GHSF DAILY: Who’s up, Who’s down, weekend football schedule and more

The following is an excerpt from the August 25 edition of the Georgia High School Football Daily, an e-mail newsletter compiled by longtime Georgia high school football writers Todd Holcomb and Chip Saye:

Who’s up? Who’s down?

Which teams do you feel are going to be up this year? Which ones are going to be down?
 
We’ve come up with our list for each. We’ve got no explanation for it, just our gut feel. It was chosen mostly among teams that have been pretty good in the past. We’d love to hear your list.

Grayson then drove for the winning touchdown in the 14-10 victory.

“I thought we’d make it,” Herron said. “In hindsight, we should have punted. If we punt the ball, we win. If we make the first down, we win. I told the kids I was proud of the way they played, but I wasn’t happy with me. I told them I’d try to get better.”

Grayson gets its recognition
Before its opening in 2000, Grayson hired a rising young assistant from South Gwinnett named Mickey Conn to start its football program. In his 10th season now, Conn has been thinking back on those days lately as he relishes his team’s 14-10 victory against Camden County on Saturday at the Georgia Dome.

“When we started the program, we didn’t even have a place to practice or a football,” Conn said. “It’s very gratifying that people are recognizing us. It says a lot for all the kids who came through the program and laid the foundation. I’m excited that people are taking notice.”

Conn spoke with GHSF Daily’s Todd Holcomb on Monday morning. Here’s the interview for MaxPreps. It comes with nice photos of Conn and running back Ean Pemberton.

Rams remain No. 5 in RivalsHigh poll
Grayson’s 14-10 victory over Camden County was called the biggest win of the week in the RivalsHigh 100, but the Rams kept their No. 5 ranking from preseason. Camden dropped 12 places. Ranked Georgia teams are:

No. 5 Grayson
No. 8 Peachtree Ridge
No. 32 Lowndes
No. 50 Camden County
No. 83 Gainesville

Catoosa/Walker ‘Dream Team’ named
LaFayette quarterback Josh Morgan and receiver Dmitri Miles and Ringgold running back Martez Eastland are the headliners on the Catoosa/Walker County preseason Football Dream Team released Tuesday on PrepGameFace.com.

Morgan threw for more than 2,000 yards as a sophomore, about half to Miles, who scored 17 touchdowns. Eastland ran for more than 1,500 yards as a junior last season.

Team previews available online
Access North Georgia has previews of 35 northeast Georgia teams online, including ranked teams Buford (No. 1 in AA), Flowery Branch (No. 3 in AAA), Gainesville (No. 2 in AAA), Jefferson (No. 10 in AA) and North Gwinnett (No. 6 in AAAAA). To see them, click here.

The Athens Banner-Herald has previews of 15 schools in its coverage area. To see them, click here.

Thomson player diagnosed with swine flu
A Thomson football player has been diagnosed as having the H1N1 virus, also known as the swine flu, according to WRDW-TV News 12 in Augusta.

As many as 15 Thomson players have flu-like symptoms, Thomson coach Luther Welsh told the TV stadium.

“We always have kids out for this that and the other,” Welsh told the TV station in this report. “But never like this.”

Thomson’s opener is Sept. 4, a week later than most schools, against Washington-Wilkes at home.

Weekend Schedule 

Class AAAAA
Region 1
Perry at Northside-Warner Robins (Thursday); Ware County at Coffee; Randolph-Clay at Colquitt County; Woodland-Stockbridge at Lowndes; Tift County at Roswell; Jenkins at Valdosta; Wheeler at Warner Robins; Groves at Houston County (Saturday)
Region 2
Chamblee at Douglass (Lakewood); Greenbrier at Evans; Luella at Meadowcreek; M.L. King at Southwest DeKalb (Hallford); Newton at Alcovy (Sharp); Redan at Miller Grove (Panthersville); Ola at Union Grove; Stephenson at McNair (Saturday, Hallford)
Region 3
Windsor Forest at Benedictine (Thursday, Savannah Memorial); Bradwell Institute at Glynn Academy; Jenkins at Valdosta; Long County at Johnson-Savannah (Savannah Memorial); Groves at Houston County (Saturday); Beach, Camden County, Savannah do not play
Region 4
Newnan at LaGrange (Thursday); Lithia Springs at Chapel Hill; Tri-Cities at Creekside; Sandy Creek at East Coweta; Lovejoy at Mt. Zion-Jonesboro (Twelve Oaks); Mundy’s Mill at Forest Park (Tara); Osborne at Pebblebrook; Riverdale at North Clayton (Southern Crescent); Banneker at Westlake; Jonesboro at Morrow (Saturday, Tara)
Region 5
Cherokee at Sequoyah; East Paulding at Rome; Peachtree Ridge at Harrison; Kennesaw Mountain at Pope; North Cobb at Marietta; Campbell at South Cobb; Kell at Woodstock; Etowah, McEachern do not play
Region 6
Alpharetta at South Forsyth; Campbell at South Cobb; Northview at Centennial; Kell at Woodstock; Lassiter at Sprayberry; Chattahoochee at Milton; Kennesaw Mountain at Pope; Tift County at Roswell; Wheeler at Warner Robins; Walton does not play
Region 7
Chattahoochee at Milton; Collins Hill at Parkview; Duluth at Shiloh; Mill Creek at Dacula; South Gwinnett at Norcross; North Forsyth at West Forsyth; Northview at Centennial; Peachtree Ridge at Harrison; Alpharetta at South Forsyth; Prattville, Ala., at North Gwinnett (Saturday)
Region 8
Upson-Lee at Berkmar; Mill Creek at Dacula; Luella at Meadowcreek; Collins Hill at Parkview; Duluth at Shiloh; South Gwinnett at Norcross; Byrnes, S.C., vs. Central Gwinnett (Saturday, North Gwinnett); Brookwood, Grayson do not play

Class AAAA
Region 1
Americus-Sumter at Dougherty (7 p.m. Thursday, Mills); Columbus at Hardaway (7 p.m. Thursday, Kinnett); Early County at Bainbridge; Eastside at Harris County; Mitchell County at Jones County; Lee County at Westover (Mills); Thomasville at Thomas County Central; Upson-Lee at Berkmar; Central-Macon at Westside-Macon (Henderson)
Region 2
Burke County at Effingham County; Bradwell Institute at Glynn Academy; West Laurens at South Effingham; Josey at Statesboro; Ware County at Coffee; Wayne County at Appling County; Tucker at Brunswick (Saturday)
Region 3
Hephzibah at Butler; Washington County at Cross Creek; Greenbrier at Evans; Baldwin at Glenn Hills; Josey at Statesboro; Westside-Augusta at Richmond Academy; Grovetown, Harlem, Lakeside-Evans do not play
Region 4
Aug. 28-29: Newton at Alcovy (Sharp); Northgate at Dutchtown; Mundy’s Mill at Forest Park (Tara); Dunwoody at Griffin; Lovejoy at Mount Zion-Jonesboro (Twelve Oaks); Riverdale at North Clayton (Southern Crescent); Ola at Union Grove; Stockbridge at Fayette County; Jonesboro at Morrow (Saturday, Tara)
Region 5
Stockbridge at Fayette County; McIntosh at Forsyth Central; Northgate at Dutchtown; Sandy Creek at East Coweta; Whitewater at Douglas County; Bremen at Alexander; Langston Hughes at Johns Creek; Banneker at Westlake; Lithia Springs at Chapel Hill; Tri-Cities at Creekside; Central-Carroll at Villa Rica; Carver-Atlanta at Mays (6 p.m. Saturday, Lakewood); Starr’s Mill does not play
Region 6
Chamblee at Douglass (Lakewood); McIntosh at Forsyth Central; Lakeside-DeKalb at Columbia (Adams); Avondale at Lithonia (Avondale); St. Pius at Marist; Redan at Miller Grove (Panthersville); Cross Keys at North Springs; M.L. King at Southwest DeKalb (Hallford); Cedar Grove at Stone Mountain (5:15 p.m., Hallford); Tucker at Brunswick
Region 7
Cass at Cartersville; Dalton at Calhoun; Southeast Whitfield at Northwest Whitfield; East Paulding at Rome; Cherokee at Sequoyah; Woodland-Bartow at Adairsville; Allatoona at South Paulding; Haralson County at Hillgrove; Washington at Hiram; LaFayette at North Paulding; Osborne at Pebblebrook; Pepperell at Paulding County; Lassiter at Sprayberry; Murray County does not play
Region 8
Monroe Area at Apalachee; Cedar Shoals at Habersham Central; Loganville at Clarke Central; Heritage-Conyers at Salem; Rockdale County at Madison County; Winder-Barrow does not play

Class AAA
Region 1
Americus-Sumter at Dougherty (7 p.m. Thursday, Mills); Perry at Northside-Warner Robins (Thursday); Monroe at Kendrick (7 p.m. Thursday, Columbus Memorial); Dooly County at Crisp County; Macon County at Peach County; Lee County at Westover (Mills); Turner County at Worth County; Cairo does not play
Region 2
Columbus at Hardaway (7 p.m. Thursday, Kinnett); Monroe at Kendrick (7 p.m. Thursday, Columbus Memorial); Newnan at LaGrange (7 p.m. Thursday); Northside-Columbus at Jordan (Kinnett); Carver-Columbus at Spencer (Columbus Memorial); Shaw at Phenix City, Ala.; Troup at Callaway
Region 3
Baldwin at Glenn Hills; Burke County at Effingham County; McIntosh County Academy at Liberty County; Bryan County at Richmond Hill; Washington County at Cross Creek; West Laurens at South Effingham; Thomson does not play
Region 4
Grady at Jackson-Atlanta (6 p.m. Thursday, Lakewood); Eagle’s Landing at Northeast-Macon (Thompson); Therrell at Jackson; Mary Persons at Morgan County; Southwest-Macon at Rutland (Henderson); North Atlanta at South Atlanta (5:30 p.m., Lakewood); Spalding at Lamar County; Woodland-Henry at Lowndes; Lovett at Woodward Academy; Locust Grove at Arabia Mountain (5:15 p.m., Panthersville); Drew does not play
Region 5
Grady at Jackson-Atlanta (6 p.m. Thursday, Lakewood); Cedar Grove at Stone Mountain (5:15 p.m., Hallford); Wesleyan at Clarkston (North DeKalb); Lakeside-DeKalb at Columbia (Adams); Druid Hills at Decatur; Dunwoody at Griffin; North Atlanta at South Atlanta (5:30 p.m., Lakewood); St. Pius at Marist; Therrell at Jackson; Washington at Hiram; Locust Grove at Arabia Mountain (5:15 p.m., Panthersville); Langston Hughes at Johns Creek; Holy Innocents’ at Riverwood; Stephenson at McNair (Saturday, Hallford); Carver-Atlanta at Mays (6 p.m. Saturday, Lakewood); Towers does not play
Region 6
Heritage-Catoosa at Sonoraville; LaFayette at North Paulding; Coosa at Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe; Ridgeland at Gordon Lee; Southeast Whitfield at Northwest Whitfield; Westminster at Carrollton; Cass at Cartersville; Rockmart at Cedartown; Central-Carroll at Villa Rica; Haralson County at Hillgrove; Ringgold, North Murray do not play
Region 7
Chestatee at Gainesville; Gilmer at Fannin County; Dawson County at Lumpkin County; North Hall at Johnson-Gainesville; White County at Franklin County; Stephens County at Flowery Branch; North Forsyth at West Forsyth; West Hall at East Jackson; River Ridge at Lambert; Creekview, Pickens, White County do not play
Region 8
Eastside at Harris County; Riverside Military at Elbert County; White County at Franklin County; Hart County at Greater Atlanta Christian; Jackson County at Our Lady of Mercy; Mary Persons at Morgan County; Blessed Trinity at Oconee County; Stephens County at Flowery Branch; Mountain View at Archer

Class AA
Region 1
Albany at Miller County; Atkinson County at Berrien; Pierce County at Cook; Early County at Bainbridge; Fitzgerald at Irwin County; Mitchell County at Jones County; Thomasville at Thomas County Central; Brooks County does not play
Region 2
Windsor Forest at Benedictine (Thursday, Savannah Memorial); Wayne County at Appling County; Lanier County at Brantley County; Clinch County at Charlton County; Bacon County at Jeff Davis; Long County at Johnson-Savannah (Savannah Memorial); McIntosh County Academy at Liberty County; Pierce County at Cook; Tattnall County at Claxton
Region 3
Bleckley County at Swainsboro; Dodge County at Southeast Bulloch; Dublin at Screven County; Toombs County at East Laurens; Laney at Jefferson County; Vidalia does not play
Region 4
Central-Macon at Westside-Macon (Henderson); Lincoln County at Greene County; Henry County at Eagle’s Landing Christian; Howard at Johnson County; Social Circle at Monticello; Eagle’s Landing at Northeast-Macon (Thompson); Hancock Central at Putnam County; Southwest-Macon at Rutland (Henderson)
Region 5
Troup at Callaway; Taylor County at Crawford County; Jordan at Northside-Columbus (Kinnett); Spalding at Lamar County; Macon County at Peach County; Manchester at Greenville; Pike County at Pacelli Catholic; Carver-Columbus at Spencer (Columbus Memorial); Heard County does not play
Region 6
Avondale at Lithonia (Avondale); Blessed Trinity at Oconee County; Cross Keys at North Springs; Druid Hills at Decatur; Hart County at Greater Atlanta Christian; Lovett at Woodward Academy; Westminster at Carrollton; Buford does not play
Region 7
Woodland-Bartow at Adairsville; Dalton at Calhoun; Chattooga at Darlington; Dade County at Fyffe, Ala.; Model at Gordon Central; Heritage-Catoosa at Sonoraville; Armuchee at Trion; Coosa at Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe; Pepperell at Paulding County; Rockmart at Cedartown; Hebron Christian at Temple
Region 8
Washington-Wilkes at Banks County; Dawson County at Lumpkin County; West Hall at East Jackson; Gilmer at Fannin County; Commerce at Jefferson; Prince Avenue Christian at North Oconee; Oglethorpe County at Athens Christian; Towns County at Rabun County; Riverside Military at Elbert County; Union County at Hayesville, N.C.; Walnut Grove does not play

Class A
Region 1
Atkinson County at Berrien; Bacon County at Jeff Davis; Clinch County at Charlton County; Lanier County at Brantley County; Marion County at Pelham; Chattahoochee County at Calhoun County; Albany at Miller County; Randolph-Clay at Colquitt County; Seminole County at Wilcox County; Schley County at Terrell County
Region 2
Dooly County at Crisp County; Jenkins County at Hawkinsville; Fitzgerald at Irwin County; Telfair County at Wheeler County; Turner County at Worth County; Wilkinson County at Twiggs County; Seminole County at Wilcox County
Region 3
Bryan County at Richmond Hill; Calvary Day at Hardeeville, S.C.; Tattnall County at Claxton; Metter at Portal; Savannah Christian at Montgomery County; ECI at Savannah Country Day; Jenkins County at Hawkinsville; Howard at Johnson County; Treutlen at Aquinas; Telfair County at Wheeler County
Region 4
Landmark Christian at Brookstone; Mount Zion-Carroll at Central-Talbotton; Chattahoochee County at Calhoun County; Manchester at Greenville; Marion County at Pelham; Pike County at Pacelli Catholic; Schley County at Terrell County; Stewart County at Barbour Co., Ala.; Taylor County at Crawford County
Region 5
Henry County at Eagle’s Landing Christian; Fellowship Christian at Lakeview Academy; Holy Innocents’ at Riverwood; Landmark Christian at Brookstone; Pace Academy at Mount Paran Christian; North Cobb Christian at Mount Pisgah Christian; Jackson County at Our Lady of Mercy; River Ridge at Lambert; Southwest Atlanta Christian at Athens Academy; Whitefield Academy at Walker
Region 6
Woodland, Ala., at Bowdon; Bremen at Alexander; Chattooga at Darlington; Ridgeland at Gordon Lee; Mount Zion-Carroll at Central-Talbotton; Armuchee at Trion; Whitefield Academy at Walker; North Cobb Christian at Mount Pisgah Christian
Region 7
Treutlen at Aquinas; Warren County at Glascock County; Hancock Central at Putnam County; Lincoln County at Greene County; Washington-Wilkes at Banks County; Wilkinson County at Twiggs County; Georgia Military does not play
Region 8
Southwest Atlanta Christian at Athens Academy; Oglethorpe County at Athens Christian; Commerce at Jefferson; Hebron Christian at Temple; Fellowship Christian at Lakeview Academy; Prince Avenue Christian at North Oconee; Social Circle at Monticello; Towns County at Rabun County; Wesleyan at Clarkston (North DeKalb)