It was another solid week of high school football in Georgia with pivotal region battles taking place. Here are some players who took their game to another level and came up big for their programs this past week
North Oconee QB Harrison Faulkner - Faulkner continues to impress and is having a breakout junior season for the Titans. The junior quarterback delivered a game-winning three-yard touchdown pass to Khamari Brooks with 19 seconds to go in an instant classic 40-35 win over Eastside. He finished with 326 yards passing and five touchdowns. He also rushed for 46 yards on nine carries. He has put North Oconee in the driver seat for a region title after the win. Faulkner has made the top performers list several times this season and has been proving he is one of the best quarterbacks in Georgia in the 2026 class.
Calhoun QB Trace Hawkins - The true freshman continues to get better with each game. He led Calhoun to a season-high 55 points in a big region win over Northwest Whitfield to remain the only undefeated team in Region 7-3A. Hawkins was 13-22 for 265 passing yards and five touchdowns. After a 1-3 start, Hawkins has led the Yellow Jackets to a three-game winning streak and a top-10 ranking. Calhoun has taken their lumps this year but looks poised to be dangerous come playoff time. With Hawkins improving each game, don’t be surprised if you see the Yellow Jackets in the later rounds.
Cherokee Bluff QB Brooks Brien – Cherokee Bluff has been a surprise team this season but they keep winning and producing points at a high rate. QB Brooks Brien had a stellar game throwing for 244 yards and three touchdowns in a 52-24 victory over Monroe Area. Coming into the game, Brien had thrown for 1,328 yards and 13 touchdowns. He also had four rushing touchdowns for the Bears. The senior quarterback has four games this season where he has thrown for more than 200 yards in a game and has thrown a touchdown pass in every game except the season opener against Lumpkin County. Brien has been vital this year and they are going to need him to continue with his stellar play if they are going to knock off Oconee County and Jefferson in the next few weeks.
Cambridge WR Craig Dandridge - You have to truly wonder how much longer Dandridge will be an underrated player in the state of Georgia. He’s been excellent this season and had another stellar performance. On Friday against Centennial, he had six catches for 214 receiving yards and three touchdowns. His most impressive play was the one he made on defense reading the QB’s eyes and returning it the distance for a touchdown. The junior receiver has 721 receiving yards and seven touchdowns and is on pace to have a 1,000-yard season. The dynamic offense of Weston Taylor, Tyler Blalock, Craig Dandridge, and Hudson Cocchiara has led the Bears to an 8-0 start. Don’t be surprised if you start to see more colleges calling for Dandridge and the offers start rolling in.
Cairo RB Bryian Duncan - The sophomore running back has been impressive for Cairo this season. In back-to-back games he has been massive for his team. On Monday in a win against Bainbridge, he rushed for 288 yards and five touchdowns. In his second game of the week, Duncan rushed for 190 yards and three touchdowns against Monroe. This season he has 1,250 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns. He is averaging 208 yards per game for the Syrupmakers and is on a pace to surpass 1,500 rushing yards and 20+ touchdowns. Duncan has been a major difference-maker for Cairo.
Irwin County RB Shane Marshall - The No. 1 team in the Score Atlanta poll Irwin County has an explosive offense that has scored more than 50 points four times this season. They did it again against Charlton County scoring a season-high 64 points. Irwin County is led by Shane Marshall who plays a pivotal role in the offense. Marshall rushed for 230 yards and two touchdowns in the win against Charlton County. He has rushed for 100 yards in every game except the season opener against Fitzgerald. Friday night marked the first time Marshall eclipsed 200 rushing yards in his career. He has 1,040 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns this season. He is having an all-region caliber year and has Irwin County as a state title contender in Class A Div II.
Carver-Atlanta ATH Lataious Stepp JR – Usually, Stepp Jr. is known for his running ability and the ability to make defenders miss in open space. On Friday he made a big impact on the defensive side of the ball finishing with four tackles for loss from the safety position. It was a shutout victory for the Panthers as they didn’t allow Holy Innocents to get on the board. Stepp Jr was all over the field and was making big plays in the run defense. On offense this season he is the leading rusher with 334 yards rushing and five touchdowns for the Panthers. His best game of the season came against Booker T Washington High School when he rushed for 96 yards and two touchdowns. Carver-Atlanta’s defense has been rolling and produced their third consecutive shutout victory.
Eastside ATH Jayden Barr - The Georgia Tech commit was unstoppable on Friday night against North Oconee. He rushed for 134 yards and scored all five of Eastside’s touchdowns, and gave the Eagles the late lead in the fourth quarter on a two-yard touchdown run before Harrison Faulkner threw a game-winning pass. Barr also had a 76-yard reception that helped set up the final score for Eastside. On defense, he finished with six tackles and a pass breakup. Barr has been excellent on both sides of the ball this year. He has rushed for 703 yards and 18 touchdowns this season. He is averaging 88 yards on the ground this year. He also has 10 catches for 212 yards and a touchdown. Defensively, he has 32 tackles and four tackles for a loss. Eastside couldn’t pull out the victory but Barr was excellent for Eastside and continues to prove why he is one of the best players in the country.
Milton LB Hayden Tumminia - It doesn’t get much bigger than playing in a national spotlight against another highly ranked team in the state in Gainesville and having a stellar performance. The game was televised on state network Peachtree TV but national eyes were on this game. Are we really surprised at this point with Tumminia? I mean we saw what he did in the state championship game against Walton in 2023 and helped his team win a state championship. Tumminia was magnificent again on Friday finishing with 11 total tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and a forced fumble. The forced fumble was crucial because Gainesville was starting to build some momentum but Tumminia made an excellent play on the ball, stripping it loose and stealing a possession from the Red Elephants. He was all over the field on Friday night and has a natural feel for the game. His IQ is off the charts and he can see a play developing before it happens. Tumminia was named defensive player of the game by the Peachtree Sports Network TV crew after the game was over, and for good reason. So far this season he has 60 tackles this season, and four games where he has eclipsed 10 or more tackles in a game. Milton has a lot of phenomenal players and standout recruits but Tumminia is a glue guy that always seems to fall under the cracks. He makes big play after big play, and the Eagles would not be as good of a team without him.
Roswell LB Ryder Duffy - Roswell held Chattahoochee to just seven points in their 63-7 win on Friday. Duff was a key player on defense for the Hornets finishing with three QB hurries, two sacks, and a forced fumble. The senior linebacker is the second-leading tackler on the team with 57. He also has 12 tackles for loss and eight sacks this year for the Hornets. Duffy is one of the best players on the Roswell defense and has led the Hornets to a 6-1 record this year and an undefeated 3-0 Region 7-5A record. He’s been a standout player for years for Roswell and Duffy will be a key piece in the playoff push for coach Preweitt this season.
Jonesboro EDGE/TE Camarion Carter – It was a big performance for several players for Jonesboro as six players scored a touchdown against Mundy’s Mill. Camarion Carter came up big on both sides of the ball for the Cardinals. On defense, he had a sack and a forced fumble. On the sack, he chased the quarterback down as he tried to escape the pocket and sacked him for a huge loss. He also had a receiving touchdown that he skied over four defenders in the back of the endzone showcasing his athleticism. Carter’s standout performance for Jonesboro was huge as they tried to gain some momentum with only three region games left in the season. Jonesboro produced its first shutout of the season against Mundy’s Mill.
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