[Editor’s Note: To preview this week’s football games, Sports Editor, Phillip B. Hubbard introduces a brand new series called “Phil’s Pregame Points.” For each game, he briefly breaks down what he believes each team needs to do to better their chances at a win.]

Alcovy vs. Evans 

(on Saturday)

Sharp Stadium

Kickoff at 7:30 p.m. 

Last Matchup: 

2020  Evans won 40-30

• Close the deal

— Heading into the final minutes of last week’s win, Alcovy held a 21-point advantage over Heritage High School. The final score, however, was 27-18. Heritage’s near comeback was aided by incomplete passes, busted coverages and other miscues that cost Alcovy. If the Tigers want a legitimate chance against Evans, who comes in at 8-1 overall, they’ll need to clean up the errors in the home stretch to safely secure a crucial region victory. 

• Eyes on the Tigers

— All eyes will be on Saturday’s game. Not only is it Homecoming and senior night for Alcovy, but the Tigers also have the opportunity to claim the Region 3-AAAAAA championship — the first in program history. Sharp Stadium will most likely be booming with fans support. The Tigers don’t need to get caught up in the hype, though. Alcovy needs to keep its eyes on the prize and that is winning the football game.

Eastside vs. Greenbrier 

Sharp Stadium

Kickoff at 7:30 p.m. 

Last Matchup: 

2020 Eastside won 44-7 

• Home field at stake

— Going into Friday’s matchup, Eastside could possibly win its way to hosting the first round of the state playoffs. Right now, they’re tied with Apalachee for second place in the region. But, if the Eagles win and Apalachee loses, then Eastside will get the No. 2 seed. So, there’s a lot at stake on Friday night. The players should feed off that energy and battle to the very end to get home field in the state playoffs.

• Senior Send-off

— The Eagles will celebrate their senior class during Friday’s game. That should bring a little more motivation for Eastside to give its seniors a proper send-off at Sharp Stadium. The seniors should be extra excited, too, to go out there and give a great performance. Should all the players rally around that motivation, they have no problem beating Greenbrier this Friday. 

Newton @ South Gwinnett 

2288 Main St E, 

Snellville, GA 30078

Kickoff at 7:30 p.m.

Last matchup: 

2020 Newton won 17-10

• Be Consistent

— Consistency has been the Achilles heel of the Rams all season long. Even so, their inconsistencies have caused the Rams to currently be on a 3-game losing streak. Now, a week before the playoffs begin, Newton has one last opportunity to find a way to be more consistent. It should take this week’s matchup and use it as a refresher on what has worked this season and what hasn’t.

• Start strong, finish strong

— Last week, the Newton Rams offense looked flawless on its opening drive to take a 7-0 lead early in the game against Grayson. They ended up losing 15-7. From the first possession to the end of the game, the Rams’ offense became dormant. Newton will need to prioritize coming up with a string of plays that will move the ball down the field. Scoring early is important, but the Rams will need to build off that in order to win games when it matters most. 

Social Circle @ 

Greene County  

1002 S Main St, 

Greensboro, GA 30642

 Kickoff at 7:30 p.m. 

Last matchup: 

2020 Social Circle won 44-7

• Playoff return

— When Social Circle travels to Greensboro on Friday night, the fourth playoff spot in Region 8A-Public will be on the line. Should the Redskins win, they’ll qualify for the playoffs for the second consecutive season. That hasn’t been done at Social Circle since the 2008 and 2009 seasons. So, it’ll be a big deal if the Redskins can accomplish this goal. The players should use this statistic as a way to become more motivated to go out and get a win. 

• Channel winning energy 

— There’s another streak the Redskins should focus on, too. They’re currently on a 2-game winning streak defeating Commerce and Towns County. Social Circle should be riding high into the regular season finale, as a result. However, if they can’t properly channel that winning vibe, then the Redskins may be too hyped and not play as detail-oriented as needed to win.