No. 2-ranked Cartersville traveled to No. 5-ranked Cedartown Friday night and got one step closer to locking up a second straight Region 7-4A title with a hard-fought 19-14 win. The victory marks the Purple Hurricanes’ fifth straight over the Bulldogs, who still lead the all-time series with a record of 25-23-3.
“Congratulations to both teams,” said sixth-year head coach Conor Foster after the game. “An incredible environment here. I appreciate all our kids. They’ve battled through so much adversity this year, and I’m really proud of the guys for stepping up this week.”
The contest was knotted at 7-7 after scores on both teams’ opening drives — a Baylon Long run for Cartersville and a 28-yard touchdown from two-way star Tae Harris that capped a nine-minute Cedartown possession. Cartersville’s second-quarter drives ended with a sack by Quinlan Cothron and a pick by Demarcus Gardner, bookending a controversial Cedartown field goal attempt from midfield that was ruled a touchback.
The Hurricanes claimed a 13-7 lead on the opening play of the second half with Reed Ezell’s scoop-and score after Harris lost the ball (Cothron blocked the ensuing extra point). The Clemson commit quickly redeemed himself, finding the end zone from 59 yards out moments later for a 14-13 advantage — a season-high for points allowed by the Cartersville defense. Russell responded with a perfectly placed bomb to Brady Marchese in the end zone on third-and-8, however, and despite another missed PAT and a field goal that went wide right in the fourth, Cartersville held on for the win.
“I didn’t think he was going to throw it, just because of how good the defense was,” Marchese admitted while receiving his second Robbie Hunter MVP of the Game award, “but he threw it up and I went and got it.”
Cartersville improves to 9-0 on the season and 5-0 in Region 7 and can secure the top seed with a win over visiting Hiram next week.
The AJC has writers at Hillgrove at McEachern, Brookwood at Peachtree Ridge and Westminster at Blessed Trinity. Follow the link to Todd Holcomb’s Friday Night Wrap or see the Friday recaps directly below.
The Thursday recaps are at the bottom of the file.
Class 6A
Richmond Hill 35, Valdosta 14
Host Richmond Hill (7-1, 2-1) served No. 4 ranked Valdosta (7-1, 2-1) its first loss of the season and was fueled by a three-touchdown performance by Joshua Troupe. The senior got Richmond Hill on the board with his first touchdown run and teammates Caleb Easterling and Kirk Scott tacked on touchdown runs to give Richmond Hill a 21-0 lead in the second quarter. Valdosta got on the board after a muffed punt and cut the deficit to 21-14. That score held until the fourth quarter when Troupe sent Wildcat Stadium into a frenzy with back-to-back touchdown runs to ice the game.
Harrison 47, Osborne 0
Harrison (7-1, 5-0) won its fifth-straight game in what was head coach Luqman Salam’s first trip back to his former school of Osborne. The Hoyas accumulated 402 yards of offense and held the Cardinals to just 57 total yards, while never allowing Osborne to drive past its own 35-yard line and allying three interceptions. Junior quarterback Xavier Hill finished 18-of-22 passing for 231 yards and two touchdowns to Jowell Combay. On the ground, RJ Cowswer rushed for two touchdowns, TC Washington had a 5-yard score on the first drive of the game and Corbin Trice added a 56-yard touchdown run in the final minute of the game. The Hoyas also made a 31-yard field goal in the first half.
West Forsyth 35, North Forsyth 10
Max Walraven threw two touchdown passes and rushed for a score in West Forsyth’s home win. Walraven rushed for a 58-yard touchdown in the first quarter and found Topher Delp on a 54-yard score in the second quarter to help give West Forsyth (6-2, 4-1 Region 6-6A) a 21-3 halftime lead. Foster Orris had a 3-yard rushing score in the second quarter as well. Walraven gave the Wolverines a 28-3 lead early in the third quarter with a 36-yard touchdown pass to Colt Muschara. West Forsyth scored its final touchdown later in the period on a fake punt, a direct snap to Jackson Miller, who ran 48 yards for a score. North Forsyth fell to 3-5, 1-4 in Region 6-6A.
Lambert 42, Forsyth Central 7
Lambert picked up the team’s fifth victory on the season, defeating Forsyth Central, 42-7. After gaining a 14-0 lead, Cameron Bland’s rushing score from a yard out brought the Longhorns lead to 21-0 in the third quarter. E.J. Lambert extended the Lambert lead to 28-0 with a touchdown reception of his own. Lambert’s Branson Brooks took an interception back the other way for a score to make Lambert’s lead 35-0. A Marshall Coleman six-yard rushing touchdown with under a minute left in the third extended the Longhorns lead to 42-0. Forsyth Central was able to get on the board late in the fourth but it wasn’t enough as Lambert moves to 4-1 in region play.
Walton 42, Etowah 7
Host Walton opened a 35-0 halftime lead and outgained Etowah 385-to-74 in total yardage. Quarterback Kaeden Gilstrap finished 10-of-13 passing for 196 yards and four touchdowns. Christian Ward finished with four catches for 115 yards and two touchdowns and Jake Thorner and Aiden Opore each hauled in three-yard touchdowns. Lucas Farrington had a game-high 69 yards off just five carries and scored two touchdowns—all in the first half.
Buford 50, Central Gwinnett 0
Buford improved to 7-1 on the season after a low-stress victory against Central Gwinnett. The scoring started early as Buford’s Jordan Allen took a 55-yard punt return to the endzone to take a 7-0 lead. Around three minutes later, Dayton Raiola found Allen for a 28-yard strike followed by a Hayden Bradley two-point conversion to make it a 15-0 game early. Raiola had his deep ball rolling early, this time with a 47-yard throw to Sam Harkness for another touchdown to make it 22-0 by the end of the first quarter. With a little more than nine minutes left in the second quarter, Justin Baker found the endzone for the Wolves with a 19-yard touchdown run to make it 29-0 for Buford. An Ethan Ervin touchdown a few moments later brought the Wolves lead up to 36-0. Tyriq Green continued to add to the Buford scoring with a 63-yard touchdown run with over five minutes left in the first half. Raiola’s third touchdown pass of the night went to Harkness from 15-yards out with 19 seconds left in the first half to expand the Wolves’ lead to 50-0, the final score of the night. With the win, Buford remains a perfect 4-0 in region play.
Denmark 32, South Forsyth 7
Denmark quarterback Matthew Baer tossed five touchdown passes to four different receivers to give the host Danes a 32-0 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Baer’s touchdowns went to Noah LaBan (17 yards), Michael Palmieri (3), Kam Jennings (46, 21) and Dylan Brozena (26). South Forsyth’s Will Watkins ran in a 29-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Norcross 30, Berkmar 14
Norcross moved to 7-1 on the season after a 30-14 victory at home against Berkmar. After a Jack Rouille field goal for the Blue Devils, Jamari Harrold caught an 11-yard touchdown pass from Dillon Mohammed to put Norcross up 10-0 in the third quarter. Seven minutes later, late in the third quarter, Mohammed passed to Harrold to take a 17-0 lead. The Blue Devils added to the lead with a four-yard rushing touchdown from Kobe Robinson to give Norcross a 23-0 margin after the missed extra point. The Norcross lead was extended to 30-0 after Robinson scored from 14-yards out. Berkmar’s Kendall Clark threw a five-yard touchdown with six minutes left in the fourth to cut the Blue Devils lead to 30-7. Three minutes later Bernard struck again, this time from 73-yards as Clark threw his second touchdown of the game, this time to Matthias Taylor to cut the lead to 30-14.
North Paulding 22, Wheeler 14
Running back James Skelly rushed for all three of North Paulding’s touchdowns to lead the Wolfpack over Wheeler at home. North Paulding improved to 5-3 and 2-2 in Region 5-6A, while Wheeler fell to 2-7 and 2-3 in region play. For the Wildcats, running back Josiah Allen and quarterback Brock Adams rushed for touchdowns.
In other Class 6A games – Dacula snapped a two-game losing streak and evened its Region 8 record at 2-2 with a 23-14 victory over visiting Mountain View (2-7, 2-3). … Rockdale County got its first win since the month of August in a narrow 26-21 victory over the Grovetown Warriors, who are still looking for their first win of the season. … Facing a 14-3 deficit late in the second frame, the Parkview Panthers (2-6, 2-3) closed out their matchup with host Duluth (4-4, 2-3) with 24 unanswered points for a 27-14 Region 7 win. … Mill Creek quarterback Shane Throgmartin had three total touchdowns in the Hawks’ 55-0 victory over host Discovery. The ninth-ranked Hawks (7-2, 4-1) will play Buford, potentially for the Region 8 title, after a bye next week. … South Cobb (0-8, 0-5) is still winless after being shutout by a margin of 49-0 at Pebblebrook, which improved to 4-4 overall and 2-3 in Region 3 with the victory. …
Class 5A
McIntosh 29, Banneker 22
McIntosh trailed 16-0 in the first quarter and was able to cut the deficit to 16-14 at the half with Chase Cromartie touchdown passes to David Kienast and Hollis Davidson. Yuri Ajie gave McIntosh its first lead of the game with a touchdown run in the third quarter to make it 21-16. McIntosh got the ball back after a defensive stop, but a completed pass was fumbled and Banneker scored to regain a 22-21 lead with 7:09 left. Junior Brandan Ridley scored the game-winning touchdown from 10 yards out with 1:11 left and Evan Ward sealed the victory with a sack.
Alcovy 21, Apalachee 10
Alcovy quarterback Ayden Goddard answered a 65-yard Apalachee touchdown with a 28-yard touchdown pass to Ashton Hawkins midway through the first quarter and the teams went into the half tied 7-7. Goddard put the Tigers up 14-7 with a touchdown run in the third quarter. Apalachee opened the fourth quarter with a field goal and Goddard iced the game with a touchdown pass to Bernard Johnson with 2:15 left for the final tally.
Rome 63, South Paulding 0
The tenth-ranked Rome Wolves remained unbeaten in Region 5 with a 63-0 defeat of the South Paulding Spartans. Javarius McDearmont had two touchdowns, with one on an interception return. Tinerious Stallings also scored twice, and Arthur Chance and Jaedon Harmon also found the end zone. The Wolves go to 5-0 and can grab a region title next week when the Wolves host New Manchester.
Lee County 67, Veterans 10
Lee County, ranked second in 5A, kept their impressive season going with a dominating win over the Veterans Warhawks, 67-10. The Trojans took a 32-3 lead into the break and coasted in the second half. Lee County can win their first region title since 2021 with a win next week over Northside (Warner Robins) plus a Houston County loss to Thomas County Central.
Roswell 59, Lanier 42
Roswell, ranked No. 7 in Class 5A, won a shootout at Lanier in a game the Hornets led 28-14 at halftime. Roswell (7-1, 4-0 Region 7-5A) held off the Longhorns (4-5, 2-3 Region 7-5A) in the second half after opening a 35-14 lead in the third quarter but allowing two straight touchdowns to Lanier. The Hornets again opened a three-touchdown lead at 49-28, but Lanier came back with two more touchdowns to trail just 49-42 midway through the fourth quarter. Roswell then put the game away with a field goal and interception return for a score late in the fourth. The Hornets face No. 5 Gainesville (4-1) and No. 1 Milton (4-0) in region play to end the regular season.
Effingham County 37, Greenbrier 7
The Effingham County Rebels improved to 4-2 in Region 1 with an emphatic victory over Greenbrier, shutting out the host Wolfpack, save for a 91-yard kickoff return touchdown just before the break. Quarterback Tucker Perkins threw two touchdowns to Trayvis Hunter and one apiece to Jr McKenzie and Jacques King, and the Rebels also got a 45-yard pick-six in the second from Jmere Doe-Davis.
Thomas County Central 62, Northside-Warner Robins 0
The third-ranked Yellow Jackets put up 60+ points for the third time in four contests, besting host Northside 62-0 to improve to 7-1 on the season and 2-1 in Region 2. Quarterback Jaylen Johnson was first in the end zone on a 55-yard keeper, and he connected with Rodney Dunbar for a trio of touchdowns throughout the game. Additionally, Thomas County Central got rushing scores from AJ Clark, Christian Lawrence and Kobe Carnage, along with a scoop-and-score from Jayden Rubbo and an interception returned for a touchdown by Aacoyah Rawls.
Decatur 31, Lakeside-DeKalb 0
Decatur routed Lakeside-DeKalb 31-0 to remain an undefeated 8-0 on the season. Decatur scored the first 10 points of the night with a field goal and didn’t look back. The Bulldogs took a 10-0 lead into the half before they erupted for a 21-point second half to earn their fifth region win of the season. Barron Scott dropped the ball, but the quarterback recovered and found Christian Jamison in the end zone for a 40-yard strike. Darius White tacked on three more scores for the Bulldogs. Next week, Decatur will host the 2024 Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame Game as they welcome Woodward Academy to town for an intriguing matchup of undefeated region opponents.
Brunswick 61, Lakeside-Evans
Host Brunswick (7-1, 6-0 Region 1-5A) outran previously undefeated Lakeside-Evans (7-1, 5-1 Region 1-5A), taking control of the top spot in the region and knocking Lakeside to second place. Quarterback Grant Moore threw two touchdown passes for the No. 9 Pirates, one to Heze Kent and one to Waseem Murray, and rushed for a long score. Kent also had a rushing touchdown, and William Heck rushed for two scores. Brunswick scored twice on defense, getting a long interception return for a touchdown from Sekhi Ashley and a forced fumble and subsequent return from J’Shawn Towns. Ja’Marious Towns also ran for a touchdown for Brunswick.
Statesboro 21, Evans 13
The host Blue Devils built a 21-13 lead before the break, then held on during a turnover-heavy second half to defeat visiting Evans and improve to 2-3 in Region 1 play. Jeron Tisby found the end zone on Statesboro’s opening drive before Bryson Crewe responded for Evans with a 56-yard score (the PAT was no good). The Blue Devils then added two touchdowns to the Knights’ one in the second frame to secure control of the contest and will continue region play at South Effingham next week.
In other 5A games – No. 8 ranked Houston County fell 14-0 to No. 6 ranked Coffee and will have to take on No. 3 ranked Thomas County Central and No. 2 ranked Lee County these next two weeks. … Lee County improved to 8-0 with a 67-10 victory over Veterans and Thomas County Central dominated Northside-Warner Robins 62-0—leaving Thomas County Central, Houston County and Coffee in a three-way tie at 2-1 in Region 2 behind Lee County’s 3-0 region record. …No. 4 ranked Hughes closed out a 46-0 road win over Northgate and Newnan bounced back from last week’s loss to Hughes with a 38-6 win over Lovejoy to take sole possession of second-place in the Region 3 standings behind Hughes.
Class 4A
Starr’s Mill 36, Northside, Columbus 6
Logan Inagawa ran for one touchdown and tossed a 50-yard scoring strike to Lincoln Delaere as Starr’s Mill rolled over visiting Northside, Columbus. The Panthers led 8-0 after one quarter, 22-6 at halftime and 29-6 going into the fourth quarter. They also got two touchdown runs from Blake Turner before Jack Murphy put the exclamation point on the night with an eight-yard touchdown scamper in the fourth. Jai Jackson delivered the lone score for Northside, Columbus on a two-yard plunge.
Kell 61, Centennial 49
Kell running back Moonie Gipson rushed for 292 yards and six touchdowns in his first game back from his shoulder injury a couple weeks ago. The Longhorns totaled 640 yards of offense and snapped a two-game losing streak. Kaleb Narcisse threw for 232 yards and two touchdowns, while also rushing for 109 yards and a score. Jaden George had three touchdowns for 90 yards and a score and Trenton Wonjogu had 72 yards and a touchdown off three catches.
Cass 27, Dalton 0
Izak Koep tallied two interceptions in the first half and Brayon Hill broke loose for a 25-yard touchdown run to give Cass a 21-0 lead. Cass blocked its second Dalton punt in the third quarter but was unable to pad its lead until a Jachai Delgado touchdown run early in the fourth quarter put the Colonels up 27-0.
Eastside 42, East Forsyth 7
Eastside quarterback Payton Shaw threw four touchdown passes and the Eagles got touchdown runs from Jayden Barr (3 yards) and Tyler Solomon (19). Shaw’s touchdowns went to Tyler Hoff (26), Xavier Joseph (41), Barr (52) and Michael Kenon Jr. (2) and Eastside led 42-0 heading into the fourth. East Forsyth’s touchdown came with just 13 seconds left.
Madison County 35, Cedar Shoals 3
The Cedar Shoals Jaguars fell to 0-8 on the season as the Madison County Red Raiders got their third win of the season win a 35-3 victory. This is the Red Raiders’ fourth time ever beating Cedar Shoals after the schools each took home a win in the last two times these teams lined up against each other. Both programs will continue region play next week as Madison County will travel to Walnut Grove next week while Cedar Shoals welcomes Eastside.
Class 3A
Sandy Creek 28, Whitewater 21
Host Sandy Creek led 13-0 at the half after a 3-yard Chase McDowell touchdown run and 15-yard touchdown pass from Caleb Hill to Corey Hadley. Whitewater got on the board with a 31-yard touchdown run by David Duru. Sandy Creek forced a turnover later in the third quarter and capped a 78-yard drive with a 1-yard McDowell touchdown run to make it 20-7 heading into the final frame. Whitewater quarterback Chase Robert hit Parker Moor for a 54-yard completion and then ran in a 1-yard score to cut the deficit to 20-14. Sandy Creek answered with Hill’s second touchdown pass to Hadley on an 8-yard connection to put the Patriots up 28-14 with nine minutes left. Roberts ran in a 1-yard touchdown to cut into the deficit, but Sandy Creek was able to run out the clock after drawing a pass interference call on a critical 4th and 7 with 2:09 left that extended the drive.
Calhoun 20, Gilmer 6
Calhoun (5-3, 4-0) recovered a Gilmer fumble to set up an Isaiah Nalls touchdown run and led 7-0 at the half. Quarterback Cross land threw a touchdown pass to Beau Kelly to increase the lead to 14-0 and junior Hunter White rushed for a touchdown that made it 20-0 with 9:39 left in the fourth. Gilmer’s touchdown came with 2:53 left and the PAT was blocked.
Douglass 50, North Clayton 8
No. 5-ranked Douglass defeated North Clayton 50-8 to move to 6-2 overall and 4-0 in Region 5-3A play. The Astros lead Luella and Stephenson (3-1) in the league standings. The Astros got touchdown runs from Janarius Barner (20 yards), John Wilson and Quintavious Boykin (4 yards). Wilson and Kendrick Henderson each had a touchdown pass in the romp. Casey Barner had a fumble returned for a touchdown for Douglass.
LaGrange 49, Troup 21
No. 6 LaGrange (7-2, 6-1 Region 2-3A) pulled away from rival Troup (4-4, 3-3 Region 2-3A) in the second quarter and never looked back, leading 28-7 at halftime after entering the quarter tied 7-7. LaGrange quarterback Dylan Barber threw a 34-yard touchdown pass to Julian Jones, rushed for touchdowns of 22 and 6 yards and caught a touchdown pass of 35 yards from Denorayon Reid on a trick play. Malachi Fannin-Render rushed for three touchdowns for the Grangers, including two within 20 seconds late in the first half. Harris Grace had two interceptions, both of which helped set up Granger touchdowns in the second quarter.
Cairo 43, Dougherty 35
Cairo opened the game with a defensive safety and when Justyn Teal returned the ensuing kickoff back for a touchdown to put the Syrupmakers ahead 9-0, it set the tone for the game. A 42-yard field goal and a 38-yard touchdown run from Bryian Duncan Jr. expanded the margin to 19-0. Dougherty scored with five minutes left in the first half on a 25-yard pass to cut into the lead but a short touchdown run from Cairo with less than a minute in the first half kept Cairo’s momentum alive. Early in the second half, Dougherty scored on a 48-yard touchdown pass to trail 26-14. Cairo kicked a 24-yard field goal and early in the fourth quarter Duncan Jr, a two-way athlete, returned an interception 102 yards for a touchdown to give Cairo a 35-14 advantage. Dougherty’s 42-yard rushing touchdown cut into the lead but Cairo answered on a short touchdown run to lead 43-21. With nine minutes left in the game, Dougherty scored on a 5-yard run and completed a 26-yard touchdown pass to trail 43-35 and cap scoring.
North Hall 21, Lumpkin County 16
More than half of the game’s 37 total points were scored in a wild fourth quarter, as visiting North Hall held off Lumpkin County. The Trojans led 8-3 at halftime on a Smith McGarvey touchdown pass to Luke Jenkins and they extended their advantage to 15-3 after three quarters thanks to a scoring strike from McGarvey to Ty Kemp. Lumpkin County twice got within five points, first on a touchdown pass from Cal Faulkner to A.J. Scott and again with six minutes left thanks to a two-yard plunge by Nolan Matthews. However, North Hall proceeded to run out the clock with a drive that went all the way inside the Indians’ 10-yard line. McGarvey also scored on a 43-yard run, while Lumpkin County opened the scoring with a 29-yard field goal by Josue Nieto.
Greater Atlanta Christian 28, White County 23
Nursing a 21-17 lead, Greater Atlanta Christian mounted a drive including runs from Pierce Wilson, Tommy Young and Denzell Watkins plus a long pass from Watkins to Daniels to set up a 3-yard touchdown run from Wilson to take a 28-17 lead, keeping the game out of reach. The Spartans trailed 17-14 at the half and an 80-yard touchdown pass from Young to Jaden Henry in the third quarter gave GAC a 21-17 lead.
Northwest Whitfield 38, Adairsville 14
Northwest Whitfield defeated region rival Adairsville 38-14 to keep their playoff hopes alive. Northwest Whitfield started the game strong, scoring 17 points in the first half and taking a 17-0 lead into the second quarter. The second quarter remained scoreless until five minutes before halftime when Adairsville scored to cut the lead to 17-7. The Tigers narrowed the gap to just three points soon after with another passing touchdown, with the half ending 17-14 in favor of the Bruins. Northwest Whitfield extended their lead in the third quarter with a rushing touchdown, making it 24-14. In the fourth quarter, Northwest Whitfield added two more touchdowns, finishing with a 38-14 victory.
Calvary Day 49, Johnson-Savannah 7
The Calvary Day Cavaliers took home a 49-7 victory on Friday night, knocking Johnson-Savannah to 2-5 on the season. The Cavaliers improve to 6-1 on the season and remain undefeated in region play, improving to 6-0. Calvary Day is now 7-0 all-time against Johnson-Savannah as they have outscored the Atomsmashers 105-7 over their last two matchups against Johnson-Savannah.
Heritage-Catoosa 50, Lafayette 7
Brody James started the scoring with a 13-yard touchdown run as the General of Heritage-Catoosa rolled to a 50-7 win over the Lafayette Ramblers. Heritage-Catoosa finished the first quarter with two blocks of Lafayette punts and running them to the end zone. Cooper Chappalear returned the first and Cody Bryan took back the second. The Generals move to 3-1in Region 7, while the Ramblers are winless at 0-5 and 0-9 overall.
In other 3A games – Baldwin stayed in the Region 4-3A title hunt with a big 19-7 win over Aquinas. Baldwin improved to 3-1 in region play ahead of their matchup against undefeated Westside-Augusta next week. … Spalding moved to 4-3 in Region 2-3A play after upending Mary Persons and stands in fourth place and on the playoff bubble after the victory. …
Class 2A
Hebron Christian 42, Stephens County 0
Hebron Christian (7-1, 3-0 Region 8-2A), ranked No. 2 in Private Class 3A-A, shut out Stephens County (4-4, 1-2 Region 8-2A) at home, as quarterback Thomas Stallworth threw for two touchdowns and rushed for one. Stallworth found Jarvis Mathurin and Noah Hill for touchdowns, and Mathurin also had a punt return for a touchdown. Devon Caldwell rushed for two scores for the Lions.
Appling County 42, Tattnall County 7
Appling County had few issues in its 42-7 victory over Tattnall County and led 7-0 after the first quarter and 21-0 at the half. The Pirates moved to 5-2 overall and 2-0 in Region 3-2A play, tied with Pierce County (2-0).
Carver-Atlanta 42, Therrell 0
Carver entered the rankings for the first time this season after last week’s 50-0 rout of Holy Innocents’, and the ninth-ranked Panthers responded with a 42-0 victory over visiting Therrell to extend their win streak to five games — the past four of which have all been shutouts. Region 5 rivals Lovett and Hapeville Charter are still on the schedule for Carver (6-2, 4-0). Therrell, meanwhile, enters its bye week after dropping to 2-6 overall and 1-3 in region play.
North Cobb Christian 34, North Murray 13
North Cobb Christian surged to a 21-0 halftime lead thanks to a trio of Teddy Jarrard passing touchdowns and eventually cruised past visiting North Murray. Although North Murray got within 21-7 going into the fourth quarter, the Eagles pulled away with touchdown runs by Jacob Malcolm and Denim Stevens. Brody Archie, Turner Davis and Spears Martin were on the receiving end of scoring strikes from Jarrard.
Thomasville 62, Brantley County 0
The scoring quick and often as Thomasville improved to 7-2 on the season defeating Brantley County 62-0. On the first play from scrimmage, Thomasville’s Cam Hill found Messiah Wilson for a 61-yard touchdown to give the Bulldogs the early 7-0 lead. After a Brantley County fumble, Rex Schofill caught a 63-yard pass from Hill to extend the lead to 14-0. Levonte Cole put the Bulldogs up by three scores with a five-yard rushing touchdown. Hill added to the Bulldogs lead with a 14-yard scramble for a score to make the lead, 28-0. The scoring continued with a Joe Douglass interception returned for a touchdown. On another Brantley County turnover, Keymon Jefferson returned a fumble for a touchdown, adding to the first quarter 41-0 lead. Jefferson followed had another fumble returned for a touchdown to add to the romp of Brantley County. With over nine minutes left in the first half, Ant Anderson took a reception 57-yards to the house to make it a 55-0 game by the end of the first half. A second Anderson touchdown, this time from 43-yards out turned out to be the final score of the night as Thomasville improves to 4-1 in the region.
Rockmart 49, Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe 20
The Rockmart Yellow Jackets became the 52nd school in Georgia history to record 500 wins after a 49-20 victory over the Warriors of Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe. The eighth-ranked Yellow Jackets now need one more win over their final two games to record their eighth-straight region title. The next team in line to reach 500 is Irwin County, who has notched 498 wins in their history.
In other 2A games – No. 1 Pierce County remained perfect at 7-0, 2-0 in Region 3-2A with its 34-6 road win at Crisp County (1-7, 0-2 Region 3-2A). … No. 2 Morgan County (7-0, 2-0 Region 2-2A) also stayed undefeated, handling Jackson (4-4, 2-1 Region 2-2A) 36-7 at home. … Hapeville Charter (4-3, 3-0 Region 5-2A) took down previously undefeated Lovett, ranked No. 5 in Private Class 3A-A, 25-15 at Banneker’s home stadium. Hapeville takes over second place in the region behind 4-0 Carver-Atlanta, and Lovett falls to 7-1, 3-1 in region play to move to third place.
Class A Division I
Pepperell 35, Haralson County 20
Pepperell opened a 14-0 lead early in the second quarter with a 50-yard touchdown pass from Moss Tant to Sam Wooten. Haralson County answered with a 9-yard touchdown run but failed the two-point conversion and trailed 14-6 at the half. Sam Ross extended the lead to 21-6 with a touchdown run and then found Kellen Edeburne on a 55-yard touchdown to give the Dragons a 28-6 advantage heading into the fourth. Haralson County ran in a 1-yard score to open the fourth quarter and scored on an interception returned for a touchdown to cut the deficit to 28-20 with 10 minutes left, but Tant iced the game with a 4-yard touchdown run.
Darlington 31, Model 0
Sammy Kunczewski threw a touchdown pass, rushed for two touchdowns and had an interception on defense for Darlington (5-3, 3-1 Region 6-A Division I) in its home win over Model (3-5, 1-3 Region 6-A Division I). Kunczewski threw a first-half touchdown to his brother Nate Kunczewski and rushed for two second-half scores, setting up the second one with his own interception. Bodie Powers also had a touchdown rush in the first half, and an Ade Desalu field goal gave the Tigers a 17-0 halftime lead.
Monticello 31, Social Circle 29
Social Circle’s Luke Cross found Jude Nelson for a 35-yard touchdown midway through the fourth quarter to tie the game 21-21 and eventually force overtime. Monticello missed a field goal on the first possession of overtime, but then an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty forced Social Circle back and their 48-yard attempt was no good. In double-overtime, a Jude Nelson touchdown and Bristol Evans two-point conversion put Social Circle up 29-21. Monticello answered with a Jamarkus Thomas touchdown and two-point conversion by Bryan Ridley to force triple overtime. Kamarion Owens converted the first two-point conversion in triple overtime that proved to be the game-winning points.
Athens Academy 35, Elbert County 34
Elbert County regained a 28-27 lead with 10:30 left in the fourth quarter, but Athens Academy quarterback Hampton Johnson connected with Keyon Standifer for an 18-yard touchdown and Standifer added a two-point conversion on a reverse to put the Spartans back up 35-28 with 5:27 left. Elbert County responded and ran in a 5-yard touchdown with 42 seconds left, but Athens Academy blocked the PAT and recovered the onside kick to celebrate the road victory and improve to 9-0. Jamari Welch scored a 59-yard touchdown on the second snap of the game to give Athens Academy a 7-0 lead. Elbert County tied it back and then Welch returned to the endzone on a 2-yard run. A missed PAT and a 9-yard Elbert County touchdown and successful two-point conversion gave the Blue Devils a 15-13 lead. Johnson ran in a 1-yard touchdown and Standifer scored the two-point attempt to give Athens Academy a 21-15 halftime lead. Johnson found Standifer for a 45-yard touchdown to open the half and a failed two-point try left the lead at 27-15. Elbert County scored back-to-back touchdowns—adding a PAT on the first of the two and then failing a two-point try on the second—to take the 28-27 lead.
Swainsboro 32, Vidalia 21
Swainsboro stayed unbeaten in region play, defeating Vidalia 32-21. Swainsboro started scoring with a 41-yard Bryson Traver touchdown run to take a 6-0 lead. Vidalia answered early in the second quarter with a 2-yard Jamorion Phillips rushing touchdown. Vidalia then added to their lead with a 52-yard Jackson Berry rushing touchdown, taking a 14-6 lead. Traver scored again on a 6-yard run to cut the lead to two, going into halftime down 14-12. Early in the third quarter, Swainsboro regained the lead on Traver’s third rushing touchdown of the night, making it 20-14. Late in the third, Vidalia reclaimed the lead on Jackson Berry’s second touchdown of the night. Swainsboro took the lead for the final time on Traver’s fourth and final touchdown. The Tigers added a final touchdown with under a minute to go, securing the 32-21 victory.
In other Class A Division I games – No. 1 Toombs County remained unbeaten with a 31-21 road win at Savannah Country Day. Toombs County moved to 6-0, 1-0 in Region 3-A, while Savannah Country Day fell to 2-6, 0-3 in region play. … No. 3 Fannin County was a 56-6 home winner, improving to 8-0 and 5-0 in Region 7-A. Armuchee fell to 3-5, 0-5 in region. … Fitzgerald, ranked No. 5, came away with a 56-7 road win over Berrien to bring its record to 5-2, 3-1 Region 1-A. Berrien fell to 0-7, 0-3 in region. … No. 6 Dodge County handled Jefferson County 43-6 at home to stay perfect at 8-0, 7-0 in Region 2-A. Jefferson County fell to 0-6, 0-5 in region. … Worth County, ranked No. 7, defeated Bacon County 54-24 on the road. Worth County is now 5-3, 3-1 in Region 1-A, while Bacon County drops to 4-4, 1-3 in region play.
Class A Division II
Clinch County 34, Irwin County 28
Clinch County handed Irwin County its first loss of the season, defeating the Indians 34-28 Friday. The first seven plays consisted of a score from each side as Aaron Bryant tied things up at 7-7 in the first quarter. Bryant tied things up once again, this time at 14-14 after he scrambled for a 65-yard touchdown run. The Panthers took a 21-14 lead into the break as Bryant’s 10-yard touchdown pass to Travis Miller with five-seconds remaining in the half gave them the touchdown advantage. Malik McNair extended the Panthers lead with a 12-yard touchdown run on the first drive of the second half to make it 28-14 in the third quarter. After Irwin County found the endzone, Bryant rushed for another score, this time from four yards out to take a 34-21 lead in the fourth quarter. The Indians were able to score with 28 seconds left, but it wasn’t enough as Clinch County handed the Indians their only loss thus far in the season.
Metter 12, McIntosh County Academy 6
Michael Ricks was the hero for Metter in the come-from-behind victory for Metter. Ricks scored on a 5-yard run with nine minutes left in the third quarter and passed 38 yards to Elijah Dickerson to give the Tigers the lead for good. McIntosh County Academy led 6-0 early on a 69-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter, but Metter held the Buccaneers scoreless in the second half and overcame the deficit to secure the victory.
Schley County 34, Central-Talbotton 0
Junior quarterback Blake Weldon was 12-of-15 passing for 236 yards and three touchdowns to lead Schley County past Central. Senior Jordan Hudson, junior Jonathan Leggett Jr. and senior Kendal Sims each had a touchdown receptions. Sims finished with six catches for 150 yards. Sophomore Jeremiah Johnson had two carries for 10 yards and one touchdown for Schley. Jacob Purdue and Brody Smith each forced a safety in the romp.
Taylor County 27, Chattahoochee County 14
The Vikings sealed the game early in the fourth quarter with a blocked punt returned for a touchdown, winning 27-14. Taylor County kept its region title hopes alive with a 27-14 win over Chattahoochee County. Taylor County took an early lead, scoring a touchdown to go up 6-0. The Panthers took their first lead of the night on a rushing touchdown with 10 minutes left in the half. With two minutes remaining in the second quarter, Taylor County regained the lead on a Brayden Ellison 2-yard rushing touchdown and a successful two-point conversion, going into halftime up 14-7. The Vikings extended their lead in the third quarter with a fumble returned for a touchdown to go up 21-7. Halfway through the third, Chattahoochee County cut the lead with an interception returned for a touchdown.
In other A Division II games – Early County led 14-6 after the first quarter and expanded the margin to 36-14 entering the fourth quarter in its 35-14 victory against Early County. … Screven County nursed a 7-0 lead through three quarters before scoring two touchdowns, including a run from AB Hilton, in the fourth quarter to put the game away 21-0 against Savannah. …
Thursday Recaps
Class 4A
Marist 56, Clarkston 0
The Marist War Eagles remained an undefeated 8-0 on the season after a 35-point first quarter propelled them to victory over Clarkston, 56-0. Trace Gaynes got Marist on the board first with a 14-yard touchdown run to take an early 7-0 lead. Noah Garrick put the War Eagles on the board with a 19-yard touchdown reception from James Lasco. The Marist defense forced a turnover with a pick-six from Owen Rice to put the War Eagles on top by three touchdowns early. A 5-yard run from Max Mraz continued the first quarter scoring. After a two-yard Joe Montembeau touchdown run to cap off the early scoring run, Clarkston was facing a 35-point hole after the first quarter. With under 11 minutes left in the second quarter, Dawson Batemon caught a 16-yard strike from Montembeau to bring the Marist lead to 42. The scoring continued to pile on in the first half as the War Eagles’ Hayes Rollauer scored from eight yards out to take a 49-0 lead into the break. Marist’s Mid McDonald rushing score from three-yards out was the last score of the night as the War Eagles routed the Angoras, 56-0.
Ola 34, Union Grove 7
Sophomore Cayden Hutson had nine carries for 130 yards and two touchdowns while sophomore Caden Waye made 17 carries for 91 yards and a touchdown to lead Ola. Quarterback Caden Worley was 8-of-16 passing for 176 yards and a touchdown. Sophomore Jacoby Parker had a 25-yard touchdown reception. Carter Spence was 4-for-4 on point-after tries and 2-for-2 on field goals in the victory.
Hampton 37, Woodland-Stockbridge 7
Hampton led 8-0 after the first quarter and 22-7 at halftime before holding Woodland scoreless in the second half to secure the victory. Hampton quarterback Tristan Parks passed to Kamarui Dorsey (76, 56 yards), Markel Ferguson (26 yards), Lionel Mann Jr. (23 yards), and Brejon Green (17 yards) for touchdowns. Brian Glover scored on a 50-yard run for Woodland.
Creekside 63, Drew 7
Creekside had little issues moving past Drew and led 14-7 after the first quarter and 50-7 at the half. Creekside rushed for five touchdowns in the romp – Cayden Benson (2), Anthony Hill (1), Ced Kelly (1) and Corey Mims (1). Benson passed to Dylan Vickerson and Eric Paul Jr. for touchdowns.
Jonesboro 43, Griffin 28
Jonesboro led 23-7 after the first quarter and 37-14 at the half in a romp of Griffin in a key Region 3 matchup. The Cardinals are in second place in the league at 3-1 behind Starr’s Mill (4-0).
Class 3A
Cherokee Bluff 17, Oconee County 10
Cherokee Bluff moved to 8-0 overall and 3-0 in Region 8 play after outlasting Oconee County. The Bears are tied atop the league with Jefferson (3-0) while Oconee County fell to 2-1 in region play.
Class A Division II
Crawford County 37, Turner County 27
Senior quarterback Isaac Meadows was 9-of-17 passing for 160 yards and three touchdowns to lead Crawford. Juniors CJ Anderson and Perce Belvin each added a touchdown run while Anderson had five receptions for 125 yards and two touchdowns. Junior Champ Price had three catches for 25 yards and a touchdown for Crawford.
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