Predictably Irrational

When do the dominoes start to fall for undefeated teams in college football? Just check around when the initial BCS rankings are released.


Those pesky rankings, all they ever do is confuse everything and everyone. Yet, ratings show we don’t mind it a bit. We enjoy talking heads giving their take and stirring the pot to promote viewership for a system that has not existed one year without some sort of controversy. It’s opinion and chaos that sells, remember. But before we open that can of worms, lets not wax poetic on why we need a playoff system, but profile the teams that have had their bubbles busted—and one that came mighty close-- since the BCS rankings came out.

Stanford- Almost blew their chance at the big one with a three overtime thriller against USC on Saturday. I personally was all-in for this one once I saw that Georgia Tech was doomed against Clemson. The Cardinals still have a long road ahead as they still play Oregon before finishing the regular season with Notre Dame.

Clemson- Look, it was unfortunate running back Andre Ellington could not play against Tech and then have the bye week to regain his health back. Clemson was reduced to a pass-only offense when they could not establish any type of run game. And four turnovers have never helped a team win a big game on the road. Or so I’ve been told.

Wisconsin- You could say the hailmary pass that connected in the Michigan State game was a fluke. A fluke that cost the Badgers a shot at the BCS title game. But the same thing against Ohio State? For a team that looked to be the most complete in the nation, its funny that the same gimmicky type play would cost them two weeks in a row. No matter how small, a chink in the armor is still a chink in the armor.

Oklahoma- The injury-riddled Sooners were the shoe in for the title game against the LSU-Alabama winner, so all they had to do was win out the rest of their games. Not even convincingly, just win, baby. How horrifying that the dream came to a crashing halt against an also injury-plagued 4-2 Red Raider bunch who on their best day, sadly, were enough to beat my pick of this years BCS champion. Crap.



“A Dream Come True”

That’s exactly how Scott Elledge, Executive Producer of Chevy Game Night Live on WJBF’s digital channel 6.2, explains the thrill of bringing live football on Thursday nights into the homes of everyone in the CSRA.

“As an ex jock myself (Elledge played football at Middle Tennessee State University) I know how big a deal it is to have the local outlets covering your game, much less a full production with six cameras, incredible graphics, sideline reporters, etc.”

For the eleven game schedule that concluded last Thursday, it has been an exciting first year not only for football fans but for the administration of those schools as well.

“Outside of the usual player spotlight segments we have each week, we were also able to donate $500 back to each home team with the help of our sponsor, the CSRA Chevy dealers.”

And it’s that exclusive time slot on Thursday that seems to be the key for all those involved.

“You are able to watch a bunch of local teams that otherwise you might not have the opportunity to see,” said Grovetown’s Rodney Holder. “We have to coach every Friday night, so it’s nice to be able to sit back and watch a live game each week of the season.”

And the games have been great theatre for those able to watch them live or replayed Sunday on WJBF Channel 6. Holder can attest to the excitement around the games as his Warriors defeated the Greenbrier Wolfpack in the first game of the season 28-24 in a thrilling finish. And for his post game report on how the entire production played out?

“If you can’t get behind this you’re just crazy. The excitement and exposure for the kids playing on Thursday night is incredible.”


Games to Watch


Burke County @ Thomson-Friday 7:30pm

The CSRA’s version of LSU-Alabama. Seriously. No hyperbole here.


South Carolina @ Arkansas- Saturday 7:15- ESPN

Must win for the Gamecocks in order to stay atop the SEC East division.


LSU @ Alabama- Saturday 8:00pm-CBS

Even causal fans are talking about this game and how important it is.


Baltimore Ravens @ Pittsburg Steelers-Sunday 8:20- NBC

Don’t miss this one. Always one of the best played games of the year in the NFL.

Bright Lights, Rivalry Games, and Bud Heavy-Metro Spirit 10-13

To mistakenly say it was just a rivalry game would mean you had not done your due diligence. Oh no. There was a lot more than just pride on the line during this year’s Greenbrier-Evans game. What was up for grabs was an outside shot at postseason play, with the victor not only getting their first region win, but also staying in the “sure, things might look over, but don’t go sleeping on ______!!” conversation that we relish in having over the next few months. Yes, that interchangeable phrase that’s as frustrating to as the mound of leaves slowly piling up in your backyard.

Rare are the times when you can battle your way back into playoff contention after starting 0-2 in region play. To catch enough breaks that late in the season, much less play in a sub-region where the standard bearers are as great (Statesboro) and as talented (Lakeside) as many in the state, you got a better shot at getting a job by #OccupyingWallStreet.

In the tightly contested matchup, we saw Greenbrier get multiple key stops against the Evans offense. No series of them more essential than the first four possessions of the second half, when Greenbrier’s defense only gave up one field goal.

The Wolfpack offense sputtered at times, but did get the ball into their playmakers (Jahvon Hardrick, Jeremy Harden, and Thomas Brown) hands enough to keep the Evans defense honest throughout the game. Evans had many opportunities to put the game away, but at times showed some immaturity that comes with having talented underclassman in game-changing positions for the first time.

Watching a strategic defensive battle where ball control and time of possession are essential is fun to watch. Man on man, three yards and a cloud of dust. Nothing flashy, just America’s game.

“To hell with exciting. I’d rather be drab as hell and win.” That’s how legendary Ohio State head coach Woody Hayes described his offensive philosophy.

Thankfully for the fans at the Lexington-North Augusta game last Friday, neither coach channeled their inner Woody Hayes.

It was one of the biggest games of the year and as the stadium lights brilliantly pierced through the fall night, the stars of the Palmetto state dazzled for all to see. Yellow Jacket quarterback Tyrell Hillary was 23 of 38 for 331 yards, with five touchdowns and one interception. All night he worked the Lexington defense, hitting his receivers, like Montez McGuire (8 catches 125 yards, 1 TD) and even connecting with stud running back Vinny Miller on a receiving touchdown to go along with his usual course load (32 carries 158 yards 2 TDs). Also in the mood for a good ole’ fashioned shootout, Lexington brought a six-shooter of their own.

Shaq Roland, the #1 ranked player in South Carolina—also a South Carolina commit—brought heat with his nine catch, 176 yard and three touchdown clinic from the wide receiver position to go along with his two carries for 32 yards and two touchdowns while running the rock.The Wildcats proved to be too much for the Yellow Jackets—though the game was decided late and did have a cloud of smoke surrounding the finish—and dealt them the first blow to their very promising season.


Games to Watch

Hephzibah @ Butler-Thursday- 7pm- TV: Digital 6.2, Knology/Atlantic Broadband 246, Comcast 380
Bulldogs look to get back on track after a big loss to Washington County last week.


South Effingham @ Lakeside-Friday-7:30
South Effingham ruined Evans’ homecoming a few weeks ago. Can they return to Augusta and deal the Panthers a loss?


Eau Claire @ Strom Thurmond-Friday-7:30
Three more wins and the Rebels have an undefeated regular season. Don’t slip now!


College/NFL Games to Watch

No. 20 Baylor @ No. 21 Texas A&M- Saturday-12pm-FX
Robert Griffin III is one of the most exciting players in the country. Do yourself a favor and watch this game.


Carolina Panthers @ Atlanta Falcons-Sunday-1pm-FOX

Homecoming for Cam Newton (Westlake High School) and his feisty group of 1-4 Panthers are hungry for another win. You can’t pencil in a win against them like you used to, Falcons.


Dallas @ New England-Sunday-4:15-FOX
Are you kidding me? America’s team vs. America’s team? I might have to switch to Budweiser for this one. Trust me. It’s the American thing to do.

Metro Spirit 10-6

Last Thursday’s matchup between ARC and Thomson pitted two programs that are in completely different galaxies against each other. But I guess you could have read the box score and drawn that conclusion yourself. 61-7 was the final score from the legendary Brickyard in Thomson with the hometown Bulldogs overwhelming the Musketeers in a lopsided game that could have been much worse. I don’t say that to beat up on ARC, they finally reached a year where they are in a complete overhaul of their program. They’ve had a nice run the past few years with stellar play coming from each year’s upperclassmen. But In returning only seven total players with varsity experience, ARC Coach Chris Hughes knew it would be a constant uphill climb all year.

The question was just how steep.

It was weird to watch as ARC dominated the time of possession for the game—usually a decent indicator of the winning team—and the game could have not been more out of reach. Special teams miscues ran amok the entire evening and contributed heavily to the cause while Thomson’s intensity and effort never weaned. The defense also looked confused more often than not—which is what happens when only two of those returning players with varsity experience are on the defense, and your playing the Georgia’s #1 ranked scoring team at 53 pts/game-- and fell victim to Thomson’s expansive network of running backs. Head Coach Milan Turner scheduled a pregame ceremony to honor former head coach, the late Luther Welsh, so the Bulldogs had no shortage of inspiration performing in tribute to their fallen former leader.

Lakeside traveled over to Greenbrier in search of a win to snap the 4-game losing streak they brought into the game, and also to extend their winning streak over one of their fiercest rivals to four in a row. Lakeside completed both tasks as they beat the Wolfpack 34-17 to put them at 2-4 on the season, and 1-1 in region play. Remember that score, we’ll address some concerns to it in a bit.

Greenbrier did a good job of staying in the game before halftime, with Jahvon Hardrick logging an impressive 65-yard touchdown run that closed out the scoring for the first half and left the fans with an exciting 20-17 halftime score. The Wolfpack should have glanced outside the locker room during halftime for a preview of what was to come for them in the second half.

The lights went out.

No, like they literally went out during the halftime performance of Greenbrier’s band.

And as funny as it would have been if some ninth grader acting on the dare of a senior had cut the power, sadly, a transformer just blew. Nothing to see here. Literally.

Lakeside’s defense continued the lights out trend in the second half only relinquishing 18 yards of total offense and one first down to Greenbrier. The Wolfpack struggled to get the ball into their other playmaker’s hands. With Hardrick being the main target, Lakeside Coach Jarrett Troxler sought to shut the talented running back down.

Outside of this looking like just another Lakeside win over Greenbrier in a string of them, something bizarre occurred. Down 17 points with a little under seven minutes to go, ball on Lakeside’s side of the field, and all of their timeouts still in hand, Greenbrier punted it to the Panthers, who had been running the ball well on them all night long. It already raised concerns when they ran the ball on 3rd down and didn’t hustle back to the line to get the next play off, but punt it? I’m not the only one asking what happened that night—I was stopped by numerous “casual” fans who also noted the blunder. Lakeside ran the ball with ease, marched down the field and ran the clock out. I’m no game management expert, but isn’t the point to try and win? With the boys playing their hearts out against their rivals—Thomas Brown looked so gassed he could hardly muster the strength to get off the line of scrimmage near the end while handling wide receiver and safety duties all night. I know the kids left it all out on the field, living and dying with each play. They looked desperate for this win. Too bad we can’t say the same for the folks in the collared shirts.


Games to Watch

Lexington @ North Augusta-Friday- 7:30pm

Last weeks win over Northwestern was crucial for the Jackets. Can they have a repeat performance?


Greenbrier @ Evans-Thursday- 7pm-TV: Digital- 6.2, Comcast- 380, Atlantic Broadband/Knology 246

Both teams need this game to stay competitive in the Region 2B-AAAA race.


Butler @ Washington County- Friday- 7:30pm

Winner of this one sets up big matchup against Burke County in a few weeks.


College/NFL Games to Watch

No.3 Oklahoma vs No. 11 Texas-Saturday-12pm-ABC

Texas has been surging since replacing struggling QB Gilbert and going with the Case McCoy and David Ash rotation.

No. 17 Florida @ No. 1 LSU- Saturday- 3:30-CBS
Even if Florida had QB John Brantley, do you really give them a chance anyways?

Georgia @ Tennessee-Saturday-7pm-ESPN2

Last four years the home team has handled business in this series.

Metro Spirit 9-29

Somebody had to pull out of the parking lot of Grovetown High School with a loss, and to give you a hint, it sure wasn’t that raucous bus full of Bulldogs heading back across town. Butler took their talents on the road in a great contest not only between two good teams, but a couple of the area’s more outstanding coaches as well. In setting the table for the game, both teams knew they each wanted to run the ball effectively, manage the clock, and leave it up to their unyielding defenses to slam the door shut and leave with a W. As both teams did an impressive job in executing their defensive game plans, quality runs came about as often as they do in a fiber-less diet. Painfully not often enough. I know, I know, real cute, jackass. But after Grovetown took a 7-6 lead into halftime, Butler made the appropriate adjustments and took to the air to get their yards and open up running lanes for their running backs. More importantly in the second half, the Bulldogs found an extra defensive gear and held the Warriors to an astounding 11 yards of total offense and only one first down in the 20-7 victory.

Lincoln County (LC) knew they were in for a handful when South Carolina’s reigning Class A State Champion, Abbeville, hosted the Red Devils in a rivalry game on August 26th. The battle ended with LC prevailing 24-13. Abbeville had blemished LC’s record the previous three years. The date had been circled, enough was enough. It was thought, upon first glance at the schedule, the next opponent to have a punchers chance against the Red Devils would be Aquinas on Oct 21st. Insert an undefeated Warren County bunch led by fiery first-year head coach David Daniel. Daniel took over the program just days before the Screaming Devils’ first game against Glascock County- a game they won 51-7. How tall an order is it for Warren County to get a win against LC? The current Screaming Devils players could have lived two lifetimes until that point and still not have a memory of a victory against a Larry Campbell coached team. This year was destined to be different, right? Well, almost. It took a defensive stand from LC on the final possession to make it 37 in a row for Coach Campbell. The gritty 10-7 victory was obviously highlighted by solid defensive play, but none more so than LC’s containment of Warren County’s stud running back Jabari Wilson, who was held to 63 rushing yards total. Silver lining? Lincoln County gets a midseason wake up call, and Warren County continues their inspired, confidence building play into the second half of the season. A win for both sides, even though it wasn’t.

Give Statesboro respect, they always seem to find a way. We’ve sent two local teams (Washington County and Lakeside) against the Blue Devils, put them on the ropes, and watched them dance out of two defeats and win by an average of 6 points. For Lakeside, it was another game they were in, and just like that, they let it get away from them. It also marked their 4th loss in a row—albeit in a death row slate of games already chronicled many times over in this space- and a sluggish lead-in to region play. The question facing Lakeside is can they finish a game? Can they find a way?


High School Games to Watch

ARC @ Thomson- Thursday- 7:05- TV: Comcast 380, Atlantic Broadband/Knology 246

The area’s best gameday experience just got better as the Bulldog community honors the late Luther Welsh with a heartfelt ceremony.

Lakeside @ Greenbrier-Friday-7:30

The Panthers desperately need a win to restore the confidence they brought with them into the season.

Josey @ Westside-Friday-7:30

Can the Eagles make it two in a row?!?!


College/NFL Games to Watch

No.13 Clemson @ No.11 Virginia Tech-Saturday-6pm-ESPN2

Last test in the Schedule of Champions that Dabo keeps yapping about.


No.3 Alabama @ No.12 Florida-Saturday-8pm-CBS

Sorry, No Rules of Engagement reruns tonight. Instead, you get the pleasure of watching 71 yr old CBS play-by-play announcer, Verne Lundquist stay up way past his bedtime!

Detroit Lions @ Dallas Cowboys-Sunday-1pm-FOX

Let’s see if former Georgia Bulldog QB Matthew Stafford can keep the unbeaten streak alive for the Lions against DeMarcus Ware and the Cowboys.

Metro Spirit 9-22

I’ve always been a fan of big games early in the season. Not only are they fascinating to watch, but, win or lose, you walk off the field knowing you raised the bar and tested yourself against elite competition. Nothing is better than going toe-to-toe with the best the state has to offer and gleaning the irreplaceable experience that comes through playing in a marquee game. And for Burke County’s Eric Parker, it provides quality game film displaying endless teaching points on what to improve on for the remainder of the season. Sometimes, it also acts as a springboard.

Look at last year, when Burke won 10 consecutive games after the loss to Lowndes (AAAAA) and reached the AAA semifinals. The Bears once again head to Valdosta to take on Lowndes looking for a better showing than they had last year when they were blanked 36-0. Led by quarterback Corey Mayton, Burke County did the CSRA proud by battling the perennial powerhouse till the final horn sounded in a 21-31 defeat to the Vikings. It reminds me of what Roger Sterling said to his sales team after a failed presentation to the American Airlines executives in Mad Men, “no regrets fellas. We were in it, that’s the important thing.” Indeed.

Another area shootout—not that kind, thankfully the Harrisburg Bullets had a bye week—in Sandersville between Thomson and Washington County. Coming into the game, the Bulldogs were losers of three straight to WACO and had not won in the House of Pain since 1988. Quarterback Josh Jones once again led the high scoring Thomson offense with four touchdowns (3 passing, 1 rushing) and found his favorite target Torrie Battle (4 rec 116 yards TD) whenever they needed a big play. It took two overtimes to get a decision between these two AAA playoff contenders, and, in fitting fashion, was won with a goal-line stand by the Thomson defense. This is the second consecutive loss for Washington County at home when they had a chance to win the game in the final minutes. One of those teams, Statesboro, is a AAAA team, but they are one of the more suspect in the Top-5. Great win for first-year Thomson coach Milan Turner.

Some nicknames are easier to come up with than others. They just pop in your head as you watch an athlete do his—Title IX: or her!—thing. Take Vince Carter’s for example, Half Man Half Amazing. Watch his numerous Youtube highlights and tell me it doesn’t fit perfectly with what’s happening on your screen. The same feeling is had watching Aquinas’ Brendan Douglas, except there is no half about it, this kid is All Man. No more evident than in his 359 yard rushing on 38 carries masterpiece he displayed last Friday against Hancock Central. He also had all five of the team’s touchdowns in a 35-20 win over the Bulldogs. What’s most impressive is that Douglas performs at this incredible clip while usually racking up 10+ tackles/game as well. What a beast.

Games to watch

Lakeside at Statesboro-Friday 7:30

Panthers really need a win here to get off this three game skid as they start region play.


Butler at Grovetown- Friday 7:30

Battle of the unbeatens. Lots of good running backs in this one.


Wilkinson County at Aquinas- Friday 7:30

Great matchup with the Warriors coming into town. Irish looking for revenge after a six point loss last year.


College/NFL Games to Watch

North Carolina at Georgia Tech-Noon-ESPN

Tech’s first true test. If you can really call it that.


Florida State at Clemson-Saturday-3:30-ESPN

The Seminoles have not won in Clemson since 2001. Should be an absolute barn burner.


Vanderbilt at South Carolina-Saturday-7pm-ESPN

Been very impressed with Coach James Franklin of the Commodores. Vandy is undefeated at 3-0 coming into this game. Never thought I’d say that. Wow.

Metro Spirit 9-15

I’m pretty sure if Fox Creek had any inspirational quotes or messages posted around the locker room or weight room, they’ve surely been replaced by 8x10’s of a familiar face by now. Rarely do teams have courage personified in their own locker room as the Predators do in senior C.J. Williams. A couple of weeks ago Williams was scheduled for his first round of chemotherapy to treat a lump on his neck that he noticed after his team’s first game. He was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, better known by it’s first name, cancer. After arriving for treatment, Williams, was told that there had been a misdiagnosis and he’d be able to return to the game, and friends, that he cherishes so much. And return he did, garnering a crucial fourth-quarter interception against a driving Wagener-Salley squad, who owned the turnover battle in the first half before watching quarterback Marty Williams dominate the second half with touchdown runs of 69, 2 and 84 yards and get the 32-13 win at Lions Field.

In Columbia, Augusta Christian stayed undefeated on the year with a 27- 21 win over rival Ben Lippen. After a spirited performance from sophomore Thomas Banks that saw him score all the points for AC, and not just from the running back position (28 carries 161 yds. 3 TDs), but also on special teams with a 88 yard kickoff return for a touchdown. For a Lions team that has its share of upperclassmen playmakers, it’s got to be reassuring for Coach Keith Walton to have another viable option to go along with in their balanced attack.

Evans got back on the winning track with a 28-13 win over Glenn Hills. They have proven to be a very coachable, versatile bunch of gamers this year already. With starting running back Stephon Jacobs banged up with a shoulder injury, the Knights had senior receiver/defensive back Myles McDavid take snaps out of the “Wildcat” set, and got a defensive score—McDavid 60 yard fumble return for touchdown-- to go along with Eddie Johnson’s ultra-efficient (7/8 119 yards; 6 rushes for 65 yards) quarterback play. This group is making the most of their talent each and every week. They continue to find ways to stay in it and let their solid defense dictate the game. They remind me of Grovetown’s Boys Basketball team from last year. Their final record won’t be indicative of how well they played together and had to force square pegs in round holes at times.

To have only glanced at the score of the exciting Thursday night match up between Lakeside and North Augusta, you wouldn’t really have a clue as to how the game was played. In no time at all, a 14-14 tie quickly turned into a 38-22 defeat the worst way possible. It was a game completely decided by turnovers as North Augusta had six takeaways from Lakeside—really seven as Lakeside muffed a punt as well—and scored off those accordingly. Mark Weidenaar threw five interceptions, including two apiece to Devontez Rouse and Devon Grimes, who took one back for a touchdown, and never could get settled against the Yellow Jacket defense. The silver lining in this for Lakeside is in the play of running back Johnathon Long (113 yards rushing, including 79 in the first half), who emerged as a solid runner for the Panthers.

Games to Watch

Burke County @ Lowndes County-Friday 7:30

A favorite in AAA heads to a AAAAA powerhouse. Plain and simple, Burke County head coach Eric Parker will play anyone. Home or away.

Lakeside @ Northside-Warner Robbins- Saturday 7:30

Over the next two weeks, Lakeside (1-2) plays the #2 and #3 ranked teams in AAAA. The first opponent, #2 ranked Northside-Warner Robbins, is coming off a bye week. Gulp.

Thomson @ Washington County- Friday 7:30

Two weeks ago, Thomson proved they could win a shootout with a 57-39 win over Lakeside. WACO spent their bye week fuming over their close call with #3 ranked Statesboro (AAAA). Great match up between two Top-10 teams.

College/NFL Games to Watch

Coastal Carolina @ UGA- Saturday 1pm- Pay-per-view

The Dawgs are 0-2 for the first time since 1996 and look to get their first win of the year against the Chanticleers (SHON-ti-clears). Heading to Athens is the newfound CSRA Connection with junior QB Aramis Hillary-Strom Thurmond product, and sophomore WR Matt Hazel-former North Augusta Yellow Jacket. The two have shown great chemistry together-even hooking up for a 52-yard TD pass last week in a 20-3 win against Catawba.

Tennessee @ Florida- Saturday 3:30pm-CBS

Great rivalry. Plenty of offense in this one as the pro-style Gators looked primed to make a run at the SEC East division. Tennessee’s Tyler Bray (34-of-41 for 405 yards and four touchdowns against Cincinnati last week), leads his band of sophomore offensive studs (receivers Da’Rick Rogers and Justin Hunter) to Gainesville looking to steal a win.

NFL- Philadelphia Eagles @ Atlanta Falcons-Sunday-8:20pm- NBC

If you don’t understand the significance of this game, I’ll defer to ATL native, T.I. for this one, ‘You don’t understand English, homeboy. I’m done talkin’.

Metro Spirit 9-8

Prep Rehash

If you happened to get to the Lakeside-Thomson game during halftime you didn’t miss much in the first half. As a matter of fact, you were right on queue. Both offenses combined and exploded for 70 points in the second half of the marquee Week 2 matchup that Thomson won 57-39. There were also plenty of penalties to go around—Thomson had 20 of the combined 32 by themselves! Mark Weidenaar lead the rally effort in contributing with over 400 yards of total offense, but fell short after the defense gave up two late touchdowns to the Bulldogs.

Washington County (AAA) did an incredible job keeping Statesboro (AAAA) on the ropes for as long as they did. The Golden Hawks held the lead into the 4th quarter until Statesboro’s Quan Daniels ran for the go-ahead touchdown on a 3 yard run with 11:26 left in the game. WACO’s QB William Walker, who passed and rushed for over 100 yards apiece, was knocked out for a crucial down in the 4th qtr. The backup threw an interception for a touchdown, tipping the balance of the game. Statesboro snuck out with a win in this one with a 31-26 finish.

Grovetown continued its ascension into the upper echelon of Columbia County teams with a 28-14 win over Evans. It was another great game for the Warriors who capitalized on a muffed punt late in the 4th quarter to get the ball back and let Jamal Cummings (18 rushes for 138 yards, 2 TD)—who battled cramps throughout the game—slam the door shut on a 42 yard run to seal it for Grovetown. Eddie Johnson for Evans had another solid game (11-16, 174 yards) but could not get enough run support to pad the scoreboard. We also got introduced to another Grovetown running back, Terrell Hughes, a sophomore who came in for the cramping Cummings and totaled 11 carries for 114 yards and a TD, which came on a 82 yard scamper in the 4th quarter. With the win, Grovetown ran the table in both their non-region games for the first time in school history.

Not too much to say in the Lincoln County-McCormick finish from last Thursday night. Well, except that after playing a tremendous first half until the 4:00 mark in the 2nd quarter, McCormick decided to ditch the revolver and go with a gatling gun to shoot themselves in the foot with. It was tied 13-13 until Lincoln County went on a 43-6 run.

Games to Watch

Augusta Christian @ Ben Lippen- Friday 7:30

ACS heads to Columbia to see if they can continue their outstanding start of the season and move to 3-0.

North Augusta @ Lakeside- Thursday 7:05 TV: Comcast 380, Knology/Atlantic Broadband 246

A Who’s Who cast of local talent will be on display in this offensive showcase. We’ll see which team packs the better defense. Getcha popcorn ready!

Greenbrier@ Hephzibah-Friday 7:30

The start of a grueling slate of games for the Wolfpack as they take on Lincoln County and Lakeside after getting this talented Rebel bunch coming off a bye week.


College Games to Watch

South Carolina @ Georgia- Saturday 4:30pm- ESPN

How bad did Georgia look against Boise State? Bad enough that with a loss here, Mark Richt will be taking is talents anywhere but Athens. True Story.

Notre Dame @ Michigan- Saturday 8pm- ESPN

It’s that team I love to hate heading to the Big House in primetime. Can’t wait to see which team blinks first. Should be a fun one to watch.


Catawba @ Coastal Carolina- Saturday 6pm- No TV

That’s right! Keep up with local folks like former Strom Thurmond star, USC transfer Aramis Hillary, junior quarterback who was named Big South Offensive Player of the Week after going 10-13 for 130 yards in the air and rushing for 61 yards with two touchdowns. On his longest pass of the day, Hillary connected with sophomore receiver Matt Hazel, former North Augusta standout, on a crucial 39 yard completion in the Chanticleers 30-23 win over the Furman Paladins.

Metro Spirit 9-1

Prep Rehash

For the Evans Knights, it wasn’t that we thought they couldn’t produce points; we just weren’t sure where they would come from. With only three offensive starters returning, chemistry was the main concern entering this season. Team speed on defense seems to be their fastball this year. The surprises started with Sophomore running back Stephon Jacobs, who ran for 213 yards and three touchdowns in his first varsity start. Evans also got stellar play out of—then reserve—quarterback Eddie Johnson who went a perfect 7-of-7 for 81 yards and added 36 yards rushing on eight carries as well. What was most impressive for the Knights thought was after only scoring a touchdown in the 1st half, they found their momentum and exploded for 26 points in the 2nd half to get the 33-19 win at home. And not to put too much stock into one win for the Knights, but Coach Marty Jackson-- at least for this week-- will be able to ditch the pencil and use a pen to fill out his starting lineup.

Lincoln County enjoyed an exciting matchup in their 2nd game of the season. They took on Abbeville, which is Lincoln County coach Larry Campbell's hometown team, had won 14 consecutive games and beaten Lincoln County the past three seasons. The win was in comeback fashion as the Red Devils trailed 13-10 at halftime against South Carolina's reigning Class A champion. To solidify the win, the Red Devils relied on quarterback Denzel Gunby (9-16, 117 yards, 2 TDs) and Zireycus Letman ( 5 Rec, 72 yards, TD) who also intercepted a pass to setup the go-ahead TD early in the 2nd half to prevail 24-13.

The areas best team, the Burke County Bears, are at it again. Led by dual-threat QB Corey Mayton and RB/WR/DB Montres Kitchens (88 yards of total offense, TD and 2 INTs), but the Bears beat a Top 10 team in Baldwin with the help of excellent run defense. They held the Braves to just 16 yards rushing on 14 carries. Thereby completely eliminating any type of run game Baldwin might have had and making them more predictable on offense. Burke County also proved they can finish a game early in the season against a respectable foe with their 14 points in the forth quarter to put the game out of reach at 31-14.


Games to Watch


Statesboro @ Washington County- Friday 7:30

3rd best team in AAAA heads to Sandersville to give the talented, but lower classification Golden Hawks all they can handle.

Thomson @ Lakeside- Friday 7:30

We see how Mark Weidenaar performs against a tough Thomson bunch, and also what Head Coach Jarrett Troxler has up his sleeve.

Evans @ Grovetown- Friday 7:30

Grovetown has had a lot of down time since their thrilling 28-24 win over Greenbrier on August 18th. Evans is riding high from their great 2nd half performance against ARC. This will be quite the battle for both teams.


College Games to Watch


Western Carolina @ Georgia Tech- Thursday 7:30pm ESPN3

If you can name me five Tech players/coaches that are not named Barry Bostic or Paul Johnson, you might have a problem.

Georgia Southern @ Samford- Saturday 7:00pm

What do you have planned for your second season, Coach Monken? After leading Southern to their first NCAA FCS playoffs semifinal appearance since 2002, and beating five ranked teams throughout the season, he’s got the diehards back in Paulson Stadium after they started going to Statesboro High School games and inhaling Crown Royal to forget the Chris Hatcher era at GSU.

Georgia vs. Boise St (Atlanta) - Saturday 8:00pm ESPN

UGA is the dawg—like what I did there?-- in this one as the boys of Boise come into town looking to add a SEC team to their resume in hopes of playing for the National Championship at the end of the season. Georgia is underrated this year based off of last years losing season. Don’t be surprised if they pull out the victory, the speed on the defense this year will surprise you. And if you can’t make the game and are in the area, drop by the parking lot for the tailgate, somebody’s bound to have a drink for ya.

Metro Spirit 8-25

While there was not an entire slate of games last week for Week 0, what games there were dazzled with plenty of offense, seemingly nonexistent defense and even one where little brother took some early shots to the gut, but eventually delivered some Sweet Chin Music to big brother while getting their first win in the William Few Feud.

Let’s get into it.

Fox Creek quarterback/safety Marty Williams picked up right where he left off from his stellar junior campaign with 409 yards of total offense. Williams scored every point for the Predators with touchdown runs of 4, 75 and 12 yards respectively. Expect another blowtorch year from Williams, who is a much-ballyhooed Division-1 prospect, as he looks to lead the Predators to consecutive state-playoff appearances this year.

Another team that’s able to rely on a talented dual-threat quarterback is Strom Thurmond with Raleigh Yeldell. Yeldell, who led the Rebels to the 3rd round of the state-playoffs last year, used multiple weapons to assist in the 45-8 win over Williston-Elko last Friday night. Darius Hammond led the team in fantasy points with his three touchdown runs on 11 carries for 130 yards. Malcolm Watkins also contributed 84 yards on ten carries for a couple of scores in the win over the lower classification Blue Devils.

Isn’t it funny how the same statement can have two totally different meanings? Now I’m not talking double entendres here, who do I look like, Jay-Z? Sadly, I’m not. Although questions about depth arise while looking at both sidelines, their vast gap in translation was never more evident than in the 69-6 pounding Lincoln County handed Harlem Friday night in Lincolnton. Depth issues for the Red Devils means playing some linemen both ways, for the Bulldogs, it’s a matter of watching talent evaporate before their eyes. If losing starting quarterback Trey Price to an ACL tear during the 1st practice was not enough, how about losing both offensive and defensive lines to graduation last year? And what’s the cherry on top? The constant reminder of departing bus fumes as Greenbrier and Grovetown draw richly from their talent pool.

Speaking of Greenbrier and Grovetown, it was the game of the week, and also one of Metro’s games to watch. The Warriors went down 14-0 early in the 1st half, but gathered themselves behind Jamal Cummings 164 yard 3 TD rushing performance. Most importantly, it delivered the prized Iron Hammer to Grovetown High School for the 1st time.

Metro’s Games To Watch

Strom Thurmond at Laney- Thursday 7:00 TV: Comcast 380, Knology/Atlantic Broadband 246

See above. And although Laney is without WR Rod Hall, QB Leo Myers and RB George Myers still pack quite the punch.


Washington County at Jefferson County- Friday 7:30

A talented Golden Eagles squad head to Louisville where they tied last year’s game 21-21 against the lower classification Warriors.


Richmond Academy at Evans- Friday 7:30

The Knights won a close one last year 9-5, which is a tough football game to watch, but one heck of a baseball game!


The Metro 6

1. Burke County
2. Washington County
3. North Augusta
4. Thomson
5. Strom Thurmond
6. Lakeside

Metro Spirit 8-18

Well it’s here, can you feel it?

It makes perfect sense that football in its purest form is the first to begin action out on the gridiron. Our hometown heroes burst through their oversized banners each week not for the chance to renegotiate some multi-million dollar contract, but for the pride of the school on the front of the jersey. Or maybe it’s to garner the attention of a certain girl who sits two rows behind them in 4th period history. That was always my motivation anyway.


What we’re going to do in this space over the next several months is to give appropriate exposure to these local athletes. There will be a roundup of major highlights each week, Metro’s 3 games to watch and the Metro Top 6. We’ll get you a full roundup after this week’s abbreviated slate of games. So for now, onto the three to watch.



Harlem at Lincoln County- Fri 7:30pm

So far, not so good at Harlem. In a season that already found the Bulldogs replacing their entire offensive and defensive lines, they’ve also had to scratch their starting quarterback, Trey Price, who tore his ACL in the first practice. But Harlem is not the only team in this matchup dealing with attrition, Lincoln County lost a good chunk of players off of last years talented team as well. Both teams are looking for answers to major questions in this one.

Williston-Elko at Strom Thurmond- Fri 7:30pm

An excellent matchup of two very potent offenses. South Carolina commitment Kendric Salley and big time wide receiver Rokeem Williams take their 1-2 punch to Johnston to face Raleigh Yeldell, Darius Hammond and the Rebels.

Grovetown at Greenbrier- Thurs 7pm, TV: Comcast 380, Knology/Atlantic Broadband 246

The Warriors lost a close one against the Wolfpack last year (16-20), and look to get their 1st win for Coach Rodney Holder against his former school. The Warriors lose talented playmakers Xavier Crain and D.J.Tyson, but return Jamal Cummings, who had 10 TD’s last year as a sophomore.



The Metro 6

1. Washington County
2. Thomson
3. Burke County
4. North Augusta
5. Butler
6. Lakeside

Local Football Team Capsules

Richmond Academy

Head Coach Chris Hughes has done a great job in restoring order to the football program at Georgia’s oldest public high school. His team’s offensive production the past few years has commanded attention throughout the area. Gifted athletes at the quarterback position, such as the 2009 3-AAAA Region Player of the Year Mar-Quan Medlock, and dual-threat, all-everything Drek Reid, have flourished under Hughes’ system. New starter, junior Thomas Ellison, has been sharpening his skills over the past few years and looks to keep this group on the path of success. But, whereas in previous years where the skill positions were the strongest point of the Musketeers team, line play, both offensive and defensive, will be the strong suit for this year’s team. Starting with junior Will Jones (6’7 310), will provide size and looks to have a strong impact at offensive tackle (and should be the first guy off the bus during away games), senior Diquan Washington (6’3 220), bolsters an already talented defensive line, and senior Marvin Davis (5’11 260), who plays on both sides of the ball and will be essential to this teams success.


Butler

No coach in the area deserves more credit for completely turning a program around than Butler’s Ashley Harden. Coming in to the job as the new head man in 2009, Butler had lost 31 straight games. Harden preached his message to his guys, and then proceeded to lose another 10 games. A serious punch in the stomach for any first year head coach looking to change a program spiraling out of control. He kept fighting, coaching, leading. And instead of losing his team, they continued to buy what he was selling and that seed he planted blossomed into a 7-3 record last year. Harden himself will admit that they still have a long way to go, but Butler returns a nice senior class of players that contributed for the Bulldogs last season. Running backs Jeffery Menefee returns as well as Christan Garnett to lead their potent Wing-T offense. Defensive lineman Delonzo Harris returns after accumulating 7 sacks last year to help lead a defense who have always had the athletes to succeed, but lacked the one thing that fuels any defense worth of note. Confidence.


Lakeside

This time last year Jarrett Troxler was already under the gun when it came to getting everything perfect for his first year as a head football coach. He was taking over a program from his mentor who led the school to their best finish ever (10-2), establishing himself as the head coach instead of being an coordinator, and getting a light speed tutorial on offensive and defensive game planning instead of just one side of the ball. Everything seemed to go as planned, until his most athletic player on offense, quarterback Mark Weidenaar, went down with a season-ending knee injury. Troxler had planned on splitting time between Weidenaar and Ben Wilson—who went on to be the Region 2-AAAA North Player of the Year—but those plans were halted immediately. Troxler then went on to lose starting linebacker Kendal Parker to an injury and soon all Troxler could do is just sit and wonder what would happen next. The Panthers finished with a 4-6 record, with notable losses to Northside in Warner Robbins, North Augusta and perennial power Statesboro. Coach Troxler returns talented players on both sides of the ball for a season that hopefully will be remembered for who was on the field and not reminded of who was off of it. Knock on wood.

Local Football Team Capsules

North Augusta

The Yellow Jackets were one of the more exciting teams in the CSRA last year. Their hurry-up, 11 seconds or less offense devastated the competition in averaging 33/pts per game. They finished up 11-2 on the year, losing in the State Semi’s to Greenwood. Star quarterback Loranzo Hammonds graduated, but while filling in last year for an injured Hammonds, Tyrell Hillary showed that he is more than capable of handling the job this year. Hillary also has some experience at the receiver position in returning seniors Montez McGuire, who had over 1,000 yards last year, and DeVontez Rouse. Defensively, the Jackets are led by senior linebacker Compton Daugherty, senior defensive lineman Tony Merriweather and junior defensive back Trey Morgan.

Westminster

In serving as both Athletic Director and Head Coach Andrew Bryan knows his plate is full. Although, many coaches around the area juggle both duties, what makes Coach Bryan’s case any different? Only in their second year of organized football, Westminster is still in the foundation stages of their football program. They return one of their main offensive threats, wide receiver Patrick Moseley, who had 1,000+ yards last year as a junior, but they lost talented quarterback Thomas Mehrhof due to graduation. The Wildcats have a strong schedule that will test them each and every week, but the experience they will garner in the process will serve as building blocks for this blossoming program.

Thomson

Usually when new coaches-- like Thomson’s Milan Turner—come into town, they look to make their mark and detach their new team from the previous coach’s ideologies to employ a fresh start. So when asked how he planned to replace the 4th winningest high school coach in Georgia history, the answer to him was simple. “You don’t”. Helping Coach Turner keep the tradition rich and the Brickyard full on Friday nights are some familiar faces and a fresh one. All-Region Tight End John Atkins returns as well as offensive lineman Sebastian Hargrove for the offense. Also joining the offense is new coordinator Tucker Pruitt, who prior to arriving at Thomson served on staffs at Georgia Southern and Valdosta State, where he played quarterback. Tucker is also the son of Robbie Pruitt, currently the 6th active winningest coach in Georgia history.

Augusta Christian

Head Coach Keith Walton has been doing a lot of teaching the past few seasons. When your team is loaded with underclassmen, you become the main source of instruction, not the senior starter who’s been in the program for a few years. In this, the master motivator has been able to cultivate players at key positions by starting some even as freshman. That strong familiarity with each other, like with juniors quarterback Tyler Roberson and center Matt Herzwurm, will be what carries this team through the season. Also, having a Division 1 prospect in Michael Clifton, who can play TE/OL/DE, and a solid senior starter in Eric Fogle at wide receiver and punter doesn’t hurt either.

Metro Spirit 7-28

I have some exciting football news for the CSRA. Now, I know you don’t live underneath a rock or anything, so me telling you that the NFL ended their lockout this week, is, well, stale news at this point. Hooray! Somehow they figured out a way for an $8 billion dollar business model to work for both sides!

I digress.

Finally relieved of the hysteria that commandeered my Twitter feed for the past five months, I am grateful they reached an agreement.

And while we all hope that the Falcons soar on Sundays, we’ve been blessed with some appointment watching on Thursday nights, thanks to WJBF-TV.

They have come up with not only the idea of airing a live broadcast of an area high school football game each week, they also got the game moved to an exclusive Thursday night time slot at 7:00 PM on their digital channel 6.2 (Knology/Atlantic Broadband 248 or Comcast 380), so you wont miss any Football Friday night action. It’s called Chevy Game Night Live, and I, alongside my esteemed colleague Ashley Brown of WGAC, will provide play-by-play and color commentary for the broadcast, and there will also be a sideline reporter for the game as well.

I think I speak for everyone involved in being overwhelmingly grateful for this groundbreaking opportunity. The goal for all involved is to get exposure to the abundance of talent we have in the CSRA and WJBF (Channel 6) is raising that bar to heights unseen. Without further ado, here is the 11-week schedule.

Chevy Game Night Live schedule

Aug. 18: Grovetown at Greenbrier

Coach Holder takes on his old school in a great match-up to begin the season.

Aug. 25: Strom Thurmond at Laney

A quarterback battle with stat-stuffers Leo Myers of Laney hosting Raleigh Yeldell and the Fighting Rebels.

Sept. 1: McCormick at Lincoln County

Larry Campbell has 8 straight 10+ win seasons in a row. McCormick would love nothing more than to cross the river and steal one from the winningest high school football coach in Georgia history.

Sept. 8: North Augusta at Lakeside

Mark Weidenaar, Lakeside quarterback, who is an outstanding athlete, is coming off a season-ending knee injury suffered a year ago to takeover for the graduated Ben Wilson and lead the Panthers this year.

Sept. 15: Harlem at Butler

Jimmie Lewis and Co. head to Butler to take on Ashley Harden and his group of rejuvenated Bulldogs.

Sept. 22: Glenn Hills at Josey

Last year this was a hard fought battle for the victorious Josey Eagles, who won 18-14.

Sept. 29: ARC at Thomson

ARC went on to win five straight after last years loss to Thomson, will they walk out of the Brickyard with a win this year?

Oct. 6: Greenbrier at Evans

Big game for Thomas Brown and the Wolfpack as they play Lakeside the previous Friday, and travel to Evans on the short week of rest.

Oct. 13: Orangeburg Prep at Augusta Christian

Augusta Christian is anxious to show that their talent is a force to be reckoned with in the CSRA, but will Orangeburg Prep step up to the plate and agree on the scheduling?

Oct. 20: Fox Creek at Williston Elko

Williston-Elko’s Kendric Salley vs. Fox Creek’s Marty Williams. The scoreboard might explode if those two are on.

Oct. 27: Wash-Wilkes at Aquinas

Revenge game for Aquinas as this is the one they let slip through their fingers, and with the loss to Warren County the following week, propelled the Tigers to the playoffs last year instead of the Irish.

Built To Last

As he sits there spilling over his chair in a way expected of a linebacker in the NFL, those at the National Signing Day party sat dumbfounded when they were given a tip from a reliable source.

Jasper Brinkley has not always been this big.

“One of the biggest misconceptions about Jasper is that he’s always been this NFL linebacker prototype. Actually, he was rather skinny as he was coming up through our program,” says John Barnett, Defensive Coordinator at Thomson High School during Brinkley’s tenure there.

Gasp. It’s even surprising to hear it myself, as Jasper and I were teammates at Georgia Military College (GMC), and I just assumed he was always the alpha male he was at that time, especially during the Oklahoma drill. But regardless of his size before then, and now, he actually got there by practicing two words many of us preach to ourselves all too often and never completely sellout to. Hard work. “It’s more of a zone that you go into than anything else,” notes Brinkley. That’s right, no over-the-top nutrition plan or wacky fitness gimmick. Just plain ole hard work. And it was on the practice field with Coach Barnett, and fiery Georgia High School Coaching legend Luther Welch where his drive and attention to detail were instilled.

It would be too easy to just chalk up Jasper’s competitiveness to having an identical twin brother who also played in the NFL (Casper, who is a former member of the Carolina Panthers). Yes, because when he wasn’t too busy taking on someone his own size, he was being pushed by the eventual ’02 AAA State Football Champs on a daily basis. Oh, and then there’s the matter of having a head coach who never missed a practice in 56 consecutive seasons. “The discipline that Coach Welsh had is kind of the same as being in a military school,” says Brinkley. Kind of you say?

Upon finishing their championship reign at Thomson, Jasper and his brother, due to academic issues enrolled at GMC. They found the underlined mission statement at GMC to be reminiscent of Coach Welsh’s: Separate men from boys. Soon Jasper added cadet duties to his daily routine, which amounted to pretty much everything seen in the movies: scrubbing bathrooms with toothbrushes, shining floors until YOU might eat off them, standing at attention for hours on end. Basically anything but getting a good night’s rest. All this to play at one of the premier JUCO’s and compete with better, faster competition.

After a stellar two-year stint at GMC, Jasper headed to play at South Carolina, in the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Jasper starred in a conference that has taken the last five National Championship trophies with players whose freakish athleticism alone bring you to call your cable provider to-- budgeted or not-- upgrade to HD. After making the All-SEC team as a senior, Jasper knew he was one step away from making his boyhood dream a reality.

Every time he moved up a level, Jasper had to build his body to take the increased punishment each one doled out. This is seen even in his preparation for the NFL combine. A round-the-clock schedule of speed conditioning, weights and flexibility training that has nothing to do with football, but is monumental in the draft process. And his hard work paid off for him as he was drafted in the 5th round of the 2009 NFL Draft to the Minnesota Vikings as a run-stopping linebacker who could soon replace an aging E.J. Henderson, the starting middle linebacker.

And as high as he’s pushed the bar in just this short amount of time, he expects to keep up with his progress and always stay hungry for more. Even talking with him makes you wanna go out and, I don’t know, do something! “Just compete when you’re out there, no matter what it is you are doing. Compete,”