Just when you thought there couldn’t be any more great high school football games to watch this year, perhaps the best of the bunch arrives Friday night. While every other local team is looking for region wins tonight, Starr’s Mill hosts Whitewater in a game that has some serious implications in region standings and the state playoff hunt.

Starr’s Mill Panthers (4-2, 2-2 region) vs. Whitewater Wildcats (5-2, 4-1 region)

The Panthers are currently outside of the state playoff picture, fifth in the standings behind Creekside, Whitewater, Woodward Academy and Westlake. They have also played one less game than those teams but they need wins to get back in the hunt and they really need a win tonight if they are going to be serious about having a chance. Starr’s Mill had a bye last week, which meant an extra week to prepare for this game and nurse any nagging injuries, of which there are plenty. Whitewater matched their win by the widest margin of the season last Friday by handing McIntosh a 41-7 loss. They forced turnovers and presented a balanced attack and could continue their winning ways if they can do it again tomorrow night.

The defenses of these two teams could determine who the winner will be. Whitewater has only given up over 14 points in a game once this season and that is when Creekside beat them 33-12. Starr’s Mill had two rough weeks in a row with losses to Creekside and Westlake, scoring 28 and 38 points respectively. In their other games, no opponent has scored over 14 points on them.

This will mark the first time that these two schools have met in varsity football and it should be a wild one. Get there early to find your parking space.

In other region 2-AAAA games tomorrow.....

Northgate Vikings (3-3, 2-2 region) @ Banneker Trojans (1-5, 1-3 region)

Northgate surprised everybody but themselves last week when they handed Westlake a 14-13 loss. This came on the heels of losing a 20-14 game to Creekside the week before. What do we know about Northgate? They keep games close. Five of their six games have been decided by a touchdown or less. Banneker doesn’t appear to be of the same caliber of Creekside or Westlake on paper, but they have the ability to keep things close and sneak up on you as well. In fact, they held Whitewater to seven points two weeks ago.

McIntosh Chiefs (0-6, 0-4 region) vs. Woodward Academy War Eagles (5-2, 3-2 region)

The Chiefs have struggled this season. They have scored a total of 28 points in six games and have given up 191 points. In several of their games this season, they have come out strong, moved the ball and/or built leads only to have things fall apart as teams break off big plays and score. They need a full, four quarter effort and they need their offense to be the ones to break off some big plays, putting pressure on their opponent. Woodward Academy hit the same bump that several other region teams have hit this season, falling to Creekside and Westlake.

They got back on track with a 31-24 win over Banneker last week, which suggests that they may not be as head and shoulders above McIntosh as it appears on paper. The War Eagles like to run and they are good at. Passing-wise, they have completed four passes over their last three games. Knowing what they are going to do might not make it easier to stop them, but an intense defensive effort from the Chiefs could force some very valuable turnovers.

Fayette County Tigers (1-5, 0-4 region) @ Westlake Lions ( 3-4, 3-2 region)

The close losses to Northgate and Woodward Academy before last week’s loss to Creekside hurt Fayette County. They and their fans know that they are better than their record suggests and they intend to prove it over their next four games. They could even prove it tonight over a Westlake team that was stunned by Northgate, much like the Tigers were stunned three weeks ago, last Friday. Westlake was held to their second lowest point total of the season last Friday, just a week after putting up their highest point total of the season, a 42-3 win over Woodward Academy. The Lions have a fairly balanced attack and their defense can slow down some speedy and sizable running games. Fayette County needs to get in the way of some passes and keep the ball out of the Lions hands with some very long and productive drives.

In region 4-AAAA....

East Coweta Indians (5-2, 2-1 region) vs. Mundy’s Mill Tigers ( 2-4, 1-1 region)
The Indian’s five game winning streak was snapped by Tri-Cities last week, 49-42. East Coweta built a 35-6 lead before allowing the Bulldogs to score 36 unanswered points. In their five previous games, East Coweta has been able to score over 31 points in each game and allow an average of 13 points per game. Fans should not expect to see another defensive letdown this week. Mundy’s Mill’s one region win was a 26-24 victory over Tri-Cities on Sept. 29. The Tigers have since lost two games in a row. Last week they lost to Hiram, which leads the region with a 3-0 record, 7-6. Good defenses have kept the Tigers in check this season and a good night from the Indian defense should be able to do the same.

In region 6-AAA....

Sandy Creek Patriots (4-2, 1-2 region) @ Carrollton Trojans (6-0, 3-0 region)

The Patriots snapped a two game losing streak and picked up their first region win of the season last week. They have a tough task tonight, hosting the top team in the region and a perennial powerhouse in Carrollton. After being held to just 10 points in their two losses, Sandy Creek put up some yards and numbers on the scoreboard last week. the challenge this week will be to keep Carrollton off if it. The Trojans are scoring an average of 34 points per game and are allowing an average of just over eight.

In region 5-A...

Our Lady of Mercy Bobcats (1-5, 0-1 region) vs. Mt. Pisgah Patriots (1-5, 0-1 region)

Since defeating Towns County 12-8 on Sept. 22, the Bobcats have lost three games in a row, despite scoring 57 points. Their defense has had a hard time slowing down opposing offenses and turnovers and penalites have led to points for their opponents. There are bright spots though, including the Bobcats ability to move the ball better than in the past and Mt. Pisgah should not be as explosive an offense as Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy. The Patriots have also lost three games in a row since getting a win, a 42-29 victory over Oglethorpe County. Last week, Mt. Pisgah lost to Fellowship Christian 27-21. The Patriots have a definite star to watch in Tim Jackson, who has rushed for four touchdowns in one game, and has piled up a lot of rushing yards thus far.

Landmark Christian War Eagles (4-2, 1-0 region) @ Fellowship Christian (3-3, 1-0 region)

The War Eagles have won two games in a row and have scored over 20 points in all six of their games this season. Last week, the War Eagles held on for a 40-35 win over Whitefield Academy. The team has a solid rushing game and their passing game finds open receivers each week as well .The defense needs to tighten up this week though and not let Fellowship’s offense put up too many points. Fellowship handed Mt. Pisgah a 27-21 loss last week. In their three wins this season, Fellowship Christian has scored over 27 points and is allowing an average of four points.

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