Whit’s Picks: Ridgeland, Northwest winner has the inside track to the region title

Published 8:00 pm Thursday, September 21, 2017

To use a word from former White House press secretary Sean Spicer, Southeast Whitfield is the best football team in the area. Period! That’s not me saying that, though.

The RaiderNationRowdies twitter account (@RallyRaiders_14 on Twitter.com) has been in full Spicer mode since their win over Christian Heritage School last week.

“42+ on the scoreboard for each of the first 4 games. Best offense in the area. Best QB in the area. Best receivers in the area.”

That tweet had the effect of bringing together both the Dalton and Northwest student section accounts into unified derision of their southside cousins, which may have been a first.

Southeast is 4-0 on the year and hasn’t been challenged, and for their efforts the Raiders have gained how much respect?

In the latest Georgia Sports Writers Association poll, the Raiders didn’t receive a vote. In the composite rankings on Georgia High School Football Daily, the Raiders aren’t mentioned.

You know who doesn’t have to earn any respect? Your Guru of Gridiron Guessing. Last week was another stellar performance with only Murray County failing to live up to my beliefs as I went 4-1. On the year, the record is 18-3.

• Game of the Week — Ridgeland at Northwest: Ridgeland and Northwest — and to a lesser extent Heritage — have been the teams to watch throughout the preseason and into the regular season, and many are saying tonight’s game in Tunnel Hill is the de-facto region title game. Heritage and Southeast may come into play, but the team that emerges from this game has the inside track to the region title.

Last year, Northwest was a hop, skip and a bounced completion away from winning at Ridgeland. This year, the Panthers come into the Bruins Den with the No. 7 ranking in the state and some swagger. The impressive thing is that the Panthers play defense and have given up just 21 points this year. Northwest will score more than 21 points, but will it be enough?

Whit’s Pick: Ridgeland 28, Northwest 27

• LaFayette at Southeast: I give credit where credit is due and applaud the Raiders for taking care of business the way they have to start the season. If there is one thing we can all agree on, it is that Southeast has clearly been the better team in their first four games of the season.

The Ramblers are 2-2 but those two wins have come against Class 2A competition, and more troubling for those in orange is that the two losses have come to Class A teams.

Whit’s Pick: Southeast 42, LaFayette 14

• North Murray at Calhoun: Are we buddies again after I picked you to win and you actually did, Mountaineers? Are we still going to be friends after you read my pick?

Whit’s Pick: Calhoun 50, North Murray 14

• Murray County at Adairsville: Eventually, the Indians will have to start throwing the ball with some amount of success or opposing teams will just fill the trenches like it’s the Battle of Verdun. (Football and history, too!) Another thing is the mistakes in the form of penalties that have really hurt this year. It’s time to cure some ills before sub-region play begins.

Whit’s Pick: Adairsville 41, Murray County 20

• Coahulla Creek at Bremen: Keep pounding away, Colts, and enjoy the long road trip to west Georgia.

Whit’s Pick: Bremen 48, Coahulla Creek 13

• Christian Heritage at Gordon Lee: The Lions begin Region 6A play with a familiar foe as the teams have played every year since the Lions moved to the Georgia High School Association. But after winning three in a row, Christian Heritage lost to the Trojans last year and the pendulum has swung to the Trojans’ side.

Whit’s Pick: Gordon Lee 35, Christian Heritage 24

Chris Whitfield is a general assignment reporter and sports columnist for the Daily Citizen-News. Follow him at Twitter.com/cwhitfi7 or contact him at chriswhitfield@daltoncitizen.com.