Tift County Blue Devils (5-4) at Camden County Wildcats (2-6)
Series Record: Camden leads 4-1
While this Friday night's games are technically still the regular season, the Tift-Camden matchup is a playoff game. Due to a new GHSA rule, a region with just four teams is not guaranteed to get the fourth team into the state playoffs. The fourth place team in 1-AAAAAAA will have compete in a power rating system similar to that in Class A with the fifth place teams in the other regions. With only two wins, Camden would not have a chance to make the postseason, while Tift is considered the third team from the top in the power ratings. With that, the winner of the Tift-Camden game will be in the state playoffs, while the loser will get ready for basketball. This season, the Camden offense has not been the normal high-powered unit normally seen on the coast. The Wildcats are only averaging 39.5 yards per game passing, and only 177.5 yards per game rushing. Camden only has 134 points scored this season, and that includes a 67-14 win over Forest Park. Meanwhile, the Wildcats have given up 282 points on the year. Tift is averaging 133.9 yards per game rushing, and led by quarterback Griffin Collier has averaged 261.3 yards per game passing. On the year Collier has completed 149-of-245 passes for 2,329 yards. He has thrown 20 touchdown passes and has been picked off five times. His favorite receiver has been Rashod Bateman, who has 47 catches for 711 yards and four touchdowns on the year. Other leading receivers are Cameron Cobb, 36 catches for 408 yards and five touchdowns; Fred Lloyd, 27 for 513 yards and four touchdowns; and Brant Watson, 19 for 318 and six touchdowns. Brenton Jones leads the Devils in rushing with 594 yards on 127 carries with six touchdowns; while Josh Patrick has 50 rushes for 224 yards and two scores. The winner of this game will move on as the No. 3 team out of the league, and will probably play either Hillgrove or North Cobb in the first round of the state playoffs.
Irwin County Indians (6-3) at Turner County Rebels (6-3)
Series Record: Turner leads 17-15-1
While both of these schools are no longer alive for a Region 2-A football championship, there could still be a lot of football left to play for both Irwin and Turner. Just last season, the second place team from this same region, Clinch County, won the state championship, while Irwin won the region title. Currently Irwin is ranked 17th in the Class A public school power ratings, while Turner is ranked 18th. With 24 teams in the state playoffs this season, both schools are secure in their chances to play in the postseason. However, while the top eight teams will receive byes in the first round, the remaining 16 teams will play. Those games will see the ninth place team host the 24th, and so on. That means if Irwin and/or Turner can finish higher than 16th in the final power ratings, that school would host a first round state playoff game. Other than each squad's loss to Clinch County, these two teams have had little trouble in what has been a weak region this year. Besides Clinch, Irwin and Turner, Telfair is the only squad in the league with a winning record. Atkinson, Charlton, Lanier and Wilcox are a combined 6-21 on the year, and four of those wins came in games against each other. Irwin has been on a big roll, especially in its last three games. Those contests have seen the Indians outscore Lanier, Wilcox and Atkinson by a combined 189-25 score. The Indians have set school records for points scored in one game twice in that stretch, a 66-12 win over Lanier, and last week, a 70-6 victory over Atkinson. The Irwin offensive line of Lamar Thomas, Tristan Billingsley, Tyler Soliday, Andrew Marsh, Jake Fletcher, Hunter Spires and Nathan Tucker have helped the Indians rush for more than 450 yards in each of those past three games. Senior Jay Ashley led the rushers in the Atkinson game with 231 yards on just 10 carries. He also scored four times. Turner has outscored its' last two foes, Atkinson and Wilcox by a combined 92-15 score. This past Friday, the Rebels defeated Wilcox by a 59-6 margin, as Ontario Wilson was a one-man returning wrecking crew. Against Wilcox, Wilson scored touchdowns on a 75-yard punt return, a 71-yard kickoff return, and on interception returns of 34 and 74 yards. Wilson also had another 50-yard punt return for a touchdown that was called back after a penalty. Turner has put up an average of 202.4 yards per game passing, and 112.9 yards per game rushing. Quarterback Tyler Moore is 68-of-127 passing on the year for 1,396 yards, 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Top Division I prospect Tamorrion Terry has caught 24 passes for 848 yards and 15 touchdowns on the year. Wilson has added 21 catches for 486 yards and four scores. Jaden Green is the team's leading rusher with 409 yards on 67 carries with five touchdowns.
Thomasville High Bulldogs (5-3) at Fitzgerald High Purple Hurricanes (8-1)
Series Record: Thomasville leads 12-10-2
After winning just one game in 2015, Thomasville will come into Jaycee Stadium to play for the Region 1-AA championship against Fitzgerald Friday night. Both teams are unbeaten in league play, as they get together for the 25th time. Thomasville has a balanced attack, averaging 174.3 yards per game through the air, and 126.6 on the ground. The Bulldogs are led by quarterback JT Rice, who has completed 114-of-260 passes this season for 1,312 yards. He has thrown for 12 interceptions this year and 11 touchdowns. On the ground, Rice has rushed for 183 yards on 72 carries, and has scored nine touchdowns. Tori Sapp leads the team in receiving with 27 catches for 242 yards and three touchdowns. Kevon Shy has caught 25 passes for 407 yards and two scores, while Charlie Thomas has caught 11 passes for 248 yards with two touchdowns. Tan Gelin is the team's leading rusher with 534 yards on 64 carries and one touchdown. Even though the Purple Hurricanes played in the state championship game last season, Fitzgerald did not win the region title. A league championship would mean at least two home playoff games in the state playoffs for the Hurricanes. JD King went over 5,000 yards in his career in the Hurricanes' 40-7 win over Early County. This season, King has rushed for 1,061 yards and has scored 15 touchdowns on the ground. Through the air, the senior has 316 yards receiving and six more scores. Quarterback James Graham has completed 50-of-97 of his passes for 1,015 yards, with 16 touchdown passes, and only three interceptions. Other offensive leaders for the Fitzgerald team are Ethan Gordon, Montrell Harris, Damien Devine and Lectius Smith. Donterious Milsap with 71 and Josh Reliford with 64 lead the team in tackles. Willie Ross, Rhamir Bryant, Ashton Newell and Marlon Jackson are among the team's other defensive leaders.
Cook High Hornets (4-5) at Monroe High Tornadoes (2-5)
Series Record: Cook leads 2-0
In another game with playoff implications, the Cook High Hornets will be in Albany to face Monroe High in a Region 1-AAA battle. Cook was off last week and will come into the game with one in the region, 29-20 over Dougherty. That same Dougherty team gave Monroe one of its' three region losses, 21-14. A Monroe win over Cook would create a three-way tie for third and fourth in the league, and may result in a three-way Monday night football matchup to determine playoff seedings. A Cook win would seal third place and knock Monroe out of the playoff hunt. To garner that victory, the Hornets will again rely on the play of running back Brandon Doe. The junior has rushed for 1,872 yards this season on just 227 carries. He has 14 touchdowns rushing. He also has four catches for 119 yards and another score. Ladarius Durr and Jeffrey Perry are the team's leading receivers. Freshman Trae Williams is the team's quarterback.
Berrien High Rebels (4-4) at Brooks County Trojans (6-3)
Series Record: Brooks leads 31-7-1
The Berrien High Rebels have not finished with an above .500 record since 1995. A win over Brooks County Friday night would give Berrien a chance to end that streak. It would give the Rebels the third seed out of Region 1-AA, and it would end a 23-game losing streak to Brooks County. In other words, Friday is a big game for Berrien High. Three weeks ago, the Rebels would not be talked about in the same breath as Brooks, as the Trojans were 6-1 and ranked sixth in most state polls. However, the last two weeks have seen Brooks fall 40-7 to Fitzgerald and 32-13 to Thomasville. Two of the three touchdowns in those games came on a kickoff return and an interception return. Meanwhile, Berrien was defeated 42-0 by Fitzgerald, but the Rebels were competitive for most of the first quarter and actually led in team rushing at the half. Berrien bounced back last week with a 21-12 victory against Albany High. The Rebels' other two region games saw an 16-12 win over Albany and a 21-10 loss to Thomasville.
Crisp County Cougars (9-0) at Worth County Rams (6-3)
Series Record: Tied 19-19
One more region championship game is on tap in the area this week as Crisp travels down to Sylvester to face Worth County with the Region 1-AAA title on the line. The Cougars are currently unbeaten on the year and ranked in the top five in most of the state Class AAA polls. Markaviest Bryant has garnered the most attention for the Cougars. A major Division I prospect, Bryant has 60 total tackles on the year, and has 23 tackles for loss yardage, 10.5 sacks and 51 quarterback hurries. He also has two pass break-ups, two blocked punts and one fumble recovery on the year. In last week's thrilling 35-34 win over Monroe, Worth County's Chris McDaniel rushed for 140 yards, including an 86-yard touchdown run. Akenyon Bagley added an 85-yard kickoff return for another score. The winning score came on a Horace Everson-to-Lee Little 65-yard pass with 1:23 left to play. Monroe scored with 26 seconds left, but Worth stopped a two-point conversion pass attempt.
This week's Class A Power Ratings:
http://www.ghsa.net/2016-2017-ghsa-power-ratings-football
Tiftarea Academy ended its' season last Friday night with a 42-0 loss to John Milledge in the first round of the state playoffs.
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