Just when we thought we had a handle on everything -- along came Week 9 of the high school football season in northeast Georgia.
There were plenty of games that followed the script -- Rabun County topped Elbert County 35-7 in Region 8-AA; Buford rolled over Walnut Grove 49-0; Banks County ran past Social Circle 38-6 -- but there were plenty more that that made for jaw-dropping stuff, including several upsets.
(NOTE: For a complete look at games, stories and video highlights from throughout northeast Georgia, visit our Friday Game Night page.)
Perhaps no game made an impression quite like Dawson County's 56-48 defeat of East Hall in Dawsonville. The Tigers (6-2, 4-0 Region 7-AAA) picked off a pass in the end zone as time expired to seal the win after the Vikings (5-3, 2-2) scored, recovered an onside kick and then drove inside the Dawson 10 with less than a minute remaining. It was just another typical installment in the breathless series between these two foes, as the Tigers stayed undefeated in Region 7-AAA and gave themselves a shot at playing for the 7-AAA title. East Hall suffered its second region loss. Elsewhere in 7-AAA, Greater Atlanta Christian dominated North Hall 56-6. The Trojans (3-6, 3-2) and Vikings face off next week in a seeding battle. Also, Lumpkin County (1-7, 1-3) notched its first win of the season 10-0 over Fannin County (2-6, 0-4).
Region 8-AAAAAA brought us one of the biggest upsets of the night, as Gainesville traveled to No. 8 Winder-Barrow and handed the Bulldoggs their first loss of the season 38-16. The Red Elephants (3-5, 2-1 Region 8-AAAAAA) pounced on a 28-3 first half lead and never let up in rolling up 459 total yards. Elsewhere in the region, Habersham Central suffered yet another close loss 35-28 at Dacula. The Raiders (1-7, 0-3) -- their seven defeats coming by a combined 25 points. Lanier also picked up its second straight region win, hammering Apalachee 39-7. The Longhorns (5-3, 2-1) play host to Dacula (4-4, 3-0) next week in a huge game for 8-AAAAAA. The Bulldoggs (7-1, 2-1) travel to Habersham next week.
Region 8-AAAA also provided a shock finale, as St. Pius continued its resurgence by running over Jefferson 43-29. The Golden Lions (3-5, 3-0 Region 8-AAAA) rolled up 503 yards en route to sole possession of first in the region. The Dragons (6-2, 2-1) fell for the first time in region play since 2015. Also in 8-AAAA, Stephens County pulled off a clutch 24-17 win at Oconee County that kept the Indians (4-4, 1-2) in the thick of the playoff hunt.
There weren't any true upsets in Region 8-AAAAA, but both ninth-ranked Flowery Branch and third-ranked Buford had to battle at times in order to set up a huge showdown bewteen the Falcons and Wolves on Nov. 3 for the region crown. The Falcons (8-1, 5-0 Region 8-AAAAA) scored 20 unanswered points to pull away from Clarke Central 32-14 at home. The Wolves (6-1, 4-0) led just 14-0 over Walnut Grove at the half before storming to the 49-0 final. The Branch has a bye next week, while Buford faces Loganville in a warm-up for the title-decider at the Branch.
In Region 7-AAAA, White County pushed past Chestatee 56-27 in Gainesville, as the Warriors (6-2, 1-1 Region 7-AAAA) locked down a postseason bid. The War Eagles (4-5, 0-3) were knocked from contention in the loss. West Hall, which was on a bye, is also in.
High in the mountains, Commerce rolled to a 38-14 win over Towns County in Region 8-A play. The Tigers (7-1, 6-1 Region 8-A) play host to Athens Academy next week in a big showdown for 8-A. Meanwhile, the Indians (3-5, 2-5) will play host to Lakeview Academy next week in a must-win game for both teams' playoff chances after the Lions (2-6, 1-6) fell 42-26 to Hebron Christian in Gainesville.
There was another surprise in Region 6-AAAAAAA, as Mountain View kicked a field goal as time expired to knock off Mill Creek, 20-17. The Hawks (6-3, 3-2 Region 6-AAAAAAA) have a bye next week but could still end up in a three-way tie for second place. North Gwinnett, meanwhile, kept its season rolling with a 44-8 win over Peachtree Ridge. The Bulldogs (7-1, 4-0) face Collins Hill next week in a game that will have playoff implications throughout the region.
WEEK 9 HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SCORES, OCT. 20
Banks County 38, Social Circle 6
Buford 49, Walnut Grove 0
Commerce 38, Towns County 14
Dacula 35, Habersham Central 28
Dawson County 56, East Hall 48
Flowery Branch 32, Clarke Central 14
Gainesville 38, Winder-Barrow 16
Greater Atlanta Christian 56, North Hall 6
Haralson County 23, East Jackson 0
Hebron Christian Academy 42, Lakeview Academy 26
Lanier 39, Apalachee 7
Lumpkin County 10, Fannin County 0
Mountain View 20, Mill Creek 17
North Gwinnett 44, Peachtree Ridge 8
Rabun County 35, Elbert County 7
St. Pius 43, Jefferson 29
South Forsyth 47, North Forsyth 10
Stephens County 24, Oconee County 17
White County 56, Chestatee 27
