Football: 'Scary' 7-3A title on the line at The Brickyard

GAINESVILLE — Like the monster in the closet or the thing under the bed, it’s out there just waiting for someone.

And neither North Hall coach David Bishop nor Cherokee Bluff coach Tommy Jones wanted to even think about it. Much less talk about it.

“We don’t ever talk about that. Try not to even think about it, really,” Jones said.

“We just think about the game this week,” Bishop said. “We haven’t discussed it really beyond just knowing we still control our own fates.”

Who would’ve thought that just the sheer mention of -- (whispering ‘Region title’) -- could make grown men sound cold and clammy over the phone?

Not really, but kinda...

But that’s what is at stake when the last two Region 7-3A unbeatens meet at The Brickyard Friday night.

For the Bears (8-0, 4-0 Region 7-3A), a win gives them the title outright after last week’s thrilling 21-14 win over Dawson County. For the Trojans (6-2, 4-0 Region 7-3A) they can win it with victories over Cherokee Bluff and Dawson County (4-4, 3-1 Region 7-3A) next week.

The two coaches sounded like they were reading off variations of Coach Speak 101, Paragraph 1, Section II when it comes to the discussion of region titles. Although both admitted that this week it was okay to maybe, perhaps, almost say it...

...(Whispering ‘Region title’ again)...

“Obviously winning a region title is important, especially when you look at the meat-grinder that is Class 3A,” Bishop said. “As coaches and players that is always in the back of your mind. But you can’t be worrying about that on a weekly basis or you’ll never get the chance.

“We don’t talk about it because you have to play all the games. If you’re too busy talking about titles every week instead of taking each game as it comes, it’ll never happen.”

“We haven’t talked about it all. I don’t think those two words have come out of our mouths all year. Probably not the three-plus years we’ve been here,” Jones said.

“You can’t get caught up in all that. We only talk about the next game. If you don’t focus on the game at-hand, the rest of them won’t matter. One game at a time, always.”

However, with what is on the line, and knowing that Region 7-3A meets up with powerhouse Region 5-3A (No. 1 Cedar Grove, No. 7 Sandy Creek, No. 7 Carver-Atlanta, GAC) in the first round, claiming that No. 1 seed may be more valuable than ever.

“We understand what’s out there and what’s at stake, for sure,” Jones said. “The coaches and kids all realize the opportunity we have this week. We haven’t used the words ‘region title’ but we know it’s in our hands this week.”

“Class 3A is probably the deepest of all the classifications,” Bishop said. “Winning the region is hugely important. Region 5-3A is without a doubt the best region in Class 3A. But we think we have some good teams as well.”

Statistically, the Bears and Trojans are among the leaders in Class 3A.

Bluff leads 3A in scoring at 48.1 points/game. Senior running back Jayquan Smith is now second in 3A in rushing with 1,161 yards and 14 touchdowns. They are third in 3A scoring defense allowing just 7.9 ppg so far.

North Hall and its patented wing-T leads 3A in rushing averaging over 310 yards/game. The Trojans’ Kevin Rochester is third in 3A with 1,101 yards and 14 TDs.

Both teams most certainly will try to win the line of scrimmage and establish the run. However, it may come down to whoever can find some traction in the passing game.

To the naked eye, the advantage would appear to lie with the Bears. Senior quarterback Sebastian Irons is 55-of-87 passing for 830 yards and 13 touchdowns. Senior Marlion Jackson is his main target with 23 catches for 427 yards and 9 TDs.

North Hall senior quarterback Bradford Puryear has completed just 13 passes for 231 yards on the season.

Stats don’t matter to Jones when it comes to playing North Hall.

“North Hall has always done an excellent job with their offense,” he said. “They give you a lot of formations. They have a very good offensive line. They play with heightened speed.

“If you put everyone in the box, they can hit big passes on you. They are always one of the biggest challenges of the season from a defensive standpoint. You have to play disciplined and be focused to stop them.”

Bishop said he can still see the Bears’ big-play capability that eventually buried the Trojans in a 41-24 loss in 2020 to give the Bears their first-ever region title.

“They want to give it to Jayquan and run the ball down your throat to also set up the play-action. And Jayquan is as tough to bring down as anyone we’ve played in the last few years,” Bishop said. “But we can’t look at specific matchups because they can hurt you in so many ways. They also want to get the ball to Jackson, who they didn’t have last year.

“Three big plays killed us last year. We have got to find a way to limit those to have a chance.”

The Brickyard figures to be the place to be on Friday. It’s loud, it’s raucous, and it’s typically one of the toughest places to win for any road team in the state, not just Northeast Georgia.

Bishop said he expects nothing less. But when two Hall County rivals meet, he also said anything can happen.

“We love playing at home. We have great fans. They make it tough on the other teams, especially at the beginning and at the end in a close game,” Bishop said. “But when you have two great teams like this, it really comes down more to execution. For us, we just have to do what we do and do it better than they do what they do.”

Jones knows the expected big crowd could be a factor.

“Like in the World Series, where every pitch matters, in a big football game every play matters,” Jones said. “We can’t let the big crowd affect us. That could be a huge factor.

“In almost every game with even teams like this, four or five plays usually decide things. You have to take advantage of those when you get the chance.”

Bishop, however, summed up what taking part in games like Friday means.

“It’s always fun to coach in games like these,” he said. “I can’t wait. It should be a lot of fun.”

But with Halloween just two days later, you can also bet that both Bishop and Jones are hoping that the monster in the closet or the thing under the bed doesn’t scare away their region title hopes.