Last Friday night I was very interested in three games: Johnson at Chestatee, Creekview at Flowery Branch and West Hall at Gilmer.
I thought all three games would be competitive and the most difficult to pick the winner. In my opinion, the winner of the Johnson/Chestatee game would still have a serious shot at the playoffs. I knew Creekview was good, as was Flowery Branch, and last year the Branch won at the end 20-18. I suspected that West Hall would beat Gilmer in what I hoped would be a close game.
I decided Friday afternoon I would start at Creekview/Flowery Branch and leave only if one team took complete control of the game. I would then have seen the last part of Chestatee/Johnson. When Hall County plays Hall County I am completely neutral, I identify and respect all of the coaches and usually leave the game feeling good for the winner and bad for the one who lost. Many times I have been in both of their shoes.
Betsy, my enthusiastic wife and I were not at all neutral in one of the most exciting football games I have ever seen or participated in. Flowery Branch has some very motivated, very well-coached athletes and they leave it all the field win or lose. Last Friday night I saw an equally well-coached and motivated team from Creekview pull an upset I certainly had not hoped for, nor did I really expect.
Last Super Bowl I pulled for Arizona as I had friends who worked for the Cardinals. That game was not any better or more exciting than the game I saw last Friday night at the Branch and I felt the same way when it was over.
1. GAINESVILLE (3-0): Average points scored 39, average points allowed 6.7, Power Rating 5.85. The Red Elephant defense was finally scored upon by White County, but Gainesville statistically dominated both sides of the ball.
Gainesville averaged 4.6 yards per rush against the good White County defense and, while they completed only 48 percent of their passes, they averaged a very impressive 10.2 yards per pass attempt. Bruce Miller and his coaching staff threw a new wrinkle at White County on offense using talented Tyson Smith at the quarterback position and multi-talented Blake Sims, the usual QB, as a wide receiver.
If you are a defensive coach, you have two of North Georgia’s very best athletes when Sims is teamed with Tai-ler Jones on the outside. You can’t cover either one-on-one, so pick your poison — White County did and they picked Sims, who turned a short pass completion into a long TD. Smith was 2-for-2 passing and averaged 12 yards per carry on Gainesville’s form of the “Wildcat.” Team that with Gainesville’s very effective regular offense and you have a defensive coordinator’s nightmare.
Hall County’s most effective defense gave up three TDs, but played good, solid defense against a good White County football team. It held the Warriors to 2 yards per rush and 6.6 yards per pass attempt, both solid winning numbers. One other great number was the Red Elephants averaged 52 yards on two punts.
My one concern I would take out of the game would be the fact that the Red Elephants turned the ball over five times; they beat the odds, considering when you have five turnovers you lose 90 percent of the time.
With two weeks to prepare, North Hall comes to Gainesville on Friday. I suspect that the Hall County fan is in for a great contest.
2. FLOWERY BRANCH (2-1): Average points scored 36, average points allowed 17.7, Power Rating 2.04 . A year ago when the Falcons played at Creekview, they won with a last-minute score, 20-18.
I knew when I made the trip to Flowery Branch last Friday night I would probably see a great athletic contest. Early in the game and for the most part of three quarters, Flowery Branch was as efficient on offense as any team I have seen play. Connor Shaw is a great competitor, as well as a superb, very well-trained QB. He has good offensive weapons and he is great at distributing the football, both run and pass, to some fine teammates.
Creekview played good run defense and held the Falcons to 4.3 yards per rush, but Shaw completed 84 percent of his passes and averaged 10.97 yards per pass attempt. Flowery Branch’s offensive numbers would win for you 90 percent of the time.
Creekview’s offense had a different personality, but was every bit as effective. The Grizzlies run a multiple-look Wing-T offense, and the plays are perfectly timed out and their offensive line blocks with incredible precision. They have a grinding running game and averaged 6.3 yards per rush on 64 total carries. That is incredible control of the ball and the clock. They don’t pass much, but when they do, it is with the same precision, as they averaged 12.1 yards per pass attempt and completed 67 percent of their passes.
In two weeks the Falcons travel to the Brickyard where they will see another well-run Wing-T. You can bet the Flowery Branch coaches have used the Creekview game as a learning experience.
3. NORTH HALL (1-1): Average points scored 13.5, average points allowed 19, Power Rating 0.71. This past Friday night, my guess is you could have found Bob Christmas in Cleveland scouting for Friday night’s game.
If you are at City Park tomorrow night you will see the great thing about high school football: two teams willing to play themselves to complete exhaustion. As a fan, a parent or a teacher what more could we ask for?
4. CHESTATEE (1-1): Average points scored 11, average points allowed 23, Power Rating 0.48. Coming off an open date, the War Eagles knew that last Friday night’s game was very important. This young team needed the confidence which comes from victory, plus they needed to demonstrate to themselves and future opponents that their option running game was effective and well-executed.
Ben Souther, who averaged over 12 yards per carry, had a 98-yard TD run. For the game, the War Eagles averaged 6.3 per rush on 43 carries. Chestatee’s passing game was not operating at a winning level as it only averaged 3.4 yards per pass attempt.
The War Eagle defense was solid in every important category. It held Johnson to 2.2 yards per rush and 5.2 yards per pass attempt. The War Eagle pass defense also had two interceptions.
Friday, Chestatee hosts Flowery Branch, another option football team. Where both teams run some of the same running plays, the Branch plays out of a passing formation and depends on their passing game to get them about 50 percent of their offense.
5. WEST HALL (0-3): Average points scored 21.7, average points allowed 39.3, Power Rating 0.55. In spite of the fact the Spartans consistently put up winning offensive numbers, it’s tough to beat anybody when the defense gives up almost 40 points per game.
Junior QB Shunquez Stephens completed 27 of 41 for 319 yards in a loss to Gilmer on Friday. That’s an average of 7.8 yards per pass attempt, and historically 8 yards per attempt is a winning number. Brandon Fuqua caught 13 passes for 128 yards. This week, White County comes to West Hall. The Spartan offense should be competitive, but the defense is going have to step it up a notch.
6. JOHNSON (0-3): Average points scored 5, Average points Allowed 23.3, Power Rating 0.21. The Knights are coming off a game where they were statistically dominated by the War Eagles. The Knights averaged 2.2 yards per rush and 5.2 yards per pass attempt this past Friday. Johnson lost 22-12, but this was a competitive contest until late in the fourth quarter. The Knights have been weakened by injuries, but I am betting they come home with a victory Friday night when they travel to Pickens.
7. EAST HALL (0-3): Average points scored 2.3, Average points Allowed 21.3, Power Rating 0.11. A bright spot of East Hall’s loss last Friday night to the Lumpkin County Indians was its passing game. The Vikings completed 55 percent of their passes and averaged a winning 8.5 yards per pass attempt. The Vikings didn’t do much with their running game, averaging 1.2 yards per rush.
The Viking defense was solid in every respect, other than the 21 points they allowed. The East Hall run defense was very stout, allowing just 3.8 yards per rush, and their pass defense was just as good, holding the Indians to a 25 percent completion rate and an excellent 3.6 yards per pass attempt.
East Hall clearly played winning defense last Friday night. Gilmer comes to East Hall on Friday. If the Vikings can keep playing winning defense and step up the offense a notch I predict a win for these Vikings. They play hard and deserve it.
Chuck Clausen is a Hall County resident who coached high school, college and professional football for 28 years. His Power Ratings column appears each Thursday during high school football season. His opinions are not that of The Times.