Wednesday, August 27, 2003
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Wednesday, August 27, 2003 |
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Football in full swing this weekend
By MONROE
ROARK
Local high school fans ready for some football will get their wish earlier than ever before, every team in the county will have a game under its belt before Sept. 1. By the time the Starr's Mill Panthers take the field Saturday at the Georgia Dome to face Brookwood in the 5:30 p.m. installment of the Corky Kell Classic, they will be the last local team to open the regular season. Before last year, the Classic was played a week before all other games. This will be the fourth straight year the Panthers get to take the field at the Dome, after reaching the state semifinals in 2000 and two previous Corky Kell Classic appearances. They downed Dacula 24-7 in last year's game. But the Atlanta Falcons' home field remains a goal for every team, as the state semifinals will once again be played there in early December. To get there, a team need only win most of its regular-season games and three straight playoff games. The 10-game regular season will be spread out over 12 weeks, with each team getting two bye weeks to rest the aches and pains. Landmark Christian's War Eagles will be the final local team to complete its regular season, with a Nov. 14 date against Mt. Zion of Carroll County on a weekend that finds all other local squads with a bye. There is are no region matchups in the season's first week. Friday night's action includes the Fayette County Tigers hosting Douglas County, the McIntosh Chiefs hitting the road to play Eagle's Landing, Landmark at home against Cross Keys, and Pacelli Catholic coming to town to face Our Lady of Mercy. The Sandy Creek Patriots being their season the following week, with a Sept. 5 game at Fayette County. Three of the county's four high schools Fayette County, McIntosh and Starr's Mill are in Region 4-AAAAA, which means that all three will play each other. Starr's Mill capped off its 2002 regular season with a 28-20 win over Fayette County to claim the inaugural Rock Trophy and the region championship. Coach Mike Earwood's Panthers went on to a 41-7 win over Tift County in the first round of the state playoffs before falling 28-21 to Northside-Warner Robins in the second round and finishing the season with a 9-3 record. The Tigers closed out 2002 at 2-8 with wins over McIntosh and Sandy Creek. They start 2003 with a new head coach, as Tommy Webb comes on board after more than a decade of coaching and much success in Clayton County. McIntosh, under head coach Butch Prosser, won its season opener in 2002 over Eagle's Landing, this year's opening game opponent, before going on to compile a 1-9 record. After next week's Fayette County-Sandy Creek matchup, the next intracounty game is scheduled for Oct. 10, when the Tigers face the Chiefs at McIntosh. The Chiefs host Starr's Mill Oct. 24, and the Panthers host the Tigers Nov. 7. Other schools in Region 4-AAAAA include Carver-Columbus, East Coweta, Lovejoy, Newnan and Riverdale. Mundy's Mill, in its second year of existence, is playing a nonregion schedule. In Region 4-AAAA, coach Rodney Walker's Sandy Creek squad rebounded from a 1-2 start to win six out of its nex seven, making the state playoffs before bowing out with a 42-17 loss to Ware County in the first round in Waycross. The Patriots will fight for this year's region title against Alexander, Chapel Hill, Douglas County, Forest Park, Lithia Springs, North Clayton, Northgate, Pebblebrook and Woodward Academy. Two local schools Landmark and Our Lady of Mercy are on the Region 5-A roster, along with Bowdon, Heard County, Mt. Zion-Carrollton and Whitefield Academy. The War Eagles and the Bobcats square off Nov. 7 at Our Lady or Mercy. Landmark rolled through most of the season unbeaten until a 21-0 loss to Lincoln County in the second round of the state playoffs brought an 11-1 season to an end. Our Lady of Mercy finished the 2002 campaign with a 2-8 mark, which included wins over Whitefield and Walker. The county's newest high school, Whitewater, began its junior varsity schedule last week and will play on the road against Luella, another new high school in Henry County, Friday night.
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