Regions 8-5A and 6-7A will be the first involving northeast Georgia area teams to get their region schedules underway this week.
Gainesville, now in Region 6-7A, will open its quest for a 21st consecutive playoff appearance traveling to take on Forsyth Central in Cumming. Both teams have come out of the gates hot with the Bulldogs (2-0, 0-0 Region 6-7A) undefeated and using a dominant option attack to wear down opponents. The Red Elephants (2-1, 0-0 Region 6-7A) demolished Discovery last week behind a defense that is yielding less than 100 yards a game on the ground.
In Region 8-5A, Jackson County (1-2, 0-0 Region 8-5A) will play host to Walnut Grove (1-2, 0-0 Region 8-5A). The Panthers are just two plays from possibly being undefeated while the Warriors snapped a 15-game losing streak last week.
Johnson, meanwhile, will entertain Eastside, a team that has made the playoffs each of the past four seasons, including winning a Region 4-4A title in 2018.
But those aren’t the only interesting matchups on Friday. East Hall travels to East Jackson in a showdown between two teams on the rise.
Habersham Central travels to Stephens County looking for a second consecutive victory over its arch-rivals for the first time since 1990. Class 4A No. 2-ranked Jefferson heads to Hartwell in a battle between old region foes.
And, North Hall and Chestatee resume their annual clash at War Eagle Stadium as both teams come in looking for their first win of the season.
For a look at all of the weekend's contests involving area teams, simply scroll down. And be sure to check back with AccessWDUN's Friday Game Night throughout the night for score updates and game stories and video highlights. You can also check for scores and highlights on our Twitter feed: @FridayGameNight
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SCHEDULE FOR Oct. 2
(Games listed in alphabetical order of visiting team)
BANKS COUNTY at FANNIN COUNTY
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- WHERE: Rebel Stadium, Blue Ridge
-- BANKS COUNTY (1-3, 0-0 Region 8-2A): Defeated Lumpkin County 37-0 last week
-- FANNIN COUNTY (2-0, 0-0 Region 7-2A): Defeated Southeast Whitfield 48-0 last week
-- NOTABLE: Fannin County leads series 6-4. The two teams met every year from 2006 to 2015. Banks County won the last meeting, 52-28, in 2015 in Homer. ... The Rebels have not started a season 3-0 since 2005 and their early hot start is due to the defense, which is 7th in Class 2A (20 points, 10.0 ppg) among teams that have played two or more games. They also are averaging 36 ppg on offense. ... The Leopards ended their 8-game losing streak going back to last season but have gotten better each of the past two weeks. After allowing 38 ppg in their first two games, they have yielded just 23 points in their last two (11.5 ppg) and have averaged 29.5 ppg in that stretch after scoring just 24 total points in the first two weeks. ... Banks County is 2-3 all-time in Blue Ridge.
EASTSIDE at JOHNSON
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- TICKETS: Pre-sale only at each school; 40 percent capacity
-- WHERE: Billy Ellis Memorial Stadium, Oakwood
-- EASTSIDE (2-1, 0-0 Region 8-5A): Defeated Alcovy 34-31 last week
-- JOHNSON (0-3, 0-0 Region 8-5A): Lost 41-3 to East Hall last week
-- COVID PROTOCOLS: Mask/face coverings and temperature will be required to get into the stadium. Concessions will be prepackaged.
-- NOTABLE: Eastside leads series 2-0. The two teams have not met since 1999. The Eagles won that meeting 42-13 in Oakwood. ... This is the region opener for both teams. ... The Knights are still in a major rebuild mode. They broke their scoring drought of over nine quarters with a 2nd quarter FG last week but still have been outscored 135-3 so far. ... The Eagles are one of just two teams (Greenbrier) with a winning record among 8-5A teams to this point. Eastside is averaging 22.6 ppg and giving up 22.0 ppg on the season.
EAST HALL at EAST JACKSON
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- TICKETS: GoFan app; 50 percent capacity
-- WHERE: Eagles Stadium, Commerce
-- RADIO: 102.9 FM WDUN
-- EAST HALL (2-1, 0-0 Region 8-4A): Defeated Johnson 41-3 last week
-- EAST JACKSON (1-1, 0-0 Region 8-3A): Lost 28-19 to Gilmer last week
-- COVID PROTOCOLS: Masks are recommended, but no temperature checks. Concessions will be prepackaged.
-- NOTABLE: East Hall leads series 2-0. The Vikings won the last meeting, 67-37, in 2013 in Commerce. ... Both teams, under 2nd-year head coaches, appear to be making strides. It is the final non-region game for the Vikings before the open region play next week. They also are off to their best start since 2017 and, after going 1-8 to open 2019, they have won 3 of their last 4 overall. ... East Jackson rallied from an early deficit and took the lead in the 3rd quarter last week but could not hold it. ... East Hall’s Air Raid offense behind QB Clete Cooper, who hit the 1,000-yard mark for the season last week, is gaining speed each week. After averaging just over 19 ppg in 2019, the Vikings already have scored 92 points (30.6 ppg) in the first three weeks. ... The Eagles defense also is improving. They allowed 33.6 ppg in 2019 and are giving up just 25 ppg so far.
FIDELES CHRISTIAN at LANIER CHRISTIAN
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- WHERE: Gainesville Middle School, Gainesville
-- FIDELES CHRISTIAN (1-3, GAPPS I-AA Region 1 (8 Man): Lost 74-6 to Unity Christian two weeks ago
-- LANIER CHRISTIAN (1-2, GAPPS I-AA Region 1 (8 Man): Lost 36-32 to Central Christian last week
-- NOTABLE: First-ever meeting between the two programs. ... The Lightning lost a back-and-forth affair last week but was glad to have a game after two earlier opponents had to cancel. ... Offensively LCA has averaged 32.0 ppg and will take a Rangers team that has allowed 212 points (53.0 ppg). ...LCA is allowing 24 ppg while Fideles has scored just 80 points (20 ppg) on the season.
FLOWERY BRANCH at HIRAM
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- WHERE: Hornets Stadium, Hiram
-- FLOWERY BRANCH (2-1, 0-0 Region 8-4A): Ranked No. 8 in Class 4A; off last week; defeated Gainesville 29-22 two weeks ago
-- HIRAM (0-4,0-0 Region 7-5A): Lost 41-28 to East Paulding last week
-- NOTABLE: First-ever meeting between the two programs. ... Over the years the Falcons have been known for their defense. But in the early going of the 2020 season, QB David Renard and the offense have taken center-stage. Renard is the state’s passing leader (1,034 yards) despite the Falcons being off last week. They also have three of the state’s top 22 receivers in Connor Larson (416 yards, Class 4A leader), Baxley O'Brien (277), and Sal Sengson (273). ... It looks like a favorable matchup again as the Hornets are giving up 33 ppg on defense. ... After sitting 5-2 in 2019, Hiram is just 1-8 in its last 9 games since. They are averaging just 16 ppg in that stretch. ... A rebuilding Branch defense showed marked improvement against Gainesville after giving up 80 points (40 ppg) in its first two games. ... However, this has the makings of a trap game for the Falcons, who surely are already taking a sneak peek at No. 2 Jefferson next week in their Region 8-4A opener.
GAINESVILLE at FORSYTH CENTRAL
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- TICKETS: Gofan app
-- WHERE: Forsyth County Stadium, Cumming
-- RADIO: 94.5 FM The Lake
-- GAINESVILLE (2-1, 0-0 Region 6-7A): Defeated Discovery 48-0 last week
-- FORSYTH CENTRAL (2-0, 0-0 Region 6-7A): Defeated Cambridge 42-14 last week
-- COVID PROTOCOLS: Masks are required, but no temperature checks. Concessions will be prepackaged.
-- NOTABLE: Gainesville leads series 6-2. The two teams have not played since 2001 and only twice since 1975. The Bulldogs won 34-20 in 2001 in Cumming and have won two straight in the series. The last Gainesville win in the series came in 1975, 48-21 at City Park. ... It is the Region 6-7A opener for both teams. It offers to be a classic showdown between the GHS offense, which is averaging 39.6 ppg, and the Bulldogs defense, which has allowed just 21 points (10.5 ppg). ... But the key matchup will be a Bulldogs offense which is averaging 256 yards a game on the ground vs. a GHS defense which has limited its first three opponents on the ground. Central has five players with 59 or more yards so far on the season. ... Forsyth Central is 2-0 for the second time in three seasons but has not opened a season 3-0 since 2016. ... The Red Elephants are looking for their best start since 2015 when they opened that campaign 4-1. ... Region 6-7A has been one of the early surprises in Class 7A. As a whole, the region is 16-5 so far in non-region play.
HABERSHAM CENTRAL at STEPHENS COUNTY
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- TICKETS: $7 at the gate; 100 percent capacity
-- WHERE: The Reservation, Toccoa
-- RADIO: 99.3 FM WCON
-- HABERSHAM CENTRAL (2-1, 0-0 Region 8-6A): Lost 28-21 to White County last week
-- STEPHENS COUNTY (3-1, 0-0 Region 8-3A): Defeated Madison County 44-13 last week
-- COVID PROTOCOLS: Masks are recommended, but no temperature checks. Concessions will be available.
-- NOTABLE: Stephens County leads series 30-12-1. Habersham Central won 27-21 in 2019 in Mt. Airy snapping a 14-game losing streak to the Indians going back to 1996. ... The Raiders are just 3-12 all-time in Toccoa with their last win at The Reservation coming in 1993, 6-3. They also haven’t won two straight in the series since taking back-to-back road wins in 1989 and 1990. ... Stephens County is off to its best start since 2016 but its three wins have come against teams that are 2-7 in 2020. The Indians’ loss was to unbeaten White County and they have lost 13 straight games to teams with a winning record going back to a win over Cedar Shoals in 2018. ... Habersham Central is doing most of its damage on the ground with over 1,000 yards as a team already. The Raiders had 399 yards behind another huge game from Joshua Pickett, who had 213 yards rushing and 158 yards passing and 3 TDs last week. Pickett has 478 rush yards and Jackson Clouatre has 508 yards on the ground for the season. ... The Indians have been more balanced averaging 145 yards passing behind QB Ben Stowe (522 yards, 4 TD, 4 INT) and 140 yards on the ground behind RB Corey Ibrahim (253 yds, 4 TD). They have scored 108 points so far (27 ppg) after scoring just 187 (18.7 ppg) in all of 2019.
JEFFERSON at HART COUNTY
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- TICKETS: $8 at the gate; 100 percent capacity
-- WHERE: Pete Herndon Stadium, Hartwell
-- JEFFERSON (3-0, 0-0 Region 8-4A): Ranked No. 2 in Class 4A; defeated Class 7A Mountain View 40-7 last week
-- HART COUNTY (1-2, 0-0 Region 8-3A): Off last week; defeated North Hall 55-22 two weeks ago
-- COVID PROTOCOLS: Masks are recommended, but not required, temps checked at the gate. Concessions will be prepackaged.
-- NOTABLE: Jefferson leads series 5-1. The Dragons won 28-23 in 2019 in Hartwell. ... All seven meetings between former region foes have been since 2010 and Jefferson has won five straight over the Bulldogs. The Dragons are 2-1 all-time at Pete Herndon Stadium. ... Jefferson already is clicking on all cylinders. The Dragons sit 2nd in scoring (43 ppg) and 2nd in defense (9.3 ppg) in Class 4A. ... But the Bulldogs have been churning out the yards and numbers the last two games scoring 97 points (48.5 ppg). It’s the defense, however, that has been the problem for the Bulldogs. They are allowing 33.6 ppg so far after giving up just 16.3 ppg in 2019. ... It could be a matchup that favors the Dragons, who are averaging 400 yards a game on the ground in their triple-option behind Malaki Starks, Kolton Jones, Reese Johnson, and Jordan Perry. Starks has rushed for 177, 157 and 128 yards and is averaging 12.2 yards a carry with 7 TDs. ... However, like Branch above, it could be a trap game with the Falcons waiting next week in their crucial 8-4A opener.
LAKESIDE-DEKALB at CHEROKEE BLUFF
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- TICKETS: Pre-sale only at each school; 40 percent capacity
-- WHERE: Bears Stadium, Flowery Branch
-- LAKESIDE-DEKALB (0-0, 0-0 Region 4-6A): Season-opener
-- CHEROKEE BLUFF (3-0, 0-0 Region 7-3A): Defeated Georgia Military College 52-0 last week
-- COVID PROTOCOLS: Mask/face coverings and temperature will be required to get into the stadium. Concessions will be prepackaged.
-- NOTABLE: First-ever meeting between the two programs. ... The Bears have been one of the dominant teams in Class 3A in the first month of the season. They sit 2nd in scoring average (48.3 ppg) and are tied for 2nd in defense giving up just 14 points (4.6 ppg). ... Jr. QB Sebastian Irons has been the early breakout player for the Bears averaging 134 yards/game with 5 TDs passing in his first varsity action. Jr. RB Jayquan Smith leads a ground attack that is averaging over 200 yards a game, with most of that coming in the first halves of the Bears’ three blow out wins. ... Lakeside is part of the DeKalb system that delayed the start of their season until Oct. 1. ... The Vikings have lost 19 straight games and are just 3-27 since the start of the 2017 campaign.
LUMPKIN COUNTY at ST. FRANCIS
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- WHERE: Peter Carriuolo Field, Alpharetta
-- LUMPKIN COUNTY (0-3, 0-0 Region 7-3A): Lost 37-0 to Banks County last week
-- ST. FRANCIS (0-3, 0-0 Region 6-A Private): Off last week; lost 41-9 to Darlington two weeks ago
-- NOTABLE: First-ever meeting between the two programs. ... The Indians are trying to avoid their first 0-4 start since 2017. ... Lumpkin County has been battling COVID issues and youth. Coach Caleb Sorrells and several key players had to sit out last week. Even without COVID concerns, the Indians were rebuilding on both sides of the ball. ... Lumpkin has been outscored 113-17 on the season. ... But the Knights are in a similar situation. They have been outscored 122-23 on the season and are off to their worst start since 2012. ... The Indians can build some momentum and get everyone back just in time with a week off before opening region play against Gilmer in two weeks.
NORTH HALL at CHESTATEE
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- TICKETS: Pre-sale only at each school; 40 percent capacity
-- WHERE: War Eagle Stadium, Gainesville
-- RADIO: WDUN AM 550
-- NORTH HALL (0-3, 0-0 Region 7-3A): Off last week; lost 55-22 to Hart County two weeks ago
-- CHESTATEE (0-3, 0-0 Region 8-4A): Lost 14-8 to West Hall last week
-- COVID PROTOCOLS: Mask/face coverings and temperature will be required to get into the stadium. Concessions will be prepackaged.
-- NOTABLE: North Hall leads series 16-2. The Trojans won 34-14 in 2019. The last Chestatee win came in 2017, 42-12. ... Both teams have been struggling mightily out of the gate in 2020. The Trojans are still looking to find the right pieces as they replace 20 starters. The War Eagles are battling injuries, including star QB Christian Charles, who missed most or all of the first three games. ... The Chestatee defense continues to make strides, however. They are yielding 34 ppg, which is down from the 40 ppg in 2019 and the offense, which is usually one of the most dangerous in the area, has been little help with nearly a dozen turnovers and scoring just 41 total points (13.6 ppg). ... North Hall’s usually potent Wing-T has been halted most of the year scoring just 29 points (9.6 ppg) while the defense has been torched for 113 points (37.6 ppg) so far. ... But with region play looming next week for both teams, they both have a chance to build some momentum at just the right time.
PICKENS at UNION COUNTY
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- TICKETS: At the gate; 100 percent
-- WHERE: Mike Colwell Memorial Stadium, Blairsville
-- PICKENS (2-2, 0-0 Region 7-4A): Defeated Coosa 10-0 last week
-- UNION COUNTY (1-2, 0-0 Region 8-2A): Off last week; defeated Chestatee 39-19 two weeks ago
-- COVID PROTOCOLS: Masks recommended but no temperature checks. Concessions will be prepackaged.
-- NOTABLE: Series is tied 5-5. It is the first meeting between the two programs since 1991. Pickens won that meeting, 34-0, in Blairsville and has won two straight. The last Union County win over the Dragons came in 1983, 41-0, in Jasper. ... The Panthers rebuilding offense finally found some traction last week. But the defense, which allowed just 17.6 ppg in 2019, has given up 25 ppg so far. ... The Dragons are in a similar position. They averaged 31.1 ppg last year but so far are scoring just 12.0 ppg. In their two wins, the defense has given up just 8 points. In their two losses, 60 points.
TOWNS COUNTY at LAKEVIEW ACADEMY
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- TICKETS: Students and parents only, partial capacity
-- WHERE: Jock Horner Stadium, Gainesville
-- TOWNS COUNTY (2-2, 0-0 Region 8-A Public): Lost 21-20 to Mt. Zion-Carroll in OT last week
-- LAKEVIEW ACADEMY (1-1, 0-0 Region 6-A Private):
-- COVID PROTOCOLS: Masks are required, but no temperature checks. Concessions will be available.
-- NOTABLE: Lakeview Academy leads series 8-5. The Lions won 41-0 in 2019 in Hiawassee. Lakeview has won 3 of the last 4 meetings overall. ... A matchup between old Region 8-A foes. ... The Indians are just a PAT and a late score from being undefeated. They have gotten balance on offense behind QB Mason Thomas and RB Kyle Oakes, who leads Class A Public in rushing with 617 yards and 9 TDs. ... The Lions got their first win for new coach Lee Shaw last week and looked impressive recording their first shutout since beating Towns last year. The 34 points also were the most since their win over Towns. ... But Lakeview has gone 32 consecutive games without back-to-back wins and has not started a season 2-1 since 2012. ... Towns County has not beaten Lakeview in Gainesville since 2015.
WALNUT GROVE at JACKSON COUNTY
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- TICKETS: Gofan app; 50 percent capacity
-- WHERE: Panthers Stadium, Jefferson
-- WALNUT GROVE (1-2, 0-0 Region 8-5A): Off last week; defeated Social Circle 42-16 two weeks ago
-- JACKSON COUNTY (1-2, 0-0 Region 8-5A): Lost 14-13 to Franklin County last week
-- COVID PROTOCOLS: No temperature check but masks are expected to be worn inside the stadium. Concessions will be prepackaged.
-- NOTABLE: Series is tied 1-1. The two teams split a pair of games in 2010-11 with each winning at home. Walnut Grove won the last meeting, 37-0, in 2011. ... It is the region opener for both teams. ... Jackson County is just a missed PAT and having 2 TDs called back in a loss to Stephens County from possibly being undefeated. The defense has been stellar giving up just 18.6 ppg and has not been helped by an offense that has nearly a dozen turnovers in the first three games. ... The Warriors’ win last week snapped a 15-game losing streak going back to 2018. However, they have not won back-to-back games since 2016. ... The 42 points are the most they have scored in a game going back to a 42-0 win over Johnson in 2017. They scored just 58 total points in 2019 and already have surpassed that in three games this season. ... Walnut Grove is yielding 27.6 ppg on defense, but that is a far cry better than the 42.3 ppg they allowed in 2019. The Warriors are just 2-14 in their last 16 region games, with both wins coming over Johnson.
