Newspaper Page Text
Page 14
August 17, 2022
Reporter
PREVIEW OF 2022 GAMES
Northeast
High
Raiders
Macon, Ga.
Aug. 20 • 7:30 p.m.
Five Star Stadium at Mercer Univ.
Region 2-AA * Colors: Red & black
Coach: Jeremy Wiggins • 2021:9-4 • Region: 4-2
The Mary Persons Bulldogs will start their 2022 season this Saturday at Mercer
against the AA Northeast Raiders from Macon. The Raiders went 9-4,4-2 region
(placing 2nd) in 2021. They are coached by Jeremy Wiggins, who led the Raiders to
the playoffs in his first two seasons as head coach (2020 and 2021). While they had a
stunning 2021 season, their lead tackier, lead scorer, and lead rusher all graduated in
2022. The Bulldogs and Raiders have clashed 6 times and the series is tied 3-3. The
last time they met was in 2007. The Bulldogs are looking for their first win at Mer
cer having lost to Houston County and a young QB named Jake Fromm and to Tee
County.
Spalding
Jaguars
Griffin, Ga.
Aug. 26 • 7:30 p.m.
Dan Pitts Stadium at Mitchell Field
Region 2-AAAA * Colors: Blue and white
Coach: Carl Kearney • 2021:8-3 • Region: 4-1
The Dogs will host former region rival now Class AAAA Spalding Jaguars from Grif
fin in their home opener on Friday, Aug. 26. Like the Raiders from the week before, the
Jaguars had a winning record of 8-3,4-1 region (placing 3rd) in 2021. Spalding is led by
head coach Carl Kearney, who led the Jaguars to the second round of playoffs in 2021
after going 1-9 in 2020. Their leading scorer last year, Nazir Berry, who had 20 touch
downs and averaged 104.5 yards per game, graduated in 2022. It will be interesting to see
how they make up for this lost talent. MP is 9-1 against Spalding all-time. The Jaguars
have won six in a row on the road, so we will see if the Dogs can end Spaldings luck of
“homefield disadvantage.”
Trinity
Christian
Sharpsburg,
Ga.
Sept. 2 • 7:30 p.m.
Dan Pitts Stadium at Mitchell Reid
Region 4-AAAA • Colors: Purple & grey
Coach: Kemy Dallas *2021:14-0 * Region: 3-0
Continuing the challenging start to the season, Mary Persons will host the 2021 Class
A-Private State Champion Trinity Christian Tions from Sharpsburg on Sept. 2. The
Lions had a perfect record of 14-0,3-0 region (placed 1st), and with the exception of
one game, beat every team by at least 27 points. Kenny Dallas, the head coach of the
Lions, has led them to a region title the last 2 years. Like the previous two teams on the
Bulldogs schedule, the Lions’ leading scorer, Dominick Cosper, with 32 touchdowns,
graduated in 2022. It will be the first meeting between the two teams, and with Trinity
Christian being a small 1-A private school, it will be interesting to see how they play
against the mighty Bulldogs.
Haralson
Rebels
Tallapoosa,
Ga.
Sept. 9 • 7:30 p.m.
Taylor Memorial Stadium
Region 7-AA * Colors: Red and blue
Coach: Scott Peavey •2021:10-2 • Region: 6-0
The Bulldogs travel to Tallapoosa to play in their first true road game against the
AA Haralson County Rebels on Sept 9. The Rebels went 10-2,6-0 region (placed
1st) in 2021, providing yet another tough game for MP. They are coached by Scott
Peavey. He has led them to four playoff trips in a row and 1 region championship
and they play the single wing type offense. The Rebels’ stellar QB last season, Clay
Hyatt, who had led the team in rushing yards (60.8 yds/game) and touchdowns (7
total), graduated in 2022. The Bulldogs defense should be able to harass the young
Rebel QB. This will be the first meeting between the Dogs and the Rebels and it will
be the longest regular season road trip for the Dogs, about 3 hours.
Columbus
Blue Devils
Columbus, Ga.
Sept. 23 • 7:30 p.m.
Dan Pitts Stadium at Mitchell Field
Region 1-AAA * Colors: Blue & orange
Coach: PhilMarno-2Q21:4-6-Regon:4-4
Following a bye week, Mary Persons will be back at home for Homecoming to
play the first devils of the season, the AAAA Columbus Blue Devils on Sept. 23.
They had a disappointing 2021 record of 4-6,4-4 region (placed 5th), which makes
this the first team the Bulldogs play that had a losing 2021 record. They are coached
by Phil Marino, who has been the Blue Devils head coach since 2011 but has only
led them to two winning seasons. The six teams that the Blue Devils lost to in 2021
all scored over 27 points in the game, indicating that the Columbus defense is a
weakness. It is expected that the Bulldog offense will take advantage of this and put
points on the board. Also, most, if not all, of their stat leaders graduated in 2022.
This will be the first time that the two teams have met. The teams were originally to
be in the same region until MP was returned to 2-AAA.
WE WISH YOU MUCH SUCCESS
ON AND OFFTHE FIELD.
GOOD LUCKTHIS SEASON!
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Prince
Avenue
Wolverines
Athens, Ga.
Sept. 30 • 7:30 p.m.
Dan Pitts Stadium at Mitchell Field
Region 1-A * Colors: Blue & gold
Coach: Brad Harber • 2021:13-2 • Region: 5-0
Next, on Sept. 30, the Bulldogs will host another 1-A private school, the Prince
Avenue Christian Wolverines, out of Athens. The Wolverines had a solid 2021
season, going 13-2,5-0 region (placed 1st), and they played 2022 Bulldog oppo
nent, the Trinity Christian Lions, in the 1-A State Championship. They lost 55-28.
Their head coach, Greg Vandagriff, father of UGA QB Brock Vandagriff, has led the
Wolverines to the playoffs all six seasons he’s been the coach. Like the Lions, MP has
never played Prince Avenue before. If the Bulldogs can take care of business against
the Lions, they should be able to handle the heat coming from the Wolverines, who
are returning their top rushers, receivers, and defensive backs from 2021.
Jackson
Red
Devils
Jackson, Ga.
Oct. 7 • 7:30 p.m.
Red Devil Stadium
Region 2-AAA • Colors: Red & navy
Coach: Dary Myricks • 2021:5-6 • Region: 4-3
After six non-region games to start the season, Mary Persons will open Region
play at Jackson in the Backyard Brawl against the long-time rival Red Devils on
Oct. 7. This will be the first of four straight region games and the first of two away
region games. Jackson had a losing record of 5-6 last season, but the Devils had a
winning region record of 4-3 (placed 4th). Most everyone remembers the miracle
in 2021 when Jackson led late in the fourth quarter and the Red Devil punter tried
and failed to run for the first down. That gave MP one last chance to win the game
and Logan Hickman hit Ty Dumas for a touchdown to win the game 23-21 as time
expired. Jackson is coached by Dary Myricks, who’s been with the Red Devils since
2013 and led them to five winning seasons. They are returning their top scorer, but
they lost their top receiver and defensive back. No matter the circumstances, each
team gives everything they have out of good old fashioned hate. Fortunately for MP
fans going to the game, Jackson has finally renovated its stadium, which always had
an overcrowded visitors stands when the Bulldog throng showed up.
Peach
County
Trojans
Ft. Valley, Ga.
Oct. 14 • 7:30 p.m.
Trojan Stadium
I Region 2-AAA * Colors: Black & gold
Coach: Chad Campbell * 2021:8-4 * Region: 6-1
In the last road game of the regular season, the Dogs travel to Fort Valley to play the
AAA Peach County Trojans in MP’s second region game of the year on Oct. 14. The
Trojans had an 2021 overall record of 8-4, 6-1 region (placed 2nd), and they made it to
the Elite Eight in the State Playoffs. They are led by head coach Chad Campbell, who has
coached the Trojans since 2007 and had a winning record every season. He also led them
to the AAA State Championship twice, and won it all one of those times in 2009. In addi
tion to their solid 2021 season, they are returning their top three scorers and top rusher.
Peach County leads the all-time series between them and MP 9-1, and the Dogs lost last
year against the Trojans 35-13. This will be a tough game for the Bulldogs, one MP must
win if it’s to get its first region title since 2018. MP’s defense will have to find a way to
neutralize sophomore offensive tackle Peyton Jones, who already has an offer from UGA.
The game will give MP fans their first chance to see the renovated Peach County stadium,
which has a nice new scoreboard and even LED lights that flash to the music.
Upson-
Lee
Knights
Thomaston,
Ga.
Oct. 28 • 7:30 p.m.
Dan Pitts Stadium at Mitchell Field
Region 2-AAA * Colors: Purple, black
Coach: Justin Elder * 2021:4-6 * Region: 2-5
After another bye week, the Bulldogs return home to face the AAA Upson Lee
Knights from Thomaston on Oct. 28. The Knights had a disappointing 2021 record
of 4-6,4-4 region (placed 5th) and just missed the playoffs. Head coach Justin Elder,
the former MP quarterback, has led the Knights to just one winning season since
2017, when he started at Upson Lee. On both sides of the ball, the Knights lost a tre
mendous about of stat leadership to graduation. However, one of their top defensive
backs and their top scorer will both return, as does defensive end TJ Searcy, who’s
committed to Florida. The Bulldogs hope to keep the 8-0 all-time record against the
Knights going, and it will be interesting to see how MP plays after a tough away game
against the Trojans.
Nov. 4 • 7:30 p.m.
Dan Pitts Stadium at Mitchell Held
Region 2-AAA * Colors: Gray & red
Coach: Bo McMichael * 2021:3-7 * Region: 2-5
In the final game of the regular season, Mary Persons will play their final region
game against the AAA Pike County Pirates from Zebulon on Nov. 4. It will be a
meaningful game for new MP defensive backs coach Brad Webber, who was the head
coach at Pike last year. The Pirates had a rough season in 2021, going 3-7,2-5 region
(placed 6th), and it didn’t help that they lost to the Dogs at home 49-14. Pike County
hired a new head coach, Bo McMichael, after the disappointment of a season in 2021.
It will be interesting to see how McMichael turns things around, and the Bulldogs have
all season to figure out how he does it. While they have a new coach, the Pirates are
returning their top scorer and tackier in 2022, and their QB is returning. MP hopes to
expand the all-time series from 2-0 to 3-0 this season.
Pike
County
Pirates
Zebulon, Ga.
ViMG
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291 N. Lee Street
Forsyth, GA 31029
478-226-5570
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LET THE KING OF LIQUOR HELP PARENTS AND
ADULTS CELEBRATE GAME DAY RESPONSIBLY.