The Georgia high school football season keeps offering up a great menu of games, week after week, and Week 8 is no different. Here are our Pick 6 predictions.
ITG Next Game of the Week
Lowndes vs. Valdosta
The Winnersville Classic leads off our Georgia Pick 6 predictions for Week 8. One of the state’s biggest rivalries takes on even more significance with the two teams now back in the same region, and it happens to be the region opener for both programs. On top of that, you’ve got the Wildcats off to an undefeated start and their faithful fans talking about the glory days of the winningest football team in America.
However, the crosstown rival Vikings will surely be the Cats’ toughest test of the 2022 season. Lowndes is coming off a big win, the biggest so far under first-year head coach Zach Grage. This game will provide an interesting matchup between Valdosta’s strong defensive line, which includes Eric Brantley and Omar White, and Lowndes quarterback Marvish Parris and running back Jacarri “Smoke” Fleming. Will it be a defensive battle or a “spread ’em out and throw it” kind of game? I’ll go with the defensive side of things.
Phil’s Pick: Lowndes 28, Valdosta 10
North Cobb at Walton
Next up in our Georgia predictions for Week 8 is this contest featuring the North Cobb Warriors, who are coming off a bye week, and the Walton Raiders, who are back at it after a tough game against the Wolfpack of North Paulding. Walton is led by standout junior QB Jeremy Hecklinski, who is approaching 4,000 career yards passing and over 30 TDs. So far this season, Hecklinski has thrown for right at 1,500 yards and 15 TDs. He’s also run for over 300 yards and 3 TDs.
On the Warriors’ side, QB Nick Grimstead has filled in admirably for the injured Malachi Singleton and has kept his team on the right path with a 3-2 record. Fortunately for the Warriors signal caller, he’ll have plenty of support in coach Shane Queen’s offensive attack, with University of Michigan commit RB Ben Hall, David Aziomume, and David Mbading all counted on for their rushing abilities.
This will be the region opener for both teams, with the winner seizing a big advantage toward clinching a playoff spot to start the season’s second half. This will be a ball game to watch. Who wins?
Phil’s Pick: North Cobb 31, Walton 14
Lee County at Veterans
With Lee County coming off a huge homecoming win last week in its much-anticipated region opener against Houston County by a 50-21 score, the task now for Dean Fabrizio’s Lee County Trojans is to keep their momentum going and avoid any type of letdown against a tough Veterans Warhawks club. That shouldn’t be an issue, given that Veterans is now at 4-2 on the season. They lost their region opener against Thomas County Central last week by a 48-21 score, and will be looking to try to even their mark in region play with an upset win over the Trojans.
Lee County’s sophomore RB Ousmane Kromah is emerging as one of the state’s elite offensive playmakers, with the vision to find openings and breakaway speed once he gets into the secondary. The Trojans also debuted their new quarterback, Weston Bryan, last week. The big, tall sophomore took over after Chris Martin transferred to Fitzgerald High, and he looked poised and really put great touches on the football. Veterans will give it a go, but there will be just too much Lee County in this one.
Phil’s Pick: Lee County 41, Veterans 14
Northside Warner Robins at Houston County
The Bears of head coach Jeremy Edwards suffered their first loss of the season last week at Lee County, dropping a tough one 50-21. It was also the region opener for the Bears in 1-6A. But there’s no time for HoCo to start feeling sorry for themselves as they must now face off against a tough Northside Warner Robins team that’s off to a 4-2 start, including last week’s 42-0 blanking of region foe Tift County.
Despite the tough showing at Lee County, Houston County is still a dangerous team that reeled off five consecutive wins to start the season. They are led by quarterback AJ Hill and running back Ryan Taheb, each of whom is ranked #1 in the region at his respective position. Northside Warner Robins is 4-2 with two overtime losses on the season. Coach Chad Alligood has fans thinking of past Eagles seasons under Conrad Nix and more recently Kevin Kinsler, and a win here could put Northside at 2-0 in the region. Houston County, on the other hand, wants to avoid falling to 0-2 in region play after hopes were so high to open the season. Who will come away happy after this one? Our Georgia Week 8 predictions say …
Phil’s Pick: Houston County 35, Northside 33
Fitzgerald at Worth County
One of the true feel-good stories just past the halfway point of the season so far has to be the Worth County Rams and head coach Jeffrey Hammond, who is in his first year in Sylvester and has the Rams playing championship-style football. Hammond has a senior quarterback running the offense in Chip Cooper, who has 815 yards passing and 8 TDs so far this season. His career total as the Rams starter has him at over 4,000 passing yards.
Cooper will likely add to that total against the Purple Hurricanes, but it won’t come easy. The Fitzgerald defense was a major reason for their state championship last season, and this year’s unit is allowing right at 15 points per game. Head coach Tucker Pruitt’s single-wing offense is one of the best at eating clock and keeping the ball away from opposing offenses; for a team like Worth that thrives on scoring points (a 31 ppg average), that’s not a good thing. But this is going to be a great matchup between one of the state’s most established winning programs versus a Worth County team that hasn’t had a season like this in over a decade.
Phil’s Pick: Fitzgerald 19, Worth County 9
Westlake at Pebblebrook
Our Georgia Week 8 predictions conclude with this contest featuring Pebblebrook, which was picked by many during the preseason as a darkhorse team to keep an eye on in 7A this season. The reason was mainly due to a trio of playmakers that were expected to have breakout seasons, including 6-foot 4-inch, 240-pound QB Qamar Grant, who has thrown for over 4,000 career yards and 37 TDs. He has a couple of targets in freshmen Jyrion Gillis and Dylan Montoya, who can line up at RB or WR in the Falcons offense.
Westlake also has a big, tall, and super talented QB in RJ Johnson, who is the state’s top active career passing leader with over 7,000 yards. Both the Falcons and the Lions are coming off their respective bye weeks, with the Lions at 4-2 entering this week’s contest and the Falcons at 3-3. This will be the region opener for both teams.
Phil’s Pick: Westlake 37, Pebblebrook 33
