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What’s in store for week #4?

By MICHAEL BOYLAN
mboylan@TheCitizenNews.com

Though the region schedule has only begun for two local teams, every game tonight is a big one. The local football teams will be meeting some formidable foes on the gridiron tonight and wins over them would be very meaningful.

Tonight’s biggest game has to be Landmark Christian vs. Bowdon.

It will be a battle between the top two ranked teams in Class A as Landmark, currently ranked second in Class A, takes on the Bowdon Red Devils. The War Eagles have had three straight weeks of outstanding offensive performances while their defense has also performed very well. On paper, the two teams look very evenly matched. Landmark has outscored their opponents 105-29, while Bowdon has a 98-32 edge over their opponents. Both teams have one shutout already this year and their defenses can be both hard-hitting and stifling.

If Landmark is going to win this game and stay undefeated, they need to continue to present a balanced attack highlighted by the arm of Matt Moody, the hands of Miles King and Jimmy Edens and the feet of Trey Strickland. Their defense will also need to slow down a high-powered offense that is capable of blowing teams out.

Sandy Creek (2-0) will travel to Peachtree City to take on McIntosh (0-2). The Chiefs have had a bye week to heal any nagging injuries and to work on the things that led to a 17-0 loss at the hands of Villa Rica. Sandy Creek, which defeated Northgate 20-0 last Friday, while forcing numerous Viking turnovers, faced Villa Rica in the season opener and earned a 14-7 win.

If the Chiefs are going to win this game, they have to have a great night of blocking from their offensive line. Sandy Creek’s defense is big, strong and fast and if a line wears down, they will just keep coming. If the Patriots are going to win, quarterback Jake Turing needs to connect on his passes to his receivers and open up some running room for Khiry Battle.

Fayette County (1-2) takes on the Carrollton Trojans (3-0) on Friday night at home. The Tigers played an outstanding game against South Gwinnett last week but fell due to two costly errors. The Tiger running game has done well this season and their defense has done a great job at slowing down big, explosive offenses. They get another test this week as they take on the Trojans, who have outscored their opponents 93-29 this season. Carrolton is ranked third in AAA but Coach Webb feels the team has AAAAA size and speed.

If Fayette County is going to win, they need to continue to run the ball well and have another big night on defense, while eliminating the mistakes that stall or thwart drives.

Starr’s Mill (2-1) will travel to East Point to play the Tri-Cities Bulldogs (1-1). The Panthers got a good effort from their offense and defense last week but special team miscues once again led to breaks for their opponents. Antonio Brown had a big night rushing and Robby Davis and Greg Davis each added some good yards on the ground as well. Tri-Cities saw it all and according to some folks in the stands there was some tension as they were directed to sit in the fan’s stands.

Tri-Cities lost to Lowndes 42-0 in the opening week but got a 32-6 win over Robert E. Lee High School from Alabama last week. Coach Earwood, who didn’t know anything about the tension in the stands last week, knows that Tri-Cities is a big, fast team and the Panthers will have their work cut out for them this week.

The Whitewater Wildcats (2-0) had a week to recuperate from their overtime win over Heard County and used that week to prepare for a home game against the Carver, Atlanta Panthers (1-1). Whitewater used everything they had in the Heard game, including a fake punt. If they are going to beat a Carver team that is coming off of a 31-16 win over Therrell, they will need to hold on to the ball better. The Wildcats could’ve put Heard County away in the third quarter but saw a fumble end a scoring drive and lead to a scoring drive for their opponents. If they can hold on to the ball better and continue to run their offense well and get big defensive stops when they need one, the Wildcats should win this game.

Our Lady of Mercy (0-3) hosts the third ranked Bremen Blue Devils (3-0) on Friday night. The Bobcats have had a number of players out due to injuries and have seen close games slip away due to turnovers and costly mistakes. Coach Bill Schmitz is seeing improvement every week and hopes to see more this week as they take on one of the top teams from Class A. The Blue Devils have defeated two region 5-A teams in a row by a combined score of 69-7. They have a super offense and a stifling defense and it will take a monster effort from the Bobcats to stay close with this team. it can be done if they can control the clock with their running game and not turn the ball over with interceptions, fumbles or penalties.

All games are scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m.