The high school football regular season is beginning to wind down, and Week 9 was filled with the kind of high-stakes battles that make late-season football so exciting. There were outstanding performances, thrilling upsets and agonizing losses.
Here are five things we learned in Week 9:
1. North Hall makes a statement, sets up chance for a late-season push
For a multitude of reasons, the first half of the 2019 season did not go the way North Hall had planned. The Trojans quite literally limped through the season's first six games, as a number of key injuries kept the team from full strength on their way to a 3-3 start to the campaign. Friday night, North Hall head coach David Bishop said the team was finally close to 100 percent, and the result was a performance that looked much more like the team that was 6-1 this time last year. The Trojans routed Fannin County 38-0, flexing their muscles on offense and defense on the road against a Rebels team that entered the contest 5-1 and 2-0 in Region 7-3A play. More enticing than North Hall's dominant performance are the opportunities that still lie in front of them. The Trojans still only have one region loss, and winning out through their last three games could mean a home playoff game for the first time since 2012. Lumpkin County, East Hall and Dawson County stand between North Hall and playing playoff football at The Brickyard.
2. Déjà vu hands Flowery Branch their season's first loss
Sometimes, football can give a team a cruel twist of the arm. Friday night, that team was Flowery Branch. Just like 2018, the Falcons entered a huge Region 7-4A contest with two-time defending state champion Blessed Trinity with a perfect 6-0 record. Just like last season, they largely outplayed the Titans in the second half. Just like last year, the game went into overtime, and just like last year the game ended in heartbreak for Flowery Branch. The Falcons fell 20-17 on a walkoff touchdown by Blessed Trinity running back Elijah Green, suffering their first loss of the season in equally or more agonizing fashion as 2018. They will have little time to feel for themselves, as they return home for another massive showdown with number one-ranked Marist at Falcon Field this Friday. Flowery Branch has once again shown that it can play with the elite teams in Class 4A, but they will now need a win over the War Eagles to keep their region championship hopes alive.
3. With offense hampered, Union County defense comes up big
One month ago, all of the questions surrounding the undefeated Union County Panthers were about the team's defense, which gave up 57 points in a shootout win over Putnam County in Week 6. In Week 9, the script was flipped completely on its head. The defense was asked to carry the team as Class AA's highest scoring offense was strapped with several key starters out including the state's leading passer, quarterback Pierson Allison. As the Union County offense struggled to put up points against a stingy Banks County defense, the Panthers' defense shined. They held the Leopards to one touchdown, allowing the team to escape Homer with a 14-7 win that keeps their region championship and home playoff hopes alive entering the season's final three weeks. If Union County can get their offensive firepower back and return to their high-scoring ways, they may now have the kind of defensive play that could help the program capture that elusive first-ever playoff victory.
4. Cherokee Bluff has made major strides
Most would have expected Cherokee Bluff to improve off of its inaugural season, as most new programs do. The team entered the season with a larger roster, a year of coaching from Tommy Jones' staff under their belts and some actual experience for its young core. The last two weeks have shown that the Bears may be farther along than even the most optimistic expectations. Cherokee Bluff won its third game of the year Friday night and did so with style, routing East Hall 41-12 in Flowery Branch. It was the second straight blowout win for the Bears (they defeated Lumpkin County 45-14 in Week 8), who have now evened up their Region 7-3A record at 2-2 and opened up some intriguing playoff possibilities into the season's final weeks. Whether Cherokee Bluff makes a shocking postseason appearance in year two or not, the Bears appear well on their way to being an exciting program to watch, and perhaps sooner than we thought.
5. Lakeview Academy reminds us that the huge upset is still alive in high school football
For everyone except Riverside Military Academy, Lakeview Academy's thrilling 21-20 upset over the Eagles in Gainesville was a reminder of why we love high school football and sports in general. The Lions were about as big of an underdog as any team in northeast Georgia has been this season, entering the contest with an 0-5 record and had lost their last two matchups with Riverside Military by a combined 60 points. Combine that with an early 14-point deficit and a 2019 Eagles' team that entered with a 4-2 record, their best start through six games since 2008, and seemed well on their way to another playoff appearance in Class A-Private and a Lakeview Academy win seemed all but unthinkable. Think again. The Lions rallied, using an onside kick, a number of fourth down conversions and a blocked field goal in the game's final minutes to stun Riverside at Maginnis Field. The upset is still alive and so is our love for Friday nights.
