Week 7 is finally in the books, and while we saw a lot of things happen in Northeast Georgia this weekend and learned a few things, our thoughts and prayers continue to be with those affected by Hurricane Helene.
Here are five things we learned from Week 7:
1. REGION 8-3A DID NOT GET ANY CLEARER
Jefferson started off their region campaign with a 49-7 win over West Hall, but that was the only thing that happened that might have been expected. East Hall had a chance to beat Monroe Area, who just two weeks ago was the No. 4 team in Class 3A. With Cherokee Bluff and Oconee County getting postponed due to the hurricane, the top of the region is still anyone's guess as to who might be the favorite. This upcoming week might provide a little clarity, but it wouldn't surprise us if we have the same questions this time next week.
2. UNION COUNTY IS A CONTENDER
The Panthers continue to impress with freshman quarterback Kamden Kendrick. This week, they went on the road and won a shootout against LFO, a game that was back and forth the whole night. Union County has a massive test on the road this week at Ringgold, but if they continue to be competitive, we might be looking at a really good picture of the next three years in Blairsville.
3. CAL FAULKNER PROVES HE IS READY FOR POWER 4 FOOTBALL
We all know how special Cal Faulkner has been in Dahlonega. He just led his senior class to be the winningest class in Lumpkin County football history. But the way he did it in Cleveland was what was the most impressive. Against the Warriors, he ran it just 12 times, but tallied a game high 181 yards and three touchdowns while throwing 11-of-15 for 82 yards. The Indians now will have a week off before getting to the second half of their Region 6-3A schedule, and North Hall is lurking just three weeks away.
4. NORTH HALL'S OFFENSE IS CLICKING
Speaking of the Trojans, their offense is hitting on all cylinders. They set two school records on Saturday with 312 passing yards as a team and Cole Cable's 202 receiving yards. Not to mention that they were able to run the ball for over 160 yards as well. While Lumpkin County is waiting three weeks away, a bigger matchup looms for North Hall in two weeks as they take on GAC after the bye in what could be the last chance for someone to knock GAC off the top spot in the region.
5. IS JAIDEN DANIELS BETTER AT QUARTERBACK?!?
We all know what Daniels did as halfback in the Commerce offense over the course of his career, but now he's showing us that he can make plays with his arm as well as his legs. Against Elbert County, he led the offense to six touchdowns on the day. While he didn't throw for one Saturday, he has shown he can throw it down the field, something that may come into play this week as the Tigers take on Rabun County in a massive region game Friday night.
