Will there be a Region 7-3A title game in Dahlonega next week? Don't ask Lumpkin County's Heath Webb or Dawson County's Sid Maxwell.
Webb and Maxwell aren't talking about anything but their Week 10 opponent.
After all, both need a win this week to set up the often talked about title showdown in Dahlonega next week.
While looking ahead is a recipe for disaster in any sport, it does lend itself to great online fodder. So, when asked if they've thought about the potential showdown for first in the Gold City next week, both coaches responded with NO!
"The chatter around here is beat White County," Webb said. "So, if you don't beat White County, it doesn't matter. It's a classic case of you can't look ahead. Any time anybody asks me that question, I say, 'beat White County.' We've got to take care of that one first, and it's certainly not a guarantee."
"I have not. I don't ever look ahead of anybody, no matter who we're playing," Maxwell said. "Gilmer is a big challenge for us this week because we're changing gears with a different scheme. If we can get through this one and put ourselves in that situation, we're very fortunate to be there. The way I look at it, I'm just blessed to be where we are, be in the driver's seat and control our destiny going into Game 9 of the season."
As the drama continues to rise in Region 7-3A this week, several scenarios could alter the region's standings in the final three weeks of the regular season.
Dawson County sits atop the region standings, while Lumpkin County is in second, a game and a half out of the top spot. Both Lumpkin and Dawson have big tests this week. The Tigers will play host to Gilmer, and Lumpkin County travels to White County.
But White County (3-4, 1-2 Region 7-3A) may have a say-so in the race. The Warriors routed West Hall (1-6, 0-3 Region 7-3A) 56-14 to get back in the playoff race and snapped a three-game losing streak at the same time.
Wesleyan’s loss and Gilmer’s (5-3, 2-2 Region 7-3A) 27-10 loss to Pickens dropped both into a tie for fourth place. The win for the Dragons (2-5, 1-2 Region 7-3A) also moved them into a tie with White County.
Of course, several other scenarios would change the landscape, but we'll use the wait-and-see approach to figure those out. Nevertheless, the drama in Region 7-3A is only getting thicker by the week.
"I felt like there was a whole lot of parity in this region," Webb said. "So, I expected early on that it would come down to some tiebreakers to see who gets in the playoffs, a home game or seeding. So, I'm not surprised everything is as even as it is."
Region 7-3A
| Team | Region | Overall |
 Dawson County |
4-0 | 6-2 |
 Lumpkin County |
2-1 | 6-1 |
 Gilmer |
2-2 | 5-3 |
 Wesleyan |
2-2 | 3-5 |
 White County |
1-2 | 3-4 |
 Pickens |
1-2 | 2-5 |
 West Hall |
0-3 | 1-6 |
