Out of the eight regions in Class 4A, it looks like Class 7A is going to be one of the most competitive playoff races and also distinct from to how things shaped up in 2022. Last year, Cedartown swept its way to the region crown with a 40.2 average margin of victory and there was a three-way tie with Central-Carroll, Heritage-Catoosa and Sonoraville each finishing 3-2 in the region. Northwest Whitfield finished fifth and was 5-5 overall and Southeast Whitfield closed out a 4-6 campaign. Northwest Whitfield missed out on the playoffs for the first time in seven seasons, but has gotten off to a promising 3-1 start and has exciting players contributing as multi-year starters and newcomers to the spotlight.
“It’s grown to be an expectation for us, which is a good thing,” head coach Josh Robinson told the Daily Citizen before the season. “When you don’t make it, you can feel sorry for yourself and make excuses and blame somebody, or you can figure out how to get the job done the next season. Cedartown’s got to be considered the favorite, but, beyond that, you need to probably win three region games to get to the playoffs. When you play in these big playoff games, you have to play well, and all that starts with non-region games getting you ready.”
Friday’s matchup with Darlington will be a major game to watch. Last year, Northwest Whitfield came into the game 4-0 and suffered a loss that sparked a tough 1-5 stretch to close out the season. Expect the Bruins to finish out non-region looking for a strong showing to prepare them for the battle sure to be ahead with the Region 7 competition.
Current Week 5 Standings and Schedule
Region 7
Central-Carroll 0-0, 3-0
Heritage-Catoosa 0-0, 3-1
Northwest Whitfield 0-0, 3-1
Sonoraville 0-0, 2-2
Southeast Whitfield 0-0, 1-2
Cedartown 0-0, 1-3
Friday, Sept. 15
Central-Carroll at Northgate
Northwest Whitfield vs. Darlington
Sonoraville at Calhoun
Southeast Whitfield at Armuchee