Bulldogs, Blue Devils, Lions open Georgia playoffs

By Keith Farner

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

If there are two reasons why Elbert County’s lost two straight for the first time this season, it’s injuries and fumbles.

The Blue Devils (7-3) dealt with both last week in a 35-0 loss to Hart County, which dropped them to third in Region 8-AAA, and means they start the playoffs at Dunwoody (6-4) this week.

“We just had a lot of people banged up the last two weeks,” coach Brent Miller said. “Our quarterback has been out, our No. 1 running back, several other people limping around.”

Elbert is buoyed by the emergence of freshman running back Tyshon Dye, who’s taken over for senior Valdon Cooper the last few weeks after Cooper suffered a hip pointer.

Dye rushed for nearly 100 yards last week.

Against Dunwoody, Miller returns to the same field where he coached at Chamblee from 2004-06. Dunwoody and Chamblee are just miles apart, and Miller said the Wildcats run the Wing-T, the same offensive philosophy they had when he was at Chamblee.

The Wildcats have a first-year coach in Michael Youngblood.

“I know quite a bit about the Dunwoody kids,” Miller said. “They’re a good football team. We feel like we can compete with them.”

Elbert hasn’t made the playoffs since 2005, while Dunwoody advanced to the quarterfinals last year before losing to LaGrange.

The Blue Devils haven’t advanced to the second round since 2002 when they beat Towers, but lost to LaGrange.

GRADY VS. HART COUNTY

The Bulldogs (8-2) open the playoffs this week at Herndon Stadium, and it’s the 18th straight year they’ve played in the postseason. That’s the third-longest streak in the state behind Carrollton and Peach County.

Hart takes on a nine-win Grady team that’s only lost to St. Pius X, which is undefeated and ranked No. 4 in the state. The Grey Knights lost two fumbles to St. Pius in a 37-13 loss at the Georgia Dome on Oct. 24.

The Bulldogs haven’t advanced past the first round since 2006 when they lost to Peach County in the quarterfinals. Grady, conversely, hasn’t won a road playoff game since 1953 when it was coached by Erk Russell, and beat Lanier for the Class AA title in Macon.

FRANKLIN COUNTY VS. ST. PIUS X

Franklin County (5-5) opens the playoffs on the road for the 11th straight year, a span that includes four coaches.

The Lions, in their first postseason since 2006, haven’t advanced to the second round since 2000 when they beat Forsyth Central and lost to Carollton. A win would also give Franklin its first season with more than five wins since it went 7-5 in 2000.

St. Pius, while highly ranked, also recorded its first undefeated regular season since 1967.

The Golden Lions run a wing-bone offense behind running back Cole Moon, who has 1,067 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns.