By Steve Carter
It's a busy week of games in the area as the regular season winds down.
Tift County at Colquitt County
Series Record: Colquitt leads 24-16
Game: Tift County is winless in Region 1-AAAAAA, and will need a lot of help for a chance to make the state playoffs for the second straight season. However, they could play a party pooper to the host Colquitt County Packers Friday night in Moultrie. Since losing in the state semifinals in 2013 to Norcross, Colquitt has won 23 straight games including the state championship in 2014. The Blue Devils of Tift could also end a six-game losing streak to Colquitt as Tift's last win came in 2008, 37-30. Colquitt defeated Tift 62-21 last year in Tifton. Side note here: Former Colquitt County standout Sherard Reynolds is an assistant coach at Tift, while former Devil star Israel Troupe is an assistant coach at Colquitt.
Tiftarea Academy at Terrell Academy
Series Record: Terrell leads 15-9
Game: Tiftarea closes out a season of almosts Friday in Dawson against Terrell Academy. The Panthers have no chance to make the postseason having won only one game this season. However, coach Tully Payne's Panthers have been in almost every contest this year, including last week's 26-14 loss at Southland. Terrell is 5-5 on the year, but is in the midst of a three-game losing streak. One of those losses was 41-0 at Valwood, which defeated Tiftarea 28-14 earlier this season.
Berrien High at Fitzgerald High
Series Record: Fitzgerald leads 29-5-2
Game: After a 41-21 loss to Seminole last week that all but eliminated them from state playoff consideration, the Berrien High Rebels travel up to road to Fitzgerald Friday. After a heartbreaking loss to Brooks County, Fitzgerald responded last week with a 35-14 win at Pelham to get back in the winning column. Berrien will have to figure out how to slow the Fitzgerald Dynamic Duo of James Graham and JD King.
Cook High is off this week. They are currently third in the Region 1-AAA Division A standings and appears to be set to play Jenkins in Savannah Nov. 6 in the 1-AAA playoffs.
Irwin County at Atkinson County
Series Record: Irwin leads 26-7-1
Game: After defeating Atkinson twice last year, once in the regular season and second in the state playoffs, the Irwin County Indians will travel to Pearson to face Atkinson in a key Region 2-A contest Friday. Irwin is still alive in the region race even after losing to Charlton earlier this season. However to maintain pace, the Indians need to pull off another win over Atkinson. As of now, the region could come down to the last game of the year when Irwin hosts Turner. Charlton is at Clinch this week, if Clinch were to defeat Charlton, it would give them two league losses. That would also mean if Irwin defeats Atkinson and Turner to end the season, the Indians would win the region.
Wilcox County at Turner County
Series Record: Turner leads 22-14-2
Game: Like Irwin County, the Rebels of Turner County are still very much in the race for the Region 2-A title, even after a loss to Clinch two weeks ago. But, like Irwin, Turner can't afford a slip up this week against visiting Wilcox County. Also like Irwin, Turner will also have a close eye on the Charlton-Clinch contest, but Turner will be pulling for Charlton to give Clinch its' second league loss of the year. That would give the Rebels, ranked first in this week's state Class A Power Ratings, the region title with wins over Wilcox and Irwin to end the year.
Note: A region title would guarantee either Irwin or Turner at least one and probably two home games in the state playoffs.
Worth County at Thomas County Central
Series Record: TCC leads 21-10-1
Game: Worth faces a huge test Friday on the road at Thomas County Central. Worth is second Region 1-AAAA Division B, while TCC is first in the league's Division A. A win guarantees Worth a home game in the region playoffs Nov. 6.
Standings for leagues across the state:
http://www.ghsa.net/2015-ghsa-football-standings
This week's Class A Power Ratings:
http://www.ghsa.net/2015-ghsa-power-ratings-class-a-football
