Our Pick 6 predictions for Week 4 of the Georgia high school season include a pair of heavyweights, Lee County and Colquitt County, meeting in Moultrie, and our ITG Next Game of the Week between North Cobb and Marietta.
Lee County at Colquitt County
We begin our Georgia high school Week 4 predictions with a big road game for coach Dean Fabrizio’s Lee County Trojans, who travel to the Hawg Pen for what will be their toughest test so far in 2023. Both teams enter the contest undefeated, and the game pits two of the winningest programs over the past decade in their respective classifications against each other. These teams combined for four state titles in a five-year span from 2014 to 2018. Colquitt County claimed Class 7A state titles in 2014 and 2015, while Lee County won back-to-back Class 6A state titles in 2017 and 2018.
The 2023 season represents perhaps the best opportunity for each team to claim another title. Lee has a Top-5 running back in the state in Ousmane Kromah, while Colquitt County boasts two AJC Super 11 players in WR NY Carr and TE Landen Thomas. A win by Lee would be an upset, and maybe Dean Fabrizio’s biggest regular-season victory since he took over the Lee County program. Can he and his Trojans do it?
Phil’s Pick: Colquitt County 33, Lee County 21
ITG Next Game of the Week
North Cobb at Marietta
The ITG Next Game of the Week takes us to Marietta for a battle between the Blue Devils and Coach Shane Queen’s North Cobb Warriors. Both teams have very tough schedules, with North Cobb coming in to this game with losses to Westlake in Week 1 and Buford last week. The host Blue Devils are 1-2 with a one-point win over West Forsyth pinned between losses to Norcross and Roswell. Obviously, both teams are desperately seeking a victory, and each likely feels this is the best shot to get a W.
North Cobb likes to feed RB David Eziomume , who is also a top receiver. Marietta’s offense is led by QB Chase McCravey, who is in his fourth year as the Blue Devils starter and is approaching 4,000 career passing yards.
Phil’s Pick: North Cobb 30, Marietta 28
Warner Robins at Valdosta
These teams have met in each of the past three seasons, with Warner Robins having won two of the three. Sort of. In 2020, they played at Bazemore Hyder Stadium during the brief Rush Propst Era at Valdosta. Although the Wildcats won according to the final score, the game was ruled a forfeit after QB Jake Garcia was ruled ineligible for not having made a “bono fide” move when transferring to Valdosta from California.
Warner Robins won the next season by a 48-20 score, before Valdosta, ahem, stormed back last season to shut out the Demons 25-0 and pick up their first official win in the recent series of games. Can Valdosta’s defense rise up once again and lead the way? Well …
Phil’s Pick: Warner Robins 28, Valdosta 21
Ware County at Benedictine
We’d be remiss not to include this matchup in our Georgia high school Week 4 predictions. What a game it should be, featuring the defending state champions in Classes 4A and 5A. Benedictine has actually won the last two 4A state championships under head coach Danny Britt, finishing with 13 wins each year. Ware County was finally able to win a state title last season, finishing 14-0 and defeating Warner Robins to deny the Demons another championship.
Ware is led on offense by junior QB Luke Hooks, while the Cadets have FSU-bound senior Luke Kromenhoek behind center. Ware won this matchup last season by a 14-10 final score. This one should be just as tight, but can the Gators beat the Cadets again?
Phil’s Pick: Benedictine 27, Ware County 21
Gainesville at Clarke Central
Gainesville comes into this matchup undefeated after knocking off Coconut Creek last week to go 3-0 on the season. The Red Elephants defeated the Gladiators 43-20 at home last season, but head coach David Perno’s team is a much better unit than the one that faced Gainesville then. Case in point: They are coming off a 38-31 victory over Oconee County, a team they lost to 33 -9 in 2022.
Clarke Central is led by junior RB Corey Watkins Jr., who averages right at 9 yards per carry. This game is in Athens, and a win over Josh Niblett’s team could be one of Clarke Central’s biggest wins in the Perno era. It also could pave the way for one of the best Clarke Central seasons in years. But that’s a big if …
Phil’s Pick: Gainesville 37, Clarke Central 33
Bainbridge at Thomasville
You gotta hand it to Bainbridge head coach Jeff Littleton: He doesn’t load up his schedule with a bunch of easy opponents. He never has, and according to Littleton, “It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish,” meaning as long as his team is performing well come playoff time, he feels the tough games throughout the season have prepared his team for a tough postseason run.
Littleton’s Bearcats have already played Coffee and Thomas County Central, and they now face the defending Region 1-3A champs and quarterfinalist Thomasville Bulldogs led by head coach Jonathan Delay. The Bulldogs are 1-2 after suffering a tough loss against Cairo last week. Their other loss was against Class 6A Thomas County Central, whom Bainbridge also lost to last week.
Each team is led by a Cam at quarterback, with sophomore sensation Cam Hill directing the Bulldogs offense, while senior Cam Sanders is the Bearcats offensive leader. Bainbridge won handily last season by a 31-7 final score, but can they repeat that same performance in this one? Maybe, but a lot closer. We wrap up our Georgia high school Week 4 predictions with a close one:
Phil’s Pick: Bainbridge 35, Thomasville 32
