Thursday March 28th, 2024 6:03PM
5:31PM ( 32 minutes ago ) News Alert

Week 6: Huge region showdowns highlight big night throughout the area

By Jeff Hart Sports Reporter

It may be only Week 6 -- and with five more weeks left in the high school football regular season there is still plenty that can happen -- but this could be the week that several regions look back and say big things were decided.

Three regions feature showdowns that proved key games last year in determining region champions -- and they should be again in 2017.

Probably none will have the impact of Prince Avenue Christian traveling to Commerce in Region 8-A. This game has decided the region three of the last four seasons. Both come in undefeated with the Wolverines (5-0, 4-0 Region 8-A) sitting third in the Class A Private power rankings while the Tigers (4-0, 3-0 Region 8-A) sit No. 1 in the Public power rankings. It will be a classic showdown between a typically high-powered Prince Avenue offense against a stingy and ball-hawking Tigers defense.

Mill Creek travels to North Gwinnett in a Region 6-AAAAAAA battle that sees former Hawks defensive coordinator Bill Stewart leading a resurgent Bulldogs team ready to make a statement. The Hawks (4-1, 1-0 Region 6-AAAAAAA), meanwhile, are ranked seventh in Class AAAAAAA and have won two straight in the series. North Gwinnett (4-1, 1-0 Region 6-AAAAAAA) is looking to get back to the dominance it last displayed in 2013, advancing to the Class AAAAAA state final.

Class AA No. 5 Rabun County heads to Homer to take on Banks County in a matchup that decided the region title a year ago. The Leopards (2-3, 1-0 Region 8-AA) offense came to life last week under fill-in quarterback Clayton Dykehouse, who accounted for 333 total yards, four touchdowns, and three 2-point converions in a big win over Monticello. The Wildcats (4-0, 0-0 Region 8-AA) are led by senior quarterback Bailey Fisher, who is having another stellar season. Fisher had over 300 yards and five combined touchdowns in a rout of Class AAAA West Hall last week.

Those aren't the only big games on tap. Clarke Central travels to Class AAAAA No. 3 Buford in what could be a final seeding game in Region 8-AAAAA. The Gladiators have won four straight and bring the No. 5 scoring offense in Class AAAAA to Tom Riden Stadium.

In Region 8-AAA, Jackson County (3-2, 0-0 Region 8-AAA) heads to No. 8 and undefeated Monroe Area (5-0, 0-0 Region 8-AAA) in a matchup that could  set the table in 8-AAA with both teams still having to face Morgan County.

Region 7-AAA also boasts a pair of key games as North Hall (1-4, 1-0 Region 7-AAA), fresh off its first win of the season over Fannin County, heads to Dawsonville to take on a Dawson County (2-2, 0-0 Region 7-AAA) team that saw the return of senior quarterback Coey Watson last week. Watson, who overcame a knee injury, amassed neearly 400 yards in a tough loss to White County in Week 5. Meanwhile, Union County (4-1, 0-1 Region 7-AAA), still singing from a blowout loss to No. 3 Greater Atlanta Christian that saw quarterback Cole Wright knocked from the game, travels to face an East Hall squad (4-1, 1-0 Region 7-AAA) that has the No. 1 offense in Class AAA, averaging 52.2 points per game. The Panthers also sport the No. 3 offense at 40.6 ppg -- though Wright is a game-time decision for this week.

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 SEPT. 29
(Games listed in alphabetical order of visiting team)

APALACHEE at WINDER-BARROW
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- WHERE: W. Clair Harris Stadium, Winder
-- APALACHEE (1-4, 0-0 Region 8-AAAAAA): Lost 42-0 to Class AAA No. 8 Monroe Area last week
-- WINDER-BARROW (5-0, 0-0 Region 8-AAAAAA): Ranked No. 9 in Class AAAAAA, defeated North Oconee 17-14 last week
-- NOTABLE: Winder-Barrow leads series 7-6. The Bulldoggs won 28-21 in 2016. Winder has won four straight in the series with three of them being decided by 7 points or less. ... The Bulldoggs are off to their best start since 1993. Winder has not started a season 6-0 since 1989. ... The Wildcats have allowed the 5th-most points in AAAAAA (192, 38.4 ppg). The Bulldoggs have turned the ball over 7 times in their last two games. ... Winder can’t afford to be caught looking ahead with a huge road game at Lanier next week looming. ... Winder’s Logan Cash and Aaron Bagley combined for 20 tackles, three sacks, a forced fumble, and an interception in last week’s win. The Bulldoggs are yielding just 18.4 ppg while the Apalachee offense is averaging just 16 ppg.

CLARKE CENTRAL at BUFORD
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- WHERE: Tom Riden Stadium, Buford
-- CLARKE CENTRAL (4-1, 1-0 Region 8-AAAAA): Defeated Cedar Shoals 48-7 last week
-- BUFORD (2-1, 0-0 Region 8-AAAAA): Bye last week; ranked No. 3 in Class AAAAA, lost 33-27 to South Pointe (S.C.) two weeks ago
-- NOTABLE: Buford leads series 1-0. The Wolves won 44-13 in 2016. ... Buford is Clarke Central’s third ranked opponent in the first 6 games of the season. ... Despite being highly ranked, the Wolves are still a relative unknown commodity in 2017. With a new coach in John Ford, combined with as weeks off as actual games over the first six weeks, what to expect from a week-to-week basis has not been established. They have not played on back-to-back weeks since late August. ... Meanwhile, the Gladiators have won 4 straight since a season-opening loss to Class AAAAAA No. 9 Winder-Barrow. They have been solid on both sides of the ball averaging 39.4 ppg, good for 5th-best in AAAAA, and have yielded just 52 points (13 ppg) during their win streak. ... But, Buford still has the best RB tandem in the state in Christian Turner and Anthony Grant. Look for the Wolves to try and establish the run game early to open things up for Fr. QB Aaron McLaughlin, who is still growing through some early growing pains.

FLOWERY BRANCH at CEDAR SHOALS
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- WHERE: Waters-Wilkins Stadium, Athens
-- RADIO: WDUN AM 550
-- FLOWERY BRANCH (4-1, 1-0 Region 8-AAAAAA): Defeated Johnson 54-6 last week
-- CEDAR SHOALS (3-1, 0-1 Region 8-AAAAAA): Lost 48-7 to Clarke Central last week
-- NOTABLE: Flowery Branch leads series 7-0. The Falcons won 33-0 in 2016. ... The Falcons, even over the last few down seasons have dominated this series. No game has been closer than 10 points with Flowery Branch averaging a 37-13 win. ... This one could be more of the same. The Falcons are No. 4 in scoring (195, 39 ppg) and 5th in defense (54, 10.8 ppg) in AAAAA. The Jaguars had allowed just 31 in their first three games before getting blitzed by the Gladiators, who are 5th in scoring in AAAAA. They are 1-6 in region games since joining 8-AAAAA. ... Jr. WR Jalin Strown is a budding star for the Falcons as a big-play guy. He has 445 yards on 18 receptions with 4 TDs, averaging a whopping 24.7 yards per catch. ... Sr. Jerphari Colbert leads a solid Jaguars rushing attack with 422 yards and 3 TDs on 61 carries with 3 100-yard games. But, Cedar Shoals will need more from its passing game, which is averaging a paltry 44 yards a game through the air.

GAINESVILLE at MARIST
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- WHERE: Hughes-Spalding Stadium, Atlanta
-- RADIO: 1240 AM ESPN Radio
-- GAINESVILLE (1-3, 0-0 Region 8-AAAAAA): Lost 33-3 to Class AAAA No. 3 Jefferson last week
-- MARIST (5-0, 0-0 Region 7-AAAA): Ranked No. 6 in Class AAAA; defeated Chamblee 58-0 last week
-- NOTABLE: Marist leads series 9-5. The War Eagles won 24-10 in 2016 at City Park. Last year was the first meeting between the two teams since 1983. Marist has four five straight in the series. The last Gainesville win was in 1964, 25-0 in Atlanta. ... The Red Elephants have been battling injuries all season, especially at QB where they actually used 4 different signal-callers last week. So. Chandler Watson started, got hurt, Jr. Tre Luttrell, who has been out for nearly a month, took 1 snap and handed off. Fr. Robert Reisman took over but then he went down for a few series, giving way to Fr. RB Montavious Taber. Reisman eventually returned to finish the game. ... With all that, Gainesville managed just a FG against the powerful Dragons. They have scored just 44 points, 5th-fewest in AAAAAA (11 ppg) on the season. ... The War Eagles offer another big, talented challenge for the Red Elephants. They are yielding just 10.2 ppg on defense while averaging 34.2 ppg on offense. They pounded out 372 rushing yards last week, led by Chase Abshier, who had 104 on just 6 carries. ... Since shutting out West Hall, Gainesville has given up 104 points (34.7 ppg) during its 3-game losing streak. That is the most by a Red Elephants defense in a 3-game stretch since yielding 109 points to Clarke Central, Loganville, and Flowery Branch to end the regular season during their championship season in 2012. ... The win for Marist last week was the 355th for coach Alan Chadwick, putting him second all-time in Georgia history.

 GREATER ATLANTA CHRISTIAN at FANNIN COUNTY
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- WHERE: Rebel Stadium, Blue Ridge
-- GREATER ATLANTA CHRISTIAN (4-1, 1-0 Region 7-AAA): Ranked No. 3 in Class AAA; defeated Union County 47-7 last week
-- FANNIN COUNTY (2-3, 0-1 Region 7-AAA): Lost 13-0 to North Hall last week
-- NOTABLE: Greater Atlanta Christian leads series 2-0. The Spartans won 52-10 in 2016. ... GAC is in the top 10 in both offense and defense in AAA, sitting 4th in scoring (198, 39.6 ppg) and has allowed just 70 points (14 ppg). ... Despite a 2-headed QB monster, the Spartans are getting solid balance. Sr. RB Kyler McMichael has 477 yards and 7 TDs rushing playing no more 3 quarters most of the season to this point. ... QBs Josh Rose and Jackson Hardy together are averaging 154 yards a game with 11 TD passes and zero INTs on the season. ... The Rebels are averaging just 18.7 ppg as they still break in several new offensive parts. It also has been almost all-or-nothing for Fannin so far. In their two wins they have averaged 34 ppg and pitched two shutouts. In their three losses, the Rebels have scored just 7 points, been shutout twice, and have given up 75 points (25 ppg). ... It is almost a must win for the Rebels if they want to stay in the playoff race with Dawson County, Union County, and East Hall still to come. ... The Spartans have won 21-straight region contests going to 2014 when they were in Region 6-AA.

 JACKSON COUNTY at MONROE AREA
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- WHERE: Legion Field, Monroe
-- JACKSON COUNTY (3-2, 0-0 Region 8-AAA): Bye last week; lost 45-26 to East Hall two weeks ago
-- MONROE AREA (5-0, 0-0 Region 8-AAA): Ranked No. 8 in Class AAA, defeated Apalachee 42-0 last week
-- NOTABLE: Monroe Area leads series 2-1. Jackson County won 41-21 in 2016. ... Both teams are the biggest surprises in 8-AAA so far. They went a combined 6-16 in 2016 but already are 8-2 combined in 2017. But, the Panthers have lost two straight. ... This will be a big challenge for the Panthers. The Hurricanes are 6th in offense (191, 38.2 ppg) and 7th in defense (59, 11.8 ppg) in AAA. Jackson County is averaging 23 ppg and giving up 21.2 ppg. ... It also is the first of three consecutive road games for the Panthers, who are just 1-7 in their last 8 road contests. Monroe has won three straight and 5 of its last 7 games at Legion Field. ... But, Noah Venable could be the X-factor. The Panthers standout Sr. RB led the state in rushing, all-classifications, going into last week.

JOHNSON at WALNUT GROVE
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- WHERE: Warrior Stadium, Walnut Grove
-- JOHNSON (0-5, 0-1 Region 8-AAAAA): Lost 54-6 to Flowery Branch last week
-- WALNUT GROVE (1-4, 0-1 Region 8-AAAAA): Lost 21-17 to Loganville last week
-- NOTABLE: Walnut Grove leads series 3-0. The Warriors won 28-0 in 2016. ... Johnson’s winless streak is now at 19 after last week’s loss. It has been a tough go for the Knights on both sides. They have allowed the 2nd-most points in AAAAA (262, 52.4 ppg) and scored the 4th-fewest (39, 7.8 ppg). Walnut Grove has allowed 32.6 ppg but nearly pulled off the upset last week against Loganville. ... So. QB Colby Bell is one of the young dynamic up-and-comers in the region. He is averaging 149 yards passing and nearly 200 total yards a game on offense. However, he has 5 TDs against 8 INTs on the season so the Knights secondary could have some chances. ... Johnson also has not won a region game (0-7) since jumping back into region play last season.

LAKEVIEW ACADEMY at ATHENS CHRISTIAN
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- WHERE: Eagle Field, Athens
-- LAKEVIEW ACADEMY (2-2, 1-2 Region 8-A): Defeated Providence Christian 35-14 last week
-- ATHENS CHRISTIAN (1-3, 0-3 Region 8-A): Lost 35-0 to Commerce last week
-- NOTABLE: Athens Christian leads series 5-0. The Eagles won 28-21 in 2016. ... Lakeview is looking for its first-ever playoff appearance and if it is to break through, this is almost a must-win. The Lions sit tied for 13th and the Eagles, despite the record, are 22nd in the latest Class A power rankings. A win would further solidify Lakeview’s standings as it gets ready for back-to-back-to-back games against Prince Avenue (3rd), George Walton (11th), and Hebron Christian (13th). ... Lakeview will need the kind of balanced offense it got in wins over East Jackson and Providence (77 points, 38.5 ppg) and solid defense (27 points allowed). But in their two losses to Class A Private No. 2 Athens Academy and Class A Public No. 1 Commerce, they were outscored 103-21. ... Sr. QB Alec Bornhorst (63-for-113, 903 yards, 5TD, 6 INT passing; 44-345, 4 TD rushing) will need another big game. ... The Eagles struggled vs. the top three teams in 8-A (Prince, Athens Academy, Commerce) being outscored 112-24 during their 3-game losing streak, including being shutout in their last two contests. ... Lakeview’s defense has surrendered 130 points (32.5 ppg) but has shown it can create turnovers with 6 takeaways in the first four games. ... The Lions are 0-2 on the road in 2017 and are just 1-9 in their last 10 road games going back to 2015.

MADISON COUNTY at JEFFERSON
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- WHERE: Memorial Stadium, Jefferson
-- MADISON COUNTY (2-3, 0-1 Region 8-AAAA): Defeated Franklin County 49-21 last week
-- JEFFERSON (4-1, 0-0 Region 8-AAAA): Ranked No. 3 in Class AAAA; defeated Gainesville 33-3 last week
-- NOTABLE: Jefferson leads series 10-5. The Dragons won in 2016. Last year’s meeting was the first since 2001 and the Dragons snapped a four-game losing streak to the Red Raiders going back to 1982. ... The Dragons are rolling after two impressive wins over Flowery Branch (Class AAAAA) and Gainesville (Class AAAAAA) the last two weeks. While the offense gets lots of attention with Sr. RB Colby Wood, the defense has been stellar. Jefferson sits 8th in defense (65, 13 ppg) in AAAA. ... The Red Raiders were averaging just 17 ppg until last week’s explosion, which was their highest output since scoring 59 against Chestatee in 2015. ... Dragons’ QB Bryce Moore had one of his best games of the season with 217 yards passing and two TDs. However, Wood left the game in the first half with an injury and did not return.

MILL CREEK at NORTH GWINNETT
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- WHERE: Tom Robinson Memorial Stadium, Suwanee
-- MILL CREEK (4-1, 1-0 Region 6-AAAAAAA): Ranked No. 7 in Class AAAAAAA; defeated Collins Hill 45-13 last week
-- NORTH GWINNETT (4-1, 1-0 Region 6-AAAAAAA): Defeated Mountain View 27-14 last week
-- NOTABLE: North Gwinnett leads series 9-2. The Hawks won 44-17 in 2016 and have won the last two meetings after losing the first nine to the Bulldogs. ... There are plenty of storylines in thisone but none are bigger than former Mill Creek defensive coordinator leading the Bulldogs now and facing the team and players he went to two consecutive semifinals with for the first time. ... The Bulldogs have been battling some key injuries all season as Sr. QB and Texas A&M-commit Cade Fortin is already out for the season with an ankle injury. Last week they lost RB Tyler Goodson after just two series. So. RB Devin Crosby filled in nicely last week rushing for 88 yards, including a pair of first down runs late to help seal the win. ... The Hawks are still stout defensively despite key graduations allowing just 68 points (13.6 ppg) which is good for 7th in a tough Class AAAAAAA. They have forced 9 turnovers to go with 15 sacks and a whopping 30 TFL so far. ... With the region as a whole in a rebuilding mode, and after the Bulldogs win over previously-unbeaten Mountain View last week, the winner of this one will have the upper-hand to a region title. ... Mill Creek got two second-quarter touchdowns on fumble recoveries last week. ... Hawks RB Uriah Leverette rushed for 152 yards and two TDs. ... North Gwinnett outscored the Bears 15-0 in the fourth quarter to erase a 14-12 deficit. ... Bulldogs’ QB Jimmy Urzua was 16-of-28 passing for 163 yards.

MORGAN COUNTY at EAST JACKSON
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- WHERE: Eagles Stadium, Commerce
-- MORGAN COUNTY (4-1, 0-0 Region 8-AAA): Defeated Lamar County 41-21 last week.
-- EAST JACKSON (1-2, 0-0 Region 8-AAA): Bye last week; defeated Oglethorpe County 33-0 three weeks ago
-- NOTABLE: Morgan County leads series 5-0. The Bulldogs won 42-6 in 2016. ... The Eagles are another team that was forced to face back-to-back bye weeks after their game with Glynn Academy got canceled two weeks ago because of Hurricane Irma. They finally got untracked against Oglethorpe with their first shutout victory since beating Banks County 38-0 in 2010. ... Morgan County has proved to be a tough road team winning seven straight away from Madison. The Bulldogs are yielding just 18.4 ppg while sitting 8th in AAA in scoring at 36.2 ppg. ... The Eagles are allowing 30 ppg on defense. They have not won a region opener since a 21-12 victory over Jackson County in 2011.

NORTH HALL at DAWSON COUNTY
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- WHERE: Tiger Stadium, Dawsonville
-- RADIO: www.northgeorgiasportslink.com
-- NORTH HALL (1-4, 1-0 Region 7-AAA): Defeated Fannin County 1-0 last week
-- DAWSON COUNTY (2-2, 0-0 Region 7-AAA): Lost 45-42 to White County last week
-- NOTABLE: North Hall leads series 2-1. Dawson County won 45-27 at The Brickyard in 2016. ... North Hall snapped its longest losing streak since 2014 last week but had been close the two previous weeks losing second half leads to both Pickens and White County. ... It the Trojans’ first shutout victory since beating North Oconee 31-0 in 2015. It also was the fewest points have they scored in a win since beating Hart County 10-9 in the 2008 playoffs. They were 1-31 since that 2008 game in contests in which they scored 21 points or less. ... Dawson County got Sr. QB Coey Watson back and what a difference it made on the offense, despite the loss. Watson passed for 323 yards and four touchdowns, which opened up RB SeVaughn Clark to rush for 169 yards. WR Ethan Cameron had 12 receptions for 181 yards and two TDs for the Tigers. ... The Trojans have had trouble with spread-type offenses in 2017. Despite shutting down a young Rebels spread offense last week, North Hall allowed 112 points (37.7 ppg) against Chestatee, Pickens, and White County. ... North Hall has lost four straight road games.

PRINCE AVENUE CHRISTIAN at COMMERCE
-- WHEN: 8 p.m.
-- WHERE: Ray Lamb Stadium, Commerce
-- PRINCE AVENUE CHRISTIAN (5-0, 4-0 Region 8-A): Ranked No. 3 in Class A Private; defeated No. 11 George Walton 28-14 last week
-- COMMERCE (4-0, 3-0 Region 8-A): Ranked No. 1 in Class A Public; defeated No. 13 Athens Christian 35-0 last week
-- NOTABLE: Prince Avenue leads series 6-5. The Wolverines won 21-14 in 2016. Prince Avenue has won six straight. The last Commerce win was in 2010, Steve Savage’s last year as coach of the Tigers. ... Without a doubt this is the biggest matchup in all of Class A this week. This game has decided the region champ 3 of the last 4 seasons and will go a long way in the final power rankings for both teams. ... Both defenses have been stingy so far. The Tigers have surrendered just 60 points (15 ppg) and last week buried Athens Christian by picking off 5 passes, with two more being called back on penalties. Kyre Ware got two of them, and DaJuan Wood returned another 48 yards for a touchdown. The Wolverines have allowed just 68 points (13.6 ppg) but in the only common opponent Commerce blanked the Eagles last week while Prince Avenue had to rally to beat Athens Christian 30-24 on Sept. 1. ... The ground game of the Tigers, despite a new backfield, is still churning out huge chunks on the ground. Four different players scored for Commerce last week. ... The Wolverines have had to battle back from deficits 2 of the last 3 weeks but QB Grant Roland may be the best QB in the region. He has 1,117 yards passing already with 10 TD and just 3 INT. Jr. Christian Parish is his main target with 21 catches for 526 yards and 7 TDs. The pair connected for a pair of scores last week in the comeback.

RABUN COUNTY at BANKS COUNTY
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- WHERE: Leopards Stadium, Homer
-- RABUN COUNTY (4-0, 0-0 Region 8-AA): Ranked No. 5 in Class AA; defeated West Hall 49-8 last week
-- BANKS COUNTY (2-3, 1-0 Region 8-AA): Defeated Monticello 35-21 last week
-- NOTABLE: Rabun County leads series. 17-10. The Wildcats won 46-3 in 2016 to snap a 5-game losing streak to the Leopards. ... Banks County showed some resiliency last week when Clayton Dykehouse, normally a RB, was forced under center when Trevor Thomas could not start. Dykehouse had his biggest game of the season rushing for 234 yards and 3 TDs on 27 carries. He was 3-of-6 passing for 99 yards and a TD and scored three two-point conversions. As a result, this could pit two of the better dual quarterbacks going. ... Rabun’s Bailey Fisher continues to blitz opposing defenses. Fisher had over 300 total yards passing for 216 yards and 2 TDs, both to Dillyn Nichols, and rushing for another 87 yards and 3 scores. ... This game was the deciding factor for the region title last season but both still have to take on a resurgent Elbert County. ... The Wildcats are 5th in scoring (188, 47 ppg) and 9th in defense (61, 15.2 ppg) while Banks County has allowed 21 or more in 4 of 5 games and had scored 17 or less three times until last week.

RIVERSIDE MILITARY ACADEMY at ATHENS ACADEMY
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- WHERE: Slaughter Field, Watkinsville
-- RIVERSIDE MILITARY ACADEMY (0-5, 0-5 Region 8-A): Lost 48-7 to Hebron Christian last week
-- ATHENS ACADEMY (4-0, 3-0 Region 8-A): Defeated Towns County 53-13 last week
-- NOTABLE: Athens Academy leads series 13-3. The Spartans won 42-0 in 2016 and have won six straight over the Eagles going back to 1996. The last Riverside win came in 1990, 26-13 in Watkinsville. ... The Eagles are still rebuilding under new coach Nick Garrett with two losses by just a field goal each. They played Towns County tough for 3 quarters before losing by 14 points. ... The Spartans, however, have been impressive. They have yielded the fewest points in Class A (20, 5 ppg) with two shutouts and sit 6th in scoring (190, 47.5 ppg). Riverside has given up 34.4 ppg and has scored just 68 points (13.6 ppg) against a brutal first half schedule. The Spartans will be the fourth team ranked in the top 13 in the power rankings in Class A the Eagles have faced. ... The Eagles new spread offense has made strides averaging over 330 yards a game but has struggled with 7 turnovers.

TOWNS COUNTY at HEBRON CHRISTIAN ACADEMY
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- WHERE: Hebron Stadium, Dacula
-- TOWNS COUNTY (2-3, 1-3 Region 8-A): Lost 53-13 to Athens Academy last week
-- HEBRON CHRISTIAN ACADEMY (3-1, 2-1 Region 8-A): Defeated Riverside Military 48-7 last week
-- NOTABLE: Hebron Christian leads series 5-4. The Lions won 31-13 in 2016 and have won three straight in the series. ... The Indians had playoff aspirations in 2017 and if they are to make a run over the last half of the season this is almost a must-win. They sit 23rd in the Public power rankings and a road win over Hebron, which is 13th in the Private rankings, would give them a serious bump up with three consecutive home games to follow. They have just one team after the Lions left on the schedule with a winning record (Commerce). ... The Lions will be a tough challenge having allowed just 58 points (14.5 ppg) and are tied for 16th in scoring with Commerce (161, 40.2 ppg) in Class A.

UNION COUNTY at EAST HALL
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- WHERE: East Hall Stadium, Rabbittown
-- RADIO: 10.9 FM
-- UNION COUNTY (4-1, 0-1 Region 7-AAA): Lost 47-7 to No. 3 Greater Atlanta Christian last week
-- EAST HALL (4-1, 1-0 Region 7-AAA): Defeated Lumpkin County 42-14 last week
-- NOTABLE: East Hall leads series 6-3. Union County won 51-46 in 2016. The Panthers snapped a four-game losing streak in the series. ... It was looking like it would be a one of the most anticipated offensive showdowns of the season with the Vikings sitting No. 1 and the Panthers No. 3 in AAA in scoring. However, Union County star QB Cole Wright and two other players were knocked out of last week’s game and their status is uncertain. Meanwhile, the Vikings are running on all cylinders behind QB Austin Parker, who leads the entire state, all-classifications, in passing yardage. ... But, the key, regardless of who is or isn’t playing, will be which defense can make the most stops. East Hall has yielded 156 points (31.2 ppg) but 72 came in its opener against Habersham Central. The Vikings have surrendered just 84 points (21 ppg) during their 4-game win streak. ... Union County has given up just 88 points (17.6 ppg) with 47 last week against a powerful GAC offense. ... It is the first of four consecutive games for the Vikings against the 2016 playoff teams from 7-AAA. They went 0-4 against the group last year. ... The Panthers are 3-1 in their 4 road games, with their only loss to 2016 state champion Cedar Grove in last year’s playoffs.

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