One week of the 2023 high school football season is in the books with several Northeast Georgia-area teams living up to their preseason billing, others showing they may be ready to make a move, with several still having some work to do.
What will Week 2 offer for area teams? We’ll obviously know more after Friday, but there are some outstanding matchups on tap that will take center stage.
Buford, ranked fifth nationally in the latest MaxPreps poll, heads out of state for the first time since 2008 to take on Mallard Creek out of Charlotte, ranked sixth in North Carolina’s Class 4A division. The Wolves (1-0) looked impressive last week in rolling over national power St. Frances out of Baltimore, who was ranked 10th nationally at the time.
Gainesville, ranked second in Class 6A, also looked sharp, knocking off No. 8 Marist at City Park. The Red Elephants (1-0) head to Class 7A Mountain View on Friday.
Flowery Branch (1-0) flexed some offensive muscles in an impressive 38-7 win over Decatur but will now head to St. Pius to see if they can start 2-0 for a second straight season.
There's also the annual Battle of Oakwood, this time at West Hall. Union County, coming off a stunning blowout win over rival Fannin County, and Lumpkin County, in its season-opener, could be one of the better games of the night at The Burial Grounds.
Meanwhile, teams like Cherokee Bluff, North Forsyth, and Dawson County will be looking to put disappointing openers behind them.
(Chestatee, East Hall, Lanier Christian, North Hall all are off this week.)
For a look at all of the weekend's contests involving area teams, simply scroll down. And be sure to check back with AccessWDUN's Friday Game Night throughout the night for score updates and game stories and video highlights. You can also check for scores and highlights on our Twitter feed: @FridayGameNigh
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SCHEDULE FOR AUG. 25
(Games listed in alphabetical order of visiting team)
ADAIRSVILLE at CHEROKEE BLUFF
Records: Tigers (0-0, Region 6-3A); Bears (0-1, Region 8-4A)
Last week: Season-opener for the Tigers; Cherokee Bluff lost 40-7 to West Forsyth
Where: Yonah Field, Flowery Branch
Time: 7:30 p.m.
The Statisticals: Adairsville won the only meeting between the two teams, 51-50, in overtime in 2022. The Bears ran into a solid Class 7A Wolverines team last week that used a pair of big special teams plays to open up a quick lead. Offensively they struggled against the bigger Wolverines. Cherokee Bluff finished with 161 yards of total offense but also had 14 penalties totaling 104 yards. Conner Hulsey scored the Bears only points on an 8-yard TD run in the fourth quarter.
What to watch for: Bluff special teams and defense. The Bears will have to shore up their special teams play after giving up a kickoff return and a punt return for TDs in the first quarter. The defense will have another tough test vs. a Tigers team that averaged 39.7 ppg and 367 yards rushing/game in 2022 and return 4 of their top 6 rushers.
ATHENS CHRISTIAN at LAKEVIEW ACADEMY
Records: Eagles (0-0, Region 8-A Division 1); Lions (0-1, GISA 4-AAAA-AAA)
Last week: Season-opener for the Eagles; Lakeview Academy lost 20-13 to King’s Ridge Christian
Where: Lakeview Stadium, Gainesville
Time: 7:30 p.m.
The Statisticals: Athens Christian leads the series 8-0. The Eagles won 42-8 in 2022. In coach Lee Coleman’s debut, the Lions let a late lead slip away in the fourth quarter to spoil what was an encouraging start to the season.
What to watch for: Lakeview offense. The Lions have a lot of new faces with a limited roster and are still trying to find the right combinations as most everyone will play both ways. They will need to and may be able to, find some more production vs. an Eagles team that gave up 37.5 ppg in 2022. However, Lakeview managed just one score last year.
BANKS COUNTY at OGLETHORPE COUNTY
Records: Leopards (1-0, Region 8-2A); Patriots (0-1, Region 5-A Division 1)
Last week: Banks County beat Johnson, 53-13; Oglethorpe lost 14-7 to East Jackson
Where: Patriot Stadium, Lexington
Time: 7:30 p.m.
The Statisticals: Banks County leads series 12-10. The Leopards won 21-14 in Homer in 2022 and have won five straight and 8 of the last 10 going back to 2003. They have won four straight in Lexington. The last Oglethorpe win in the series at home came in 2002. Banks County QB Kolby Watson went 4-for-9 through the air for 117 yards and two touchdowns, one to Judd Shoemaker and the other to Lane Morris. They piled up 360 yards of total offense in the game.
What to watch for: The Leopards' defense. They picked off three Johnson passes, including two pick-6s, last week and limited a pretty good Knights O-line from establishing a consistent running game. Going back to last season, the Patriots offense has scored just 11.4 ppg over its last five games going back to last season after averaging 34.1 ppg the seven games prior.
BUFORD at MALLARD CREEK (CHARLOTTE, NC)
Records: Wolves (1-0, Region 8-7A), ranked No. 1 in Class 7A, 5th nationally in MaxPreps; Mavericks (1-0, Region 3A/4A Queen City)
Last week: Buford beat No. 10 (nationally) St. Frances, 18-0; Mallard Creek beat Independence (NC), 28-14.
Where: Charlotte, N.C.
Time: 8 p.m.
The Statisticals: Buford won the only meeting between the two programs in 2022, 56-7, at Tom Riden. Buford ran its record against out-of-state opponents to 14-3 all-time with last week’s impressive victory. This will be the first out-of-state road game for the Wolves since traveling to Mansfield, Tex., to take on Timberview in 2008. They won that game 42-21. The Mavericks were young last year with less than 20 seniors listed on a roster over 100. They trailed 14-6 last week before rallying for 22 third-quarter points to win their opener.
What to watch for: The Buford defense vs. the Mavericks offense. Mallard Creek had over 300 yards of offense behind Jr. QB Justin Little, who passed for 112 yards. But he also tossed 3 INTs and the Wolves' secondary may be one of the best in the state, led by KJ Bolden, who had a pick-6 called back last week. They held a potent St. Frances offense to just 114 total yards.
COMMERCE at MURPHY (NC)
Records: Tigers (1-0, Region 8-A Division 1); Bulldogs (1-0, Region 1-A)
Last week: Commerce beat Southside Christian (SC), 21-19; Murphy beat Franklin (NC), 41-14
Where: Murphy, NC
Time: 7 p.m.
The Statisticals: Murphy won the only meeting between the two teams 15-14 in 2022 in Commerce. The Tigers' triple-threat option attack was on full display as Jaiden Daniels rushed for over 100 yards, scored three times, and got plenty of help from Jacari Huff, who also rushed for over 100 yards. The Bulldogs used a dominating offensive blitz leading Franklin 41-0 heading into the fourth quarter.
What to watch for: With two offenses that love to pound the ball, whichever unit can control the clock will have the advantage. The Bulldogs ran for over 350 yards last week behind a pair of 100-yard rushers as well in Sr. Hunter Stalcup (3 TD) and Fr. Cameron Clem (1 TD).
EAST FORSYTH at SECKINGER
Records: Broncos (0-0, Region 8-4A); Jaguars (0-1, Region 8-4A, non-region)
Last week: Season-opener for the Broncos; Seckinger lost 42-7 to Peachtree Ridge
Where: Seckinger Stadium, Buford
Time: 7:30 p.m.
The Statisticals: The Broncos beat the Jaguars 48-0 in 2022 in the only meeting between the two teams. The Jaguars are under new management in Tony Lotti, and improvement already seems on the rise. They only scored 12 points all last season and the Lions beat them 60-0 in 2022. East Forsyth returns the bulk of its roster after having a winning season in the first varsity campaign and averaged 26.2 ppg on offense and gave up 17.4 ppg on defense.
What to watch for: The Broncos offense. They are experienced across the board and are expected to be even better than last year. They should be able to work some early kinks against the building Jaguars, who are in just their second season as a program. But Seckinger is already showing signs of improvement and increased numbers in Lotti’s first season.
FLOWERY BRANCH at ST. PIUS
Records: Falcons (1-0, Region 8-5A); Golden Lions (1-0, Region 4-6A)
Last week: Flowery Branch beat Decatur, 38-7; St. Pius beat Dacula, 19-0
Where: George B. Maloof Stadium, Atlanta
Time: 7:30 p.m.
The Statisticals: Flowery Branch leads series 2-1. The Falcons won 9-0 in 2022 at home. They have won the last two meetings, including a 21-14 win in 2021 on the road. Branch showed tremendous balance on offense last week with 176 yards passing and 173 yards rushing, with Malik Dryden pounding out 140 yards with a TD run on the ground. QBs Josh Oliver and Tristen Gabrels both threw TD passes for the Falcons. St. Pius is looking for its first 2-0 start since 2020. Branch is looking for its third consecutive 2-0 start.
What to watch for: The Branch offense vs. the St. Pius defense. The Falcons have looked sharp since the summer and carried that into their opener. WRs Camo Campbell and Jeremiah Ware combined for 7 catches for 133 yards and 2 TDs for Branch. The Golden Lions only allowed 16 ppg last year until giving up 49 in a playoff loss to Thomas County Central. They have surrendered 14 or less in 8 of their last 13 games overall.
FORSYTH CENTRAL at NORTH FORSYTH
Records: Bulldogs (1-0, Region 6-7A); Raiders (0-1, Region 8-6A)
Last week: Forsyth Central beat Chattahoochee, 31-28; North Forsyth lost 35-16 to Archer
Where: Raider Valley, Coal Mountain
Time: 7:30 p.m.
The Statisticals: North Forsyth leads series 13-8. The Raiders won 35-7 in 2022 and have won 7 of the last 9 going back to 2012. They have 3 of the last 4 at Raider Valley in the series. NoFo struggled on offense and special teams throwing a pick-6 and muffing a punt, which both led to Archer scores. Sr. RB Jacob Shirley had 42 yards on 4 carries after Karson McBrayer went down in the first half.
What to watch for: The NoFo defense vs. the Forsyth Central offense. The Raiders have outscored the Bulldogs 58-7 in the last two seasons. Central will have to find a way to break through to have any chance. The Raiders only allowed two solid Archer drives last week and will only get better as the season moves along.
GAINESVILLE at MOUNTAIN VIEW
Records: Red Elephants (1-0, Region 8-6A), ranked No. 2 in Class 6A; Bears (1-0, Region 8-7A)
Last week: Gainesville beat Marist, 34-26; Mountain View beat Shiloh, 58-7
Where: Mountain View Stadium, Lawrenceville
Time: 7:30 p.m.
The Statisticals: Gainesville won the only meeting between the two teams, 30-7, in Gainesville in 2022. Both teams looked sharp in wins last week. Shiloh was projected as a playoff team in Region 8-6A, so this could be a measuring stick for Big Red. Gainesville’s passing attack looked potent with Wright throwing for 223 yards, with Eric Hart and Trevian Watson having big games last week. But RB Gavin Hall stole the attention with 203 yards and 1 TD. The Bears dominated the Generals, holding them to under 200 yards total offense while piling up 368 yards with 6 TDs on the ground, including a 50-yard TD run by QB Jayden Dooley.
What to watch for: The Bears O-line vs. the Red Elephants D-line. GHS held Marist’s powerful triple-option to just 166 yards rushing behind an active D-line. The Bears are big and physical up front so whichever unit can win this matchup will give their team the upper edge.
HABERSHAM CENTRAL at WHITE COUNTY
Records: Raiders (0-1, Region 8-6A); Warriors (0-1, Region 7-3A)
Last week: Habersham Central lost 31-29 to Stephens County; White County lost 49-34 to North Hall
Where: White County Stadium, Cleveland
Time: 7:30 p.m.
The Statisticals: Habersham Central leads series 9-4. The Raiders won 42-28 in 2022 in Mt. Airy. Hab Central has won 5 of the last 7 meetings and 3 straight in Cleveland. The Raiders let a 16-point lead slip away in the fourth quarter last week, losing on a FG with 5 seconds left. The Warriors got blitzed early by an improved Trojans offense. Both teams need a win to try and get what they hope are promising seasons on track.
What to watch for: Look for a shootout, but the Warriors' defense vs. Raiders' offense may be the key matchup. Hab Central put up 29 against a solid Indians defense last week and should continue to get better. The Raiders defense played well until the last half of the fourth quarter. White County gave up 452 yards to the Trojans last week. The Warriors will need to find a way to slow down the Raiders to stay in the game.
JACKSON COUNTY at DULUTH
Records: Panthers (1-0, Region 8-6A); Wildcats (1-0, Region 7-7A)
Last week: Jackson County beat Dawson County, 16-0; Duluth beat ML King, 44-21
Where: Tim Maxwell Stadium, Duluth
Time: 7:30 p.m.
The Statisticals: Duluth leads series 4-1. Jackson County won 22-7 in 2022 in Hoschton. The Wildcats have not started a season 2-0 since 2011. The Panthers are looking for their first 2-0 start since 2017. New Panthers coach Korey Mobbs has his trademark defensive prowess working already after they pitched a shutout, the program’s first since blanking Johnson in 2021, against what is expected to be a pretty good Tigers offense.
What to watch for: The Jackson County defense vs. the Duluth offense. Since opening the 2022 campaign 2-4, Duluth has gone 3-2 since, fueled by the offense. In that span going back to 2022, the Wildcats have scored 34 or more four times and 44 or more three times. They passed for 214 yards and ran for 201 last week, with five plays of 28 or more yards. The Panthers held Dawson County to 102 total yards last week.
JEFFERSON at WREN (SC)
Records: Dragons (1-0, Region 8-5A), ranked 6th in Class 5A; Hurricanes (0-0, Region 2-3A)
Last week: Jefferson beat Alpharetta, 34-17; Season-opener for Wren
Where: Wren Stadium, Piedmont, S.C.
Time: 7:30 p.m.
The Statisticals: Jefferson won the only meeting between the two programs in 2022, 56-28, in Jefferson. The Hurricanes are just 1-2 all-time vs. non-South Carolina opponents. The Dragons are 3-0 all-time vs. out-of-state opponents. The new-look Jefferson offense is still a work in progress, piling up just 233 total yards, just 131 on the ground, with Sammy Brown accounting for 90 of that and 4 rushing TDs. The defense, however, produced 7 TFL, 3 sacks, and 2 turnovers.
What to watch for: The Jefferson offense vs. the Hurricanes defense. Wren was young across the board in 2022 and allowed 381 points 34.6 ppg), the 3rd-most in program history, and they began playing in 1957. They have a new coach and are expected to be much-improved this season. Jefferson is breaking in a lot of new parts on offense in 2023 and relied heavily on the defense last week.
JOHNSON at WEST HALL
Records: Knights (0-1, Region 8-4A, non-region); Spartans (0-1, Region 7-3A)
Last week: Johnson lost 53-13 to Banks County; West Hall lost 35-28 to East Hall
Where: West Hall Stadium, Oakwood
Time: 8 p.m.
The Statisticals: West Hall leads the series 20-8-1. The Spartans won 23-7 in 2022 and have won 3 straight in the series. Johnson is still stuck in a 33-game losing streak going back to 2019. West Hall is trying to avoid its first 0-2 start since 2020. The Johnson offense threw 3 INTs, including a pair of pick-6s, last week.
What to watch for: Johnson's defense vs. the West Hall offense. The Knights gave up 246 yards on the ground to the Leopards last week. West Hall got 176 yards rushing from Elijah Hayes as they put up more than 200 yards on the ground vs. the Vikings.
LAMBERT at DAWSON COUNTY
Records: Longhorns (1-0, Region 6-7A); Tigers (0-1, Region 7-3A)
Last week: Lambert beat Sequoyah, 42-28; Dawson County lost 16-0 to Jackson County
Where: Tiger Stadium, Dawsonville
Time: 7:30 p.m.
The Statisticals: Lambert won the only meeting between the two programs in 2022, 49-6, in Suwanee. Dawson County was shut out for the first time since the 2021 playoffs, and it was the first regular season shutout loss for the Tigers since a 23-0 defeat to Gilmer back on Sept. 5 2014, spanning 88 games. The Longhorns are coming off their best season in program history after going 10-2 and winning just their second-ever playoff game.
What to watch for: The Lambert offense vs. the Dawson County defense. Despite graduating their QB and top 2 WRs from last season, the Longhorns picked up offensively where they left off last year. They have now scored 20 or more points in 13 consecutive games, including 8 scoring 35 or more. The Tigers held down a solid Jackson County rushing attack but are still young across the board and will be tested by the Longhorns passing attack.
RABUN COUNTY at STEPHENS COUNTY
Records: Wildcats (1-0, Region 8-A Division 1), ranked 3rd in Class A Division 1; Indians (1-0, Region 8-3A), ranked 7th in Class 3A
Last week: Rabun County beat Haralson County, 45-21; Stephens County beat Habersham Central, 31-29
Where: The Reservation, Toccoa
Time: 7:30 p.m.
The Statisticals: Rabun County leads series 7-4. The Wildcats won 14-7 in 2022 in Tiger and have won five straight in the series overall. It is the sixth meeting since 2016. The last Stephens County win came in 1959 in Tiger. So. QB Ty Truelove threw for 220 yards with 4 TD passes to 3 different receivers for the Wildcats, who led 38-0 at halftime. The Indians survived a huge upset last week vs. their arch-rivals when Luke Waters booted a 31-yard field goal with 5 seconds left to cap a big comeback after trailing 29-13 at one point. New QB Tripp Underwood passed for 160 yards and 2 TDs. Jasec Smith had both TD catches as part of a 101-yard outing. Jr. RB Javin Gordon ran for 122 yards and had 209 all-purpose yards for the Indians.
What to watch for: The Rabun offense vs. the Stephens defense. The Indians gave up a lot of early plays and points before finally making some stops in the 2nd half. The Wildcats, who averaged just over 35 ppg in 2022, already look in prime form behind Truelove, who found 8 different receivers last week. RB Reid Giles had 86 yards on 3 carries, including a 56-yard TD run.
RIVERSIDE PREP at WALKER
Records: Eagles (0-0, GISA 4-AAAA-AAA)); Wolverines (1-0, Region 6-2A, non-region)
Last week: Season-opener for the Eagles; Walker beat Cross Keys, 43-0
Where: Robertson Field, Marietta
Time: 7:30 p.m.
The Statisticals: First-ever meeting between the two programs. The Eagles are mired in a 16-game losing streak, tied for the 3rd-longest in program history. The Wolverines snapped a 7-game skid last week with their first shutout win since beating St. Francis, 28-0, in 2016. Riverside has had to wait an extra week after having to cancel last week’s game with Lumpkin County as they waited for players to clear Acclimation.
What to watch for: The Riverside offense. The Eagles scored just 82 points in 2022 and lost the bulk of the production from that group. However, they have some playmakers hopefully the extra week of practice will pay off.
SOCIAL CIRCLE at EAST JACKSON
Records: Redskins (0-1, Region x-xA); Eagles (1-0, Region 8-2A)
Last week: Social Circle lost 41-7 to Morgan County; East Jackson beat Oglethorpe County, 14-7
Where: East Jackson Stadium, Commerce
Time: 7:30 p.m.
The Statisticals: Social Circle won the only meeting between the two teams in 2022, 25-0 in Social Circle. The Eagles are looking for their first 2-0 start beginning the 2019 season 3-0. The Eagles offense is tough at home. They averaged 31.1 ppg at home in 2022 compared to just 16.3 ppg on the road. The Redskins were 4-1 on the road in 2022, with their only loss coming to Rabun County in the first round of the Class A Division 1 playoffs
What to watch for: The Eagles offense vs. Redskins defense. In their 8 wins in 2022, the Redskins gave up just 63 points (7.87 ppg). They were 8-0 when allowing 14 or less. They were 0-4 when giving up more than 14. Last week’s win was East Jackson’s first when scoring less than 17 since beating Oglethorpe County 10-7 in 2018, spanning 58 games.
TOWNS COUNTY at LAKE OCONEE ACADEMY
Records: Indians (0-1, Region 8-A Division 2); Titans (0-1, Region 8-A Division 2, non-region)
Last week: Towns County lost 35-2 to Hayesville (NC); Lake Oconee lost 14-7 to George Walton Academy.
Where: Lake Oconee Academy, Greensboro
Time: 7:30 p.m.
The Statisticals: Towns County won the only meeting between the two programs, 23-0, in 2022. It was a rough start for the Indians, who came in with higher expectations in 2023. The Titans had a solid debut season winning four games. And the improvement appears to be continuing. George Walton, a playoff team in 2022, routed them 42-6 last season but had to hang on for the win last week.
What to watch for: The Towns County offense. The Indians did not fare well in their first game without the graduated Seth Gillis at RB. They will need to find some production behind a 3-year starter at QB Connor Chastain. The Titans appear ready to continue their upward momentum, with the defense holding a George Walton offense to half of its 2022 totals.
UNION COUNTY at LUMPKIN COUNTY
Records: Panthers (1-0, Region 8-2A); Indians (0-0, Region 7-3A)
Last week: Union County beat Fannin County, 50-12, on the road; Season-opener for Lumpkin County
Where: The Burial Grounds, Dahlonega
Time: 8:15 p.m.
The Statisticals: Union County leads series 24-16-1. Lumpkin County won 28-6 in 2022 in Blairsville. The Panthers win last week was not that much of a surprise but the margin of victory was as they shelled the Rebels early and often. They led 28-6 at halftime and 42-6 heading into the fourth quarter and piled up nearly 500 yards, more than 320 on the ground.
What to watch for: The Lumpkin County offense. The Indians will have a new QB in Cal Faulkner and several new receivers but do return an experienced O-line and RB Mason Sullens. But they have yet to play a game after having their opener last week canceled. They’ve had two weeks to work out the bugs since their scrimmage with Banks County. But the Panthers' defense was solid last week as they helped engineer the second-most lopsided win in that series history.
