The evolving race for region titles and playoff seeding will continue to take shape this week in the form of a number of huge high school football contests.
The nebulous battle that is Region 7-AAA will gain some clarity this week, as four of the five teams currently tied with just one region loss will face off.
East Hall’s resurgence in region play has been astounding, and the Vikings will travel to take on a Franklin County team that was amongst the preseason favorites in 7-AAA. In a game broadcast live on WDUN AM 550, East Hall (3-4, 2-1 Region 7-AAA) will bring its multi-faceted offense, one scoring 33.3 points per game, to bear against a Franklin County (4-3, 3-1) team that has been both up and down, scoring 40 and 56 points in games but is averaging 27.4 points.
Elsewhere in 7-AAA, Dawson County (4-3, 3-1) and Banks County (5-2, 2-1) will tangle in a showdown broadcast live on northgeorgiasportslink.com. The Tigers are coming off their first region setback of the campaign at Fannin County, managing their lowest scoring output of the region campaign. Meanwhile, the Leopards have won two straight, putting up their two highest point totals in back-to-back contests.
The winners of each game will keep themselves at the front of the region title race.
Meanwhile, both Gainesville and North Hall are battling for the postseason futures and each will do so in important region contests this Friday.
The Red Elephants (4-3, 4-2 Region 8-AAAAA) are coming off a shock, 44-7 loss at Clarke Central and will be desperate to avoid a third straight defeat when they play host to Cedar Shoals on Friday in a game broadcast live on 1240 AM ESPN Radio.
The Jaguars are just 1-6, 1-5 in 8-AAAAA, but are a dangerous team, coming off a narrow, 30-25 defeat to Winder-Barrow in which they held a 25-10 fourth quarter lead. Gainesville will be looking to get its offense back on track after scoring just 15 total points in its last two games.
In Region 8-AAAA, North Hall (3-4, 2-2 Region 8-AAAA) can clinch a state playoff berth if it can close out the campaign with three straight wins -- the Trojans could reach the postseason even with a loss, but know that victories will most definitely clinch a berth -- the only question would be the seeding position.
The Trojans will travel to battle Monroe Area (2-5, 1-3) in a contest broadcast live on WDUN FM 102.9. North Hall flashed some of its old wing-T prowess in last week’s 56-28 defeat of Madison County, rushing for 586 yards and the Trojans will look to keep that up this week.
Elsewhere in 8-AAAA, White County (1-6, 1-3) and Chestatee (0-7, 0-4) will face off looking to gain some late-season traction in a game broadcast live on wrwh.com.
It will be another big week, and we’ll be there both on air and here on AccessWDUN’s Friday Game Night page to keep you up to date.
WEEK 9 HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SCHEDULE, Oct. 23
Athens Christian at Lakeview Academy
Banks County at Dawson County -- Radio: northgeorgiasportslink.com
Cedar Shoals at Gainesville -- Radio: 1240 AM ESPN Radio
Clarke Central at Winder-Barrow
Commerce at Towns County
Duluth at North Gwinnett
East Hall at Franklin County -- Radio: WDUN 550 AM
East Jackson at Jackson County
Heritage, Conyers at Apalachee
Johns Creek at Habersham Central
Lanier at Salem
Madison County at Stephens County
Mill Creek at Collins Hill
North Hall at Monroe Area -- Radio: WDUN 102.9 FM
North Forsyth at Centennial
North Oconee at Buford
Riverside Military at Greene County
Washington-Wilkes at Rabun County
West Hall at Fannin County
White County at Chestatee -- Radio: wrwh.com
