The current number of teams that are still undefeated at this point of the season... and I had to do the math on this one... is still at 37 at the time of typing... 

Two play each other in a BIG (capitalization intentional) that we’ll get to in a bit down below. One of them you can find on the Football Fridays in Georgia Podcast when Niki Noto Palmer and I catch up with Houston County’s Jeremy Edwards on this week’s show. 

One is having the best season they’ve had as a program in a while and another seems to be quietly going about its business again near the Tennessee state line... 

Let’s take a peek at these three... 

Sumter coach

Sumter County coach Will Rogers

Sumter County 

Those two that play each other are Carver-Columbus and Sumter County in Region 1-AA. Will Rogers has Sumter following up their 10-2 season last year with another 7-0 start.  

(If you’re a Panthers fan, skip ahead outside of the parenthesis... Carver got the better of them last year in Game 8, 31-0, in a battle of No. 3 vs. No. 8.) 

“Our kids are really excited for this one,” Sumter coach Will Rogers says. “The big thing in this matchup is we have to understand how to handle adversity against them. We hang our hat on our defense here -- like we did back at Dutchtown with Will Anderson and those players back then. We always finished top three in the state in defense and that’s always a goal for us here.”  

This season, Sumter has only given up 49 points all year (an average of 7 per game) and there was a recent stretch of three shutouts in four games. When Coach Rogers is trying to scout an opponent, he admits he’ll go as far back as he can in a season -- Week 1 if he can when he studies. And it sounds like he got all the way back there this time. 

“We know we just can’t make any mistakes,” he admits. “We can’t have and third-and-long. We can’t have any negative plays and we’re trying to be the best version of ourselves we can be here. We’re going to play our game -- which is being physical and running the ball first. On defense, we try and stop the run first and try not to allow any explosive plays from a very good Carver team.” 

I asked him how much time folks gave him to enjoy win No. 6 before settling into this game week... 

“About 6 a.m. Saturday morning, people started sending messages about how excited they were playing for a region title for the first time in a long time here at home. We’re just trying to keep the kids as humble as possible. The staff we have here has been working together for a while. We’re all just hungry, humble and working toward what we’ve set out to do every week.” 

Rest assured, I think the environment will be massive in this one this week... 

Jasper County

Jasper County strives to "go 1-0 each week"

Jasper County/Monticello 

As far back as I can remember, Ashley Henderson has towered over a lot of people on the sidelines in Georgia. I always have a picture in my mind of always looking up at him as an imposing 6-foot-4 frame. He played at Valdosta under Coaches Nick Hyder and  Mike O’Brien. He coached there as an assistant before winning three state titles at Valwood in the GISA and spending time at Thomas County Central before moving to Monticello four seasons ago. 

His win totals have increased every season and the playoff appearances have been there each time. But this 7-0 start in Region 4-AD1 hasn’t happened in school history since an 11-1 season back in 1988 under Jay Lynn Hodgin. 

“Last year, I think we kinda found our identity,” he tells me as they made an appearance in the second round for the first time since 1992. “When you believe in what you’re doing, there’s a lot to be said for it. And this year, we’ve won games that we lost in the previous two. Last week, when we were trailing we didn’t bat an eye as a team. I think that has to do with the process of what it takes to win.” 

Being 7-0 right now, resting in the bye week before the gauntlet to finish his schedule, Henderson tells me that their goal is “to go 1-0 every week.” He openly admits that sounds very coach-speaky. But, back in January, he also put a goal forth to have an undefeated junior varsity and varsity. The JV accomplished their goal two weeks ago.  

“I said we were looking to go 1-0 every week at a preseason function and some folks came up to me and talked about us going 10-0. And I just reminded them I said we were looking into going to go 1-0 every week.” 

And to Coach’s sentence, there is a difference. If you go 1-0 every week for ten games, you do end up 10-0. But it takes doing all those things right over ten different game-weeks to accomplish the end goal of that 10-0 regular season. Saying you’re going 10-0 jumps to the end of the story. Going 1-0 ten weeks in a row means you’re applying your philosophy ten straight times to get to the end of Season Two. 

I hope that makes sense the way I broke it down...  

Monticello

Ashley Henderson with wife Megan

Henderson tells me the kids have bought in and he can’t speak any more highly of the students, parents and administration that have sacrificed a lot to build this program to resemble teams in the south that he has seen be successful all over. 

“They’re craving a winner here,” Henderson admits. “They’ve all done what we asked them to do. We’ve put together a great staff. We have seventh graders coming through and the middle school is doing it the right way.” But he also knows Lamar, Social Circle, and Putnam County all lurk in the stretch run for the varsity. 

And, if you really want a window into the growth of the program, make sure you ask about the “parking lot lunges” and what they mean to the roster -- both in the parking lot and in the classroom. Click here to watch.  It’s a fantastic carry-over into what blue-collar community kids will do as a part of greater team building exercises... 

And, for Megan’s husband and dad to Charlie, Jack and Will, Coach Henderson has one son close to being coached by a dad and two others on the way- you get to see a family that’s all in for Monticello... 

North murray

The North Murray football team enjoyed homecoming week.

North Murray 

Preston Poag is a Dalton guy coaching in Chatsworth. He’s in his tenth season on campus in Region 7-AA and the Mountaineers have made the playoffs every season. They're on top at 6-0 and 4-0 with Ringgold waiting. Six teams are fighting for positioning and the post-season math equations set to come. 

“I knew this team was going to be special this past Summer,” Poag admits. “We’re a senior-led team and I thought the ingredients were there for a special season. We had some tough games early with Dalton, Northwest Whitfield and Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe and last week, we were tied at 21 before winning 49-21 against Sonoraville. We know we have to work hard to get results, but to see how we can be means a lot.” 

Poag credits everyone from the administration to the Quarterback Club and parents that have made the program a special place. But, in our conversation, he kept pointing to the culture on campus as a key to success. 

“It’s the most important thing,” Poag says. “The seniors on down got to watch the classes in front of them all and see how they carry themselves. And they get to see it every day here. They know what we need to do -- be hard-nosed and physical on the field- and carry the culture forward. They all want to play their best and play to win.” 

Coach was already deep in Ringgold prep when I caught up with him. He knows with everyone chasing the people at the top, everyone in the region can beat each other. The current standings are playing that out.  

“But if we have a good week of practice, I think we’ll do all right." 

We’ll be watching these three as we go, that’s for sure... 

Play it safe, everyone... I’ll talk to you soon...