Aquinas vs. Savannah Country Day
The Aquinas Fighting Irish head south to face the 2-0 Hornets of Savannah Country Day. Aquinas, the Class A Division II sixth-ranked team, will look to slow down an explosive Hornet offense that has out scored their opponents 100-0 through two games. Led by dynamic junior quarterback Barton Mixon, their offense has thrown for more than 450 yards and eight touchdowns through two games.
On the other hand, the Fighting Irish are coming off an impressive defensive performance, holding Westside (Augusta) to only 12 points, which was needed as the offense struggled in the 14-12 win. The offense will look to return to form, similar to the week one outing where they put up 49 points in the win over Jefferson County.
The game will be decided on the defensive side of the ball, as both teams will be facing by far their toughest test of the season. While Savannah Country Day has yet to give up a point this season, Aquinas is expected to be a step up from Windsor Forest and Pinewood Christian. Similarly, the Hornets offense will stress the Aquinas defense in ways it hasn’t been this season, leading to an intriguing and exciting game.
Collins Hill vs. Brookwood
On Friday, the Collins Hill Eagles will head across the county to face Gwinnett rival Brookwood in a game that could have implications in next week’s 7A rankings. Brookwood will look to bounce back after facing the meat grinder that is the third-ranked Walton Raiders. Led offensively by superstar freshman running back Brayden Tyson and a stout offensive line, the Broncos will lean on the run game as first year starting quarterback CJ Franklin develops.
On the Collins Hill sideline, the Eagles look to lean on a defensive line that looks as good as any in the state. Led by linemen Deuce Geralds (6’3, 260), Joshua Johnson (6’3, 205), Nick Igbeare (6’4, 260), and Nigel Gist (6’4, 200) they look to stop the dynamic run game of the Broncos. The Eagles are coming off a bye in week two after a close loss to sixth-ranked Milton in week one.
The most important battle will be Collins Hill’s front seven against the Brookwood run game. With its inexperienced quarterback, Brookwood will have to establish the run. For Collins Hill, with an offensive that has yet to truly show its potential, a high-scoring game could spell doom for the Eagles in week three.
Creekview vs. Calhoun
Calhoun heads into its third-straight tough game to start the 2023 season. After facing a resurgent Blessed Trinity team in week one and 3A third-ranked Carver-Atlanta in week two, the Yellow Jackets will now face a 6A Creekview team who has proven through two weeks to be very dangerous.The Grizzlies are led by star quarterback Austin Guest, who is leading the team in both passing and rushing, totaling over 500 yards and seven touchdowns. Creekview will look to stretch the Calhoun defense in ways it hasn’t yet been stressed.
Calhoun will look to build on week two’s thumping of Carver-Atlanta. The Yellow Jackets are led offensively by the trio of Emaree Winston, Trey Townsend and Caden Williams. The offense can be explosive and deadly when firing on all cylinders, however they were nearly completely shut down week one against Blessed Trinity, before their 40-point outburst against Carver.
The week three matchup between them will likely be decided by the Calhoun offense. The smaller school of Calhoun, which has to play up due to the out of district multiplier, could struggle to win on Friday if they allow the depth of the much larger Creekview to come into play. Creekview could take the game to the wire and take down the 5A power.
Stephens County vs. Flowery Branch
Stephens County looks to build on its dominant win over Rabun County. The Indians will face another huge test as they travel to Southern Hall County to face the Falcons of Flowery Branch. The Indians exploded from a week one near upset by rival Habersham Central to a shocking blow out of third ranked Rabun County. Led by running back Javin Gordon, Stephens County will need to lean on him as they look to take pressure off young quarterback Tripp Underwood.
The Falcons look to use their balanced pro-style offense to keep the Stephens County defense off balance just as they did in their first two games against Decatur and St. Pius X. The Falcons are led on offense by running back Malik Dryden and quarterback Josh Oliver. The Falcons depth notably at wide receiver and defensive back is a major strength that has come into play in both of their wins.
The game will be decided on the lines of scrimmage. The Falcons on defense base out of a 3-4 that has worked great through the first two games as they have dominated in the trenches. For Stephens County, it’s imperative to win the line of scrimmage and establish the run to take pressure off the passing game. On the other side of the ball the same is true for Flowery Branch. Though their passing game is more established, Josh Oliver has not had to win games with his arm making it the goal of the Indians to make Flowery Branch one dimensional.
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