Entering the second half of the Georgia high school season, region play begins for all teams who haven’t started it already. The race for playoff spots now begins in earnest, especially for my Pick-6 selections this week. One of these matchups is Mill Creek vs. Buford, which is surely the biggest game of the 2022 season so far. These two teams – along with Colquitt County – are who fans and media pundits think are the best in Georgia, regardless of classification. Get your popcorn for this one, but make sure to get that ticket first! It’s going to sell out in no time.
Last week, I finished 5-1 in my picks, giving me a 36-12 record so far through the first eight weeks of the season. Let’s take a look at this week’s picks. Read ’em and weep …
Brooks County at Early County
Brooks County hasn’t played a game in almost a month. The last time they took the field in a real game was against the Bainbridge Bearcats way back on September 16. A series of misfortunate events lead to cancellations, broken promises, and the Trojans football team spending much of the last month practicing only against themselves.
As frustrating as that has been for head coach Maurice Freeman and his team, don’t expect Joel Harvin and his Bobcats squad to feel sorry for the Trojans. They are riding high at 6-0 overall, and while there is still a lot of football to be played, they look like a serious championship contender at the moment. This will be on of the biggest games Blakely has seen in years, and a win by the Bobcats could jump start them to a dream season. Brooks County has been here before, but will the long layoff hurt the Trojans?
Phil’s Pick: Brooks County 21, Early County 14
Camden County at Colquitt County
Camden County opened their region schedule last week against Richmond Hill, winning a close one by a 21-14 score, while this will be the Packers’ first Region 1-7A game. The overall consensus is that Colquitt is the team to beat in the region, while Camden is in the next tier of teams that compete for a #2 seed and a first-round home playoff game. In short, it’s an interesting matchup for fans and an important game for the two teams.
Camden is hoping that standout senior Deonte Cole will be healthy enough to return for this critical contest. He has been out the entire season with a lower leg injury suffered in the preseason. He could be a big difference maker for the Wildcats. Colquitt is heading into its first region game on a roll, with an offense that features UGA commits WR Ny Carr and TE Landon Thomas. RB Charlie Pace and QB Neko Fann are also keys to the Pack’s 32 points per game average through their 6-0 start. Who gets the upper hand in the region in this one?
Phil’s Pick: Colquitt 30, Camden 21
Mill Creek vs. Buford
Mill Creek vs. Buford will be the biggest game of the year in the state, bar none. It will pit the two teams that most people feel are the best in Georgia, and the teams that many feel could eventually battle for the state championship in Class 7A. Of course, there is still a lot of football to be played, and there are a lot of good football teams out there, but so far this season, not too many people are playing better football than these two programs.
Both teams enter the contest at 6-0, with Buford coming off a bye week after defeating defending state champion Collins Hill in their region opener back on September 30, while Mill Creek defeated Central Gwinnett last Thursday in their region opener. The winner not only gets the upper hand as the favorite to win region 8-7A, but will become the early favorite for the state championship in 7A. This game will feature two of the finest safeties in the state in Buford’s KJ Bolden and Mill Creek’s Caleb Downs; both players will see time on special teams and offense, too. This Mill Creek vs. Buford matchup is a tough one to predict, but I’ll take my best shot at it …
Phil’s Pick: Buford 14, Mill Creek 8
Carver-Columbus vs. Crisp County
Carver-Columbus is hoping to get another opportunity at claiming a state championship in Class 3A this season after coming up a little short against Benedictine in last year’s Class 4A state title tilt. They will have to bounce back after losing their matchup with Thomasville last week at the Bulldogs’ home Stadium, as they return home for this week’s region matchup with Lawrence Smith’s Crisp County Cougars.
Crisp County has been a bit of a surprise so far this season, suffering bad losses against Westlake (47-7) and back-to-back losses to Northside Warner Robins (29-10) and Dougherty (25-9). They are coming off a much-needed win over Monroe last week and try to keep the momentum going against Carver. A win over the Tigers could get Crisp back on track and toward the season many thought they were capable of having in 2022.
Phil’s Pick: Carver-Columbus 28, Crisp County 26
Sandy Creek at Carver-Atlanta
The Patriots were one of my “teams to watch” this season, and they have not disappointed so far. They enter this week’s matchup at 6-1, with their only loss a three-point overtime defeat to East Coweta. Their offense is averaging 35 points per game while the defense is giving up just 15 ppg. They are led by senior QB/ATH Geimere Latimer, who has passed for 1,200 yards and rushed for 326 yards through the first seven games, averaging a TD per game along the way.
Meanwhile, the Panthers of Carver have a 5-1 record and are hoping to get on a streak that will take them back to the Class 3A championship game again this season. They lost to Cedar Grove in last year’s title game. The Panthers are led by one of the state’s most exciting playmaker quarterbacks, Bryce Bowens. The senior signal caller has rushed for over 600 yards and passed for more than 1,000 so far. This will be the Region 5-3A opener for both teams. Who starts out 1-0?
Phil’s Pick: Sandy Creek 25, Carver-Atlanta 22
Richmond Hill at Valdosta
Both teams are coming off their region openers last week, with Valdosta taking on Lowndes in the Winnersville Classic and Richmond Hill hosting Camden County. For the Wildcats, this will be another test in their new region after spending the last several seasons in 1-6A. So far, they have surprised everyone with their level of play, especially on defense, where head coach Shelton Felton’s team has played with an attitude. That unit is led by ferocious DE Eric Brantley, who has been a dominant difference maker on that side of the ball. The Valdosta defense is allowing an average of just 5 points per game.
Richmond Hill is also playing in Region 1-7A for the first time after playing in 2-6A last season. This game brings back memories of the 2019 state playoffs, when these two teams met and Richmond Hill upset the Wildcats 16-14 at home. Can Richmond Hill pull off the same thing in this 2022 regular season matchup?
Phil’s Pick: Valdosta 20, Richmond Hill 10
