

4)Victor Dixon-Dixon is getting D1 offers and he isn't hurting himself on the field with his performance. He has thrown for 785 yards in three games with eight touchdowns. He has the size to be a true drop back passer but has shown the ability to tuck and go a little more this year than in the past.

3)Jontavis Robertson- The man has 14 or more offers and a lot of them are D1 schools He is just another piece of the explosion in the Jones County offense. Robertson has already has 334 yards of receiving
and 19 catches and is poised for a monster year. He already has a Tennessee offer on the table and good things will continue to come his way

2) Jaylon Barden- Westside wide-out who has all the intangibles to be a great next level player. He has played three games this year and already has 22 catches and 442 yards of receiving and six touchdowns
He and Dixon have great chemistry and are the offensive leaders on a very very good football team.

1)Hunter Costlow- Is he undersized ? Yes he is. Is he a system quarterback ? He probably is. Is he a winner ? Oh yes he is. Can he play college football ? Why yes he can . Costlow is putting up video game numbers as a senior with 930 yards of passing in only three games and that includes 11 touchdowns . He has thrown only one interception so far. This kid is a football players and he has great numbers over his career. He will get his chance somewhere, that I promise you

So that's it , 25 of the best offensive players in the area. I hope you enjoy readin and go see a high school game this week . I know I will

yes that was 11-0

So Perfection is pretty sweet.
I picked upsets and they worked I picked sure things and they worked and as the scores came in I realized that I had not missed a game.
I mean I picked the Rutland game right, a team that had lost forever won and I picked it.
Guts of a burglar in a police parking lot.
Wisdom of a man much older than me
More knowledge in my head for useless knowledge of sports than most people will ever have
OK now I will go 3-8 this week, but I don't think so . I think I have a keen feeling for most of these local football teams.

Lets look at facts right now
WRHS is good and Marcayll Jones will still put up big numbers with Jalen Addie at quarterback
Westside has the most explosive combo of the year with Victor Dixon and Jaylon Barden
Howard has the best running back combo in the area with Jeremiah Kelly and Javarsia Meadows and a pretty good quarterback in Jaylon Clark.
Houston County has Max Rigby and a 2-0 record

I could go on and on but I don't want to use all my good stuff right now.
So lets get to the games

GAME OF THE WEEK

Well you pretty much have to go to Peach County for this one as they play Lee County. Chad Campbell is one of the best coaches in the areas and he has a very good football team. But wwe are talking Lee County, who has 120 people on the team and has been winning a lot of football games over the last few years.
I cant pick Peach County this week although I may pick them every other week of the season
Lee Couunty 24 Peach 20

SECOND GAME OF THE WEEK
Northide vs Jones County
Mike Chastain has his quarterback in Hunter Costlow, who may as well be a Fromm with the numbers he puts up. Jones County will score points and Northside is still a bit iffy when it comes to scoring points. I catch hell every time I pick against the Eagles and their fans feel like I don't really like them. I married a Northside grad but that does not mean I will pick them to win when they are going to lose. I think Northside will make the playoffs barely but going to Jones County is a tall task for anyone these days
Jones County 30 Northside 23

THE OUCH GAME
ACE V Lamar County
ACE is coming off of a win against a smaller school but this week they move up a notch and play undefeated Lamar County. ACE is trending in the right direction but a win is not on the schedule this week. Lamar County 38 ACE 13

FUN GAME OF THE WEEK
Perry vs Westside
Westside will score a lot of points but Westside has also given up a lot of points. Points make football fun right ? Unfortunately for Perry, Westside will score way more points than Perry this week.
Dixon to Barden goes off again
Westside 38 Perry 23

Morrow- Mary Persons
Mary Persons lost the first game of the season so I can pretty much count on them not losing again until much later. this is an easy one. Enrico Harden leads the way to a win.
Mary Persons 34 Morrow 17

Stratford vs George Walton
I want Stratford to win this game but I cant pick Stratford to win this game
George Walton 24 Stratford 14

FPD- Mount Vernon
Imagine a 4:45 game on Friday afternoon when it is supposed to be about 97 degrees against a team that passes more than it runs. It is really a tough situation for the Vikings to be in .
Once again I want them to win but I just don't think they will
Mount Vernon 33 FPD 20

Macon County- Southwest
I love Travion Searcy as the new Southwest quarterback even though he is pencil thin. He can throw the football and he will throw the football. I look for Southwest to get a win this week
Southwest 23 Macon County 16

Central- Howard
Central is improved and Howard may not be quite as good as last year. Then again Howard may be better than they were last year but I am just not sure of that yet. Kelly and Meadows run wild in what will be a fun game to watch
Howard 31 Central 22

Trinity Christian Sharpsburg- Tattnall Square
Trinity basically beat the snot out of Tattnall a year ago and why should I believe it wont happen again ? Tattnall is definitely unproven after their first game but they showed signs og being a decent football team that will be able to run the football. Can they stop anyone though ? We will see this weekend
Trinity 35 Tattnall 26

Rutland vs HOCO
Rutland is sky high after getting a win and I am very happy for them. They have some good athletes and I feel like the future is way better than the past but Rome was not built in a day. Max Rigby my friends , remember that name.
HOCO 48 Rutland 12

Lets see how these 11 do