Here's a look at five things we learned from Week 5 of high school football...
1. Dawson County and North Hall set for huge showdown
Before the season started we thought this might be a big game, and now that we're on the verge of it, it looks even bigger. Yes, each team has one non-region loss But each came in overtime on the road, and both the Tigers and Trojans responded to those setbacks in dominant fashion last week to set up this week's battle. Greater Atlanta Christian was the preseason favorite to win Region 7-AAA -- and showed why again last week with a 35-12 victory over previously undefeated and top-scoring Union County. Lumpkin County also picked up a key win at East Hall last week and cast itself as a playoff contender in the process. But Dawson County's journey to North Hall should prove pivotal. The winner will cast itself as a challenger to GAC and most certainly set itself on the road to the postseason. Beyond that the game itself should be a very interesting matchup of styles, as the Tigers bring their spread attack to bear against the Trojans' wing-T. Both teams have athletes all over the field and both are coming off playoff seasons in 2015. All the ingredients are in place. We're looking forward to how they mix up.
2. Going back to the future has Lumpkin back in the hunt
Prior to the 2016 season kickoff it appeared that the Indians were behind the proverbial eight-ball. Lumpkin County saw its former head coach resign in May, and new coach Shane Williamson took over in June -- after spring practice, giving him just under three months to implement his styles of play before the season began. And, remember, the Indians were 2-8 in 2015. Taking all that into account it appeared that Williamson faced an uphill battle. And yet the new coach hit the ground running, refusing to make any excuses or use a short time frame as a crutch. And now, as mentioned earlier, Lumpkin County is back in the playoff hunt. The Indians are 2-2, and, more importantly, 1-0 in Region 7-AAA. And all thoughts of the whirlwind take over are now in the past. WIlliamson and his staff have much to be lauded over, perhaps nothing more than the re-emergence of Lumpkin County's rushing attack and standout back Zach Matthews. Matthews was a sensation as a sophomore, helping the Indians to a playoff berth while running all over opponents. Yet he struggled as a junior, unable to impact games as he did in 2014. As a senior, however, Williamson has tapped back into that dominantion. In fact, Matthews has 727 yards rushing (182 yards per game) and 7 touchdowns through four games. There's still much to prove this campaign, but the early returns are very encouraging for Lumpkin County, and Williamson and his staff deserve plenty of credit for identifying the team's strength and going with it.
3. Lanier is rediscovering its form at the right time
It has not been an easy season for the Lonhorns by any means, as they've dealt with an extraordinarily tough schedule and the arrests of two starters -- one of which has since seen the charges dropped. But, as coaches often say, adversity does not breed character, it reflects it. And the Longhorns are showing they have character aplenty. And, after battling a two-game losing skid against a 4-1 Class AAAAAAA South Gwinnett and an undefeated and Class AAAAAA No. 2 Northside-Warner Robins, Lanier is getting back to its winning ways at just the right time. The Longhorns fought off Lambert for a 35-28 win two weeks ago and thenk blanked St. Pius last week. And now, the 2014-15 Region 8-AAAAA champs appear to be right back on track -- at just the right time. Now in Region 8-AAAAAA, the Longhorns will begin league play in two weeks time (they have a bye this week), and they will do so with plenty of forward momentum. And after some tough times faced this season don't be surprised to see Lanier right back at the top of the heap again in the coming weeks.
4. Battle for Barrow has something more than bragging rights on line
The Apalachee vs. Winder-Barrow rivalry has always burned bright. But it has not always had the cache of two teams on the rise. In fact, only once has the showdown featured two teams that eventually featured .500 records (2007). That all seems to be changing in 2016. After suffering through three straight difficult campaigns in which they won one game combined, the Wildcats are battling back. In fact, coach Steven Sims' staff has led Apalachee to back-to-back victories, and Apalachee is 2-2-1. Meanwhile, the Bulldoggs are in the midst of their third season under coach Heath Webb and his staff -- which sparked Winder to back-to-back playoff appearances in 2014-15. The Bulldoggs are currently 3-2 and hoping for a third straight postseason -- but Apalachee would love nothing more than to start its own hunt for its first playoff berth since 2009 with a win over its arch-rival this Friday in both teams' region opener. We already expected fireworks for this game, no matter the two teams' records. But you can expect plenty of extra fire this Friday night between two programs currently on track.
5. Region 6-AAAAAAA will be shaped for season this week
Mill Creek was the clear favorite in the newly-constructed 6-AAAAAAA when schedules were released in the spring. But there were plenty of question as to who would challenge the Hawks -- coming off the Region 7-AAAAAA title and a Class AAAAAA semifinal berth -- for region supremacy. North Gwinnett has stepped up to grab that flag and advance it. The Bulldogs dominated previously undefeated Mountain View last week and have acquitted themselves well this season after last year's disappointing 5-5 campaign. And while Mill Creek will be favored to claim the two teams' showdown this week, there is plenty of reason to keep an eye on this faceoff. The Bulldogs used to dominate this game, winning the first nine of the their contests against the Hawks -- until last year's 28-0 win for Mill Creek. And while the Hawks feature one of the stoutest defenses in the state, the Bulldogs have proven themselves stout on offense again this season, averaging 34 points per game. It should prove intriguing.
WEEK 5 HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SCORES, Sept. 23
Apalachee 10, Monroe Area 7
Athens Academy 38, Towns County 14
Athens Christian 21, Commerce 14
Banks County 29, Monticello 22
Buford 48, International School of Broward, Fla. 8
Dawson County 46, White County 0
Flowery Branch 46, Johnson 7
Greater Atlanta Christian 35, Union County 12
Habersham Central 40, Chestatee 14
Hebron Christian Academy 31, Riverside Military Academy 14
Jefferson 31, Gainesville 28
Lakeview Academy 31, Providence Christian 14
Lanier 26, St. Pius X 0
Lumpkin County 30, East Hall 27
Mill Creek 43, Collins Hill 7
North Gwinnett 38, Mountain View 14
North Hall 28, Fannin County 9
Rabun County 34, West Hall 10
Stephens County 23, Hart County 6
Winder-Barrow 38, North Oconee 0
Woodstock 35, North Forsyth 3
WEEK 6 HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SCHEDULE, Sept. 30
Athens Academy at Riverside Military Academy
Athens Christian at Lakeview Academy
Banks County at Rabun County
Buford at Clarke Central
Cedar Shoals at Flowery Branch
Commerce at Prince Avenue Christian
Dawson County at North Hall
East Hall at Union County
East Jackson at Morgan County
Fannin County at Greater Atlanta Christian
Hebron Christian Academy at Towns County
Jefferson at Madison County
Marist at Gainesville
Monroe Area at Jackson County
North Gwinnett at Mill Creek
Walnut Grove at Johnson
White County at Lumpkin County
Winder-Barrow at Apalachee
