Here’s a look at five things we learned from Week 10 of the high school football season...
1. Dawson County has maturity, belief to match ability -- and that's key
Since late September, the Tigers have displayed the kind ability and an understanding of the new systems put in place by new coach Sid Maxwell to make them contenders. But we believe what has made Dawson County first-time region champions is something less tangible: Maturity. It’s one thing to win a few games and build some momentum, it’s something else to make good on that momentum and win a title. To do that you need more than just ability, you need belief and conviction. And Dawson County showed that in spades the last two weeks -- dominating in two wins it had to have in order to claim the program’s first region crown. It was astounding stuff, but a look at the roster reveals part of the reason why Dawson is now holding a No. 1 playoff seed. The 2015 Tigers have 19 seniors -- a fairly sizable number for a Class AAA squad. Yes, most of these seniors only had a brush with the playoffs -- as freshmen in 2012 -- but it’s hard to imagine Dawson being so successful with a roster full of inexperience. True, one the Tigers most important players is a sophomore -- QB Coey Watson -- but he is surrounded by senior playmakers. And it is obvious from interviews with these players that they believe that they are ready for this ascension.
2. Region 8-AAA set for a photo finish
Well, that was a bit of a shock. Prior to last week perhaps no one outside of Watkinsville believed Oconee County was about to hand Jefferson its first loss of the campaign (in double overtime), and now that the Dragons have suffered the setback, we could see a photo finish for the Region 8-AAA title between four teams. The Dragons are still very much in the running, but they have to defeat Hart County on Friday and hope that Elbert County can defeat Oconee County -- in Watkinsville, where the Warriors have lost just once since the start of the 2014 campaign. Certainly we expect this Jefferson team to bounce back, but it could get very interesting come about 9:30 p.m. Friday in Region 8-AAA. Hart County and Elbert County are also alive in the region title race and for a first round home playoff berth. But any of the four could also finish up heading on the road for the first round.
3. Mill Creek set for huge showdown with Peachtree Ridge
Dawson County has already given us one area team to win its first region crown this season. This week, Mill Creek will try make it two for two, as the Hawks battle Peachtree Ridge in what should be one of the most highly-anticipated match-ups across the state. The undefeated Hawks feature one of the stingiest defenses in the state, allowing just 4.8 points per game with five shutouts to their credit. The Lions aren’t much more yielding, however, giving up 10.3 points per contest -- just 4.5 in their seven wins. And while Peachtree Ridge has two losses on its record, those two came against very good programs in Archer and Christ Presbyterian. The Lions also have a win over preseason Class AAAAAA title favorites McEachern on their resume. In other words expect an absolute slugfest this Friday in Hoschton. It should be a lot of fun for us on the sidelines.
4. West Hall is on its way back
For much of the season the rest of the coaches in Region 7-AAA kept saying it: West Hall was going to come good at some point -- it seems as if we have reached that point. The Spartans have reeled off two straight wins against playoff contending teams in Fannin County and Banks County and, thanks to those wins, are back in postseason contention themselves. West Hall will need some luck to get back into the playoffs, but the fact that it has pulled itself back into the fight after such a precipitous fall from the end of last season’s incredible Region 7-AAA championship run speaks volumes for the grit and character found by this team and its coaching staff. What’s even more impressive is that the Spartans have rebounded largely with a back-up quarterback calling the shots. Cameron Shirley took over early in last week’s Fannin County victory after starter Jacob Satterfield went down injured and has blossomed, including last week’s win in which he threw three touchdown passes. West Hall coach Tony Lotti says his building program has learned valuable lessons this season. And if they can finish at 5-5 -- not to mention reach the state playoffs -- after a five-game losing skid that ended their hopes of repeating as 7-AAA champ it will be a big consolation.
5. Red Elephants, Falcons prepping for another key battle
How many times have we seen this throughout the years? Gainesville and Flowery Branch battling on the last night of the regular season with something big at stake. This time the Falcons are battling for their playoff lives, and the Red Elephants for home field advantage in the first round of the postseason -- though other results around the region could also make this a photo finish in 8-AAAAA as well. While Gainesville owns a 9-3 lead in the series, the contest has almost always proven thrilling -- last year’s 49-7 win for the Red Elephants was the aberration. In eight of the last 10 games the average margin of victory has been just over nine points. And both teams come into this game starting to peak. Gainesville has reeled off two straight, including a huge road win at Loganville last week to give it a pathway to the No. 2 seed from 8-AAAAA (Lanier has already repeated as champ). The Branch, meanwhile, has rebounded from a 1-2 start to win five of its last six games, including three in a row to stay in playoff contention. Fans can expect another taut showdown in this thrilling series.
WEEK 10 AREA HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SCORES, OCT. 30
Buford 49, Madison County 8
Cedar Shoals 29, Apalachee 0
Commerce 35, George Walton Academy 9
Dawson County 41, Lumpkin County 0
East Hall 50, Fannin County 36
Elbert County 41, East Jackson 0
Flowery Branch 30, Salem 16
Franklin County 14, Johnson 7
Gainesville 24, Loganville 14
Lanier 48, Winder-Barrow 21
Mill Creek 24, Norcross 0
North Forsyth 20, Habersham Central 14
North Hall 42, Chestatee 22
North Gwinnett 38, Meadowcreek 7
Oconee County 36, Jefferson 35 2OT
Prince Avenue Christian 56, Lakeview Academy 0
Stephens County 24, North Oconee 7
Towns County 21, Providence Christian 14
Union County 29, Riverside Military 14
West Hall 27, Banks County 21
White County 30, Monroe Area 14
WEEK 11 AREA HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SCHEDULE, NOV. 6
Alpharetta at North Forsyth
Apalachee at Lanier
Commerce at Lakeview Academy
Dawson County at Johnson
East Hall at Banks County
Flowery Branch at Gainesville
Franklin County at Fannin County
Habersham Central at Chattahoochee
Hart County at Jefferson
Jackson County at Morgan County
Monroe Area at Chestatee
North Gwinnett at Mountain View
North Hall at White County
Peachtree Ridge at Mill Creek
Rabun County at Greene County
Social Circle at Riverside Military
Stephens County at Buford
Union County at Washington-Wilkes
West Hall at Lumpkin County
Winder-Barrow at Heritage, Conyers
