By LORAN POSEY – Guest Writer
10. There are five rounds in the GHSA State Playoffs. Four wins will get you to the Dome, the fifth will bring it all home.
9. The Gladiators will face Forsyth County’s Lambert High School Longhorns in the 1st Round at Billy Henderson Stadium on Nov. 11.
8. The Longhorns earned the No. 3 seed out of Region 7-AAAA, while the Gladiators won the No. 2 seed out of Region 8-AAAA.
7. The head coach of the Longhorns, Sid Maxwell, was the head coach of the then-ranked No. 5 Sequoyah Chiefs when they defeated Clarke Central in the 1st Round of the 2008 State Playoffs.
6. Maxwell is known for his emphasis on strength training programs, which attributes to LHS’ reputation for having great size, strength and physical toughness on the football field.
5. Clarke Central’s offense features many great players, including sophomore quarterback Cameron Johnson, senior running back Quenshaun Watson, and senior wide receiver Torey Gartrell. However, the Glad’s defense has also played well. Junior defensive back Dreko Statham has recorded 52 total tackles and seven interceptions so far this season and junior linebacker Javion Hemphill has recorded 66 total tackles, one interception and one sack.
4. Clarke Central is coming off an impressive 38-35 upset victory over third-ranked Flowery Brach High School, ruining the Falcons’ perfect undefeated season for the second year in a row.
3. Lambert has won tight games over Sequoyah, Woodland and Creekview High Schools. However, their two losses were not even close. They suffered shutout losses to John’s Creek, 23-0, and Rome, 16-0.
2. Since the arrival of Clarke Central head coach Leroy Ryals in 2006, the Glads have not failed to reach the state playoffs.
1. Lambert (8-2) is the underdog in Friday’s match-up at Clarke Central (9-1), who claimed a share of the Region 8-AAAA Title with last week’s victory over Flowery Branch.
