To quote the iconic Connor MacLeod in the movie Highlander: “There can be only one!”
That’s exactly where we stand on Friday in Region 8-A Division 1. Either Rabun County or Commerce will walk off Ray Lamb Field at Tiger Stadium hoisting the region championship trophy and earning what is sure to be the all-important No. 1 seed going into the state playoffs in two weeks.
It’s just the way you like a regular season to end. One game. One winner. One title.
It’s also a battle of the two of Class A Division 1’s top teams. The Wildcats (7-2, 1-1 Region 8-A Division 1) are ranked 5th in the latest AccessWDUN/Friday Game Night compilation poll while the Tigers (8-1, 2-0, Region 8-A Division 1) are ranked 3rd, their highest ranking in any poll since 2018 (AJC).
Both coaches -- Rabun County’s Michael Davis and Commerce’s Mark Hollars -- know this all too well. However, both said their teams are relishing the opportunity to earn it on the field. And they wouldn’t want it any other way.
“The goal is to always be playing meaningful football at the end of the season. And if you're doing that, that means you're competing for a region championship,’ Hollars said. “Just proud of the kids and the work they put in to put us in this position.”
“After we got beat by Elbert, it was kind of taken out of our hands. But now it's kind of back in our hands,” Davis said. “Now, we have to beat Commerce and beat them by 13, so we have a chance. That’s all you can really ask in the final game.”
The contrast in styles is also something that makes this showdown more than compelling. The Tigers I-formation triple-option chewed up Elbert County for 535 yards rushing last week behind the classification’s top rusher, Jaiden Daniels. The Wildcats spread attack is led by sophomore quarterback Ty Truelove and receiver Willie Goodwyn. Truelove is third in Class A D1 in passing while Goodwyn leads the classification in receiving.
Both coaches touched on the different styles this week.
HOLLARS ON HIS OFFENSE FACING A VARIETY OF STACKED DEFENSES
“We've probably seen just about (every defense) you can see over the last few years. We have an experienced O-line that, you know, a lot of times we come out on a Friday night and it's a little bit different defense than what teams traditionally run. Elbert County put eight in the box last week. We were able to handle that. I don't think Rabun County will employ that, but they'll find a way to get their extra guys in the box. They have outstanding safeties that come down in the box and hit you. So we're gonna have to make sure we're accounting for those guys.”
DAVIS CALLED THE TIGERS OFFENSE ‘A MONSTER’
“It's a style offense that you don't see much anymore. They're not just a two-headed monster, they've got three heads on that monster. Just weapons all across the board. It's hard to prepare for in a short period of time. Very physical the type of football they play. It's definitely going to be a challenge for us. We’ve got our work cut out for us.”
HOLLARS DISCUSSES THE WILDCATS OFFENSE
“They're running the ball a little bit more than what they have in the past. But obviously, they're still a spread football team. They have outstanding receivers, they've got a very good quarterback. It’s going to be a huge challenge once again.”
DAVIS SAID THE WILDCATS ARE NOT SLEEPING ON THE TIGERS DEFENSE
“(The Commerce defense) is always trying to put pressure on you. If you're not sound in your blocking there's definitely going to be somebody in your face because of the pressure they bring. And, they're very athletic in the secondary as well.”
HOLLARS STATES PLAYING PHYSICAL IS A KEY INGREDIENT TO THEIR SUCCESS
“We pride ourselves in being physical in all three phases of the game. That is something that is a cornerstone of our program. I mean, it's something that we talk about every single week. So we need to make sure (on Friday) that we're physical and there's definitely a contrast of styles."
DAVIS SAYS THEY MUST BE BETTER
“We didn't play our best offensively against Elbert, that’s for sure. We had some opportunities for some stuff and we dropped a lot of balls. We missed some assignments. I think sometimes we get in our own way offensively. It's something that we’re going to have to make sure we're on top of against Commerce.”
As we head to the season's final two weeks, we're changing up our Games2Watch feature this week by highlighting four games individually. Coming up on Thursday, we'll look at the Lumpkin County-Dawson County showdown in Region 7-3A and the Gainesville-North Forsyth battle for the top spot in Region 8-6A.
To follow scores and more this week, follow Friday Game Night on X (formerly Twitter) for scores, stories and highlights.
RABUN COUNTY at COMMERCE
Records: Wildcats (7-2, 1-1 Region 8-A Division 1), ranked 5th in Class A Division 1; Tigers (8-1, 2-0, Region 8-A Division 1), ranked 3rd in Class A Division 1
Last week: Rabun County beat Athens Christian, 38-0; Commerce beat Elbert County, 49-21
Where: Tiger Stadium, Commerce
Time: 7:30 p.m.
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Rabun County: So. QB Ty Truelove (82-for-133, 1,270 yards, 14 TDs, 3 INT passing, 40-259, 4 TDs rushing), So. RB/DB Reid Giles (57-722 yards, 10 TDs rushing; 9-176 yards, 1 TD rec., 25 tackles, 7 tackles for loss), So. RB/LB Noah English (64-375 yards, 4 TDs rushing, 52 tkls, 3 TFL), Sr. WR Willie Goodwyn (27-647 yards, 10 TDs rec.), Sr. WR Paul Picciotti (15-205 yards, 1 TD rec.), Sr. DB Riley Stewart (31 tkls, 3 TFL), Jr. LB Elvis Hunt (48 tkls, 2 TFL). Commerce: Jr. RB Jaiden Daniels (136-1,353 yards, 16 TD rushing), Jr. FB Tysean Wiggins (147-1,093 yards 13 TDs), Jr. RB Jacari Huff (49-402 yards, 4 TDs), Sr. QB JP Allen (25-153 yards rushing; 1-of-9 passing, 38 yards, 1 TD)
WHY WATCH IT? The real question is, why WOULDN’T you! It’s two of the area’s most successful programs, certainly over the past decade, as the Wildcats have built themselves into a state power. It’s the season finale for both teams and one of them will walk away with a region title. The Tigers can win it outright, regardless of score with a victory. The Wildcats can win their 10th straight region title if they can knock off the Tigers by 13 or more points. It also is a contrast in offensive philosophies. The Tigers employ a punishing I-formation, triple-option attack. The Wildcats use a spread and can go deep on any play. All of those should be reason enough. But if they still aren’t enough, how about Jaiden Daniels, Tysean Wiggins, Ty Truelove, Willie Goodwyn? Daniels leads Class A Division 1 in rushing and with Wiggins, they form perhaps the most devastating rushing attack in the state. Jacari Huff is no slouch either for Commerce, considering he had a 90-yard touchdown run last week vs. Elbert County. Truelove is 3rd in Class A D1 in passing and Goodwyn leads Class A D1 in receiving yards and TDs. But Rabun also has run the ball for more than 1,400 yards as well. With all that firepower, however, it may be the defenses that decide this one. The Tigers held a similar Elbert County offense to its lowest output of the season last week. Only two teams have scored more than 21 on the Wildcats all season. Whichever unit can make a key stop could be the catalyst for their team’s win. Based on the Elbert County matchup for both teams, the Tigers look to have the advantage. They also will have iconic Tiger Stadium rocking behind them. Will that be enough to push them to their first region title since 2020? We’ll know by around 10 p.m. on Friday.
WEEK 11 HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
All games start at 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted
Athens Academy at Union County*
Chestatee at East Forsyth*
Clarkston at Johnson
Fellowship Christian at Banks County*
Gainesville at North Forsyth* -- 94.5 FM The Lake
Habersham Central at Apalachee*
Heritage-Conyers at Jefferson*
Lakeview Academy at George Walton Academy*
Lanier Christian at The Walker School*
Loganville at Flowery Branch* -- WDUN FM 102.9
Lumpkin County at Dawson County*
Mountain View at Buford* -- WDUN AM 550
North Hall at Cedar Shoals* (Thursday)
North Oconee at East Hall*
Pickens at White County*
Providence Christian at East Jackson*
Rabun County at Commerce*
Riverside Prep at Loganville Christian*
Towns County at Washington-Wilkes*
Wesleyan at West Hall*
http://accesswdun.com/article/2023/10/1211056/games2watch-commerce-rabun-county