Folks, I apologize for being absent over the last couple of weeks. As you might guess, "da blogs" is not exactly on the top of my list.

But anyhoo, Statesboro travels to North Clayton for the second round of the state playoffs this Friday. I feel confident about this game for the Blue Devils.

North Clayton is in the playoffs for the the first time in four years with a first-year coach.  They run a Wing-T offense and 3-5 defense which SHS has seen time and time again. Every opponent throws a different wrinkle into its own system, but Statesboro should be prepped for whatever's thrown at them.

I predict a low-scoring game and Graden "surfer boy" Bozeman to make a big kick near the end.

If SHS wins, they'll host Rome next week or travel to undefeated Sandy Creek.

Basketball season will be underway this weekend as the Devils play Johnson Friday and county rival Southeast Bulloch Saturday. The key word for Devil fans this year is patience. Without superstars Eric Ferguson on the boys' team and Monnette Bennett on the girls' team, SHS will have to learn to play without the playmaker in the early going.

While Ferguson stole the show last year, his supporting cast grew and matured game-by-game and will be tough to beat in 08-09. Look for the SHS boys to be just as good as always.

For Jeff Seier and the girls, youth is an issue in the back court, but the Lady Devils have size down low and should hold their by the time region play rolls around. Be patient with these girls early - by the time late January comes, they'll be right on track.