The season restarts tonight for both of Polk County’s squads, and both have a lot at stake this season.

The Jackets are defending six-time region champs looking for another run at the title. Cedartown is struggling to get back to their fighting form of last season when they went on a championship run.

And the opening game couldn’t be more important for both teams. Let’s take a brief look into where the two squads stand and who they are facing as Region 7-4A and Region 7-AA open for Cedartown and Rockmart tonight on the gridiron.

Bulldogs head south for showdown

Last year, the Bulldogs sat where Central Carroll now holds court: a 5-0 team on the rise and looking to make their name in a bigtime region opening showdown on their home turf. Central Carroll in 2022 was the latest victim of Cedartown’s historic run. This year, the chances for a role reversal are real.

Both teams come into the game with a victory under their belt, but the difference is Central is coming off a break, and Cedartown are on the road for the second week in a row after a Dawg fight with a longtime foe at Dalton.

Central Carroll held on in their last one for a 21-17 win over Northgate, which was their closest game yet this year after they ran through the beginning of the season with victories over Redan (50-12,) Bowdon (34-14,) Hampton (42-7,) and McIntosh (40-21) before the win on Sept. 15 over the Vikings.

The 5-0 Lions though haven’t faced the same kind of competition as the 3-2 Bulldogs heading into this game. Cedartown might have losses against Sequoyah and Calhoun on the record, but the official wins over Rockmart and Dalton show they have a squad that can still step up when required and remain in games even when they fall.

The 35-27 win over Dalton capped off a non-region play the way the team needed, but the challenge remains with an offense that is putting up much lower numbers than they did in 2022 against a Lions team that is averaging two-touchdown wins over their opponents.

Cedartown has to stand tough on defense once again, and utilize opportunities with the offense more effectively in what promises to be a real knuckle-biter against Central Carroll.

Region started without Rockmart

As the odd-man out for Week 1 of 7-AA, Rockmart sits with a clean slate heading into this game and a 2-2 record that should grow much fatter with victories ahead. They’ve put up a pair of close wins and closes losses on the year, and with their last road victory over Irwin County in Ocilla, Rockmart has momentum heading into this game.

Not so fast, Jacket Nation. A 3-1 Model comes into this contest with real potential.

A season-opener at Pepperell that ended with a 29-6 win after their game against Cherokee County, Alabama was called off the week before, the 3-1 Blue Devils have come away with a close one against Woodland-Cartersville, and a big one over Murray County. The Trion Bulldogs (right now the top team in Class A-Division 1 in Northwest Georgia) notched a 31-12 victory over Model two weeks ago before the region opened.

(We would give you some stats, but like many teams they don’t share them on Maxpreps.)

Rockmart will have to keep up with their gameplan this year of quick strikes on offense and big stands on defense to knock the Blue Devils off their winning record and put up a 1-0 record on 7-AA.

Before this week’s slate of region games, Rockmart sits in last place having been left out with a bye last week. Fannin County, Model and North Murray all got victories in Week 1 of 7-AA and remained tied for first place, while Haralson, Gordon Central and Murray took losses in their openers in region play.