Here are five things we learned in Week 8 of the high school football season:
1. Yes, Flowery Branch is a Class 4A contender
Flowery Branch came into Friday night's showdown with top-ranked Blessed Trinity with a perfect 6-0 record and one of the top scoring offenses and scoring defenses in Class 4A, yet some wondered if the Falcons had the tools to tangle with the elites in the state. In a 21-20 overtime loss in which they came inches away from a game-winning 2-point conversion that would have toppled the Titans, the Falcons (6-1, 2-1 Region 7-4A) made one thing perfectly clear: they are capable of beating anybody. Despite falling behind 14-0 early in the second quarter, Flowery Branch clawed back into the game thanks to an unrelenting defense and an explosive downfield passing game that never left them more than a few plays from the end zone no matter where they started on the field. They more than doubled Blessed Trinity (7-0, 3-0 Region 7-4A) in total yardage, out-gaining the Titans 322-157 for the game. The missed opportunity certainly stung, but Flowery Branch proved to themselves and the entire state of Georgia that they are not to be discounted, no matter who it faces.
2. Union, Rabun on a region title collision course
The Rabun County-Union County rivalry has been one of the defining matchups of football in the Georgia mountains for decades. After the last three weeks, with both teams racking up wins over Elbert County and Banks County, it looks like this season will provide a unique and thrilling chapter to the series. The Panthers (7-0, 4-0 Region 8-2A) and Wildcats (6-1, 4-0 Region 8-2A) will meet in Tiger in the final week of the regular season and, barring a big upset in the next two weeks, the winner will take home the region championship. Rabun County will be chasing their fifth region crown in a row, while Union County will be seeking their first since 1973. The two rivals have finished as the top two teams in a region plenty of times before, including recently in 2014 and 2015, but they have never met in the season's final week in an outright region championship game. With both teams featuring outstanding coaches, quarterback play, and defenses, we may be in for one of the most entertaining mountain showdowns we've ever seen.
3. Jefferson ready for 8-3A showdown win Monroe Area
Jefferson's season has been filled with ups and downs. However, the Dragons now have the adversity of a season opening loss and several key mid-season injuries firmly in their rearview mirror, as they are set up for a region title showdown Friday night in Memorial Stadium against unbeaten and Class 3A third-ranked Monroe Area (8-0, 4-0 Region 8-3A). The Dragons (7-1, 4-0 Region 8-3A) have won seven straight games by an average margin of 32 points, but will face their toughest challenge to date as they face off with a Purple Hurricanes team that's averaging over 44 points per game behind star quarterback Chandler Byron. Byron has tallied over 1,300 yards rushing and more than 30 total touchdowns in Monroe Area's first seven games. It appears to be a challenge Jefferson is ready for, as it sports a defense that has only given up more than 14 points once this season and has responded to suffering a number of injuries with back to back blowout wins, beating Hart County 35-7 two weeks ago and handling Morgan County 35-14 last Friday.
4. White County has changed the landscape of the 7-4A playoff race
Coming into last Friday night, the race for the final playoff spot in Region 7-4A was a simple one. If West Hall beat White County, the Spartans would only need to win one of their final two games to make the postseason. Now, things are much more complicated, thanks to the Warriors (2-5, 1-2 Region 7-4A) getting their first region win of the season in a 48-34 victory at Spartans Field. That win turns the race into a three-team toss up that will largely hinge on White County's matchup at Demark (4-4, 1-3 Region 7-4A) this Friday. A White County win would put them in the driver's seat for the all-important fourth spot, giving them two region wins and tiebreakers over both the Great Danes and Spartans. A Denmark win would keep West Hall (2-6, 1-3 Region 7-4A) alive, as they own a tiebreaker over Denmark. Chestatee will also have their say in the race, as the War Eagles (1-6, 0-3 Region 7-4A) will play both White County and West Hall in final two weeks of the regular season, and if they win either of those matchups, they could create total chaos and even find themselves with a shot at the postseason. If the past two weeks of region play have shown us anything, it's that no scenario is impossible when teams' seasons are on the line.
5. North Hall is back on track, and a big matchup could be looming
North Hall faced their first disappointment of the season three weeks ago when they fell to Greater Atlanta Christian 21-0 in the Brickyard. After having a week off to stew on the defeat, the Trojans faced a Fannin County team that was sitting in sole possession of second place in Region 7-3A. North Hall (6-1, 2-1 Region 7-3A) left no doubts that they are the region force that they showed in their first five games, as they ran away from the Rebels 62-13 to put them in a tie with Dawson County (6-1, 2-1 Region 7-3A) for the second spot in the region. Now, if the Tigers can also top Fannin County and the Trojans can win one of their next two ball games, the two teams will be set for a massive showdown in the final week of the season in Dawsonville that will decide who gets to host a first round playoff game. North Hall will host Lumpkin County Friday night and then travel to East Hall on October 26. Dawson County will travel to Fannin County Friday and then come back home to take on Cherokee Bluff.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2018/10/723599/5-things-what-we-learned-from-week-8-of-high-school-football