REGION 7-AAAA AT A GLANCE
Last year’s champion: Cartersville cruised through the region unbeaten and unchallenged on the way to a state semifinals appearance.Team to beat: Cartersville is the unanimous choice to repeat in a vote of area 7-AAAA coaches. As one coach said, “We’re all playing for second.”Watch out for: Ridgeland has a new coach in Wesley Tankersley, some key transfers and the personnel to make some noise. As a rival coach put it, “If Ridgeland wins early, watch out.”Best game: With so many teams in contention for the playoffs, the contest that stands out is Ridgeland’s Oct. 23 visit to Northwest Whitfield.Dream schedule: Southeast Whitfield opens with three non-region games against opponents who won a combined three games last season. The Raiders also host Northwest and Heritage to open region play.Nightmare schedule: Ridgeland not only opens non-region play against two 2014 playoff teams, it has to play three of its final region games on the road, including crucial back-to-back games at Heritage and Northwest.Players to watch: Cartersville has perhaps the best duo in the league in quarterback Trevor Lawrence and running back Tiamon Pennymon. Ridgeland’s Cadarious Word returns after rushing for 1,200 yards, while Northwest linebacker Austin Morrison is back after recording 211 tackles.Predicted order of finish: Cartersville, Pickens, Ridgeland, Northwest, Heritage, Southeast, Gilmer, LaFayette.
When asked to predict the race for the football state playoffs in Georgia's Region 7-AAAA, LaFayette coach Chad Fisher flashed a puzzled look before responding.
"Do we even have to pick a champion?" he asked, quite rhetorically.
Coming off a 12-2 season that included a perfect region record, and with numerous stars returning, Cartersville is the easy pick to claim the 7-AAAA title again. The Purple Hurricanes, led by rising quarterback prospect Trevor Lawrence, electric tailback Tiamon Pennymon and Alabama-committed tight end Miller Forristall, won their seven region games in 2014 by an average of more than 40 points per game.
There are, however, four playoff berths on the line, and at least one league coach believes a repeat of the way 2014 ended is in the offing.
"This is probably the most interesting season I can remember going in," Fisher said. "You could easily see it go to Monday again before it's all decided."
Southeast Whitfield took the fourth playoff spot last year by winning a mini-game playoff with Northwest Whitfield and Heritage on the Monday following the regular season's final Friday.
Getting to the state playoffs, however, will require several teams to answer some big questions.
"It's hard to say because, after Cartersville, there are some questions for every team," Heritage coach E.K. Slaughter said. "Everybody else can compete for the other three spots."
Some of those questions include:
' How will Ridgeland and Gilmer respond to new head coaches?
' How will last year's surprise, Southeast, replace electric quarterback Will Swantic, who transferred to North Murray?
' Can Pickens, last year's runner-up, find a suitable replacement for star running back Shannon Brooks and his 2,000-plus yards?
' Will Heritage be able to continue its rise despite heavy graduation losses on its lines?
' How does Northwest respond to a major change in its offense and the loss of three-year starting quarterback Caleb Shiflett?
' Can a defensive scheme change help LaFayette take a step forward?
"Cartersville is really talented, and obviously they're the favorites," Northwest coach Josh Robinson said. "Everybody else is squashed together. I think we could finish sixth or seventh or second. It just depends on how we jell and if we can stay healthy, and it's the same with everybody else.
"Who knows?"
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6296.