Middle Georgia football teams battle for region championships, eye playoff matchups
As the high school football regular season comes to a close, several teams in Middle Georgia will fight for a region championship Friday.
With most off weeks done and the playoffs just ahead, some of Macon and the region’s most compelling games come in the year’s penultimate week. Here’s a look at the biggest games coming up:
Jones County at Warner Robins
One of the key matchups this week will go down at McConnell-Talbert Stadium in Houston County, where Warner Robins and Jones County will duke it out to see who wins Region 2 in GHSA’s 5A class.
Both teams are 4-0 in the region and on winning streaks after lackluster starts, though the Greyhounds have been hotter for longer thanks to five consecutive victories.
Not only is the on-field dynamic intriguing, the two teams have seen a big storyline develop away from the gridiron. Jones County will be looking for some extra bragging rights after their star quarterback, 6-foot-7-inch Miami commit Judd Anderson, transferred to Warner Robins in the middle of the season.
Anderson has been a boon for the Demons, leading them to a big comeback win over rival Northside and a 5-3 overall record. The Greyhounds have done very well themselves, with star wide receivers Tyler Stewart and Zion Ragins helping quarterback Devin Edmonds lead a dynamic offense.
Mary Persons at Upson Lee
Another region title will be on the line in Thomaston Friday when the Bulldogs visit the Knights in an exciting matchup of 3A Region 2 juggernauts.
For the Bulldogs, the 2023 season has been business as usual — they’ve thrived behind standout rusher Duke Watson on the ground and relied on a great defense to notch a 7-1 record thus far. With a one-score loss to Spalding as the lone blemish and impressive wins over Peach County and Northeast, Mary Persons looks as strong as ever under longtime head coach Brian Nelson.
Upson-Lee will be no walk in the park. The Knights are 8-1 with their own wins over Peach County and Lamar County in their first winning season since 2018. Players like senior running back Ja’Quan Bentley, who’s averaging more than 150 rush yards per game, will be hungry.
The ground game should play a big role in the showdown, and the home crowd for Upson-Lee could be a significatn factor for a team having a standout season.
Perry at Spalding
Another heavyweight bout will see the Panthers travel to Griffin to face off against Spalding in what will likely be one of the most competitive games of the year in any region, let alone 4A Region 2.
Perry enters the game undefeated in region play and 7-1 overall, with their sole defeat coming in a barnburner against the dominant Houston County Bears. The Panthers have consistently competed for region titles under head coach Kevin Smith, though they will be banged up at quarterback with leader Colter Ginn injured.
Spalding is on as hot a streak as any team in Georgia and should be a worthy opponent. They come into the region title bout with a perfect 9-0 record that includes impressive blowout wins over region foes Baldwin and Westside along with a big win over 5A Eagle’s Landing.
The two teams both feature high flying offenses and rank close to each other on many leaderboards for Georgia high school football. GPB’s rankings put Perry at No. 3 and Spalding at No. 4 in 4A, while MaxPreps’ evaluator sticks Perry at No. 4 and Spalding at No. 6. Whichever way you slice it, it should be a fun matchup.
Not quite a region title game
Bleckley County has a chance to win their region, A-D1 Region 2, against Swainsboro this week in what is nearly a de facto region title game. If the Royals lose, though, the region winner will depend on Swainsboro’s final game against Dublin with Swainsboro in position to secure the title with a victory.
Both teams come into the game with strong records and are ranked in the top tier of Georgia’s A-D1 class. Both teams rank in the top five on GPB’s leaderboards for A-D1 and the top 10 by MaxPreps’ metrics.
The Tigers won the showdown last year in a close 28-21 contest, giving Bleckley some extra motivation in a crucial contest.
