Here’s a look at five things we learned from Week 9 of high school football...
1. Playoff races continue to take shape -- but still plenty to be decided
OK, we’re going to give you way more than five things, because this is several bits of info rolled into one, but we figured it was worth the effort. ... Only one region champion has been decided -- Rabun County repeating the 8-AA crown -- but a look at the rest of the regions comprising northeast Georgia programs shows there is still plenty to be decided. Here’s what we know (Click here to see full region standings for 7-AAAAAA, 6-AAAAAA, 8-AAAAA, 8-AAAA, 8-AAA, 7-AAA, 8-AA and 8-A):
-- 7-AAAAAA -- Mill Creek kept up its drive for perfection and the 7-AAAAAA title with a win over Collins Hill this past week. They Hawks are currently tied with Peachtree Ridge for first. If they can sweep past Norcross and Peachtree Ridge in successive weeks, they will seal their first region crown.
-- 6-AAAAAA -- None of our area teams are in the running for the postseason, though Habersham Central picked up an impressive win last week (more on that later).
-- 8-AAAAA -- Undefeated Lanier is still running away at the top, at 7-0 in region play. Loganville is still alone in second (6-1 in region), while Gainesville is third at 5-2. GHS and Loganville play this week. Winder-Barrow (also 5-2) is currently fourth due to the Red Elephants’ head-to-head win over the Bulldoggs (and will play Lanier this week). Flowery Branch is fifth, but the Falcons could still get into the playoffs by winning out -- depending on how Gainesville and Winder-Barrow fare in their other contests. Lanier can clinch the 8-AAAAA title with a win over Winder this week.
-- 8-AAAA -- Buford and Stephens County have run away at the top of the standings, both undefeated in region play. The two will face off in their final regular season game (Nov. 6 at Buford). The Indians must get past North Oconee this week to ensure that game is for a region title. The Titans’ loss to the Wolves this week, combined with North Hall’s win at Monroe Area has vaulted the Trojans into third place (thanks to a head-to-head win at North Oconee). White County is currently fifth, but the Warriors are still in the mix and could yet make the postseason if they win out (they will face North Hall on the final night of the regular season.)
-- 8-AAA -- Jefferson has the clear lead as the only undefeated team, but the Dragons will face Oconee County and Hart County in successive weeks. Those two squads are currently tied with Elbert County in second with one region loss each; Elbert must also face Oconee. Seeding will all shake out in the next two weeks.
-- 7-AAA -- Dawson County can clinch its first ever region crown next week with a win against Lumpkin County. East Hall is alone in second place, Franklin alone in third (by a half game), while Banks County and Fannin County are tied for fourth (though the Leopards have the head-to-head tiebreaker). In other words there is a lot left to be decided. Aside from Dawson, East Hall is the team with most of its destiny in its hands, as the Vikings play Fannin and Banks in successive weeks.
-- 8-AA -- Rabun County has the No. 1 seed. Union County (on a bye this week) can finish as the No. 2 seed by defeating Riverside Military and Washington-Wilkes in its next two games.
-- 8-A -- Our area’s teams are not in the running for the region crown, though Commerce does look a lock for the Class A Public playoffs thanks to its current standing in the GHSA Class A power rankings.
2. Dawson County’s bid for history showing impressive mental fortitude
Considering that the Tigers have never won a region crown we wondered how they would react to Friday’s big showdown with Banks County, a game that could be seen as an elimination game for the 7-AAA title chase -- especially considering that Dawson was coming off a flat showing and loss at Fannin County after previously leading the 7-AAA race. Turns out the Tigers answered like champs, blowing past the Leopards 45-0. And, thanks to other results around Region 7-AAA on the same night, Dawson is one win away from clinching the title. The Tigers had shown already this season that they can flat play, but to do so with so much on the line -- and in a situation none of them had any real experience with -- shows a maturity far beyond their experience. New coach Sid Maxwell’s staff has done a masterful job preparing their charges -- but those players still have to go out and perform. And they did just that. The pressure will continue this week for the showdown with Lumpkin County, and a title on the line, but Dawson already has shown that they are up to the challenge.
3. East Hall is ready for the postseason -- and it starts this week
Who -- outside the Vikings football program -- would ever have thought we would be saying “postseason” in concert with East Hall after an 0-3 start? Well, Vikings, you have made believers out of us. East Hall has demonstrated an explosive offense -- led by one of the more impressive young players in the area in quarterback Austin Parker -- a gritty defense and the kind of refusal to yield that was obviously forged in those early-season tests. The Vikings look every inch a team prepped for the playoffs, and that’s a good thing, because, essentially, the postseason starts this week for East Hall. The Vikings will face both Fannin County and Banks County -- teams currently below them in the Region 7-AAA standings -- in the next two contests. Success will seal a postseason spot -- and should Dawson County slip against Lumpkin, there is even the possibility of a region championship. Talk about a bounce back.
4. Is this the beginning of the turnaround at Habersham Central?
There was no question that Benji Harrison’s Habersham Central was improving. The offense was putting up some impressive numbers, while the defense was still finding its feet. Well, the Raiders found them on Friday, holding playoff-hunting Johns Creek to six points in laying the ground work for Habersham’s first victory of the campaign. As exciting as the win was, however, perhaps the more exciting point is that the Raiders have a chance to improve on that victory. Up next is a North Forsyth squad that has won one game this season. After that comes a winless Chattahoochee. Grab wins in those games, and the Raiders will have to like their chances to continue that arc into the next season.
5. Gainesville is on the mend -- and just in time
After dropping two straight, the Red Elephants needed Friday’s 46-18 win over Cedar Shoals in the worst way. The victory showed that Gainesville is not only still a force to be reckoned with but one that can still nab a home playoff berth. Gainesville got a few key players back for the Cedar Shoals contest, and it proved a big help in showing that a 44-7 loss to Clarke Central (on Oct. 16) was an aberration. The Red Elephants have the pedigree and ability to continue their rebound this week at Loganville. And if they do so, it will be clear that big things are back on the horizon -- and that the two-game skid -- was just a blip.
WEEK 9 AREA HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SCORES, Oct. 23
Athens Christian 43, Lakeview Academy 21
Buford 56, North Oconee 7
Centennial 49, North Forsyth 39
Commerce 49, Towns County 0
Dawson County 45, Banks County 0
East Hall 34, Franklin County 27
Gainesville 46, Cedar Shoals 18
Greene County 39, Riverside Military 0
Habersham Central 21, Johns Creek 6
Heritage, Conyers 34, Apalachee 14
Jackson County 69, East Jackson 7
Lanier 31, Salem 10
Mill Creek 42, Collins Hill 17
North Gwinnett 53, Duluth 7
North Hall 25, Monroe Area 0
Rabun County 43, Washington-Wilkes 10
Stephens County 39, Madison County 13
West Hall 40, Fannin County 37 2OT
White County 52, Chestatee 11
Winder-Barrow 21, Clarke Central 17
WEEK 10 AREA HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SCHEDULE, OCT. 30
Apalachee at Cedar Shoals
Banks County at West Hall
Buford at Madison County
Chestatee at North Hall
Elbert County at East Jackson
Fannin County at East Hall
Gainesville at Loganville
George Walton Academy at Commerce
Habersham Central at North Forsyth
Jefferson at Oconee County
Johnson at Franklin County
Lakeview Academy at Prince Avenue Christian
Lanier at Winder-Barrow
Lumpkin County at Dawson County
Monroe Area at White County
Norcross at Mill Creek
North Gwinnett at Meadowcreek
Providence Christian at Towns County3
Riverside Military at Union County
Salem at Flowery Branch
Stephens County at North Oconee
