Week 2 had some interesting and exciting finishes.
Buford pulled out all the stops, including trick plays and a successful two-point try to come from behind to win the game. Yeah, that was Buford over Benedictine at Tom Riden Stadium. WDUN AM 550 play-by-play man Brian Stewart is still getting over that final call of the game.
East Jackson edged Commerce 14-13 in a shocker at home. Flowery Branch employed the triple-option offense to get past Habersham Central to claim its first win of the season. Gainesville rolled into Moody, Ala., and dominated the Blue Devils, earning its first out-of-state win in school history.
As Week 3 is set to kick off on Friday, we found three games we think you should keep an eye on, with none no bigger than Hall County's newest rivalry with North Hall traveling to Cherokee Bluff. Can Lumpkin County get their first win of the season against Hart County? Will Commerce get back on track at Luella? There are 17 games on the schedule this week. To follow scores and more this week, follow Friday Game Night on X.com or scores, stories and highlights.
HART COUNTY at LUMPKIN COUNTY
Records: Bulldogs (1-1, Region 8-2A); Indians (0-1, Region 6-3A)
Last week: Hart County lost 37-36 to Madison County; Lumpkin County was off
Where: The Burial Grounds, Dahlonega
Radio: www.northgeorgiasportslink.com
Time: 7:30 p.m.
PLAYERS TO WATCH: LUMPKIN COUNTY: QB Cal Faulkner, RB Nolan Matthews, WR A Scott, LB M Nichols, DL C Greilich, DB J Bell, DB T Mobley.
WHY WATCH IT: Week 1's outcome was a bit of a shock to the high school football world in Northeast Georgia. Lumpkin County, ranked No. 7 in Class 3A, was upset by Cherokee Bluff. All the prognosticators picked the Indians, and Cherokee Bluff only used that as bulletin board material. The Bears shut down the Indians' offense in the second to roll to a big win. But time heals all wounds, and the Indians have had two weeks to prepare for their Week 3 contest against Hart County. How the Indians respond after a loss and 10 days off will be key in this one. Hart County is 1-1 and coming off a one-point loss to Madison County last week. So, hangry might be an understatement for what could be a bunch of rabid Bulldogs rolling into the Burial Grounds. However, the Indians are just as hangry. After all, an 11-point loss to the Bears in Week 1 still stings. What do the Indians do this week? We have no idea. However, we believe they'll be ready to get back on track behind Georgia Tech-commit QB Cal Faulkner. The offense will need to find more than 200 yards of offense, and the defense will be tested by a team that can score. The Bulldogs want to avenge last season's loss in Dahlonega, and if they watched the Bluff game film, they may have the game plan to do so. But there is no doubt that the Indians will be prepared to even the record up in Week 3. Can they do it? I'll answer that question after the game.
NORTH HALL at CHEROKEE BLUFF
Records: Trojans (0-1, Region 6-3A); Bears (2-0, Region 8-3A)
Last week: North Hall lost 24-21 to Wesleyan; Cherokee Bluff beat Apalachee, 49-7
Where: Yonah Field, Flowery Branch
Radio: WDUN AM 550
Time: 7:30 p.m.
PLAYERS TO WATCH: NORTH HALL: QB Alex Schlieman, QB Smith McGarvey, WR Cole Cable, WR Luke Jenkins, LB Buddy Clark, DB Charlie Dyer, DB Parker Carlton, DB Walker Davis, DL Matthew Arceo, DL Charlie House; CHEROKEE BLUFF: QB Brooks Brien, RB Jackson Prikle, RB Conner Griffin, WR Kade Thompson, WR Malcolm Millsap, WR Dylan Haley
WHY WATCH IT: The last three meetings have been decided by 14 points or fewer, making this the most heated rivalry in Hall County. What makes this rivalry more interesting this season is the resurgence of Cherokee Bluff and North Hall's quick reload after losing a ton of skill players to graduation. Cherokee Bluff is 2-0, including a signature win over No. 7 Lumpkin County in Week 1 -- a game the Bears dominated in the second half to win by almost two TDs. North Hall is 0-1 but took explosive Wesleyan to the wire in a field goal loss last week. So, expect an all-out war this week. Bluff QB Brooks Brien knows how to fling it, and KT Thompson knows how to catch it. The defense gets after it, and the rushing attack is pretty good. North Hall's dual-QB system, led by Alex Schlieman and Smith McGarvey, is like an uppercut and a roundhouse combo. It'll be both teams' second test against a potentially potent offense. But could it be a defensive battle or a shootout? Who will be the last man standing? The answer to those questions will be revealed late Friday night. As I sidestep to answer my questions, I will say this: Get to Yonah Field early and find a seat to settle in for what will probably be a don't-blink gridiron battle. It could be one for the record books. If you can't make it, tune us in!
COMMERCE at LUELLA
Records: Tigers (0-2, Region 8-A D1); Lions (1-1, Region 5-3A)
Last week: Commerce lost 14-13 to East Jackson; Luella beat Carver-Atlanta, 18-13
Where: Luella Stadium, Locust Grove
Radio: WJJC 95.1 FM/1270 AM
Time: 7:30 p.m.
PLAYERS TO WATCH: COMMERCE: RB Tysean Wiggins, RB Jaiden Daniels, RB/DB Jacari Huff; LUELLA: QB Dylan Gwinn, RB Dayshon Furlow, RB/DB Markel Aguirre, WR/CB Javon Bowser Jr., LB Dayquon Curry.
WHY WATCH IT: If we've heard the question once, we've heard it a million times. It's like the old saying, "If I had a nickel for every time I heard that, I'd be rich." That 5-cent question is, what is going on at Commerce? We've been wondering the same thing, and although we don't honestly know the answer, we have a theory. The Tigers have played the first two games without All-AccessWDUN first-team running back Jaiden Daniels. The senior RB has been sidelined with an injury he suffered during summer training. But there is some good news coming off the ticker this week, or at least the rumor mill ... Daniels could be back in the lineup. If the rumor is true, it'll be like a steroid and a Z-pack to the Commerce offense. Nevertheless, it's not like the offense has been terrible. It's been untimely turnovers that have killed drives for the Tigers. The postseason rankings came out on Tuesday, and the Tigers are ranked near the bottom, making this week's game very important if they want to improve their winning percentage. Eliminating turnovers, finding paydirt more than Luella, and digging in on defense is this week's Captain Obvious key to a win for the Tigers.
