This week in the polls

It's no surprise that some teams continue to remain near or top of the high school polls.
For the third consecutive week, the Columbus High volleyball team was No. 1 in the Class AAA coaches poll.
The Lady Blue Devils have continued to compete against and beat teams in bigger classifications, while dominating AAA teams. They are 8-0 against teams in their classification, including wins against Northside and Shaw on Tuesday.
They aren't the only one ranked. Harris County fell one spot to No. 9 this week despite not losing a match. The Lady Tigers are 16-1 following a pair of wins Tuesday.
The Tigers are also ranked in softball, earning the No. 9 spot. Hardaway is the highest ranked Bi-City team as the coaches have them seventh. Those two teams have yet to play, but will on Sept. 25.
The winner of that will likely earn the top spot in Region 2-AAA tournament. Harris County won the tournament last year after losing its opener.
In the football polls, the coaches and the Associated Press don't really agree on the best teams. Brookstone is No. 8 in the AP and No. 6 in the coaches, while Pacelli is No. 4 in the AP and No. 9 in the coaches.
Carver is No. 1 in the AP and No. 2 in the coaches. Shaw isn't ranked in the coaches and No. 8 in the AP.
Does it surprise you that Columbus has a top ranked team in two different sports? I knew both Carver football and Columbus volleyball were quality teams, but I didn't know if they were the best in the state.
I guess only time will tell, because unlike college football a winner will be determined on the field or court. It should be an exciting fall.

Week 2 leaders

Just like the first week, there were plenty of players that turned it solid performances during Week 2.

Many of the players did it against tough opponents. So here goes:

Rushing

Jacquise Terry, Pacelli -- had 184 rushing yards and a touchdown and 59 receiving yards and a touchdown.

Chad Klar, Harris County -- rushed for 179 yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries against Jordan.

Orwin Smith, Central-Phenix City -- rushed for 157 and two touchdowns on 28 carries against Smiths Station.

Cedric Wilson, Chattahoochee County -- had 156 rushing yards and two touchdowns against Temple.

Niko Jones, Chattahoochee County -- had 142 rushing yards in the victory over Temple.

Kyle Griswould, Shaw -- rushed for 133 yards on 15 carries against Carver

Demarcris Wilson, Harris County -- gained 116 yards rushing and a touchdown on 12 carries.

Jarkuis Morgan, Carver -- rushed for 94 yards on 15 carries.

Wesley Kiggins, Brookstone -- had 87 yards and a touchdown in the first quarter against ELCA.

Bryan Willis, Shaw -- rushed for 63 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries.

Nick Burks, Hardaway -- had a 68-yard touchdown run against Troup.

Stephon Suddeth, Hardaway -- had a 69-yard touchdown against Troup.


Passing

Kyle Barr, Smiths Station -- completed 23-of-33 for 219 yards. He also had two interceptions.

Stuart Wilkerson, Pacelli -- completed 14-of-17 for 188 yards and three touchdowns.

Caleb Horvath, Chattahoochee County -- was 10-for-17 for 131 yards and two touchdowns against Temple.

DeRon Furr -- was 7-for-8 for 114 yards against Shaw. He had a rushing touchdown.

Receiving

Niko Hickey, Pacelli -- had four catches for 57 yards and two touchdowns. He also had a rushing touchdown.

Jarmon Fortson, Carver -- had four catches for 69 yards.

Week 3 expects to be another good one, but who was stood out in Week 2? Central's Orwin Smith would have to get my vote after rushing for two touchdowns against Smiths Station.

Who had the best performance of Week 2?
	Jacquise Terry, Pacelli
	Orwin Smith, Central
	Kyle Griswould, Shaw
	DeRon Furr, Carver
	Chad Klar, Harris County
	Stuart Wilkerson, Pacelli
	The Carver defense
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This week's Ala. poll

Class 6A
1 Prattville (27) (1-0) 333
2 Daphne (1-0) 235
3 McGill-Toolen (1-0) 197
4 Hoover (1) (0-1) 180
5 Foley (1-0) 169
 6 Opelika (1-0) 142
7 Spain Park (1-0) 102
8 Gadsden City (1-0) 87
9 Tuscaloosa Co. (1-0) 48
10 Vestavia Hills (0-1) 32
Others receiving votes: Bob Jones (1-0) 26,
Enterprise (1-0) 13, Hueytown (1-0) 7, Huntsville
(1-0) 5, Davidson (1-0) 5, Clay-Chalkville (1-0) 4,
Florence (1-0) 2, Jeff Davis (1-0) 2, Northview (1-0)
2, Wetumpka (1-0) 1, Central-Phenix City (1-0) 1,
Homewood (0-0) 1, Pell City (1-0) 1, Oxford (1-0) 1.

Class 5A
1 St. Paul’s (20) (1-0) 306
2 J.O. Johnson (6) (1-0) 257
3 Russellville (1) (1-0) 200
4 Briarwood Chr. (1) (1-0) 194
5 Ft. Payne (1-0) 164
6 McAdory (1-0) 114
7 Jess Lanier (1-0) 113
8 Eufaula (0-1) 53
9 Vigor (1-0) 52
10 Demopolis (1-0) 35
Others receiving votes: Benjamin Russell (1-0) 24,
Athens (0-1) 16, Scottsboro (1-0) 16, Etowah (0-1) 8,
Pleasant Grove (1-0) 8, Henderson-Troy (1-0) 6,
Cullman (1-0) 5, Mortimer Jordan (0-1) 5, Greenville
(1-0) 4, Hartselle (0-1) 4, Fairfield (0-1) 3, Bibb
Co. (1-0) 2, Gardendale (1-0) 2, Muscle Shoals (1-0)
2, Albertville (1-0) 1, Chelsea (1-0) 1, UMS-Wright
(0-1) 1, Valley (0-1) 1.

Class 4A
1 North Jackson (12) (1-0) 256
2 Brooks (6) (1-0) 235
3 Alexandria (5) (1-0) 206 at Ashville
4 East Limestone (2) (1-0) 164
5 Central-Tuscaloosa (2) (1-0) 163
6 Guntersville (0-1) 146
7 Thomasville (1) (0-1) 124
8 Andalusia (0-1) 77
9 Deshler (0-1) 47
10 Beauregard (1-0) 41
Others receiving votes: Cleburne Co. (1-0) 40, Elmore
Co. (1-0) 25, W.S. Neal (1-0) 22, Ardmore (1-0) 20,
Fayette Co. (1-0) 10, Childersburg (1-0) 8, Trinity
(0-1) 5, Oak Grove (1-0), Cherokee Co. (1-0) 2,
Escambia Co. (1-0) 1, Oneonta (0-1) 1.

Class 3A
1 Pike Co. (25) (1-0) 327
2 Clay Co. (1) (1-0) 232
3 Cordova (1) (1-0) 205
4 Calera (1-0) 179
5 Geneva (1-0) 147
6 Leeds (1) (1-0) 120
7 Clarke Co. (1-0) 105
8 Winfield (1-0) 103
9 Montgomery Acad. (1-0) 59
10 Colbert Co. (0-1) 47
Others receiving votes: Gordo (1-0) 15, Colbert
Heights (1-0) 14, Vinemont (1-0) 13, Aliceville (1-0)
10, Hokes Bluff (1-0) 7, Sumiton Chr. (1-0) 5, Lincoln
(1-0) 3, Sardis (0-1) 2, Plainview (0-1) 1, Washington
Co. (1-0) 1.

Class 2A
1 Leroy (26) (1-0) 328
2 Fyffe (1) (1-0) 236
3 Houston Acad. (1-0) 206
4 Lanett (1) (1-0) 187
5 Tanner (1-0) 158
6 American Chr. (1-0) 110
7 Woodland (1-0) 96
8 Wicksburg (1-0) 70
9 Lineville (0-1) 56
10 Addison (0-1) 54
Others receiving votes: Southern Choctaw (1-0) 19,
Reeltown (1-0) 16, Section (1-0) 12, Pickens Co. (0-1)
11, Sand Rock (1-0) 10, J.P. Pennnington (1-0) 9,
Flomaton (1-0) 8, Geneva Co. (1-0) 4, Houston Co.
(1-0) 3, Cottonwood (1-0) 1, Fultondale (1-0) 1, New
Brockton (1-0) 1.

Class 1A
1 Sweet Water (27) (1-0) 333
2 Brantley (1-0) 228
3 Talladega Co.-Central (1-0) 193
4 Maplesville (1) (0-0) 187
5 Hazlewood (1-0) 145
6 Ragland (1-0) 144
7 Linden (1-0) 96
8 Florala (1-0) 81
9 R.A. Hubbard (1-0) 70
10 Donoho (1-0) 63
Others receiving votes: Gaston (1-0) 11, South Lamar
(1-0) 10, Wadley (1-0) 7, Lynn (1-0) 5, McKenzie (1-0)
5, Speake (1-0) 5, Ariton (0-1) 3, Parrish (0-1) 2,
Sunshine (1-0) 2, Cedar Bluff (0-1) 1, McIntosh (0-1)
1, Pleasant Home (1-0) 1, Valley Head (1-0) 1.

AISA
1 Bessemer Acad. (28) (2-0) 336
2 Glenwood (2-0) 247
3 Fort Dale Acad. (2-0) 193
4 Southern Acad. (1-0) 177
5 Clarke Prep (2-0) 173
6 South Choctaw Acad. (2-0) 116
7 Macon-East (2-0) 107
8 Faith Acad. (0-2) 88
9 Lakeside (2-0) 47
10 Shelby Acad. (1-0) 44
Others receiving votes: Cottage Hill Chr. (2-0) 24,
Wilcox Acad. (1-1) 13, Patrician Acad. (1-1) 7, Monroe
Acad. (2-0) 6, Crenshaw Chr. (2-0) 4, Meadowview Chr.
(2-0) 4, Lowndes Acad. (1-1) 2, Autauga Acad. (2-0) 1,
Pickens Acad. (1-1) 1.

This week's Ga. prep poll

Class AAAAA
1. Roswell (9) 117
2. Norcross (2) 107
3. Peachtree Ridge 92
4. Camden County (1) 78
5. Tift County 57
6. Stephenson 53
7. North Gwinnett 50
8. Coffee 28
9. Harrison 23
10. Warner Robins 16
Others receiving votes: Valdosta, Union Grove,
Parkview, Lowndes, Etowah, North Cobb, Kennesaw,
Grayson, M.L. King

Class AAAA
1. Northside-Warner Robins (12) 120
2. Marist 104
3. Thomas County Central 81
4. Tucker 65
5. St. Pius X 58
6. Griffin 51
7. Statesboro 45
8. Rome 40
9. Baldwin 21
10.East Paulding 19
Others receiving votes: Habersham Central, Ware
County, Starr’s Mill, Southwest DeKalb, Cherokee,
Westside Macon, Northwest Whitifield, Creekside, Ware
County, Cedar Shoals.

Class AAA
1. Peach County (10) 108
2. Carver-Columbus (1) 102
 3. Shaw 81
4. Cartersville 78
 5. LaGrange (1) 72
6. Carrollton 70
7. Hart County 38
8. Cairo 32
9. Stephens County 24
10. Monroe 16
Others receiving votes: Gainesville, North Hall,
Flowery Branch, Thomson, Perry, West Laurens,
Washington County.

Class AA
1. Charlton County (7) 115
2. Buford (5) 112
3. Early County 87
4. Calhoun 79
5. Greater Atlanta Christian 60
6. Cook 48
7. Fitzgerald 37
8. Dodge County 27
tie Dublin
10. Jefferson County 26
Others receiving votes: McIntosh County,
Randolph-Clay, Washington-Wilkes, Lovett, Vidalia,
Laney, Weselyan.

Class A
1. Lincoln County (10) 117
2. Athens Academy 87
3. Wilcox County (1) 81
4. Commerce 69
5. Clinch County 54
 6. Pacelli 52
7. Warren County 49
8. Seminole County (1) 46
9. Emanuel County Institute 42
10. Eagle’s Landing Christian 12
Others receiving votes: Bowdon, Hawkinsville, Bremen,
Gordon-Lee, Social Circle, Brookstone, Trion,
Fellowship Christian, Turner County, Gordon Lee.

Musings from Week 1

With the first week of football finally over, I saw some good, some bad and just plain-old bizarre stuff. I saw three football games during the first week – Harris County vs. LaGrange, Carver vs. Spencer and Shaw vs. Troup.

Week 2 is a BIG week, but we'll have plenty of time to break down those matchups as it gets closer to Friday. So we'll take a quick look at some of the things that happened during the first full week of football.

Rain, rain and more rain
By the time I got to Callaway Stadium at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, the rain had already started. And it only got worse.
Those optimists said the game would start not later than 7:30 p.m. – 30 minutes after the game was scheduled to start. I wasn't as nearly optimistic. I am realist. I saw the heavy rain falling and wasn't sure the game would be played.
I felt like I was at a high school baseball game in March, hoping that first pitch would take place.
The rain finally stopped, and the game started at 8:54 p.m. And Harris County probably wishes it didn't as LaGrange took advantage of four second-half turnovers and rolled to a 31-0 win.
I have now sat through my first football rain delay.

Crazy return
It's not often the player that fumbles a punt recovers it. It's even rarer when that player advances it for a positive play.
But Carver's Carlos Ross took it one step further on Friday night.
Ross fumbled a punt. He fell down. He got back up, scooped the ball and returned it 61 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter against Spencer on Friday night.
Ross had the time to do this being that there were no Spencer defenders within 5 yards of him.

What's that call
Early in the first quarter of the Shaw-Troup game a penalty flag was thrown, and the referee signaled the penalty by putting his hand behind his head.
I had never seen this call. After a few minutes of confusion, an official manual was found and the penalty was discovered. The penalty was an equipment violation.
If that wasn't strange enough, it was called three more times in the first half. All four times it was called against Shaw. I know the officials weren't biased being that they called an equipment violation against Troup in the third quarter.
One of the officials in the press box told me it was because the chinstraps weren't fully buckled.
Let this serve as a reminder to all coaches -- TELL YOUR PLAYERS TO BUCKLE THEIR CHINSTRAP.
At least one thing is certain, the next time the referee makes that signal I'll know the call. The only question might be whether it was a chinstrap, a mouth piece or another piece of equipment that wasn't being worn or properly worn.

Getting a win
Russell County coach Rico White has urged his players to continue working hard throughout the preseason and that it would translate to wins during the regular season.
It happened Friday night.
Yes, the Warriors needed a late fourth-quarter touchdown to beat BTW, but it's still a win.
The Warriors will try to build off that this week.

Almost there
While Russell County pulled out a win, Jordan came up a little short against Kendrick.
The Red Jackets led 6-0 in the fourth quarter before the Cherokees scored a touchdown and made the extra point to win 7-6.
It was much closer than lat year's 26-0 loss and 2005's 39-6 loss.
It appears that first-year coach Tony Graziano has Jordan headed in the right direction. Jordan's next chance for a win will come Friday against Harris County.

With that week behind us, I look forward to another crazy week this Friday.

Week 1 standouts

With the first week of the regular season over, I'll take a look at some of the players that shined in their season opener. I will recap that week's game every Sunday with the top performers.

So here goes:

Rushing
Kyle Griswould, Shaw - rushed for 191 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries against Troup.

Jacquise Terry, Pacelli - rushed for 176 and three touchdowns against Bowdon.

Derek Brown, Jordan - rushed for 142 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries against Kendrick.

Nick Burks, Hardaway - rushed for 135 yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries against Columbus High.

Wesley Kiggins, Brookstone - rushed for 128 yards and three touchdowns against Whitefield Academy.

Bryan Willis, Shaw - rushed for 114 yards and two touchdowns on seven carries against Troup.

Orwin Smith, Central-Phenix City - rushed for 107 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries against Eufaula.

Jacorey Battle, Russell County - rushed for 83 yards and three touchdowns against B.T.W.

Who had the top rushing performance in Week 1?
	Kyle Griswould, Shaw
	Nick Burks, Hardaway
	Jacquise Terry, Pacelli
	Wesley Kiggins, Brookstone
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Passing
Caleb Horvath, Chattahoochee County - was 18-of-26 for 212 yards and four touchdowns against Marion County. Horvath also had one interception.

Kyle Barr, Smiths Station - was 14-of-30 for 157 yards and a touchdown. Barr had two passes intercepted.

Stuart Wilkerson, Pacelli - completed 6 of 11 passes for 92 yards. Wilkerson had two passing and one rushing touchdown.

DeRon Furr, Carver - completed 7 of 11 passes for 71 yards in the first half. Furr had two touchdowns passes and rushing touchdown.

Receiving
Octavius Staton, Chattahoochee County - caught six passes for 100 yards and a touchdown.

Delandis Harris, Chattahoochee County - had a touchdown catches of 28 and 32 yards against Marion County.

Jarmon Fortson, Carver - had five catches for 46 yards and two touchdowns in the first half against Spencer.

Who stood out most to you? Which running back was the most electrifying? Which quarterback showed off the best arm? Which receiver displayed the best hands?

Straight from the source

It starts small and continues to build and grow. It becomes more and more distorted.
Like the child game of telephone with each person the rumor or message deviates further from the truth.
On Wednesday afternoon Shaw quarterback Cam Greathouse took a hit in practice, like every high school player does. He stumbled and landed awkwardly on his knee.
There were some thoughts around Columbus that Greathouse had suffered a serious knee injury and that he wouldn't play against Troup.
As a precaution, Greathouse went to Hughston Clinic on Thursday to have it checked, according to his father Randy Greathouse.
The MRI came back and there was no damage to the ACL, MCL, PCL or meniscus, Randy said. Randy also said Cam is going to play against Troup on Saturday night.
Like the game of telephone, it's most accurate from the first person or the person – like Randy – that knows what happened.
Everyone can look forward to watching No. 4 take plenty of snaps against Troup at A.J. McClung Memorial Stadium in the Raiders’ season opener.

Kickers and punters to watch

Jeff Carrero, Smiths Station – Carrero was 21-for-21 on extra points last season. He also was 9 of 10 on field-goal tries. He also handles the Panthers’ punting duties.

Brandon Childs, Hardaway – Childs made 95 percent of his extra-point attempts last season. He also connected on four field goals, including a 42-yarder against Kendrick.

Zach Corcoran, Pacelli – Corcoran made four field goals and was 21 of 21 on extra points last season for the Vikings.

Allen Page, Brookstone – Page made 97 percent of his extra-point attempts for the Cougars in 2006.

Stuart Wilkerson, Pacelli – Wilkerson, who was the first-team All-Region 4-A punter, averaged 34 yards a punt in 2006.

Defensive backs to watch

Lamar Brown, Northside – Brown will play safety and quarterback for the Patriots this season. He made 88 tackles and had three interceptions in 2006.

Cedric Chambers, Kendrick – Chambers, who played cornerback last season, will move to free safety this season. The 5-foot-10 senior finished with 42 tackles and three interceptions last fall.

Corey Gainey, Columbus – Gainey led the Blue Devils with six interceptions last season. He also had 42 tackles.

D’Antoine Hood, Central-Phenix City – Hood is one of the best cover cornerbacks in the Bi-City. He made 30 tackles and one interception for the Red Devils in 2006.

Trevione Hudson, Hardaway – The senior defensive back made 74 tackles and had two interceptions for the Hawks.

Rico Porch, Central-Phenix City – Porch, who plays safety, led the Red Devils with five interceptions during his junior season. He also had 53 tackles.

Carlos Ross, Carver – Ross, who transferred from Northside, is one of most talented cover men in the Bi-City. He’ll likely split time between cornerback, wide receiver and running back this fall.

DeAndre Smith, Carver – Smith, who has started since his freshman season, made 63 tackles last season. He also had two interceptions and two sacks.

Bryan Willis, Shaw – Willis, who also will see some playing time at running back, made nine interceptions last season. He was a first-team all-state selection as a junior.

Carver on GPB

The Carver Tigers will be featured on this week's Prep Sports Plus on Georgia Public Broadcast.
The show will air Thursday night at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 12:30 p.m. on Channel 28 in Columbus.
The segment will feature quarterback DeRon Furr and defensive back DeAndre Smith, who the Tigers are looking for leadership from.
Carver went 12-2 last season and advanced to the Class AAA playoffs before losing to Shaw, 16-14. The Tigers are ranked No. 3 in the preseason poll.

Lady Blue Devils earn top spot

The Columbus High volleyball team grabbed the top spot in this week's Class AAA coaches poll after going 4-1 over the weekend at Woodward Academy.

The Lady Blue Devils have opened the season 15-2, including wins against Kennesaw Mountain (No. 2 in AAAAA), St. Pius X (No. 3 in AAAA) and McIntosh (No. 4 in AAAA).

Columbus has also beaten Blessed Trinity, the 2006 AAA state champions, and Sandy Creek, a semifinalist.

Their only two losses have come against Northview (7-0, No. 1 in AAAAA) and Starr's Mills (12-0, No. 1 in AAAA).

Harris County is ranked No. 8 in the poll. Hardaway could be another solid week away from being ranked. The Lady Hawks are 8-1 this season.

Linebackers to watch

Markieth Cliatt, Central-Phenix City – Cliatt will be one of the leaders on the Red Devils’ defense this season. He had 85 tackles as a junior in 2006.

Chris Drew, Northside – Surrounded by some younger players, the Patriots are looking for some big things from Drew. He is one of Northside’s top returning tacklers.

Cody Dykes, Glenwood – Dykes is the heart and soul of the Gators’ defense. He made 53 stops as a junior.

Jarivs Jones, Carver – Jones, who played tight end last season, is making the switch to defense this fall. It might take him a few games to adjust, but he could develop into Tigers’
leader on defense.

Lester Jones, Chattahoochee County – Jones, who played at Shaw as a freshman, has developed into a playmaker. He made 110 tackles last season for the Panthers.

James McGee, Hardaway – McGee, who started at middle linebacker for the Hawks last season, finished with 110 tackles.

Ritchee Schott, Pacelli – Schott is a hard-nosed defender that has gotten bigger and stronger during the offseason. The Vikings will rely on him to make plays.

Notes from the GHSA meeting

There wasn't a lot that was decided at the Georgia High School Association executive meeting on Monday.
But there were some noteworthy things brought up.

MOVING THE BASEBALL SEASON
Even before the baseball committee met on Sunday a proposal to move the baseball season was withdrawn. But according to GHSA executive director Ralph Swearngin that proposal called for the season to end the second week of May.
According to the current schedule, the state championship games are scheduled for the first week in June.
Swearngin said the proposal included starting the season one week earlier and shrinking the length of the regular season by one week.
Swearngin said the baseball coaches planned to take a proposal to the Georgia Dugout Club and an updated proposal could be submitted at the March meeting.
The Alabama High School Athletic Association's baseball season ends the middle of May.

RECLASSIFICATION
After the full-time equivalent counts from the fall are received at the GHSA office, they will average the fall and last spring to begin the reclassification process.
Swearngin said he hopes by late October or early November to have teams put into regions. In December, the GHSA will hear appeals from schools that want to be in a different region.
The GHSA will then schedule a called executive committee meeting to approve the regions for the next two seasons.

CHEERLEADING
The cheerleading committee denied a proposal to change Class A from region competitions to a statewide sectional competition.
Cheerleading chairman and Bleckley County coach Sam Barrs told the executive committee it wouldn't work being that it would turn it into a semi-final competition and that it wasn't feasible with the travel.
Class A will still have eight region competitions, and the top two teams will advance to the state competition.

Defensive lineman to watch

Maurice Crawford, Glenwood – Crawford had an immediate impact for the Gators, recording three sacks and recovering a fumble in their opener against Springwood.

Jervelous Drisdom, Carver – Drisdom showed flashes brilliance last season, recording three sacks and forcing two fumbles.

Juan Pickett, Shaw – Pickett is another talented Shaw defensive lineman. As a junior, Pickett had 53 tackles, including two sacks. He also had two fumble recoveries.

Caleb Maggart, Smiths Station – Maggart is one of the leaders of the Panthers’ defense. He uses his speed and strength to slow down opposing running backs.

Marlin Sims, Central-Phenix City – If Sims can stay healthy, he’ll be am important cog in the middle of the Red Devils’ defense.

Brian Williams, Shaw – The Shaw defensive tackle finished with 47 tackles and had two sacks as a junior.

offensive lineman to watch

Keith Carey, Kendrick – After splitting time at center and tackle as a sophomore, Carey was the center last season. He’ll anchor that line again this season.

Maurice Crawford, Glenwood – Crawford, who transferred from Russell County, will play guard and defensive end for the Gators. He was named their most outstanding lineman during the spring.

Chris Griggs, Central-Phenix City – Griggs, who started last season, will be the leader of a young offensive line.

John and Jack Martin, Brookstone – The Martin brothers are the starting guards for the Cougars, and they create plenty of running space for the backs.

Tori Mobley, Carver – The 6-foot-2 tackle does a good job of giving quarterback DeRon Furr the opportunity to throw the ball.

Jarvis Pitts, Shaw – Pitts, who was an all-state selection last season, will be the leader of the Raiders’ offensive line. The Raiders rushed for more than 3,000 yards last season.

Anthony Worthen, Kendrick – The Cherokees guard will be a four-year starter, and he will attempt to keep the Kendrick quarterback protected.

Receivers to watch

Jarmon Fortson, Carver – Fortson, who has offers from Louisville, South Carolina and Auburn, had 39 catches for 702 yards and eight touchdowns as a junior.

Delandis Harris, Chattahoochee County – Harris is one the Panthers’ talented playmakers. He had 736 yards receiving and 12 touchdowns last season.

Octavius Staton, Chattahoochee County – Staton is Chattahoochee County’s most versatile player. He had 1,336 total yards and scored 13 touchdowns as a junior.

Chris Walls, Pacelli – With the loss of Mark LeGree, Walls is going to have a bigger role with the Vikings in 2007. He had 180 receiving yards and two touchdowns as the third receiver last year.

Jacovi White, Chattahoochee County – White, a 6-foot-2 receiver, amassed 836 yards of offense, while scoring 10 touchdowns last season.

Arthur Williams, Glenwood – Williams will likely be the favorite target of his brother Branden Williams. The younger Williams had more than 400 yards receiving at Russell County last season.

There is little doubt who is the best receiver. The only question will be whether Carver can get Jarmon Fortson the ball enough.

Quarterbacks to watch

Kyle Barr, Smiths Station – Barr passed for 2,099 yards in the Panthers’ quick-passing offense. He also had nine touchdowns as a junior.

DeRon Furr, Carver – Furr is the top dual-threat quarterback in the Bi-City. He threw for 1,175 yards and 10 touchdowns, while rushing for 645 yards and 10 touchdowns as a junior.

Cam Greathouse, Shaw – Greathouse, who has led the Raiders to back-to-back trips to the Georgia Dome, threw 21 touchdowns as a junior. He finished with 1,272 passing yards.

Caleb Horvath, Chattahoochee County – Horvath, who has started since his freshman season, passed for 2,204 yards and 23 touchdowns as a sophomore.

Chad Klar, Harris County – Klar was a viable running threat last season, rushing for 805 yards and nine touchdowns. He also had 515 passing yards and seven touchdowns.

Stuart Wilkerson, Pacelli – Wilkerson had 1,630 passing yards and 14 touchdowns as a sophomore in 2006.

Branden Williams, Glenwood – Williams put up some good numbers for Russell County last season, throwing for 2,100 yards and 14 touchdowns.

There are a lot of talented quarterbacks in the Bi-City this season. Glenwood's Branden Williams will put the best numbers. Carver's DeRon Furr is the best athlete. Shaw's Cam Greathouse will have the best season.

Running backs to watch

We are going to take a look at a different position every day for the next week leading up to the start of the high school season.
Our first day look was at running backs.

Nick Burks, Hardaway – Burks led the Hawks in rushing last season with 601 yards. He is the only returning starter in the offensive backfield.

Malcolm Chinn, Carver – Chinn was third on the team in rushing last season, finishing with 561 yards. He also scored eight touchdowns.

Kyle Griswould, Shaw – With the graduation of Aresnio Williams and Gavin Scott, the speedy Griswould is going to carry the load. He had 718 yards of offense and six receiving touchdowns as a sophomore.

Wesley Kiggins, Brookstone – Kiggins rushed for 1,320 yards and 19 touchdowns as a junior. He also had a receiving touchdown.

Jarkuis Morgan, Carver – While sharing carries with a handful of other backs, Morgan rushed for 545 yards and seven touchdowns as a sophomore.

Tavaris Owens, Columbus – Owens, who gained 422 yards as a junior, has gotten bigger and stronger. He scored seven touchdowns for the Blue Devils in 2006.

Orwin Smith, Central-Phenix City – The junior will receive a bulk of the carries for the Red Devils. Smith, who was seldom used in 2006, has the combination of power and speed.

Jacquise Terry, Pacelli – Terry had 1,045 yards and nine touchdowns during his junior season. He was also a viable receiving option, catching 19 passes for 250 yards.

Chris Whitehorn, Smiths Station – Despite playing in a pass-first offense, Whitehorn gained 456 yards and scored seven touchdowns as a sophomore.

And by year's end the best running back will be........... Shaw's Kyle Griswould.

Northside's Walker ranked

Northside junior Torrin Walker was ranked the 100th-best prospect in the country when Rivals.com released its rankings for the Class 2009 on Saturday.
Walker, a 6-foot-9, 221-pound forward, helped guided the Patriots to their first-ever berth in the state playoffs last year. Northside finished 23-7 and advanced to the second round of the Class AAA playoffs.
Walker is considered a four-star prospect. He averaged 7.8 points and 8.1 rebounds as a sophomore.
Walker isn't ranked by Scout.com. He and teammate James Vincent are both ranked as three-star prospects by Scout.com.

Hardaway leads

Hardaway 41, Franklin County 40

Seqouoyah Griffin's layup with 18 seconds left in the quarter gave Hardaway the lead.

Hawks trail

Franklin County 29, Hardaway 21


The Lady Lions closed the half on a 8-0 run. Oceana Jackson has 14 points for Franklin County.

Sequoyah Griffin has eight in the first half.

First quarter

Franklin County 11, Hardaway 8

Franklin County fell behind 5-1 but rallied to take a 11-8 lead after one.

Contenders and Pretenders

Today is the start of the girls GHSA state playoffs and the Bi-City has some of the state's top teams. But that doesn't automatically give them a berth in the final four.
Everyone begins earning their trip to Macon tonight.

Here is a look at eight teams in Class AAA that have a chance to advance to Macon.

Hardaway -- The Lady Hawks suffered a devastating 69-68 overtime loss in the Region 2-AAA final to Kendrick. But that might have been the best thing to happen to them. The Hawks were upbeat at practice this week and are focused. They will make it at least to the quarterfinals.

Northeast-Macon -- Northeast knocked off Southwest-Macon in the Region 4-AAA final to earn the top seed. Northeast shouldn't have a problem winning its first two games.

Gainesville -- Gainesville lost in the final to East Hall, but are always good. Gainesville is capable of making some noise in the tournament.

Sandy Creek -- Sandy Creek couldn't beat Carrollton -- who is undefeated -- but that doesn't diminish the type of team it is. Sandy Creek has tough opening round game against North Hall but should survive.

Hephzibah -- The Lady Rebels have the toughest draw in the state. If they can get past Southwest -- which they will do next Friday -- they have to play Kendrick. Arguably, the top three teams in the state are in the same bracket. This might be Wendell Lofton's best coaching job.

Kendrick -- The Lady Cherokees will be tested by Worth County in the second round but they will win. Just last season, Kendrick beat Worth County by 28 points in the quarterfinals. The question is can Kendrick make it back to Macon?

East Hall -- East Hall only has one loss and is capable of getting to Macon. Last year, East Hall made it to the quarterfinals of AA and will try to improve on that. Carrollton will try to have something to say about them making a trip to Macon.

Carrollton -- Carrollton is the only unbeaten team in Class AAA. Sometimes that isn't the best thing going into the playoffs. Kendrick was unbeaten going into the semifinals when Avondale beat them last year. Carrollton might have a similar experience.


The final four: Hardaway vs. Franklin County (the surprise team)
Kendrick vs. Carrollton

Final four selections will be made later. Tomorrow we will breakdown the boys.

Trying to break a tie is never easy, especially when the teams split during the regular season.
Just ask Northside and Jordan -- who finished tied for second.
The Georgia High School Association has a set of tiebreakers that includes records against all Class AAA teams. The Region 2-AAA coaches have a tiebreaker that starts with the top seeded team not involved in the tie and works it way down.
Ultimately, the final tiebreaker is flipping a coin or drawing a number out of a hat.
But are any of these really fair.
Spencer coach George Williams likes what they did about 20 years ago. In 1988, when Spencer and Columbus High were tied for first in the region, they played a game to determine who was the top seed and earn the automatic bid.
In 1988, only two teams made the playoffs and one received the automatic bid. That year, like this year, Spencer and Columbus High had identical region records and split during the season.
Spencer won that game. And Columbus never made the playoffs. The Blue Devils lost to a Baker team that included Kendrick coach Sterling Hicks, who was a freshman.
Determining it on the court might be a better solution than flipping a coin.

Greenlee will sign with Georgia

Hardaway offensive tackle Antwane Greenlee has maintained for the last few months that he was going to Georgia.
Despite that, Greenlee continued to flirt with other schools -- mainly Florida State. He even took an official visit to Florida State on Jan. 12.
But the 6-foot-6, 315-pound lineman reconfirmed his decision Wednesday.
"He called Florida State and told them he wasn't interested," Hardaway coach Morgan Ingram said. "He's solid on Georgia."
Greenlee, who is ranked the fifth-best offensive tackle in the country by Rivals.com, met with some of the Georgia coaches on Wednesday afternoon.
Greenlee's teammate Kelcie McCray has verbally committed to Arkansas State and will sign with the Indians on national signing day -- next Wednesay.

THIS WEEK'S POLL

It's pretty much the same as last week, even though a couple of Bi-City teams lost some games. Carver is ranked fourth and Jordan is sixth. Northside has moved up to seventh. Still three teams ranked.

Who is the best of the group?

Here is the poll.

Georgia Sportswriters Association Basketball polls

Numbers in parenthesis represent first place votes

Girls

Class AAAAA

1. Collins Hill (9)
2. Stephenson
3. South Gwinnett
4. Mill Creek
5. McEachern
6. Campbell
7. Marietta
8. Berkmar
9. North Cobb
10. Warner Robins

Others receiving votes: Etowah, Camden, Morrow, Beach, Sprayberry.

Class AAAA

1. St. Pius (6)
2. Greenbrier (2)
3. Northside-Warner Robins (1)
4. Mays
5. Marist
6. Clarke Central
7. Dalton
8. Westlake
9. Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe
10. Cherokee

Others receiving votes: Westside-Macon, North Clayton, Sequoyah, Jonesboro, Jones County.

Class AAA

1. Southwest-Macon (7)
2. Carrollton (2)
3. Kendrick
4. East Hall
5. Hephzibah
6. Hardaway
7. Worth County
8. Towers
9. Franklin County
10. Sandy Creek

Others receiving votes: Northeast-Macon, Dougherty, Liberty County, West Laurens.

Class AA

1. Greater Atlanta Christian (8)
2. Avondale
3. Randolph-Clay (1)
4. McIntosh County Academy
5. Wesleyan
6. Laney
7. Rutland
8. Screven County
9. Paideia
10. Armuchee

Others receiving votes: Model, Dodge County, Lafayette, Greenville.

Class A

1. Landmark Christian (9)
2. Southwest Atlanta Christian
3. Calhoun County
4. Calvary Day
5. Bowdon
6. Hancock Central
7. Truetlen
8. Hebron Christian
9. Savannah Country Day
10. Hawkinsville

Others receiving votes: St. Francis, Greenville, Towns County, Gordon Lee, Jefferson, Lincoln County, Echols County, Portal.

Boys

Class AAAAA

1. Norcross (9)
2. Meadowcreek
3. Beach
4. Peachtree Ridge
5. Wheeler
6. McEachern
7. Tri-Cities
8. Marietta
9. Centennial
10. Camden County

Others receiving votes: Johnson-Savannah, Chattahoochee.

Class AAAA

1. Columbia (9)
2. Cedar Shoals
3. Tucker
4. Cherokee
5. Lithia Springs
6. Stone Mountain
7. Riverdale
8. Fayette County
9. North Clayton
10. Stockbridge

Class AAA

1. Dunwoody (9)
2. East Hall
3. Southside
4. Carver-Columbus
5. Hart County
6. Jordan
7. Northside-Columbus
8. Glenn Hills and South Atlanta (tie)
9. Washington County and Westover (tie)

Class AA

1. Thomasville (9)
2. Buford
3. Swainsboro
4. Randolph-Clay
5. Decatur
6. Wesleyan
7. Coosa
8. Dodge County
9. Darlington
10. Manchester

Others receiving votes: Dawson County, Appling County, Tattnall County, Josey, Union County.

Class A

1. Wilkinson County (9)
2. Calvary Day
3. Whitefield Academy
4. Turner County
5. Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy
6. Wilcox County
7. Providence Christian
8. Taylor County
9. Jefferson
10. St. Francis

Others receiving votes: Bremen, Hancock Central, Trion, Chattahoochee County, Portal, Aquinas, Hawkinsville.

Power polls

Boys basketball

1. Carver (16-1) The Tigers haven’t lost a game in about two months.
2. Jordan (16-3) The Red Jackets continued to roll along with a 60-53 victory against Shaw on Tuesday.
3. Northside (12-5) The Patriots snapped a three-game losing streak with a win against Harris County on Tuesday.
4. Shaw (12-6) The Raiders take on Kendrick tonight at 7:30 p.m.
5. Glenwood (24-0) The Gators are the only unbeaten boys team in the Bi-City.

Girls

1. Kendrick (18-1) The Lady Cherokees lost to Hardaway 64-57 last Friday.
2. Hardaway (17-2) The Lady Hawks have lost twice to Kendrick this season.
3. Glenwood (24-0) The Lady Gators are getting closer to an unbeaten regular season.
4. Columbus High (11-6) The Lady Blue Devils has won three straight games since losing to LaGrange.
5. Smiths Station (10-4) The Lady Panthers are led by forward Danielle Anderson.

Here is this week's high school poll. With the loss to Hardaway, Kendrick has fallen from the top spot to No. 3. Hardaway moves up to No. 6. On the boys side, Carver is still No. 3. The Red Jackets has now ranked No. 4 and Northside is No. 10.


Georgia Sportswriters Association Basketball Poll

Number in parenthesis is first place votes

Girls

Class AAAAA

1. Collins Hill (10)
2. Stephenson
3. South Gwinnett
4. Mill Creek
5. Campbell
6. Berkmar
7. McEachern
8. Warner Robins
9. Etowah
10. Marietta

Others receiving votes: Houston County, Beach, Sprayberry, Redan Camden County.

Class AAAA

1. St. Pius (9)
2. Greenbrier (1)
3. Northside-Warner Robins
4. Mays
5. Marist
6. Clarke Central
7. Dalton
8. Westside-Macon
9. Lakeview-Fort Olgethorpe
10. North Clayton and Cherokee (tie)

Others receiving votes: Salem, Jonesboro, Southwest DeKalb, Jones County, Westlake, Sequoyah.

Class AAA

1. Southwest-Macon (7)
2. Carrollton (2)
3. Kendrick
4. East Hall
5. Hephzibah (1)
6. Hardaway
7. Franklin County
8. Worth County
9. Towers
10. Sandy Creek

Others receiving votes: Northeast-Macon, Liberty County, Pickens County, Doughtery, West Laurens.

Class AA

1. Avondale (6)
2. Greater Atlanta Christian (1)
3. Randolph-Clay (3)
4. Wesleyan
5. McIntosh County Academy
6. Laney
7. Rutland
8. Model
9. Screven County
10. Paideia

Others receiving votes: Dodge County, Swainsboro, Armuchee, Lafayette.

Class A

1. Landmark Christian (10)
2. Southwest Atlanta Christian
3. Calhoun County
4. Calvary Day
5. Bowdon
6. Hancock Central
7. Savannah Country Day
8. Hebron Christian
9. Treutlen
10. Towns County

Others receiving votes: Hawkinsville, Gordon Lee, Echols County, Jefferson, Trion, St. Francis.


Boys

Class AAAAA

1. Norcross (10)
2. Peachtree Ridge
3. Meadowcreek
4. Wheeler
5. Beach
6. McEachern
7. Tri-Cities
8. Camden County and Milton (tie)
10 Chattahoochee

Others receiving votes: Johnson-Savannah, Centennial, Coffee,

Class AAAA

1. Columbia (10)
2. Cherokee
3. Cedar Shoals
4. Tucker
5. Stone Mountain
6. Riverdale
7. Lithia Springs
8. Stockbridge
9. North Clayton
10. Pebblebrook

Others receiving votes: Westlake, Jonesboro, Greenbrier, Ware County.

Class AAA

1. Dunwoody (10)
2. East Hall
3. Carver-Columbus
4. Jordan
5. South Atlanta
6. Hart County
7. Southside
8. Glenn Hills
9. Westover-Albany
10. Northside-Columbus

Others receiving votes: Washington County, Northeast-Macon, Burke County, Monroe-Albany, Franklin County, Central-Macon, Perry.

Class AA

1. Thomasville (10)
2. Decatur
3. Buford
4. Randolph-Clay
5. Darlington
6. Swainsboro
7. Dodge County
8. Coosa
9. Manchester
10. Wesleyan

Others receiving votes: Josey, Bleckley County, Tattnall County, Appling County, Union County, Dawson County.

Class A

1. Wilkinson County (10)
2. Turner County
3. Southwest Atlanta Christian
4. Calvary Day
5. Whitefield Academy
6. Taylor County
7. Wilcox County
8. Providence Christian
9. Hancock Central
10. Jefferson

Others receiving votes: W.D. Mohammed, Bremen, St. Francis, Portal, Hawkinsville. Trion.

POWER RANKINGS

Boys basketball

1. Carver (11-1) Since the football season ended and the Tigers have their full squad, they haven’t lost. The Tigers’ only loss was to Troup on Dec. 8.
2. Jordan (12-3) Two of Jordan’s three losses have come against Carver. The most recent one was a 60-58 loss last Friday.
3. Northside (10-2) The Patriots will be tested when they play Carver on Saturday night.
4. Shaw (9-4) The Raiders lost 90-85 in overtime to Northside on Tuesday evening.
5. Glenwood (19-0) The Gators will take on region rival Lee-Scott (12-2) tonight.

Girls basketball

1. Kendrick (14-0) The Lady Cherokees have lost just one game in the last two seasons. Since the start of the 2004-2005 season, Kendrick has 74 of its 77 games.
2. Hardaway (12-2) Both of Hardaway’s losses have come against Kendrick. The Lady Hawks knocked off Carver 77-37 on Tuesday.
3. Smiths Station (9-4) The Lady Panthers defeated Loachapoka 67-34 last Friday.
4. Glenwood (19-0) The Lady Gators beat Northside Methodist 77-45 on Saturday.
5. Columbus (8-4) The Lady Blue Devils knocked off Harris County 60-43 last Friday.

Kedrick safety commits

Kendrick safety Jermaine Richardson has verbally committed to Memphis.

The 6-foot-2, 195-pound safety selected the Conference USA school over Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Indiana and UCLA.

“The coaching staff at Memphis really impressed him,” Kendrick coach Ahmand Tinker said. “He likes what they do defensively and the atmosphere of the city.”

Richardson, who visited Memphis on Dec. 8, suffered a handful of nagging injuries throughout his senior season. Despite those injuries, he finished with 89 tackles and four interceptions.

WELL REPRESENTED

The Muscogee County schools were well represented in this week's basketball poll. Two girls teams and four boys teams were ranked in the top 10.
Over the last two seasons, the Lady Cherokees have been the best team in the Bi-City. This year, they are still strong. Even with a 14-0 start, Kendrick will likely lose before the playoffs -- but only once.
Kendrick coach Sterling Hicks will have them ready for the playoffs and the Cherokees are likely headed for another trip to Macon.
The Lady Hawks are talented enough to make the trip to Macon with Kendrick. Their only two losses came to Kendrick. Sequoyah Griffin, Jessica Edwards and Kelly Ellison make up a talented trio that gives them a chance in every game.
On the boys side, Carver is the most talented team. With the Jarvis Jones and Jarmon Fortson the Tigers have two difficult matchups for opposing teams. The Tigers survived a scare -- 60-58 on Friday night against Jordan.
Jordan is the second-best team in Region 2-AAA and will make run in the playoffs. Jordan coach Gerald Turner has his team ready for every game. Depending on the draw, Jordan could play in Macon this season.

Georgia Sports Writers Association Basketball Poll
Girls
Class AAA

1. Kendrick (8)
2. Carrollton
3. Southwest-Macon
4. Hephzibah
5. East Hall
6. Worth County
7. Franklin County
8. Hardaway
9. Westminster
10. West Laurens

Others receiving votes: Northeast-Macon, Westover-Albany, Monroe Area, North Hall, Liberty County.

Boys
Class AAA

1. Dunwoody (7)
2. Glenn Hills
3. Carver (1)
4. East Hall
5. Jordan
6. Hart County
7. South Atlanta & Northside
9 Monroe-Albany
10 Shaw

Others receiving votes: Gilmer, Burke County, Central-Macon, Sandy Creek, Franklin County, Westover-Albany