It's always fun trying to find the best Games2Watch in our coverage area each week. We didn't do as well with our Week 3 picks as we did in Week 2, but you win some, and you lose some.
The biggest takeaway, however, was more intel on our area teams.
Dawson County proved it could rebound after an embarrassing loss to Lambert in Week 2 with a blowout win over North Hall. Stephens County's defense showed up again last week, holding Flowery Branch under 100-yards rushing and just over 100 yards passing in the 27-11 win.
The North Cobb-Buford game was exactly what we thought it would be -- epic. Buford overcame four turnovers and held off a North Cobb rally to win, 21-14. Alabama-commit Justice Haynes showed out with 202 yards rushing and scored all three Buford touchdowns, including the game-winning TD with less than a minute to go in the game.
This week, we think we have found three more Games2Watch that should provide several fireworks in Week 4.
Cherokee Bluff at Madison County
This will be the Region 8-4A opener for both programs, and it will be an interesting one for many reasons.
Cherokee Bluff is where we all thought they wouldn't be -- 0-2, with defensive troubles. It's not a place we felt the two-time defending Region 7-3A team would be, but we knew they would have growing pains with all the graduation losses. However, we thought it would be on the offensive side of the ball, not defense. The Bears are giving up an astounding 44.5 points per game, while their offense is scoring just over 35. Of course, that's good news for the offense, having lost several key components to last season's high-flying offense. The defense, however, returned more than half of the starting lineup and should be better. We believe it will get there in time, but time is not what the Bears have as they begin the grueling eight-game region schedule this week.
Meanwhile, Madison County is 1-1 and hasn't had any issues scoring points, averaging 35 points per game, which could spell disaster for Cherokee Bluff. But ... the Red Raiders are giving up 25 points per game. That is the stat to watch this week. Will the Bluff defense be improved after a two-week break, or will it stay the same? If there's no improvement on defense, this one could be a shootout in Danielsville.
Jefferson at Oconee County
To set this one up, we must look at the coaching history, so here goes ... new Jefferson head coach, Travis Noland, led Oconee County for the last eight seasons, and current Oconee head coach, Ben Hall, was the Dragons' leader from 2013 to 2016. OK, everybody with us now?
The Dragons come into the contest ranked ninth in Class 5A, and the Warriors are seventh in Class 3A. The Warriors are defensive-minded. The Dragons can score. So, what will give in this one?
Jefferson is giving up 25 points per game on defense and has shown vulnerabilities on that side of the ball in the first two games of the season. However, they got back on track last week, holding St. Pius X to 34 total yards of offense. There's no question the Dragons can score points, and with a running back like Sammy Brown, who's averaging 162 yards per game, the Warriors will have their hands full trying to slow him down.
But you can't look past a defense that's giving up just over eight points per game. Oconee County has been almost lights out on defense thus far. Sure, the Dragons have Brown and will get solid play out of quarterback Max Aldridge, but can they find enough offense to break the Warriors' wall?
Temple at Lumpkin County
Lumpkin County has opened the season on a record pace, winning its first three games for the first time since 2006. Can those winning ways continue against Temple? We don't know. After further research into the Tigers, we believe the Indians are about to face their sternest test yet.
Class A No. 9 Temple is averaging 328 yards on the ground, led by running back Cam Vaughn, who's rushed for more than 630 yards in just three games this season. The Tigers average 30.3 points per game and haven't turned the ball over this season.
There is a silver lining for the Indians, however. The defense is giving up a Class 3A second-best 4.3 points per game and has forced seven turnovers, including five fumbles. That body of work could prove to be the key in this one for the Indians.
But let's not count out the Indians' offense, which is averaging 45.6 points per game behind the play of quarterback Cooper Scott, who racked up 200-plus yards passing last week in the 48-0 win over Franklin County, and a plethora of other offensive stars in running back Mason Sullens and receivers Cal Faulkner and Harper Davenport. It'll test a Temple defense that gives up close to 20 points per game. Nevertheless, we think this one will come down to Temple's offense vs. the Indians' stingy defense.
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