There were plenty of intriguing storylines coming into Week 7 with region races heating up around the state and northeast Georgia.
But Hurricane Helene wanted top-billing, and got it, rolling through Georgia beginning on Wednesday. Helene prompted a dozen games to be moved, including Gainesville routing Johns Creek 48-0 on Wednesday in a constant downpour.
Towns County's home game with Dixie (SC) was canceled and will not be rescheduled. Lanier Christian's GAPPS showdown with Skipstone Academy in Griffin has been postposned with a make up date yet to be determined.
Meanwhile, 12 games moved to Saturday, two already moved to Monday, and another (Cherokee Bluff at Oconee County) will be made up on Oct. 17.
(Banks County, Buford and North Forsyth all are off.)
To look at the weekend's contests involving area teams, scroll down. And be sure to check back with AccessWDUN's Friday Game Night throughout the night for score updates, game stories, and video highlights. You can also check for scores and highlights on our Twitter feed: @FridayGameNight
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SCHEDULE FOR Sept. 28
(Games listed in alphabetical order of visiting team)
ALCOVY at JACKSON COUNTY
Records: Tigers (1-4, 0-1 Region 8-5A); Panthers (3-2, 0-1 Region 8-5A)
Last week: Alcovy lost 42-7 to Winder-Barrow; Jackson County lost 27-11 to Clarke Central
Where: Panther Stadium, Hoschton
Time: noon
The Statisticals: First-ever meeting. A huge matchup for both teams to stay in the playoff race. The Tigers are at the bottom in the region in points scored (61, 12.2 ppg). After scoring 33 points in their opener, the Tigers have scored just 28 points (7.0 ppg) since then. They have tried three different QBs in five games with 7 INTs as part of 9 turnovers on the season. The Panthers defense held the Glads to a season-low in yards last week.
What to watch for: Jackson County offense vs. the Alcovy defense. Jackson County drove into Clarke Central territory 6 times last week but managed just 1 TD and 1 FG. They should be able to get back on track this week vs. a Tigers unit that has allowed 236 points (47.2 ppg) which is at the bottom of 8-5A and at the bottom in all of Class 5A. The Panthers have averaged 29.0 ppg in their three wins but just 7.0 ppg in their two losses.
CHESTATEE at JOHNSON
Records: War Eagles (1-4, 0-2 Region 6-3A); Knights (0-4, 0-1 Region 6-3A)
Last week: Chestatee lost 49-25 to Lumpkin County; Johnson lost 48-0 to GAC
Where: The Dungeon, Oakwood
Time: 10 a.m.
The Statisticals: Chestatee leads series 10-3. This is the first meeting since 2013, a 48-7 win for the War Eagles in Sardis. Chestatee has won 10 straight. The last Johnson win was in 2004, a 29-6 win with Blair Armstrong as the coach. With 6 teams all within a game of each other in the region, this is a must-win for both if they want to stay in the playoff race down the stretch. A very young and inexperienced Knights team has really struggled. They are allowing 61.0 ppg on defense and have scored just 1 TD all year. The War Eagles are much-improved on defense. They are yielding 32.6 ppg after surrendering over 40 ppg the last two seasons combined.
What to watch for: The Chestatee offense vs. the Johnson defense. The War Eagles run the wing-T and try to control the clock. After scoring just 95 total points in 2023 (9.5 ppg) they have scored 92 already this season (18.4 ppg). But if the Knights can make a few stops they could shorten the game and give their offense a chance.
COMMERCE at ELBERT COUNTY
Records: Tigers (2-3, 0-1 Region 8-A D1); Blue Devils (2-3, 1-0 Region 8-A D1)
Last week: Commerce lost 29-28 to Athens Academy; Elbert County beat Oglethorpe County, 46-13
Where: The Granite Bowl, Elberton
Radio: WJJC 95.1 FM/1270 AM
Time: 1 p.m.
The Statisticals: The series is tied 2-2. Commerce won 49-21 in 2023 at The Granite Bowl. All five meetings have come since 2020. The Tigers dropped a heartbreaker last week in the waning seconds after staging a thrilling 4th quarter rally to take the lead. In the two teams’ only common opponent, the Tigers lost to Wesleyan in their opener (42-21) without Jaiden Daniels. The Blue Devils beat Wesleyan (49-35) in Week 3. Two of Elbert’s losses came to ranked teams Stephens County and Lincoln County. The Tigers offense has been getting better each week with Daniels now at quarterback. Jacari Huff and Tysean Wiggins both produced 100-yard games each of the last two weeks with Wiggins also hauling in over 100 yards receiving last week. The Blue Devils defense has allowed the 2nd-most points in the region (134, 26.8 ppg). The Tigers, however, have more to lose as they try to avoid an 0-2 start in the region with Rabun County still remaining down the road.
What to watch for: The Elbert County offense vs. the Commerce defense. Offense is the key for the Blue Devils. In their two wins, they have scored 95 points (47.5 ppg). In their three losses, they’ve managed just 56 (18.6 ppg). The Tigers have held four of their opponents to 29 or less and three to 14 or less.
DAWSON COUNTY at GAC
Records: Tigers (1-3, 0-1 Region 6-3A); Spartans (2-3, 2-0 Region 6-3A), ranked 10th Class 1A DI-3A Private
Last week: Dawson County lost 35-23 to Pickens; GAC beat Johnson 48-0
Where: Spartan Sports Complex, Lilburn
Radio: www.northgeorgiasportslink.com
Time: 1 p.m.
The Statisticals: GAC leads series 9-1. First meeting since 2019, a 20-7 Spartans win at Tiger Stadium. GAC has 9 straight in the series. The only Dawson County win came in 2000, 21-16 in Dawsonville. Dawson County is 0-5 all-time vs. GAC in Lilburn. A huge game for the Tigers if they want to stay in the playoff race. They still have Lumpkin County, White County, and North Hall left to play. The Spartans begin a three-game stretch (White County and North Hall looming) where they can seal the region title if they can run the table.
What to watch for: The GAC defense vs. the Tigers offense. The Spartans have only allowed 13 points in region play, and zero (0) points over their last 6 quarters overall. After scoring just 17 points in its first two games (8.5 ppg), Dawson County has begun to pick things up, scoring 37 points (18.5 ppg) the last two games.
EAST FORSYTH at FLOWERY BRANCH
Records: Broncos (4-1, 0-1 Region 8-4A); Falcons (1-4, 0-1 Region 8-4A)
Last week: East Forsyth lost 24-7 to North Oconee; Flowery Branch lost 48-12 to Eastside
Where: Falcons Field, Flowery Branch
Time: noon
The Statisticals: First-ever meeting. Hugely important game for both teams. Neither team can afford an 0-2 start in the region if they want to stay in the playoff race. EaFo still has games left with Eastside, Walnut Grove, and Madison County in region play. The Falcons have North Oconee, Walnut Grove, and Madison County left. The Broncos ran into a buzzsaw last week in the Titans defense, which is 2nd in 4A and 2nd in the GHSA among the top three classifications (6.0 ppg). During a 3-game losing streak, the Falcons have scored just 26 points (8.6 ppg)
What to watch for: The Branch defense vs. the Broncos offense. The Broncos are still averaging 31.4 ppg on the season behind QB Brook Szakacs and RBs DJ Haskell and Gus Martin. After giving up just 54 points in their first three games (18.0 ppg) the Falcons have allowed 83 points (41.5 ppg) over their last two contests.
EAST HALL at MONROE AREA
Records: Vikings (3-2, 0-0 Region 8-3A); Purple Hurricanes (3-1, 0-0 Region 8-3A)
Last week: East Hall lost 45-27 to East Jackson; Monroe Area lost 28-21 to Hart County
Where: The Purple Pit, Monroe
Time: 11 a.m.
The Statisticals: Monroe Area leads series 3-1. This will be the first meeting between the two schools this century. The Vikings won the last meeting, 42-10, in 1999 in Monroe. It’s the region opener for both. The Hurricanes have been ranked all season but 2 of their 3 wins have come vs. winless teams in Loganville and Cedar Shoals, who are a combined 0-10. After scoring 87 points (43.5 ppg) vs. those two teams, they have managed just 35 points (17.5 ppg) the last two weeks. Jr. RB Jitt Carr (629 yards, 4 TD, 3 100-yard games) is among the classification’s best. Sr. QB Forrest Ross is averaging 154 yards/game passing with 8 TD and just 1 INT. The Vikings have given up 80 points during their current 2-game losing streak.
What to watch for: The East Hall offense vs. the Hurricanes defense. Monroe brings in the stingiest defense in the region (58 points, 14.5 ppg). East Hall will have to try and contain their front-7, which is led by Jr. DE Dacian Davis, who is having a dominating season (29 tkls, 14 TFL, 6 sacks, and 4 QB hurries in 5 games). The Vikings are 3rd in the region in scoring (154, 30.8 ppg) behind Jamarcus Harrison (818 yards passing, 10 TD, 5 INT; 582 rushing, 6 TD) and WR Chasen Jones (27 rec., 354 yards, 5 TD).
HABERSHAM CENTRAL at WINDER-BARROW
Records: Raiders (3-2, 1-0 Region 8-5A); Bulldoggs (3-2, 1-0 Region 8-5A)
Last week: Habersham Central was off; Winder-Barrow beat Alcovy, 42-7
Where: W. Clair Harris Stadium, Winder
Time: 12:30 p.m.
The Statisticals: Habersham leads series 17-10. First meeting since 2021, a 45-14 Winder-Barrow win in Mt. Airy. This is the 15th meeting since 2002, all in region play. The Bulldoggs have won 4 of the last 6 meetings going back to 2016, but both of the Raiders’ wins in that span have come in Winder. Habersham has won 5 of the last 6 in Winder going back to 2006. In his 6 meetings with the Bulldoggs, Benji Harrison’s offense has scored 171 points (28.5 ppg). They are averaging 26.8 ppg in 2024.
What to watch for: The Habersham defense vs. the Bulldoggs offense. This will be the third different Winder-Barrow coach Harrison has gone up against. But the one theme has been the Raiders defense has not fared well no matter who was running the Bulldoggs offense. They have yielded 33.16 ppg in those 6 meetings. Winder-Barrow comes in averaging a region-best 32.2 ppg in 2024. Winder-Barrow's M.J. Dowdy leads Class 5A in rushing with 699 yards. The Raiders have given up at least 21 in every game this season.
HEBRON CHRISTIAN at EAST JACKSON
Records: Lions (4-1, 0-0 Region 8-2A), ranked 2nd in Class 1A DI-3A Private; Eagles (3-2, 0-0 Region 8-2A)
Last week: Hebron lost 24-10 to Blessed Trinity; East Jackson beat East Hall, 45-27
Where: East Jackson Stadium, Commerce
Time: noon
The Statisticals: Hebron leads series 4-0. The Lions won 48-22 in 2017 in Commerce. Region opener for both. This is the 2nd team the Eagles have faced this season whom they have never beaten. They knocked off Commerce earlier in the year, 14-13 at home. East Jackson is 5-13 all-time vs. private schools, with 3 of those wins coming against Lakeview Academy. The Eagles have averaged 36.3 ppg over their last three games behind dynamic QB Drew Richardson. But Hebron is yielding just 11.4 ppg on defense.
What to watch for: The East Jackson defense vs. the Lions offense. Defense has been the key for the Eagles. In their three wins, they allowed just 50 points (16.6 ppg). In the two losses, they surrendered 98 points (49.0 ppg). Hebron has scored 38 or more three times in 2024 behind a rushing attack that is averaging over 200 yards/game.
PICKENS at NORTH HALL
Records: Dragons (3-2, 1-1 Region 6-3A); Trojans (3-2, 2-0 Region 6-3A)
Last week: Pickens beat Dawson County, 35-23; North Hall beat White County, 35-21
Where: The Brickyard, Gainesville
Time: 12:30 p.m.
The Statisticals: North Hall leads series 17-10. It’s the first meeting since 2017, a 42-35 Pickens win in Jasper when both teams had different coaches. But that was only the Dragons’ 2nd win in the series since 1986. Another huge matchup in 6-3A where both teams are still in the thick of the region title and playoff races. It continues a 4-game stretch for the Trojans vs. 4 of the 5 teams projected to make a playoff run. They still have GAC and Lumpkin County to follow after a bye week. The Pickens defense has given up just 23.5 ppg in region play after allowing 91 points (30.3 ppg) in their first three games. The North Hall offense has really begun to put things together. After scoring just 34 points in the first two games (0-2 record, 17.0 ppg) they have exploded for 98 points (32.6 ppg) behind a rushing attack that is averaging roughly 250 yards/game during a 3-game win streak.
What to watch for: The North Hall defense vs. the Dragons offense. The Trojans also have improved on defense during the win streak, surrendering just 51 points (17.0 ppg) and forcing 7 turnovers. They held White County to negative-42 yards rushing last week. Dragons’ Jr. QB Hayden Jones had 337 total yards passing (147) and rushing (190) last week vs. Dawson County.
PROVIDENCE CHRISTIAN at RABUN COUNTY
Records: Storm (1-3, 0-0 Region 8-A D1); Wildcats (4-1, 1-0 Region 8-A D1), ranked 8th in Class A D1
Last week: Providence Christian was off; Rabun County beat Banks County, 31-9
Where: Frank Snyder Stadium, Tiger
Time: 11 a.m.
The Statisticals: First-ever meeting. A potential trap-type game for the Wildcats with Commerce on the road looming next week. The Storm has not played since Sept. 6, getting a 27-12 win over Mount Pisgah. TheWildcats have won three straight and are doing it while shuffling their lineup with the week-to-week status of QB Ty Truelove. Rabun Fr. QB Colter Cannon started in place of Truelove last week and passed for just 24 yards. They piled up 215 yards on the ground, led by Jr. Lake Evans (92 yards, 1 TD) and Jr. Reid Giles (59 yards, 2 TD) last week. After their best season in program history in 2023 (8-3) the Storm are in full rebuild mode this year.
What to watch for: The Rabun County defense vs. The Storm offense. Providence leans heavily to the ground game, averaging 140 yards/game rushing and just 33 yards/game passing. The Wildcats have forced 8 fumbles in 2024 and have given up just 43 points (14.3 ppg) over their past three games.
RIVERSIDE PREP at LAKEVIEW ACADEMY
Records: Eagles (0-5, 0-2 GISA District 4A/3A); Lions (5-0, 2-0 GISA District 4A/3A)
Last week: Riverside was off; Lakeview was off
Where: Lakeview Stadium, Gainesville
Time: noon
The Statisticals: Lakeview leads series 4-2. The Lions won 41-0 in 2023. The Lions already have equaled their entire win total from a year ago and a win on Friday would match the program record for a season set in 2012 and 2022. The Eagles have struggled all season, scoring just 24 points (4.8 ppg) but scored 3 TDs in their loss to Athens Christian two weeks ago. Lakeview has allowed just 57 points (11.4 ppg)
What to watch for: The Lakeview offense vs. the Riverside defense. The Lions are 2nd in the region in scoring (177, 35.4 ppg) led by QB Kyari Burch (1,000 yards, 12 TD, 3 INT) Jr. Thompson (25 rec., 379 yards, 5 TD) and NeSean Dorsey (20 rec., 258 yards, 3 TD). The Eagles are allowing 28.4 ppg on defense.
WEST HALL at JEFFERSON
Records: Spartans (4-1, 0-0 Region 8-3A); Dragons (3-2, 0-0 Region 8-3A), ranked 3rd in Class 3A
Last week: West Hall beat Franklin County 27-13; Jefferson was off
Where: Memorial Stadium, Jefferson
Time: 11 a.m.
The Statisticals: Jefferson leads series 2-0. The Dragons won 62-7 in 2019 at Memorial Stadium. The Spartans have not started a season 5-1 since 2014.
What to watch for: The West Hall offense vs. the Dragons defense. The matchup of the Spartans O-line vs. the Jefferson front-7 may be the key battle. The Spartans have shown tremendous balance over the first half of the season but will look to feed the run game behind Class 3A’s top rusher in Sr. RB Elijah Haynes (903 yards, 5 100-yard games) who also leads 3A with 14 TDs rushing. Jr. QB Brett Sturm is also having a solid season (764 yards, 4 TD, 3 INT passing; 236 yards, 2 TD rushing) and Nasser Aliou (18 rec., 272 yards) has been his favorite target. The Dragons have been ballhawks on defense, forcing 7 turnovers (4 INT, 3 fumbles). Sr. DE Kelan Butler has been a tough matchup for everyone with 22 tackles, 7 TFL and 4 sacks. Sr. LBs JD Lang and Ryan Hemphill (69 tackles, 6 TFL, 2 sacks combined) are one of the area’s best tandems. Hemphill also has 2 INTs and 1 FR on the season as well.
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SCHEDULE FOR Sept. 30
(Games listed in alphabetical order of visiting team)
LUMPKIN COUNTY at WHITE COUNTY
Records: Indians (3-2, 1-1 Region 6-3A); Warriors (2-3, 1-1 Region 6-3A)
Last week: Lumpkin County beat Chestatee, 49-25; White County lost 35-21 to North Hall
Where: White County Stadium, Cleveland
Time: 7 p.m.
The Statisticals: White County leads series 40-13-1. Lumpkin County won 61-55 in 4 OTs in 2023. The Indians have won two straight in the series. The last two meetings have averaged 103.5 ppg combined. Huge game for two teams that both came into the season with region title hopes. The loser will drop into the bottom tier of the standings. But a win for the Warriors will keep them in the running with GAC still left to play among the other top four teams in the region. The Indians can stay in the region title hunt but will need to win out and get two GAC losses. The White County offense was held to negative-42 yards rushing for the game and managed just 72 total yards in the second half last week. After allowing just 20.08 ppg over Heath Webb’s first 2 seasons, Lumpkin is yielding 27.0 ppg on defense in 2024.
What to watch for: The Lumpkin County offense vs. the Warriors defense. North Hall pounded out 368 yards on the ground last week vs. the Warriors, including TD runs of 56, 44, 30, and 59 yards. The Indians rushing attack is as good as any in the region with a healthy Nolan Matthews. But the junior RB has not played since early in the GAC game two weeks ago and is still listed as questionable. If Matthews is ready to go, the Warriors will have to shore up their run defense. QB Cal Faulkner was 21-of-25 passing for 283 yards and 3 TDs and rushed for 26 yards and 2 TDs last week.
UNION COUNTY at LAKEVIEW-FORT OGLETHORPE
Records: Panthers (2-3, 2-1 Region 7-2A); Warriors (1-3, 0-2 Region 7-2A)
Last week: Union County beat North Murray, 21-0; LFO lost 41-27 to Ringgold
Where: Tommy Cash Stadium, Fort Oglethorpe
Time: 6 p.m.
The Statisticals: First-ever meeting. The Panthers got a big upset win last week over a Mountaineers squad that was favored on the road. That put them into a three-way tie for second place in the region. This is the first of three consecutive road games, with a crucial showdown with Ringgold next week. The Panthers cannot look past an LFO team that can be explosive at times. They have scored the 2nd-fewest points in the region (74, 18.5 ppg) but LFO QB Darien Keefe is among the best in the region. He was 25-of-41 passing for 383 yards with 3 TDs last week. Union County has surrendered just 32 points (10.6 ppg) over its last 3 games.
What to watch for: The Union County offense vs. the Warriors defense. Fr. QB Kamden Kendrick (885 yards, 63% completion, 8 TDs, 5 INTs) continues to make strides and the rest of the offense has followed. After scoring just 7 points in their first 2 games, the Panthers have averaged 27.3 ppg over their last three with two wins. Conner Shutneck added 150 yards rushing. LFO has given up 90 points (30.0 ppg) during its current 3-game losing streak.
