The 2018 high school season is already entering its third round of contests this week, and the landscape is starting to take shape in northeast Georgia.
This Friday should provide even more clues as to how the campaign will pan out, including a trio of contests that will take place live over the airwaves of Jacobs Media stations.
Flowery Branch opened the season with the most dominant performance in program history in Week Zero, defeating East Hall 70-6. After a week off, the seventh-ranked Falcons (1-0) are set for a tough challenge to open their home slate, as Clarke Central pays a visit to the Branch in a game that will air on WDUN AM 550.
The Gladiators are 2-0 on the season after two hardfought wins over Winder-Barrow and Oconee County, and while they haven't scored anywhere near 70 points yet, they do feature a balanced and dangerous offense and a defense that has come up with several big plays.
Meanwhile, just up the road, two Hall County teams will square off in a game that will be all about momentum.
Johnson followed up a season-opening win with a disappointing 41-8 loss to West Hall last week. And Cherokee Bluff is 0-2 after the brand new program dropped contests to Whitefield Academy and Denmark. The Knights (1-1) and Bears will both enter Friday's game looking to turn things around, and each will be convinced they can do just that in a game set for WDUN 102.9 FM.
After also opening 0-2, Gainesville will take on Lambert on Friday looking to build on a strong rebound effort last week against North Forsyth. The Red Elephants led for much of the contest before trailing for the first time all night, and, ultimately, falling, inside the final minute of play.
The Longhorns (1-1) bounced back from their own season-opening loss to Wheeler with a 42-14 rout of Chattahoochee last week and should prove another stern test for Gainesville in a game played live on The Lake 94.5 FM.
Those are just a sampling of some big games set for Friday, including North Hall looking to move to 3-0 in a contest against Cherokee at The Brickyard. The Warriors (1-1) have scored just 24 points combined in two contests and will face a North Hall defense that has yielded just seven points combined.
In Oakwood, West Hall will look to maintain its forward momentum after winning its sixth straight Battle of Oakwood last week when the Spartans (1-1) play host to Jefferson. The ninth-ranked Dragons (0-1) had a week off after suffering a tough, 20-13 setback to Oconee County to open the season.
In Cleveland, White County will look to build on last week's strong second half that saw them run away from Lumpkin County 40-7 when the Warriors (1-0) play host to Habersham Central. The Raiders (1-1) rebounded from an opening week loss to Dawson County with a 42-35 defeat of Madison County last week. It should be a battle of stout offenses led by strong quarterbacks -- Habersham's Tre Luttrell and White County's J Ben Haynes.
And in the mountains, Towns County will play host to neighbor Union County with both teams entering the showdown 1-0. The Indians had the night off last Friday following a 55-24 defeat of Hayesville (N.C.), while the Panthers opened their campaign with a 35-6 win over East Hall last week. Towns County has just one win in 30 tries in the series, but is coming off arguably its best season ever in 2017.
AREA PREP POOTBALL SCHEDULE, AUG. 31
Cherokee at North Hall
Cherokee Bluff at Johnson -- Radio: WDUN 102.9 FM
Clarke Central at Flowery Branch -- Radio: WDUN AM 550
Deerfield Beach, Fla. at Buford
East Hall at Woodland, Cartersville
East Jackson at Oglethorpe County
Habersham Central at White County
Hart County at Commerce
Jackson County at Lumpkin County
Jefferson at West Hall
Lakeview Academy at Georgia Force
Lambert at Gainesville -- Radio: The Lake 94.5 FM
Riverside Military at Christian Heritage -- Continuation of game suspended due to weather on Aug. 17
Union County at Towns County
