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Panthers and Chiefs hope to continue winning momentum

By MICHAEL BOYLAN
mboylan@TheCitizenNews.com

Though the inclement weather was gone by last Friday, very few teams played their games at their regularly scheduled times. The games scheduled for this Friday should go as planned and for several teams, things are going so well, that they can’t wait to get back on the field.

In region 4-AAAAA, Starr’s Mill, 1-0 in the region and 5-0 overall, will host Lovejoy (2-2). The Panthers had several early turnovers in their win over Union Grove last week and coach Mike Earwood and his team know that they will have to eliminate mistakes if they want to stay undefeated in the region. Lovejoy has won two games in a row and are a big, athletic team that Earwood feels looks similar to Lovejoy teams of the past. Earwood was impressed with his team coming from behind, especially the performance from the defense which stepped it up after Union Grove tied the game.

“I think that was one of the best games Carter Scurry has ever played,” said Earwood, who also gave credit to Ben Griffin and Justin Dupont.

Players to watch: Sean O’Brien and Carter Scurry

Fayette County (0-5) lost to Newnan 14-0 last week, after losing to Carrollton 14-0 the week before. The Tigers have been playing better on both sides of the ball but haven’t been able to pus the ball into the endzone. This week, the Tigers will celebrate homecoming and will host Union Grove (3-2). If the Tigers are able to put a complete game together, they could surprise Union Grove and capture an important region win.

Players to watch:

In region 4-AAAA, McIntosh (2-2) will take their team on the road to face Lithia Springs (2-3). The Chiefs got a 34-13 win over Alexander last week and got two touchdowns and 50 yards rushing from Jamael Owens, 70 yards rushing and a touchdown from Tyson Sandlin and 150 yards rushing and a touchdown from Charles Castleberry. Coach Butch Prosser also gave credit to the entire defense for an outstanding performance.

“Our defense only allowed one first down last week,” said Prosser. We just shut them down.”

There was some bad news for the Chiefs though as they lost Drew Webb, who was spelling quarterback Brendan Hall, to a torn ACL. Webb is likely out for the year.

Lithia Springs has a quick defense and a solid ground attack. Their two wins this year have come against Chapel Hill, 31-19 and Haralson County, 20-19. The Chiefs will have to have another great game from their running backs and their defense to pick up their second consecutive region win.

Players to watch: Jamael Owens, the McIntosh defense.

Sandy Creek (4-0) will have their homecoming this Friday but their opponent, Douglas County, won’t make for an easy win. The Patriots found themselves down early last week, 9-0, but rebounded in a big way to secure a 49-12 win over Chapel Hill. Sandy Creek got touchdowns from Reggie Ellington, Jamal Rome, Ishmael Gordon, Corbin Miles, David Brooks and Angelo Garibaldi. The defense, which stepped up after faltering early, got good performances from Brian Brown, Michael Anderson and Rickey Nicholson.

Players to watch: Ishmael Gordon, Michael Anderson

Whitewater (3-1) got a 35-8 win over North Oconee last week and are hoping to add another ‘W’ after playing Dutchtown (1-3) tonight. The Wildcats have outscored their opponents 119-47 this season and have received consistent performances from several players on both sides of the ball. Quarterback Jay Bright has done a good job of leading the offense, which has numerous threats, including Blake Underwood, Ryan Johnson, Kurdice Neal and Tavarez Dixon. The defense has been very stout for Whitewater, which has received good performances week in and week out from Dustin Davis, Jonathan Jaurigue and Jonathan Bringuel among others.

Players to watch: Blake Underwood, Nick Price

In region 5-A, Landmark Christian (1-4) got shutout by Bremen, 35-0 last week but the War Eagles expect things to turn around now that they are beginning their region schedule. Their opponent tonight will be Mt. Zion, Carrollton (0-5). Mt. Zion fell to Athens Christian last week 41-14 and has only scored 52 points this season.

Players to watch:

Our Lady of Mercy (0-5) has one more week before they begin play in their region and their opponent this week, Bowdon (3-2), will be tough. The Bobcats lost to Aquinas 43-8 last week but will continue to play tough and hope that their unrelenting non-region schedule prepares them for the final stretch of the season.

Players to watch: Jason Bryant, Brett Bartles