Week 7 provided us a little bit of clarity in some regions but muddied the waters in some others.
Here are five things we learned from Week 7:
Lumpkin County and White County are pulling away in 7-3A, while Dylan Raiola showed he has an arm at Buford. Flowery Branch and Habersham Central made their region races a lot more interesting, and two schools with East in their name look like they are really good.
1. Region 7-3A potentially is a lot clearer
Lumpkin County took down Wesleyan, 30-21, while White County pushed past Dawson County, 24-14. While we are only two weeks into the region schedule, the matchup between the Indians and Warriors now is highlighted, circled and put in bold on everyone's calendars. Lumpkin County has to get past a tough Gilmer team next week at home, while the Warriors have Wesleyan on the road and West Hall in Cleveland before we get to that matchup, but should both teams jump over the hurdles, it sets up a de facto region title game in Dahlonega on October 20.
2. Dylan Raiola tosses the rock around really well
Yes, we know Dylan Raiola is committed to Georgia and yes, we know that a big reason why is his ability to throw the ball. But in just six games with Buford, Raiola has built a lot of chemistry with his offensive teammates. In fact, he found nine different receivers on the night against Collins HIll in his 11 completions for 276 yards and four scores. Efficient and big numbers tell us that Raiola could lead this Buford team well into the postseason.
3. Flowery Branch ain't done yet
The Falcons had a heartbreaking loss to Eastside two weeks ago, and for some teams, that type of loss could end a season. Not for Flowery Branch, as they won a shootout at Clarke Central, 41-38, firmly planting themselves right back in the mix for a playoff spot in 8-5A. Sure, Jefferson is the favorite to win that region, but the Falcons get to play the Dragons in a couple of weeks. There's still a lot of football to play and the Falcons control their own destiny to get into the playoffs.
4. Habersham Central puts their name back in the hat
Much like Flowery Branch, the Raiders lost a heartbreaker to Stephens County to open the season and then got blown out by White County in Week 2. Since then, the Raiders have built themselves back up and now find themselves in a tie for third in 8-6A with Lanier and Shiloh. Gainesville is the favorite to win the region, but the Raiders are in the mix to potentially not just make the playoffs, but host a playoff game in Mt. Airy.
5. East Jackson and East Forsyth look the part
East Jackson opened 8-2A play with a demolition of Banks County, while East Forsyth continued to roll through 8-4A with a shutout win over East Hall. Every win by each of these undefeated teams has been impressive and it doesn't look like either of them are ready to give up that unbeaten start. Both teams have tough road games next week in region play with the Eagles traveling to Fellowship Christian and the Broncos taking on Cherokee Bluff, but if the trends continue, these two teams from the direction the sun rises will continue to see daylight on their horizons.
