5 things: What we learned from Week 6 of high school football

Here's a look at five things we learned from Week 6 of the high school football season...<br /> <br /> <b>1. Gainesville's defense/special teams is a big play waiting to happen</b><br /> <br /> The Red Elephants have spent years torching people with their high-octane offense. This season, Gainesville's defense and special teams have been just as explosive, sometimes moreso. Consider that the Red Elephants have scored four touchdowns combined on defense and special teams this season and have now forced 20 turnovers in five games. Gainesville's defense has been especially impressive in its last two games, coming up with 13 takeaways and two touchdowns in that span -- and they did much of it without standout linebacker Chris Byrd, who went down with an ankle injury early in a 47-13 defeat of Heritage, Conyers. Gainesville has playmakers at every level, with Jamel Dabney and Kash Jones leading the defensive line, JD Sosebee pacing the linebackers and Lewis Cousins, Toddrick Turner and Demichael Borders roaming the secondary. The unit will need to be at its best this week when Gainesville travels to face Lanier in a showdown of the only two teams left undefeated in Region 8-AAAAA play. Gainesville's special teams has also been truly special, with Turner leading the way as a punt returner (he also scooped up a blocked kick and returned it for a score earlier this season). The Red Elephants have also reloaded their kicking game, with Chandler Staton nailing six field goals and driving most of his kickoffs into the end zone. Gainesville's offense will want to bounce back this week and prove that last week was a fluke, however, after managing just one touchdown in a 29-6 defeat of Salem.<br /> <br /> <br /> <b>2. Region 7-AAA playoff race will crystallize this week</b><br /> <br /> Lumpkin County has a slight edge in the early race for the 7-AAA crown after back-to-back victories, but Fannin County and West Hall are also 1-0. East Hall and Franklin County are just behind at 1-1. The Indians can take a huge step forward this week when they travel to take on Fannin County -- which is coming of a thrilling region opener that featured the winning score with seven seconds left to play. West Hall and East Hall can also make statements when they battle in Oakwood this Friday. A win for the Spartans and a win for Lumpkin County would set the two on a collision course for a de facto region championship game on the last night of the regular season (on Nov. 7 in Oakwood). The Vikings, Rebels and Lions, meanwhile, will look to put down their own playoff and region title race markers this week. <br /> <br /> <br /> <b>3. The playoffs will start early in Toccoa</b><br /> <br /> This Friday night may very well feature a playoff atmosphere at The Reservation. It is not a postseason elimination game, but the winner of the White County-Stephens County showdown will take a huge step toward state. And with both programs coming off exciting region victories this week, expect a few fireworks when the two Region 8-AAAA foes meet up. The race for the top of 8-AAAA is already taking shape, with Buford (2-0), North Oconee (2-0) and Stephens (2-0) all tied for first. White (1-1) and Madison County (1-1) are just behind -- though the Warriors hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Red Raiders. Fans of the ground game should be in for a treat this Friday in Toccoa. The Warriors' triple option attack features multiple, talented backs -- including Sam Turner and Max Taylor -- while the Indians' Desmond Wheeler showed that he is capable of dominating a game in last week's defeat of Monroe Area, carrying 30 times for 263 yards and 6 touchdowns. It helps that both teams feature outstanding offensive lines. Get ready for an intense slobber-knocker on Friday.<br /> <br /> <br /> <b>4. There's a long way to go yet -- but Jefferson-Hart County is shaping up as special</b><br /> <br /> Oconee County and Morgan County will still have plenty to say about it -- and neither team will want to get caught up looking ahead -- but us civilians can afford a little anticipation, and we're already excited about a Nov. 7 showdown between the Dragons and Bulldogs. Both teams have largely run riot this season, already a combined 11-0 between them and both have the type of firepower to get your mouth watering at the prospect of their regular-season-ending tussle. They both still have to contend with Oconee County -- perhaps the biggest surprise in the state this season, having already posted its highest win total in a campaign since 2004, while Morgan County is also 1-0 in 8-AAA. But Jefferson and Hart County have it in them to be a combined 18-0 when they meet up on Nov. 7 in Hartwell.<br /> <br /> <br /> <b>5. Region 8-AA title race is wide open</b><br /> <br /> Well, well, well, Greene County pulled off one of the upsets of the season so far when the Tigers upset sixth-ranked and defending 8-AA champ Washington-Wilkes 16-7 on Friday. Greene County hasn't broken .500 since 2010, but the Tigers are now tied for first in the region with Rabun County and Union County -- setting up some big battles in region play. That starts this week when the Panthers head south to Greensboro for the first showdown for the top spot in 8-AA. The following week Union and Rabun face off in an electric mountain rivalry in Tiger. Meanwhile, Washington-Wilkes is far from out of the title race. It is going to be an exciting next few weeks as 8-AA begins to shake out.<br /> <br /> <br /> <b>WEEK 6 PREP FOOTBALL SCORES</b><br /> Athens Academy 41, Towns County 0<br /> Buford 54, Chestatee 7<br /> East Hall 36, Dawson County 29<br /> Fannin County 30, Banks County 23<br /> Gainesville 29, Salem 6<br /> Jefferson 52, Elbert County 6<br /> Lakeview Academy 29, Hebron Christian Academy 27<br /> Loganville 29, Apalachee 22<br /> Lumpkin County 27, Franklin County 21<br /> Mill Creek 63, Meadowcreek 7<br /> Morgan County 49, East Jackson 6<br /> Norcross 17, North Gwinnett 10<br /> North Oconee 42, North Hall 6<br /> Oconee County 42, Jackson County 21<br /> Prince Avenue Christian 48, Commerce 27<br /> Rabun County 49, Social Circle 21<br /> Stephens County 42, Monroe Area 34<br /> Strong Rock Christian 10, Riverside Military Academy 7<br /> Union County 46, Oglethorpe County 0<br /> White County 34, Madison County 27<br /> Winder-Barrow 24, Flowery Branch 7<br /> <br /> <br /> <b>WEEK 7 PREP FOOTBALL SCHEDULE, OCT. 10</b><br /> WEEK 7, Oct. 10<br /> Clarke Central at Flowery Branch<br /> Chestatee at Madison County<br /> Dawson County at Franklin County<br /> East Hall at West Hall<br /> Elbert County at Jackson County<br /> Gainesville at Lanier<br /> Habersham Central at Lambert<br /> Jefferson at Morgan County<br /> Lakeview Academy at George Walton<br /> Lumpkin County at Fannin County<br /> Mountain View at Mill Creek<br /> North Forsyth at West Forsyth<br /> North Gwinnett at Peachtree Ridge<br /> North Hall at Buford<br /> Oglethorpe County at Rabun County<br /> Osborne at Johnson<br /> Towns County at Athens Christian<br /> Union County at Greene County<br /> Washington-Wilkes at Riverside Military<br /> White County at Stephens County

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