Friday March 29th, 2024 3:35AM

5 Things: What we learned from Week 8 of high school football

By Caleb Hutchins Assistant News Director

The playoff picture is starting to crystalize as we enter the final month of high school football's regular season. Two thrilling region wins for area teams and some outstanding individual performances highlighted an exciting Week 8 slate.

Here are five things we learned this past Friday:

1. Gainesville offense has found its rhythm

From September 20 to October 4, Gainesville endured one of the toughest gauntlets of any team in Georgia. The Red Elephants faced three straight opponents who were ranked in the top 10 of their respective classification -- Jefferson, Flowery Branch, and Dacula. Gainesville lost all three and the offense struggled along the way, only averaging 11 points per game through those three matchups. Friday night, Gainesville (3-4, 1-1 Region 8-6A) rediscovered its offensive footing, putting up over 500 yards in a 48-21 win over region foe Habersham Central (3-4, 0-2) at City Park Stadium. Senior running back J.D. Brooks led the way with five touchdown runs, but not only did the rushing attack roll up more than 350 yards on the ground, quarterback Gionni Williams was efficient, completing 5-of-7 passes for 130 yards. If the Red Elephants can continue that offensive momentum, they may be able to make an interesting run in 8-6A in the last month of the regular season.

2. Jefferson shows late-game mettle, now in position for region title

To say Jefferson had been playing well since their season opening loss to Oconee County would be an understatement. The Dragons had won five straight, outscoring their opponents in that stretch 206-20. Friday night, they were faced with a season-defining test on the road at ranked Hart County in a battle for the top spot in Region 8-3A. The game lived up to its billing, with the two teams trading blows for the full 48 minutes of action, but it was Jefferson who controlled much of the ball game. The Dragons led by two scores in the fourth quarter and held off a late rally for a 28-23 win. It was an important moment for Jefferson (5-1, 3-0 Region 8-3A), not only because it put them squarely in the driver's seat for the region championship, but also because it showed the team's ability to win the close one. That could be a confidence booster for a team that appears to be priming for a deep postseason run.

3. Flowery Branch ready for a month of slugfests in 7-4A

It has been looming on the schedule for months and it starts this week for Flowery Branch. The Falcons have started 6-0, identical to last season, and have all but assured themselves another trip to the state playoffs with a 2-0 start in Region 7-4A play. Now comes the first of three matchups that will determine where in the bracket they will go. Flowery Branch will travel to Roswell this week to face Blessed Trinity (5-1, 2-0 Region 7-4A), the team that has won back-to-back Class 4A state championships and picked up a key win over Denmark last week. You may recall the Falcons and Titans matchup from 2018, a 21-20 Blessed Trinity win that ended on a failed two-point conversion attempt by Flowery Branch in overtime. This year, the Falcons have once again set themselves up to be a player in the region title race. They defeated Chestatee 40-7 last week and are averaging over 35 points per game, allowing only 8 per contest. After the Blessed Trinity matchup will come a home date with No. 1-ranked Marist, and the regular season finale against Denmark. It will be one heck of a round robin tournament in one of the toughest region's in all classifications.

4. GAC maintains status quo in 7-3A

Has 2019 looked familiar in Region 7-3A? It should. Greater Atlanta Christian (6-1, 3-0 Region 7-3A) has once again put themselves firmly in the driver's seat for the region championship, after staving off tests from North Hall and Dawson County over the past two weeks. Friday night's 20-7 Spartans win in Dawsonville was the team's 35th consecutive dating back to a 2013 loss to then-state champion Lovett in the former Region 6-AA. The Tigers (5-2, 2-1 Region 7-3A) once again provided GAC their toughest test of the region schedule to date, but close will not be enough to change the region standings or keep the Spartans from their sixth straight region championship. There will still be plenty to play for for the remainder of the 7-3A field, including a potential home playoff game, which is still in play for Dawson County, North Hall (3-3, 1-1 Region 7-3A) and Fannin County (5-1, 2-0 Region 7-3A). The Trojans and Rebels will play this Friday in Blue Ridge; Fannin County and Dawson County will face off the following week; and the Tigers will travel to the Brickyard to play North Hall in the final week of the regular season. Fannin County will still get their crack at GAC, but for now, the Spartans have once again asserted control.

5. Johnson sets up postseason possibilities

It hasn't been debatable that Johnson has seen marked improvement over the past two seasons. Entering 2018, the Knights were on a 24-game losing streak and had won just 8 of their last 43 games dating back to 2012. Since then, they have won 8 of their last 17. Last Friday's 24-22 four overtime thriller over Walnut Grove, however, was the biggest step the program has taken in nearly a decade. It was a Region 8-5A win for Johnson (4-3, 1-1 Region 8-5A), putting them one step closer to a state playoff appearance that has eluded the team since 2004. It was the Knights' first region win as an active region member since a 2010 win over Oconee County in the former Region 8-3A. Now Johnson will play the remainder of their regular season with something they haven't had in this time of the year since then: hopes for a playoff appearance. The Knights will play Cedar Shoals, Clarke Central and Loganville likely needing just one win in that stretch to snap that 15-year playoff drought that dates back to first-year head coach Stan Luttrell's previous tenure as a Johnson assistant under then-head coach Blair Armstrong.

© Copyright 2024 AccessWDUN.com
All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission.