The opening night of high school football proved a mix of one-sided contests and nail-biters for area teams, as the 2018 campaign kicked off with a bang.
(NOTE: Scroll down for a complete list of area scores)
Perhaps the biggest win came in Lexington, as Johnson ended more than two seasons of frustration with a 38-0 defeat of Oglethorpe County to halt a 24-game losing skid.
Elsewhere, Buford, Flowery Branch, Jackson County, Lumpkin County, North Hall and Towns County each opened their respective seasons with impressive victories, including a 70-6 win over East Hall for the Falcons that set a new single-game scoring record. Buford also pulled away from a 14-7 lead over Tucker to run away with a 40-14 win over Tucker in the Corky Kell Classic in Atlanta -- a battle of two No. 2s (Buford in Class 5A, Tucker in Class 6A).
North Hall also hammered rival Chestatee, 63-7, and Lumpkin County ran past East Jackson, 42-0, as Luke Smith racked up three scores.
There were still a few battles on the gridiron, however, including a 32-28 fightback for Dawson County over Habersham Central, as the Tigers watched a first half lead evaporate before sealing the victory courtesy a late touchdown in Mt. Airy.
Commerce also prevailed over West Hall 35-19, including two touchdowns apiece for the Tigers Caleb Mason and Dylan Deaton.
Meanwhile, Jefferson dropped a tough one at Oconee County, 20-13, while Gainesville fell 42-0 in a weather-shortened game at Mary Persons. Weather also derailed Riverside Military, though the Eagles' contest at Christian Heritage in Dalton will be completed on Aug. 31. Riverside trailed Christian Heritage 17-7 with 10:30 remaining in the third quarter, and that will be the score when the game resumes.
There are also two games on tap for Saturday, as Rabun County travels to Statesboro for a neutral site clash with Bremen, while Cherokee Bluff inaugurates its program with a showdown against Whitefield Academy in Flowery Branch -- a game that will be broadcast live on WDUN AM 550.
FRIDAY'S HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SCORES FOR AREA TEAMS
Buford 40, Tucker 14
Commerce 35, West Hall 19
Dawson County 32, Habersham Central 28
Flowery Branch 70, East Hall 6
Jackson County 23, Banks County 0
Johnson 38, Oglethorpe County 0
Lumpkin County 42, East Jackson 0
Mary Persons 42, Gainesville 0
North Hall 63, Chestatee 7
Oconee County 20, Jefferson 13
Towns County 55, Hayesville, N.C. 24
Riverside Military at Christian Heritage -- suspended (weather) -- will be completed on Aug. 31
SATURDAY'S SCHEDULE FOR AREA TEAMS
Cherokee Bluff vs. Whitefield Academy
Rabun County vs. Bremen (at Georgia Southern)
