No local game will be getting television coverage this week, but the matches are still very important for most teams and their region standings.

East Coweta Indians (2-1) vs. Mt. Zion, Jonesboro Bulldogs (3-0)

The Indians won their second game in a row last Friday with a 31-19 victory over Jackson. East Coweta did most of their damage on the ground last week with 286 yards rushing. Tim McGill rushed for 190 yards and three touchdowns, while Michael McRae rushed for 84 yards and a touchdown. Defensively, Brandon Taylor made an interception in the winning effort. Mt. Zion trailed Lovejoy in the first half but took a lead in the third quarter when they returned an interception for a touchdown. They fell behind once again but took the lead for good in the fourth quarter on a 10 yard run.

Mt. Zion is 3-0 but has made a number of errors in recent weeks. Should they make any tonight, the Indians must capitalize. The Indians also need to keep playing good defense to keep the Bulldogs off the board and the ball in their offense’s possession.

Fayette County Tigers (1-2) vs. Woodward Academy War Eagles (3-0)

The Tigers hung with Whitewater for the first half last week but gave up a lot of points in the second half. They were unable to get anything going against the Wildcat defense and gave the ball back to Whitewater very quickly.
The Tigers will need long and successful drives against the War Eagles to keep the ball out of their possession. Woodward got a region win against Northgate last week, piling up over 250 yards rushing and four rushing touchdowns. If Fayette can slow down the running game, the Tigers have a chance to pick up a big region win.

McIntosh Chiefs (0-3) @ Banneker Trojans (0-2)
Things went a little better for the Chiefs last week in their game against Westlake. They scored their first points of the season and had a lead into the second quarter of the game. Coach Dwight Jones also felt that the team played a more physical game and showed more intensity, although the effort fell off a bit in the second half. The team also got a boost from the return of Mason Davis, who rushed for 100 yards, and two interceptions from Brett Buehler.

Forcing some turnovers and capitalizing on them will be key in beating a Banneker team that is better than their record suggests. The Trojans have a very experienced offensive line, which paves the way for a balanced attack. Some players to look out for are Andrew Ramsey, a 1,000 yard rusher last year and Alfred Moreland, 85 yards rushing on offense last week and four tackles on defense.

Northgate Vikings (1-1) @ Villa Rica Wildcats (1-1)

The Vikings got a region loss last week, falling to Woodward Academy 28-24. Big players last week for Northgate were quarterback Andre Morris, who rushed for close to 100 yards and two touchdowns, and running back Derrick Brisbane, who rushed for a touchdown as well. Both players also made an impact on defense with Morris making seven tackles and Brisbane adding six. Ryan Kovacs picked up an interception. Villa Rica had a bye last week. They had lost to Calhoun 28-21 the week before and had defeated Chapel Hill 23-20 in the opening week.

Northgate should go over .500 with a balanced attack and some big plays from their senior leaders.

Our Lady of Mercy Bobcats (0-2) Vs. Towns County Indians (0-3)

The Bobcats have found ways to score this season and they have been moderately successful at running the ball as well, but errors have proved costly. A near perfect game could give Our Lady of Mercy a win tonight and Towns County is a team that has had their own share of struggles this year. The Indians have yet to score this season. They lost 26-0 to Andrews, N.C., 48-0 to Union County and 57-0 to Hayesville, N.C. last week. Both teams will want this win very badly and it should be a close and competitive match.

Starr’s Mill Panthers (2-1) @ Westlake Lions (2-1)

The Panthers got off to a bad start last week against Creekside, falling behind 28-0 by the half. Things got worse when it was discovered that running back Brandon Witta’s ankle injury will keep him out of the line-up for several weeks. Starr’s Mill also doesn’t expect running back Greg Davis to return to the field for awhile either. The injuries have set-up a sort of domino effect, forcing some players to change positions and try to keep a consistent offense going.

According to head coach Mike Earwood, the Panther defense has played fairly well all year. He will need another good performance from them tonight if they are to get a region win. Westlake has a big quarterback in Cameron Newton and Newton’s supporting cast is fast, athletic and talented. The Lions scored 33 straight points on McIntosh last week after a slow start. Starr’s Mill is hoping to create some turnovers and put some points up early.

Whitewater Wildcats (2-1) @ Creekside Seminoles (3-0)

Starr’s Mill didn’t have an answer to Eric Berry until the second half of last week’s 28-13 loss. Whitewater is hoping to slow him down before he can do too much damage tonight. The Wildcats had a bit of a slow start themselves last week but played a much better second half. Quarterback Jay Bright aired it out a bit to receivers Cody Haralson and Jerrod Richardson last week, which could be a good sign, as Starr’s Mill found some success with short passes in last week’s game. A key to victory for Whitewater will be sustaining drives and keeping the ball out of Berry’s hands. Creekside has other weapons though, one of which is a stout and speedy defense that puts a lot of pressure on opposing offenses.

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