Week 6 was by far the most exciting week of high school football this season.
North Forsyth beat Shiloh in a 42-34 shootout; Walnut Grove blocked East Forsyth's potential game-winning field goal to win 7-6; Lanier scored late to beat Habersham Central; Buford held off Marietta in a low-scoring affair, 14-0; Rabun County beat Whitefield Academy, 28-14, in the Class A top-10 battle. Cherokee Bluff missed the game-winning field goal at the end to fall in a close one to North Hall, 14-12.
Of course, there were blowout wins for a couple of area teams. In Region 7-3A, Dawson County blasted West Hall, while Lumpkin County extended its historic run with a beat down of Pickens and a 5-0 record.
Region play continues this week across the area with all but three games scheduled to kick off on Thursday; we've got three intriguing matchups on the Jacobs Media airwaves.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29
Cedar Shoals at Cherokee Bluff -- Cherokee Bluff was coming off a shocking loss to North Hall at the Brickyard last week. They outgained the Trojans and possessed the ball almost five minutes more than the North Hall. But a missed field goal cost the Bears a 3-0 start in Region 8-4A play. On paper, the Bears are averaging almost 30 points per game but are giving up nearly 29 points per game. Cedar Shoals, on the other hand, isn't much better on paper. They're giving up 33.8 ppg while scoring just 22.2 ppg. This one has the makings to be a good one unless the Bears show up to play on both sides of the ball. Could this be another down-to-the-wire REgion 8-4A finish for the Bears? Possibly. You can listen to the game on WDUN AM 550 (Click to listen live)
Clarke Central at Flowery Branch -- The Falcons are on the struggle bus, and so is Clarke Central, making this matchup a crucial one in Region 8-5A. Most likely, the loser is out of the playoffs. Flowery Branch is averaging just 18.6 ppg. They're giving up 28.4. They've given up 34.7 ppg while scoring just 15 in three straight losses. Clarke Central is not much better. The Gladiators have lost four straight games and are averaging 22 ppg on offense and giving up 27 ppg on defense. Will this one be a low-scoring affair? All signs point to yes. You can hear the game on FM 102.9 WDUN (Click to listen live).
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30
Gainesville at Lanier -- The Red Elephants are starting to click on both sides of the ball and are off to their best start since 2009. They're also coming off an off week, which could spell disaster for Lanier. Speaking of Lanier, the Longhorns are still trying to get their footing in Region 8-6A. They proved last week that they can rally and finish with the win over Habersham. However, Gainesville is not Habersham Central. The Red Elephants are scoring 37 points per game and giving up 13.8. They've been able to iron out a lot of the wrinkles in the first five games. With the week off, Big Red will be ready to roll, and if the Longhorns fall behind early, the chances of them coming back against Big Red will be slim to none. The game can be heard live on FM 94.5 The Lake (Click to listen live).
Check with AccessWDUN's Friday Game Night for score updates, game stories, and video highlights. You can also check for scores and highlights on our Twitter feed: @FridayGameNight
