GA Power 25: Week 5

Week 5 saw some middle of the pack teams start to separate themselves from the pack in the Power 25. The following two weeks should give us some answers to who are the contenders and who are the pretenders. There are some loaded matchups facing much of the Power 25. A good stretch could see some teams vault up the rankings, while a bad stretch could see the opposite. This will be a defining time in the season.

Here are the top headlines coming out of the fifth week of the season, March 15 to March 21.

Top-4 Sweep

+ No. 1 Buford (17-0), No. 2 Carrollton (16-1), No. 3 North Oconee (15-1), No. 4 Houston County (12-4) - There is no movement amongst the top-4 teams in the Power 25 after the entire group went undefeated. The week ahead looks like it could provide some tests though. Buford currently looks unstoppable, and will have a three game series with Dacula this week. Carrollton will be busy. They host Douglas County on Monday, and then have a Wednesday/Friday series with a surging Rome squad. In between the Rome series, Carrollton will travel to LakePoint for the PBR High School Select where they will take on PBR Alabama No. 11 Florence. The Titans of North Oconee have a huge three game series with No. 14 Flowery Branch. Lastly, Houston County hosts No. 23 Starr’s Mill Tuesday and has a double header at Valdosta on Friday. We could see some shake ups in the top half of the Power 25 when the dust settles from this week.

Winder-Barrow Enters Top-5

+ No. 5 Winder-Barrow (12-1) - The Bulldogs enter the top-5 for the first time all season, having seen a steady ascent of the rankings since debuting as Preseason No. 14. Winder-Barrow dominated Central Gwinnett last week, outscoring them 49-0 in three games. SS Brady House (2021; Tennessee) raised his batting average to .659 with nine doubles, five home runs, 12 runs batted in, 30 runs scored and only three strikeouts. Lanier should present a more difficult challenge this week, but there is no reason to believe the Bulldog’s hot streak will stop.

Allatoona Back On Track

+ No. 6 Allatoona (13-2) - Since losing to No. 18 Lassiter two weeks ago, Allatoona has responded with a four game winning streak where they are outsourcing opponents 29-3. They picked up a huge win over No. 8 Pop last Monday as RHP Logan McGuire (2021; Georgia Tech). And then it was 3B/C William Mosley (2022) who delivered the walk-off against Kell over the weekend. This week will test the Buccaneers depth and stamina. They host Kennesaw Mountain Monday and travel to Wheeler Wednesday. Allatoona will then take part in the PBR High School Select with games against PBR Alabama No. 14 Bob Jones, No. 11 Florence, PBR Florida No. 1 IMG Academy and an opponent to be named. With wins on Monday and Wednesday, Head Coach Keith Hansen will look to clinch his 400th career victory at LakePoint.

North Paulding Surging

+ No. 10 North Paulding (11-4) - The Wolfpack looked to have regrouped after some early season struggles. A five game winning streak has them surging back into the top-10 for the first time in three weeks. North Paulding will have their work cut for them this week as they travel to North Cobb on Monday, and then host Walton on Tuesday and Hillgrove on Friday.

Woodstock and Flowery Branch Separating Themselves

+ No. 13 Woodstock (12-3) & No. 14 Flowery Branch (12-2) - There has been a bit of a log jam in the middle part of the Power 25 for the past few weeks. Several teams have held the same spot, not doing much to differentiate themselves from the teams around them. This week provided some clarity. We got a first hand look at an explosive Woodstock offense when they travelled to Alpharetta last Thursday. The Wolverines then squeaked by Etowah 5-4 before putting together an impressive 8-0 victory over Cherokee. The Wolverines will have Milton, Roswell and Cherokee this week. Flowery Branch has really hit a stride in their six game winning streak. The Falcons are averaging nearly 13 runs per game while holding their opponents to 0.3 runs per game. A series with No. 3 North Oconee looms this week that could go a long way in the region standings.

Lowndes Making Noise in South Georgia

+ No. 18 Lowndes (13-2) - The Vikings entered the rankings two weeks ago and have gone 7-1 since then. Their only loss came at the hands of Colquitt County in a 1-0 game. Last week, Lowndes showed some versatility, out slugging Lee County and Coffee to victories and then riding their pitching staff in a two game sweep of Tift County. The Vikings will host PBR Florida No. 8 St. Johns Country Day on Tuesday and then travel to Camden County for a doubleheader on Friday.

Cadets Continue Winning Ways

+ No. 19 Benedictine (14-0) - Good teams find ways to win and that is exactly what Benedictine did to keep their undefeated season alive, walking off Toombs County 4-1 in eight innings. The Cadets will put their streak on the line this week against New Hampstead, Jenkins and Metter. Looking ahead to the following week, they go to Islands and then make a trip to Jacksonville on Thursday to face Providence (FL) and PBR Florida No. 15 Bolles (FL).

Franklin County Riding Winning Streak

+ No. 25 Franklin County (14-1) -  The Lions are one of the hottest teams in the state, holders of a 14 game winning streak. They have not lost a game since dropping their season opener to Athens Christian 4-3. A testament to their consistency, Franklin County has scored 128 runs and only allowed 34 in their 15 games. The pitching staff has allowed five runs once all season and the offense has scored seven or more runs in 11 games. Franklin County will have to navigate a three game series against Monroe Area this week, before a showdown with region foe Hart County.

GA Power 25

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