Non-region play is winding down around Georgia. Last Friday was one of the last weeks of non-region action, but it offered plenty of lessons before the games that truly count.
Here are five things we learned from Week 5 of the high school football season:
1. Jefferson shows its dominance
Jefferson was kept off the field by a lightning storm in Week 4. In Week 5, the Dragons looked like a force of nature themselves. Jefferson (2-1) blew by Gainesville 41-7 at City Park Stadium, outplaying the Red Elephants (2-2) in every facet of the game in the process. Not only did the Dragons' running game continue to be outstanding (321 yards rushing), but coach Gene Cathcart decided to let the passing game loose as well, with senior quarterback Colby Clark going 5-of-6 through the air for 130 yards and two touchdowns. Jefferson also flexed its depth, with four different offensive players scoring touchdowns and five players rushing for at least 40 yards. The defense looked equally impressive, holding a Gainesville offense that had put up 55 points the week before to just one touchdown and 217 total yards. As Region 8-3A play opens next week, Jefferson may be ready for a region championship run and possibly even more.
2. Buford is getting better each week, ready for showdown with Archer
These Buford Wolves are starting to look awfully familiar to anyone who has been around northeast Georgia football for a while. After taking some early punches from a much-improved Newton team Friday night, the Wolves pulled away for a 42-14 win. Buford is now 4-0 for the first time since 2014 and that should be a tantalizing stat for any Buford fan, because 2014 was also the last time the Wolves won a state championship. There is certainly a lot of football to be played between now and December, but Buford has already beaten two teams from the state's highest classification (Milton and Newton) and will get perhaps their stiffest test of their non-region slate this coming Friday as they host Archer. The Tigers beat the wolves 48-24 in 2018 and return much of their offensive firepower from that team, which reached the Class 7A semifinals. Wolves' running back Elijah Turner appears to be a potent weapon himself, though, and quarterback Jarvis Evans seems to being growing more comfortable in coach Bryant Appling's new-look offense with each passing week. Opponents beware, Tom Riden Stadium is once again looking like a dangerous den.
3. White County-North Hall has become a can't miss series
Rivalries have become a fickle thing at all levels of football recently. In high school football, growth patterns and reclassifications have disrupted some long-time rivalries and created new ones. It is these circumstances that make series like White County and North Hall so special. The Warriors and Trojans have had a few brief hiatuses but have largely played every year since 1960, playing to an even 23-23 tie through the first 46 matchups. Game number 47 in the series was another thriller, as White County came back from down 11 points in the fourth quarter to shock North Hall 34-31 at Lynn Cottrell Field at The Brickyard Friday night. It was payback for the Warriors (3-1), who saw North Hall (2-2) win in similar last-minute fashion in Cleveland in 2018. The last four matchups have all been decided by 10 points or fewer and the fourth quarter comebacks of the last two years have only added to the rich history of the rivalry. If you're a person who loves longstanding rivalries or just high school football in general, the White County-North Hall series has become a matchup you simply don't want to miss.
4. Region 7-4A has somehow gotten even better
In 2018, Region 7-4A was arguably the best region in the classification if not the entire state of Georgia. Blessed Trinity headlined a trio of teams along with Marist and Flowery Branch that combined to go 34-6 on the season and all finished ranked in the final Class 4A top-10. As if it wasn't tough enough to make the playoffs in 7-4A, let alone capture the region championship, a couple of new contenders may be ready to make it even more brutal. Denmark has stormed into the season with a 3-0 start, including Friday's 38-24 win at previously unbeaten Dawson County. The Danes feature a slew of collegiate prospects on offense and are averaging more than 47 points per game so far this year. White County, meanwhile, has picked up two big wins over teams they lost to a year ago, Pickens and North Hall, and quarterback J. Ben Haynes is starting to look like the type of player who could lead the Warriors to even more upsets as the season goes on. Last year, Region 7-4A had a "big three". This year, it may have a "big five".
5. G.A.C. still the favorite, but the rest of 7-3A looks wide open
Another region that should be fun to follow is 7-3A. Greater Atlanta Christian has won the region every year since joining it in 2016 and appears to be the odds-on favorite again after a 3-1 start, including wins over Class 4A Thomson and Prestonwood Christian of Texas. While it remains to be seen who will provide the Spartans with their toughest region test, the rest of the field looks wide open. Last year, Dawson County and North Hall stayed head-and-shoulders above the remaining four teams, but both have had slightly slower starts to the 2019 season, with both losing Friday night. Meanwhile, Fannin County, East Hall and Cherokee Bluff all appear improved and could provide a more tasking region slate for the Tigers and Trojans than they did in 2018. The Rebels (3-1) are off to their best start since 2011, and came back for a thrilling win at Chestatee Friday night. With a six-game schedule, just one upset could throw the playoff race for a loop. The crown jewel of 7-3A upsets, of course, would be if someone can finally stop GAC.
