Reigning Region 3 champion North Paulding took control of its rainy region opener against host Harrison with a pair of touchdowns just before the break, then held on through a hard-fought second half for a 24-22 victory.
With the score knotted at 7-7 and Harrison driving down the field, seniors Aidan Maddox and Dylan Harris sacked Hoya quarterback Braylan Ford on first and third down to force a punt. Danny Pitts took a
wildcat snap in for a 14-7 lead on the ensuing Wolfpack possession, and after Harrison lost the ball on the return, quarterback Tyler Niehr connected with Ajax Anderson on 3rd-and-10 for another score with 0:16 on the clock.
“Ajax did a good job making plays,” lauded head coach Don Stark following the game. “He can run, block and catch and we’re very fortunate to have him.”
Harrison kicker Simon Zeidan narrowly avoided disaster early in the third when the wet ball slipped through his hands back near the goal line, but he managed to recover it and get a kick off. North Paulding ultimately punted, but bobbled the snap, and Harrison recovered to set up a 45-yard Zeidan field goal. After another Wolfpack fumble, Xavier Hill’s 18-yard touchdown run nearly brought the Hoyas within a field goal, but Ethan Maddox batted down the two-point pass to keep the score at 21-16 heading into the fourth.
North Paulding extended its lead with Aiden Noble’s 24-yard field goal after George hauled in a Niehr pass that deflected off Anderson’s hands in the red zone. Hill gave Harrison a shot when he took a return into Wolfpack territory with 1:49 remaining, and Ford picked up a first down on a run before getting up with a limp. He managed to complete a touchdown pass to Brady Kluse on the next play, but Pitts knocked the ball out of his hands on the two-point attempt that would have tied the game.
“It is what it is. We got out of here with a victory,” Stark stated. “Our defense has played great all year. Really, we kept them in the game with special teams miscues and we gotta clean that up.”
North Paulding will continue Region 3 play at home next week against McEachern.
The AJC will have writers at Cherokee at Osborne, Peachtree Ridge at North Gwinnett, Buford at Mill Creek. Follow the link to see Todd Holcomb’s Friday night wrap or see the Friday recaps below. The Thursday recaps are at the bottom of this file.
Class 7A
Archer 28, Parkview 27
Senior receiver William Wallace caught a pair of first-half touchdown passes, then took over at quarterback in the second half after Jordan Do went down with an injury and added a touchdown pass and a rushing score for the road upset over No. 7 Parkview. His go-ahead score on a keeper came inside the final minute of regulation, and the Tigers recovered a Parkview fumble moments later to seal the win. Both teams will continue Region 4 play next week, with the Panthers traveling to Newton and Archer heading to South Gwinnett.
West Forsyth 10, Lambert 0
West Forsyth scored all 10 of its points off miscues by Lambert’s punt team to hand the Longhorns their first loss of the season. The Wolverines first got on the board recovering a bad snap in the end zone for a touchdown, and Nick Nunez provided the game’s final points on a 26-yard field goal just before the break after another West Forsyth recovery of a bad Lambert snap on a punt attempt.
East Coweta 35, Campbell 22
East Coweta got its season back on track, ended a two-game losing streak with a 35-22 win over visiting Campbell. It was the first Region 2 win of the season for the Indians, who got a 14-yard touchdown run from Dionte Jones midway through the fourth for the game’s final points shortly after Campbell made it a one-score game.
McEachern 17, Marietta 14
The McEachern Indians got their fourth win in a row after starting the season 0-4 with a narrow victory in their Region 3 matchup at host Marietta. The Blue Devils led 14-10 in the fourth quarter before McEachern’s go-ahead touchdown and are now 1-1 in region play.
In other Class 7A games – Third-ranked Walton seized control early against visiting Kennesaw Mountain with five first-half rushing scores en route to a 49-0 Region 5 win. … No. 4-ranked Colquitt County remains undefeated after a comfortable 37-16 victory over host Camden County. The Packers will continue Region 1 play next week at Lowndes. … No. 5-ranked Newton led host Brookwood 27-3 at the break and 44-17 at the end of the Region 4 matchup to improve to 7-0 on the season. … Junior Jamauri Major had five total touchdowns — including four on the ground — in No. 10-ranked North Cobb’s 63-27 victory over host Wheeler. … Both South Gwinnett and Grayson lost their region openers, but the No. 8-ranked Rams got back in the win column with a 28-6 victory. … Sixth-ranked Carrollton won its seventh-straight game, a 64-8 rout of visiting Pebblebrook. … Valdosta led by as much as 17-0 before defeating host Richmond Hill 24-14 to improve to 2-0 in Region 1. … Lowndes closed out its game against visiting Dunbar from Fort Myers, F.L. on a 17-0 run for a 31-7 Vikings victory.
Class 6A
Sequoyah 31, Creekview 27
Mason Munn’s rushing score gave host Creekview the lead midway through the fourth quarter, but Kolby Martin connected with Jackson Hancock for the game-winner with 3:24 remaining to seal the win for Sequoyah. The Chiefs and Grizzlies are now both 3-1 in Region 6 play after the back-and-forth battle.
Dunwoody 21, St Pius X 0
Dunwoody recovered from a region opener loss to Marist two weeks ago with a comfortable 21-0 victory over visiting St Pius X. Malachi Cranshaw’s rushing score put the Wildcats on the board in the opening frame, and Owen Painter added a touchdown pass in the second for a 14-0 lead which stood until the fourth quarter when Matt Pearch connected with Nolan Daniel for the game’s final points.
In other Class 6A games – Top-ranked Gainesville handled business against host Habersham Central, building a 42-0 lead before halftime before winning 49-7 to improve to 3-0 in Region 8. … Blessed Trinity improved to 3-1 in Region 7 play with a 38-0 shutout of host Johns Creek. … Effingham County got its fourth Region 2 win in a row (42-10) against host Evans. … Alpharetta is now 3-0 in Region 7 following a comfortable 35-3 win over Lassiter. The Trojans’ lone win of the season came against Johns Creek, which will face Alpharetta next week. … No. 8-ranked Marist won its seventh-straight game in Friday’s 49-0 shutout of host South Cobb. … Roswell beat Pope 70-14 to move to 7-1 on the season and 4-0 in Region 7. KJ Smith was 11-of-17 passing for 197 yards and a touchdown in the victory. …
Class 5A
Northgate 31, Northside-Columbus 28
Evan Garrett scored the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter to give Northgate the victory over Northside-Columbus. The score was 21-14 at halftime in favor of Northside, and the visiting Patriots increased the lead in the third quarter after throwing a TD pass. But Garrett scored two rushing touchdowns in the second half and Northgate kicked a field goal to improve its record to 6-2 on the season.
Calhoun 48, Woodland-Cartersville 13
Caden Williams scored rushing touchdowns of 30 and 33 yards to lead Calhoun over Woodland-Cartersville. The host Yellow Jackets led 28-10 at halftime and 41-13 after the third quarter. Trey Townsend threw three touchdown passes, and Calhoun improved to 6-2 on the year.
Cartersville 35, Hiram 34
Khristian Lando rushed for 194 yards and three touchdowns to lead Cartersville over Hiram. Nate Russell threw two touchdown passes for the Hurricanes in the first half. Hiram’s Kaden Hamilton recorded two rushing touchdowns, and Chase Tyler caught two TD passes. The Hornets missed an extra point in the fourth quarter after Tyler caught a TD pass in the fourth quarter to give them the 34-28 lead over Cartersville. The game was tied at 21 at halftime and tied at 28 going into the fourth quarter.
Greater Atlanta Christian 55, North Springs 14
Greater Atlanta led 55-6 at halftime and went on to improve to 7-0 on the year. Jack Stanton recorded two rushing touchdowns and one passing touchdown in the second quarter. Gianlucca Tiberia had rushing touchdowns of two yards and 40 yards in the second. Stanton also had a 30-yard TD pass in the first quarter to give the Spartans the 21-0 lead.
Dalton 38, Cass 13
Dalton jumped to a 21-7 lead over Cass at halftime and went on to win its sixth game of the season. Adriel Hernandez rushed for 211 yards and four touchdowns for the Catamounts. Ethan Long threw for 122 yards and one touchdown, and the Catamounts defense recorded two interceptions in the second half.
Jones County 35, Dutchtown 28
Jones County held off a fourth-quarter rally from Dutchtown to stay on top of the Region 2 standings. The host Greyhounds led 14-0 at halftime and 21-7 heading into the fourth quarter. Dutchtown tied the game at 21 in the fourth quarter, but Jones County’s Devin Edmonds threw a 65-yard touchdown pass to give the Greyhounds the lead. On the ensuing drive, Dutchtown threw an interception to Deterrence Holloway and returned it 35 yards for the touchdown. Edmonds finished the night with 267 yards and three touchdowns.
Jefferson 41, Flowery Branch 13
Sammy Brown scored on a 65-yard touchdown run for Jefferson in the first quarter, and the Dragons didn’t look back. Gavin Markey recorded a passing touchdown and rushing touchdown in the first half, and Jefferson led 28-7 at halftime. Markey threw two more TD passes in the second half, and the Dragons improved to 7-0 on the season.
Chattahoochee 53, Northview 0
Chattahoochee led 26-0 at halftime to earn its third win of the year. Luke Priester threw for four touchdowns and ran for one while the defense scored on a blocked bunt that was returned 90 yards by Eberechukwu Bailey. The Cougars improved to 3-5 on the year and 2-2 in region play.
Ware County 52, Bradwell Institute 20
Ware County got two kick returns for touchdowns in its win over Bradwell Institute. Dae’jeaun Dennis had one of the kick returns and also scored on a 12-yard run in the first quarter. Luke Hooks threw four touchdown passes in the first half, and the Gators are now 5-2 on the season.
Kell 47, Cambridge 21
Tyriq Green rushed for 192 yards and three touchdowns to give Kell its sixth win of the year. Moonie Gipson scored three rushing touchdowns on just eight carries, and Bryce Clavon threw for 213 yards and scored one touchdown on the ground. Cambridge led 21-20 at halftime, but the Longhorns defense tightened up in the second half, allowing just 35 yards of offense.
In other Class 5A games – Jake Holmes scored two rushing touchdowns in the first half to lead Ola over Eagle’s Landing 41-13. The Mustangs led 34-7 at halftime. … Creekside led Jackson-Atlanta 52-6 at halftime and went on to win 66-6. The Seminoles are 6-1 on the year with a 4-0 record in Region 5 play. …Villa Rica lost its first Region 5 game, falling to Mays 27-14. …Chapel Hill led Tri-Cities 14-0 and went on to win 35-6.
Class 4A
Wayne County 21, New Hampstead 16
Matthew Fuller rushed for three touchdowns and visiting Wayne County held off a late charge by New Hampstead. Fuller scored from 76, seven and four yards out as the Yellow Jackets built a 21-3 lead. After managing nothing more than a Jamaal Brown 27-yard field goal in the first half, New Hampstead’s offense came alive in the third and fourth quarters. RaShawn Truell tossed a pair of scoring strikes to Kamari Maxwell, bringing the Phoenix within five points with four minutes remaining. They even got the ball back and drove into Wayne County territory in the final minute, but an interception ended New Hampstead’s comeback attempt.
Bainbridge 49, Shaw 7
Keenan Phillips rushed for three touchdowns — all in the first half — as Bainbridge thumped visiting Shaw. The Bearcats led 14-0 after one quarter, 35-0 at halftime and 42-0 going into the fourth quarter. Antavious Murray caught two touchdown passes, one from Cam Sanders and another from Brooks Hines. Javeen Breedlove capped off the Bearcats’ scoring with a 25-yard reception from Hines. A stout defensive performance by Bainbridge included a fumble return for a touchdown by Jace Weaver. Trailing 49-0, Shaw finally got on the scoreboard with seven minutes remaining on a 17-yard scamper by Nicholas Bates.
Holy Innocents’ 36, Southwest DeKalb 0
Holy Innocents’ scored all five of its touchdowns on the ground while posting a shutout of visiting Southwest Dekalb. The Golden Bears led 7-0 after one quarter, 28-0 at halftime and by the final 36-0 margin going into the fourth quarter. Jacobi Murray delivered the first two scores, both from two yards out. Connor White added a 27-yard scamper, Nicholas Morgan scored from four yards away and Jamie Savula capped off the scoring with a one-yard plunge.
Fellowship Christian 52, Athens Academy 28
C.J. Givers rushed for three touchdowns for visiting Fellowship Christian, and the Paladins moved to 5-2 overall and 2-0 in Region 8. Givers’s longest touchdown, a 79-yard rush with 2:56 remaining, gave the Paladins a 45-28 lead. He also had a 12-yard touchdown run in the first quarter and a 67-yard touchdown run in the third. Al Thompson rushed for touchdowns of 41 and 18 yards, Jonathan Granby had a 45-yard scoring rush and Nathan Chapman added a fourth-quarter field goal to give the Paladins a 38-21 lead. Josh Milhollin capped the scoring with a late 65-yard interception return for a touchdown for Fellowship Christian. Athens Academy fell to 4-3, 1-1 in Region 8.
Walnut Grove 21, Cherokee Bluff 16
Walnut Grove overcame a 10-0 halftime deficit to defeat Cherokee Bluff. Emadd Howard had rushing touchdowns of 57 and 15 yards in the third quarter before the Warriors scored a third consecutive touchdown on a 27-yard strike from Reid Fagan to Kayden Miller early in the fourth. Cherokee Bluff got a rushing touchdown by Asher Wilson, a 35-yard touchdown pass from Wilson to Conner Hulsey and a 44-yard field goal off the leg of Michael Arbour. The Bears twice had the ball late in the fourth quarter trailing by only five points, but interceptions by Miller and Josh Peart ended those drives.
Cedar Shoals 40, Madison County 36
Cedar Shoals led 33-9 with less than four minutes remaining in the third quarter before surviving a furious rally by host Madison County. The Red Raiders pulled to within 33-30 midway through the fourth quarter and got the ball back, but Cedar Shoals responded with a 34-yard fumble return for a touchdown by Devin Hester. Anthony Hubbard helped pad the Jaguars’ lead in the second half with a 34-yard scoring strike to Hester and a 40-yarder to Dorian Thrasher. Kayden Scott hauled in a 22-yard touchdown pass from Hubbard during the second quarter.
In other Class 4A games – Spalding took care of visiting West Laurens 43-6. Cur’Tavian Clark scored three times on the ground and Robert Henderson rushed for a pair of touchdowns to lead the Jaguars. … North Oconee cruised to a 44-19 road win over East Forsyth. A Tripp Morris touchdown run and a Cannon Hunter kick return to the house helped East Forsyth erase some of a 23-0 deficit, but the Broncos never got closer than within 11 points in the second half. … North Hall blanked visiting Chestatee 27-0. The Trojans led 7-9 at halftime on a Ryals Puryear 11-yard run before blowing the game open in the second half. Puryear added two more touchdowns, one on an 18-yard reception from Tanner Marsh. … Benedictine rolled to a 28-7 victory over host Southeast Bulloch. It was 14-7 in the second quarter before the Cadets took control with a scoring strike from Luke Kromenhoek to La’don Bryant and a touchdown run by Na’seir Samuel.
Class 3A
Sandy Creek 20, Carver-Atlanta 15
A 2-yard touchdown run from Amari Latimer with a minute remaining in the game gave Sandy Creek the victory. Trailing 7-0, Amari Latimer scored a 2-yard run to tie the game for Sandy Creek in a crucial Region 5 game. Latimer’s 5-yard touchdown run extended the lead for the Patriots with nine minutes left in the game. Adam Sheely passed to Taurin Kemp for a 75-yard touchdown and the ensuing 2-point conversion gave Carver the 15-14 lead.
Mary Persons 13, Peach County 7
After going scoreless through three quarters of play, Duke Watson scored on 23-yard run to put Mary Persons ahead 7-0. Watson scored on an 8-yard run with eight minutes left in the game to give the hosting Bulldogs a 13-0 lead. Peach scored on a run with four minutes left, but could not mount a comeback.
Cedar Grove 41, Douglass 0
Cedar Grove moved to 1-0 in Region 5 play and led 20-0 at the half in a romp of Douglass. Cedar Grove led 35-0 entering the fourth quarter.
Thomasville 35, Columbus 0
Leeland Chapman and Ant Anderson scored on runs to help lead Thomasville past Columbus. Anderson scored from 59 yards out and Chapman scored on a short run.
Upson-Lee 43, Jackson 0
Upson-Lee led 21-0 after the first quarter and 36-0 at the half in a romp of Jackson. The Knights moved to 2-0 in Region 2 play with the victory.
Harlem 34, Richmond Academy 7
Harlem moved to 3-0 in Region 4 play after moving past Richmond Academy 34-7. The Bulldogs will enjoy a bye week before traveling to Salem (1-6, 0-2).
In other 3A games – Carver-Columbus (5-3, 3-0) moved to 3-0 in Region 1 play after moving past Crisp County (4-4, 1-2). … Monroe defeated Dougherty 22-16 to move to 2-1 in Region 1 play behind Carver-Columbus (5-3, 3-0). … Morgan County beat Hephzibah 35-6 to move to 7-1 overall and 3-0 in Region 4 play.
Class 2A
Cook 47, Berrien 0
Host Cook got five rushing touchdowns from senior running back Keshun McKever to power past Berrien and move to 5-2 overall and 3-0 in Region 1. McKever had scoring rushes of 72 and 22 yards to go with three touchdowns from inside the 5-yard line. Hornets quarterback Drew Folsom threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to tight end Kyree Fuller and a 28-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Chavious Hobbs. Berrien fell to 1-6 and 0-4 in the region.
Vidalia 29, Brantley County 7
Vidalia moved to 3-0 in Region 3 and improved to 5-2 overall with a road win at Brantley County. Vidalia took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter when Brantley County threw a pass on a fake punt in its own territory and Alton Boles returned the interception 52 yards. The Indians scored three times in the second quarter to hold a 29-0 halftime lead. Vidalia’s first score came on a 28-yard pass from Jackson Berry to Antonio Barron. Later in the quarter Vidalia scored on a short fumble return by Ronald Pointer after Brantley County mishandled a punt snap deep in its own territory. With 4:04 remaining in the first half, the Indians got an 18-yard touchdown pass from Berry to D.J. Wallace and a two-point-conversion rush from Jamarion Phillips. Brantley County fell to 4-4 and 1-3 in the region.
Providence Christian 55, Union County 35
Providence Christian withstood a furious second-half comeback by visiting Union County in a Region 8 matchup. In the first half, Providence quarterback Ben Klassen threw two touchdown passes to Caleb Lee (80 and 14 yards) and two touchdown passes to Rodrigo Cruz (29 and 27 yards) and rushed for a score on a 7-yard keeper. Quinton Slaughter scored the Storm’s final touchdown of the first half with less than a minute to go on a 14-yard rush to put Providence ahead 41-14 at halftime. Union County scored 21 straight points in the third quarter, capped by a 99-yard touchdown pass on the final play of the quarter to make the score 41-35. But on Providence’s ensuing possession, Slaughter rushed for an 83-yard touchdown to put the Storm ahead 48-35, and Klassen had a 12-yard touchdown rush with 1:02 remaining. Providence moved to 6-1 and 1-1 in Region 8, and Union County fell to 5-2 and 1-1 in the region.
North Cobb Christian 22, South Atlanta 0
Host North Cobb Christian led 8-0 at halftime after a 2-yard Michai Rowe touchdown with 3:24 remaining in the second quarter and a two-point-conversion rush from Austin Tamborra. Rowe scored his second touchdown, an 18-yard run, at the 3:04 mark of the third quarter to make it 14-0 after a missed extra point. In the fourth quarter, Denim Stevens capped the scoring with a 34-yard touchdown rush with 11:01 remaining. North Cobb Christian improved to 6-2 overall and 4-0 in Region 6, while South Atlanta fell to 3-5 and 2-2 in region. North Cobb Christian has a chance to clinch the 17-year-old program’s first region championship with a win next Friday at Mt. Paran Christian.
North Murray 31, Fannin County 28
North Murray held on at home against Fannin County to improve to 6-2 overall and 4-0 in Region 7. North Murray’s Juan Martinez made a 20-yard field goal with 5:35 remaining to give the Mountaineers a 31-21 lead, but Fannin County scored with 2:17 left to pull within three points. North Murray, however, picked up two first downs and was able to run out the clock. North Murray tied the game at 7-7 in the second quarter on a trick play when wide receiver Judson Petty took a pitch and threw a 47-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open Hudson Hulett. Mountaineers quarterback Skyler Williams rushed for a 9-yard score later in the quarter, and the teams were tied 14-14 at halftime. Williams found Petty for two touchdowns in the third quarter, of 39 and 34 yards, as North Murray took a 28-14 lead. Fannin County fell to 3-4, 1-2 in region.
Model 14, Haralson County 0
Model shut out Haralson County at home to move to 5-2 and 3-1 in Region 7. The Blue Devils scored their first touchdown on a 3-yard rushing touchdown by quarterback Jake Sanders in the second quarter, and Model led 7-0 at halftime. In the third quarter, Jeremiah Gamble had a 17-yard touchdown run for the Blue Devils. Haralson County fell to 1-7, 1-3 in Region 7.
Fellowship Christian 52, Athens Academy 28
C.J. Givers rushed for three touchdowns for No. 9 Fellowship Christian in its road win over No. 10 Athens Academy, and the Paladins moved to 5-2 overall and 2-0 in Region 8. Givers’s longest touchdown, a 79-yard rush with 2:56 remaining, gave the Paladins a 45-28 lead. He also had a 12-yard touchdown run in the first quarter and a 67-yard touchdown run in the third. Al Thompson rushed for touchdowns of 41 and 18 yards, Jonathan Granby had a 45-yard scoring rush and Nathan Chapman added a fourth-quarter field goal to give the Paladins a 38-21 lead. Josh Milhollin capped the scoring with a late 65-yard interception return for a touchdown for Fellowship Christian. Athens Academy fell to 4-3, 1-1 in Region 8.
Pierce County 17, Toombs County 14
No. 5 Pierce County won at previously unbeaten Toombs County, ranked No. 3, in a Region 3 clash. Pierce County led 17-7 at halftime after two first-half scores from quarterback Caden McGatha. McGatha rushed for a 1-yard touchdown in the first quarter and a 16-yard touchdown in the second quarter, and Pierce County added a field goal late in the first half. Toombs County scored its touchdowns on an 81-yard pass from T.J. Stanley to Gavin Fletcher and a long interception return by Lagonza Hayward. Pierce County moved to 6-1 and 2-1 in Region 3, and Toombs County fell to 7-1 and 3-1.
In other Class 2A games – No. 4 Appling County defeated Windsor Forest 61-0 at home to improve to 5-2 overall and 2-1 in Region 3, tied with Pierce County for third place in the region. … No. 7 Fitzgerald won 48-0 at Jeff Davis to move to 5-2 overall and 3-0 in Region 1, tied with Cook atop the league. … No. 8 Rockmart shut out Murray County 57-0 at home to improve to 5-2 overall and 3-0 in Region 7, remaining in second place in the region behind 4-0 North Murray.
Class A Division I
Elbert County 21, Rabun County 9
Jacari Brown scored on a 70-yard run to put Elbert up 7-0 early in the game. A 30-yard pass from Jayvyn Hickman to Jayden Thompson extended the lead. Braydon Scarborough completed a 20-yard pass to Malik Moon with 10 minutes left in the game to give Elbert a 21-3 lead.
Commerce 39, Athens Christian 0
Commerce led 20-0 after the first quarter in a romp of Athens Christian in its Region 8 opener. The Tigers extended the lead to 27-0 at the half and 33-0 entering the fourth quarter.
Irwin County 40, Pelham 35
Irwin County (3-4, 1-0) moved to 1-0 in Region 1 (DI) play after beating Pelham (4-4, 0-1). Irwin trailed 21-20 at the half.
Trion 52, Chattooga 17
Trion was nursing a 7-3 lead entering the second quarter before scoring three unanswered touchdowns to lead 28-3 at the half. The Bulldogs moved to 7-0 on the season and 3-0 in Region 7 play with the victory.
Class A Division II
Schley County 45, Taylor County 6
Top-ranked Schley County led 14-6 after the first quarter and 24-6 to move past Taylor County. The Wildcats extended the lead to 38-6 entering the fourth quarter.
Charlton County 46, Atkinson County 14
Charlton led 7-0 after the first quarter and 33-0 at the half to move past Atkinson County. Emari Williams scored on runs of 54 and four yards to help lead Charlton County past Atkinson. AJ Glover passed to Kashawn Cobb (21 yards) for a touchdown and scored on a 7-yard run. Jamie Jackson returned an interception 49 yards for a touchdown to give Charlton a 33-0 lead. Demorrion Martin scored on a 25-yard run for Charlton. For Atkinson, Dacian Lott scored on a 20-yard run.
Portal 40, Emanuel County Institute 0
Portal led 14-0 after the first quarter and 27-0 at the half to move to 2-0 and atop the Region 3 standings. Emanuel County Institute fell to 0-1 in the league. Elijah Coleman returned a punt 75 yards for a touchdown and scored on runs of 12 and 10 yards. Coleman passed to Charles McNeal on an 8-yard touchdown. KJ Hunter’s 8-yard touchdown run in the third quarter brought the score to its final tally.
In other Class A games – Bowdon led 28-7 after the first quarter and 42-10 at the half to move past Christian Heritage. … Darlington moved to 3-0 in Region 7 (DI) with a 35-10 victory over Darlington. … Dade County moved to 1-2 in Region 7 (DI) after beating Coosa 42-7. Coosa fell to 0-4 in region play. … Brooks County moved past Early County 14-6 after scoring two first-quarter touchdowns and holding to that lead until the fourth quarter. Brooks will open Region 1 (DI) play against Irwin County next week. … McIntosh County Academy moved to 1-1 in Region 3 (DII) play after a 46-14 over Montgomery County. … Metter moved to 1-1 in Region 3 (DI) play after blanking Savannah 49-0. …
Thursday recaps below
Class 5A
Clarke Central 42, Heritage-Conyers 0
Jaylen Jackson caught a touchdown pass for Clarke Central in a romp of Heritage. Kendrick Curry scored on a run with eight minutes left in the second quarter to put Clarke up 35-0. Xayvian Berry caught a touchdown pass with six minutes left in the third quarter to put the Gladiators up 42-0.
Class 4A
Westminster 34, Hapeville Charter 0
Westminster went on the road and scored all of its points in the first half during a Thursday night shutout of Hapeville Charter. Armstrong Jones had an interception as part of the Wildcats’ dominant defensive effort and he also caught a 54-yard touchdown pass from Michael Buhay early in the second quarter. Buhay accounted for three total touchdowns, scoring on a one-yard plunge in addition to a 40-yard strike to William Wickliffe. Jake Persons added a touchdown run from two yards out and Westminster also got field goals of 28 and 40 yards from Will Simpson.
Druid Hills 58, Clarkston 7
From Mark Brock: It had been 30 years since Druid Hills had won five games in a season and the streak came to an end with a 58-7 win over Clarkston on Thursday. The win has the Red Devils at 5-1-1 overall and its first non-losing season since 1993 (6-4). Kai Robinson was slinging the ball all over the field as he passed for 288 yards and five touchdowns in the win. Zion Johnson was on the receiving end of two of the touchdown passes while Bre’lon Cade, Akeem Cunningham and Reese Patterson added one touchdown catch each in the game. Running back Jaden George went over 1,000 career rushing yards as he ran for 120 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the win.
Stephenson 49, Miller Grove 24
From Mark Brock: Senior running back Devin Ingram scored four touchdowns to spark the Stephenson Jaguars to a 49-24 victory over the Miller Grove Wolverines in a Region 6-4A matchup at Hallford Stadium on Thursday night.
The Wolverines (5-3, 1-2) grabbed an early 6-0 lead on the opening drive of the game on a Ta’Jon Corbitt two-yard run up the middle with 9:46 to play in the first quarter. The touchdown was set up by a 42-yard pass from Amonte Harden to Keshawn Weathers. Ingram (15 carries, 255 yards, 3 TDs) struck on the first play from scrimmage following the kickoff as he squirted through the middle and cut down the right sideline on the way to an 80-yard touchdown run. Anthony Zelaya gave Stephenson the lead for good with a PAT at the 9:32 mark of the first quarter.
Stephenson (6-2, 2-1) struck with 5:43 to play in the first quarter when linebacker Kaleb Bristow had a 58-yard pick six. Zelaya’s PAT made it 14-6.
As the first quarter was ending, quarterback Marte Barton threw quick right to Ralph Holt who broke a tackle and dove into the endzone for a 15-yard scoring play. Trent Field Jr. ran in the two-point conversion after a high snap to make it 22-6 with 12 seconds remaining in the first period.
Ingram made his presence felt again with 9:35 left in the first half as he scampered 12 yards for this third touchdown of the game. Zelaya hit the PAT to make it 29-6.
The Wolverines mounted a rally scoring a pair of touchdowns before the half to cut the lead to 29-18. Harden connected on a 25-yard pass to the right corner of the end zone as Ali Dargan made a nice catch on the sideline for the touchdown for the first score with 7:00 left on the clock.
The second score came as Harden (19 of 32, 292 yards, 3 TDs, 2 Int) threw into the middle of the end zone to Kenneth Gladden Jr. for a 17-yard scoring strike. The Wolverines went for two on both scores and failed.
On the fourth play of the third quarter Ingram broke a couple of tackles in the middle of the field and raced 61 yards for the touchdown with 10:25 remaining in the period. The PAT was no good to make it 35-18 advantage for the Jaguars.
Fields extended the margin to 41-18 as he kept it on the wildcat play, scoring from five yards out. The PAT was wide to keep the score at 41-18 with 4:48 left in the third quarter. Miller Grove cut the lead to 41-24 as Harder threw over the middle to Weathers (7 receptions 134 yards, 1 TD) for an 18-yard touchdown play. The PAT went wide to keep it at 41-24 with 9:04 to play. Ingram finished the night taking the ensuing kickoff 90 yards to the house with 8:48 to play. Bercy ran in the two-point conversion to make it 49-24.
The Stephenson defense stopped the Wolverines twice in the final four minutes, once on downs at the Jaguar 20, and the second time on an interception in the end zone by Jah’Quarius Smith.
Stephenson finished the night with 319 yards rushing on 26 carries with Ingram totaling 255 of them. Miller Grove racked up 412 yards of offense with Harden throwing for 292 yards and rushing for 53. Ta’Jon Corbitt added 70 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries.
Class 2A
Callaway 47, Towers 12
Callaway moved to 3-0 and atop of Region 2 after a romp of Towers on the road.
Class A Division I
Bleckley County 42, Jefferson County 2
Kam’Ryn Everett passed for a 10-yard touchdown to get Bleckley on the board. Josh Stanley scored on a 67-yard touchdown run to expand the lead. Cam Beck scored on a 6-yard run and a 10-yard run to make it a 28-0 Bleckley advantage. Everett passed to Tyrek Mack on a 12-yard touchdown and Brody Fleming passed to Marcus Newsome to put Bleckley up 42-0.
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