There is something special about the prospect of two titans from different regions butting heads, experiencing the unknown or the unfamiliar on a football field with nowhere to go. And, in that spirit, we have decided to take a close look at four of the top Georgia high-school football non-region matchups of the year, those which pit some of the state’s top teams against opposing giants from foreign regions or classifications. Below you will find an in-depth preview of each game.
Brookwood (8-AAAAA) vs. North Gwinnett (7-AAAAA), Sept. 5: Bob Sphire’s fast-rising North Gwinnett squad travels across the county in this exciting matchup to visit the Region 8 power Brookwood Broncos and their exceptional coach Mark Crews, who is 63-14 in his seven years at the school. Surprisingly, each began 2008 with losses against other top teams, as Brookwood was outlasted 14-9 by Walton at the Georgia Dome while North Gwinnett lost 36-21 to Byrnes (S.C.), one of the top-ranked teams in the nation.
Interestingly, this particular matchup features two common foes, especially of late. All time, Brookwood is 3-4 against the Bulldogs, though they lost twice to them last year alone, the second coming loss in the second round of the playoffs.
The game also features some of the state’s top players. North Gwinnett quarterback Michael Tamburo is a dual-threat player and one of the top stars in the state at his position. For Brookwood, massive guard and Alabama commitment Kellen Williams is the star-in-the-making worth watching. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
Lowndes (1-AAAAA) vs. Peachtree Ridge (7B-AAAAA), Sept. 5: Coming off a routine Week 1 throttling of Woodland-Henry, Lowndes gears up for a Sept. 5 date at home with Peachtree Ridge and second-year coach Bill Ballard. Lowndes, led by coaching dynamo Randy McPherson, is not only Class 5A’s defending state champion, but has won three such titles in the last four years. Merely adding to the game’s excitement, this is the first-ever contest between the two schools.
Although Peachtree Ridge will enter the game at 0-1 after losing 13-3 to a talented Harrison squad in Week 1, the Lions remain steep competition for Lowndes and feature two extremely exciting prospects. From his defensive back position, Connor Norman can be a huge nuisance to opposing offenses while inside linebacker and LSU commit Kevin Minter is one of the top prospects in the country. On the Lowndes sideline, talent abounds as future Florida Gator Greg Reid, perhaps the state’s top athlete, teams up with FSU commitment Gerald Demps to form possibly the best defensive backfield in all of Georgia. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m.
Carver-Columbus (2-AAA) vs. Northside-Warner Robins (1-AAAAA), Sept. 12: This exciting showdown marks the collision between two of the most dominant programs in the state, both of whom are defending state champions. In fact, while Carver and head coach Dell McGee (pictured left) sport an impressive 15-game win streak, Conrad Nix (pictured right) and his Eagles have been even more impressive of late, riding a 30-game win streak and winning state titles in 2006 and 2007. And while Northside has completely dominated this series over the years (the Eagles are 15-1 against Carver all time), since McGee’s arrival in 2005, Carver has transformed into a completely different monster.
Both teams were impressive in Week 1 matchups, as Northside disposed of Perry 38-19 while Carver put a 31-0 beating on Spencer. As for players to watch, Carver linebacker Jarvis Jones no doubt steals the show as the state’s top overall player and one of the nation’s most highly recruited prospects. Northside defensive lineman and Georgia commitment Abry Jones isn’t too shabby either while his defensive running mate and Clemson commitment Eric Fields is unquestionably one of the top linebackers in the State of Georgia.
Ware County (2-AAAA) vs. Stephenson (2-AAAAA), Sept. 19: Yet another contest between two teams who have never lined up across from one another. While Ware County is viewed as a talented team of the future with a first-year coach in John Stephens, Stephenson’s program, thanks to the 13-year leadership of head coach Ron Gartrell, has done nothing but win since its 1996 inception.
Before its Sept. 19 date with the Jaguars, however, Ware will look to rebound from a 24-0 loss in their Week 1 matchup with Coffee. As expected, Stephenson took care of business in their first action of 2008, blasting McNair 21-0 last Saturday night.
Stephenson linebacker Nigel Mitchell-Thornton is considered one of the top linebackers in the state this year and has given his pledge to the University of Tennessee. On the other side of the field, opponents are mindful of a dominant Gator defensive line, as the duo of defensive tackle Galatian King and defensive end Jimmy Staten wreak havoc all across the gridiron.
The cover photos feature (left to right) North Gwinnett’s Michael Tamburo (courtesy of Photographic Arts); Stephenson’s Nigel Mitchell-Thornton (courtesy of Andrea Mitchell) and Northside-Warner Robins’ Joe Scott (Photographic Arts). The photo of Dell McGee is courtesy of Carver-Columbus and the photo of Conrad Nix is courtesy of Photographic Arts.
Janovitz can be reached at sjanovitz@scoreatl.com.
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