The Oconee County and Putnam County High School football programs are somewhat familiar with each other.
Putnam County won the last matchup 20-14 during the 2015 season when Kyle Gourley was head coach. The Warriors and War Eagles have faced each other eight times, with the series tied at four apiece.
Oconee County (1-1) is coming off its first win under new head coach Ben Hall. The Warriors defeated Clarke Central 33-9 last Friday after losing to North Oconee in Week 1.
Putnam County defeated Baldwin 23-14 last Friday at Al Reaves Field. So, the War Eagles are set to face a formidable Warriors squad with a lot of talent this upcoming week.
Oconee County heavily depends on senior White Weeks, who was the team’s second-leading rusher last season, totaling 235 yards on 18 attempts with two touchdowns. He also hauled in 189 yards on 12 receptions with a pair of scores. Weeks also led the Warriors in tackles last season. He racked up 134 total tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss and one interception in 12 games during his junior campaign.
Weeks is rated as the nation’s No. 46 linebacker and the No. 43 prospect in the state of Georgia, per 247Sports. However, he isn’t the only player on OCHS’s roster that can make an impact. The Warriors are loaded on the defensive side of the ball.
Oconee County returns seniors such as Dylan Manders (LB), Camden Eldridge (DE/LB), Samson Stearns (DT), Kyle Strickland (LB) and Billy Lewis (FS) on defense in 2022. The Warriors’ defensive unit is only giving up 12.5 points per contest so far this season.
However, Oconee County’s offense has struggled through its first two games in 2022. The Warriors are led by senior running back CJ Jones, who rushed for 1,022 yards for 12 scores in 2021. He totaled 109 yards and a touchdown against the Gladiators in Week 2.
Junior Max Ricks has started Oconee County’s first two contests. He didn’t perform well in Week 1 against the Titans, when Ricks threw four interceptions in the close loss to North Oconee, although he did bounce back versus Clarke Central and played well last Friday.
The 5-foot-11, 160-pound signal-caller will primarily target Weeks in the passing game, although Manders has already proven to be a threat downfield through two contests in 2022. The Warriors will also rely on senior wide receivers Jack Ward and Jesan Heard as well.
Putnam County matches up with Oconee County well. The War Eagles are just as talented on offense as the Warriors are, but they will face a stout Oconee County defensive unit. The key to the game for them is to win the turnover battle against the Warriors.
The ninth installment of Oconee County-Putnam County will kick off at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 2, at Al Reaves Field.