This Friday’s showdown between #8 Aquinas and Lincoln County headlines an exciting week 8 slate. The complete schedule includes at least eight games that will determine who will occupy the top spot in the various region races as the playoffs quickly approach.
“Best team we’ve seen all year for sure”
#8 Aquinas (5-1, 1-0) and its loyal fan base will make the trip to Lincolnton Friday to face red-hot Lincoln County (4-2, 1-0) and find out which team will join Greene County at the top of the region 8 standings heading into the final three weeks of the regular season. Ten-year head coach James Leonard has had the good fortune of winning 6 of his 7 meetings against Lincoln County, which is third on Georgia’s all time wins list. The teams haven’t played each other since 2019, so Leonard has yet to face third year head coach Lee Chomskis, whom Leonard called “a great friend” and “one of the best coaches in the state” when Leonard took a minute out of his practice time Tuesday to talk to me about his team’s biggest game of the year so far.
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While Aquinas sailed to a region opening 42-13 victory at home over Towns County last week, the Red Devils battled their way to a 41-14 road win over then #5 ranked Washington-Wilkes in the latest installment of the “378 War.” The game was closer than the score indicates, but the Red Devils dominated the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, out-gaining the Tigers 354 yards to 114 on the ground.
In the Trenches
Almost 60% of Aquinas’s 400-plus total yards per game this season have come in the passing game as sophomore quarterback Jim Franklin has consistently led class 1A, Division II for the category. So, I asked Coach Leonard what his team would need to do to hold its own in the trenches against the red-hot Red Devils, who also posted 41 points against Richmond Academy right before doing the same against Washington-Wilkes.
“I think they formation you to death,” Leonard explained. “They create good angles for their offensive line. So, I think we’re gonna have to be very smart and recognize their formations, line up correctly, don’t get out-leveraged.
“We’re just going to have to be really physical up front. You know, the D-line and the linebackers are gonna have to have a really, really good game.”
Huff Stands Out
Leonard spoke reverentially about the game night atmosphere in Lincolnton, and he also had high praise for Lincoln County senior Trey Huff, who provides leadership for both the offense and the defense for the Red Devils.
“You know, I think number 10 for them (Huff), the quarterback, is one of the best players I’ve seen in a long time. And again, Chomskis is one of the best coaches in the state, so we know they’re gonna be ready.”
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During the first six games of the season Huff has passed for 375 yards and four touchdowns, and he has rushed for 257 yards and five touchdowns. On defense Huff averages just under 13 tackles per game, and his interception early in the fourth quarter of last week’s game sparked Lincoln County’s 21-0 fourth quarter spurt that turned a one-score game into a runaway victory for the Red Devils.
Aquinas’s Two-Way Star Jackson a Major Factor
Chomskis undoubtedly thinks as highly of Aquinas’s do-it-all junior Clark Jackson as Leonard does of Huff. After every game so far this season Jackson has been recognized by essentially every media outlet, local and statewide, for his exceptional play. The 200-pound running back/linebacker has logged 592 yards and 9 touchdowns rushing and 317 yards and four touchdowns receiving. On defense, he has averaged 14 tackles per game. And for the season he’s totaled 10 tackles for loss and five sacks.
Jackson will surely be featured Friday in Aquinas’s rushing attack. Leonard explained why that aspect of the game will play a crucial role in the Fightin’ Irish’s success.
“I think we’re gonna have to run the ball,” Leonard said. “We’ve been throwing the ball 30 times or something per game. Structurally, I think they play the best pass defense we’ve seen all year. I think it’s the best defense we’ve seen, best team we’ve seen all year for sure…
“I don’t think we can rip off 30 passes. I think we’re gonna have to be a little more balanced this week. Gotta be able to run the football, keep the chains moving. You know they’re gonna do a great job of holding on to the ball, killing clock. So we gotta score every possession we get the ball. But I really think we have to be able to run the football this week.”
Laney and Thomson to Finally Finish
Laney’s attempt to knock off #6 Thomson for the first time since 1987 was rudely interrupted on September 16 with Laney possessing the ball on Thomson’s 31-yard line with 6:28 left in the third quarter. It will be second-and-nine for the Wildcats when things pick up where they left off at 6 p.m. Friday, right off Laney Walker Boulevard. Despite Laney’s nearly flawless execution in the game’s first 30 minutes, the Bulldogs will be leading 15-14 when play resumes.
Thomson (5-1, 3-0) leads class 2A in scoring at 47 points per game. Laney (6-0, 3-0) has been the only team besides Burke County (in week one) to slow the Thomson train so far this season. The Wildcats did so for more than half the game last month by rushing 23 of the 24 times its offense snapped the ball, gaining 170 yards and possessing the ball for more than 70% of the game. And its defense forced a turnover and a three-and-out on two of Thomson’s three offensive possessions.
The fact that Thomson still leads after that start frames just how difficult it will be to beat these Bulldogs. But when Laney resumes play in four-down territory the game will be there’s for the taking. And a road to a region championship should never be easy.
Thomas Jefferson is in a Class of its Own
In my Sept. 27 column I labeled #2 ranked Barnwell (South Carolina class 2A) the area team that was “most likely to win a state championship.” The Warhorses (7-0) still make a fine favorite for a future champion. But a knowledgeable observer shouldn’t have forgotten that the most overwhelming favorite has to be Thomas Jefferson, the three time defending class 1A state champion in the Georgia Independent Athletic Association (GIAA).
Fifth-year head coach Terence Hennessy gave me a rundown about this special program after his team’s 20-6 homecoming game win over Augusta Prep two weeks ago.
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“We’re very lucky that as a program we’ve won seven state championships, the last three in a row in single-A,” Hennessy explained. “We’ve had a couple great classes. We had a great senior class last year of six guys who did a great job for us, leading our team, and really kind of helping our turn around. They bought into our program. They were freshmen my first year when I got here.
“And then our senior class right now, they were eighth graders. And we worked very closely. There were only two coaches here my first year… so we did everything. So, I worked really closely with this senior class when they were eighth graders and really grew a bond with them as well.”
The current senior class Hennessy spoke about takes up twelve spots on the team’s thirty-man roster. What an accomplishment it would be to go through an entire high school football career and never fail to win a state championship! And dare I say to do it without losing a game in the final year?
The Jaguars (6-0) will host class 4A foe Bulloch Academy this Friday as they will try to stay perfect during their quest for a fourth straight championship.
More Games and Picks by Region
South Carolina Class 2A, Region 3
#4 Saluda (6-1, 1-1) at Silver Bluff (3-4, 2-0)
Pick: Silver Bluff
A win for Silver Bluff would set up a showdown for the ages the following week because #8 Strom Thurmond, who went on the road and beat then #1 Saluda last Friday, will visit Silver Bluff on October 21. So, here’s to an upset at home for Silver Bluff, last season’s class 2A runner up.
Pelion (3-4, 0-2) at #8 Strom Thurmond (5-2, 2-0)
Pick: Strom Thurmond
After dropping its first two games, Strom Thurmond got junior quarterback Quan Edmond back from an injury and proceeded to become the area’s hottest team.
Batesburg-Leesville (2-5, 0-2) at Fox Creek (2-5, 1-1)
Pick: Batesburg-Leesville
Class 6A, Region 2
Lakeside, Evans and Grovetown are fighting four out-of-the-area teams for playoff spots (4 teams advance). The margin for error for our Columbia County teams will be slim going forward.
Evans (3-3, 1-1) at Effingham County (5-2, 3-0)
Pick: Effingham County
Lakeside (3-3, 1-1) at South Effingham (2-3, 0-2)
Pick: Lakeside
Grovetown (3-4, 0-3) at Glynn Academy (3-4, 1-2)
Pick: Glynn Academy
Class 5A, Region 1
Greenbrier (0-6, 0-1) at Jenkins (1-5, 0-1)
Pick: Jenkins
Class 4A, Region 3
Islands (0-7, 0-2) at #6 Burke County (5-1, 0-1)
Pick: Burke County
South Carolina Class 4A, Region 4
Aiken (1-6, 1-1) at Midland Valley (4-3, 1-0)
Pick: Midland Valley
South Aiken (1-6, 0-1) at Airport (2-6, 0-2)
Pick: South Aiken
Class 3A, Region 4
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This region’s four playoff spots are almost sure to go to Harlem (2-0), Morgan County (2-0), Richmond (1-1) and Hephzibah (1-1). This Friday the teams with two wins will host the teams with one. By Saturday morning we will know much more about which two teams will have the best chance to earn at least one home playoff game during the final weeks of the regular season.
Richmond (4-3, 1-1) at Harlem (6-1, 2-0)
Pick: Harlem
Hephzibah (4-3, 1-1) at Morgan County (5-2, 2-0)
Pick: Hephzibah
Cross Creek (1-6, 0-2) at Salem (0-7, 0-2)
Pick: Cross Creek
Class 2A, Region 4
Glenn Hills (2-5, 1-3) at Butler (2-4, 0-3)
Pick: Butler
South Carolina Class 2A, Region 6
#2 Barnwell (7-0, 1-0) at Ridgeland/Hardeeville (0-7, 0-2)
Pick: Barnwell
Class 1A (Division I), Region 2
#2 Swainsboro (6-0, 1-0) at East Laurens (1-5, 0-0)
Pick: Swainsboro
Bleckley County (6-1, 0-1) at Jefferson County (1-6, 0-1)
Pick: Bleckley County
South Carolina Class 1A, Region 4
Wagener-Salley (4-3, 3-0) at Ridge Spring-Monetta (2-5, 2-1)
Pick: Wagener-Salley
#7 Calhoun County (6-1, 3-0) at Blackville-Hilda (1-6, 1-3)
Pick: Calhoun County
South Carolina Independent School Association (SCISA)
Augusta Christian (2-5, 0-3) at Laurence Manning (5-2, 3-1)
Pick: Laurence Manning
Georgia Independent Athletic Association (GIAA)
Southwest Georgia Academy (3-4) at Augusta Prep (2-4)
Pick: Augusta Prep
Briarwood (4-3) at Piedmont Academy (1-5)
Pick: Briarwood
Edmund Burke (4-2) at Robert Toombs Christian Academy (3-5)
Pick: Edmund Burke
8-man Football
Dominion Christian (0-5) at Westminster (5-2)
Pick: Westminster
Chad Cook is a sports columnist who is known on the field and court as AugBball. Follow him on Instagram @AugBBall
