There are two key facts when considering football in Georgia Region 7-AAAA.
One is that competing in the smallish six-team league leaves very little wiggle room when it comes to making the playoffs. One bad effort could undo a lot of good work and leave a team on the outside looking in come November.
The second fact is that the 7-AAAA's top dog is a Bulldog, as in two-time defending champion Cedartown, a rugged team getting a lot of preseason state championship predictions. Cedartown, which fell to Carver of Columbus by a point in last season's semifinal round, returns a strong corps from a team that outscored its region opponents 221-36.
"They lost some good guys, but even with that Cedartown is still the top team," Northwest Whitfield coach Josh Robinson said. "They just have more athletes than the rest of us and they are very well coached."
The Bulldogs, who return three offensive line starters, are also easily the most physical team in the region. The team's wing-T offense returns backs Harlem Diamond (1,075 yards, 20 touchdowns) and 260-pound fullback Patrick Gardner (843 yards, nine scores) to go with quarterback Reece Tanner, who combined for right at 1,000 total yards.
The defense has a few more questions after losing five of last year's eight top tacklers, but they return one of the state's best in linebacker Eli Barrow, who had 127 tackles a year ago.
If it's a given that Cedartown is the overwhelming favorite, that leaves three playoff spots for five teams. Northwest has earned a playoff berth seven consecutive years and has won a postseason game in each of the last two seasons.
Given the fact the Bruins return one of the state's most productive quarterbacks in Owen Brooker and what Coach Robinson believes should be a much-improved defense and it would seem Northwest should get one of those three spots.
Brooker passed for 2,900 yards and led the team in rushing with 624 yards while accounting for 36 touchdowns. He did, however, lose leading receivers Ray and Brayden Morrison, but returns junior Hudson Gray, an athletic wideout who had 578 yards on 42 catches, and a group that includes Braxton Floyd and converted defensive back Isaiah Foster.
The defense, which gave up 30-plus points five times last season, returns leading tackler Jax Brooker and fellow senior 'backers Conner Cummings and Ike Ralston and was bolstered by the arrival of 6-3, 320-pound transfer Bryce Bryant, who will immediately provide a defensive line anchor.
The final two playoff spots will likely be decided between Heritage, Central-Carroll and newcomer Sonoraville, which moved up from Class AAA.
The Phoenix, who missed the playoffs despite winning six games last year, have a stellar collection of skill players, led by junior quarterback Jaxon Pate, who had nearly 3,000 yards of total offense while accounting for 30 touchdowns. Also returning are top rusher Zach Lyles, leading receiver Brant Bryant and one of the area's top tight ends in Ridge Redd, a 6-4, 235-pounder who is an elite blocker and can get big yards over the middle.
Like Northwest, defensive improvement will be the key to how far the Phoenix can go. In four Region 6-AAA losses last year they allowed an average of 35 points.
Heritage, which has made six consecutive postseason appearances, returns the most experience among league teams with 16 starters back. Like Northwest and Sonoraville, the Generals bring back a dynamic dual-threat quarterback in Kaden Swope, a physical runner who managed over 1,700 total yards in his first year starting.
He's got weapons in 215-pound fullback Paxton McCrary and receivers Tyler Cheatwood and Max Owens and a line coach E.K. Slaughter believes will be among the region's best.
The Heritage defense could be the league's top returning unit, led by tackling machine Bryce Travillian and fellow linebacker Evan Wingrove behind a line featuring Jacob Barnes and Peyton Newman.
A wildcard in the mix is Central-Carroll, a young and exciting team that made the playoffs as the region's No. 4 team a year ago. The Lions return quarterback Devan Powell, who had right at 2,000 yards of total offense, to go with Cameron Bolton, who as a freshman ran for 849 yards, and receiver Viccari Swain, who had 855 yards and eight touchdowns.
Central also returns 12 of its top 13 tacklers from last year, though it was a unit that allowed more than 30 points per game.
Southeast Whitfield rounds out the region field after playing non-region schedules the past two years. Coach Todd Murray's Raiders will match up to most opponents physically, led by returning all-region tackle Jayden Calhoun (6-4, 300) and fellow linemen Zander Burkett and Brett Cole. Also among the team's seven returning offensive starters are backs Ian Lively and Anthony Ramirez and 6-2 receiver Matthew Brock.
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @youngsports22.