Lumpkin County began playing football in 1961. The Indians are into their 63rd season of football in the Georgia High School Association. They have never hoisted a region title banner.
That can change tonight. Lumpkin County can win its first-ever region title in program history -- all the Indians have to do is beat arch-rival Dawson County on the road in a huge Region 7-3A showdown.
However, they have lost eight straight to the Tigers, 10 of the last 11 in the series, and have not beaten the Tigers in Dawsonville since 1998. There is a back-door to the title. If they lose to Dawson County, the Indians can still claim the title if Wesleyan loses to Pickens next week.
Otherwise a three-way tie COULD be in the works depending this week and next. But if the Indians and Wesleyan end tied atop the standings, Lumpkin County would claim the title by virtue of its 30-21 win over the Wolves last month.
Commerce, meanwhile, has long been considered a traditional state power at the lower classification in the GHSA. The Tigers are 16th overall in wins in Georgia (649-323-20) and have won 18 region titles and two state championships.
However, they have won just two region titles since winning the 2000 state title. The Tigers can get their third, and first since 2020, with a win tonight over Rabun County in a true battle for the Region 8-A Division 1 crown at Tiger Stadium in Commerce.
Rabun County, meanwhile, is looking to keep the state’s longest current region title streak alive. The Wildcats have won nine straight region titles (8 in Region 8-2A, 1 in Region 8-A D1). They can claim the title if they can beat the Tigers by 13 or more points.
Rabun County won last year’s matchup, 27-22, in Tiger. However, no Rabun County team has been able to beat Commerce on the road since 1957. They are 0-11 since then.
Gainesville goes for its second straight Region 8-6A title tonight. A Red Elephants win over North Forsyth in Coal Mountain gives them the crown and their first back-to-back titles since 2010-11.
Only three times since 2001 has Buford NOT won a region title (2009, 2012, 2019) but that could become four times after tonight. If Mill Creek beats Dacula in a Region 8-7A matchup tonight, the Wolves can finish no higher than second by virtue of their 31-24 loss to Mill Creek earlier this month.
However, the Wolves still have a shot at the title if they can win out AND Mill Creek loses its final two games. Buford already owns 32 region titles in its history.
Jefferson owns 11 region titles with more than half (6) coming since their 2012 state title run. The Dragons can make it an even dozen next week when they take on Eastside for the Region 8-5A crown.
COMMERCE GETS RATHER DEFENSIVE WHEN YOU TALK DEFENSE
Defense may actually be driving the Commerce express in 2023
The Commerce offense has been garnering most of the headlines in 2023, and why not when you have guys like Jaiden Daniels (1,348 yards) and Tysean Wiggins (1,102 yards) spearheading a punishing I-formation triple-option attack. Daniels leads the classification in rushing and the Tigers are the only team in the state with two 1,000-yard rushers.
But the key to perhaps a deep playoff run may lie with the Tigers defense. After holding down Elbert County in an impressive 49-21 win last week, they are quietly putting in one of the program’s best bodies of work in 2023. After nine games, they have yielded just 129 points (14.3 points/game). That is their best showing since allowing just 92 points (10.2 ppg) in 2018 over the same span.
Commerce now has held five of its nine opponents to their lowest point totals of the season to this point. Last week, they held Elbert County to just 234 total yards on 15-of-29 passing for 155 yards and just 79 yards rushing. The Blue Devils came in averaging 239 yards passing and 184 yards on the ground for a 423 total yards/game average.
Next up is usually-potent Rabun County tonight, which is averaging 33.4 ppg, in a showdown for the Region 8-A Division 1 title.
STAT LEADERS
Area runners really picked up the pace last week with some huge games. Two area running backs now lead their classification in rushing.
Overall, nine of the state’s top 32 rushers are in our northeast Georgia coverage area of AccessWDUN/Friday Game Night after Week 10, according to the comprehensive stats released by Georgia High School Football Daily on Friday.
Lumpkin County’s Mason Sullens, who led the state after two weeks ago, leads the area and Class 3A with 1,570 yards and is 3rd overall.
Matthew Fuller of Wayne County still leads the state and Class 4A with 1,713 yards and also leads Class 4A.
Commerce’s Jaiden Daniels jumped into 7th in the state and now leads Class A Division I with 1,353 yards. Daniels’s teammate, Tysean Wiggins, is 30th with 1,093 yards.
Javin Gordon of Stephens County is now 14th with 1,226 yards, which is good for 3rd in Class 3A. Jefferson’s Sammy Brown climbed five more spots to 18th in the state with 1,148 yards.
Elijiah Hayes of West Hall moved up to 23rd overall and cracked the 1,000-yard barrier last week to sit at 1,129 yards. Ryan Fowler of White County is having his best season for the Warriors and is now 25th overall with 1,121 yards, giving Region 7-3A three of the state’s best in the top 25.
Region 8-4A is also well represented with Conner Hulsey of Cherokee Bluff (1,094 yards) and Tripp Morris of East Forsyth (1,079 yards) sitting 29th and 32nd overall.
In passing, only four area quarterbacks have thrown for over 1,500 yards. Union County’s Caiden Tanner jumped 12 spots into the top 10 at 9th overall with 2,017 yards. That is now 2nd in Class 2A, just 55 yards behind Skyler Williams of North Murray, who leads the classification with 2,072 yards.
Flowery Branch’s Josh Oliver is 24th overall with 1,844 yards and 4th in Class 5A.
Buford’s Dylan Raiola is 25th with 1,838 yards and Ty Truelove of Rabun County is 38th with 1,592 yards.
In receiving, still only two area players are now in the top 20.
However, Willie Goodwyn of Rabun County still leads Class A Division 1 with 781 yards. That’s good for 18th overall in the state.
Flowery Branch’s Jeremiah Ware dropped to 6th with 915 yards and is just 3rd in Class 5A behind Ahmed Souare of Loganville, who leads the state with 1,247 yards, Sacovie White of Cass, who has 1,101 yards, and Isiah Canion of Warner Robins, who has 958 yards.
