Class AAAAAA’s Dacula scored 10 fourth-quarter points in a thrilling comeback victory over the visiting Mill Creek Hawks (Class AAAAAAA), sealing the 24-21 win with a go-ahead field goal by Zach Gerks after Jalen Cole recovered and returned a fumble (forced by Kyle Efford) for the Falcons to the Mill Creek 14-yard line. The Hawks dominated the first quarter; Josh Battle capitalized on a 9-yard Dacula punt with a score on the ground and Chance Parker added a 14-yard trip to the end zone. Dacula finally got on the board in the second frame with a 22-yard touchdown pass from Jarrett Jenkins to Chris Scott Jr, and the 14-7 Mill Creek lead stood at halftime. Kyle Efford tied it up with a rushing touchdown early in the third, but Mill Creek quarterback Thurman Harris responded by finding Khamari Glover with a 35-yarder to put the Hawks up 21-14. The touchdown completion late in the third would provide Mill Creek its final points of the game, however. Jarrett Jenkins’ quarterback sneak tied the game again early in the final frame before the Falcons defense thwarted Mill Creek’s attempt to get within field goal range. Gerks gave Dacula its first lead with :04 left on the clock.
Class AAAAAAA
Collins Hill 12, Walton 10
Collins Hill downed Walton on the final play of the game, as Eagles quarterback Sam Horn found Travis Hunter in the end zone from the 9-yard line for the 12-10 victory on the road. Walton took its first lead of the game with 5:33 remaining in the fourth quarter when KD Stokes scored on a 3-yard run to make it 10-6 Raiders. Before the Stokes touchdown, the teams had combined for three field goals. Isaac Bonacci of Collins Hill hit a 21-yarder and a 30-yarder in the second quarter before Walton got on the scoreboard with a field goal in the fourth quarter.
Cherokee 14, Sequoyah 0
The Cherokee Warriors shut out host Sequoyah 14-0 Friday night thanks to key defensive performances and a 17-carry, 100-yard game from sophomore running back Keith Adams Jr. Sophomore quarterback AJ Swann’s 15-yard completion to Devin Ellison in the second frame provided the first points of the outing, and a 24-yard run from Adams Jr in the fourth quarter sealed the win for the Warriors. Junior linebacker Braesen Parker finished with 11 tackles, and senior safety Patrick Dahlen contributed six tackles and two interceptions. Junior cornerback Riley Lyons added a pick in the end zone as well.
North Forsyth 21, Gainesville 7
The Raiders’ first touchdown of the night came courtesy of Jared Lucero off a 15-yard rush midway through the first quarter. With 5:35 left in the half, North Forsyth’s Jumel Lewis had a big interception, allowing the Raiders to score at the 3:06 mark off a 4-yard pass from Brady Meitz to Nicky Dalmolin, putting the Raiders up 14-0 to end the half. Meitz snuck it into the end zone with 5:59 to go in the third, and Gainesville’s only touchdown came a few minutes later when Gionni Williams connected with DJ Miller for 25 yards. Both teams went scoreless in the fourth.
North Gwinnett 26, Armwood 23
North Gwinnett hosted the Armwood Hawks in a down-to-the-wire matchup. The Bulldogs found themselves down 3-0 heading into the second half before kicking their offense into gear. Senior quarterback JR Martin connected with North Carolina commit Josh Downs to take a 7-3 lead in the third. The lead was eventually regained by Armwood, but North Gwinnett went back on top following a touchdown rush from senior running back Devin Crosby with 2:43 left in the quarter. A 49-yard field goal from Andrew Lim gave the Bulldogs a 7-point lead in the fourth, but Armwood was able to tie the game at 17 apiece to force overtime. Two field goals sent the teams into double overtime, where Armwood added three more points to the board. North Gwinnett then pulled off a trick play, resulting in a pass from Downs to DJ Hart for the game-winning touchdown.
Roswell 35, Campbell 0
The visiting Roswell Hornets will head home with an impressive 35-0 victory over the Campbell Spartans. The Hornets’ first touchdown came in the second quarter when quarterback Ethan Roberts connected with Jacob Jarrett for 40 yards. Roberts found Marquis Willis on a 32-yarder to give Roswell a 14-0 lead at the half. The Hornets took over in the third, scoring three touchdowns. On the first possession, Roswell had a 70-yard drive off 10 plays that ended with a 3-yard rush by Savion McCray. On Campbell’s following possession, Roswell’s Khaleed Mobley sacked Alex Stack in the end zone, gaining control of the ball and extending the lead 28-0. Tajari Singleton scored Roswell’s final touchdown late in the third.
Lowndes 44, Champagnat Catholic (FL) 14
Champagnat scored first on a 53-yard scoop-and-score and Lowndes responded with a field goal before the Vikings took full control. Quarterback Jaccuri Brown led with touchdown runs off option reads for 50 and 27 yards. Jalen Baker was a defensive stalwart and returned two interceptions—one with 4:55 left before halftime and another with 10:44 left in the game—for touchdowns, and Gary Osby scored a touchdown on a short run with 5:38 before halftime. The Lions added a short rushing touchdown with 10:56 left in the game. Lowndes led 31-7 at the break.
Grayson 37, Tucker 14
The Rams’ senior running back LaFayette Gurvin Jr. came out of the gates quick for the Grayson offense, finding his way into the end zone twice for a 15-7 lead heading into the second. A field goal from Garwood Collins and a safety from the Grayson defense paired with the Rams’ lone second-quarter touchdown—a pass from CJ Dixon to Gurvin—to increase the lead to 27-14 at the half. Tucker would fail to put points on the board again as the Rams tacked on another Collins field goal in the third and a receiving touchdown by junior Jaden Smith in the fourth.
Class AAAAAA
Chattahoochee 46, Lambert 28
The visiting Chattahoochee Cougars came out on top after running away with the game at the end of the third. With 8 minutes left in the second, Lambert’s Peyton Rich connected with Braden Bamburowski to put the Longhorns up 7-3. Chattahoochee responded three minutes later with a 34-yard touchdown pass to Jordon Palmer, but the Cougars missed the extra point. With a minute left in the half, Bamburowski again found the end zone, and Chattahoochee scored on the following possession, brining the score 16-14 in favor of the Cougars heading into the third. The third quarter saw two kick-return touchdowns from both teams—one for 86 yards by Chattahoochee’s Andre Banks Jr. and an 85-yarder from Lambert’s Kojo Antwi—putting Lambert up 28-23. A strong passing performance from Chattahoochee’s Jaylen Smith helped to carry the Cougars the rest of the way. Smith found Tyran Mccoy for a touchdown and Jahmal Smith scored on the two-point conversion. Jaylen Smith then connected with Jahmal Smith for a 30-yard touchdown giving Chattahoochee a 38-28 lead to end the third. The two Smiths then connected on a 47-yard pass in the fourth, and a two-point conversion off a pass from Eli Price sealed the win.
Harrison 35, Hiram 7
After a slow start, the Harrison Hoyas scored five unanswered touchdowns—including three in the second quarter—to best host Hiram 35-7. The Class AAAAA Hornets struck first to go up 7-0 in the opening frame, but the Hoyas found their groove soon after. Quarterback Gavin Hall connected with Marques Owens for two touchdown completions, and Jay Ziglor and Marcus Bleazard added scores on the ground. The remaining Harrison touchdown came on a fumble recovery and return by Tommy Pollack.
Creekview 36, Woodstock 20
Creekview led just 8-0 at halftime before an explosion of points in the second half. The Grizzlies got six catches and two touchdowns from Ethan Dirrim, who also rushed for a touchdown and scored a two-point conversion. Dirrim also had an interception on defense at the goal line at the end of the first half. Brody Rhodes was 12-of-28 passing for 125 yards, one touchdown and one interception, and he rushed for a game-high 151 yards and in the fourth quarter rushed for a 67-yard touchdown.
Stephenson 28, Southwest DeKalb 15
Stephenson defeated Southwest DeKalb at Hallford Stadium on the strength of three rushing touchdowns from Deondre Jackson. Jackson scored to tie the game at 7-7 at 11:32 in the second quarter on a 4-yard run, and gave Stephenson a 13-7 halftime lead after a 1-yard run at 7:35 in the second quarter, set up by a 35-yard run on the drive. In the third, Jackson gave the Jaguars a 21-7 lead at the 6:54 mark with another 1-yard run and a two-point conversion. The Jaguars made it 28-7 at 3:24 in the third with a 28-yard Trevon Ferrell touchdown catch. Tommie Wright and Khoreem Miller scored touchdowns for Southwest DeKalb.
Lee County 27, Life Christian (VA) 0
In a game that was called with 6:24 left in the game, Lee County had full control throughout and was driving for another touchdown when a disagreement between Life Christian’s sideline staff and the referees forced the officials to end the contest. Shortly before the game was called, the LCA line jumped offsides, seemingly to impact the Lee County players prior to the snap. Motive was unknown, but several social media reports indicated it appeared coordinated. Neither coach could be reached for comment. Quarterback Kyle Toole was 14-of-26 passing for 176 yards and two touchdowns. He connected with James Hopson (35 yards) and Tyrus Washington (2 yards) for touchdowns. Preston Simmons scored on a 1-yard run in the first quarter. Austin Beaver kicked field goals of 37 and 32 yards in the victory. Hopson had six receptions for 109 yards and a score.
Jones (FL) 47, Johns Creek 16
Down 7-3 in the first quarter, Gladiators’ quarterback Ben Whitlock tossed a 45-yard touchdown to put Johns Creek ahead. Jones retook the lead with 5:12 left in the first, and tacked on another before the quarter could come to a close. After 34 unanswered points by the Fightin’ Tigers, Whitlock connected with Dalton Pearson to salvage some points before halftime. A lone third-quarter score by Jones ended the scoring spree, handing the Gladiators a tough loss.
Class AAAAA
Clarke Central 28, Oconee County 21
West Weeks returned the opening kickoff for an Oconee County touchdown that put the Warriors up 7-0 over host Clarke Central. The Gladiators answered the special teams touchdown with a 4-yard rushing score by O’Brien Barnett and a 54-yard touchdown pass from Isaac Ward to Jalen Gary to close out the first quarter with a 14-7 lead. Weeks evened it back up with a 3-yard Oconee County touchdown run midway through the second quarter, but a missed PAT and a Ward 15-yard touchdown pass to Gary with :28 left in the half gave Clarke Central a 21-13 lead. Gary finished the first half with four receptions for 107 yards and two scores, while Barnett took a whopping 21 carries for 124 yards and his score. Clarke Central grew its lead to 28-13 with an 82-yard touchdown pass from Ward to Nono Mack in the third quarter. Oconee County got in the end zone with 7:11 left in the fourth quarter on a Darius Johnson 5-yard rushing touchdown, but a failed 2-point conversion left the Warriors trailing 28-19. Clarke Central was forced to punt on its next possession and snapped it into the end zone for a safety, but Oconee County’s offense was unable to get a potential tying score.
Union Grove 41, McDonough 13
Host Union Grove outscored McDonough 17-0 in the second half to earn a victory its Henry County rival to open its season. The Wolverines went up 14-0 in the first quarter on a pair of touchdown runs by De Williams (45 yards, 32). Thomas Maldonado added a 28-yard field goal to grow the lead to 17-0 with 7:37 left in half. McDonough found the end zone on a 50-yard touchdown pass from Isaiah Massey to Orri Roberts to cut it to 17-7. Union Grove’s Mikale Hodges answered with a 22-yard touchdown run, but McDonough’s Nautica Leanear scored on a 3-yard run just before the half to make it 24-13. Union Grove’s dominant second half included a 37-yard field goal by Maldonado, a 3-yard touchdown run by Hodges and a 23-yard rushing touchdown by Tre Neeland with 7:23 left to play.
Buford 41, Jonesboro 0
Buford led 35-0 at half and held visiting Jonesboro to 94 yards of total offense in the Wolves’ home win. Quarterback Jarvis Evans was 7-of-10 passing for 113 yards and three touchdown passes, and he rushed for a 1-yard score. Gabe Ervin rushed 12 times for 93 yards and a touchdown run of 9 yards that put Buford up 7-0 in the first quarter. Jackson Galbraith scored on a 3-yard run to make it 14-0, and Davis Peek caught a 14-yard pass from Evans before Evans’s short TD run made it 28-0. A 3-yard completion from Evans to Tommy Beuglas made it 35-0 at half, and Evans found Justice Johnson for a 35-yard touchdown pass in the third to complete the scoring.
Class AAAA
Blessed Trinity 34, South Forsyth 31
Two-time defending state champion held off Class AAAAAAA’s South Forsyth on the road to stamp the program’s 23rd straight victory. Jackson Hamilton gave the Titans a 7-0 lead with a 22-yard touchdown run in the second quarter and South Forsyth’s Tre Green ran in a 22-yard score to tie it up 7-7 at the half. Blessed Trinity added two Justice Haynes touchdown runs (13 yards, 15 yards) and an interception return for a touchdown in the third quarter to go up 27-7 before Haynes added a 19-yard touchdown run early in the fourth to put Blessed Trinity up 34-7. South Forsyth got on the board with a Kyle Durham 3-yard touchdown run. Following a successful onside kick, Durham found Cameron Schurr for a 27-yard touchdown run that made it a 34-27 game. The War Eagles did not recover their next onside attempt, but following a Blessed Trinity punt, Durham tossed a 23-yard touchdown pass to Devin McGlockton with just 5.1 seconds left to bring it to 34-31.
Denmark 41, Cherokee Bluff 0
The Denmark Danes opened their program’s second season of existence with a dominating 41-0 road win over Class AAA’s sophomore program Cherokee Bluff. Quarterback Aaron McLouglin threw two of his three touchdown passes in the opening quarter and Jordan Brunson rushed for two scores to put the Danes up 27-0. A Zach Ogbogu 32-yard touchdown run pushed the lead to 34-0 at the half. Denmark’s final score came on a 43-yard touchdown pass from McLoughlin to Brunson with 8:22 left in the third quarter.
North Oconee 41, Apalachee 7
Visiting North Oconee shook off an early 7-0 deficit that came on an interception returned for a touchdown and poured on 41 unanswered points. Quarterback Bubba Chandler connected with Max Tumblin to even it up 7-7 in the first quarter before Phillip Ard’s 37-yard field goal with 6:41 left in the half gave the Titans their first lead of the game (10-7). Chandler found Griffin Trest for a 28-yard touchdown with 2:23 left in the second and then Adam Weynard blocked an Apalachee field goal attempt and returned it 75 yards for a touchdown on the final play of the half to put the Titans up 24-7. Chandler added a 21-yard touchdown run with 9:16 left in the third quarter and then tossed a 19-yard touchdown to Gavin Bloom with 3:15 left in the frame. Thomas Davis ran in the game’s final touchdown with 6:27 left in the fourth.
Woodward Academy 35, Grady 7
Host Woodward Academy led 14-0 after the opening quarter and 28-0 at the half. Damari Alston found the end zone first on a 1-yard touchdown run and then hauled in a 21-yard touchdown pass from Mike Wright to grow the lead to 14-0. Wright connected with Jacorrei Turner on a 27-yard touchdown pass early in the second quarter and added an 8-yard rushing score before the half. Alston scored on a 14-yard run with 8:38 to go in the third quarter and the lead held until a Grady touchdown with just 1:10 left in the final frame.
Troup 65, Ridgeland 24
Host Troup blew open a game that was much closer through the first three periods by outscoring Ridgeland 30-3 in the final quarter. A touchdown reception by Torrance Roberts and a kickoff return touchdown by his brother Terrance Roberts accounted for both of Ridgeland’s first half scores, but Troup quarterback Kobe Hudson tossed a trio of touchdowns that gave the Tigers a 22-13 lead at the break. Hudson rushed for a 10-yard touchdown to open the second half and then a Ridgeland touchdown run by Jordan Blackwell brought it to 29-21 heading into the final quarter. Following a 26-yard touchdown run by Troup’s Tre Williams, Ridgeland tacked on a field goal before the Tigers’ poured on 23 unanswered points to close it out. Hudson ran in scores from 55 and 12 yards and the Troup defense forced a safety to make it 52-24. Ridgeland’s free kick that followed the safety was returned for a touchdown by Williams.
West Laurens 16, Crisp County 13
West Laurens quarterback A.J. Mathis broke the school record for touchdown passes to help hold off a Crisp County comeback. West Laurens led 3-0 after the first quarter and 10-3 at the break. Crisp began its comeback with a field goal in the third quarter and a touchdown in the fourth, but West Laurens added a fourth-quarter score to put the game away. Mathis passed to Brent Carr for each of his touchdowns—one for 16 yards in the second quarter and one for 56 yards with 11 minutes left in the game. Cam Coup kicked a 20-yard field goal and made one extra point for West Laurens.
Class AAA
Greater Atlanta Christian 19, Westminster 14
Greater Atlanta Christian took a 7-0 lead that held through the remainder of the opening half with a 7-yard touchdown pass from Jackson Hardy to Montae Bailey in the first quarter. Defensively, the Spartans held host Westminster to just 84 total yards of offense through the first two frames. GAC added a Hardy touchdown pass to Thomas Lowman to make it 13-0 in the third quarter after a failed PAT. Westminster got on the board with a 25-yard touchdown pass from Will Hallmark to Will Benton that made it 13-7, but the Spartans countered with a screen pass from Hardy to Tre Henry that went for a 75-yard touchdown and grew the lead back to 19-7. Westminster’s final points came on a 73-yard touchdown run by Paul Weathington with 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter.
Class AA
Rabun County 38, North Murray 17
North Murray opened up a 7-0 lead on a Ladd McConkey touchdown pass, but host Rabun County returned an interception for a touchdown to get on the board in the opening quarter. From that point forward, Rabun County quarterback Gunner Stockton was in command. The Sophomore threw two of his three touchdown passes in the second quarter to grow a 21-7 halftime lead. North Murray added a 25-yard field goal in the third quarter to cut it to 21-10 before Stockton’s third touchdown pass found Brody Jarrard with 3:33 left in the period. Rabun County used a 42-yard field goal in the fourth quarter to go up 31-10, before Dante Tidwell answered with a 70-yard North Murray touchdown run that made it a 31-17 game. Stockton closed out the scoring on Rabun County’s next possession with a 15-yard rushing touchdown.
Class A
Wesleyan 28, Chattooga 6
The Wesleyan Wolves picked up their second win of the season with a strong 28-point outing against the Chattooga Indians. Following a scoreless first quarter, a gutsy fake punt by Wesleyan led to long runs by junior Jackson Turner and sophomore Cooper Blauser to move the ball down the field. Quarterback JC French finished off the drive with a short run into the end zone to put the Wolves up 7-0 at the half. Blauser continued to be an impact player, returning the second half opening kickoff 88 yards for his first score of the night. With less than three minutes left in the third, French connected with Blauser deep downfield to extend the lead. Blauser put the game away shortly after with his third score of the night.
Bowdon 20, Bremen 7
Bowdon snapped a two-game losing streak to rival Bremen and returned the Sewell Cup home with a win in their annual rivalry. Cam’Ron Buchanan gave Bowdon a 7-0 lead with 7:46 left in the opening quarter with a 92-yard interception return for a touchdown. Freshman quarterback Robert McNeal found Ben Fortson for a 55-yard gain that set up a 1-yard touchdown run by fullback Lane Ackles late in the second quarter to grow the lead to 13-0. McNeal and Fortson connected on a 26-yard touchdown pass with just 1:28 left that gave the Red Devils a 20-0 lead before Bremen tacked on a late touchdown.
Irwin County 35, Fitzgerald 8
The Irwin County Indians closed out consecutive wins over rival Fitzgerald for the first time since 1998 in front of the home crowd. Following a scoreless opening quarter, Jamorri Colson scored a 3-yard touchdown run and Gabriel Benyard ran in a 10-yard score to put Irwin County up 14-0 at the half. Kam Ward scored on a 36-yard run early in the third quarter to make it 21-0. Fitzgerald drove down to the Indians’ 2-yard line on its next possession, but was pushed back for a 2-yard loss on its fourth-down gamble and Irwin County’s ensuing 96-yard touchdown drive was capped off with a 37-yard pass from Zach Smith to Nathan Roberts. Fitzgerald ultimately got on the board with a Mario Clark 4-yard touchdown run and the successful 2-point conversion was followed up with a recovered onside kick attempt. Jamorri Colson intercepted the Purple Hurricanes on their next possession play and set up Gabriel’s twin brother Garland Benyard’s 4-yard touchdown that made it 35-8. On Fitzgerald’s next possession, Nehemiah McCoy came up with the game-clinching interception. Irwin County outgained Fitzgerald 408-215 in total yardage. Gabriel Benyard finished with 107 rushing yards off just five carries, Garland finished with seven carries for 86 yards, Ward added 11 carries for 98 yards, and Colson contributed 11 carries for 69 yards.
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