GHSA Football Week 11 Preview: Game Of The Week Mundy's Mill vs Woodward Academy

The Woodward Academy War Eagles will try and win their second consecutive region title on Friday when they take on the Mundy’s Mill Tigers. At 7-1, the War Eagles have been rolling with six straight wins averaging 43.5 points per game while allowing 8.1 ppg. While it seems that momentum is on the side of the War Eagles, they will be taking on a Mundy’s Mill team that has had a change in culture and mindset this season under new head coach Earthwind Moreland. After opening the season with a loss to Lovejoy, the Tigers quickly turned things around winning five in a row before hitting a bump in the road with a 20-6 non region loss to the Carver-Atlanta Panthers heading into their bye week. Returning to action last week with a 42-0 win over Rockdale County, Mundy’s Mill will look to win their second straight game and with the win, can position themselves to win the region title.

The Stockbridge Tigers have been the talk of Henry County as they head into their Friday night matchup with the Pace Academy Knights at 6-2 overall, but more importantly, 5-0 in region play. Stockbridge has won their last five games averaging 44.4 ppg and allowing just 3.8 ppg with four of their opponents being held to three points or less during the stretch. On Friday, a win for the Tigers would make them outright region champions, but they will have a tall order at hand facing a Pace Academy team that’s won their last four and have only dropped one game this season, a 30-20 region loss to Lovett back in September. Also factor in that a win for Pace would create a three way tie for first between them Stockbridge and Lovett and assuming that all three win their final game of the season, tie breaker rules would come into play to determine the region champ.

On the surface, a glance at the records of the Marietta Blue Devils and Harrison Hoyas would give the impression that neither team is having a good season as the Blue Devils sit at 3-5 overall and the Hoyas at 3-6. However, as any one that follows high school football closely knows, it is the region records that matter the most and with Marietta at 2-0 in region play and Harrison at 2-1 in region play, this matchup features two teams very much in play for the region title. Friday, Harrison’s final regular season game, is a must win for the Hoyas in order to claim the region title, having already defeated North Paulding, the only other one loss team in the region. While a Harrison win would create a three way tie temporarily, the Hoyas would hold the tie breaker over both Marietta and North Paulding, who will face each other in the final week of action. Meanwhile, the Blue Devils will need to defeat Harrison this week and North Paulding next week to claim the region title.

The Langston Hughes Panthers will continue their mission of going 1-0 every week and this week a win will make them the region champs for the second year in a row. The 2021 Georgia High School Association 6A state champ runner ups have been rolling since week one as they sit at 8-0 overall and 5-0 in region play. The Panthers have averaged 51 ppg and defensively have had one of the stingiest defenses in Georgia allowing just 7.3 ppg. On Friday, the Panthers will face a South Paulding Spartans team that sits at 6-2 overall, but 5-0 in region play as well and currently are riding a five game winning streak. While both teams have a game remaining after their meeting on Friday, a win for either team gives them sole possession of first and a win for the Panthers would give them the region title, while a win for South Paulding would put them a win away from winning the title as they would need to defeat Douglas County the following week.

For over 50 plus years, the Marist War Eagles and St. Pius Golden Lions have battled in one of Georgia’s oldest rivalries, which began in 1962. The two teams have battled for state titles and region championships and once again on Friday when they meet up, the region title will be on the line as they each will head into the game at 3-0 in the region standings. The War Eagles lead this long standing series at 35-18, having won their last meeting in 2019 by a final of 30-0 and will head into Friday’s game having won their last four games. On the other side, the Golden Lions struggled after opening the season with a win, losing four straight games before turning the corner, having won their last three matchups. With the region title on the line expect another classic battle in this historic rivalry.