The three top-ranked teams in Class 5A will face big tests on Friday when they go on the road to face top-10 opponents from other classifications in Week 5 of the high school football season.
These games will be the final tune-ups for No. 1 Milton and No. 2 Gainesville before they begin region play next week. No. 3 Lee County will have one more non-region game, against Wekiva of Florida, before heading into region play.
Milton (3-0) won the Class 7A championship last season and is ranked in the top 10 of seven national polls and as high as No. 3 in the USA Today, MaxPreps and NationalHSFB.com rankings. The Eagles will travel to Blessed Trinity, the No. 4 team in Class 4A. Though the north Fulton schools are separated by only about five miles, this will be the first meeting between them.
Blessed Trinity (3-0) will be facing a reigning state champion for the second time this season, having beaten Prince Avenue Christian 23-21 in its last outing on Aug. 30. The Titans also have victories this season against St. Pius (24-0) and Holy Innocents’ (45-7).
This week, the Titans will be facing a Milton team that comes in averaging 164.3 yards rushing and 219.3 yards passing after victories over Buford (13-10), American Heritage of Florida (37-28) and Alpharetta (58-0). Luke Nickel, who is committed to Miami, has passed for 599 yards and five touchdowns, and T.J. Lester (Eastern Kentucky) has rushed for 393 yards. Nickel has all-state receivers in Ethan Barbour (Georgia) and C.J. Wiley (Florida State).
Milton begins play in Region 7-5A next week at home against Chattahoochee (3-0).
Gainesville (3-0) might have the toughest challenge of all, visiting the top-ranked team in Class 6A, Carrollton (4-0), and its high-profile quarterback, Julian Lewis.
Lewis has passed for 1,034 yards and 18 touchdowns in victories over Woodward Academy, Columbia, Rome and Lithia Springs by an average score of 42-11. Other offensive weapons for the Trojans include running back Kimauri Farmer (447 yards rushing) and Ryan Mosely (309 yards receiving).
“It’s always fun to be in big games like this because it means you’re probably pretty good yourself,” Gainesville coach Josh Niblett told Jeff Hart of accessWDUN. “We told the kids this is a big game. We didn’t downplay it. We’re 3-0 right now, and we don’t feel like we’re where we want to be yet. The only way we’re going to get there is by playing the best competition out there.”
Gainesville’s offense is led by quarterback Kharim Hughley, who has passed for 811 yards and five touchdowns, and running back Carmelo Byrd, who has rushed for 199 yards. His top receivers are Shane King (Troy), Jeremiah Ware (Georgia Southern) and Taz Smith.
Gainesville, like Milton a member of Region 7-5A, begins league play next week at home against Lanier (1-2).
Lee County (3-0) will try to do something is has never done – beat Colquitt County (2-1), the No. 10 team in Class 6A.
The Trojans have come up short against Colquitt County in all 12 previous meetings, although 10 of the 12 losses came before Lee County’s rise to prominence in about 2017. Most of their matchups haven’t been close. There was a 34-31 overtime game in 2007 and a 21-13 contest in 2000, but the rest have been no closer than 17 points.
In last year’s game, Lee County outgained the Packers 409-265 but turned the ball over three times and had more than 100 yards in penalties. Ousmane Kromah, an AJC Super 11 pick, rushed for 179 yards in that game and has 377 yards this season in wins over Warner Robins (45-28), Hapeville Charter (66-6) and Tift County 55-7.
Colquitt County, which is coming off a 14-3 loss to Class 6A No. 4 North Gwinnett, suffered significant graduation losses on offense from last year’s team. The Packers are averaging 110 yards passing and 198 rushing under the direction of freshman quarterback Cohen Lawson. However, they did put up big numbers in victories over Utah’s West (45-28) and Monroe (52-14).
Lee County will begin Region 2-5A play at home on Sept. 27 against Thomas County Central, the 2023 Class 6A champion.
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