5 Things: What we learned from Week 1 of high school football

Mother nature had its say in the opening week of high school football in northeast Georgia, but it didn't stop several teams from making some impressive early-season statements.

Here are five things we learned from the opening week of the season:

1. Buford has mental fortitude to match its talent

Everyone knew how much talent would be on the field in Friday night's Buford-North Cobb matchup in the Corky Kell Classic. What they didn't expect was one of the most dramatic late-game turnarounds the classic has seen in recent memory. The Wolves' offense struggled through the first two and a half quarters against the Warriors' defense and trailed 14-0 with less than six minutes to play in the third quarter. Having lost to North Cobb to open the 2020 season, it looked like 2021 would require another response to a season-opening loss. Buford proved that they have plenty of mettle though, as they rallied to score 28 unanswered points in less than 10 minutes of play, eventually holding on for a 35-27 win. Anyone who has watched Buford over the last two seasons would not be surprised by the mental toughness needed for such a turnaround. Remember, these are the same Wolves who trailed in the final minutes of each of the last two state championship games in 2019 and 2020, only to win both games in overtime.

2. With Jefferson and Rabun County, don't forget the defenses

Jefferson and Rabun County each have plenty of offensive firepower. The Dragons triple-option attack looks to be one of the most potent running games in Georgia and the Wildcats will no doubt put up some big numbers in their wide-open spread. Ahead of their season-opening matchup Friday night, much of the talk was about those offenses and particularly each team's star quarterback, Jefferson's Malaki Starks and Rabun County's Gunner Stockton. Instead, it was the two defenses that stole the show as Jefferson won a 22-13 slugfest at Memorial Stadium. There were some fireworks, highlighted by a 78-yard touchdown run by Dragons' sophomore Sammy Brown in the first quarter and an early picture-perfect touchdown drive by Stockton, but the second half of the game was dominated by defense. The Wildcats shut Jefferson out in the last two quarters while the Dragons allowed just one more score the rest of the way. These are two programs that are aiming for state championships this year, meaning those defenses are likely going to be needed down the line.

3. Renard's legs give Flowery Branch offense another threat

David Renard had a breakout season in his junior year of 2020. He led the Falcons' offense, largely with his arm, throwing for more than 2,600 yards and 23 touchdowns. On Friday night, however, with Flowery Branch down early 14-0 to eigth-ranked St. Pius X in Atlanta, Renard and the Falcons' offense improvised. Instead of beating the Golden Lions with his arm, Renard started grinding out first downs with his legs, using scrambles and quarterback draws to string together long scoring drives, flipping the script on a St. Pius wing-T attack that is used to keeping opposing offenses off the field. He threw one touchdown pass in the final seconds of the first half to Jaheim Hayes to tie the game and then scored himself on a 6-yard run early in the fourth quarter to give Flowery Branch a 21-14 win. Renard finished with 116 yards rushing on 13 carries and 132 yards passing. Each team had just two possessions apiece in the entire second half. With a number of new receivers in the starting lineup, it was known that Renard would have to be the leader of the unit this season. He looks more than ready for that task.

4. Rochester emerges as lead man in Trojans' backfield

North Hall entered 2021 returning most of their starters on both offense and defense, but there was one major question to be answered: who would replace the production of Clark Howell, who graduated last year after leading the Trojans in every rushing category? They got their answer Friday night as senior Kevin Rochester had a coming out party in Dallas against Paulding County, rushing for 248 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. The Trojans rode that performance to a 23-14 win over a Patriots team that had blown them out in the season opener a year ago in the Brickyard. Rochester showed the ability to provide the big play to the North Hall wing-T attack as well, with his touchdown coming on a 50-yard burst in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Bradford Puryear looked more than capable as well, rushing for two touchdowns of his own. North Hall's offense traditionally gets more dangerous as the season wears on as the backfield builds more and more chemistry. If they're already looking this cohesive, they may be downright potent come November.

5. Cherokee Bluff is picking up where it left off in 2020

Last year was a special one for Cherokee Bluff. The program had its first-ever winning season, its first-ever playoff appearance, its first-ever playoff win, and won a region championship to boot. If there were any concerns about the Bears being a potential one-year wonder, those were quickly quieted Friday night. Cherokee Bluff dominated Johnson to the tune of a 57-7 win in Oakwood. It was the most points scored in a game in the program's brief four-year history and the rushing attack led by senior Jayquan Smith put up more than 200 yards on the ground. But it was the defense that really stole the show, not allowing the Knights to gain a first down until the second half with the game already well in hand. While Johnson is in the middle of a losing streak that goes back to 2019, there was nothing shown by Cherokee Bluff Friday night to indicate that they will be anything other than a region title contender in 7-3A again in 2021.