It’s never dull when Starr’s Mill and Whitewater get together. That trend is expected to hold true again this week when the two fierce Fayette County rivals meet in a game that has plenty of playoff ramifications for Region 2.
No. 7 Starr’s Mill (6-1, 3-0) could virtually clinch its fifth straight region championship with a win. Whitewater (3-4, 2-1) would create havoc at the top of the standings with a victory and create a possible four-way tie for first.
The genesis of the rivalry goes back to 2006, when Whitewater opened. The new school drew many of its students from Starr’s Mill and took many traditions from its parent school, too.
The rivalry was immediately stoked by Whitewater’s success. The Wildcats won the first meeting 15-14 on a late two-point conversion and beat Starr’s Mill in the first three meetings. Several of those early games were decided late and one year Starr’s Mill was inside the 5 and setting up for a winning field goal when the quarterback spiked the ball, but the official ruled it a fumble and Whitewater returned it for a touchdown and a victory.
Whitewater leads the series 8-6, but Starr’s Mill has won the last three years by wide margins. It was 42-3 in 2019. If Starr’s Mill wins, its senior class will be the first to record four straight wins over their rival.
Whitewater has showed growth in its first season under coach Chad Frazier, who built a reputation for success during stops at Heritage, Villa Rica and Union Grove. The Wildcats have won two straight after losing their region opener to Griffin.
Whitewater is a run-heavy team. Quarterback Austen Millians has thrown for 501 yards, but has five teammates who have rushed for at least 100 yards. Adeoluwa Erinle (272 yards), Dalton Bonner (243 yards) and Silas Rhodes (201 yards) are the team’s rushing leaders.
Starr’s Mill is even more reliant on the run; the Panthers averages 232 yards on the ground. Devin Barnett (498 yards), Brandon Mathis (271 yards) and Greigh Joseph (212 yards) get most of the carries and quarterback William Yarbrough (235 yards passing, 196 yards rushing) is growing in his command of the offense.
But Starr’s Mill’s real strength is on defense, where safety Cole Bishop and middle linebacker Wes Haney – a pair of four-year starters – lead a group that has three shutouts and allows 7.3 points per game.
“This defense may be the best in the history of the school,” coach Chad Phillips said. “The only one that rivals it is the 2010 team,” That team played for the state championship and included Ufomba Kamalu, who played in the NFL, and Zach Laskey, who had an outstanding career at Georgia Tech.
In other interesting games this weekend:
Veterans at Coffee: Veterans (4-3, 0-1) had a week off to figure out a way to stop its three-game losing streak. The Warhawks have seen their offense go dormant, scoring only 13 points during those three losses. Veterans must win the game or face the daunting prospect of needing to close the season by beating both No. 2 Warner Robins and No. 3 Ware County. No. 6 Coffee (6-2, 1-1) rebounded from a close loss to Ware County defeat Wayne County. A win would assure the Trojans of a spot in the playoffs.
Dutchtown at Woodland: Dutchtown (4-3, 3-1) is starting to find itself. The Bulldogs have won three straight games since their loss to Ola. Woodland (6-1, 3-1) has already had a breakthrough win against Stockbridge this season. Dutchtown has won the last three meetings. The loser will have almost no chance to host a first-round playoff game.
Chapel Hill at Lithia Springs: This game between the two Douglas County schools will affect the Region 6 playoff race. Lithia Springs (2-5, 2-1) will try to bounce back from last week’s loss to Villa Rica and Chapel Hill (5-3, 3-1) was stunned last week by winless Maynard Jackson. Lithia’s pass-oriented offense features quarterback Jai’que Hart, a sophomore who has thrown for 1,171 yards and 11 touchdowns. Chapel Hill is led by running backs Rudolph Paul (524 yards, five TDs) and Michael Perkins (453 yards, three TDs).
Loganville at Clarke Central: Two hot quarterbacks will be in the spotlight, with Clarke’s William Robinson facing Loganville’s Tanner Greene. Robinson has thrown for 1,386 yards and nine touchdowns and Greene threw five touchdown passes last week against Jackson County. No. 10-ranked Clarke Central (6-2, 5-0) can clinch the Region 8 title with a win. The Gladiators have won five straight games. Loganville (3-4, 2-2) defeated Clarke 38-21 in 2019.
