As the high school football regular season enters its three-week sprint to the playoffs, let the fun begin.
Last week, however, saw Flowery Branch improve its standing in Region 8-4A with a 34-14 win over Cedar Shoals. The Falcons moved up one spot and could take over the No. 3 slot with a win this week. Meanwhile, Chestatee's playoff hopes are hanging by a thread after the gut-wrenching 24-21 loss to Madison County.
Cherokee Bluff, Dawson County and North Hall all won big and the "Big 3" will battle it out against each other over the next three weeks.
And in Region 8-2A, Rabun County rules, and Elbert County is now in second.
This week, the Road to Atlanta will be no different with several crucial games on the slate.
Friday Game Night checked in with the area’s coaches to find out how Week 9 played out, and what are the keys to getting a win this week.
You can track these games on the FGN Twitter page @FridayGameNight or the live scoreboard at www.accesswdun.com/fridaygamenight. Below are comments from the area’s coaches:
Banks County's Jay Reid on the keys to a win against Riverside (1-6, 0-2 Region 8-2A, lost to Rabun County, 63-0) ... "After looking at Riverside, it is essential that we rally to the ball and do a great job of tackling in space as they have a couple of backs/receivers that can make big plays happen at any given time. These guys play hard and look to take advantage of every opportunity. I feel that we have gotten better over the last couple of weeks and it is important that we come out and play hard, execute, and focus for 48 minutes. Limiting penalties and winning the turnover battle are two of our biggest areas of focus this week."
Chestatee's Ben Corley on his team's no-quit mindset (3-4, 1-2 Region 8-4A, lost to Madison County, 24-21)... "I was very proud of our kids and the effort they played with on Friday night. It is disappointing anytime your team comes up short, but when they give that kind of all-out energy, we will be in games with a chance to win. We just have to find a way to make a couple of more plays that will put us over the top in those hard-fought games."
On playing No. 1 Jefferson ... "Jefferson is very talented and they are well-coached. Offensively, they are committed to their run game and they fly to the ball well defensively. The keys for us are to be focused on ourselves. We need to continue to improve the things we do. We need to play with that relentless effort and clean up some details in all three phases -- that can be the difference for us Friday."
Cherokee Bluff's Tommy Jones on his team's success (7-0, 3-0 Region 7-3A, beat Lumpkin, 55-8) ... "There’s no such thing as a secret sauce to success. Our guys come to work every day, with a good attitude and a desire to improve. Hopefully, we understand that the margin of difference between winning and losing is razor-thin. And that any tangible success is simply a by-product of developing the right kind of habits and doing lots of little things well."
On playing Dawson County ... "Dawson has another excellent football team. Coach [Sid] Maxwell and his staff continue to do an unbelievable job up there. And as usual, they are playing their very best football when it matters most. Most people know that they have the leading passer in the state returning. But it’s much deeper than that – they have a group of kids that are extremely talented and physical across the board. And play very hard. We need to play with great effort and execute at a very high level in all phases and to be successful."
Commerce's Mark Hollars on his team's four-game win streak (5-2, 2-0 Region 8-A Public, beat Franklin County, 30-0) ... "We have focused on improving each day. Our kids understood that we needed to focus on ourselves and play hard for one another. When people come together for a common goal and nobody cares who gets the credit, anything is possible. We have been playing solid defense over the past four weeks, and our offense keeps getting better each week. Many kids have stepped up and responded to the challenge of daily improvement."
On playing Social Circle ... "Social Circle is an outstanding football team. They are very good on offense. They have excellent players at skilled positions. Their quarterback has a quick release and delivers the ball to a variety of skilled receivers. They have an excellent running back that runs extremely well. We need to limit the big plays in the passing game and maintain ball control with our offense. Having multiple drives of 10-plus plays is the goal."
East Jackson's Cameron Pettus on off week focus (2-5, 0-2 Region 8-3A) ... "Week off was great, we were able to relax and recharge for the final push of the season. [We] Had a couple of dings to get healthy and we did, we are ready to go."
On playing Franklin County ... "Looking forward to Franklin, they play a physical power I offense and 3-4 defense. We have to keep getting better, complete the crucial passes when necessary, and not turn over the ball and create turnovers when we are on defense."
Flowery Branch's Ben Hall on his team's Week 9 win (4-3, 1-2 Region 8-4A, beat Cedar Shoals, 34-14) ... "Our kids played a very physical game. We were able to get a lead early and win time of possession."
On playing Madison County ... "Madison County is playing for a position in the postseason. They execute the triple-option offense well and play physical on defense."
Gainesville's Heath Webb on his team's Week 9 loss (5-3, 1-2 Region 6-7A, lost to South Forsyth, 17-9) ... "We lost to a very good football team. This is no time to panic. We still believe in our players. We still believe in our system. We will make a few adjustments that will help us and move forward."
On playing West Forsyth ... "West is another big, physical team. They run the ball and run it well. And just when you think you've got the run stopped, they use play-action to throw it to UGA-commit Oscar Delp. Defensively, they're fast and physical with the ability to play man or zone. We've got to win the turnover battle and make plays when they're there to be made."
Jefferson's Gene Cathcart on off week focus (7-0, 3-0 Region 8-4A)... "The first focus was on getting well and rehabbing some awfully talented football players -- many of whom are two-way starters as well as being some of our best leaders and some of our best players. Everyone is banged up this time of year, but there is no question the open week came at an opportune time for our football team"
On playing Chestatee ... "They are certainly one of the most improved teams in our league, if not in all of Northeast Georgia. Coach [Shaun] Conley, Coach [Ben] Corley, and their entire staff have done a tremendous job. Offensively, they have scored a bunch of points and are an extremely well-coached football team. We will have to continue to play outstanding defense as they threw and caught the ball very well against us last year and have against almost everyone this year. Again we will need our depth to step up at some key positions and hopefully, after last week's BYE, we will have some more guys healthy. With us playing at their place, we will need to maintain focus and not get caught looking ahead to a possible de facto region championship game with North Oconee next week. Chestatee is very much alive in the playoff hunt, and we know they will have a great plan for us and will get their very best effort. Trap games are for teams that don't value effort every single opportunity to play and get better. It's a lesson we all should have learned during these Covid times -- to cherish and make the most of getting to play. Players step into trap games when they don’t look down and remain where their feet are. Hopefully, our guys don’t fall into either category."
Johnson's William Harrell on the keys against Greenbrier (0-7, 0-5 Region 8-5A, lost to Apalachee, 42-0) ... "We will have to limit the number of times their offense has the ball and be able to get 1st Downs with our offense."
On playing Greenbrier ... "They are very talented on offense and have the reigning All-Region quarterback from last year and three weapons at receiver and running back. [They are a] very multiple spread system that gets their best guys the ball. Defensively, they keep everything in front of them out of a 3-4 look. They are quick and pursue the ball well."
Rabun County's Jaybo Shaw on his team's continued improvement (7-1, 2-0 Region 8-2A, beat Banks County, 63-0) ... "The encouraging thing for our football program is that our best football is still ahead of us. In all phases of the game, we have to get better, continue to grow as a team, and that starts with great preparation throughout the week. We have to continue to get great leadership from our 21 seniors and continue to play our brand of football.
On playing Elbert County ... "Elbert is a very well-coached team and does a tremendous job of getting their playmakers the football. When you turn on the film, you can tell they play with great pride. They are very dynamic on offense, they run to the football and play extremely hard on defense, as well as being very explosive in the kicking game. We have a tremendous amount of respect for Coach [Shannon] Jarvis and his football program. Like every week, we will need to play our brand of football, create explosive plays in all three phases of the game, and win the turnover margin."
Riverside's Nick Garrett on the keys to beating Banks County (1-4, 0-2 Region 8-2A) ... "Offensively, we need to score often, and on defense, slow down their run and eliminate big pass plays. We also need to make big plays consistently on special teams. Banks is tough and are very aggressive."
Towns County's Jason Roquemore on his team's off Week 9 ... [The] Region BYE [week] came at a good time for us. We were able to get some rest. Hopefully, it will help us finish strong."
On playing Greene County ... "Like most of the teams in our region, Greene is playing good football. Their skill is very dynamic on both sides of the football, and they are getting better up front each week. This week, we will need to have better execution in all three phases and tackle well in space. A HUGE ball game for us this week."
West Hall's Krofton Montgomery on the keys to getting a win against Gilmer (2-5, 0-4, lost to Dawson County, 51-0) ... "Gilmer is well-coached running the triple option with veer and buck sweep and a lot of other wrinkles mixed in. You have to play your responsibility the whole game and stay disciplined. We got to execute the three T’s -- tackling, third downs, and turnovers. We have all of our injured guys back practicing as of today, so we are hoping for a great week of preparation and to get in the win column in the region."
White County's Tim Cokely on his team's off-week focus (2-5, 1-2 Region 7-3A) ... "We needed the week off to rest and get healthy. We went back to work today and we are really excited to play this week and the rest of the season."
On playing Lumpkin County ... "The Lumpkin/White County rivalry goes way back and it is always a physical game. For us to come out on top, we will have to play well on both sides of the ball and in the kicking game."
