Week 2 of the 2023 high school football season continued to provide intrigue and excitement.
Here are five things we learned from Week 2:
Is Rabun County's offense ready? West Hall and Lumpkin County's offenses put up numbers, and East Jackson might be trending in the right direction. Also, is Jefferson better than we thought they would be?
1. Wildcat offense might not be ready for the big stage
For the first time since 2013, the Rabun County offense was shut out in a game, snapping a streak of 119 games with points on the board. Part of that was the Stephens County defense, so kudos to the Indians for that, but it was also a defense that was shredded in the first three quarters just one week ago to an improved Habersham Central team. What does this mean for the Wildcats as they turn their attention to a road trip to Adairsville? We will have to see how they respond before we dole out judgment.
2. Spartans offense starting to show promise
A West Hall offense that is averaging 28.5 points per game through the first two games is impressive. Coach Montgomery has got his guys believing that they can score points with some of the county's best, and that is dangerous in 7-3A, where Dawson County, Lumpkin County, Pickens, Wesleyan and White County have all given up big numbers at some point in the first two weeks of the season. Still a long way to go for West Hall, but we like the progress shown by the Spartans early.
3. Is East Jackson ready to contend?
East Jackson has quietly built a program that no team really wants to face, especially with playoff implications riding on every week in region play. As the Eagles took down Social Circle by 28 points Friday night, it was the rushing attack that was the scariest for Social Circle. There were three rushing touchdowns in the fourth quarter alone, while the Eagles were extremely balanced in terms of rushing yards amongst the team. This week's matchup against the team we mentioned in point number two should be a fun one and tell us a lot about where the Eagles stand.
4. Lumpkin County's offense looks as good as it did a year ago
And with new pieces in place, the Indians were electric. Cal Faulkner at quarterback was fun to watch as he took the reins left by Cooper Scott's graduation, but what was more impressive was Mason Sullens returning to the backfield. Sullens might have been overlooked last year with the dual threat of Scott, but with 262 yards rushing and four touchdowns alone, he might be the player opposing defenses have to key on, which makes space for Faulkner to use his legs and arm to open up the playbook. Only one game to go off of, but if these numbers stay consistent, watch out for the team from Dahlonega in 7-3A.
5. Is Jefferson better than we thought?
We know this statement is a little bit crazy to think, but Jefferson's 2-0 start is extremely impressive, even if it is a 2-0 start for the third time in the last four years. In fact, it could have been for the fourth straight year had it not been for the 1-point loss last year in the opener. A 30-14 win over Wren (SC) this past Friday night on the road out of state has put the Dragons in a position that we need to keep a very close eye on, especially with 8-5A looking like it will be one of the more competitve regions in the area.
