Marist has recovered nicely after a rare loss to St. Pius X in the season’s opening game, but do the War Eagles have enough firepower to knock off No. 1-ranked Tucker? We look ahead to this and other important Friday-night matchups.
TUCKER AT MARIST
Tucker struggled a bit in a 27-19 win over Miller Grove, and now will have to travel to Marist to take on Alan Chadwick’s War Eagles, who are feeling confident after a 14-13 win over Chamblee and a blowout win over North Springs. This will be the toughest test yet for the Tigers, who are our No. 1 team in Class 4A. The winner of this game is in the driver’s seat in Region 6.
WESTMINSTER AT GREATER ATLANTA CHRISTIAN
It’s hard to remember the last time GAC started a season 0-3, but this year’s Spartans have done just that. If it was a matter of adjusting to a coaching change (with the departure of Jimmy Chupp and promotion of Ken Robinson), GAC will hope that they are resolved by now. Westminster is No. 4 in Class 2A in our GPB/Score Atlanta Top-10 rankings.
PARKVIEW AT GRAYSON
Brookwood and Grayson want to prove that they are still the class of Region 8, they will have to do one thing this year: beat Grayson. The Rams have recently usurped Parkview’s position atop the league and show no signs of letting up. The Panthers have gotten back on track with three straight wins (albeit to Chattahoochee, Berkmar and Meadowcreek) after losing 30-9 to Collins Hill. Parkview will want to exact revenge for a 19-0 loss to the Rams last year, but Grayson’s brutal rushing attack—as well as homefield advantage—may dictate otherwise.
CAMPBELL AT ROSWELL
The Hornets will be agitated by a Week 4 loss to Kell to drop to 2-2, and Campbell should be looking for redemption after an unexpected 1-3 start. For two teams that I thought would be shoe-ins for playoff spots out of Region 6-AAAAA, these midseason league games become crucial.
CARVER-ATLANTA AT WASHINGTON
Don’t blink. Carver boasts a strong secondary and rushing attack with safety Darren Myles and running back Demond Dennis, and Washington has the state’s top cornerback (and possibly return man) in Branden Smith. Neither of these Class 3A teams have shied away from competition early in the year (Carver has taken on Mays and St. Pius thus far, while Washington has met up with Douglass and Cedar Grove), so each team should be battle-tested. This game will be played at Atlanta’s Lakewood Stadium, and the talent on the field should make this one worth the price of admission.
Ewalt can be reached at aewalt@scoreatl.com.
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