With the final week of the regular season upon us, one thing will be for certain for area football teams: They will either be in or out.
And with the state playoffs starting next week, everyone most definitely wants in.
With that in mind there are some fantastic games on tap as the 2015 regular season closes with a bang.
None will be more interesting than in Region 8-AAA, where four teams have already qualified for the postseason and all still have a shot at the title. Jefferson, Elbert County, Hart County, and Oconee County can each win the championship with some help -- they can also each finish as the No. 4 seed. The Dragons play host to Hart County and will need a win and an Elbert County win over Oconee County on Friday to win their second straight crown.
Lanier already has wrapped up the Region 8-AAAAA title, but four other teams still have a shot at making the playoffs, including Gainesville and Flowery Branch, who will do battle at City Park Stadium. A Red Elephants win would clinch the No. 2 seed while knocking out the Falcons at the same time. A Falcons win opens the door to myriad scenarios that vary from mini-games to drawing names from a hat (for seeding purposes anyway). Winder-Barrow is also in the thick of the hunt and will want to win at Heritage to help its chances.
Dawson County won its first-ever Region 7-AAA title last week and East Hall will be the No. 2 seed. It’s wide-open after that with West Hall, Banks County, Fannin County, and Franklin County all still alive for the final two playoff spots. The Rebels and Lions will play each other, while the Leopards play host to the Vikings. The Spartans, meanwhile, trek to play Lumpkin County.
In Region 7-AAAAAA, Mill Creek will go for its first-ever region title taking on Peachtree Ridge in a battle of top 10 teams in Hoschton. (For a video preview of the contest, click here.)
For a look at all of the night's contests involving area teams, simply scroll down. And be sure to check back with AccessWDUN's Friday Game Night throughout the night for score updates and game stories and video highlights. You can also check for scores and highlights on our Twitter feed: @FridayGameNight
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SCHEDULE FOR Nov. 6
(Games listed in alphabetical order of visiting team)
ALPHARETTA at NORTH FORSYTH
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- WHERE: Raider Valley, Coal Mountain
-- ALPHARETTA (4-5, 3-5 Region 6-AAAAAA): Lost 41-14 to Northview last week
-- NORTH FORSYTH (2-7, 2-6 Region 6-AAAAAA): Defeated Habersham Central 20-14 last week
-- NOTABLE: Alpharetta leads series 7-0. Alpharetta won 34-14 in 2014. ... Both teams have been eliminated from playoff contention but North Forsyth can finish ahead of Alpharetta in the standings with a win and close out the season with two straight wins.
APALACHEE at LANIER
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- WHERE: Lanier Community Stadium, Sugar Hill
-- APALACHEE (0-9, 0-8 Region 8-AAAAA): Lost 29-0 to Cedar Shoals last week
-- LANIER (9-0, 8-0 Region 8-AAAAA): Ranked No. 4 in Class AAAAA; defeated Winder-Barrow 48-21 last week
-- NOTABLE: Lanier leads series 2-1. The Longhorns won 55-17 in 2014. ... The only real thing to play for is whether the Longhorns can complete their second straight undefeated regular season while the Wildcats are trying to snap a 10-game losing streak. ... Lanier already has won the Region 8-AAAAA title for a second straight season.
COMMERCE at LAKEVIEW ACADEMY
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- WHERE: Gainesville
-- COMMERCE (6-3, 5-2 Region 8-A): Defeated George Walton Academy 35-9 last week
-- LAKEVIEW ACADEMY (2-7, 1-6 Region 8-A): Lost 56-0 to No. 2 Prince Avenue Christian last week
-- NOTABLE: Commerce leads series 3-0. The Tigers won 55-28 in 2014. ... The Tigers look to be a lock in Class A Public sitting at No. 7 in the power rankings but a loss to the Lions would certainly hurt their seeding for the playoffs. ... After a 2-2 start Lakeview has lost five straight.
DAWSON COUNTY at JOHNSON
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- WHERE: Billy Ellis Memorial Stadium, Oakwood
-- RADIO: northgasportslink.com
-- DAWSON COUNTY (6-3, 5-1 Region 7-AAA): Defeated Lumpkin County 41-0 last week to win the Region 7-AAA title
-- JOHNSON (2-7, non-region): Lost 14-7 to Franklin County last week
-- NOTABLE: Dawson County leads series 3-0, The Tigers won 28-0 in 2014. ... Johnson is trying to build some momentum heading into next season while the Tigers want to keep theirs going with the playoffs looming next week. ... The Tigers offense has been rolling averaging 38 ppg over their last five games. The Johnson defense has yielded just 22.4 ppg on the season.
EAST HALL at BANKS COUNTY
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- WHERE: Leopards Stadium, Homer
-- RADIO: WDUN 102.9 FM
-- EAST HALL (5-4, 4-1 Region 7-AAA): Defeated Fannin County 50-36 last week
-- BANKS COUNTY (5-4, 2-3 Region 7-AAA): Lost 27-21 to West Hall last week
-- NOTABLE: East Hall leads series 16-1-1. The Vikings won 35-21 in 2014. The only Leopards win came in 2010 in Homer. ... The Vikings, who have won four straight, already have clinched the No. 2 spot in the playoffs. ... The Leopards have lost two straight and are part of four teams still alive for the final two spots. Banks County needs to win and get a Franklin County win over Fannin County and a Lumpkin County win over West Hall on Friday to get into the playoffs as the No. 4 seed. ... A Leopards’ loss would eliminate them from the playoffs.
FLOWERY BRANCH at GAINESVILLE
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- WHERE: City Park Stadium, Gainesville
-- RADIO: ESPN 1240 AM
-- FLOWERY BRANCH (6-3, 5-3 Region 8-AAAAA): Defeated Salem 30-16 last week
-- GAINESVILLE (6-3, 6-2 Region 8-AAAAA): Defeated Loganville 24-14 last week
-- NOTABLE: Gainesville leads series 9-3. The Red Elephants won 49-7 last week. ... A HUGE game for both teams and the region standings. Two things are certain: a Falcons loss and they are out. A Gainesville win would give the Red Elephants the No. 2 regardless of any other outcomes. ... However, a Falcons win would trigger any number of possibilities depending on the results of the other games around the region. ... The Falcons have won three straight getting solid efforts on both sides of the ball. They’re averaging 33 ppg and yielding just 14.1 ppg during that stretch. ... Gainesville has gotten healthy the last two weeks and a nearly full-strength team last week held down a potent Loganville offense.
FRANKLIN COUNTY at FANNIN COUNTY
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- WHERE: Rebel Stadium, Blue Ridge
-- FRANKLIN COUNTY (5-4, 3-2 Region 7-AAA): Defeated Johnson 14-7 last week
-- FANNIN COUNTY (6-3, 5-1 Region 7-AAA): Lost 50-36 to East Hall last week
-- NOTABLE: Series is tied 1-1. Franklin County won 21-14 in 2014 in first meeting between the teams since 1995. ... The two teams are locked in a four-way battle for the final two spots. The Rebels, however, need a win to have any shot. A Fannin County loss would eliminate them with losses to both West Hall and Banks County, the other two teams battling for the playoffs, earlier in the season. ... The Lions can clinch the No. 3 spot with a win but a loss to the Rebels, coupled with a West Hall win over Lumpkin County and a Banks County win over East Hall, could leave all four tied with 3-3 records and a mess to sort out.
HABERSHAM CENTRAL at CHATTAHOOCHEE
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- WHERE: Alpharetta
-- HABERSHAM CENTRAL (1-8, 1-7 Region 6-AAAAAA): Lost 20-14 to North Forsyth last week
-- CHATTAHOOCHEE (0-9, 0-8 Region 6-AAAAAA): Lost Lost 41-26 to Lambert last week
-- NOTABLE: Chattahoochee leads series 2-0. The Cougars won 35-28 in 2014. ... The Raiders are looking to a win to close out the season for their first two-win season or better since winning six in 2011. ... It’s a good matchup for Habersham Central, which is averaging 21.7 ppg while the Cougars have yielded the sixth-most points in AAAAAA (377, 41.7 ppg) on the season.
HART COUNTY at JEFFERSON
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- WHERE: Memorial Stadium, Jefferson
-- HART COUNTY (7-2, 4-1 Region 8-AAA): Defeated Morgan 21-16 last week
-- JEFFERSON (8-1, 4-1 Region 8-AAA): Ranked No. 7 in Class AAA; lost 36-35 to Oconee County last week
-- NOTABLE: Jefferson leads series 2-1. The Dragons won 21-14 in 2014. ... Last year’s contest was for the outright region title. This year, both teams need help to claim the crown. ... The Dragons would win their second straight region title with a win over the Bulldogs and an Elbert County win over Oconee County. However, the Bulldogs could win the title with a win over Jefferson and an Oconee County win over Elbert County. ... The Dragons could finish fourth with a loss and an Elbert County win over Oconee County, which would give Elbert County the region title. Oconee County wins the region with a win and a Jefferson win, which would give the Dragons second place. ... Jefferson So. RB Colby Wood is still in the top 5 in the state in rushing (1,711 yards, 26 TDs). QB Bryce Moore had his first 200-plus yard passing last week for the Dragons. ... Hart County, which has the top offense in the region (299 points, 33.2 ppg), is led by QB Robert Allen, WR Zach Maldonado (933 yards, 6 TDs), and RBs Trae Stowers (673 yards rushing, 5 TDs) and Trey Clark (547 yards, 7 TDs).
JACKSON COUNTY at MORGAN COUNTY
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- WHERE: Legion Field, Madison
-- JACKSON COUNTY (4-5, 1-4 Region 8-AAA): Defeated East Jackson 69-7 last week
-- MORGAN COUNTY (3-6, 1-4 Region 8-AAA): Lost 21-16 to Hart County last week
-- NOTABLE: Morgan County leads series 5-2. The Bulldogs won 45-42 in 2014. ... While the game has no playoff implications it is a big game for the Panthers, who can post just their second non-losing season since 1992 and first since 2012. ... The Bulldogs have lost four straight.
MONROE AREA at CHESTATEE
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- WHERE: War Eagle Stadium, Gainesville
-- MONROE AREA (2-7, 1-5 Region 8-AAAA): Lost 30-14 to White County last week
-- CHESTATEE (0-9, 0-6 Region 8-AAAA): Lost 42-22 to North Hall last week
-- NOTABLE: Monroe Area leads series 5-0. The Purple Hurricanes won 41-28 in 2014. ... It is the last, and perhaps chance, for the War Eagles to break their 16-game losing streak. They are averaging 20.7 ppg over the past four games while Monroe is yielding 38.8 ppg. ... The Hurricanes are averaging just 20.4 ppg on the season but the War Eagles have given up the second-most points (405, 45 ppg) in Class AAAA.
NORTH GWINNETT at MOUNTAIN VIEW
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- WHERE: Mountain View Stadium, Lawrenceville
-- NORTH GWINNETT (4-5, 2-4 Region 7-AAAAAA): Defeated Meadowcreek 38-7 last week
-- MOUNTAIN VIEW (3-6, 2-4 Region 7-AAAAAA): Defeated Duluth 42-10 last week
-- NOTABLE: North Gwinnett leads series 5-0. The Bulldogs won 35-14 in 2014. ... Both teams have won two straight but are out of the playoff picture but the winner will finish fifth in the region. ... The Bulldogs are trying to avoid their first losing season since 2003.
NORTH HALL at WHITE COUNTY
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- WHERE: Warrior Stadium, Cleveland
-- RADIO: wrwh.com
-- NORTH HALL (5-4, 4-2 Region 8-AAAA): Defeated Chestatee 42-22 last week
-- WHITE COUNTY (3-6, 3-3 Region 8-AAAA): Defeated Monroe Area 30-14 last week
-- NOTABLE: White County leads series 22-21. The Warriors won 40-14 in 2014. ... North Hall currently sits third, has won three straight, owns tiebreaker over North Oconee, and can clinch the No. 3 spot with a win. ... White County, however, is tied with North Oconee (4-5, 3-3) and needs a win and a North Oconee loss to Madison County (1-8, 1-6). ... North Hall can still get in with a loss and a North Oconee loss. ... The Warriors defense has been tough all year. Except for a 49-point outburst by Buford, White County has not given up more than 21 in any game (123, 15.7 ppg) in its other eight contests.
PEACHTREE RIDGE at MILL CREEK
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- WHERE: Mill Creek Community Stadium, Hoschton
-- PEACHTREE RIDGE (7-2, 6-0 Region 7-AAAAAA): Ranked No. 9 in Class AAAAAA; defeated Collins Hill 28-13 last week
-- MILL CREEK (9-0, 6-0 Region 7-AAAAAA): Ranked No. 5 in Class AAAAAA; defeated Norcross 24-0 last week
-- NOTABLE: Peachtree Ridge leads series 5-4. Mill Creek won 34-7 in 2014. ... This has been a close series over the years. The two teams have split the last six meetings but none have had the importance of this one. The winner will take the region title. It would be the first ever for the Hawks. ... Don’t expect many points in this one. Mill Creek has yielded the fewest points in Class AAAAAA (44, 4.8 ppg) while the Lions are 6th in defense giving up just 93 points (10.3 ppg) on the season. ... Mill Creek, however, is 8th in offense scoring 356 points (39.5 ppg) behind a balanced attack. ... A win for the Hawks also would give them the most wins in a season in program history and their first-ever undefeated regular season.
RABUN COUNTY at GREENE COUNTY
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- WHERE: Tiger Stadium, Greensboro
-- RABUN COUNTY (8-1, 5-0 Region 8-AA): Ranked No. 4 in Class AA; bye last week, defeated Washington-Wilkes 43-10 two weeks ago
-- GREENE COUNTY (5-4, 3-2 Region 8-AA): Defeated Social Circle 37-13 last week
-- NOTABLE: Greene County leads series 3-2. Rabun County won 30-7 in 2014. The Wildcats have won two straight in the series. ... This game has no bearing on the region standings. The Wildcats clinched the region title two weeks ago and the Tigers are locked into the No. 4 slot.
SOCIAL CIRCLE at RIVERSIDE MILITARY
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- WHERE: Maginnis Field, Gainesville
-- SOCIAL CIRCLE (8-1, 5-0 Region 8-AA): Lost 37-13 to Greene County last week
-- RIVERSIDE MILITARY (1-8, 0-5 Region 8-AA): Lost 29-14 to Union County last week
-- NOTABLE: Riverside leads series 8-7. The Eagles won 34-13 in 20-14. Riverside has won four straight in the series. ... Both teams have been eliminated from the playoffs. The Eagles are trying to avoid winning just one game in a season since the 2011 season.
STEPHENS COUNTY at BUFORD
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- WHERE: Tom Riden Stadium, Buford
-- RADIO: WDUN AM 500
-- STEPHENS COUNTY (8-1, 6-0 Region 8-AAAA): Defeated North Oconee 24-7 last week
-- BUFORD (8-1, 6-0 Region 8-AAAA): Ranked No. 3 in Class AAAA; defeated Madison County 49-8 last week
-- NOTABLE: Buford leads series 3-0. The Wolves won 56-0 in 2014 in first meeting between the two teams since 1949. ... A repeat of last season when the two teams met in the finale for the region title. The difference is this time the loser will be no lower than second. The Indians finished third last season. ... The key matchup will be the Wolves’ defense, which has yielded just 18 total points in region play (3.0 ppg) against a big Indians’ OL led by Georgia-commit Ben Cleveland and a solid running game that features three guys that have compiled 100-yard games in 2015. ... Stephens County has allowed just 15 ppg on defense on the season but Buford has scored the most points in Class AAAA (428, 47.5 ppg) and is averaging 51.6 ppg in region play.
UNION COUNTY at WASHINGTON-WILKES
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- WHERE: Tiger Stadium, Washington
-- UNION COUNTY (8-1, 4-1 Region 8-AA): Defeated Riverside Military 29-14 last week
-- WASHINGTON-WILKES (4-5, 4-1 Region 8-AA): Defeated Oglethorpe County 35-7 last week
-- NOTABLE: Washington-Wilkes leads series 3-1. Union County won 35-34 in 2014. ... Both teams are in the same position as last year. The winner will take the No. 2 seed for the playoffs. ... The Panthers got some good news with the return of QB Joseph Mancuso, who was near the top of the state in passing before suffering an injury in the Rabun County loss. ... A win for the Panthers would give them their fifth 9-win season in program history and the first time with back-to-back 9-win campaigns. ... The key will be if the Tigers, who are giving up 23.8 ppg, can slow down a Panthers offense that has scored 36.1 ppg despite scoring just 3 in their only loss to Rabun County.
WEST HALL at LUMPKIN COUNTY
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- WHERE: The Burial Ground, Dahlonega
-- RADIO: northgasportslink.com
-- WEST HALL (4-5, 2-3 Region 7-AAA): Defeated Banks County 27-21 last week
-- LUMPKIN COUNTY (2-7, 0-5 Region 7-AAA): Lost 41-0 to Dawson County last week
-- NOTABLE: West Hall leads series 9-5. The Spartans won 35-0 in 2014. ... Last year this finale decided the 7-AAA championship. This year, only the Spartans have a shot at the playoffs and they will need some help. ... West Hall can get in with Banks County and Fannin County losses to East Hall and Franklin County no matter what happens in Dahlonega. But, if the Leopards and Rebels both win and the Spartans win it would create a four-way tie for the final two spots and a big mess to sort out.
WINDER-BARROW at HERITAGE, CONYERS
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- WHERE: Evans Stadium, Conyers
-- WINDER-BARROW (6-4, 5-3 Region 8-AAAAA): Lost 48-21 to No. 4 Lanier last week
-- HERITAGE, CONYERS (1-8, 1-7 Region 8-AAAAA): Lost 43-29 to Clarke Central last week
-- NOTABLE: Heritage leads series 6-3. Winder won 43-26 in 2014. ... With a slew of playoff possibilities, the Bulldoggs need a win to make sure they are in the running. However, a Gainesville win over Flowery Branch would let them back into the playoffs as the No. 4 seed no matter what happens in Conyers. A Branch win and it gets very complicated and could come down to mini-games on Monday depending on Loganville.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2015/11/347865/week-11-playoff-crunch-time-for-area-teams