Here's a look at five things we learned from Week 7 of high school football...
1. Gainesville is not going anywhere
There were several folks wondering if the Red Elephants were walking wounded and ripe for a letdown last week. Ummm, not so much. Not only did the Red Elephants bust a two-game losing skid in a 24-7 defeat of Habersham Central, they also put themselves right in the thick of the Region 8-AAAAAA title race. (It was just one region victory, but in a six-team league, every win is massive.) Gainesville did so thanks in large part to its best defensive performance of the season. The Red Elephants hemmed up a normally-potent Raiders spread attack, allowing just 99 yards passing for quarterback Cole Wilbanks and 58 yards rushing for standout running back Michael Babers. The Red Elephants defensive front was everywhere, as Herve Aklotsoe, Zion Williams, Mandrell Banks, and Keith Harris harassed and harried, sacking Wilbanks five times and hitting him six more times. Their work undoubtedly helped the Red Elephants pick off two passes. Meanwhile, Gainesville junior quarterback DJ Irons produced his best game so far, connecting on 19 of 31 passes for 285 yards and three touchdowns. And with a deep and speedy group of receivers to choose from, an in-form Irons will put Gainesville right back in the region title hunt. A huge test awaits this week against pre-season 8-AAAAAA favorite Dacula. And while the Falcons have struggled this season with injuries, they did pick up their own big region win last week. And Gainesville can appreciate just how dangerous a wounded, talented team can be.
2. West Hall has options aplenty, and its own dual-threat QB to take advantage
There are plenty of quarterbacks in northeast Georgia with the ability to hurt teams with both their arm and legs -- Rabun County's Bailey Fisher, Dawson County's Coey Watson, Union County's Cole Wright... the list goes on. But prior to this season few would have labeled West Hall's Jake Satterfield amongst that group. But with each game, the senior is making us re-evaluate that label. Tall, powerful and deceptively quick, the Spartans starter has thrived when given the space to run and did so again in last week's clutch 35-28 Region 7-AAAA defeat of Chestatee, rolling up 119 yards on the ground, including a 66-yard touchdown run. He also completed 11 of 15 passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns -- including the game-winning 45-yard pass to AJ Favorite with less than two minutes remaining. Coach Tony Lotti warned us a few times this season that the Spartans have the ability to run from under center -- and that added dimension is making them even more dangerous. Already possessing a standout running back in Tyrese Osborne and playmakers AJ and Ashun Favorite, along with receivers Cameron Shirley and Will Dague, amongst others, this is suddenly a Spartans offense capable of burning defenses in a number of ways. And the Spartans will undoubtedly need those weapons this week as they take on a Marist team that most around the state picked to battle Blessed Trinity for the 7-AAAA title. West Hall, and its multi-faceted offense, may just have something to say about that, however.
3. Dawson County is rolling again -- a showdown is building
We believed the Tigers capable of following up last season's historic run in the preseason. But Mother Nature combined with the herky-jerky nature of Dawson's early schedule to allow them just one full contest until mid-September -- a set-up that could have derailed some squads. Instead, the Tigers kept their noses down, absorbed an overtime, non-region loss at West Hall and are now starting to resemble the team we thought they may in fact be in 2016. There is still much to prove -- Dawson County has four region games remaining. But they are showing the balance on offense that will make them a headache for any defense -- they rushed for 318 yards and passed for 180 in last week's defeat of Union County, one week after rushing for 180 and passing for 226 in a win at North Hall. Meanwhile, the Tigers defense is coming up with big plays and is led by a middle linebacker in Luke Martin that would look at home starting on any roster in any classification. Even more impressive, the Tigers' special teams is punishing foes. For the second week in a row Kolton Brumbelow returned a kickoff for a touchdown. It is the kind of balance that will surely have Dawson County back in the mix for a home playoff berth. And, if they can keep improving, perhaps a region title showdown against Greater Atlanta Christian on Nov. 4.
4. Three teams trying to separate from the pack in 8-AAAA
Yes, they are just one win into the region season, but Jefferson, Oconee County and Stephens County have already shown that they have the ability to burn teams with their offenses and have the defenses to make this a three-team race for the region crown. Jefferson is scoring 33 points per game (ppg), while allowing just 15.1 -- and if you take away the games versus Class AAAA No. 2 Thomson and Gainesville's quick-strike attack it is a paltry 5.25 ppg; Stephens is putting up 31.5 ppg and yielding 12.8; Oconee averages 35 ppg, while allowing 13. Stephens and Oconee each still have a very strong Madison County team yet to play (the Indians host the Red Raiders this Friday), but these three teams look set for a photo finish. One thing is certain, this region faces a compelling end of the regular season, as all three face off in the closing weeks.
5. The playoff race in 8-AAAAA is going to present plenty of intrigue in the next four weeks
This past week's Flowery Branch-Walnut Grove outcome (a 41-7 Walnut Grove win), threw the race for the playoffs in 8-AAAAA into a bit of chaos. While there is still plenty to prove, the race for the top looks like a two-team battle between Buford and Loganville (both 5-1 and 2-0 in region) -- though, of course, there are still four weeks left in the season, which is plenty of time to tur things upside down. Yet three more teams have shown that they are now in the mix for the other two postseason slots. The Branch, Walnut Grove and Clarke Central each have the pedigree to make the playoffs, and -- lucky for the fans -- there are key games left between each of the trio. Clarke Central may be just 1-2 in league play, but the Gladiators will have the most to say, as they host the Falcons and Warriors (both 2-1 in 8-AAAAA) in back-to-back weeks (Oct. 21 and 28, respectively).
WEEK 7 AREA HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SCORES, Oct. 7
Blessed Trinity 34, White County 7
Buford 48, Johnson 0
Commerce 63, Providence Christian 0
Dacula 26, Apalachee 7
Dawson County 57, Union County 26
Franklin County 21, Jackson County 14
Gainesville 24, Habersham Central 7
Greater Atlanta Christian 69, East Hall 12
Lanier 34, Winder-Barrow 21
Mill Creek 62, Discovery 0
Monroe Area 28, East Jackson 16
North Forsyth 28, Forsyth Central 15
North Hall 28, Lumpkin County 20
Prince Avenue Christian 49, Lakeview Academy 0
Rabun County 57, Putnam County 0
Stephens County 27, St. Pius X 13
Walnut Grove 41, Flowery Branch 7
West Hall 35, Chestatee 28
WEEK 8 AREA HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SCHEDULE, Oct. 14
Buford at Cedar Shoals
Chestatee at Blessed Trinity
Clarke Central at Johnson
Commerce at Riverside Military Academy
Dacula at Gainesville
Dawson County at Fannin County
East Jackson at Franklin County
Habersham Central at Lanier
Hart County at Jackson County
Jefferson at North Oconee
Lakeview Academy at George Walton Academy
Lambert at North Forsyth
Loganville at Flowery Branch
Lumpkin County at Greater Atlanta Christian
Madison County at Stephens County
Marist at West Hall
North Gwinnett at Duluth
North Hall at Union County
Oglethorpe County at Banks County
Peachtree Ridge at Mill Creek
Social Circle at Rabun County
Towns County at Athens Christian
