WEEK 9: Race to the finish for region titles begins

By Jeff Hart Sports Reporter

Posted 7:23PM on Friday, October 24, 2014

The final three weeks of the season should offer some of the most exciting games of the season as teams try to stay alive and/or make a move in their respective region standings. Region 7-AAA has four of the top five teams playing each other, with only second place Lumpkin County enjoying the week off. West Hall (6-1, 3-0 Region 7-AAA) which plays host to Fannin County (4-3, 2-1 Region 7-AAA) has a chance to take control of the region with a win and set up a season finale showdown with Lumpkin County in two weeks. However, Banks County (4-3, 1-2 Region 7-AAA) which plays host to Dawson County, is lurking and entertains West Hall next week. East Hall (3-4, 1-2 Region 7-AAA) is fighting to stay in the race and plays host to Franklin County. Region 7-AAAAAA is in a similar situation with the top five teams separated by just one game. Norcross (6-1, 4-0 Region 7-AAAAAA) is the only unbeaten team left but travels to Peachtree Ridge (5-2, 3-1 Region 7-AAAAAA) while North Gwinnett (5-2, 3-1 Region 7-AAAAAA) travels to Duluth and Mill Creek (5-2, 3-1 Region 7-AAAAAA) plays host to Collins Hill (5-2, 3-1 Region 7-AAAAAA). No team can afford to take a loss now but obviously something will have to give. In Region 8-AAAAA, Class AAAAA seventh-ranked Lanier (7-0, 6-0 Region 8-AAAAA) looks to stay the unbeaten left but faces a tough Salem (5-2, 5-1 Region 8-AAAAA) squad that still has region title aspirations. Gainesville (5-2, 5-1 Region 8-AAAAA) travels to Cedar Shoals needing to win out and get two Lanier losses down the stretch to take the region title. Region 8-AA also has two key matchups Rabun County (6-2, 4-0 Region 8-AA) traveling to Washington-Wilkes (5-2, 2-1 Region 8-AA) while Riverside Military (2-5, 1-2 Region 8-AA) plays host to Greene County (3-4, 2-1 Region 8-AA) trying to stay alive and at the same time dashing the Tigers playoff hopes. Union County (7-1, 3-1 Region 8-AA) is off this week. For a look at all of the night's contests involving area teams, simply scroll down. And be sure to check back with Access North Georgia and our <a href="http://www.accessnorthga.com/s15-football-central.php">Friday Game Night</a> page throughout the night for score updates and game stories and video highlights. You can also check for scores and highlights on our Twitter feed <a href="https://twitter.com/">@FridayGameNight</a> HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SCHEDULE FOR Oct. 24 APALACHEE at HERITAGE, CONYERS -- WHEN: 7:30 p.m. -- WHERE: Evans Memorial Stadium, Conyers -- APALACHEE (0-7, 0-5 Region 8-AAAAA): Lost 52-28 to Flowery Branch last week. -- HERITAGE, CONYERS (2-5, 2-4 Region 8-AAAAA): Lost 49-20 to Lanier last week. -- NOTABLE: Heritage eads the series 4-2. The Patriots won 43-21 last year and have won three straight over the Wildcats. ... Heritage, a playoff team last season, is hanging by a thread to return to the playoffs in 2014. The Patriots have lost 2 of 3 and has had trouble scoring averaging just 17 ppg on that span. ... The Wildcats are looking to play spoiler down the stretch and have played better than their record with narrow losses to Winder-Barrow and Loganville. ... They have found some offense of late averaging 23.6 ppg over their last three games after scoring just 59 total points in their first four games. BUFORD at NORTH OCONEE -- WHEN: 7:30 p.m. -- WHERE: Titans Stadium, Bogart -- RADIO: WDUN AM 550 -- BUFORD (7-0, 4-0 Region 8-AAAA): Beat Monroe Area 51-12 last week. Ranked No. 1 in Class AAAA. -- NORTH OCONEE (5-2, 4-0 Region 8-AAAA): Beat White County 31-6 last week. -- NOTABLE: Buford leads series 2-0. Buford won last meeting 13-0 in second round of 2012 Class AAA playoffs. ... Both teams come in hitting their peaks. Buford is riding a 32-game win streak and has scored 42 or more points in four straight games while allowing just 29 total points. The Titans have won five straight behind reigning Class AAAA Player of the Year in RB Kawon Bryant and have averaged 36 ppg in that span. ... Neither team can wrap up a region title with a win but would hold the head-to-head tiebreaker as both still have Stephens County and Madison County left to play over the final three weeks. ... Something will have to give as the Titans have won four straight at home while the Wolves have won 12 straight on the road. CENTENNIAL at NORTH FORSYTH -- WHEN: 7:30 p.m. -- WHERE: Raider Valley, Coal Mountain -- CENTENNIAL (4-2, 4-2 Region 6-AAAAAA): Beat Habersham Central 42-39 last week. -- NORTH FORSYTH (1-6, 1-5 Region 6-AAAAAA): Beat John's Creek 14-13 last week. -- NOTABLE: Series is tied 2-2. North Forsyth won 28-24 last year. ... The Raiders, who have battled injuries all season, finally got their first win last week holding off John's Creek in the final minutes. ... Centennial has shown a tendency to play down to the competition beating both winless Habersham Central and John's Creek by just three points each. The Knights cannot afford a letdown against the raiders with five teams within one game of second place in the region standings. They are tied for third with Lambert, Northview, and West Forsyth. ... The Raiders are looking for a strong finish with games left against Habersham Central and then region leader Alpharetta. CHESTATEE at WHITE COUNTY -- WHEN: 7:30 p.m. -- WHERE: White County Stadium, Cleveland -- RADIO: www.wrwh. com -- CHESTATEE (1-6, 0-4 Region 8-AAAA): Lost 55-27 to Stephens County last week. -- WHITE COUNTY (3-4, 1-3 Region 8-AAAA):Lost 31-6 to North Oconee last week. -- NOTABLE: White County leads series 8-2. The Warriors won last meeting 35-0 in 2011. The Warriors have won five straight over the War Eagles. Chestatee's last win in the series was in 2006, 34-7. ... The War Eagles were eliminated from any playoff possibility last week but can play the spoiler. The Warriors must win-out to have any chance for a third-straight trip to the playoffs. ... Chestatee has found its offense averaging 27.5 ppg over its last two games after scoring just 38 total points in its first five games. The Warriors have given up points in 2014 allowing 30.4 ppg. ... White County's offense is the key. In their three wins the Warriors have averaged 33 ppg. In their four losses, just 15 ppg. Chestatee, however, has struggled on defense all season yielding more than 41 ppg. .. The Warriors have been tough at home going 11-5 over the past three season, with three of those losses coming to Blessed Trinity and Buford. COLLINS HILL at MILL CREEK -- WHEN: 7:30 p.m. -- WHERE: Mill Creek Community Stadium, Hoschton -- COLLINS HILL (5-2, 3-1 Region 7-AAAAAA): Off last week. beat Duluth 34-0 two weeks ago. -- MILL CREEK (4-3, 3-1 Region 7-AAAAAA): Off last week. Beat Mountain View 55-7 last week. -- NOTABLE: Collins Hill leads series 6-2. The Eagles won 45-34 last year. ... Both teams come in on win streaks and the two teams are locked in a four-way tie for second with North Gwinnett and Peachtree Ridge. ... The Hawks have gotten back into the playoff race since a loss to North Gwinnett but start a tough finish with Norcross and Peachtree Ridge to follow. ... Collins Hill also has Peachtree Ridge and Norcross to follow and both have lost to North Gwinnett so this game could be an elimination game for the loser. ... Mill Creek is putting up big numbers averaging more than 50 ppg in region games. Collins Hill, however, is allowing just 15 ppg in region contests so something will have to give. ... Mill Creek has never beaten the Eagles at home (0-4). DAWSON COUNTY at BANKS COUNTY -- WHEN: 7:30 p.m. -- WHERE: Leopards Stadium, Homer -- DAWSON COUNTY (1-6, 1-3 Region 7-AAA): Lost 35-28 to Fannin County last week. -- BANKS COUNTY (4-3, 1-2 Region 7-AAA): Beat Lumpkin County 49-46 last week. -- NOTABLE: Banks County leads series 23-10. Dawson County won 42-19 last year. The Tigers have won two straight in the series. ... Banks County is 11-4 all-time at home against the Tigers but Dawson County took a 45-9 win in 2012 in their last meeting in Homer. ... Everyone in the region is still alive for a playoff berth, which should make for an exciting final three weeks of the season. .. The Leopards already have more wins than the last two seasons combined. They are tied with East Hall for fourth place and the two teams meet in Rabbittown in the season finale. ... The Tigers are just one-half game behind the Leopards but have struggled with injuries most of the season. They have played much better of late averaging 27.3 ppg over their last three games after scoring just 16 total points in their first four games. However, they are allowing more than 23 ppg on the season. ... Banks County has been putting big numbers all season averaging just under 30 ppg so far. Defensively the Leopards had allowed just 19 ppg until last week's shootout with Lumpkin. FANNIN COUNTY at WEST HALL -- WHEN: 7:30 p.m. -- WHERE: Spartans Stadium, Oakwood -- RADIO: 102.9 FM -- FANNIN COUNTY (4-3, 2-1 Region 7-AAA): Beat Dawson County 35-28 last week. -- WEST HALL (6-1, 3-0 Region 7-AAA): Beat Franklin County 27-12 last week. -- NOTABLE: Series is tied 3-3. The Spartans won 49-7 last year. ... Everyone in the region is still alive for a playoff berth, which should make for an exciting final three weeks of the season. This is just the next game for first place in the region standings for the Spartans. They faced a similar situation last week and the battle for the region title should continue until the final week of the season. ... West Hall struggled in the first half last week but the defense, which has allowed just 37 points in its region games (12.3 ppg), shut out the Lions ground game in the second half with three turnovers. ... The Rebels offer a much different challenge with their ever-improving spread attack. They are averaging 26 ppg overall but over 28 ppg in region contests. Offense may be the key for the Rebels. In their three losses, they have scored just 35 total points. In their four wins, 38.7 ppg. ... The Spartans defense, however, has been stingy all season allowing just 12 points or less, with three shutouts, in five games and no more than 28 in any game this season. FRANKLIN COUNTY at EAST HALL -- WHEN: 7:30 p.m. -- WHERE: East Hall Stadium, Rabbittown -- FRANKLIN COUNTY (2-5, 1-3 Region 7-AAA): Lost 27-12 to West Hall last week. -- EAST HALL (3-4, 1-2 Region 7-AAA): Beat Johnson 42-23 last week in a non-region game. -- NOTABLE: Franklin County leads series 9-3. It is the first meeting since 1999, a 35-19 Lions victory in Carnesville. The Lions have won five straight over East Hall. The last Vikings win came in 1993, a 41-7 win in Rabbittown. ... Everyone in the region is still alive for a playoff berth, which should make for an exciting final three weeks of the season. ... It's almost a must-win for the Vikings, who may need to win out to assure a playoff spot and have two of their last three games at home. But, they will need to play better defensively in region contests. Only Lumpkin County (125) has allowed more points in region games than the Vikings (118). ... The Lions, however, have scored the fewest points in region games (62) and turned the ball over four times last week against West Hall. ... Franklin County is just 2-11 on the road since 2012. GAINESVILLE at CEDAR SHOALS -- WHEN: 7:30 p.m. -- WHERE: Waters-Wilkins Stadium, Athens -- RADIO: 1240 AM -- GAINESVILLE (5-2, 5-1 Region 8-AAAAA): Beat Clarke Central 35-10 last week. -- CEDAR SHOALS (0-7, 0-6 Region 8-AAAAA): Lost 37-35 to Winder-Barrow last week. -- NOTABLE: Series is tie 2-2. Gainesville won 51-6 last year. ... It has the makings of danger game for the Red Elephants, who are tied with Salem for second place. A gainesville win and a Lanier loss to Salem ould put the three teams ina first place tie. ... Despite a winless season, the Jaguars have lost two of their last three games by 5 points or less and the last four by just 11 points or less. ... With all the talk of the Gainesville offense, it's the defense that is the key. When allowing 13 points or less, the Elephants are 5-0. When more than 13 points, they are 0-2. ... Cedar Shoals is averaging just 19 ppg but have scored 59 points over the past two games. GREENE COUNTY at RIVERSIDE MILITARY -- WHEN: 7:30 p.m. -- WHERE: Maginnis Field, Gainesville -- GREENE COUNTY (3-4, 2-1 Region 8-AA): Off last week. Lost 42-27 to Union County two weeks ago. -- RIVERSIDE MILITARY (2-5, 1-2 Region 8-AA): Beat Oglethorpe County 21-0 last week. -- NOTABLE: Riverside leads series 2-0. The Eagles won 30-26 last year. ... The Eagles need a win to stay alive in the playoff race. A loss and they would fall two games behind for third place with two games left and Union County looming next week. However, three of RMA's losses have been by 3 points or less and the Eagles have allowed the second-fewest points (88, 12.5 ppg) in the region. ... The Tigers have yielded the most points in the region (176, 25.1 ppg) but RMA is averaging just 11.7 ppg on the season on offense. The Eagles will need another solid game from Avery Cagle, who had 181 total yards and 2 TD passes last week. HABERSHAM CENTRAL at JOHN'S CREEK -- WHEN: 7:30 p.m. -- WHERE: John's Creek Stadium, Alpharetta -- RADIO: 99.3 FM -- HABERSHAM CENTRAL (0-7, 0-6 Region 6-AAAAAA): Lost 42-39 to Centennial last week. -- JOHN'S CREEK (0-7, 0-6 Region 6-AAAAAA): Lost 14-13 to North Forsyth last week. -- NOTABLE: First-ever meeting between th two schools. ... Habersham looked to have its first win of the season but fel victim to a huge fourth quarter rally by Centennial. John's Creek suffered a similar fate as the Gladiators in its loss to North Forsyth. ... Offensively only six points separate the two teams but defensively the Raiders (291) have allowed nearly 100 more points on the season than John's Creek (195). ... Habersham is mired in a 20-game losing streak, its longest in program history. JACKSON COUNTY at EAST JACKSON -- WHEN: 7:30 p.m. -- WHERE: Eagles Stadium, Commerce -- JACKSON COUNTY (1-7, 0-4 Region 8-AA): Lost 43-7 to Hart County last week. -- EAST JACKSON (1-7, 0-4 Region 8-AA): Lost 63-0 to Jefferson last week. -- NOTABLE: Series is tied 2-2. Jackson County won 38-6 last year. The Panthers have won two straight in the series. ... Both teams have effectively been eliminated from the playoff race. It has been a disappointing season for the Panthers, who were vying for their third straight trip to the playoffs. ... Injuries to key players of late have hurt the Panthers, especially the offense, which has scored just 48 points (12.0 ppg) in region contests after averaging just under 25 ppg in their first four games. ... East Jackson is averaging just 8.0 ppg on offense for the season and giving up 48.6 ppg on defense. LAKEVIEW ACADEMY at ATHENS CHRISTIAN -- WHEN: 7:30 p.m. -- WHERE: Eagles Stadium, Athens -- LAKEVIEW ACADEMY (3-4, 3-2 Region 8-A): Beat Athens Academy 29-28 last week. -- ATHENS CHRISTIAN (5-3, 5-1 Region 8-AA): Beat George Walton 35-7 last week. -- NOTABLE: Athens Christian leads series 2-0. First meeting since 2009, a 33-14 win for the Eagles. ... Lakeview has come on strong over the last month winning 3 of its last 4 games. But, the Lions finish with the meat of the their schedule with Prince Avenue and Commerce to follow. The trio is a combined 16-7 on the season. ... Lakeview will need at least two wins to have a shot at climbing into the top 16 of the power rankings. They sit 28th heading into Friday's contest. ... It won't be easy as the Eagles lead the region in defense allowing just 8.7 ppg. ... Since switching to a spread attack, Lakeview's offense has come alive averaging 27.5 ppg. However, Athens Christian has yielded more than 14 points in a game just once this season. ... The Lions are 0-4 on the road this season. LOGANVILLE at FLOWERY BRANCH -- WHEN: 7:30 p.m. -- WHERE: Falcons Field, Flowery Branch -- LOGANVILLE (4-3, 3-3 Region 8-AAAAA): Lost 31-27 to Salem last week. -- FLOWERY BRANCH (3-4, 2-4 Region 8-AAAAA): Beat Apalachee 52-28 last week. -- NOTABLE: Flowery Branch leads series 4-0. The Falcons won 48-14 last year. ... The Falcons are in must-win mode the rest of the way with four region losses. The have a tough finish as well with Salem and Gainesville in the final two weeks. But, if the Falcons can win out it would force tiebreaker issues if they get some help with losses from Clarke Central, Heritage, and Winder-Barrow. ... The Flowery Branch offense finally broke out last week with more than in its prior four games combined, Loganville is allowing 24 ppg on the season. MONROE AREA at NORTH HALL -- WHEN: 7:30 p.m. -- WHERE: The Brickyard, Gainesville -- MONROE AREA (0-7, 0-4 Region 8-AAAA): Lost 51-12 to Buford last week. -- NORTH HALL (0-7, 0-4 Region 8-AAAA):Lost 56-20 to Madison County last week. -- NOTABLE: Monroe Area leads series 12-7. The Hurricanes won the last meeting 28-21 in 2011, their only meeting since 1997. ... Both teams have been eliminated from the playoffs but expect a hard-fought game as both try to get their first win of the season. ... Expect points as both teams have struggled on defense. The Trojans are allowing more than 46 ppg while the Hurricanes have yielded 34 ppg on the season. Monroe Area may have a slight advantage offensively having scored nearly twice as many points on the season (111) to North Hall's 63. NORTH GWINNETT at DULUTH -- WHEN: 7:30 p.m. -- WHERE: Duluth Stadium, Duluth -- NORTH GWINNETT (5-2, 3-1 Region 7-AAAAAA): Off last week. beat Peachtree Ridge 51-24 two weeks ago. Ranked No.10 in Class AAAAAA. -- DULUTH (1-6, 0-4 Region 7-AAAAAA): Off last week. Lost 34-0 to Collins Hill two weeks ago. -- NOTABLE: Duluth leads series 23-21-1. North Gwinnett won 52-21 last year and the Bulldogs have won 16 straight going back to 1996. The last Duluth win was in 1995, 37-0. ... North Gwinnett cannot afford a letdown. The Bulldogs are locked in a four-way tie with Peachtree Ridge, Collins Hill, and Mill Creek but hold head-to-head tiebreakers over all three. The just need to win out against the Wildcats, Meadowcreek, and Mountain View, who are a combined 3-18, to finish second and secure a home playoff game in the first round. ... The Wildcats have scored just 6 points in region games. The Bulldogs are averaging 38.5 ppg in region contests against the top four defenses in the region. Duluth is yielding 35.5 ppg on defense. RABUN COUNTY at WASHINGTON-WILKES -- WHEN: 7:30 p.m. -- WHERE: Tiger Stadium, Washington -- RABUN COUNTY (6-2, 4-0 Region 8-AA): Beat Union County 45-31 last week. -- WASHINGTON-WILKES (5-2, 2-1 Region 8-AA): Beat Social Circle 41-3 last week. -- NOTABLE: Washington-Wilkes leads series 5-1-1. The Tigers won 52-7 last year. The only Rabin County win came in 1992, a 20-7 win at home. ... Both teams come in playing some of their best football of the season. The Wildcats have won five straight while the Tigers have won two straight. ... Rabun's offense has found its groove scoring 143 points (44.3 ppg) over its last three games but the Tigers have the stingiest defense in the region yielding just 82 points (11.7 ppg) on the season. ... A Rabun win combined with a Greene County loss to Riverside Military would give the Wildcats the region title. The Tigers can still win the region if they win out combined with a Greene County loss, which plays at Rabun County in two weeks. SALEM at LANIER -- WHEN: 7:30 p.m. -- WHERE: Longhorn Stadium, Sugar Hill -- SALEM (5-2, 5-1 Region 8-AAAAA): Beat Loganville 31-27 last week. -- LANIER (7-0, 6-0 Region 8-AAAAA): Beat Heritage, Conyers 49-20 last week. Ranked No. 7 in Class AAAAA. -- NOTABLE: First-ever meeting between the two schools. ... A win for the Longhorns would clinch no worse than second place with a win already over Gainesville and give them the tiebreaker over the Seminoles. ... Lanier's offense set a school record with 49 points last week after averaging 27 ppg through the first six games. ... A win for Salem would give the Seminoles their first winning season since 2007 but also put them in a tie with Lanier for first place and the tiebreaker. Salem is 2-2 on the road this season. STEPHENS COUNTY at MADISON COUNTY -- WHEN: 7:30 p.m. -- WHERE: Raider Stadium, Danielsville -- STEPHENS COUNTY (6-1, 4-0 Region 8-AAAA): Beat Chestatee 55-27 last week. -- MADISON COUNTY (5-2, 3-1 Region 8-AAAA):Beat North Hall 56-20 last week. -- NOTABLE: Stephens County leads series 26-8. The Indians won 35-13 last year. Stephens County has won 15 of the last 16 meetings going back to 1986. The only Red Raiders win in that span was in 1989, 20-14, in Danielsville. ... The Indians have owned the Red Raiders ober the years but this may be Madison County's best chance to snap a 10-game losing streak to Stephens County. ... Madison County is 3-1 at home this season and is averaging just under 32 ppg. The Red Raiders, however, face a tough road to the playoffs. They finish against Stephens , Buford, and North oconee and need two wins down the stretch to make the playoffs. They lost to White County, which owns the head-to-head tiebreaker in the event the two teams finish in a tie in the standings. ... The Indians also have a lot to play for. They control their own fate with home games against Buford and North Oconee to end the season and would win the region title in they can win out. ... Stephens County is averaging 43.7 ppg in region contests while Madison is allowing 22 ppg in region games. TOWNS COUNTY at COMMERCE -- WHEN: 8 p.m. -- WHERE: Ray Lamb Stadium, Commerce -- TOWNS COUNTY (1-7, 1-5 Region 8-AA): Lost 40-7 to Prince Avenue last week. -- COMMERCE (5-2, 4-1 Region 8-AA): Beat Providence Christian 49-10 last week. -- NOTABLE: Commerce leads the series 18-0. The Tigers won 47-14 last year. ... It has been a lopsided series with not a single game decided by 14 points or less. ... Commerce needs a win to keep its standing in the top 16 of the power ratings. The Tigers currently are seventh and cannot afford a letdown. ... The Indians have struggled on defense allowing 38.2 ppg and should be in a rough night against a Commerce offense that averages over 200 yards a game rushing. WINDER-BARROW at CLARKE CENTRAL -- WHEN: 7:30 p.m. -- WHERE: Billy Henderson Memorial Stadium, Athens -- WINDER-BARROW (4-3, 4-2 Region 8-AAAAA): Beat Cedar Shoals 37-35 last week. -- CLARKE CENTRAL (3-4, 3-3 Region 8-AAAAA): Lost 35-10 to Gainesville last week. -- NOTABLE: Clarke Central leads series 12-0. The Gladiators won 13-7 last year. ... While the Bulldoggs have never beaten the Gladiators, this may be the best chance since a 10-9 loss in 2006. Winder-Barrow has won 3 of its last 4 games averaging 32.7 ppg in that span. In the Gladiators four losses, they have allowed 30.7 ppg. ... Winder-Barrow sits in fourth place just a game ahead of the Gladiators and Loganville. A win would more than likely knock Clarke Central out of any playoff possibility. The Bulldoggs also need a win with first-place Lanier looming next week and a season finale against Loganville. ... Winder-Barrow is looking for its first playoff appearance since 2003. Clarke Central has made the playoffs each year since 2006 and 10 of the last 11 seasons.

Jeff Hart Sports Reporter