GHSA Playoffs, Houston County vs Rome: Offensive Skills to Watch

The Georgia High School playoffs are here and round one has concluded. A pair of big teams that won handedly Friday will move on and face off for the first time in history. Rome being one of the best programs in Georgia who has a tradition of winning football and a championship pedigree multiple times and are among the top 10 in wins in Georgia. Houston County is another powerhouse who has been a state contender for some years now as well. Houston County has a winning pedigree and has proven to be one of the state's best. Both teams are absolutely loaded with talent across the board and these two collide at Historic Barron Stadium in Rome Friday and here are six offensive weapons to keep an eye on for each team.    Though [player_tooltip player_id='401566' first='Westen' last='Ard'] is a defensive standout for the Houston County Bears, he does appear on offense and is an absolute force when he does. He is usually in the wildcat formation and uses his 230-pound frame to power his way into the endzone for goal line situations or even for first downs. he is going to be one to watch for during those parts of the game offensively. Again, he is a defensive standout but do not discount him for being impactful for this Bears offense.     [player_tooltip player_id='703811' first='Austin' last='Stinson'] is an extremely effective back out of the Bears backfield and he showcases a lot once the ball is in his hands. He has great vision and bursts to hit the hole at the line of scrimmage. He is a break away back who can get bulk yards and he is one you will want to look for on Friday in this huge playoff match!     Thomas is one of the go-to wide outs for the Houston County Bears and he is a guy who can stretch the field and gain big yards quickly. He is a hard guard and knows how to get open. Thomas has strong hands so you must play him well, he is a force on this offense.     Georgia Tech commit Jeremy "JJ" Winston is one of the state's best wide outs and he eclipsed the thousand-yard mark in his senior campaign. Winston has the height, the hands and the running ability to break a game wide open. He is extremely athletic with a speed that turns up once the ball is in his hands. He is an absolute nightmare to cover, and he gets behind defensive backs with what seems like ease. Winston is also one of the best punt and kick returners in the state. Winston was strong in the first-round matchup against Lovejoy with six receptions and 180 yards receiving and multiple touchdowns. He's one talent of many for Rome to watch for.     [player_tooltip player_id='2055784' first='MJ' last='Mathis'] has been lights out all year, getting behind defenses and taking the tops off of defenses making big plays and he has been very difficult to defend. His hands are strong and he has route running ability that allows him tom quickly get open and use those strong hands. He is a complete wide out that is a huge piece of this Houston County offense and it's been very hard for teams to contain him this year. Mathis had a terrific first round playoff game last week with 5 receptions and 135 receiving yards. He will be one talent to watch for Friday's match up.     Georgia Tech commit [player_tooltip player_id='283825' first='Darnell' last='Collins'] is a special talent for the Rome Wolves. He is a complete mismatch also with his 6'4 frame and strong hands. He has the ability to use his size and incredible athletic ability to get behind defenses. He is also a star at the safety position. Collins has had a monster season and looks to build on that in this second-round playoff matchup!     [player_tooltip player_id='1626146' first='Aidan' last='McPherson'] had a spectacular game the first round throwing for 283 yards and two touchdowns which both went to wide out, JJ Winston. McPherson brings a mix to the table with his running ability and passing ability. He is going to be a challenge for this phsyical and tough Houston County defense but if he can utilize his ability and get the ball down field quickly to his big targets then they can be on the good end of the stick. It all starts with McPherson, and he certainly has all of the tools to create a long, long night for the opponent.     [player_tooltip player_id='1953558' first='Colin' last='Anderson'] is one special talent out of the backfield and his ability to run the rock in many ways is what helps balance this Houston County offensive fire power. Anderson has great vision, agility and burst once he hits the hole at the line of scrimmage. He is quick, fast and has a level of physicality about him that is simply hard to contain. He will be a big part of Friday's match, and it'll be interesting to see how he performs against a very fast, tough and physical Rome defense. He's a name to follow this week.     [player_tooltip player_id='991472' first='Ryan' last='Maxwell'] is an outstanding sophomore quarterback. The signal caller out of Houston County has been nothing short of spectacular this season for his team which has been a huge part of why his team has won 10 games so far. Maxwell showcased in the first round exactly what he can do at a high level. He threw for 257 yards and 3 touchdowns with two of them going to wide out [player_tooltip player_id='2055784' first='MJ' last='Mathis']. Maxwell is a name to know going into this big-time match up against a powerhouse Rome.     Tylan "Scoot" Simpson is a pure playmaker and is a guy who gets open on this Rome offense very often. His ability to get open is natural and he has the hands to go along with it. His skill set has been big for this Rome offense in times needed and he is going to be what I believe in a lot of meaningful situations this Friday and his number will be called upon in curial moments. Simpson has earned that opportunity with gaining the experience and playing very good in his sophomore season so far. Do not be surprised to see him make a few big-time situational catches against this Houston County defense. Pure playmaker here!     [player_tooltip player_id='950178' first='Justin' last='Spivey'] has been one of the biggest playmakers on this Rome offense this season. Only a sophomore, Spivey looks as if he has already played a few years ahead of his years. Spivey has been a dynamic player with the ball in his hands in the slot position and in the backfield. In the backfield, Spivey has run the ball off of scrimmage and caught the ball out of the backfield at a consistent rate. He is a play waiting to happen and he gets you chunk yards, he is a breakaway type of player who I expect to have a big role in Friday's matchup. Big playmaker!     I covered this terrific athlete and running back in his middle school years and now obviously covering him in his high school years. [player_tooltip player_id='1555827' first='Jeremy' last='Ferguson Jr.'] is a starting freshman running back who has been extremely consistent this year and has made play after play just about every time he touches the rock. He has been strong out of the backfield catching passes on screens and getting important yards and he has run the ball off of scrimmage very good getting his team big chunk plays. He is a swift runner gliding and weaving his way in and out of defenses and he is a back that will gain big yardage. Look for him to play a critical role in this big match up Friday night in the second round of the GHSA playoffs.

The Georgia High School playoffs are here and round one has concluded. A pair of big teams that won handedly Friday will move on and face off for the first time in history. Rome being one of the best programs in Georgia who has a tradition of winning football and a championship pedigree multiple times and are among the top 10 in wins in Georgia. Houston County is another powerhouse who has been a state contender for some years now as well. Houston County has a winning pedigree and has proven to be one of the state's best. Both teams are absolutely loaded with talent across the board and these two collide at Historic Barron Stadium in Rome Friday and here are six offensive weapons to keep an eye on for each team.