Chris Mooneyham

And this week a chance to see a state championship favorite (October 30th)…

Coming up this week on Life University’s 680 The Fan Friday Night Football…

A region championship is on the line when last season’s AAAAAA state runner-up from Tucker (8-1 overall/ 6-0 in Region 4-AAAAAA classification) meets Stephenson (7-2 overall/ 6-0 in Region 3-AAAAAA classification) in our season finale.

A question for all of my high school football experts out there reading this article. Answer quickly now. How many times have these historic programs met? The answer is…only three times! Many would assume two higher classification schools separated by less than ten-miles would be natural region rivals. Not the case.

Now, we are blessed with a yearly meeting that in 2017 will determine the Region 4 champion.

When we start each season, and try to determine a future state champion, we always ask the same questions. Who has the most talented roster in the class? Who is the team on a mission? Who is the most physical? The most athletic? In AAAAAA, the answer to each of these questions might belong to one team…Tucker. The Tigers are so talented, in week one of the 2017 season, they featured ten of the top 200 senior players in the state according to the 247Sports Composite Georgia rankings. That number led all programs in the state.

Head Coach Bryan Lamar, now 63-14 in six seasons at the helm, has seen Taurean Taylor emerge as the go-to man in a typically loaded Tiger backfield. A few weeks ago, for instance, Tucker went for 400-yards rushing versus Lovejoy. Of which, Taylor spotted only 87-yards. On the other hand, he also has three 100-yard performances.

Atypically, the men from Lavista Road are passing the ball more this year and feature one of the best wide receivers in America. Senior Josh Vann went for 1,300-yards last season, is an Army All-American and is a top 160-player in America according to 247Sports.

On the other side, Stephenson is also finding tremendous production in the backfield.

Highly-touted sophomore Deandre Jackson transferred in from Miller Grove and, despite sharing carries, is top eight in DeKalb County in rushing yards (87 carries/ 564 yards/ five touchdowns). Sophomore Ryan Ingram and junior Jevon Goff have combined for 661-yards and six scores. And none of these young men is the best player on the field.

Senior offensive lineman Jalil Irvin will be at Auburn next season and 247Sports ranks him as the 19th-best guard in the country. Senior Justin Birdsong is a top 100 defensive back in America and sports offers from Kansas State, Colorado State, Minnesota, and Iowa State.

Head Coach Ron Gartrell (220-115 record in 30 seasons) will lead another talented group of men from south of Stone Mountain into the playoffs. Gartrell, who was there for the program’s launch, has averaged 8.5 wins per season in 22-seasons.

As far as the playoffs go, the winner of this matchup will be the region champ and the loser will be the number two-seed. Lovejoy has locked up the three spot and Drew, Jonesboro and MLK will battle for the fourth and final playoff spot.

 

REGION           OVERALL

*Tucker 6 0 0 8 1 0
*Stephenson 6 0 0 7 2 0
*Lovejoy 5 2 0 6 4 0
Drew 2 4 0 3 6 0
Jonesboro 2 4 0 3 6 0
M.L. King 2 4 0 3 6 0
x- Mount Zion (Jonesboro) 1 5 0 1 8 0
x- Mundy’s Mill 1 6 0 2 8 0
x- Forest Park 0 0 0 x 2 8 0

*- Denotes team who has clinched playoff berth

x- Denotes team eliminated from playoff contention

AAAAAAA

  1. Lowndes (10-0)
  2. Archer (9-0)
  3. Grayson (8-1)
  4. Walton (9-0)
  5. North Gwinnett (8-1)
  6. Brookwood (7-2)
  7. Tift County (8-1)
  8. Colquitt County (7-3)
  9. McEachern (7-2)
  10. South Forsyth (8-1)

Honorable Mention: Mill Creek (6-3), Parkview (6-3), Milton (7-2), Mountain View (8-2), North Paulding (7-2)

Lowndes dropped the big win of the week by surviving a double-overtime thriller with Colquitt County and winning the region crown. Meanwhile, how strong is this list of honorable mention teams?! Mill Creek, Parkview, and Milton. Plus, Mountain View and North Paulding are playing well right now. 

AAAAAA

  1. Tucker (8-1)
  2. Mays (8-1)
  3. Lee County (8-1)
  4. Coffee (6-2)
  5. Northside-Warner Robins (7-3)
  6. Stephenson (7-2)
  7. Douglas County (8-1)
  8. Winder-Barrow (8-1)
  9. Alpharetta (8-1)
  10. Harrison (7-2)

Honorable Mention: Dalton (7-2), Northgate (6-3), Hughes (7-3), Allatoona (6-3), Alexander (6-3)

This week, on Life University’s Friday Night Football, #1-ranked Tucker will take on #6-ranked Stephenson for the Region 4 championship. It is difficult to choose the big winner of the week in this class. Harrison came away victorious despite losing consensus top recruit Justin Fields; and they beat a solid Sequoyah club. Or is it Coffee? The Trojans defeated a Valdosta team hanging on to their playoff hopes. Or Northgate; who defeated Langston Hughes to keep its playoff dreams lucid. It was a dramatic week in the AAAAAA classification.

 

AAAAA

  1. Rome (9-0)
  2. Stockbridge (9-0)
  3. Buford (7-1)
  4. Warner Robins (9-0)
  5. Jones County (8-1)
  6. Griffin (8-1)
  7. Starr’s Mill (8-1)
  8. Bainbridge (7-2)
  9. Carrollton (7-2)
  10. Carver-Atlanta (8-1)

Honorable Mention: Wayne County (7-1), Flowery Branch (8-1), Kell (5-4), Arabia Mountain (7-2), Clarke Central (7-3)

Stockbridge delivered the big blow in AAAAA this week by beating Jones County. The win gives the Tigers a region crown, forces the Greyhounds to a #2-seed and causes opposing coaches to shutter at the thought of facing their suffocating defense on its side of the bracket. By the way, this class has really thickened up. What I mean is, while the “big three” dominate up top, Warner Robins to Bainbridge is a tremendous second level. In fact, the collection of teams from Carrollton to Clarke Central is perhaps the best third tier in the state.

AAAA

  1. Cartersville (9-0)
  2. Marist (9-0)
  3. Ridgeland (9-0)
  4. Burke County (9-0)
  5. Blessed Trinity (7-2)
  6. Woodward Academy (9-1)
  7. Mary Persons (7-2)
  8. Thomson (7-1)
  9. Jefferson (7-2)
  10. Cedartown (8-1)

Honorable Mention: Troup (8-1), Eastside (7-2), Cairo (6-3), Heritage-Ringgold (8-1), Southeast Whitfield (7-2)

It is time once again for our obligatory Cartersville win-streak update. The Purple Hurricanes were off this week, so they stayed put at 39-straight. Next on the list is Sandy Creek and its 41 wins in a row from 2009-11. There is no doubt who the win of the week belongs to: Burke County. Many have doubted BC this season and how good they truly are. We were somewhere in the middle of the pack. Each media outlet had them anywhere from #4 to #7. We placed them at #6. They took down #2-ranked Thomson this week and won a region title.

 

AAA

  1. Cedar Grove (9-0)
  2. Greater Atlanta Christian (8-1)
  3. Peach County (8-1)
  4. Calhoun (8-1)
  5. Crisp County (7-1)
  6. Jenkins (9-0)
  7. Morgan County (8-1)
  8. Monroe Area (8-1)
  9. Dawson County (7-2)
  10. Bremen (8-1)

Honorable Mention: Westside-Macon (6-3), Pike County (6-3), Westminster-Atlanta (4-5), Pace Academy (4-4), Lovett (5-4)

This season has turned into a campaign of attrition for many teams in the AAA classification. Look at the back half of the honorable mention. Westminster, Pace and Lovett are a combined 13-13. Seems like an overrating to the untrained eye; I am sure. Come playoff time, that will not be the case. The middle of this class is simply not as good as past years and these teams are the best of the bunch

AA

  1. Benedictine (9-0)
  2. Hapeville Charter (8-1)
  3. Rabun County (9-0)
  4. Screven County (8-0)
  5. Thomasville (9-0)
  6. Jefferson County (9-0)
  7. Heard County (8-1)
  8. Callaway (8-1)
  9. Dodge County (9-0)
  10. Brooks County (7-1)

Honorable Mention: Elbert County (7-2), Toombs County (8-1), Swainsboro (6-3), Rockmart (7-2), Pepperell (6-3)

Thomasville. For so many in this state, the name alone strikes a chord. Well, in 2017, it looks like we can officially say the five-time state champions are back. With only 23-wins in the last five seasons, and only one 10-win season since George Bobo left in 1993, the program had dipped. Last Friday the Bulldogs defeated Brooks County. This week they meet Fitzgerald. A win secures the program’s first region title since 2007, but a loss sends them into a three-way tie.

 

A Public

  1. Manchester (9-0)
  2. Irwin County (8-1)
  3. Macon County (7-2)
  4. Clinch County (7-2)
  5. Charlton County (6-2)
  6. Emanuel County Institute (8-1)
  7. Taylor County (7-2)
  8. Commerce (7-2)
  9. Mt Zion-Carroll (8-1)
  10. Marion County (8-1)

Honorable Mention: Pelham (8-1), Trion (7-2), Mitchell County (8-1), Jenkins County (7-2), Turner County (6-3)

Remember, the Single A classification determines its playoff teams via a power ranking structure as opposed to finish inside of region. The big win of the week belongs to Clinch County; as they dispatched of another powerhouse club in Charlton County. Clinch entered the ballgame at number eight in the power ranking. With points awarded for each win, reaching the eight-win plateau is a big deal; especially when it comes versus a top-notch opponent. Each team is also awarded a certain amount of points based on opponents win total. For Charlton, who entered the contest at number twelve, the impact of a third loss will surely destine them to no better than a top ten spot in the playoffs.

A Private

  1. Eagles Landing Christian Academy (9-0)
  2. Prince Avenue Christian (9-0)
  3. Mount Paran Christian (8-1)
  4. Athens Academy (9-0)
  5. Stratford Academy (9-0)
  6. Wesleyan (8-2)
  7. Mount Pisgah Christian (7-2)
  8. Calvary Day (8-1)
  9. First Presbyterian (7-2)
  10. Tattnall Square (7-2)

Honorable Mention: Aquinas (6-3), Darlington (6-3), George Walton Academy (7-2), Mount Vernon Presbyterian (6-3), Savannah Country Day (7-2)

Let’s take the conversation from above and apply it to Single A Private. Mainly because we have nearly the same situation. Mount Paran delivered the big win of the week over Mount Pisgah. Paran was at number four in the power rankings and Pisgah was at number eight. Whereas Charlton in the public sector was clearly above some of their three loss counterparts, Pisgah falling to three losses could drop them as many as five or six spots.

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Published by Chris Mooneyham

Chris Mooneyham is a twenty-year broadcast veteran employed or freelancing for multiple companies across America. Currently he is a co-host, play-by-play person and guest anchor for Atlanta’s sports leader, The Fan 680AM/ 93.7FM; and its sister stations on The Sports X. In the Fall, Chris serves as the Sideline Reporter for Kennesaw State University football. He also works as studio host, play-by-play announcer and content producer for The Fan’s coverage of Georgia High School football. Come the Wintertime, the focus shifts to the National Lacrosse League 2017 World Champions, the Georgia Swarm (play-by-play). When Spring rolls around, the Atlanta native delivers the play-by-play for the Emory University baseball team, a two-time national finalist. All throughout the year, Mooneyham is a lead play-by-play person for the NFHS Network’s high school sports coverage and over the last decade was honored to call state championships in nearly every sport. A Kennesaw State graduate, Chris holds a Communication degree in Media Studies and a Minor degree in Film Studies. He is also a two-time graduate of broadcasting school (Connecticut School of Broadcasting-1998/ Atlanta Broadcast Institute-2008).

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