East Coweta Indians @ Oxford, Ala. Yellowjackets
The 2007 Indians look like a lot of Indian teams from the past. They are big on the offensive and defensive lines, have a very talented running game led by senior Tim McGill and a solid quarterback in Mac McKnight. In their scrimmage against Northgate, McKnight, McGill, Spencer Smith and Stephan Patterson all shined, as did the defense which kept the Vikings off the board. Standouts were DJ Hardaway, Joe Fraser and Christian Flavin.

Oxford went 6-5 last year and lost in the first round of the state playoffs. Friday night’s game will start at 8 p.m. EST and will be broadcast on 92.5 FM.

Fayette County Tigers @ Mt. Zion Jonesboro Bulldogs

The Tigers have one of the most lethal 1-2 punches on offense in the state: quarterback Brandon Boykin, who has committed to Georgia, and fullback Matt Daniels, who has committed to Georgia. Tight end Barrack Little and running backs Cuincy Carruthers and Jonathan West give the Tigers even more offensive weapons. Fayette could have one of the highest-scoring offenses in the state, but its defense will have to step up.

The Bulldogs, who went 5-5 last year, are led by standout running back Martin Ward. Ward, who has committed to Georgia, rushed for over 1,300 yards last year and averaged 9.2 years per carry. If the Tigers cannot contain the talented Ward, it could be a long night for the them. Mt. Zion blew out Fayette last year, 42-13. Fayette’s defense, led by cornerbacks Boykin and Carruthers, safety Daniels and defensive linemen Little, Travis Mihalik and William Hood, are determined to prevent another season-opening blowout.

Landmark Christian War Eagles vs. Ringgold Tigers

The War Eagles may have lost some talented offensive weapons in Matt Moody and Brian Lee, both of whom graduated, last spring, but they have a number of returning starters on both sides of the ball and plenty of talent to spare. Jimmy Eden, Matt Thornton and Walter Lenard will be some of the players that quarterbacks Tanner Bryant and Cole Abernathy will try to generate some points with, while the defense, led by linebacker Luke Griffiths and Andrew Glaize, will try to shut down Ringgold’s offense and create some mistakes for the War Eagles to capitalize on.

Ringgold is led by senior running back Quinn Marsh and wide receiver Jared Hairston on offense, while Jonathan Gregory and Justin Harris will play on offense and defense. The Tigers have a new head coach and not too many winning seasons in their past. That could make them dangerous if they are allowed to linger very long in this game. Everyone starts the season with a clean slate and a win in the first game can set the tone for the rest of the year.

McIntosh Chiefs vs. Sandy Creek

Creek blew out McIntosh 28-0 to open the season last year. McIntosh will be looking to keep the game close this year, but it could be difficult, as running back Josh Williams and wide receivers Braxton Lane and Marc Ellis give Creek three potent offensive weapons, and four starters return on the offensive line. First-year starting quarterback Rio Johnson has an opportunity to make an instant impact for Creek. Looking to keep Creek’s offense in check are McIntosh defensive linemen Nick Popeil, Jonathan “Tank” Smith and Matt Miller.

McIntosh uses a two-quarterback system featuring two seniors, Jeff Prather and Ben Sims. They will receive a stiff test from Creek’s talented defense. Patriots linebackers Matt Solomon and Jordan Littlepage and defensive lineman David Walker are the standouts on a defense that returns eight starters.

Northgate Vikings @ Central, Carroll Lions

The Vikings did not fare well in the scrimmage against East Coweta but there were some good performances from members of the offense and defense. Defense will be the key for the Vikings this year and players like Derrick Brisbane, Jake Copeland and Austin Wyatt will try to slow down opposing team’s offenses and create turnovers. On the offense, Ryashun Head will be running behind a senior-laden offensive line and trying to control the clock.

Central, Carroll went 1-9 last year and lost to Northgate 20-13 in the opener. The Lions have talented offensive and defensive lines but few standouts at other positions. Senior Seth White will be the team’s quarterback and his key target will be junior Shedon Snelling.

Our Lady of Mercy Bobcats vs. Creekview Grizzlies

The Bobcats have a talented offense that is continuing to grow in size and experience. William Pearl will once again lead the team at quarterback and Jarrell Bankhead is the team’s leading rusher, who may also be used as a receiver this year. Coach Bryan Pinabell is counting on players like Will Simmons and Patrick Silloway to do a lot of heavy lifting on both offense and defense. Overall, the Bobcats would just like to see more positives than negatives coming out of this game against a team that went 7-3 last year.

Creekview returns all of its starters on offense and defense. Fullback Hunter Livingston is Creekview’s biggest weapon, while linebacker Ryan Holmes is a key player on the defense. Creekview defeated Our Lady of Mercy last year in the first game in their stadium. It was an emotional night for the Grizzlies and they coasted to a 47-6 win. The Bobcats would love to have a home-field advantage like that tonight and, if they can stay close and avoid the mistakes that have plagued them in the past, the 12th man could give them a tremendous boost in the closing minutes.

Starr’s Mill Panthers vs. Cherokee Warriors

The Panthers are back in the Georgia Dome to play the Warriors for the second consecutive year in the Corky Kell Kickoff Classic. Starr’s Mill has major questions marks on offense — only one starter returns, offensive tackle Corey Coleman — including at quarterback. First-year starter Matt Sweat will be asked to direct Starr’s Mill’s spread offense. The Panthers’ offense is more inexperienced than it has been in years, but Sweat and running back Spencer Penson, both of whom stood out last week in a scrimmage against Sandy Creek, are poised to make a significant impact against Cherokee’s defense.

Starr’s Mill’s strength lies on defense, especially at inside linebacker, where Chris Sudduth and Parker duPont are one of the best duos in the state. Both linebackers will look to shut down Cherokee’s offense for the second year in a row; Starr’s Mill crushed Cherokee 35-7 in the teams’ season opener last year. Cherokee went 9-4 and reached the first round of the state playoffs last season.

Whitewater Wildcats vs. Newnan Cougars

The Wildcats’ inexperienced offense will get an early test against Newnan, which would like nothing more to avenge a 38-14 season-opening loss to Whitewater last season. Quarterback David Byrd and fullback Collin Wooddy will have to carry Whitewater’s offense against a Newnan defense that returns six starters.

Defensively, Whitewater must stop Cougars running back Keandreas Wynn, who rushed for over 1,300 yards and caught 10 passes for 300 yards last season. Wynn is expected to take pressure off first-year starting quarterback Russell Powell. Powell is looking to lead Newnan to its second straight Region 4-AAAAA title.

Michael Boylan contributed to this report.

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