The Gordon Lee Trojans handed Chattooga its first loss of the season Friday night, pulling away from a back-and-forth battle with a pair of fourth-quarter scores from Dalton Russell for a 42-28 home victory.
Junior running back Peyton Groce had a trio of touchdowns in the contest, including a 49-yard trip to the end zone on the third play of the second half that put the Trojans ahead by a margin of 28-14. Indians quarterback Quarry Gibson found Matthew Bryant for their second touchdown connection of the night shortly after, and Zayden Cook’s second score knotted the game late in the third.
Chattooga then had a chance to take the lead after forcing a Trojans turnover on downs, but instead went three-and-out. Russell broke the tie with his first score and — after a recovery of an Indians fumble —iced the game from 33 yards out.
Both teams will continue Region 7-A Div. I play next week, with Gordon Lee (4-2, 2-1) traveling to Dade County and Chattooga (5-1, 2-1) visiting fourth-ranked Fannin County.
The weather during Week 7 of the high school football season forced teams to reschedule contests from the traditional Friday or Saturday listings. Some teams elected to play games last Wednesday, before the storm, and others postponed to later dates or will play Monday or Tuesday.
Here are the recaps from Monday’s games, the recaps from the other Week 7 games are below.
Monday Recaps
Class 6A
Milton 44, Seckinger 7
Milton led 17-7 at the half and 31-7 entering the fourth quarter in a blowout of Seckinger in a Region 7-6A victory on the road. Alex Nover kicked a field goal to open scoring, but Seckinger responded with an 80-yard touchdown from Jaimen Williams with nine minutes left in the second quarter to take the lead. Luke Nickel passed to Jordan Carrasquillo for a touchdown, giving Milton a 10-7 advantage and a lead it would not relinquish. TJ Lester scored on a 3-yard run to expand the margin. The Eagles expanded the lead to 24-7 on a rushing touchdown with two minutes left in the third quarter. Nickel passed to CJ Wiley to give the Eagles a 31-7 lead. Milton added a rushing touchdown with nine minutes left in the game and capped scoring on a run with four minutes left in the game.
Class 5A
Coffee 41, Northside-Warner Robins 0
Coffee led 14-0 after the first quarter and 24-0 at the half in a romp of Northside-Warner Robins on the road. Kentavius Debruce scored on a 22-yard run and Chris Reed returned a blocked punt 74 yards for a touchdown. Tyrese Hansley scored on a 75-yard run and Jonah Saylor kicked a 20-yard field goal for Coffee. Brayden Coe passed to Travis Adams for a 31-yard touchdown and Jyarius Carter returned a fumble 15 yards for a touchdown.
Class 4A
Starr’s Mill 38, Mundy’s Mill 14
Starr’s Mill moved to 6-0 on the season after upending Mundy’s Mill in a Region 3-4A game. Jeremiah Potter scored on a 4-yard touchdown run to put the Panthers ahead 7-0. Aaron Blair kicked a 35-yard field goal to expand the margin. Logan Inagawa passed to Skip Smith on a 46-yard touchdown pass to put the Panthers ahead 17-0. Inagawa’s 5-yard run just before halftime gave Starr’s Mill a 24-0 lead. With less than a minute left in the third quarter, Inagawa threw a 23-yard pass to Lathan Hunter on a touchdown to extend the lead. Chris Hill scored on a 3-yard run to get Mundy’s Mill on the board early in the fourth quarter, but Starr’s Mill countered with a 10-yard touchdown run with seven minutes remaining to secure the victory.
Central-Carroll 31, Jonesboro 23
Central-Carroll led 7-0 after the first quarter and 21-9 at the half in a Region 3-4A victory over Jonesboro. The Lions extended the lead to 28-15 entering the fourth quarter and outlasted an 8-3 fourth quarter to secure the victory and move to 5-1 on the season and 2-0 in league play.
Class 2A
Stephens County 35, Franklin County 3
Javin Gordon had 19 carries for 92 yards and three touchdowns with one touchdown reception while quarterback Tripp Underwood was 15-of-20 passing for 266 yards and two touchdowns to lead Stephens County past Franklin. Gordon had two receptions for 28 yards and a touchdown and Jonah Swinton had six catches for 119 yards and a touchdown.
Saturday Recaps
Class 6A
Cherokee 42, Etowah 25
The Etowah Eagles got within a field goal of host Cherokee early in the fourth quarter on a Zeke Douglass touchdown run and successful two-point conversion before the Warriors pulled away with a trio of touchdowns — including a pick-six — to lead by as much as 42-18 before Etowah’s final score. Cherokee (4-2, 2-0) is now 22-19 all-time against Etowah (1-5, 0-2) and has won three straight.
Class 5A
Lee County 35, Thomas County Central 23
The second-ranked Trojans snapped visiting Thomas County Central’s 20-game win streak with a 35-23 victory, getting a trio of interceptions — one of which was returned for a touchdown — from senior cornerback Jacori White and four rushing scores from senior quarterback Weston Bryan in Lee County’s’ Region 2 opener Saturday afternoon. The win was the Trojans’ first over the Yellow Jackets in three years, improving their all-time series record to 4-23. Thomas County Central led through most of the first half, getting on the board first with a 52-yard field goal from Drew Reneau and answering White’s pick-six with an 83-yard touchdown run by Gary Pringle.
Bryan’s first touchdown run put the Trojans up 14-10 early in the second, but the Yellow Jackets reclaimed the lead with Peyton Rountree’s 7-yard return of a blocked Lee County punt shortly after. Bryan gave the home team the lead for good on the Trojans’ next drive, however, and added touchdown runs in the third and fourth quarters for a 35-17 edge before the Yellow Jackets added one last score. Both teams will continue Region 2 play next week, with Lee County (6-0, 1-0) hosting fourth-ranked Coffee and Thomas County Central squaring off with Veterans.
Woodstock 28, Creekview 21
Woodstock’s sophomore quarterback Graham Burmeister finished with three touchdown passes and a 10-yard touchdown run to lead the Wolverines to a 28-21 road win over Creekview and improve their record to 5-1 for the first time since 2014. Creekview’s Austin Guest scored on a 3-yard touchdown run before Burmeister answered with a 10-yard touchdown run of his own to even the game 7-7. Woodstock recovered a fumble late in the first quarter, but then failed a fake punt attempt and the game remained tied. A completion from Burmeister to his brother Drew set up a 10-yard touchdown pass to Chase Colina with 7:41 left in the half. Creekview was able to tie it up on a play that saw Guest connect with tight end Nick Vaccaro for a 15-yard strike. The 6-foot-5, 220-pound Vaccaro caught the ball at the five yard line and powered through three defenders to cross the goal line with just four seconds left in the half. The third quarter opened with Burmeister connecting with his brother Drew for a 68-yard touchdown and then growing the lead to 28-14 with a 71-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Payton. Woodstock had a goal line stand at the start of the fourth quarter, but Creekview was able to cut into the deficit with a 7-yard touchdown run by Guest. After forcing Woodstock into a three-and-out, Creekview got the ball back with three minutes left, but the Wolverines prevailed to earn the victory.
Houston County 56, Veterans 0
The Houston County Bears cruised to their first Region 2 win of the season after shutting out Veterans, which is still searching for its first win of the season. The Bears’ shutout is the first of the season, and their 56 points scored mark the second-highest total in a game this season only behind a 57-10 Week 1 performance against Alpharetta. 4-star quarterback and Memphis-commit Antwann Hill was unphased by the Veterans defense, accounting for six total touchdowns throughout the Saturday scoring spree with five passing touchdowns and one rushing score. Up next, Houston County will take on Northside-Warner Robins in the Bears’ second region game of the season.
Northgate 23, McIntosh 12
Northgate led 3-0 after the first quarter and 10-6 at the half before pulling away from the rival Chiefs. Jake Anderson made three field goals—including two in the third quarter to push the lead to 16-6. Malik Dixon and Keaton Stigall each rushed for Vikings touchdowns and all-state linebackers and brothers Brysen and Braxtyn Davies led Northgate’s stout defensive performance.
Jackson County 48, Alcovy 10
RJ Knapp threw five touchdown passes and rushed for another to give Jackson County a 41-0 halftime lead. Alcovy got on the board with a 28-yard field goal late in the third quarter and Jacob Vang iced the game with an interception returned for a touchdown to make it 48-3 midway through the fourth with a running clock. Cam Scott connected with Ashton Hawkins for an Alcovy touchdown with 1:13 left for the final tally.
Clarke Central 48, Apalachee 21
The Gladiators improved to 4-2 on the season and 2-0 in Region 8 play with an emphatic victory over visiting Apalachee, which returned to the field for the first time since defensive coordinator Richard Aspinwall and three others were killed in a shooting at the school. Clarke Central, which held a pregame tribute for its opponents and their fans, fell behind after an early Wildcat touchdown before taking a 23-7 edge at the break and a 45-14 lead heading into the fourth. The Gladiators continue region play at Habersham Central next week, and Apalachee will look for its first victory of the season against visiting Jackson County.
New Manchester 29, Alexander 16
New Manchester got its season back on track after a Region 5 loss to East Paulding in Week 6 with a comfortable 29-16 victory over the visiting Alexander Cougars on Saturday afternoon. The Jaguars are now 5-1 overall and 2-1 in region play, while their opponents drop to 1-5 and 0-3.
Decatur 28, Dunwoody 14
Decatur visited its Region 4-5A opponent at North DeKalb Stadium and moved to 6-0, 3-0 in the region after pulling away in a game that was tied 7-7 at halftime. For the Bulldogs, Tim Britt (17 yards) and Darius White (4 yards) had rushing touchdowns and Kaleb Lanier caught a 32-yard touchdown pass from Barron Scott. Decatur scored on defense with a 15-yard interception return by Quay Hood. Dunwoody fell to 1-5 and 0-3 in region play.
Class 4A
North Oconee 49, Cedar Shoals 7
Quarterback Harrison Faulkner connected with Khamari Brooks for a 60-yard touchdown on North Oconee’s first play from scrimmage. Justin Curtis ran in a 7-yard Titan touchdown and Faulkner found Dallas Dickerson for another 60-yard touchdown to make it 21-0 with 6:56 left in the first quarter. UGA-commit Landon Roldan hauled in a jump ball in the back of the endzone from Faulkner to push the lead to 28-0. The duo had a touchdown called back after a penalty in the second quarter, but Faulkner called his own number and ran in a 34-yard touchdown to push the lead to 35-0. Faulkner threw his fourth touchdown pass of the half on a 15-yard throw to Roland to make it 42-0.
Hiram 34, Dalton 13
Dalton’s Caine Woods rushed for a 30-yard touchdown that cut Hiram’s lead to 20-13 with 8:13 left before the Hornets sealed the victory with an Ethan Latimore touchdown run and a 65-yard interception return for a touchdown by Darius Harris to ice the game. Dashaun Williams gave Hiram a 7-0 lead with a touchdown run that came with just 37 seconds left in the first half. Latimore connected with Williams for a 52-yard catch-and-run touchdown early in the third quarter to push the lead to 13-0. Dalton defensive lineman Peyton Starling capped a Catamounts scoring drive with a 1-yard touchdown run to make it 13-7 midway through the third. The team’s traded possessions and then Kaden Hamilton escaped for a 48-yard touchdown run to make it 20-7 late in the third quarter.
Cambridge 30, East Coweta 21
East Coweta did all its scoring in the third quarter after trailing 20-0 at the half. Leo Attard’s field goal capped Cambridge’s opening drive to put the Bears up 3-0 and Weston Taylor found Craig Dandridge for a touchdown pass to make it 10-0 after the first quarter. Taylor connected with Hudson Cocchiara for another Cambridge touchdown and then Attard closed out the half with a 53-yard field goal to make it 20-0. Jayshon Stegall sparked East Coweta with an 80-yard touchdown and after a defensive stop, Ricky Howell rushed for an Indians touchdown to make it a 20-14 game in the third quarter. Taylor answered with a touchdown pass to tight end Drew Hardwick to put Cambridge up 27-14, but East Coweta answered to close the gap to 27-21 heading into the fourth quarter. Attard gave Cambridge additional breathing room with another clutch field goal that made it 30-21 with 3:46 left.
Perry 80, New Hampstead 47
Perry returned four of its six forced turnovers for scores and also had a kickoff return touchdown to fuel a chaotic 80-47 win. New Hampstead punted on its opening drive and pinned Perry back at its own 2-yard-line. On the next play, quarterback Cullen McDaniel found Decorrion Daniels in the flats for a 98-yard touchdown. The Phoenix turned it over on downs on their next possession and Ahmad Gordon ran in a 39-yard score just two plays later to push the lead to 14-0. New Hampstead quarterback Rashawn Truell found Jamarion Brown for a touchdown to cut the deficit, but Daniels returned to the endzone on a 33-yard run to give Perry a 21-7 lead. Truell finished the game with six passing touchdowns, including three to Kamari Maxwell. A Mardi Cobb 14-yard touchdown answered Maxwell’s first touchdown reception, and then his second touchdown brought New Hampstead back within 28-21. Perry punted for the first time and New Hampstead blocked it and returned it for a touchdown, but the PAT was blocked to keep the Panthers ahead 28-27. McDaniel connected with Kory Pettigrew for a 55-yard touchdown and then Jalen Hall returned a Phoenix fumble 31 yards for a touchdown to give Perry a 42-27 lead late in the second quarter. Perry intercepted New Hampstead and had a 68-yard touchdown called back for a false start and the game remained 42-27 at the break. Perry added a 34-yard field goal and then forced a punt that Pettigrew returned to the 5-yard line to set up Gordon for his second touchdown run of the game. Trailing 52-27, Truell capped a two-play drive with his third touchdown pass to Maxwell and then completed a 27-yard touchdown to Brown that made it a 52-41 game. Perry’s Daniels returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown to put the lead back to 59-41 heading into the fourth quarter. Truell’s sixth touchdown pass of the game came with 8:38 left, but Perry produced two more turnovers and an interception return by Daniel set up Gordon for his third touchdown run of the game that gave Perry an 80-47 lead.
Marist 47, Southwest DeKalb 14
Class 4A No. 1 Marist remained undefeated at 5-0 with its 47-14 win over Southwest DeKalb, played at Marist at 11 a.m. on Saturday. The War Eagles also moved to 3-0 in Region 5-4A play, outscoring their opponents 161-21 in the three contests. Southwest DeKalb fell to 3-3 and 2-2 in Region 5-4A.
Eastside 37, Madison County 7
Facing a 7-0 deficit in the second quarter, the eighth-ranked Eastside Eagles closed out their Week 7 matchup against host Madison County with 37 unanswered points to improve to 6-0 on the season and 2-0 in Region 8 play. Eastside will see Walnut Grove next week, while Madison County hosts fifth-ranked North Oconee.
Class 3A
Heritage-Catoosa 31, Northwest Whitfield 21
Heritage-Catoosa (4-2) denied No. 4 ranked Northwest Whitfield (5-1) its first 6-0 start since 2007 and improved to 2-0 in Region 7 with the home victory. Northwest Whitfield capitalized off a fumbled punt return and took a 7-0 lead with a 4-yard touchdown pass from Gavin Nuckolls to Cameron Collins. Heritage answered with a 56-yard touchdown pass from Caden Hight to Luke Fitzsimmons to even the game 7-7 late in the first quarter. The Generals connected on another deep touchdown pass in the second quarter from Hight to Cody Bryan to take a 14-7 lead at the half. Heritage struck again on a 99-yard touchdown pass from Hight to Noah Pierce in the third quarter to go up 21-7, but the Bruins cut the deficit with a Nuckolls touchdown pass to Akendris Douglas. Tristan Simmons intercepted Northwest Whitfield in the fourth quarter and Jake Collett connected on a field goal to grow the lead to 31-14. Nuckolls found Douglas for the duo’s second touchdown of the half with 3:52 left before Heritage closed out the victory.
Jefferson 49, West Hall 7
No. 3 ranked Jefferson hosted West Hall in the teams’ Region 8-3A opener and led 49-0 at halftime. The Dragons (4-2, 1-0 Region 8-3A) got two first-quarter rushing touchdowns from Gavin Markey, including one from 44 yards, and Markey threw a touchdown pass to Talan Childress in the second. Rett Hemphill took the opening kickoff back for a touchdown and followed it up with a 28-yard touchdown rush in the first quarter. Mickell Pittman and Dallas Russell also scored rushing touchdowns for Jefferson in the second quarter. West Hall fell to 4-2, 0-1 in Region 8-3A.
North Hall 43, Pickens 27
Quarterback Alex Schlieman had three touchdown passes and a rushing score for host North Hall (4-2, 3-0 Region 6-3A). Cole Cable had three touchdown catches for North Hall, two from Schlieman and one from Smith McGarvey, and Ty Kemp also caught a touchdown from Schlieman for the Trojans. North Hall led 29-14 at halftime, but Pickens (3-3, 1-2 Region 6-3A) came back to make it a 29-27 game early in the fourth quarter.
Peach County 55, Westover 36
Class 3A No. 2 Peach County handled Westover to improve to 5-1 and 1-0 in Region 1-3A in the team’s league opener. The Trojans led just 27-22 at halftime of the game that kicked off at noon hosted by Peach County. Westover suffered its first loss of the season to drop to 5-1, 0-1 in region play.
Class 2A
Prince Avenue Christian 43, Hart County 21
Host Prince Avenue Christian capitalized on a high snap for a safety and grew the lead to 23-0 after the first quarter following Jake Bobo’s 29-yard touchdown pass to Thornton Hester and touchdown runs by Gideon Garland (18 yards) and Kyler Giddens (3). Sophomore running back Andrew Beard scored in the second quarter to make it 30-0 before a Timothy Newton touchdown run put Hart County on the board. Ben Musser connected with CJ Dockery for a 22-yard touchdown and sophomore Judd Shoemaker tallied an interception in the third quarter to make it 36-7 heading into the final frame. Prince Avenue Christian’s final score came on a 35-yard touchdown pass from Bobo to Dockery.
Hebron Christian 66, East Jackson 7
Visiting Hebron Christian led 28-0 after the first quarter and 45-0 at the half. Jarvis Mathurin returned two kicks for touchdowns and senior Noah Hill hauled in two touchdown passes from quarterback Thomas Stallworth.
Morgan County 35, Westside-Macon 32
Kadiphius Iverson ran in his fourth touchdown to give the Seminoles a 32-21 lead with 9:55 left before No. 2 ranked Morgan County rallied with two late touchdowns to seal the road victory over Region 2 rival Westside. Morgan County improves to 6-0 for the first time since 1980.
Class A Division I
Athens Academy 47, Oglethorpe County 27
The Athens Academy Spartans remain undefeated on the season after picking up their second Region 8 victory with a win over Oglethorpe County. The Spartans were first on the board with a 7-yard touchdown rush by Jeremiah Wingfield to go up 7-0. The Patriots responded with a touchdown rush of their own, but a blocked PAT kept Athens Academy in the lead. The Spartans struck again on a 1-yard touchdown rush by Wingfield, set up by an 80-yard kickoff return by Keyon Standifer. Quarterback Hampton Johnson found Standifer late in the second on an 18-yard touchdown pass to give Athens Academy a 20-6 lead following a failed PAT. Oglethorpe County would keep the game within reach with a 13-yard touchdown rush to cut the deficit to 20-13 at the half. Johnson would find Standifer late in the third on a 74-yard touchdown strike, followed by a 59-yard touchdown rush by Jamari Welch to give the Spartans a 33-13 lead. Athens Academy would keep the game out of reach with a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns, one a 19-yard touchdown pass from Johnson to KJ Whitehead and the other an interception returned for a touchdown by Standifer, his third score of the game.
Commerce 42, Elbert County 20
No. 10 ranked Commerce was led by senior Jacari Huff—who finished with a game-high 153 yards and three touchdowns off of 17 carries. Huff ran in two of his touchdowns in the first half. Quarterback Jaiden Daniels added 52 rushing yards and a touchdown—all in the first half and Tysean Wiggins finished the game with 103 yards off of 11 carries with a first half-touchdown run. Sophomore Ty Sorrells had one of Commerce’s three interceptions in the game. Senior Mac Mullis had an interception to go with his 10 total tackles and Jace Lyle had an interception in the second half and also contributed 27 rushing yards off a pair of carries.
Lamar County 19, McNair 16
No. 9 ranked Lamar County took a 6-0 lead with a 3-yard Gary Morton touchdown run and failed two-point conversion. McNair connected on a 27-yard field goal early in the second quarter, but Kenyae Barnes answered with a 55-yard Trojans touchdown to put Lamar County up 13-3. McNair was forced to punt and Barnes returned to the endzone on a 20-yard carry before the half to push the lead to 19-3 at the break. McNair’s Keyuntae Phillips cut the deficit to 19-10 with a 13-yard touchdown run in the third quarter and Jeremy Victor connected with Milek Adams early in the fourth quarter for another Mustangs touchdown, but Lamar County’s defense closed out the victory.
Fannin County 38, Gordon Central 6
No. 4 ranked Fannin County grew a 10-0 lead with a 72-yard touchdown pass from Lawson Sullivan to Elijah Weaver midway through the first quarter. Sullivan called his own number and scored on a 30-yard quarterback keeper to make it 17-0 and Carson Callihan ran in Fannin County’s next three scores from six, nine and 42 yards, respectively.
Social Circle 29, Putnam County 22
Senior Preston Guy connected on three field goals in the first half and Luke Cross connected with Jude Nelson for a touchdown to give the Redskins a 15-7 lead. Rashod Daniel scored on a 3-yard run for Putnam County in the first half that cut it to 12-7 before Guy’s late field goal. Deven Usand increased Social Circle’s lead to 22-7 with a 3-yard touchdown run. Daniel answered with a 3-yard rushing score and Branan Griffin’s successful two-point conversion cut the deficit to 22-15 heading into the fourth quarter. Nelson hauled in a 25-yard touchdown pass to put Social Circle back up by two scores and Griffin’s 4-yard touchdown made it 29-22 before the Redskins sealed the victory.
Fellowship Christian 56, Mt. Vernon 28
Fellowship Christian, ranked No. 6 in Class A-3A Private, led 35-14 at halftime on its way to a road win over Mt. Vernon in the teams’ first-ever meeting. CJ Givers rushed for four touchdowns for the Paladins, and quarterback Jonathan Granby had a rushing touchdown and a touchdown pass to Evan Haynes. Bryce Sewell also had a rushing score for Fellowship (4-2, 2-0 Region 5-A Division I) and Al Thompson returned a kickoff for a touchdown. Mt. Vernon fell to 3-2, 1-1 in Region 5-A Division I.
Class A Division II
Macon County 44, Schley County 29
Macon County (4-3, 3-0) outscored Schley County (3-4, 2-1) 20-0 in the fourth quarter and 35-9 in the second half to leap the Wildcats in the Region 6 standings. The Bulldogs limited Schley County to just 100 total rushing yards and intercepted three passes in the victory.
Friday Recaps
Class 4A
Cass 42, Woodland-Cartersville 6
Cass snapped its three-game losing streak and got its first Region 7 victory of the season with a 42-6 rout of visiting Woodland-Cartersville. The Colonels led 14-6 after the opening frame, 21-6 at the break, and 28-6 heading into the fourth and will travel to second-ranked Cartersville next week.
Class 3A
Upson-Lee 22, Mary Persons 20 (3OT)
Mary Persons is still seeking its first win of the season after retroactively forfeiting its first four games for an eligibility violation, then giving up a game-losing safety in the third overtime period to visiting Upson-Lee. Following a punt and turnover-heavy first half, the Knights got on the board in the third with Nicholas Wells’ touchdown pass to Akeondre Chaney. The Bulldogs tied it up on the following possession with a CJ Banks touchdown run, and again after Wells’ rushing score with a Gavin Martin touchdown reception. The teams traded punts to end regulation, and the score stood at 14-14 after the first overtime period. Wells connected with Jayden Skelton for a 20-14 edge in the second overtime before Banks answered for Mary Persons with another touchdown to force a third extra period, during which Upson-Lee clinched the win with a safety.
Calhoun 24, Adairsville 0
Ninth-ranked Calhoun (2-3, 1-0) got its first Region 7 win of the season, shutting out the visiting Adairsville Tigers (4-2, 1-1) by a margin of 24-0. The Yellow Jackets got on the board in the first quarter with a Carlos Lopez field goal, then capped a long drive with a 3-yard rushing score from Isaiah Nalls for a 10-0 edge at the break. After a scoreless third, quarterback Trace Hawkins sealed the win with an early fourth-quarter touchdown.
Whitewater 32, Trinity Christian 14
Whitewater scored 25 unanswered points through the first three quarters of the game and scored a season-high 32 points en route to its third win of the season. For the second touchdown of the game, the Wildcats used a 61-yard run that set them up in the red zone and finished off the drive with a touchdown. Trinity Christian added a late third-quarter score from Peyton Echols that helped end a 14-quarter offensive scoreless streak. The Lions were also able to get a safety early in the fourth quarter after a bad snap in the end zone by Whitewater. The deficit was too large to overcome as Trinity Christian fell to 1-5 on the season. Whitewater will face LaGrange next week, while Trinity Christian will face Mary Persons next Friday.
Spalding 47, Fayette County 14
Spalding got back to .500 after a dominant first half that saw the Jaguars score 41 points. The defense produced a first-half shutout and gave up its second-fewest points this season, second to an outing against Trinity Christian where the Jaguars allowed just 10 points. Spalding’s first score came on a quarterback sneak by Deshun Gilbert, who later in the first threw a touchdown to Demondrae McDowell who scored twice in the opening quarter. The Jaguars finished with their highest point total this season and are now 2-2 in Region 2-3A. Spalding will face Sandy Creek next week in a pivotal region battle.
Class 2A
Rockmart 42, Sonoraville 7
The seventh-ranked Yellow Jackets won their fourth-straight game — all in Region 7 play — with a 42-7 victory over visiting Sonoraville. Rockmart led 21-0 at the break and didn’t let up in the second half, putting up a season-high in scoring and improving to 4-2 in 2024. The Yellow Jackets will host North Cobb Christian following their bye next week, while the 2-4 Phoenix will host North Murray.
Class A Division I
Darlington 21, Pepperell 20
Pepperell’s senior kicker Cameron Jones was set to line up for a potential game-winning 23-yard field goal on the final play of the game, but the untimed down was negated and the game was called due to offsetting penalties and an illegal forward pass on Pepperell’s desperation attempt on the previous play. Trailing 7-0 in the second quarter, Pepperell quarterback Sam Ross found Sam Wooten for a touchdown to make it a 7-7 game with just 2:57 left in the half. Wooten—a former Darlington Tiger and transfer—intercepted the next possession and set up Pepperell deep in Tiger territory. Wooten and freshman Michael Patzan took back-to-back carries to set up Ross for a 1-yard quarterback sneak to give Pepperell a 14-7 lead at the break. Pepperell increased its lead to 20-7 with a 79-yard touchdown drive that took up seven minutes of clock on the first possession of the second half and was capped by Ross’ second touchdown pass of the game to Wooten. Ross intercepted Darlington late in the first half and then Kell Edeburn intercepted Darlington in the end zone for Pepperell’s third turnover of the game. Pepperell’s next possession ended with a fumbled snap, but a sack by Madden Garcia forced Darlington to punt. Pepperell clung to its lead and punted to set up a touchback. On the next snap, Myles Twyman took a Statue of Liberty carry all the way for an 80-yard touchdown with 2:30 left. Darlington’s onside kick was recovered by 6-foot-4 junior Henry Ledbetter and gave Darlington the ball at its own 47-yard line. Darlington executed a hook-and-ladder and got the go-ahead touchdown with 1:12 left. Pepperell’s final possession was littered with flags and what fans thought would be an untimed down ended with Darlington (4-2, 2-0) celebrating the victory and Pepperell falling to 0-6 and 0-2 in Region 6.
Temple 34, Bremen 18
Temple improved to 5-1 for the first time since 2016. CJ Gray put the Tigers up 7-0 with a 48-yard touchdown run and Temple’s lead grew to 21-0 with a 4-yard rushing score by Serjoe Jones and a 1-yard Hudson Nix touchdown run before Bremen’s 39-yard field goal closed the half with a 21-3 margin. Temple fumbled to set up a 1-yard Trent McPherson touchdown to cut the deficit to 21-10. CJ Gray scored his second touchdown of the game to push the lead back to 28-10 with 4:31 left in the third and the teams traded touchdowns for the final tally.
Dade County 21, Armuchee 7
Visiting Dade County scored on its opening drive off a 23-yard rush by senior tailback Evan Koger for a 6-0 lead. After two scoreless quarters, the Wolverines took a 14-0 lead early in the fourth after a 59-yard touchdown run by Koger and a successful 2-point conversion. Demetrius Walker iced the game with a 17-yard touchdown run with just four minutes left and Armuchee got on the board with an 11-yard touchdown pass from Blaine Ragland to Trenton Cothran with a minute left. The Wolverine offense finished with 407 yards of total offense, while the Indians suffered their third-straight loss after starting the season 3-0.
Heard County 49, Haralson County 15
Heard County ran away with a 49-15 victory to improve to 3-2 overall and open up Region 6 play with an emphatic victory. Ethan Tisdale finished Heard County’s opening drive with a touchdown run, but the Braves trailed 8-7 after a successful 2-point conversion by the Rebels. Darience Coleman sparked Heard County with two touchdowns—including a 40-yard touchdown with 8:40 left in the final quarter to put the Braves up 49-15.
Wesleyan 52, Mt. Pisgah 7
Ben Brown put together another dominant offensive performance for the Wesleyan Wolves, finishing the game with four touchdowns with three of his four scores going to three different receivers. Wide receiver Carter Hayes was the recipient of two of those touchdowns, one a 60-yarder and the other an 80-yard slant he took all the way for a touchdown. Running back Jameson Hilton also added a 9-yard rushing touchdown late in the game for the Wolves. Special teams also made an impact with a blocked field goal. The defense held Mt. Pisgah to seven points, and Ryley Webb jumped a curl route and returned it 50 yards for a touchdown early in the second quarter. Wesleyan’s defense has now given up 3.33 points in the past three games and is starting to hit its stride.
Christian Heritage 41, Coosa 7
The Christian Heritage Lions got their fifth-straight win, coasting to a 41-7 victory over host Coosa behind a five-touchdown performance from Carter Triplett. The senior quarterback threw three touchdown passes to Ayden Pace and another to Dontae Crowder, adding a 17-yard rushing score in the second after Sawyer Corn took a screen pass 63 yards. Pace’s third score of the night came early in the third, a 91-yard catch and run. Thailan Christopher contributed a 19-yard touchdown run in the third, and Coosa got on the board in the final frame with a 31-yard score by Xander Sledge.
Class A Division II
Bowdon 42, Booker T. Washington (AL) 18
Two-time defending state champion Bowdon (5-1) extended its win-streak to five-straight with a road win over Alabama’s Booker T Washington. After building a 14-6 lead at the close of the first quarter, Joshawia Davis helped the No. 1 ranked Red Devils start to pull away with a touchdown run that made it 21-6 at the half. Five of Bowdon’s six touchdowns came on the ground and 6-foot-6 junior tight end Kaiden Prothro hauled in a touchdown reception midway through the third quarter that gave Bowdon its largest lead of the game (35-6).
Wednesday Recaps
Class 5A
Lakeside-DeKalb 14, Tri-Cities 6
Lakeside-DeKalb moved to 2-0 in region play for the first time since 1997 with a 14-6 win over Tri-Cities. The Vikings got the scoring started early, driving down the field to take a 6-0 lead. With four minutes left in the first quarter, Lakeside added to its lead with a 1-yard Kyle Davis rushing touchdown. Davis then completed a pass to Canon Davis for the two-point conversion, extending the lead to 14-0. Tri-Cities cut into the lead just before halftime with a 1-yard touchdown run, but the Bulldogs missed the extra point, going into the break down 14-6. The second half was all defense, with neither team scoring, giving the Vikings the 14-6 victory.
Gainesville 48, Johns Creek 0
Josh Niblett’s Gainesville Red Elephants improved to 5-1 on the season and an undefeated 2-0 region record as they took down Johns Creek 48-0 on Wednesday night. The Gladiators remain winless on the season after Gainesville held them to less than 100 yards of total offense. The scoring came fast as Gainesville opened things up with a Kharim Hughley touchdown pass to Shane King from 20-yards out to take an early 7-0 lead. Wide receiver Taz Smith’s 49-yard reverse got the Red Elephants in the endzone for the second time of the night taking a 14-0 first quarter lead. Trent Jones blocked a Johns Creek punt in the second quarter as the Red Elephants took it back for a touchdown followed by a Smith 60-yard touchdown reception to take a 27-0 lead in the first half. The first half fireworks didn’t stop there as over the last five minutes of the half, Gainesville running back Carmelo Byrd scored twice, both from inside the five-yard line to give Gainesville a 41-0 lead by the end of the half. Brody Stanford caught the final Gainesville score of the night in the fourth quarter as Gainesville routed Johns Creek, 48-0.
Class 4A
Warner Robins 36, Wayne County 3
Warner Robins moved to 5-1 on the season and 1-0 in region play, defeating region opponent Wayne County 36-3. The Demons started their scoring with nine minutes left in the first half on a 10-yard touchdown catch by Daymond Batts, putting Warner Robins up 6-0. Early in the second quarter, Wayne County cut the lead to three with a 35-yard Christian Seller field goal. The Demons answered less than two minutes later with a 10-yard rushing touchdown by Skyler Williams. Warner Robins added to its lead right before halftime with a 4-yard touchdown run by Da’veon Latimore, extending the lead to 20-3 at the break. The second half was all Demons, featuring a third-quarter rushing touchdown from Carmello Canion, a safety, and a late 4-yard rushing touchdown from Kenyan Johnson, sealing the 36-3 victory.
Tucker 47, Northview 6
The Tucker Tigers improved to 4-1 on the season as they took down the Northview Titans on Wednesday night ahead of Hurricane Helene hitting the area. The scoring began with Lashonnette Hidgins recovering a fumble inside the Northview 10-yard line giving the Tigers the ball early in the red zone. Jace German punched in a rushing touchdown from 10-yards out to put the Tigers up 7-0. The Tiger defense continued to force turnovers early in the game with a 40-yard interception returned for a touchdown by Josiah Horne to put Tucker up 14-0. The first quarter scoring spree continued from the Tigers as Isaiah Horsham gave Tucker a 21-0 lead with a 6-yard touchdown run. In the second quarter, German found the endzone for the second time with a 16-yard touchdown run. Camryn Freeland’s 22-yard rushing score followed by a Christian Ema 13-yard touchdown reception from German gave Tucker a 41-0 lead by the break. Northview was able to get on the board in the third quarter after a 19-yard run from Drew Beam but the Titans ultimately fell to Tucker, 47-6.
Class A Division I
Thomasville 31, Jeff Davis 7
Thomasville improved to 5-1 and 2-0 in region play with a big win over region rival Jeff Davis, 31-7. Thomasville started the scoring early with a 33-yard rushing touchdown from Cam Hill with 10:15 left in the first quarter to go up 7-0. The Yellow Jackets then tied the game with 9:30 left in the second quarter. The Bulldogs regained the lead with 1:38 left in the half on a 42-yard field goal by Camden Christian, going into the break up 10-7. Thomasville scored first in the second half with a 30-yard touchdown run from Lavonte Cole with 7:19 left in the third quarter. The game turned defensive for much of the second half until, with 3:33 remaining, Hill scored his second touchdown of the day, extending the Bulldogs’ lead to 24-7. Thomasville added one final score on a 25-yard touchdown by Ant Anderson with 1:22 remaining, defeating the Yellow Jackets 31-7.
Bacon County 51, Berrien 12
Bacon County won its first region game of the season on Wednesday night as the Red Raiders defeated Berrien 51-12 for their fourth win on the season. Keyundric Dixon began the night’s scoring with a 78-yard rushing touchdown, giving the Red Raiders the early advantage. Aiden Cothern followed Dixon’s long run with a highlight of his own, returning a punt for a touchdown to take a 14-0 lead in the second quarter. After a Berrien fumble, the Red Raiders offense was able to capitalize with a 40-yard touchdown throw from Knox Ledbetter to Cothern for his second score of the night to take a 21-0 first half lead. Dixon scored his second touchdown right before the half followed by another Berrien fumble as Aki Brown’s scoop-and-score gave the Red Raiders a 35-0 advantage. Travion Richardson continued the night’s scoring with another Bacon County rushing touchdown to extend the lead to 42-0 in the third before a Berrien score got the Rebels on the board. Following a 23-yard field goal, Bacon County got the ball back and scored on a 55-yard touchdown from Jamin Ellis to put the nail in the coffin as the Red Raiders handled the Rebels on Wednesday night.
Class A Division II
Brooks County 49, Turner County 0
Brooks County started region play with a dominant 49-0 win over Turner County. The Trojans started fast with two early touchdowns in the first quarter, taking a 14-0 lead. With six minutes left in the first, Brooks County scored again on a 21-yard touchdown pass, extending the lead to 21-0. Later in the quarter, the Trojans increased their lead with a 6-yard touchdown pass, going into the second quarter up 28-0. The second quarter was more of the same, with a 5-yard touchdown pass with 11 minutes left in the half and a 3-yard rushing touchdown with seven minutes remaining. In the second half, Brooks County slowed down, scoring only once on a fumble return for a touchdown with 10 minutes left in the third quarter. The rest of the game was quiet, with neither team scoring before the game was called with five minutes left after a fight broke out at midfield.
Seminole County 28, Early County 12
The Seminole County Indians rode a 14-point first quarter outing to victory as they took down Early County 28-12 to improve to 4-2 on the season. The Indians let up 12 points in the second quarter to take a two-point, 14-12 lead at the half before holding the Bobcats scoreless through the next two quarters. The Indians scored 14 more in the second half, giving them the 28-12 victory. Seminole County senior quarterback Drew Hornsby threw for 82 yards with one touchdown on just two completions. The Indians rushed for 126 yards on the ground with senior running back Devin Gale leading the way with 77 yards and senior running back Terry Daniels adding two rushing scores. Junior wideout Zakari Henderson led the receiving core with a touchdown reception of 59 yards, his only reception of the game.
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