Here are five things we learned from Week 10 of the high school football season:
1. Riverside Military just shocked the state, and what a time to do it
Only one phrase feels appropriate to describe the last month of Riverside Military Academy's season: a roller coaster. The Eagles won three straight games from week six through week eight, with each win coming by at least 34 points to put themselves into the thick of the Class A-Private playoff race. Those hopes appeared to be at risk after a hard-fought 17-7 loss to Hebron Christian two weeks ago, especially knowing that their competition in weeks 10 and 11 would provide no opportunities for easy wins. Among the two tough games awaiting them was a trip to unbeaten and No. 6-ranked Commerce Friday night. The Eagles turned the eyes of all of Class A with a thrilling 20-19 win over the Tigers that, while coming short of placing them in the Region 8-A championship game, put them firmly in Class A-Private's top 24 of the power ratings, an all-important threshold that determines which teams make the postseason. Riverside thwarted a two-point conversion attempt by Commerce in the final moments to preserve the massive upset and, according to the Georgia High School Football Historians Association, the program's first-ever win over a top-10 ranked GHSA opponent. Now a tough region crossover game awaits to close the regular season, but Riverside Military appears well on its way to its first trip to the state playoffs since 2009, and what a way to get there.
2. Flowery Branch and White County fight adversity, grab big wins in 7-4A
Flowery Branch and White County's playoff hopes going into Friday night were not the clean pictures that they were heading into week nine. The Falcons appeared to be one of Class 4A's contenders after a 6-0 start and an overtime loss to top-ranked Blessed Trinity, while the Warriors had picked up a big 48-34 win over West Hall in week eight that put them in control of their own destiny for the region's final playoff spot. However, Flowery Branch suffered a shutout loss to Marist and a slew of injuries while White County lost a heartbreaking 28-27 thriller at Denmark, putting both teams postseason hopes on high alert. Both teams responded about as well as possible Friday night. The Falcons overcame key injuries, riding several young players and new starters to a 27-7 win at West Hall while White County came back from a 20-7 halftime deficit to race past Chestatee 49-20. Flowery Branch (7-2, 3-2 Region 7-4A) has now guaranteed themselves a trip to the postseason while White County (3-6, 2-3 Region 7-4A) still needs to hope for West Hall to top Chestatee this week, but both teams made one thing clear last Friday: they can handle tough times and the pressure that comes with a playoff push.
3. North Hall's offense is putting up record numbers, and getting better each week
North Hall's offensive players and staff had to be frustrated after a shutout loss to Greater Atlanta Christian back in week six. Consider those frustrations long gone. The Trojans have reeled off three straight wins and done it in about as much style as possible. The offense looked like it was well back on track after a 62-13 blitzing of Fannin County, but the Trojans were only just starting to heap coals into the engine. They ran to a 70-0 blowout of Lumpkin County the next week, setting a school record for margin of victory and scoring the program's second most points ever in a single game, but they still were not done. The wing-T attack steamrolled to a 76-0 rout of East Hall Friday night that broke the margin of victory record North Hall had set one week prior and marked the most points ever scored in a game in program history, topping a 73-point output that also came against the Vikings back in 2007. The Trojans are beginning to look like an offense that cannot be stopped, but that distinction will be put to a season-defining test Friday night when North Hall travels to Dawson County. The Tigers (8-1, 4-1 Region 7-3A) are allowing only 11 points per game and feature a powerful rushing attack of their own. The game will decide the No. 2 seed in Region 7-3A and the winner will host a first round playoff game. It's looking like a mouth-watering matchup, and one North Hall's offense has never looked more ready for.
4. Four teams, three playoff spots, two games, one week - welcome to Region 8-6A
Dacula must be enjoying this final week of the regular season. Not only have the Falcons clinched the Region 8-6A championship with a 23-0 win over Lanier last Friday, but they now have their seeding decided as they watch a frantic game of musical chairs play out for the final postseason seeds below them. Lanier (6-3, 3-1 Region 8-6A) is the only other team in the region guaranteed a playoff berth, but they could end up seeded anywhere from second to fourth. Meanwhile, Gainesville, Habersham Central and Apalachee are continuing to fight for their playoff lives. Habersham Central (5-4, 2-2 Region 8-6A) and Gainesville (2-7, 2-2 Region 8-6A) both took big steps towards making the playoffs with the Raiders' 34-17 win at Winder-Barrow and the Red Elephants' 7-6 nail-biter over Apalachee. However, the Wildcats (3-6, 1-3 Region 8-6A) can still force a three-way tie for the final two playoff spots if they can upset Habersham Central in Mt. Airy Friday night and have Gainesville lose to Lanier. Point differentials would decide a potential tie, but Habersham Central can assure not only their place in the Class 6A playoffs, but Gainesville's as well if it beats Apalachee. A Raiders win would put Gainesville in the postseason regardless of the outcome of the Red Elephants game in Sugar Hill. For each of the four teams battling it out Friday night, the clearest path is the oldest one in the book: win.
5. As other regions sit in chaos, regions 7-3A and 8-3A are cut and dry.
While Regions 8-A, 7-4A and 8-6A have had to refresh themselves on their tiebreaker rules as they prepare for the final week of the regular season, two regions that have finished nice and tidy have been 7-3A and 8-3A. Both region's have already decided their champions (Greater Atlanta Christian in 7-3A and Monroe Area in 8-3A) and the four teams that will make the postseason. In 7-3A, GAC, Dawson County, North Hall and Fannin County have all clinched the playoffs, while Monroe Area, Jefferson, Hart County and Morgan County will make the playoffs in 8-3A. The only things left to be determined is the exact seeding of a few of those teams. Dawson County and North Hall will tangle Friday night in a much-anticipated battle to decide the No. 2 seed in 7-3A and the right to host a home playoff game. In 8-3A, the top two seeds will be held by Monroe Area and Jefferson, but Hart County and Morgan County will play Friday to sort out the three and four seeds. While both of those games will have some urgency to them, those teams have to be happy that their playoff lives are not still hanging in the balance as a wild final week of the regular season looms across the state.
