Several down-to-the-wire thrillers turned region races on their heads Friday night.
Here are five things we learned in Week 6:
1. Region 8-4A's playoff race is truly wide open
So far, North Oconee has lived up to their preseason billing as one of the top teams in the state in Class 4A. The unbeaten Titans have looked to be a step above the competition in Region 8-4A. Beyond that, the rest of the region playoff spots appear to be totally up for grabs. Cherokee Bluff was thought to be a clear number two in the region behind North Oconee, but North Hall had other plans, as the Trojans pulled out a 14-12 upset win over the Bears at The Brickyard Friday night. The game shot North Hall (2-3, 2-1) right back into the region playoff race while simultaneously turning the race for the No. 2 spot in the region into a crowded pack with no clear leader. Walnut Grove now has to be considered a strong candidate for that spot with a 4-1 start after they survived a 7-6 scare from East Forsyth Friday. Cedar Shoals can't be counted out either after winning back-to-back region contests. What does it all mean? Every region game in 8-4A from now until the end of the season will be supremely important and any given Friday could radically change the region landscape.
2. Wiggins emerges as a third threat in Commerce's backfield
Commerce runs a variation of the triple-option offense that Mark Hollars brought over from North Cobb Christian when he took over as head coach in 2021. The Tigers certainly had a known threat as one option in sophomore running back Jaiden Daniels, who entered the season already considered one of the top backs in the area. Senior Jacari Huff has been a more than solid second option with several big games of his own in his career. However, Commerce was still looking for another weapon to make the "triple-option" a true triple threat. They may have found that third weapon Friday night. Trailing an unbeaten Banks County team late in the third quarter, Tigers sophomore B-back Tysean Wiggins took the game over, rumbling 41 yards for a game-tying touchdown and then willing the team down the field in the final minutes with several key, physical runs to get Commerce in position for Ivy Tolbert's game-winning field goal that gave the Tigers their 18th straight win over the Leopards. The win was big in and of itself, but the emergence of Wiggins could prove far more valuable down the line as Commerce looks to compete in a tough Region 8-A Division 1.
3. Rabun County's defense again shows it can win games for the Wildcats
Much of the attention Rabun County's program has received has been about the offense, and its hard to blame anyone for focusing on that. The Wildcats have been one of the highest-scoring programs in the state across classifications for years with outstanding quarterbacks like Bailey Fisher, Gunner Stockton and now Keegan Stover lighting up scoreboards across the Peach state. This year's Rabun County team, however, may have just as good of a defense to go along with that offensive firepower. They proved that earlier in the year in a 14-7 win over Stephens County where the defense shut down a vaunted Indians offense and scored the winning touchdown themselves on an interception returned for a touchdown. They proved it again Friday night, as they held a strong Whitefield Academy team to just 14 points in a 28-14 win over the WolfPack. While the Rabun County (5-0) offense was far from anemic, it wasn't a high-flying game with loads of scoring, but that hasn't seemed to scare the 'Cats defense. They've now turned in strong performances against two ranked teams and are allowing just 14 points per game on the season. That's a good sign for a team that is always looking to make a deep playoff run.
4. Region 8-2A is looking much tougher than initially thought
In the preseason, Region 8-2A was thought to be something of a two-team race. Private school powerhouses Athens Academy and Fellowship Christian headlined a region that was thought to not have a lot of parody behind them. That has not been the case as the season has unfolded, however, as 8-2A is starting to look like one of the deepest regions in the area. Union County has made major strides in its second season under head coach Michael Perry. After going 3-7 in 2021, the Panthers have started this season 4-1, with the lone loss being to currently unbeaten Lumpkin County, and have racked up a number of blowout wins. Banks County has been one of the feel-good stories of the season, as they started 4-0 and only saw their first loss this past Friday in the previously mentioned 17-14 thriller against Commerce. Meanwhile, East Jackson has quietly been turning its season around. After starting 0-2 and being outscored 41-7 in those two losses, the Eagles have been improving every week. They have now won three straight and blew out Johnson at home Friday night 45-0. All of this is leading up to a region race that is now far more intriguing than originally thought and there will plenty of big matchups, starting this week when East Jackson plays host to Banks County.
5. Kickers prove their value once again
Never forget that football has three phases - offense, defense and then special teams. While most fans will use kickoffs and punts as a chance to look down at their phone or head to the bathroom, it can prove to be the most important phase in a close game. Friday night was a prime example. Three key area games were decided by last-second field goals. Cherokee Bluff missed a field goal with just seconds remaining, giving North Hall a big upset win. East Forsyth's bid to start 4-0 in just their second year as a program was thwarted when Walnut Grove blocked their last-minute go-ahead field goal try and the Warriors escaped 7-6. Commerce's Ivy Tolbert was the one kicker in the area to be successful in her effort to win a game late with a kick, as she hit a 26-yard field goal with less than a minute to play to give the Tigers a 17-14 win over Banks County. Kickers can be an afterthought in a blowout game, but when the game is coming down to the wire, the hopes of entire programs and communities can rest on the legs of the one of the least-talked about positions in football. Never forget the kickers.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER. 23 SCORES
Buford 14, Marietta 0
Cedar Shoals 49, East Hall 21*
Commerce 17, Banks County 14
Dawson County 56, West Hall 7*
East Jackson 45, Johnson 0
Jackson County 28, Apalachee 10*
Jefferson 17, Clarke Central 7*
Lakeview Academy 27, Strong Rock Christian 19
Lanier 25, Habersham Central 21*
Lanier Christian 69, Pinecrest Academy 7*
Lumpkin County 42, Pickens 7*
North Forsyth 42, Shiloh 34*
North Hall 14, Cherokee Bluff 12*
North Oconee 52, Chestatee 7*
Oglethorpe County 63, Riverside Military 12
Rabun County 28, Whitefield Academy 14
Walnut Grove 7, East Forsyth 6*
THURSDAY, SEPT. 22, SCORES
Eastside 34, Flowery Branch 14*
(Gainesville, Towns County, Union County, and White County all were off.)
SEPTEMBER 30 SCHEDULE
Banks County at East Jackson*
Cedar Shoals at Cherokee Bluff*
Chestatee at Madison County*
Clarke Central at Flowery Branch*
Collins Hill at Buford*
Commerce at First Presbyterian
Dawson County at White County*
Druid Hills at Riverside Military
East Forsyth at East Hall*
Gainesville at Lanier*
Gilmer at West Hall*
Greene County at Towns County*
Habersham Central at Jackson County*
Johnson at Lakeside-DeKalb
Lakeview Academy at Bethlehem Christian*
Lanier Christian at Notre Dame Academy
Lumpkin County at Wesleyan*
North Hall at North Oconee*
Rabun County at Fellowship Christian*
Winder-Barrow at Jefferson*
(North Forsyth and Union County are off)
(* -- denotes region contest)
