North Cobb is undefeated at 6-0 and 2-0 in Region 5-6A play following an emphatic 42-14 win on the road against longtime rival Walton (3-3, 1-1), evening the all-time series record at 12-12 with its fourth victory over the Raiders in the past five years.
The Warriors followed each of Walton’s first-half touchdowns with back-to-back scores to lead 28-14 at the break, then put the game away with a dominant — though far from clean — second-half effort.
“Our guys played well,” said Coach Shane Queen after the matchup. “We beat ourselves up too much though. We had way too many penalties.”
After knotting the game at 14-14 on a 56-yard jaunt down the sideline by Lucas Farrington late in the opening frame, the Raiders were held scoreless through the rest of the contest. Twice in the second quarter, North Cobb extended Walton drives with penalties for roughing the passer, but those possessions ultimately resulted in a punt and a missed field goal attempt.
In addition to a stellar outing from veterans like senior quarterback Nick Grimstead, junior running back Arquevious Echols and senior safety Dy’lon Womack — the latter of whom hauled in his fourth pick of the season — the Warriors got significant contributions from multiple freshmen.
In the second quarter alone, freshman Aziz Helm’s second pick of the year set up a scoring strike from Grimstead to Sebastian Easley, and freshman running back Zach Belyeu scored from more than 30 yards out on the next drive. Additionally, freshman Christian Peacock came up big in the second half, adding a touchdown run in the third and a key block on sophomore Micah Billingsley’s score in the fourth.
For Walton, Alex Ward had a pair of returns deep into North Cobb territory, including one on the opening kickoff that set up Kaeden Gilstrap’s rushing score. The Warriors responded with touchdowns on a run from Echols and a pass from Grimstead to Steele Ingram, however, never trailing again.
“Coach Brunner made a comment this week about how we’ve done a great job in the regular season and they’ve gone farther in the playoffs,” shared Coach Queen, “And he’s right. And that struck a nerve.”
“We’ve got two bye weeks off,” he continued. “If you lose that game, you’ve got three weeks before you play again, and that’s a long break. But our guys played well.”
The Warriors continue region play at home in three weeks against Marietta, which will face Walton one week earlier.
The AJC has writers at Dalton vs. Allatoona, Seckinger vs. Roswell and Norcross vs. Peachtree Ridge. Check out Todd Holcomb’s Friday Night Wrap or see the Friday recaps below and check out the Thursday recaps at the bottom of the file. There was one game — Bacon County vs. Thomasville — cancelled due to threats of violence on social media outlets.
Friday Recaps
Class 6A
Carrollton 48, Parker (AL) 26
The top-ranked Trojans took a trip to Birmingham and came away with a comfortable 48-26 victory over the Parker Thundering Herd. Carrollton led 14-6 after the opening frame and 28-20 at the break before outscoring their hosts 20-6 in the second half. Quarterback Julian “Juju” Lewis threw a touchdown pass to Zion Cooley, and the Trojans got rushing scores from Lewis, Messiah Satterwhite and Kimauri Farmer, who found the end zone twice. Additionally, Zelus Hicks returned a blocked punt 36 yards for a touchdown, and Carlos Hernandez added field goals from 46 and 24 yards out in the fourth.
Osborne 13, South Cobb 0
Osborne used a suffocating defense and just enough offense to defeat host South Cobb. Following a scoreless first half, the Cardinals finally got on the scoreboard thanks to a 46-yard scamper by Terron Todd early in the third quarter. South Cobb eventually found itself with a first down at Osborne’s 14-yard line while trailing just 6-0 midway through the fourth quarter, but the Eagles’ offense stalled–as it did basically all night long. The Cardinals promptly went on an 82-yard drive of their own to clinch victory, capped off by a Josh Tattershall eight-yard touchdown run.
Cherokee 49, North Paulding 28
Visiting Cherokee improved to 3-2 and opened up Region 5 with a dominant 49-28 victory. Christian Irwin rushed for two Warriors touchdowns to put Cherokee up 14-0 and Tanner Savasir connected with Malakiah Echols for a 38-yard score on a fourth and eight call to push the lead to 22-0 following a successful 2-point conversion midway through the second quarter. James Skelly scored on a 1-yard run to cut the deficit to 22-7 at the half. Skelly capped the Wolfpack’s opening drive of the second half with a 3-yard run to make it 22-14, but Savasir answered with a 7-yard touchdown run to extend the lead back to two scores (29-14). Skelly scored his third touchdown late in the third quarter to make it 29-21, but Savasir answered with a touchdown pass to Echols with just 9.8 left to give Cherokee a 36-21, but Cedric Stewart returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown to make it a 36-28 game to start the fourth. Cherokee iced the game with a 7-yard touchdown pass from Savasir to Wyatt Tash and a Jace Jones interception return for a touchdown with 5:23 left for the final tally.
Collins Hill 17, Central Gwinnett 7
Central Gwinnett led Collins Hill 7-0 before Collins Hill got on the board with a field goal to spark a 17-point scoring run. Quarterback AJ Bush connected with Atticus Joseph for a touchdown pass to give the Eagles a 10-7 lead at the break. Collins Hill blocked a field goal with 6:50 left and then Cam Jones padded the lead with a rushing touchdown to give the Eagles the 17-7 lead.
Harrison 34, Campbell 18
Harrison (4-1, 2-0) jumped out to 15-0 lead in the first quarter and 18-6 at the half before pulling away late from visiting Campbell (3-2, 0-2). Hoyas quarterback Xavier Hill completed 15 of 23 passes for 224 yards and three touchdowns, while rushing for 60 yards and a score—including a 1-yard touchdown that capped a 14-play, 80-yard opening drive. Austin Perry caught six passes for 110 yards and two scores to lead Harrison. Perry’s first score was a 40-yard pass from Hill and Hill added a two-point conversion with his legs to make it 15-0. Campbell scored on a 64-yard touchdown pass from Davine Lemire to Nick Buggs in the second quarter and Simon Zeidan connected on a 38-yard field goal as time expired to give Harrison its 18-6 lead. Harrison grew the lead to 25-6 in the third with a 24-yard touchdown pass from Hill to Jowell Combay, but the Spartans answered with Sabien Thigpen’s 53-yard interception return for a touchdown that cut the deficit to 25-12. Campbell shrunk the margin again early in the fourth quarter to 25-18 with a 22-yard touchdown pass from Lemire to Buggs. Hill secured the win with a 5-yard touchdown pass to Perry and a 34-yard Zeidan field goal for the final tally.
McEachern 67, Paulding County 7
McEachern took down Paulding County to win its third consecutive game. The visiting Indians scored a touchdown on nearly every drive in the first half and led 42-7 at halftime. Zhay’lyn Bell threw three touchdown passes, and two TDs went to Zavion Harris. Cam Taylor scored on a 67-yard touchdown run, and Jayreon Campbell scored four total touchdowns while rushing for 100 yards on 13 carries. McEachern gained 532 yards of total offense and held Paulding County to 149 total yards. The 67 points are the third-most points scored in school history.
North Atlanta 62, South Forsyth 21
North Atlanta rushed for seven touchdowns and scored once on defense to win against Region 6-6A opponent South Forsyth. The Warriors moved to 4-1 and 2-0 in the region, in a tie with Lambert for first place. North Atlanta led 41-0 at halftime. South Forsyth fell to 2-3, 0-2 in region play.
Buford 46, Discovery 0
The Buford Wolves earned their first region-victory of the season after shutting out Discovery 46-0 to earn their fourth win of the season. The Wolves scored 39 points in the first half including 23 points in the first quarter and 16 in the second, leading 39-0 by the end of the first half. Buford was held to just seven points in the second half giving them the shutout victory on Friday night, holding Discovery winless on the season.
Grayson 63, Grovetown 0
Unranked Grayson kept rolling thanks to sophomore quarterback Deuce Smith, who threw three first-half touchdowns and five total for the game. His best throw came on a 53-yard touchdown pass to Aidan Taylor. Smith stepped in for his first career start for the Rams and didn’t disappoint. Smith is only a sophomore and played a flawless game. The running back room for Grayson was also heavily involved. Joel Bradford had a 23-yard rushing touchdown, Elijah Miller a 10-yard rushing touchdown, and Ashton Turner added a 10-yard rushing touchdown. The Rams scored their highest point total since week 2 in 2023 against Eagles Landing. The Grayson defense continues to impress in 2024 and sophomore defensive back Antonio Gibson had an interception returned for a touchdown against Grovetown. Grayson now has its second shutout this season, the other against Dorman.The Rams have notable wins against Thompson (AL) and Mallard Creek (NC) this season. Grayson will face Newton in a pivotal region matchup next week.
Wheeler 24, Marietta 17
Wheeler won its first game and pulled even in Region 5-6A play with a road win over Marietta. The Wildcats (1-5, 1-1 Region 5-6A) got two rushing touchdowns from running back Josiah Allen and a rushing score from quarterback Marcus Romain, as well as a field goal from Eliezar Lara. Marietta fell to 1-5, 1-1 in Region 5-6A.
East Coweta 31, Perry 15
Host East Coweta kicker Aaron McWilliams gave the Indians a 3-0 lead midway through the second quarter. Perry answered with a touchdown pass to take a 6-3 lead with 11 seconds left, but Jayshon Stegall returned the ensuing kickoff 96 yards for the score to put East Coweta back up 10-6. Perry settled for a 26-yard field goal to cut the deficit to 10-9 heading into the fourth quarter. Quarterback Cohen Peeples left the game with an injured finger and junior Andrew Schoch completed a 27-yard score to Walter Maestre for his first-ever varsity touchdown pass and to give East Coweta a 17-9 lead. Perry cut the deficit to 17-15 with 9:30 left, but Stegall returned to the endzone on a 54-yard touchdown run. Chance Gilbert iced the game with a 96-yard interception return touchdown with 2:10 left.
Duluth 90, Meadowcreek 0
The Duluth football program put on an offensive clinic after defeating the Mustangs 90-0. The Wildcats shattered their program record for most points in a game in program history and did it in the first half of tonight’s matchup. In 1985, Duluth set a school record scoring 68 points in a single game. Fast-forward 39 years as the Wildcats scored 69 points in the first two quarters of play tonight against Meadowcreek. The scoring was rapid and often tonight for the Wildcats as Ethan Dowdy started the night off with a 27-yard touchdown from Connor Langford. Bakari Minner pulled in a 36-yard touchdown from Langford with a little over nine minutes left in the first on their second play of the drive to make the score 13-0. On the next drive, Langford found his third touchdown pass, this time to Jahmir Joseph, to extend the Duluth lead to 20-0 with a little over seven minutes in the first quarter. Minner caught his second touchdown of the day with a seven-yard fade route from Langford to make it 27-0 Wildcats. Bless Benton picked off Meadowcreek to give the ball back to the Wildcats. A 13-yard rushing touchdown from Brandon Lyons allowed Duluth to take a 34-0 lead with a little over 30 seconds left in the first quarter. Benton got involved in the offense, catching a touchdown from Langford on the first play of the second quarter. With under nine minutes left in the half, Jaron Evans’ scoop-and-score for a touchdown extended the Wildcats lead to 48-0. The connection from Langford to Benton continued to give the Mustangs fits as a 19-yard touchdown throw got the Wildcats over the 50-point mark to take a 55-0 lead in the second. Duluth dominated in all facets of tonight’s matchup, including the special teams where Payton Dyer returned a 50-yard punt return to the house to take a 62-0 lead with under 30 seconds left in the half— but the scoring still wasn’t finished. Meadowcreek fumbled the kickoff after the score, giving Duluth great field position as Langford threw another touchdown, this time 15-yards out to Lyons to make it 69-0 before the half. Duluth took a 76-0 lead early in the second quarter as Demarcus Rogers scored a 40-yard rush. Duluth pulled Langford for Terrell Killings, as he came in and picked up right where Langford left off, throwing for a 40-yard touchdown pass extending the lead to 83-0 with 10 minutes left in the fourth. Duluth’s Elijah Whitley scored the final score of the night with a 13-yard rushing score to keep the running clock going with a 90-0 lead, ultimately being the final score. The Wildcats forced Meadowcreek to commit five turnovers, allowed one first down and held the Mustangs to negative yardage on the night.
Mill Creek 42, Mountain View 0
Mill Creek scored 28 points in the second half to earn a victory over Mountain View. The Hawks started scoring in the first quarter when Gavin Knott had a 60-yard touchdown run. Mill Creek would then score three more rushing TDs in the second quarter, and Jeremiah Homenyoa added a touchdown pass to give the Hawks the 35-0 lead at the half. The final score would come in the third quarter when Malachi Miller ran for a 25-yard touchdown.
Hillgrove 27, Pebblebrook 6
Hillgrove continues its hot start to the season with a 27-6 win over county rival Pebblebrook. The Hawks got on the board first with a rushing touchdown from Ian Wilcox, who also scored the next touchdown, giving Hillgrove a 13-0 lead. Pebblebrook cut the lead to 13-6 early in the second quarter. Late in the second, Daniel Okonkwo recovered a fumble and returned it for a touchdown, giving the Hawks a 20-6 halftime lead. The third quarter was quiet, with neither team scoring. However, early in the fourth, CJ Ford scored the final touchdown of the game, securing the Hawks’ 27-6 victory.
Class 5A
Milton 47, Chattahoochee 0
No. 1 ranked Milton improved to 5-0 and served Chattahoochee (4-1) its first loss in both team’s Region 7 opener. Quarterback Luke Nickel scored on a touchdown run and pass in the first half and TJ Hanson scored on a fumble recovery touchdown to help the Eagles grow a 40-0 lead and force a running clock in the second half. Milton’s final score came on a 99-yard fumble recovery touchdown by senior Daron Pigram with 3:40 left.
Newnan 51 Morrow 20
Newnan quarterback Brodie Campbell’s three touchdown passes helped lead Newnan past Campbell. Trailing 10-0, Campbell scored on a touchdown pass from 22 yards in the first quarter to cut into the lead. Running back Cameron Davis added a five-yard rushing touchdown. The Cougars led 17-0 before Morrow got back into the game, cutting the deficit to 17-13 at halftime. Newnan scored 14 unanswered points until Morrow had an 88-yard kickoff return midway through the third quarter. After the touchdown score, Newnan seized complete control of the game, scoring 21 unanswered putting the game out of reach in the fourth quarter. For the first time since 2010, Newnan surpassed 50 points and has already eclipsed its win total from a season ago. Newnan is now 4-1, 2-0 in Region 3-5A this season and have scored 20 points in every game this season. It is the best start under head coach Chip Walker since 2020 when the Cougars went 9-0 to start the year. Newnan will face a litmus test next week against Hughes at home in a crucial region battle.
Lakeside-Evans 28, Glynn Academy 14
Visiting Lakeside-Evans stayed unbeaten (5-0, 3-0 Region 1-5A), leading 28-0 late in the third quarter at Glynn Academy (3-2, 2-1 Region 1-5A) before the Red Terrors rushed for two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Lakeside quarterback Ty Jones threw three touchdown passes to Mikeal Grissom and had a long rushing touchdown for the Panthers’ final points.
Hughes 57, Dutchtown 14
Hughes led 36-7 at the half and 50-14 after the third quarter to force a running clock. Qwantavius Wiggins scored two first half touchdowns (32, 38 yards). Quarterback Christian Langford threw touchdown passes to Chryshawn Sellers (13), Xavier Tiller (13) and Jabari Jones (19) and Carsyn Baker ran in two touchdowns (16, 10 yards).
Pope 27, Lassiter 3
John Stuetzer finished with 164 of Pope’s 351 rushing yards and scored on a 69-yard touchdown to lead Pope (3-3, 2-1) to a road win over Lassiter (2-4, 0-3). Pope quarterback Hudson DeLine did not complete a pass in the game, but finished with 62 yards on nine carries including a 43-yard run that set up a Brock Standfest 39-yard field goal that helped Pope build a 13-0 lead at the half. Standfest also connected on a 24-yard field goal after a scoreless first quarter to give the Greyhounds their first lead. Cavan Jerrell’s 23-yard field goal got the Trojans on the board on their opening drive of the second half.
Class 4A
Blessed Trinity 24, Hebron Christian 10
Class 4A No. 4 ranked Blessed Trinity (4-1) topped Class A-3A Private No. 2 ranked Hebron Christian 24-10 on the road in the first-ever meeting between the schools. The Lions entered the matchup undefeated 4-0 and were averaging 39.8 ppg, but were kept out of the endzone until a late 68-yard touchdown run by Devon Caldwell in the fourth quarter made it 24-10. Blessed Trinity kicker Noah Godhard previously kicked the game-winning field goal against Prince Avenue Christian and came through clutch with a 31-yard field goal to give the Titans their first lead of the game early in the second quarter. Marcelous Townsend scored on an interception touchdown return to grow the lead to 10-0 and Hebron’s Cam Ehlen kicked a 32-yard field goal to make it 10-3 at the break. Quarterback Brooks Goodman connected with junior Quinn Davis for two touchdowns (21, 20 yards) to put Blessed Trinity up 24-3 heading into the fourth.
Jackson-Atlanta 29, Drew 13
Jackson remains undefeated on the season after defeating Drew, handing the Titans their first loss of the season. The Jaguars took an early 14-0 lead after Ricky Dorn III caught a deep pass from Rayshaun Parks to give Jackson an early cushion against the Titans. In the third quarter, Parks scampered and found the endzone from inside the red zone, giving the Jaguars the 20-0 lead. The Jaguars ultimately took down the Titans 29-13 and improved to 5-0 on the season, earning their second region-victory on the season. This was both programs’ first-ever meeting.
Jonesboro 14, Harris County 12
Host Jonesboro held off Harris County in the teams’ Region 3-4A opener. Jonesboro (3-2, 1-0 Region 3-4A) led 14-3 at halftime after a 16-yard rushing touchdown from Naquoye Govan in the first quarter and a 14-yard touchdown pass from Jamon Jones to Jontavius Wyman in the second quarter. Harris County (4-1, 0-1 Region 3-4A) got field goals from Anthony Shelnutt in the second and third quarters and trailed 14-6 heading into the fourth. A Ran Ogletree touchdown rush with under two minutes to play brought the Tigers to within two points, but the two-point conversion failed. Harris County recovered the ensuing onside kick, but Jonesboro forced a turnover to seal the win.
Pace Academy 17, M.L. King 7
Pace Academy led 14-7 after one quarter and all the scoring came in the first half as it picked up a road win over M.L. King. The Knights got a touchdown run from Cooper Williams and an interception return for a score by Justin Weeks before Roan Dutta booted a 27-yard field goal in the second quarter. A dominant Pace Academy defense was more than enough to keep the Lions at bay throughout the second half.
North Oconee 24, East Forsyth 7
No. 5 North Oconee won at East Forsyth in a battle of unbeaten teams playing their first Region 8-4A game. The Titans (5-0, 1-0 Region 8-4A) got two short rushing touchdowns from Maddox Brice in the first half and led East Forsyth (4-1, 0-1) 14-7 at halftime. In the third quarter, an Oliver Buckley field goal pushed the score to 17-7, and Cooper MGraw threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Caleb Chestnut in the fourth quarter to cap the scoring.
Creekside 31, Mays 0
Creekside’s 31 points were bookended by touchdown passes from Cayden Benson to Dylan Vickerson, the second from 54 yards in the fourth quarter. Corey Mims and Tavarre Terrell also had rushing touchdowns for the Seminoles (2-2, 2-0 Region 4-4A). Mays fell to 3-2 and 1-1 in Region 4-4A.
Lincoln, FL 10, Ware County 0
Lincoln of Florida remained undefeated and posted its second consecutive shutout, this one on the road against Ware County. A 17-yard touchdown run by Christian Sims midway through the second quarter would have been enough offense for the Trojans. Thomas Arnold added a 46-yard field goal for good measure, all but putting the game away with 9:33 left in the fourth. Ware County’s offense struggled the entire night without starting center Landon Smallwood, who was injured earlier in the week.
Eastside 48, Flowery Branch 12
No. 10 ranked Eastside opened up Region 8 play with a 48-12 homecoming victory and improved to 5-0. Junior quarterback Payton Shaw passed for three first half touchdowns, including two to senior Tyler Hoff. Running back Tyler Solomon also hauled in a touchdown pass and Georgia Tech-commit Jayden Barr finished with a pair of touchdown runs. Flowery Branch’s only touchdown was set up by an Eastside fumble at its own 20-yard line and senior Tyler Marks finished with two interceptions in the victory.
Marist 57, Druid Hills 7
Marist head coach Alan Chadwick picked up 14th win against the Druid Hills Red Devils after his War Eagles took home a 57-7 victory to remain unbeaten including touchdowns from Chris Haertel, Brayden Lewis, and Jack Callaghan. Marist scored 22 points in the first quarter and by the time the half rolled around the War Eagles led the Red Devils 50-0, and 57-0 at the end of the third on the one play they ran in the period. Druid Hills scored in the fourth, but the War Eagles get their second region-win of the season.
Benedictine 31, Westminster 3
Bubba Frazier of Benedictine scored two second-half touchdowns–one on a 75-yard pass from Stephen Cannon and another with a 60-yard run–to break open the game against visiting Westminster. The Cadets led 7-0 after one quarter, 17-3 at halftime and 24-3 going into the fourth quarter. They also got a touchdown run from JoJo Sutton, a flea-flicker from Jack Ganem to Micah Williams that went all the way and a 37-yard field goal by Connor Ferguson on the final play of the first half. The Wildcats’ offense generated nothing more than a 27-yard field goal by Vikas Reddy in the second quarter.
Cedartown 36, Cass 0
No. 7 ranked Cedartown improved to 6-0 and served Cass (3-3) its third-straight loss. Edgar Bermudez put Cedartown up with a 25-yard field goal and the Bulldogs pushed their lead to 24-0 at the half with a 20-yard Sam Smith touchdown run, a 5-yard rushing score from Juelz Davis and a 7-yard Mike Gibbons score that was set up by the second-straight botched snap by the Colonels. Cedartown added a safety and a 22-yard field goal by Bermudez and then iced the game with a 90-yard interception returned for a touchdown by Demarcus Gardner.
Class 3A
Westside-Augusta 21, Aquinas 16
Aquinas took a brief 16-14 lead with 2:50 left in the fourth quarter on a 22-yard field goal, before Westside-Augusta junior Jaylen Stone found senior Jahvon Williams for a game-winning 73-yard touchdown strike just seconds later. The victory snaps a two-game losing streak to Aquinas and improves Westside’s record to 5-0—surpassing last year’s 4-6 finish and giving the team its best start since 2002. Westside led 14-13 at the half after an unsportsmanlike penalty forced a long PAT that the Fighting Irish failed to convert.
Peach County 50, Northside-Warner Robins 7
Peach County’s victory over Northside-Warner Robins marked the team’s sixth overall victory in the mid-state rivalry which dates to 1970, ending a streak of four-straight victories by Northside. Last season, the Eagles won 28-17. Peach defeated Northside in 2018 and 2019 but lost eight-straight from 1998 to 2005. The programs didn’t play from 2005 until Peach’s victory in 2018.
Douglass-Atlanta 28, Cedar Grove 0
Casey Barner scored on runs of eight and 11 yards while quarterback John Wilson added a 36-yard touchdown run to lead Douglass past Cedar Grove for the first time since 2003 and second time in program history. Marquavious Grimes capped scoring with a 35-yard interception returned for a touchdown. Since taking over the Astros program, head coach Stanley Pritchett has not seen his team score against the Region 5 rival in shutout losses in 2021 (56-0), 2022 (42-0) and last season (41-0). The shutout marked the first time Cedar Grove has been held scoreless since 2014 when the Saints lost 22-0 to Columbia. That’s a streak of 138 games.
Greater Atlanta Christian 48, Johnson-Gainesville 0
Greater Atlanta Christian dominated Johnson-Gainesville en route to a 48-0 victory. Maceo Woodward had a big first quarter, scoring the first two touchdowns of the game and giving the Spartans a 13-0 lead. In the second quarter, Gabe Daniels took a Tommy Young pass 50 yards for a touchdown, extending the lead to 20-0. Young then scored on a 7-yard rushing touchdown to increase the lead. Just before halftime, Young connected with Daniels for a 15-yard touchdown pass, giving GAC a 34-0 lead at the break. The second half was quiet on offensive, with two late scores helping the Spartans secure the 48-0 victory.
West Hall 27, Franklin County 13
West Hall and running back Elijah Hayes continued their hot start with a 27-13 win over Franklin County. West Hall got the scoring started with a touchdown in the first quarter to go up 7-0. The Lions answered with a touchdown of their own to tie the game at 7-7. The Spartans kicked a field goal to take a 10-7 lead, then added another before halftime to lead 13-7 at the break. Neither team scored until the fourth quarter, when West Hall extended their lead with a touchdown. Franklin County responded but missed the point-after try, cutting the lead to 20-13. West Hall scored one final time to finish the game with a 27-13 victory. West Hall running back Elijah Hayes was the story of the game, rushing for over 200 yards and a touchdown.
Pickens 35, Dawson County 23
Pickens never trailed following a 3-0 deficit in the first quarter and held off host Dawson County. The Dragons never led by more than the final 12-point margin and Dawson County was within five points midway through the fourth quarter, but the home team could not complete a comeback. Hayden Jones led Pickens with two touchdown runs and a TD pass to Sawyer Purdy. The visitors also got touchdown runs by Carson Mitten and Landon Poole. Preston Bannister, Cody McBrayer and Gunnar Weaver scored for Dawson County.
Heritage-Catoosa 24, Ridgeland 21
Heritage-Catoosa defeated Ridgeland in a hard-fought 24-21 game where both teams started slowly on offense, with neither team scoring until Ridgeland’s Bryson Donald ran for a 1-yard touchdown with eight minutes left in the first half. On the ensuing kickoff, Cody Bryan returned the kick for a touchdown, tying the game. Heritage closed the half with a 38-yard field goal with under a minute remaining. The Generals quickly scored again with 11 minutes left in the third quarter on a Brayden Slaughter rushing touchdown. Ridgeland responded with a long rushing touchdown from Ja’Darius Hinton with eight minutes left in the quarter. Slaughter extended the lead to 10 with his second touchdown of the game. The Panthers cut the lead back to three with an interception returned for a touchdown, but that was as close as they got, losing 24-21.
Northwest Whitfield 38, Gilmer 10
Northwest Whitfield continued its undefeated start to the season, beating Gilmer 38-10. Gilmer scored the first touchdown of the game with a 4-yard rushing score with seven minutes left in the first quarter. The Bruins nearly immediately answered with a 69-yard touchdown pass from Gavin Kuckolls. Northwest Whitfield scored again with 11 minutes left in the second quarter, extending the lead to 14-7. Gilmer responded with a 38-yard field goal, cutting the lead to 14-10 with four minutes left in the half. The rest of the game was all Bruins. Kuckolls scored right before halftime with a 2-yard rushing touchdown, putting Northwest Whitfield up 21-10 at the half. The Bruins scored on their first drive of the second half with a 61-yard rush. Soon after, they kicked a 38-yard field goal to extend the lead to 31-10. Kuckolls scored the final touchdown of the game with three minutes left in the third quarter.
Sandy Creek 45, Trinity Christian 0
Top-ranked Sandy Creek led 14-0 after the first quarter and 31-0 at the half in a romp of Trinity. The Patriots scored a touchdown in each the third and fourth quarters to pull away.
Class 2A
Pierce County 17, Brooks County 14
The top-ranked Bears survived a turnover-heavy Friday Night showdown with third-ranked Brooks County (Region 2-A Division II), improving to 5-0 with the 17-14 victory. Pierce County trailed 7-0 after the opening frame before getting on the board in the second, then took a 14-7 lead in the fourth. The Trojans knotted it up again after forcing a turnover on downs by the Bears, but junior kicker Garrett Stevenson sent the ball through the uprights from 47 yards out as time expired to secure the win.
Rockmart 35, Coahulla Creek 7
Rockmart jumped to a 28-0 lead at halftime to beat Coahula Creek in a Region 7-2A matchup. The visiting Yellow Jackets led 14-0 after scoring on a rushing touchdown and interception returned for a score in the first quarter. Rockmart led 35-0 after the third quarter but struggled to get more points in the fourth because of two interceptions the team threw. Coahulla Creek’s only score came when Waelyn Baliles scored on an 11-yard run late in the game.
Class A Division I
Athens Academy 29, Commerce 28
Hampton Johnson gave Athens Academy a 14-0 lead with a pair of touchdown runs—the second of which was set up by a KJ Whitehead fumble recovery. Commerce cut the deficit to 14-7, but the Spartans responded before the half with a 45-yard touchdown pass from Johnson to Bryan McClendon to make it 21-7. Athens Academy fumbled its opening possession of the second half to set up Commerce for the score and then the Tigers stopped Athens Academy at the 2-yard line before Jaiden Daniels’ evened the game at 21-21 with a 98-yard touchdown pass to Tysean Wiggins with just 29 seconds left in the third quarter. Commerce claimed its first lead of the game with a rushing touchdown with 7:12 left. Johnson converted a fourth down with 1:06 left and McClendon broke loose for a touchdown with 44 seconds left to cut the deficit to 28-27. Keon Sandifer took the two-point conversion on an end-around to provide the game-winning points.
Fitzgerald 28, Worth County 21
The sixth-ranked Purple Hurricanes got their first region win of the season with a 28-21 victory over visiting Worth County. Fitzgerald led 7-0 in the first and 14-6 at the break before the Rams knotted it up on a touchdown run and successful two-point conversion, then took the lead with a 96-yard fumble return. The Purple Hurricanes responded with a touchdown on the ensuing kickoff, however, followed by an interception on defense that set up one last rushing score.
Chattooga 49, Armuchee 7
Chattooga took the Battle of Taylor’s Ridge and improved to 5-0. Running back Zayden Cook scored on a 62-yard run to put the Indians up 7-0. Chattooga led 49-0 at the end of the third and the senior Cook did not need to play in the final frame to achieve his fifth-straight game with 200-plus rushing yards. Cook finishes with 268 yards off 15 carries. Quarry Gibson connected with Matthew Bryant for a 29-yard touchdown pass to give Chattooga a 14-0 lead and Cook added a 75-yard score after an Armuchee fumble to give the Indians a 21-0 lead. Gibson rushed in a 1-yard score on a quarterback sneak to push the lead to 28-0. An 18-yard touchdown by Cook made it 35-0 at the half and Cook scored his fourth touchdown from 41 yards out midway through the third to make it 42-0. Gibson made it 49-0 with a 5-yard score just before the start of the fourth quarter.
Northeast 46, ACE Charter 0
Northeast-Macon (4-1) stamped its second-straight shutout and won its fourth-straight game. The Raiders took a 27-0 halftime lead after a Nick Woodford 25-yard touchdown run. Woodford opened the second half with a 55-yard touchdown run and Reginald Glover found Josh Evans for a 20-yard touchdown to push the lead to 46-0 heading into the fourth quarter.
Bremen 31, Model 0
Bremen held Model to just 83 yards of offense behind a defense which scored nine of the team’s 31 points in the romp of Model. Bremen opened the scoring on a 23-yard run from Trent McPherson to cap a 14-play, 92-yard drive. Carter Allen’s point-after try put the Blue Devils up 7-0. Jaishaun Jones returned an interception 20 yards for a touchdown to extend the lead. Allen kicked field goals of 25 and 36 yards to give Bremen a 20-0 lead at halftime. In the third quarter, Allen kicked a 52-yard field goal to expand the lead to 23-0 and then the Bremen defense forced a safety after pinning Model inside the 5-yard line. Landon Hannah scored on a 7-yard run to put the game out of reach and cap scoring.
Class A Division II
Metter 28, Portal 7
Metter defeated Portal after leading 21-7 at halftime. The visiting Tigers recorded three rushing touchdowns and one passing TD in the victory. Portal’s only score came in the second quarter when Harold Washington returned a kick for an 85-yard touchdown. Metter improved to 3-1 on the year while Portal dropped to 2-3.
Wilcox County 36, Treutlen 7
Host Wilcox County won its third-straight game and improved to 1-0 in Region 4. Treutlen struck first on a 35-yard touchdown run by Roderick Fuller before the Patriots closed out 36 unanswered. Johnny Nutt found Billy Evans for a touchdown and then ran in the 2-point conversion to put Wilcox County up 8-7 and Nutt found Deacon McDuffie just before the half on a 20-yard touchdown to push the lead to 15-7. Melvin Mcadoo scored on an 80-yard run in the third quarter and Nutt found Mcadoo and McDuffie for Wilcox County touchdown passes in the fourth quarter to cap his four-touchdown performance.
McIntosh County Academy 32, Screven County 14
McIntosh County Academy completed a 56-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter en route to a victory over Screven County. In the second quarter, Screven County took the lead when Ryan Barnes completed a TD pass to Gatlin Scott. However, the visiting Buccanneers would take the lead back, scoring a three-yard TD run later in the quarter. McIntosh County Academy increased its lead when Andrew Roberson threw a TD pass to Neo West to make the score 19-7 at the half. Screven’s Dray Roberts scored on a rushing TD in the second half to trim MCA’s lead to 19-14. But the Buccaneers would put the game away when West scored on a five-yard run in the third.
In other games – No. 3 Manchester (Class A Division II) shut out Chapel Hill in their 38-0 victory. Manchester is off to their second consecutive 3-1 but this time under first year head coach Demonta Prather. Friday also marked the second shutout for the Blue Devils this season. … Unranked 5A Brunswick trailed 14-0 early in the game but rallied 21 unanswered points to win the game. Sophomore running back Josiah Gibbons scored the game’s final touchdown from 21 yards out with eight minutes left in the game. … After dropping out of the Class 5A rankings with an 0-3 start, Woodward Academy has now won two straight against Region 4-5A opponents, defeating Chamblee by a margin of 35-14 on Friday. The War Eagles (2-3, 2-0) will continue region play at home next week against Arabia Mountain. …Class 6A No. 2 Gainesville handled Lanier, 50-14, at home in the teams’ Region 7-6A opener to move to 4-1. Lanier fell to 2-3, 0-1 in region. … North Gwinnett, ranked No. 4 in Class 6A, improved to 5-0 and 2-0 in Region 7-6A with a 52-13 home win over Parkview (1-4, 0-2 Region 7-6A). … Newton won its Region 4-6A opener over Archer on the road, 50-25, powered by three touchdown rushes by Zion Johnson. Newton moved to 2-3, 1-0 in region, and Archer fell to 0-5 and 0-1. … Class A Division II No. 2 Irwin County remained unbeaten (5-0) after a 48-33 road win at Class 2A Cook (2-4).
Thursday Recaps
Class 6A
West Forsyth 28, Denmark 21
Max Walraven scored on a short run in the fourth quarter to put West Forsyth ahead for good after a back-and-forth second half. The game started with a scoreless first quarter, but West Forsyth took a 14-3 lead entering halftime before weathering a charge from Denmark in the second half. Denmark led first on a 35-yard field goal from Jake Snyder. Foster Orris scored on a 37-yard run to give West Forsyth a 7-3 lead. Max Walraven passed to Topher Delp on a 22-yard pass to expand the lead to 14-4 just before halftime. Denmark quarterback Matthew Baer passed 67 yards to Michael Palmeiri and the ensuing 2-point conversion cut into the lead 14-11. Denmark took a 18-14 lead on a 54-yard pass from Baer to Kamden Jennings with eight minutes left in the third quarter. Walraven responded with a 57-yard touchdown pass to retake the 21-18 lead. Snyder kicked a 29-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter to tie the game before Walraven’s short game-winning run.
Class 4A
St. Pius X 28, Southwest DeKalb 27
A failed 2-point conversion attempt from Southwest DeKalb kept the program from its first-ever victory over St. Pius X in an overtime game at Godfrey Stadium. St Pius kicker Ivan Lipscomb kicked a 26-yard field goal with 2.7 seconds left regulation to tie the game at 21. St. Pius went up 28-21 on a 4-yard run from John Taylor. Southwest DeKalb scored on a touchdown pass from Braylon Carter to Samuel Turner and the ensuing missed 2-point conversion sealed the victory for St. Pius.
Midtown 29, Forest Park 20
Midtown led 7-6 after the first quarter and 17-14 at the half. Entering the fourth quarter, Midtown was leading 24-20 before expanding the lead in the fourth quarter.
Class 2A
Carver-Columbus 49, Columbus 0
The Tigers led 16-0 after the first quarter and 30-0 at the half in a romp of Columbus. Carver expanded the lead to 43-0 entering the fourth quarter.
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