Keep up with 7-AAA showdowns, Gainesville's return home live on the air

Posted 1:05PM on Tuesday, October 1, 2013

REGION FOOTBALL STANDINGS
After Sept. 27

Region 8-A
TEAM......................Region.................Overall
Pinecrest Academy.....1-0.....................4-1
Prince Avenue............1-0.......................4-1
Commerce..................1-0......................3-2
Athens Academy.........0-0......................3-1
George Walton............0-1......................3-2
Hebron Christian.........0-1......................2-2
Athens Christian..........0-1......................2-3
*Lakeview Academy...............................0-4
*Towns County.......................................0-5
(*-playing a non-region schedule)

Region 8-AA
TEAM........................Region................Overall
Washington-Wilkes......2-0......................5-0
Rabun County..............1-0......................4-0
Jefferson......................1-0......................3-1
Riverside Military.........1-1......................2-2
Union County...............0-1......................2-2
Greene County............0-1......................1-3
Oglethorpe Co.............0-1......................0-4
Social Circle................0-1......................0-4

Region 7-AAA
TEAM........................Region..............Overall
White County................2-0......................4-1
West Hall......................2-0......................4-1
Buford...........................1-0.....................4-0
North Hall......................1-0.....................4-0
Dawson County............1-1.....................3-2
East Hall.......................0-2......................3-2
Fannin County..............0-2......................1-4
Banks County...............0-2......................0-5

Region 8-AAA
TEAM........................Region..............Overall
Hart County..................1-0......................4-0
Morgan County.............1-0......................4-0
North Oconee...............1-0......................3-1
Elbert County................1-0......................2-2
Jackson County............1-1......................1-4
Franklin County.............0-1......................0-4
Oconee County.............0-1.....................0-4
East Jackson................0-2......................1-4

Region 8-AAAA
TEAM........................Region...............Overall
Monroe Area................2-0......................5-0
Chestatee....................2-0......................3-1
Lanier...........................1-1......................4-1
Eastside.......................1-1......................3-2
Stephens County.........1-1......................3-2
Madison County...........0-2......................2-3
Lumpkin County...........1-1......................1-4
Walnut Grove...............0-2......................1-4
*Johnson.................................................1-4
(*-playing a non-region schedule)

Region 8-AAAAA
TEAM........................Region...............Overall
Gainesville..................3-0......................4-1
Flowery Branch...........3-0.....................3-2
Clarke Central.............2-0......................3-1
Heritage, Conyers.......2-1......................3-2
Salem..........................1-2......................2-3
Loganville....................1-2......................2-3
Winder-Barrow............0-2......................1-3
Apalachee...................0-2......................0-4
Cedar Shoals..............0-3......................0-5

Region 6-AAAAAA
TEAM........................Region...............Overall
Alpharetta....................2-0.....................3-2
North Forsyth..............1-1......................4-1
South Forsyth..............1-1......................4-1
Chattahoochee............1-1......................3-2
West Forsyth...............1-1......................3-2
Lambert.......................1-1......................2-3
Centennial...................1-1......................1-4
Johns Creek................0-2......................0-5

Region 7-AAAAAA
TEAM........................Region...............Overall
Peachtree Ridge.........3-0......................5-0
North Gwinnett............2-0......................4-0
Collins Hill...................2-0.....................4-0
Norcross.....................2-1......................3-2
Mill Creek....................1-2......................3-2
Duluth.........................1-2......................1-4
Mountain View............1-2......................1-4
Meadowcreek.............0-2......................0-4
Habersham Central....0-3......................0-5

The pecking order of Region 7-AAA is already starting to shape, and the league's football programs will take an even bigger step toward the postseason this Friday, including two huge contests that will be broadcast live on the Jacobs Media family of stations.

Three of 7-AAA's four teams currently undefeated in region play will take to the field, including Buford and West Hall, who will face off in Oakwood in a game broadcast live on AM 550. Meanwhile, North Hall will play host to an East Hall program that is only a few plays removed from being the fourth undefeated team in the league.

The Trojans and Vikings will battle at The Brickyard in Gainesville on 102.9 FM.

Meanwhile, Gainesville will return to City Park for the first time in three weeks for a contest against Cedar Shoals that will air live on 1240 AM.

The fifth-ranked Red Elephants (4-1, 3-0 Region 8-AAAAA) have cruised through three straight region games, winning by an average margin of 55-4.3. They will face a winless Cedar Shoals (0-5, 0-3) on Friday, yet the Jaguars have dropped their 8-AAAAA battles by an average margin of just 10.3 points and will feature plenty of athleticism.

Just down the road, rival Flowery Branch (3-2, 3-0) has also been dominating 8-AAAAA, and the Falcons will play host to another winless foe in Apalachee (0-4, 0-2).

While two area teams are dominating one region, plenty of programs are looking good in the 7-AAA race -- but, while there are currently four teams undefeated in league play, that number will shrink by at least one this Friday, as No. 1 Buford (4-0, 1-0 Region 7-AAA) plays at West Hall (3-1, 2-0).

The Wolves are following a familiar blueprint for success so far in 2013: dominating defense and a powerful offense. Buford has allowed 21 points in total this campaign and is spreading the wealth offensively between a number of capable running backs and two strong starting quarterbacks.

West Hall, meanwhile, has already equaled its win total from 2012 under second year head coach Tony Lotti and has dominated two 7-AAA foes so far, outscoring Banks County and Fannin County 97-20. The Spartans have used a number of standouts over the course of their rebound, including explosive sophomore running back Kwon Williams.

Just like the Wolves and Spartans, No. 4 North Hall (4-0, 1-0) has been putting up big numbers via a multitude of options this season, including running back Zac Little (461 yards rushing, 4 TDs) and quarterback Andrew Smith (363 yards, 8 TDs), as they average 47 points per game.

East Hall's spread offense has also been explosive through quarterback Devin Watson -- though the Vikings (3-2, 0-2) will want to bounce back from a shutout in last week's 6-0 loss to White County, a game in which the East Hall defense showed it will not be an easy to team to run against.

With White County on a bye this week -- the Warriors (4-1, 2-0) will come back facing a gauntlet of Buford and North Hall back-to-back -- the two games will mean a lot to the near future of 7-AAA.

Region 8-AA will also witness some key battles on Friday, including a top 10 showdown between No. 5 Washington-Wilkes (5-0, 2-0 Region 8-AA) and No. 7 Jefferson (3-1, 1-0) in Washington.

The two teams finished 1-2 in 8-AA last year and are again the favorites in 2013. Yet Rabun County (4-0. 1-0) and Riverside Military (2-2, 1-1) would love to get in on that debate. To do that, they will have to find a way past each other on Friday in Tiger.

It's set for another big Friday of action that you can keep up with on Jacobs Media's airwaves and on Access North Georgia.com's Friday Game Night.

AREA HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SCHEDULE, OCT. 4
Apalachee at Flowery Branch
Banks County at Dawson County
Buford at West Hall -- Radio: AM 550
Cedar Shoals at Gainesville -- Radio: 1240 AM
Chestatee at Johnson
Commerce at Athens Christian
Copper Basin, Tenn. at Towns County
East Hall at North Hall -- Radio: 102.9 FM
East Jackson at Hart County
Franklin County at Jackson County
Jefferson at Washington-Wilkes
Lakeview Academy at Wesleyan
Meadowcreek at Mill Creek
Norcross at Habersham Central
North Gwinnett at Duluth
Oglethorpe County at Union County
Riverside Military at Rabun County
Winder-Barrow at Heritage, Conyers