Friday's Prep Football Picks
From The Newnan Times-Herald Sports Staffsports@newnan.com
When it comes to Our Prep Picks, we’re often referred to as “Homers.” And at times, the title tends to fit. But we’d like to think we’ve learned some things from watching the county’s football lineups the last seven or eight weeks.
You see where we’re going yet? No? Stay with us.
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Here’s tonight’s picks. Homecomings first.
Tri-Cities (2-4, 0-1 in Region 2-AAAAAA) at East Coweta (2-4, 1-0): We know what you’re saying. Tri-Cities lost last week to a solid Newnan team and the Indians beat winless Westlake. But there’s something to be said about momentum too. The Indians — who remember last week’s Homecoming letdown — are coming off arguably their best half of football while Tri-Cities couldn’t find any, giving away fumbles while unable to capitalize against Newnan’s few mistakes. Yeah the Bulldogs are bigger, but as the saying goes, “The bigger they are, the harder ... “ INDIANS 24, BULLDOGS 21.
Stratford Academy (4-2, 1-0 in GISA Region 2-AAA) at The Heritage School (6-0, 1-0): The Eagles aren’t your everyday Homecoming opponent, but when you’re in Region 2-AAA, there aren’t that many choices available. So don’t expect last year’s skip over Skipstone, Heritage fans. Nevertheless, the Hawks are averaging 47 points a game for a reason. Namely, they’re as talented as they are deep. After winning five straight games minus a four-year starter at quarterback, we tend to think the Hawks are primed to keep things going — and gain even more attention from the rest of the GISA. ... HAWKS 42, EAGLES 28.
Langston Hughes (5-1, 1-0 in 2-AAAAAA) at Newnan (5-1, 1-0): Both teams enter on three-game winning streaks, a bit more typical for a Newnan program than a young one at Langston Hughes. But the Panthers have definitely turned a corner in Year Four, which also includes the school’s first substantial senior class of football players. Over the past two seasons, they’ve closed the gap on the Cougars from a 56-19 walloping in 2010 to last year’s 38-21 loss on Newnan’s homecoming. A return to Drake Stadium should bring an even tighter contest. But against a Cougar team that found their legs last week, Hughes’ timing is still a bit off. ... COUGARS 27, PANTHERS 17.
Trinity Christian (3-3, 0-1 in GISA 2-AAA) at Tattnall Square (2-5, 1-0): You figure the trend out yet? Yep, but we have our reasons for why we like an upset, absolutely crazy as they may sound. Yes, Tattnall’s defending state champions led by prestigious head coach Barney Hester present a tremendous challenge. Of the Trojans’ five losses, all of them have been by 10 points or less. But something tells us that Trinity’s due, especially after last week’s tough loss at Stratford where the Lions made a 40-point improvement over the previous year’s meeting. Considering Tattnall’s 40-7 win over Trinity in 2011, that would make them a winner if they give the same kind of effort tonight. ... LIONS 20, TROJANS 18.
