Things didn’t go very well for the football teams from Fayette County last week and while East Coweta picked up a region win and Our Lady of Mercy snapped a 13 game losing streak, Northgate faced a non-region opponent and lost. Everybody is hoping for a good result tonight and some momentum heading into the final half of the season.

East Coweta Indians (3-1) @ Paulding County Patriots (1-3)

That 35-7 loss to Buford in the opening week seems so long ago. Since that game, the Indians are averaging over 37 points per game on offense and are allowing an average of only 14. Tim McGill and Michael Mcrae are leading the way for East Coweta and coaches and fans have to be happy that the team didn’t roll over when trailing Mt. Zion at the half last week. The Indians finished strong and would like to start their region schedule by scoring early and often.

Paulding County picked up their first win last week, a 20-14 victory over Heritage. The Patriots are giving up an average of just over 29 points per game and are only scoring an average of 14 points per game.

Fayette County Tigers (1-3) @ Northgate Vikings (1-2)

The Tigers fell to Woodward Academy in a very close game last Friday, 29-22, so they know that they can score. It is just a matter of shutting down the big plays now and not getting beat late. Northgate’s offense was considerably slowed down by Villa Rica and some late touchdown runs led to the 23-6 loss. The Vikings created numerous turnovers in the game but couldn’t capitalize on them and turn them into points. Fayette County will need to avoid the turnovers if they are to pick up their first region win, while Northgate must get its offense back on track if they are to win.

Landmark Christian War Eagles (2-1) vs. Bremen Blue Devils (2-2)

There is no love lost between these two teams. Bremen has defeated Landmark the past two years and has scored 35 points in each game. Both teams enter this game having lost their last game and both would like a win to get back on track. Landmark fell to Pacelli in a close game the week before last and they have had a week to stew about that loss and a week to prepare for their old foe. Bremen fell to Darlington 24-22 last week. The loss followed wins against Whitefield Academy (35-24) and Central, Carroll (14-7). Bremen lost to Heard County 18-17 to start the season. For the War Eagles to win, they cannot give up the big runs that the Blue Devils have racked up on them in the past. The Landmark offense also must remain as balanced as it has all season. This game has all the makings of a classic and could be one of the best ever in this series.

Our Lady of Mercy Bobcats (1-2) @ Mt. Zion, Carroll Eagles (0-4)

The monkey that grew into a gorilla that lived on the Bobcats’ back is now gone. Our Lady of Mercy snapped a losing streak dating back to the 2004 season and got a 12-8 win over Towns County. It wasn’t always pretty, but they got the job done. Now they know what it takes to win and they will need a better effort this week if they are going to make it two in a row. They will need to avoid turning the ball over, especially after creating one of their own, and they will need to move the ball better and put points on the board in the second half. The Eagles were 5-6 last year and defeated the Bobcats 21-6 when they were region opponents. This year, they have scored a total of 20 points and have allowed 132 points. This week is a test for the Bobcats. Will they forget about the glory of last Friday and focus on this game and getting even better?

Sandy Creek Patriots (3-0) vs. Villa Rica Wildcats (2-1)

The Patriots had a bye week last week to get ready for the start of their region schedule. Thus far, they have posted two shutouts and are averaging over 28 points per game on offense. They have a balanced attack with strong running and a solid passing game and their defensive front has dominated opposing line-ups. Villa Rica is averaging over 22 points per game on offense and is giving up over 18 points per game. Sandy Creek needs to continue being dominant on defense and eat up a lot of clock with their offense to start their region schedule with a victory.

Starr’s Mill Panthers (2-2) vs. Banneker (2-2)
You have to go back to the 2003 season to find a time when the Panthers had dropped two games in a row. They also lost three consecutive games that season and you can bet that Coach Mike Earwood and his team want to avoid repeating that this year. Starr’s Mill played well last week but not well enough to defeat Westlake, despite Robby Davis looking Eric Berry like as he rolled up 322 yards of offense with 151 yards passing and two touchdowns and 171 yards rushing and two touchdowns. A performance like that should beat Banneker, but the Panthers’s defense must avoid giving up the big plays and the offense needs to continue to see players step up in the absence of running backs Greg Davis and Brandon Witta. Both players are week to week and are not expected to play in this game. Banneker beat McIntosh 23-16 in overtime last week and they have some real standouts on their defense that could make things difficult for the Starr’s Mill offense.

Whitewater Wildcats (2-2) vs. Westlake Lions (2-2)

The Wildcats hung with Creekside for most of their game last Friday but fell towards the end by giving up some big plays. The confidence level has to be high for the Wildcats though. Tavoris Dixon was able to put up some big running yards against a stout defense, quarterback Jay Bright continued to connect with his receivers and the Wildcat defense kept Berry under a semblance of control. They need to do it all again this week and, like everybody else, avoid giving up big plays. Westlake’s quarterback Cameron Newton has strutted his stuff all season and his supporting cast has also made coaches sit up and take notice. A third straight win over a region opponent will make Creekside take some notice as well.