The high school football season is starting to show us what we can expect from the rest of the 2018 campaign, and yet there is plenty left to learn.
That curve continues this week with Week 4 of the prep season, and there are some intriguing showdowns on tap -- including three that will take place over the airwaves of Jacobs Media.
Region play is on the horizon yet for most leagues based in northeast Georgia -- bar 8-A and 8-2A -- but there are three non-region games that have our attention this week.
Buford is coming off a bye and a loss to Florida powerhouse Deerfield Beach on Aug. 31. The third-ranked Wolves (2-1) will play host to Newton (2-1) on Friday in a game broadcast live on WDUN AM 550. Buford faces Newton prior to another huge non-region battle at Archer and will want to get back on a winning track.
Meanwhile, on WDUN FM 102.9, North Hall will travel to White County in a showdown of neighbors. The Trojans (3-0) are off to their best since 2016 -- a season that saw the Warriors hand North Hall its first loss of that campaign. White County, meanwhile, enters this year's showdown on the back of two hardfought losses and looking for some forward momentum. This will be the season's final non-region contest for both the Warriors (1-2) and Trojans.
On 94.5 FM The Lake Gainesville will travel to face Jefferson in a non-region showdown of two power programs in different places. The Dragons (2-1) are coming off back-to-back victories and looking to make another statement in their second home game of the season -- in the rennovated Memorial Stadium. The Red Elephants (0-3), meanwhile, have suffered two straight near misses and have shown strong progress from Game 1 to Game 3 under new head coach Heath Webb. It will be Jefferson's final non-region contest of the season, while Gainesville faces Flowery Branch in a non-region showdown next week before beginning play in 8-6A.
There will also be an intriguing contest at Stephens County, as the Indians play host to high-flying Habersham Central team that has won three straight, while Region 8-2A programs Banks County, Rabun County, and Union County look to get their league campaigns off to winning starts, each on the road. Towns County also travels to George Walton Academy in a key battle for the Indians' hopes of getting back to the state playoffs for a second straight season.
AccessWDUN's Friday Game Night page will have it all covered for you, and will keep you up-to-date on the build-up and how it all plays out in Week 4.
SEPTEMBER 14 AREA FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Banks County at Social Circle*
Chestatee at Fannin County
Cross Keys at Johnson
Gainesville at Jefferson -- Radio: FM 94.5 The Lake
Habersham Central at Stephens County
Lanier Christian Academy at Holy Spirit Prep (Northside High)
Madison County at East Jackson
Newton at Buford -- Radio: WDUN AM 550
North Hall at White County -- Radio: WDUN FM 102.9
Providence Christian at Commerce*
Rabun County at Putnam County*
Towns County at George Walton Academy*
Union County at Monticello*
*-denotes region contest
