Clayton News Daily

Photo by Derrick Mahone According to columnist Brian Paglia’s early predictions, Dutchtown coach Jason Galt should have the Bulldogs pointed either towards a 10-0 or 6-4 record this coming season.

I have seen the future.

Correction: I have seen TWO futures.

There is the future Lovejoy football was so close to grasping last season. The clock strikes zero. Cue the euphoric celebration. Save space for the trophy. How many diamonds you want in that state championship ring?

There is also the future Lovejoy couldn’t have fathomed. Injuries mount. Penalties plague the Wildcats. A ball tips funny. Close wins against Tri-Cities, Riverdale and Kell turn into losses.

That’s where we are now with high school football. Trying to picture the 2012 season is almost impossible. But it’s also almost irresistable.

With spring practice behind us and a summer of 7-on-7 tournaments and college camps ahead, what we know about Southern Crescent teams is rudimentary.

Lovejoy has talent. Forest Park has a new coach. Dutchtown athlete Donovahn Jones has another scholarship offer. Ola practices another running play. This much I am certain of now.

I can’t say what happens in the fall. But if I create two worlds — one full of broken tackles and game-winning catches, one marred by yellow flags and slunched shoulders on sidelines — I can start to put together the narrative of Southern Crescent football in 2012.

There are only two questions to ask in this world. How would a team’s regular season look if everything goes wrong? How would it look if everything goes right?

So, what follows are the best- and worst-case scenarios (a game I’ve been playing on Twitter) for the area’s 20 teams.

Drew

Best-case: 10-0

Worst-case: 6-4

Dutchtown

Best-case: 10-0

Worst-case: 5-5

Eagle’s Landing Christian

Best-case: 10-0

Worst-case: 7-3

Eagle’s Landing

Best-case: 4-6

Worst-case: 0-10

Forest Park

Best-case: 3-7

Worst-case: 0-10

Henry County

Best-case: 7-3

Worst-case: 3-7

Jonesboro

Best-case: 9-1

Worst-case: 7-3

Locust Grove

Best-case: 5-5

Worst-case: 1-9

Lovejoy

Best-case: 10-0

Worst-case: 7-3

Luella

Best-case: 8-2

Worst-case: 5-5

Morrow

Best-case: 3-7

Worst-case: 0-10

Mt. Zion

Best-case: 3-7

Worst-case: 0-10

Mundy’s Mill

Best-case: 4-6

Worst-case: 0-10

North Clayton

Best-case: 7-3

Worst-case: 3-7

Ola

Best-case: 6-4

Worst-case: 1-9

Riverdale

Best-case: 7-3

Worst-case: 2-8

Stockbridge

Best-case: 8-2

Worst-case: 5-5

Strong Rock

Best-case: 4-6

Worst-case: 0-10

Union Grove

Best-case: 9-1

Worst-case: 5-5

Woodland

Best-case: 5-5

Worst-case: 2-8

Brian Paglia covers sports for the Clayton News Daily and Henry Daily Herald. He can be reached at bpaglia@news-daily.com. Follow at @BrianPaglia on Twitter.