Second quarter big as second half of season underway

The second quarter proved just the tonic for several teams that took big wins in prep football action Friday night around northeast Georgia.

Flowery Branch erased a 10-7 deficit to Habersham Central with 35 points in the second quarter en route to a 56-31 win at Falcons Field. Likewise for Gainesville, which blew open a close game with Oconee County with 34 points in the quarter on the way to a 66-7 win.

North Hall scored 21 second quarter points to grab the lead from White County in a 28-14 win in Cleveland. Rabun County scored 14 unanswered points in the second quarter of its 35-21 upset of Fannin County to snap a six-game losing streak to the Rebels going back to 1993.

In other action Friday night in Region 8-AAA, West Hall won its second straight game with a 35-21 win over Johnson in the Battle of Oakwood; Stephens County whipped Chestatee 28-0; and Franklin County knocked off Lumpkin County 32-6; and Monroe Area held off Walnut Grove 24-6.

In Region 8-AA action, Banks County scored with 40 seconds left to rally for a 19-14 win over Dawson County. East Hall pulled away in the second half to beat Union County 33-3. East Hall and banks County are now tied atop the 8A-AA subregion standings.

Jefferson kept pace with Elbert County and North Oconee in 8B-AA with a 48-13 win over Oglethorpe County. North Oconee whipped Jackson County 56-0 while Elbert County beat Hart County 29-7.

In Region 8-A, Commerce recorded its second straight shutout win beating Riverside Military Academy 42-0 in Gainesville.

AREA PREP FOOTBALL SCORES FOR OCT. 7

Apalachee 34, Rockdale County 14

Athens Academy 48, Social Circle 3

Banks County 19, Dawson County 14

Clarke Central 52, Salem 14

Commerce 42, Riverside Military Academy 0

Conyers Heritage 21, Winder-Barrow 0

East Hall 33, Union County 3

Elbert County 29, Hart County 7

Flowery Branch 56, Habersham Central 31

Forsyth Central 28, Cass 0

Franklin County 32, Lumpkin County 6

Gainesville 66, Oconee County 7

Jefferson 48, Oglethorpe County 14

Loganville 30, Cedar Shoals 27

Monroe Area 24, Walnut Grove 6

North Gwinnett 29, Norcross 22

North Hall 28, White County 14

North Oconee 56, Jackson County 0

Rabun County 35, Fannin County 21

River Ridge 28, Lakeview Academy 21

Stephens County 28, Chestatee 0

West Hall 35, Johnson 21