Here's a look at five things we learned from Week 3 of the high school football season...
1. East Hall still has plenty of firepower (and Chestatee has a share too)
The Vikings gave us flashbacks to last season on Friday, rolling up the kind off offensive numbers usually reserved for basketball games in a 56-41 win over Chestatee. Whereas last season's week-to-week stars have largely graduated, however, this past week it was Kylan Curry's chance to shine. The senior receiver/defensive back was everywhere, and the War Eagles defense could do little to stop him as he rolled up 300 total yards and 4 touchdowns to get East Hall back on a winning track after a tough start to the season. As East Hall gets set to begin play in Region 7-3A it must be comforting to know that it can turn to a player who had: 10 rushes for 118 yards and 2 TDs and 5 catches for 170 yards and 2 TDs, plus a 12-yard punt return. And you can bet you'll hear that name more than once or twice the rest of the way. By the way, the War Eagles also showed some offensive prowess of their own, especially quarterback Christian Charles, who was responsible for 522 total yards (273 rushing on 28 attempts, 5 TDs with a long of 71 yards. He also finished 20 of 44 passing for 249 yards and a TD, long of 67).
2. Banks County rushing attack is gaining traction
It had not been an easy start to the season for the Leopards, transitioning their offense from a spread to the wing-T. In fact Banks was scoreless through two games. And, as North Hall fans of a certain vintage can attest, the wing-T is not a quick learn -- but, once learned properly, it is absolutely deadly. And, as the Leopards showed on Friday, they are starting to get it down, taking out their frustrations on East Jackson. Terrance Walker was the biggest recipient and spark of the Leopards' improvement, rushing for 5 touchdowns and only narrowly missed out on 6 scores as he fumbled going into the end zone near the start of the contest. As it was he put together scoring plays of 35, 2, 2, 48, and 65 yards and gave Banks County fans plenty of optimism as they get set for the start of the Region 8-2A campaign this week against a 2-0 Social Circle team.
3. Rabun County offense rounding back into form
You don't graduate players like quarterback Bailey Fisher, who Wildcats' coach Lee Shaw proclaimed as perhaps the greatest player in the history of the program, and expect everything to click right from the opening snap of a new season with new players. And they didn't as the Wildcats lost their season-opener to Bremen while generating just 10 points, its lowest output since a 19-7 loss to Jefferson in 2015. Three weeks later, however, saw Rabun County's offense beginning to show the explosiveness it is known for after scoring 93 points in its last two contests, both wins. Freshman signal-caller Gunner Stockton is grasping things quickly and senior running back Brison Beck is giving the Wildcats an added physical presence in the run game. Four different players scored for Rabun County in last week's impressive 41-14 thumping of Class 4A Stephens County with Stockton tossing one TD pass, Beck running for a pair of scores, and Austin Jones returning a punt 65 yards for a touchdown that sparked the Wildcats' 28-point explosion to finish the game. Balance is always a key for Shaw's offense, and, after three games, they are starting to find it, averaging 202 yards on the ground and 193 yards passing. And just think what could be once Stockton and Co. really get in sync. Region 8-2A is officially on notice.
4. Young Lumpkin County has mental maturity
The Indians feature plenty of youth on the 2018 roster, and with that in mind it would have been understandable if Friday's adversity would have been too much to overcome. Lumpkin County went to Gilmer and fell behind in the first quarter and then trailed 13-6 at the half. But that was only a small portion of the issues, as both teams then faced the annoyance of no fewer than three lightning delays. By the time the game finished, both teams had hung around Ellijay for four hours and nine minutes, finally finishing after 11:30 p.m. And yet that did nothing to deny Lumpkin's fightback, as the Indians clawed their way back behind their power ground game, as Luke Smith scored twice and Kyle Amburgey added one touchdown run to push Lumpkin in front. Jordan Buice also added a 36-yard field goal. Meanwhile the Indians defense forced two turnovers on downs as well as pouncing on a fumble and intercepting a pass. It was a strong way to enter the bye week as Lumpkin County preps for the 7-3A campaign and shows just how much this young team has grown.
5. As region seasons set to begin, there is plenty left to learn
There have been some surprises for certain already this season, but, on the whole, we're just now about to find out what the 2018 football season is all about. Region campaigns -- for the most part -- will begin kicking off this week and next, and the trend for most area programs has been on the up. Even most of the teams that have undergone coaching changes have shown marked improvement over the first few weeks of the season. And now that the games all carry weight -- i.e. playoff implications -- we will see how the lessons learned in non-region are put to use. It's going to be a fun, and intense, next few weeks.
FRIDAY'S AREA PREP FOOTBALL SCORES
Apalachee 16, Jackson County 0
Athens Academy 35, Cherokee Bluff 14
Banks County 50, East Jackson 10
Dawson County 45, West Hall 14
East Hall 56, Chestatee 41
Flowery Branch 23, Winder-Barrow 7
Habersham Central 35, Franklin County 20
Jefferson 31, Southside (S.C.) 7
Johnson 30, Riverside Military 14
Lumpkin County 23, Gilmer 13
Pickens 42, White County 35
Rabun County 41, Stephens County 14
St. Francis 40, Lakeview Academy 0
Towns County 21, Andrews (N.C.) 19
Union County 49, Fannin County 7
SEPTEMBER 14 AREA FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Banks County at Social Circle*
Chestatee at Fannin County
Cross Keys at Johnson
Gainesville at Jefferson
Habersham Central at Stephens County
Lanier Christian Academy at Holy Spirit Prep (Northside High)
Madison County at East Jackson
Newton at Buford
North Hall at White County
Providence Christian at Commerce*
Rabun County at Putnam County*
Towns County at George Walton Academy*
Union County at Monticello*
*-denotes region contest
http://accesswdun.com/article/2018/9/711389/5-things-what-we-learned-from-week-3-of-high-school-football