Northwest Whitfield favored in revamped Region 6-AAAA

Northwest Whitfield receiver Jay Jones waves after catching a pass at the Southeastern 7 on 7 Championships on Friday, July 15, 2016, in Dalton, Ga.
Northwest Whitfield receiver Jay Jones waves after catching a pass at the Southeastern 7 on 7 Championships on Friday, July 15, 2016, in Dalton, Ga.

REGION 6-AAAA AT A GLANCE

› Team to beat: With defending state champion Cartersville’s exit to Region 5, this race is truly wide open in a league where each team has serious question marks. Northwest Whitfield was an eight-win team a year ago and has explosive athletes returning, including eight starters back on offense. Pickens, Ridgeland and Heritage, though, could easily come out on top.› Watch out for: Ridgeland. The Panthers in coach Wesley Tankersley’s second season have the best collection of athletes in the region. If the defense improves, they could be dangerous.› Best game: It’s an early league game, but the Northwest-at-Ridgeland game Sept. 23 could go a long way in deciding the region championship.› Dream schedule: A quick start could be had for Southeast Whitfield. The Raiders face two one-win teams, Coahulla Creek and Gordon Central, to start the season before getting a shot at revenge at Murray County and hosting Class A Christian Heritage.› Nightmare schedule: Ridgeland will be battle-tested when region play begins after facing four consecutive 2015 playoff teams to start the season — Adairsville, Pepperell, Darlington and Chattooga.› Players to watch: Northwest Whitfield QB Luke Shiflett is dangerous with both his arm and legs, while receivers Will Blanchard and Jay Jones are elite playmakers. Ridgeland RB Jalyn Shelton is a hammer and Heritage QB Corbee Wilson a very accurate passer. Defensively, the region has fewer stars, though Heritage DL Tanner Nance is a returning all-star and Ridgeland DB Markeith Montgomery was all-state.› Predicted order of finish: Northwest Whitfield, Ridgeland, Heritage, Pickens, Southeast Whitfield, LaFayette, Gilmer.

Georgia High School Association reclassification couldn't have been kinder to Region 6-AAAA.

Cartersville, which won a state title last season, was shipped out and not replaced (from last year's 7-AAAA), leaving seven leftover teams to fight it out in what promises to be - coaches claim - a race down to the wire.

"I think it's wide open, I really do," said Wesley Tankersley, coach of a Ridgeland team loaded with skilled athletes. "Any of us could come up and win it."

On paper, based on its eight wins and runner-up finish in 2015, Northwest Whitfield is the team to beat. The Bruins feature a potent offense led by quarterback Luke Shiflett, elite receivers in Jay Jones and Will Blanchard and a strong line anchored by guard Garrett Ford.

Though there are holes to fill on defense and an injury to Shiflett could, as it did early last year, paralyze the offense, the favorites' role is something the Bruins aren't shying away from.

"I think we could be the favorites, but we proved last year and others did, too, that any team can beat any other now that Cartersville is gone," Northwest coach Josh Robinson said. "There were very few beat-downs in this league, and in the playoffs you saw our third and fourth teams, Pickens and Ridgeland, go down to Atlanta and play Marist and St. Pius down to the end."

The Bruins hope to put a disappointing ending to last season behind them and at the same time use it as motivation. Northwest lost to Grady at home in the first round of the playoffs by a point on a missed extra-point kick.

"A region championship is exactly the thing we are going for this year," senior Jones said. "That loss still bothers me. It was one point, and all I can think about was that was one more rep or one more sprint that we could have done to prepare for that and it might have made a difference. We're doing those extra things this year."

Northwest isn't a unanimous choice by any means. More than one coach thinks up-and-coming Ridgeland will be right there in the end. Led by an extremely talented junior class featuring two-way star Markeith Montgomery, the Panthers figure to at least be in the hunt.

"I think it's going to be a toss-up between Ridgeland Northwest," LaFayette coach Chad Fisher said. "I think Northwest can outscore them. Shiflett is unbelievable and they have some great receivers.

"Ridgeland, though, is just more athletic than anybody else. Pickens will be good with their quarterback (Jacob Brumby) back. It's a shootout for fourth place and I put ourselves right there between us, Southeast Whitfield and Heritage."

Though Cartersville has ruled the league, there has been plenty of drama right up until week 10 - and beyond - for the final playoff berth the past two seasons. Each time the region's No. 4 seed has been determined by a Monday round of mini games.

At least one coach thinks it could very well happen again.

"I think we literally could have a third year in a row to play on Monday," LaFayette's Fisher said. "It's going to be fun."

Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6296; follow on Twitter @youngsports22.

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