Thursday March 28th, 2024 8:09AM

Football game previews: Make-or-break for several area teams in Week 9

By Jeff Hart Sports Reporter

Week 9 of the high school football season will represent some make-or-break playoff opportunities for several area teams Friday night. And that's just the way we like it at AccessWDUN.

To highlight the night’s action, two de facto region titles could be decided. 

In Elberton at The Granite Bowl, Class AA No. 5 Rabun County will take on No. 9 Elbert County -- click here for a preview of our Game of the Week -- for the top spot in Region 8-AA. Both teams still have two region contests to play following this matchup, but as the only two undefeated programs remaining in 8-AA, there is no doubt that this will define region supremacy.

In Hoschton, Class AAAAAAA No. 1 Mill Creek entertains nearby rival Mountain View for the top spot in Region 6-AAAAAAA. It could be a shootout, as both teams are in the top three in AAAAAAA in scoring. But the Hawks also own the No. 3 defense in classification and are looking for their second straight region title.

Chestatee and White County will meet in Cleveland in a Region 7-AAAA showdown that could essentially leave the loser out of the playoffs. Also, a lot will be riding on Gainesville's meeting with Winder-Barrow at City Park in Region 8-AAAAAA with the winner still alive for a top two spot in the final region standings. The loser would drop to fourth in 8-AAAAAA.

Region 7-AAA has a trio of key games that will set up the final two weeks of the season. No. 1 Greater Atlanta Christian travels to The Brickyard to face North Hall, No. 9 Dawson County travels to East Hall, and Lumpkin County plays host to Fannin County. Dawson County and GAC can keep a potential monster showdown for the region title alive with wins. No one has been eliminated from postseason contention, however, and there are still plenty of contests left to make a move.

In Region 8-AAAAA Flowery Branch is in as close to a must-win scenario as you can get when the Falcons travel to Clarke Central. They won’t be eliminated with a loss but would then face a must-win next week against No. 1 Buford to keep their playoff chances alive.

For a look at all of the night's contests involving area teams, simply scroll down. And be sure to check back with AccessWDUN's Friday Game Night throughout the night for score updates and game stories and video highlights. You can also check for scores and highlights on our Twitter feed: @FridayGameNight

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SCHEDULE FOR Oct. 21
(Games listed in alphabetical order of visiting team)
APALACHEE at LANIER
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m. 
-- WHERE: Longhorns Stadium, Sugar Hill
-- APALACHEE (2-4-1, 0-2 Region 8-AAAAAA): Bye last week; lost 26-7 to Dacula two weeks ago
-- LANIER (5-2, 2-0 Region 8-AAAAAA): Defeated Habersham Central 31-9 last week
-- NOTABLE: Lanier leads series 3-1. The Longhorns won 56-7 in 2015 and have won the past three games in the series. ... The Longhorns have righted the ship after a shaky start. Known for their defense, they have picked up the offensive pace during a current 4-game win streak averaging 31.5 ppg during the streak after scoring just 41 total points in their first three games. They are allowing just 13.7 ppg on defense. ... Apalachee has not allowed more than 27 in a game but also is averaging just 14 ppg on offense. ... Lanier, which is tied with Dacula for the early region lead, cannot afford to look past the Wildcats with Dacula and Gainesville  to follow.

BUFORD at WALNUT GROVE
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m. 
-- WHERE: Warriors Stadium, Walnut Grove
-- RADIO: WDUN AM 550
-- BUFORD (6-1, 3-0 Region 8-AAAAA): Ranked No. 2 in Class AAAAA; defeated Cedar Shoals 56-14 last week
-- WALNUT GROVE (3-4, 2-1 Region 8-AAAAA): Bye last week; defeated Flowery Branch 41-7 two weeks ago
-- NOTABLE: First-ever meeting between the two schools. ... The first battle for first place in the region but Loganville, which is also 3-0 in the region, is taking on Cedar Shoals so the winner would certainly stay in the top two no matter the outcome. ... The Warriors offense has exploded the last two weeks averaging 34.5 ppg after scoring just 66 total points over their first five games. ... The Buford defense will tough to crack. The Wolves have yielded just 27 points (9.0 ppg) in region play but 20 of the 27 points came in the fourth quarter against reserves. The front-line unit has allowed just 7 points to 8-AAAAA teams. ... The Buford offense, behind Christian Turner and Co. has been rolling since dropping the opener to Class AAAAAAA No. 1 Roswell averaging 47.1 ppg over the past 6 games. Walnut Grove is 0-4 when allowing 14 or more points in 2016.

CHESTATEE at WHITE COUNTY
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m. 
-- WHERE: White County Stadium, Cleveland
-- RADIO: www.wrwh.com
-- CHESTATEE (3-5, 0-2 Region 7-AAAA): Lost 42-6 to No. 5 Blessed Trinity last week
-- WHITE COUNTY (1-6, 0-1 Region 7-AAAA): Bye last week; lost 34-7 to No. 5 Blessed Trinity two weeks ago
-- NOTABLE: White County leads series 10-2. The Warriors won 52-11 last year and has won 7 straight in the series. The last Chestatee win came in 2006, 34-7, in Gainesville. ... Both teams have tough finishes with the War Eagles taking on No. 10 Marist next week in their finale while the Warriors still have West Hall and Marist to follow. Which means the loser of this one is likely out of the playoffs unless they can pull an upset in the final weeks. ... Expect some points to be scored in this one as both defenses have had their issues this season. The Warriors have given up 32.4 ppg on defense (7th-most in AAAA). They have had particular trouble against spread attacks like Chestatee allowing 41.3 ppg in losses to Habersham Central, Rabun County, and Dawson County. Chestatee has given up the second-most points in AAAA (277, 34.6 ppg) ... White County, however, has scored just 82 points (11.7 ppg) while the War Eagles offense is averaging just under 25 ppg behind the 3-headed monster of QB Storm Yarbrough, RB Nick Lyles, and WR Baylee Camp.

DACULA at HABERSHAM CENTRAL 
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m. 
-- WHERE: Raider Valley, Mt. Airy
-- RADIO: WCON 99.3
-- DACULA (3-4, 2-0 Region 8-AAAAAA): Defeated Gainesville 25-20 last week
-- HABERSHAM CENTRAL (4-3, 0-2 Region 8-AAAAAA): Lost 31-9 to Lanier last week
-- NOTABLE: Series is tied 2-2. Habersham won the last meeting in 2007, 42-7, in Dacula. ... The Raiders need a win to stay in the playoff race. A loss would not eliminate them but they would need to win out over the final two weeks to have any shot. ... Dacula, which is tied with Lanier atop the region standings, needs to a win to keep pace and set up a possible showdown for the region title next week with the Longhorns, depending on outcomes this week. ... The Habersham offense has found the going tough in region contests. After averaging 28.4 ppg in their 5 non-region games, the Raiders have scored just 16 points in their first two region games. ... Dacula is allowing 22.5 ppg on defense but the offense, which was riddled with injuries early, is getting healthy and is averaging 25.5 ppg over the last two games after scoring just 35 points and being shutout twice in a 4-game stretch.

DAWSON COUNTY at EAST HALL
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m. 
-- WHERE: Est Hall Stadium, Rabbittown
-- RADIO: www.northgeorgiasportslink.com
-- DAWSON COUNTY (5-1, 3-0 Region 7-AAA): Ranked No. 9 in Class AAA; defeated Fannin County 52-13 last week
-- EAST HALL (2-5, 0-3 Region 7-AAA): Bye last week; lost 69-12 to No. 1 GAC two weeks ago
-- NOTABLE: Dawson County leads series 8-2. The Tigers won 35-28 in 2015 in Rabbittown. ... Two teams headed in opposite directions. The Tigers have won four straight behind an offense that is averaging 50 ppg during that stretch behind last week’s Locos Grill and Pub Friday Game Night Player of the Week Coey Watson. ... The Vikings have lost three straight with the defense getting burned for 50 ppg during that stretch. However, three of their losses during the year have been by a total of just 10 points. ... The Vikings need a win to stay alive in the playoff race and need a lot of help. A loss would eliminate them. Dawson County can clinch a playoff berth with a win. ... Until last week, the Vikings offense had been finding its groove averaging 39.5 ppg in a 4-game stretch. But, they may again find the going tough against a Tigers defense that is allowing just 18.8 ppg on the season.

FANNIN COUNTY at LUMPKIN COUNTY
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m. 
-- WHERE: The Burial Grounds, Dahlonega
-- RADIO: www.northgeorgiasportslink.com
-- FANNIN COUNTY (2-5, 0-3 Region 7-AAA): Lost 52-13 to No. 9 Dawson County last week
-- LUMPKIN COUNTY (3-4, 1-2 Region 7-AAA): Lost 49-21 to No. 1 GAC last week
-- NOTABLE: Fannin County leads series  13-3. Fannin County won 41-35 in 2015 in Dahlonega. ... The two teams played every season from 1986 to 1999 but have split the last two meetings since renewing the series 2014. ... Both teams need a win to stay alive in the playoff race. A loss for the Rebels would eliminate them. The Indians are still alive for a possible first round home field playoff game if they can win out with games vs. Dawson County and Union County still to come but would need North Hall to lose. A loss would not eliminate the Indians but they would have to win out to have a chance. ... It should be a favorable matchup for the Indians. Lumpkin’s ground game was able to produce the most points that GAC has allowed this season and the Rebels defense has allowed the 9th-most points (242, 34.5 ppg) in Class AAA and has yielded 132 points (44 ppg) in region play. ... The Fannin offense still has QB Brad Davis and WR Cooper Earles, one of the best combos in the state, but after scoring 119 in their first four games, the Rebels have scored just 32 points (10.6 ppg) since.

FLOWERY BRANCH at CLARKE CENTRAL
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m. 
-- WHERE: Billy Henderson Memorial Stadium, Athens
-- FLOWERY BRANCH (3-5, 2-2 Region 8-AAAAA): Lost 42-0 to Loganville last week
-- CLARKE CENTRAL (4-4, 2-2 Region 8-AAAAA): Defeated Johnson 52-14 last week
-- NOTABLE: Series is tied 3-3. Flowery Branch won 28-21 in 2015. ... Both teams are tied for the fourth place which means the winner, with just one region game remaining after Friday, will own the all-important head-to-head tiebreaker. ... With Class AAAAA No. 2 and region-unbeaten Buford looming in two weeks, it’s a virtual must-win for the Falcons. A loss would not eliminate them but it would mean they would have to beat Buford and hope that Walnut Grove drops its final three games. The Warriors own the head-to-head tiebreaker after beating the Falcons two weeks ago. ... A win, however, would clinch a playoff spot based on the head-to-head tiebreaker regardless of next week. ... It has been hit-or-miss for the Falcons offense. In their three wins they have averaged 40 ppg. In their five losses they scored just 34 points (6.5 ppg) with two shutouts. ... The Gladiators are averaging 35 ppg in region play. But, they also have allowed 28.2 ppg in region games.

GREATER ATLANTA CHRISTIAN at NORTH HALL
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m. 
-- WHERE: The Brickyard, Gainesville
-- RADIO: 102.9 FM
-- GREATER ATLANTA CHRISTIAN (7-1, 4-0 Region 7-AAA): Ranked No. 1 in Class AAA; defeated Lumpkin County 49-21 last week
-- NORTH HALL (5-3, 2-2 Region 7-AAA): Lost 35-32 to Union County last week
-- NOTABLE: First-ever meeting between the two schools. ... The schedule has not been kind to the Trojans the last two weeks. Last week they faced the then-No. 1 offense in Class AAA in the Panthers and now they again face the No. 1 offense in AAA as the Spartans (309, 38.6 ppg) have overtaken Union County as the top scoring team in the classification. ... North Hall has gone 3-2 vs. spread teams this year but the Spartans, like the Panthers, have been nearly impossible to stop. GAC has been rolling during a 5-game win streak scoring 242 points (48.5 ppg) which is more than 47 teams in AAA have scored the entire season. ... GAC can clinch a home field playoff game with a win. The Trojans need a win to stay in the playoff race. However, if North Hall can find a way to knock off the Spartans and beat East Hall next week, AND GAC loses to Dawson County in its season finale they could grab home field advantage in the playoffs by virtue of the head-to-head tiebreaker. ... North Hall will be to control the clock behind Kyle Bacus and Company to keep the potent GAC offense off the field. 

HARALSON COUNTY at EAST JACKSON
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m. 
-- WHERE: East Jackson Stadium, Commerce
-- HARALSON COUNTY (1-6, 0-3 Region 6-AAA): Lost 31-0 to Bremen last week
-- EAST JACKSON (2-5, 0-3 Region 8-AAA): Lost 49-21 to Franklin County last week
-- NOTABLE: First-ever meeting between the two schools. ... This week will begin a 3-game home stand to close out the season after five straight road games for East Jackson. ... The Eagles could use a win after dropping four straight and the Rebels may be coming to Commerce just in time. Haralson County has given up the most points in Class AAA (322, 46 ppg) and has yielded 44 or more in 5 of its 7 games. The Eagles offense is only averaging 17.7 ppg but has scored 21 or more 3 times. ... Two more wins to finish the year for the Eagles would give them their most wins since going 10-2 in 2009.

LAKEVIEW ACADEMY at HEBRON CHRISTIAN ACADEMY
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m. 
-- WHERE: Hebron Stadium, Dacula
-- LAKEVIEW ACADEMY (1-6, 1-5 Region 8-A): Lost 51-21 to George Walton last week
-- HEBRON CHRISTIAN ACADEMY (4-3, 3-3 Region 8-A): Lost 48-17 to No. 2 Prince Avenue last week
-- NOTABLE: Series is tied 4-4. Hebron won 21-0 in 2015 in Dacula. The two teams also have split the last four meetings with each team winning once on the road. ... Lakeview is out of any playoff picture but could play spoiler to Hebron, which is currently 20th in the power rankings and has a chance to climb with games against George Walton and Athens Christian, teams that are ahead of them in the rankings. ... The new Lakeview spread offense, other than a shutout loss to No. 2 Prince Avenue, has been showing progress averaging 18.2 ppg (24.3 ppg if you take out the Prince Avenue game) over its last four games. The Hebron defense is allowing 22.7 ppg. ... The Lakeview defense has struggled most of the year yielding 39.4 ppg while Hebron is averaging 22.7 ppg.

MOUNTAIN VIEW at MILL CREEK
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m. 
-- WHERE: Mill Creek Community Stadium, Hoschton
-- MOUNTAIN VIEW (7-1, 3-1 Region 6-AAAAAAA): Defeated Collins Hill 24-21 last week
-- MILL CREEK (8-0, 4-0 Region 6-AAAAAAA): Ranked No. 1 in Class AAAAAAA; defeated Peachtree Ridge 31-12 last week
-- NOTABLE: Mill Creek leads series 5-1. The Hawks won 42-0 in 2015. ... With just one game remaining against the bottom two teams in the region after Friday, this game essentially is for the region title. Mill Creek owns wins over North Gwinnett and Peachtree Ridge while the Bears only blemish came to the Bulldogs last month. ... Both offenses have been among the best in AAAAAAA with Mill Creek 2nd (307, 38.2 ppg) and the Bears 3rd (293, 36.6 ppg) in scoring. The difference will once again be the Hawks defense, which is 3rd in AAAAAAA in scoring average (73, 9.1 ppg). Mill Creek has held four opponents -- Peachtree Ridge, North Gwinnett, Collins Hill, Stephenson -- their lowest offensive outputs of the season. ... Mill Creek QB Cameron Turley is coming off a record-setting performance last week throwing for a school-record 347 yards. He now also owns the school-record for career TD passes with 37 after throwing 4 vs. Peachtree Ridge. ... Mountain View is allowing 17.2 ppg on defense. However, the Bears have given up 25 ppg over their last four games.

NORTH FORSYTH at SOUTH FORSYTH
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m. 
-- WHERE: War Eagle Stadium, Cumming
-- NORTH FORSYTH (4-3, 1-1 Region 5-AAAAAAA): Lost 48-40 to Lambert last week
-- SOUTH FORSYTH (4-3, 1-1 Region 5-AAAAAAA): Defeated Milton 35-14 last week
-- NOTABLE: South Forsyth leads series 12-6. South Forsyth won 35-3 in 2015. The War Eagles have won two straight in the series but the teams have split the past six meetings. ... The Raiders have struggled at South Forsyth going 1-4 in their last 5 road games vs. their cross-county rivals. ... The two teams are tied for third in the region standings after falling to Lambert. Both still have a shot a grabbing a home playoff game with games against No. 8 West Forsyth looming. ... The winner will still be in the running for a home playoff game. If the Raiders fall, they will have to beat either West Forsyth of Milton to advance to their first playoffs since 2013. ... The Raiders will have to find a way to stop the War Eagles offense, which is 12th in AAAAAAA and leads Region 5-AAAAAAA (238, 34 ppg). The North Forsyth defense is yielding 27.8 ppg but QB Ben Bales and the offense will have to find some success vs. a War Eagles defense that is allowing just 20.7 ppg.

NORTH GWINNETT at PEACHTREE RIDGE
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m. 
-- WHERE: Peachtree Ridge Stadium, Suwanee
-- NORTH GWINNETT (4-3, 2-1 Region 6-AAAAAAA): Defeated Duluth 45-14 last week
-- PEACHTREE RIDGE (2-5, 1-2 Region 6-AAAAAAA): Lost 31-12 to No. 1 Mill Creek last week
-- NOTABLE: North Gwinnett leads series 10-2. Peachtree Ridge won 42-6 in 2015 to snap a 6-game losing streak in the series. ... In year’s past this game had region title implications. Not so in 2016. Both teams are still vying for positioning. ... The Lions are standing on the precipice of making the playoffs with losses already to the top two teams in 6-AAAAAAA in Mill Creek and Mountain View. Another loss for the Lions would mean they would virtually have to win out to have any chance. ... The Bulldogs own the tiebreaker over Mountain View for second place but must win out to gain home field advantage in the playoffs. ... The Lions will be a tough challenge. They have lost two games by 1 point and four by 5 or less. Defense will be the key for Peachtree Ridge. In their two wins, the Lions have allowed just 9 total points. In their five losses, they have given up 28.4 ppg. ... North Gwinnett is averaging 33.1 ppg behind QB Cade Fortin, who had 225 total yards (173 pass, 1 TD; 52 rush, 2 TDs) in last week’s win. The Bulldogs weakness may be on defense where they are yielding 28.5 ppg on the season.

OCONEE COUNTY at STEPHENS COUNTY
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m. 
-- WHERE: The Reservation, Toccoa
-- OCONEE COUNTY (6-1, 2-0 Region 8-AAAA): Defeated St. Pius 20-16 last week
-- STEPHENS COUNTY (6-1, 2-0 Region 8-AAAA): Defeated Madison County 34-7 last week
-- NOTABLE: Stephens County leads series 14-4. The Indians won the last meeting in 2011, 38-10, at home. Stephens County has won two straight. Oconee County’s last win came in 2009 in Watkinsville. ... A huge matchup to stay in the hunt for a region title. Both teams still must take on No. 4 Jefferson over the final two weeks so the winner will have the inside track for a home playoff game and maybe the region title. ... The Indians are 9-1 all-time against the Warriors in Toccoa. The only Oconee County win at The Reservation came in 1995. ... However, these Warriors, who won Region 8-AAA last season, have been solid on the road winning 6 of their last 7 away from Watkinsville. The Indians are 7-1 in their 8 home games, with the only loss coming to Carrollton in the playoffs in 2015. ... The Indians have been dominant on both sides of the ball during their five-game win streak. They have averaged 30.6 ppg and yielded just 40 total points (8.0 ppg). ... Oconee County’s last three wins have come against teams that are a combined 3-18 (Cedar Shoals, North Oconee, St. Pius) and have lost 18 straight collectively.

RABUN COUNTY at ELBERT COUNTY
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m. 
-- WHERE: The Granite Bowl, Elberton
-- RABUN COUNTY (6-0, 3-0 Region 8-AA): Ranked No. 5 in Class AA; defeated Social Circle 65-7 last week
-- ELBERT COUNTY (6-1, 3-0 Region 8-AA): Ranked No. 9 in Class AA; bye last week; defeated Oglethorpe County 27-6 two weeks ago
-- NOTABLE: First-ever meeting between the two schools. ... There will still be two weeks left when the smoke clears on this one in Elberton but the winner will hold the region title within its grasp. The Wildcats will finish with Monticello and Oglethorpe County, who are a combined 2-12, while the Blue Devils will still have Monticello and Banks County, who are 5-9. ... The loser will fall into a tie for second place. ... The key matchup will be the 8th-ranked Elbert defense (95, 13.5 ppg) vs. the 2nd-ranked Rabun offense (275, 45.8 ppg) and who wins that battle. If the Wildcats, behind QB Bailey Fisher, are able to spread the ball around, it may be a long night for the Blue Devils because points may be hard to come by for the Blue Devils offense (198, 28.2 ppg) against the Wildcats are No. 1-ranked scoring defense (37, 6.1 ppg). 

RIVERSIDE MILITARY at GEORGIA MILITARY
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m. 
-- WHERE: Davenport Field, Milledgeville
-- RIVERSIDE MILITARY (1-6, 1-6 Region 8-A): Lost 38-0 to No. 7 Commerce last week 
-- GEORGIA MILITARY (4-4, playing non-region schedule): Defeated Glascock County 49-7 last week
-- NOTABLE: Riverside Military leads series 15-10-3. Riverside won the last meeting 23-14 in 2013 in Gainesville. ... It is one of the oldest rivalries in the state with the first recorded game in 1911. They played 19 times between 1911 and 1945 and then did not play again until 1990. They met 8 times from 1990 to 1999 with each team winning four times. They split a pair of games in 2012 and 2013 with each team winning at home. ... This game will have no bearing on any playoff potential but the Eagles would like to snap their 5-game losing streak. They have scored just 20 total points and allowed 30.4 ppg in that stretch. The Bulldogs are averaging 30.1 ppg.

SOCIAL CIRCLE at BANKS COUNTY
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m. 
-- WHERE: Leopards Stadium, Homer
-- SOCIAL CIRCLE (2-6, 1-3 Region 8-AA): Lost 65-7 to Rabun County last week
-- BANKS COUNTY (3-4, 2-1 Region 8-AA): Defeated Oglethorpe County 35-3 last week
-- NOTABLE: Banks County leads series 15-5. The Leopards won the last meeting, 13-7, in 2015 in Homer. It is just the third meeting between the teams since 1995, which was the last Redskins win, 27-25 in Social Circle. ... The Leopards are right in the thick of the playoff race tied for third with Monticello but they own the head-to-head tiebreaker vs. the Hurricanes. ... The offense has been the catalyst and should have a favorable matchup vs. the Redskins, who have given up the 3rd-most points in Class AA (272, 34 ppg). ... After scoring just 16 points in their first two games, the Leopards have averaged 29.8 ppg since, and take out just a 3-point effort vs. Rabun County’s No. 1 defense, they are scoring 36.5 ppg while going 3-2 over their past five games. QB Griffin Goodwin (1,180 yards, 11 TDs), WR Bryce Bennett (29 rec., 580 yards, 7 TDs), and RB Clayton Dykhouse (140 car., 721 yards, 9 TDs) give them a trio of playmakers that have been tough to stop.

ST. PIUS X at JEFFERSON
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m. 
-- WHERE: Memorial Stadium, Jefferson
-- ST. PIUS X (0-7, 0-2 Region 8-AAAA): Lost 20-16 to Oconee County last week
-- JEFFERSON (6-1, 2-0 Region 8-AAAA): Ranked No. 4 in Class AAAA defeated North Oconee 42-14 last week
-- NOTABLE: First-ever meeting between the two schools. ... It is the worst start for the Golden Lions since an 0-10 campaign in 1990. It is already the most losses in a season for St. Pius since going 1-9 in 2000. But, they have played perhaps the toughest schedule in the state with two No. 1s (Benedictine, GAC), two top 10 teams (Marist, Blessed Trinity -- also the defending Class AAA state champ), and two defending region champs in Lanier and Oconee County. ... But, the Golden Lions have struggled mightily on offense scoring the third-fewest points in Class AAAA (61, 8.7 ppg). It won’t get any easier against a Jefferson defense that is yielding just 15 ppg. Take out 42 allowed to Thomson and the Dragons are allowing just 9.0 ppg. ... Jefferson is sure to continue running the ball behind Colby Wood and Colby Clark, who combined for 230 yards rushing last week. The St. Pius defense has been respectable allowing just 23.7 ppg to some of the better offenses in the state but only gave up 13 points to power-running Marist earlier in the season. ... The Dragons cannot afford a slip up with unbeatens Stephens County and Oconee County to follow to close out the season.

TOWNS COUNTY at COMMERCE
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m. 
-- WHERE: Tiger Stadium, Commerce
-- TOWNS COUNTY (2-5, 1-5 Region 8-A): Lost 32-0 to Athens Christian last week
-- COMMERCE (5-2, 4-2 Region 8-A): Ranked No. 7 in Class A Public; defeated Riverside Military 38-0 last week
-- NOTABLE: Commerce leads series 20-0. The Tigers won 49-0 in 2015. ... The Indians have improved in the first season under John Cornett but don’t expect them to breakthrough for their first-ever win over the Tigers. Commerce is fighting for playoff positioning in Class A and needs every win it can get. They cannot afford a slip up with two games left vs. Athens Academy and George Walton that could help them climb the power rankings. ... Both of the Tigers losses came on late-game scores and the they are 8th in defensive scoring in Class A allowing just 64 points (9.1 ppg) with three shutouts. Towns County is averaging 13.1 ppg but has scored just 27 total points (9.0 ppg) during a 3-game losing streak.

WINDER-BARROW at GAINESVILLE
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m. 
-- WHERE: City Park Stadium, Gainesville
-- RADIO: 1240 ESPN Radio
-- WINDER-BARROW (4-3, 1-1 Region 8-AAAAAA): Bye last week; lost 34-21 to Lanier two weeks ago
-- GAINESVILLE (3-4, 1-1 Region 8-AAAAAA): Lost 25-20 to Dacula last week
-- NOTABLE: Gainesville leads series 26-5-1. The Red Elephants won 40-26 in 2015 and have won 4 straight since series was renewed in 2012. The last Winder-Barrow win was in 1993, 21-6, in Winder. ... Huge game for both teams, who can still grab a top-two spot and home field in the playoffs. However, a loss would cripple any hopes of home field advantage for either team with Winder still having to play a rejuvenated Dacula and Gainesville taking on Lanier in its finale. ... The Red Elephants offense has had trouble in the red zone but may find a favorable matchup with the Bulldoggs defense, which has struggled against spread attacks yielding 106 points (35.3 ppg) in losses to Clarke Central, Loganville, and Lanier. ... Turnovers were huge for the Bulldoggs vs. Lanier as three first quarter miscues led to 21 points. ... The Bulldoggs offense has picked things up averaging 29 ppg over its past three games and outscored the Longhorns 21-13 over the final three quarters. ... The Gainesville defense has fared better against spread attacks in wins over Clarke Central and Habersham Central yielding just 21 points (10.5 ppg).

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