Class 5A Blog: No. 1 Thomas County Central opens region play against No. 6 Lee County; Rome rebounds from 0-2 start

The only meeting between ranked programs in Class 5A this week is an important one. Top-ranked Thomas County Central (5-0) opens Region 2 play in a meeting of ranked programs when it welcomes No. 6 Lee County (4-1) Friday.

The game will undoubtedly have playoff implications and will determine the front-runner and league pecking order of No. 1 Thomas County Central, No. 3 Houston County and No. 6 Lee County.

The top-ranked Yellow Jackets are led by senior quarterback Jaylen Johnson, who is 50-of-73 passing for 831 yards and 17 touchdowns and 16 carries for 116 yards and two touchdowns. Junior Jabari Watkins has 20 catches for 280 yards and seven touchdowns while senior Roney Dunbar has nine catches for 165 yards and five touchdowns.

Thomas County Central has beaten Monroe 56-7, Cairo 56-0, Florida High School (FL) 79-14, Thomasville 55-7 and Bainbridge 49-0 last week.

On the ground, senior Christian Lawrence has 39 carries for 431 yards and eight of the team’s 16 rushing touchdowns. Jordon McNeil (3 TDs), Johnson (2 TDs), Evan Martin (2 TDs) and Cooper Creech (1 TD) are also options in the run game.

On the opposite side of the field, Lee County enters the game with an offense that’s led by senior Marcus Snipers, who is 23-of-41 passing for three touchdowns through four games. Jordan Bush is 8-of-17 passing for 112 yards and a touchdown. Bush adds 41 carries for 364 yards and seven touchdowns through four games.

The Trojans have beaten Warner Robins 45-7, Tift County 41-33 and Hapeville Charter 28-13 before losing to Colquitt County 43-36 on Sept. 12. Last week’s game against North Florida Educational Institute was a forfeit by NFEI.  

Outside of ranked teams, Rome’s slow start to the season has fueled the team’s three-game win streak. The Wolves, one of the state’s premier programs, started the season 0-2 with a 48-28 loss to 5A No. 2 Creekside (5-0) and a 28-21 loss to 6A No. 3 Carrollton (6-0). Since then, they have won three straight by a combined score of 139-49. Those victories include defending Class A Division I champion Toombs County and a very talented East Paulding team.

The difference over the past three games has been the offense. In the first two games of the season, Rome didn’t break 30 points. Since then, they have scored no fewer than 31 in a game. Against Toombs County (4-1), the Wolves won 49-28. Against East Paulding (2-3), they scored 31 in a 31-14 victory. In their last game against Alexander (1-4), they posted a season-high 59 points in a 59-7 win.

This year’s team looks very different to many of John Reid’s past Rome teams. While most seasons under Reid have featured a balanced offense with a strong emphasis on the run game, this year the passing attack led by Aidan McPherson has taken center stage. The shift was expected because of the talented group of wide receivers, but it has been more dramatic than many anticipated.

The receiving corps is led by a pair of senior Georgia Tech commits in Jeremy Winston and Darnell Collins. Both are big-bodied pass catchers, standing 6-foot-2 or taller, whose size and physicality make them tough matchups for opposing defenses and take most of their attention. Joining them is sophomore slot receiver Justin Spivey, who adds another weapon in the passing game. Spivey, a 5-9 traditional slot receiver, provides a change of pace with his speed and run-after-catch ability, allowing the Wolves to use him as an extension of the run game in addition to his downfield threat.

Class 5A Top 10 Schedule

1. Thomas County Central (5-0) opens Region 2 play vs. No. 6 Lee County (4-1) at home.

2. Hughes (5-0, 2-0) plays at home against Newnan (4-1, 1-1)

3. Houston County (5-0) opens Region 2 play against Veterans (2-3) at home

4. Gainesville (4-1, 0-1) continues Region 7 play against Johns Creek (0-4) at home

5. Milton (4-1, 0-1) plays at home against Seckinger (3-1, 0-1) in a Region 7 game

6. Lee County (4-1) travels to top-ranked Thomas County Central (5-0) for the Region 2 opener

7. Sequoyah (5-1, 2-1) hosts Lassiter (4-1, 1-2) for a Region 6 game

8. Roswell (4-1, 0-1) rests.

9. Northgate (5-0, 2-0) travels to McIntosh (2-3, 1-1) for a Region 3 game

10. Jackson County (4-1, 0-1) plays at Alcovy (0-5, 0-2) for a Region 8 game.

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