Top-ranked Milton squared off with the sixth-ranked Gainesville Red Elephants for the first time since 1985, pulling away with a pair of back-to-back touchdown runs from TJ Lester in the third quarter en route to a 42-24 Eagles win on the road.
“It was a highly emotional game on both sides,” said third-year head coach Ben Reaves Jr. after the contest. “A lot of excitement. I ask the kids to empty their tanks on the field, and I’m going to do the same thing.”
Milton’s ability to extend its drives kept the Eagles firmly in control throughout the second half. Their second successful faked punt of the night set up Lester’s 42-yard score early in the third, and his next touchdown run — a 27-yard grind during which he dragged the pile the final 20 yards into the end zone — came after a fourth-down conversion from Tristen Payne.
“We run a fake punt often,” explained Reaves. “It’s a numbers game. It’s a physics game. Our kids know that we’re just going to go for it. We’re going to play to win. Defensively, they’re fine if we don’t get it. They’re prepared to get on the field and make it right. It’s just a mindset that we have. Something we’re not afraid to do.”
This followed a first-half spotlight on the Eagles’ passing game that featured a trio of scoring strikes from quarterback Luke Nickel. The Miami commit connected twice with UGA commit Ethan Barbour, including a 60-yarder, and once with Payne. Milton’s final points of the night came on a fourth-quarter run by Kevin Maven-Winchester.
For Gainesville, quarterback Kharim Hughley threw a 71-yard touchdown to Jeremiah Ware following Trent Jones’ interception, then scored from 39 yards out to cut the Red Elephants’ deficit to 21-17 late in the second. Carmelo Byrd added a rushing score early in the final frame.
Milton improves to 8-0 with the victory and 4-0 in Region 7-5A. Gainesville, meanwhile, drops to 6-2 with its first region loss of the season.
The AJC has writers at River Ridge vs. Sprayberry, Eastside vs. North Oconee and Cambridge vs. Centennial. See Todd Holcomb’s Friday night highlights or check out the Friday recaps below. The Thursday game coverage is at the bottom of the file.
Friday
Class 6A
Walton 28, Cherokee 21
Cherokee went into the half tied 14-14 after answering a Walton touchdown with a 51-yard Brandon Hamilton touchdown run and using a Tanner Samsir touchdown pass to Izzy Conway with just 10 seconds left before the break. Walton went up 21-14, but Hamilton’s second touchdown (22 yards) tied the game back at 21-21 heading into the fourth quarter. Walton running back Lucas Farrington scored the game-winning touchdown from four yards out with just 2:08 left in the final frame.
Carrollton 42, Chapel Hill 0
It was a complete team win for the Trojans as they led 28-0 heading into the half and had full control of the game. The Trojans had three special teams’ touchdowns and their defense shut down Chapel Hill in the shutout victory, allowing only three first downs in the game. The Trojan defense also allowed one completion in the game. It was Carrollton’s second shutout victory of the season. Offensively, the Trojans have scored 40+ points in six consecutive games and continued that trend against Chapel Hill getting some help from their special teams. Carrollton will go on the road to face East Coweta next week.
Valdosta 7, Colquitt County 3
The now-fourth-ranked Wildcats (7-0, 2-0) followed up a statement victory over then-fourth-ranked Camden County last weekend with a hard-fought 7-3 victory over visiting Colquitt County in Week 9. Valdosta went up 7-0 in the first half and allowed just a field goal from the 10th-ranked Packers in the Wildcats’ narrowest victory of the season.
Hillgrove 35, Campbell 0
The Hillgrove Hawks are 7-0 for the first time since 2018 following a 35-0 shutout of visiting Campbell. Quarterback Jabari Green had a trio of touchdown runs on just four carries, as well as a passing touchdown, and CJ Ford added a rushing score from 21 yards out. On defense, the Hawks got interceptions from Carter Rose and Niko Marierose.
Etowah 16, Wheeler 13
Etowah (2-6, 1-3) moved past Wheeler 16-13 in a thrilling Region 5-6A matchup with last-placed Etowah secure the first region victory of the season. Wheeler (2-6, 2-2) got the scoring started with a touchdown early in the first quarter to take a 7-0 lead. Soon after, Etowah answered to tie it at 7-7. Etowah kicked a field goal in the second quarter to take a 10-7 lead into the half. Both teams battled in the third and early fourth quarters to keep the game tied at 13-13. It stayed that way until late in the fourth quarter, when Etowah kicked a field goal to take a 16-13 lead. Wheeler got the ball back with a chance to tie or win the game but was unable to, with Etowah winning 16-13.
Harrison 52, South Cobb 0
Host Harrison (6-1, 4-0) closed out a dominant 52-0 victory to remain in a first place tie with Region 3 rival Hillgrove after the Hawks’ 35-0 win over Campbell tonight. Harrison will visit Osborne next week, while Hillgrove will host McEachern ahead of their showdown the following Friday. Harrison scored on all five of its first possessions. Austin Perry tallied a pair of touchdowns and TC Washington added a 46-yard rushing score to give the Hoyas a 21-0 lead in the first quarter. Junior quarterback Xavier Hill scrambled for a 58-yard touchdown in the second quarter and Simon Zeidan nailed a 35-yard field goal to increase Harrison’s lead to 31-0 at the half. RJ Cowser added a 3-yard touchdown run and Corbin Trice ran in touchdowns of 13 and 4 yards to close out the victory. Trice finished with 97 of Harrison’s 348 rushing yards. South Cobb was not only shut out, but was prevented from reaching the red zone and its farthest drive that went to the 25-yard line came up empty after a blocked field goal.
North Cobb 38, Marietta 22
After a 17-7 first half that left North Cobb leading Marietta by 10 points, the Warriors scored 21 points in the third quarter to help take down the Blue Devils, 38-22. North Cobb’s Arquevious Echols got the Warriors on the board first with a rushing touchdown from one yard out to take the 7-0 lead. A Nick Grimstead three-yard rushing touchdown built the North Cobb lead to 14-0 with three minutes remaining in the first quarter. Marietta scored a touchdown on a 42-yard pass from Jayden Whiteside to Anthony Kruah to cut the lead to 14-7 in the second quarter. North Cobb kicked a field goal to bring the score to 17-7 at the half. In the third quarter, Zach Belyeu scored two rushing touchdowns, both from 10 yards out to take a 31-7 lead with a minute left in the third. After a punt by Marietta, another Echols touchdown put the Warriors up 38-7. North Cobb is now on a five-game win-streak against Marietta and ties its longest win-streak in the series since 2006-2012.
North Atlanta 27, North Forsyth 17
North Atlanta scored 10 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to survive a roller-coaster ride against host North Forsyth. The Warriors led 17-0 late in the second quarter following a touchdown run by Henry Debardeleben, a scoring strike from Ian Reynolds to Grant Thompson and a 25-yard field goal by Lucas England. North Forsyth made it 17-3 at halftime on a 29-yard field goal from Austin Chavarria and eventually tied things up at 17-17 thanks to a pair of touchdown runs by Colter Vela. North Atlanta finally regained momentum when Reynolds hit Josh McCullough for a 21-yard score with eight minutes left. England clinched victory by making it a two-possession game with a 38-yard field goal as just 19 seconds remained on the clock.
West Forsyth 38, South Forsyth 0
West Forysth quarterback Max Walraven threw three touchdown passes—two to Colt Muschara and one to Mason Page and rushed for a touchdown to lead the visiting Wolverines. An Asher Mote field goal increased the lead to 17-0 and junior Andrew Davis rushed for a 90-yard touchdown to make it 24-0 at the half. Walraven’s second touchdown pass to Muschara pushed the lead to 31-0 in the third and Walraven ran in a 6-yard score early in the fourth to make it a 38-0 lead.
Lowndes 26, Tift County 7
Lowndes dominated in all three phases of the game to pick up a road win over Tift County. The Vikings’ defense contributed a safety and gave up nothing more than an 85-yard touchdown pass from Damieon Dixon to Daijon Hayes that made the score 7-7 in the first quarter. On special teams, Lowndes got a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown by KJ Massey and a 30-yard field goal from Jerquez Sharp. A 16-yard scoring strike from Jayce Johnson to Aidan Sefa and a five-yard touchdown run by Marvis Parrish helped pad the advantage for the Vikings, who led 17-7 at halftime and by the final 26-17 margin going into the fourth quarter.
McEachern 38, Pebblebrook 0
McEachern rode a 31-point first half and never looked back as the Indians controlled Pebblebrook in all facets of the game. After a McEachern touchdown midway through the first quarter, Calvin Pittman grew the Indians lead with a 60-yard rushing touchdown. After a field goal in the second quarter Pittman reached the endzone once again to bring the Indians lead to 24-0. McEachern’s Jayreon Campbell scored a 10-yard rushing touchdown with around two minutes left in the first half, rounding the scoring from the first two quarters. Pittman added his third touchdown on the night with two minutes left in the third quarter, ultimately being the last score of the night as the Indians get an important region victory against Pebblebrook to bring them to 3-1 in the region on the season.
Denmark 27, Forsyth Central 3
Denmark defeated county rival Forsyth Central 27-3 to move to 3-1 in Region 6-6A play behind North Atlanta (4-0 in Region). Denmark started the scoring with a 27-yard Mathew Bear pass to Hester Brendan, going up 8-0 early in the first. Forsyth Central answered with a 46-yard Brayden Rater field goal to cut the lead to 8-3. Denmark immediately responded with a 69-yard Noah Laban rushing touchdown, extending the lead to 15-3. Denmark added three more points on a 34-yard field goal from Jake Snyder. The Great Danes added another field goal near the end of the third quarter to go up 21-3. Denmark added one more touchdown with eight minutes to go in the game, securing the win with a final score of 27-3.
Mays 20, M.L. King 15
Mays survived a 15-point second half from M.L. King to hold to a 20-15 victory against the Lions. It improved Mays to 5-2 on the season and 3-1 in Region 4-4A. Jamarion Dowdle scored a 20-yard touchdown off a pass from Clayton Coppock, Stepeney Lee added a 50-yard rushing touchdown of his own and Kamari Johnson’s 10-yard score gave the Raiders a 20-0 lead through the first two quarters. After a valiant effort by the Lions, scoring 15 second half points and holding Mays to none, M.L. King’s comeback fell just short as the Raiders came out on top with the victory. Mays extends its win-streak against M.L. King to four in-a-row as the Raiders also won the last meeting between the two schools, 45-6 in 2015. Mays will face Midtown next week while M.L. King will face Drew.
In other Class 6A games -- Lambert quarterback Ethan Daughtery threw his fourth touchdown pass of the game just before the break on the way to a 37-0 win over Region 6 rival Alpharetta. … Paulding County improved to 2-2 in Region 3 play with a win over visiting Osborne, leading 10-0 at halftime before coming away with a 25-17 victory in double overtime. … The Harrison Hoyas got a fourth-straight Region 3 win with a 52-0 home rout of South Cobb.
Class 5A
Creekview 55, Pope 24
The Creekview Grizzlies (5-3, 3-2) snapped a two-game losing streak with an emphatic victory over host Pope (3-5, 2-3). The Greyhounds got within 10 points (27-17) with an early third-quarter score before Creekview went on a 28-0 run, including a 16-yard Mason Munn rushing score and a pair of touchdowns from quarterback Austin Guest.
Lanier 42, Johns Creek 35
Lanier got a key rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter to get past Lanier in a Region 5-5A matchup. Johns Creek cut Lanier’s lead to 35-28 late in the fourth, but the visiting Longhorns answered with a rushing TD to put the game away. Lanier jumped to a 14-6 lead in the second quarter, but Johns Creek tied the game later in the quar at 14 with a passing TD. Before the half, Lanier scored a rushing TD to lead 21-14.
Lee County 48 Coffee 14
Lee County made history on Friday night becoming the second team in GHSA history to snap two 20-game winning streaks. The other team they defeated was Thomas County Central, ending their streak. They also broke Coffee’s streak of holding opponents under 20 points in a game dating back to 2022. Lee County quarterback Weston Bryan had a dominant first half throwing for 104 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 122 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries leading the Trojans to a 25-7 lead at halftime. Mr. Georgia watchlist nominee Ousmane Kromah broke the game open with a 59 yard touchdown where he broke multiple tackles and wouldn’t go down on an incredible run. The Trojans are 7-0 for the first time since 2018 when they won their first back-to-back state championship in program history. Lee County will play Veterans next week.
Woodward Academy 49, Dunwoody 17
Host Woodward Academy trailed 10-7 early in the second quarter but took over from there, scoring five touchdowns in the final 10 minutes of the first half and leading 49-10 midway through the third. Quarterback Landon Walker threw four touchdowns, two to Josiah Abdullah for scores of 69 and 59 yards. Walker also threw touchdowns to Jerome Bettis and Josh Isom and rushed for a 13-yard score. Blake Stewart had a 65-yard punt return for a touchdown at the end of the first half to give the War Eagles their 42-10 halftime lead. Woodward improved to 5-3, 5-0 in Region 4-5A. Dunwoody fell to 2-6, 1-4 in the region.
Rome 70, Lithia Springs 12
Rome scored 35 points in the first quarter en route to a win over Lithia Springs. Braxton Anderson threw three touchdown passes in the first half, and Chance Arthur recorded a receiving TD and rushing TD in the first quarter. Defense and special teams were big for Rome in the first half as Tinerious Stallings scored on a 47-yard punt return and Joseph Butts scored on a 30-yard interception return. The Wolves led 56-0 at halftime.
Hughes 48, Newnan 7
Christian Langford threw four touchdown passes to lead visiting Hughes past Newnan. Three of Langford’s scores went to Maurice Gleaton, including one from 80-yards out. Langford also connected with Chryshawn Sellars on an 86-yard scoring strike. Each of the Panthers’ first two touchdowns came on runs by Carsyn Baker, one a 62-yarder and the next one from the five-yard line. They also got a six-yard scoring run from Russell Simpson. Hughes led 7-0 after one quarter, 14-0 at halftime and 41-0 going into the fourth.
Clarke Central 56, Loganville 19
Clarke Central moved to 6-2 on the season after beating Loganville 56-19, to keep the Red Devils winless, while moving to 4-0 in the region play. After Loganville’s 51-50 victory a season ago against the Gladiators, Clarke Central was able to get back in the win column this season and take down the Red Devils. Clarke Central will look to extend its four-game win-streak next week when they remain at home to play Alcovy.
In other 5A games – Unranked Brunswick shutout Statesboro in a 49-0 win. … Unranked East Paulding scored its second-highest point total of the season in a 45-6 win against Alexander. … Unranked Creekview bounced back after its loss to Sprayberry with a 55-24 win against Pope. . Habersham Central got a much-needed win against Alcovy in their attempt to make their second consecutive appearance in the playoffs. … South Paulding picked up its second win of the season after a 21-15 win over Kennesaw Mountain. … New Manchester pulled off a thrilling 21-20 victory over Villa Rica.
Class 4A
Westminster 16, Kell 14
Westminster used three field goals by Vikas Reddy to overcome visiting Kell. The Wildcats erased an early 7-0 deficit with a touchdown pass from Robert Hunter to Jack deButts on a fake field goal in the second quarter before Reddy booted two field goals in the third quarter and the eventual game-winner from 36 yards out with three minutes left. The Longhorns promptly drove inside Westminster’s 20-yard line, but a game-winning attempt of their own was blocked by Mason Theis. Both of Kell’s touchdowns came on passes from Kaleb Narcisse to Brayden Rouse.
Hillgrove 35, Campbell 0
The Hillgrove Hawks are 7-0 for the first time since 2018 following a 35-0 shutout of visiting Campbell. Quarterback Jabari Green had a trio of touchdown runs on just four carries, as well as a passing touchdown, and CJ Ford added a rushing score from 21 yards out. On defense, the Hawks got interceptions from Carter Rose and Niko Marierose.
Jonesboro 48, Mundy’s Mill 0
After a 1-2 start, Jonesboro has won three of its last four games and scored a season-high 48 points in a victory against Munday’s Mill. Jonesboro had six different players score a touchdown on Friday night. A mix of veteran players and young players had a big night for the Cardinals. Senior wide receivers Jayden Howard and Christian Smith each had receiving touchdowns. Junior running backs Isaiah Davis and Na’Quoye Davis both had rushing touchdowns. Sophomore standouts Benjamin Boys and Mikel Miller each added a score for the Cardinals. Miller had an interception returned for a touchdown. Defensively, it was the Cardinals’ first shutout of the season. Jonesboro recovered three fumbles, and one was forced by senior linebacker Camarion Carter and was recovered by junior DL Michael McGhee. It was the best game and most complete of the season for Jonesboro as they advanced to 4-3 and picked up their first region victory of the season. The Cardinals will face Griffin, Northside-Columbus, and Starr’s Mill in their next three games.
Starr’s Mill 28, Harris County 7
Starr’s Mill (8-0, 4-0) took a 28-0 lead with 9:44 left in the fourth quarter before host Harris County (6-2, 2-2) found the endzone. Blake Turner gave Starr’s Mill a 7-0 lead at the half with his first of two touchdown runs and his 4-yard score in the third quarter pushed the lead to 14-0. Lincoln Delaere extended the lead to 21-0 with a 45-yard touchdown run and then hauled in a 41-yard touchdown reception from Logan Inagawa to make it a 28-0 game. Starr’s Mill improved to 8-0.
Flowery Branch 32, Madison County 23
Flowery Branch broke the game open after being tied 15-15 late in the second quarter in a back-and-forth affair. Flowery Branch scored 14 unanswered points to take control of the game. A touchdown right before the half came on a fake field goal attempt. Flowery Branch added another score before the end of the third quarter to take full control of the game. The Falcons got their second win of the year and scored a season-high 32 points in the win. Flowery Branch controls its own destiny in pursuit of a playoff appearance. The Falcons will host Walnut Grove next week.
Ware County 38, Benedictine 14
Ware County rallied back from a 14-3 deficit with 35 unanswered points and got three touchdown runs from Tayshaun Franklin in the second half. Benedictine quarterback Stephen Cannon threw a 52-yard touchdown pass to Jack Ganem and rushed for a touchdown before being sidelined in the second half with a right shoulder injury. William Bates connected on a 30-yard field goal in the first quarter and Jamir Boyd ran in a 2-yard score on a clutch fourth down call with three seconds left in the half that cut the deficit to 14-10. Boyd gave Ware County its first lead of the game (17-14) with a 1-yard touchdown run before Franklin clinched the victory with three-straight Gators touchdown runs.
Marist 24, St. Pius X 0
Marist pitched its second consecutive shutout and its fourth of the season, rolling over host St. Pius. The War Eagles kept St. Pius scoreless thanks in part to a blocked field goal by Noah Gerrick in the first quarter. Gerrick later scored on a 25-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, giving his team a 17-0 lead. Marist also got a touchdown run by Chris Haertel, a touchdown pass from Jack Euart to Brayden Lewis and a 35-yard field goal from Drew Linnihan. Marist led 3-0 after one quarter, 10-0 at halftime and 17-0 going into the fourth.
Cedartown 44, Dalton 13
Sixth-ranked Cedartown is 8-0 following a 44-13 rout of host Dalton. The Bulldogs amassed 284 yards on the ground, getting two rushing scores from Tae Harris and one apiece from Demarcus Gardner (43 yards), Juelz Davis and Isaiah Johnson, as well as a 61-yard scoring strike from Johnson to Harris.
In other 4A games – Ola rebounded from last week’s 14-10 loss to Stockbridge with a 45-6 road victory over Woodland-Stockbridge to improve to 6-1 overall and 5-1 in the 10-team Region 2-4A standings. …Southwest DeKalb trailed 28-14 before rallying back and scoring a 42-35 win over Tucker. …No. 10 ranked Cambridge held off Centennial 46-39 to improve to 8-0 for the first time in program history; under its first-year head coach Tyler Jones.
Class 3A
Jefferson 49, East Hall 7
There were few issues for No. 3-ranked Jefferson as it moved past East Hall to take a 2-0 record in Region 8. Trailing 7-0, quarterback Gavin Markey scored on an 8-yard run to tie the game. Mickell Pittman scored on a 3-yard run to give the Dragons the lead. Markey passed to Tala Childress on a 35-yard touchdown to expand the margin. Dallas Russell scored on a 7-yards run to put Jefferson up 28-7. Markey found Dalton Dye on a 56-yard touchdown pass with 14:44 left in the third quarter to put Jefferson up 35-7. Rett Hemphill scored on a 7-yard run and Russell scored on a short run to cap scoring.
Sandy Creek 35, Fayette County 7
Sandy Creek led 7-0 after the first quarter and 21-0 at the half in a Region 2 matchup against Fayette County (1-6, 1-3). The top-ranked Patriots are 6-0 overall, 4-0 in the league and expanded the lead against the Tigers to 28-0 at entering the fourth quarter. It’s a promising time for the youthful and top-ranked Patriots as sophomore quarterback Caleb Hill passed to sophomore Corey Hadley on an 3-yard touchdown to open scoring on a 3-yard strike. Hill passed to Dalen Penson on a 27-yarder to expand the margin to 14-0. Hill connected with Penson again on a 12-yard touchdown to make it a 21-0 game at the half. Hill to Hadley on an 83-yarder expanded the margin to 28-0.
Chestatee 37, Pickens 14
Chestatee (3-4, 2-2) jumped out to a 16-0 halftime lead and celebrated back-to-back victories for the first time since 2021. Benjamin Plemons (171) and Hector Espinoza (107) accounted for 277 of the War Eagles’ 380 rushing yards and Plemons also led the way with a team-high 10 tackles and three tackles for loss.
Oconee County 50, West Hall 0
Oconee County quarterback Titus Watkins threw three touchdown passes to Zach Weeks and one to Mason Hall—all in the first half. Caiden Wood and Tyler Garrett each rushed in one-yard touchdowns for the Warriors as they built a 43-0 lead heading into the fourth quarter and sophomore Taeden Johnson provided the final score on a 7-yard touchdown run. No. 9 ranked Oconee County (4-3, 2-0) has won four-straight games since its 0-3 star and will host No. 4 ranked Cherokee Bluff (7-0, 2-0) next Friday in a key Region 8 showdown.
Calhoun 55, Northwest Whitfield 21
Calhoun (4-4, 3-0) used a 27-point fourth quarter to blow open the game in a key Region 7-3A victory over Northwest Whitfield (6-2, 2-2) 55-21. The Yellow Jackets led 14-7 after the first quarter and 21-14 at the half before outscoring the Bruins 34-7 in the second half. Trace Hawkins passed to Justin Beasley (71, 62, four yards) and Hudson Chadwick (30 yards) for touchdowns and rushed for touchdown runs of four and nine yards in the romp. Isiah Nalls scored on a 19-yard touchdown run for Calhoun while Cross Land passed 41 yards to Jaden Perkins for a touchdown.
Cherokee Bluff 52, Monroe Area 24
Cherokee Bluff (7-0, 1-0) led 14-10 after the first quarter and 21-17 at the half in its region-opener before holding Monroe Area (4-2, 1-1) to seven points in the second half to blow open the game. Cherokee Bluff scored 10 points in the third quarter and outscored the Purple Hurricanes 21-7 in the fourth quarter to secure the victory.
Cedar Grove 52, North Clayton 35
Cedar Grove visited Region 5-3A opponent North Clayton at Southern Crescent Stadium and evened its region record at 2-2 while improving to 2-5 overall. Saints running back Zsewaun Smith rushed for five touchdowns in the win. North Clayton fell to 3-5, 1-3 in Region 5-3A.
Cairo 38, Monroe 14
Cairo’s 38-14 victory against Monroe (2-5, 1-1) gave the Syrupmakers (4-2) a 1-0 record in Region 1-3A, trailing only No. 2-ranked Peach County (6-1, 2-0). Cairo led 7-0 after the first quarter and 17-7 at the half. Bryian Duncan Jr. scored on runs of 50, 37 and 31 yards in the victory. Triston Harvey kicked a 40-yard field goal for Cairo.Monroe found scoring on an 18-yard touchdown pass from Keontaye Hayes.
Aquinas 12, Harlem 7
Aquinas did all of its scoring in the first half before holding the Bulldogs to a second-half touchdown to secure the victory. Quarterback Jim Franklin passed to Jack Rhodes on a 41-yarder to put Aquinas up 6-0 after a missed point-after try. Christian Kates expanded the lead on a 1-yard run with three minutes before halftime. Joseph Clark passed to Ronald Oliver for a 50-yard touchdown for Harlem with three minutes left in the game, but it was out of reach.
Spalding 28, Whitewater 14
Spalding took a 15-14 lead with a 50-yard Arkeyveon Hood touchdown run, a 15-yard Dralin Gilbert rushing score and a 25-yard field goal by Hunter Gavel. Gilbert returned to the endzone on a 45-yard touchdown run and Hood iced the game with a 20-yard touchdown to make it 28-14 in the fourth. Spalding sophomore cornerback Tavares Stinson had a big defensive performance—finishing with an interception, fumble recovery and six tackles.
North Hall 27, Greater Atlanta Christian 23
Host North Hall (5-2, 4-0) defeated the Spartans for the first time in school history after falling in each of its five previous meetings and became just the second Hall County school to defeat GAC—joining Cherokee Bluff. North Hall led 20-0 before GAC took a 23-20 lead with 7:06 left following a 71-yard touchdown pass that Jack Griggs scored off a screen pass. The Trojans regained the lead with 1:17 left on a 35-yard touchdown pass.
In other 3A games -- Douglass beat Luella 39-13 in a Region 5 matchup to move to 2-0 in the league while Luella fell to 2-1. … Lumpkin County scored a jaw-dropping 50 points in the first-half and improved to 5-2 on the season while knocking Johnson-Gainesville to 0-7 after a 64-14 victory. The Indians totaled nine touchdowns on the night in their rout of Johnson-Gainesville and are third (3-1) in the Region 6 standings.
Class 2A
North Murray 27, Ringgold 26
Hudson Hulett gave North Murray a 27-20 lead with under four minutes to play and then tipped away Ringgold’s potential game-winning two-point conversion with 2:37 left to seal the victory. North Murray was trailing 20-13 with 5:41 left when Tyler Henry returned a blocked punt for a touchdown to tie it up 20-20.
Rockmart 24, North Cobb Christian 21
Rockmart erased a 21-3 halftime deficit and a 21-10 deficit going into the fourth quarter, completing a comeback to stun visiting North Cobb Christian. Nate Davis rushed for all three of the Yellow Jackets’ second-half touchdowns, including the eventual game-winner from 25 yards out with five minutes remaining. Rockmart also got a 25-yard field goal from Riley Gobert in the second quarter. North Cobb Christian built its lead on touchdown runs by Cooper Bazarsky and Denim Stevens to go along with a 20-yard scoring strike from Teddy Jarrard to Carson Bruce.
Columbia 34, Miller Grove 0
Cameron Graves threw three touchdown passes and ran for one to lead Columbia over Miller Grove in a Class 2A, Region 6 contest. Columbia started scoring in the second quarter when Graves completed a 65-yard touchdown pass to Durante Peer. The score was 7-0 at halftime, but the Eagles pulled away in the third when Graves threw two more TD passes and Nishan Hillman scored on a five-yard run. Graves recorded Columbia’s final touchdown in the fourth quarter, scoring on a 17-yard run.
Burke County 55, Josey 12
In the teams’ Region 4-2A opener, visiting Burke County led 49-0 at halftime after rushing for five touchdowns and getting two defensive scores, on an interception return and a fumble return. The Bears moved to 5-1 overall and 1-0 in Region 4-2A, while Josey fell to 0-6 and 0-1.
Callaway 41, Rutland 0
Callaway traveled to meet Rutland at the Ed Defore Sports Complex in Macon and came away with the Region 2-2A win, leading just 2-0 after the first quarter. The Cavaliers (5-2, 2-0 Region 2-2A) were led by Breshun Hall, who rushed for two touchdowns and caught a touchdown pass from Blake Harrington. Harrington finished with two touchdown passes, also finding Jeremiah Dunn for a score. Tyren Buggs rushed for two touchdowns for Callaway. The Cavaliers forced the safety with a tackle for loss in the Rutland end zone. Rutland fell to 0-8, 0-3 in region play.
McIntosh County Academy 36, Bryan County 14
McIntosh County Academy defeated Bryan County in a Region 3-A Division II battle after trailing early in the game. Bryan County took an 8-0 lead in the first quarter, but MCA answered when Earnest McIntosh scored a rushing TD to tie the game. Neo West then scored on a 26-yard TD to give MCA the 14-8 lead at halftime. West scored again via a 78-yard TD in the third quarter, and MCA added two touchdowns in the fourth. The visiting Buccaneers improved its record to 5-2, 4-1 in region play.
In other 2A games –
Class A Division I
Athens Academy 52, Providence Christian 7
Host Athens Academy scored seven first half touchdowns and converted all four two-point conversion attempts to take a 52-0 lead and the Storm scored the only points of the second half with 3:50 left in the final frame. Jeremiah Wingfield ran in a 6-yard touchdown to give the Spartans a 6-0 lead and back-to-back touchdown runs by Bryan McClendon pushed the lead to 22-0 after successful two-point conversions by Jamari Welch and Wingfield. Quarterback Hampton Johnson connected with Jamari Welch for a passing touchdown and Welch converted the two-point attempt to make it 30-0. Athens Academy’s lead grew to 38-0 with 10:32 still left in the first half with a 3-yard touchdown run by Johnson and a Welch two-point conversion. After reaching the endzone on three of the four two-point conversions, Welch broke free for a 98-yard touchdown run to grow the lead to 45-0 following the Grayson Stafford PAT. Cash Cowert ran in the final Spartans score to make it 52-0.
Thomasville 23, Fitzgerald 8
No. 7 ranked Thomasville (6-2, 3-1) bounced back from last week’s tough loss to Worth County and regained control of Region 1 with its 23-8 win over No. 3 ranked Fitzgerald (4-2, 2-1). Ant Anderson rushed for a 6-yard touchdown and Cam Hill hit Nigel Pittman for a 27-yard touchdown to give Thomasville a 14-0 lead at the half. Anderson added a 30-yard touchdown run in the third quarter and Camden Christy made a 32-yard field goal to extend the lead to 23-0 before Fitzgerald got on the board with a 63-yard touchdown in the fourth.
Wesleyan 35, King’s Ridge 17
Visiting Wesleyan took a 7-0 lead on a 1-yard Rex Ramsey touchdown run and never trailed. Quarterback Ben Brown found Grayson McCullum for a 93-yard touchdown to grow the lead to 14-0 early in the second quarter. Wesleyan’s Connor Roush recorded consecutive sacks and the Wolves intercepted King’s Ridge before the Tigers were able to score and make it 14-7 with just 47 seconds left in the half. Brown answered and connected with Wes Vail for the touchdown with 15 seconds left to push Wesleyan’s lead back to 21-7. King’s Ridge opened the second half with a field goal and then Brown found Vail again on a 6-yard score to make it 28-10. William Wright ran in a 1-yard touchdown that grew the lead to 35-10 before the Tigers added their final score.
Heard County 48, Darlington 27
Ethan Tisdale rushed for five touchdowns as visiting Heard County knocked off Darlington. Tisdale opened the scoring with an 11-yard run and also found the endzone on scampers of three, seven, 10 and two yards. The Braves led by a narrow 21-19 margin at the half before breaking the game open when Tisdale delivered three of his scores in the third quarter alone. Heard County also benefited from a 24-yard touchdown run by Dereon Pearson in the second quarter. For Darlington, Sammy Kunczewski tossed a pair of scoring strikes to Jayce Donaldson and Kunczewski scored on a quarterback keeper, as well. The Tigers also got a 77-yard touchdown run from Myles Twyman.
Pepperell 7, Model 6
Pepperell (1-7, 1-3) earned its first win of the season after Model (3-4, 1-2) fumbled its potential game-tying PAT attempt with just one minute left. The game was scoreless until Pepperell got on the board with an interception returned for a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter. Model threw a 5-yard touchdown with just a minute left before the botched point after.
Elbert County 33, Banks County 0
Elbert County upended Banks County 33-0 to stay in the hunt for a home playoff game in Region 8-Division I. Elbert started the game scoring twice in the first quarter, both by running back Jacari Barnett. The second quarter started with a rushing touchdown with six minutes left in the half, followed by a passing touchdown with less than a minute to go in the half. Elbert County continued to play suffocating defense in the second half and added one more touchdown halfway through the third quarter to win 33-0.
In other Class A Division I games – Jeff Davis beat Bacon County 24-14 to win its first Region 1-A Division I game of the season. … Worth County defeated Berrien 47-0 after leading 41-0 at halftime. … Academy for Classical Education led East Laurens 17-0 at halftime and went on to win 27-21 in a Region 2 contest. … Savannah Christian scored 27 points in the third quarter against Vidalia and finished with a 48-6 victory. … Swainsboro led Savanah Country Day 14-7 at the half and won 28-21 to earn its second victory of the year. Landmark Christian jumped to a 34-0 in the second quarter to defeat Walker 48-7.
Class A Division II
Brooks County 42, Clinch County 12
Visiting Brooks County handled Region 2-A Division II rival Clinch County in a marquee matchup, as the third-ranked Trojans led 35-6 at halftime after a Junior Burrus touchdown pass to Camauri Brinson with under a minute to play in the first half. With the win, Brooks County improved to 4-3, 2-0 in Region 2-A Division II. Clinch County, ranked No. 4 in the classification, fell to 5-1 and 0-1 in region play.
Christian Heritage 49, Chattooga 14
Christian Heritage won its seventh straight game, defeating Chattooga on the road in a Region 7-A Division I matchup. Lions quarterback Carter Triplett finished with six total touchdowns, throwing four touchdown passes and rushing for two scores. Christian Heritage (7-1, 5-0 Region 7-A Division I) led 28-7 at halftime. Zayden Cook rushed for two touchdowns for Chattooga (5-2, 2-2).
In other Class A Division II games –
Thursday game recaps
Class 6A
Buford 51, Dacula 14
Dayton Raiola passed for two first-half touchdowns to lead Buford to a 6-1 overall and 3-0 Region 8-6A record. The No.2-ranked Wolves lead the league standings at 3-0 after Collins Hill lost to Mill Creek, leaving both now 3-1 in the league.
Collins Hill 13, Mill Creek 12
Seventh-ranked Collins Hill moved past sixth-ranked Mill Creek and a two-touchdown performance from sophomore Makyree Cross proved the difference. And two touchdown passes to senior Alijah Patillo – who had seven catches for 103 yards – were decisive. Damien Sanchez was 1-for-1 on point-after tries.
Class 5A
Lakeside-Evans (6-0, 4-0) remained flawless after a 28-14 victory against Greenbrier (2-3, 1-2) to stay tied with Brunswick in Region 1-5A play. Senior Jack Thexton had 7 carries for 23 yards and a touchdown in the victory.
Riverwood 24, Lassiter 16
Riverwood picked up its first victory over the season and led 7-0 after the first quarter and 10-3 at the half. Lassiter cut into the lead and trailed 17-13 entering the fourth quarter but a touchdown from Riverwood proved the difference.
Class 4A
Northside-Columbus 33, Griffin 14
Senior quarterback Caden Clay was 7-of-12 passing for 126 yards and two touchdowns while rushing 10 times for 78 yards and a touchdown to move Northside (5-2, 2-1) past Griffin (0-7, 0-3) while remaining tied for second place in Region 3. Clay passed to sophomore Jaren Joiner and junior Anthony Onochie for touchdowns. Senior Kingston Rivers and junior Jai Jackson (107 yards) rushed for touchdowns.
East Forsyth 34, Walnut Grove 15
East Forsyth moved to 7-2 overall and 3-1 in Region 8-4A and led 14-0 after the first quarter and 21-7 at the half but it was a 30-yard interception returned for a touchdown from Titus D’Archangelo with six minutes left in the game that secured it. DJ Haskell opened scoring on a 10-yard run for East Forsyth. Haskell caught a 10-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Brock Szakacs late in the first quarter to expand the lead to 14-0. Emadd Howard narrowed the margin on a 6-yard run with seven minutes left in the second quarter for Walnut Grove. Late in the first half, Peyton Grimes passed to Josh Hudson on a 16-yard touchdown to put East Forsyth ahead 21-7. Grimes passed to Chase Rhoads on a 25-yards pass to give the Broncos a 28-7 lead. Howard scored his second rushing touchdown, this time a 26-yarder, to leave Walnut Grove trailing 28-15 after Billy Hendrix passed to Jack Moss for the 2-point conversion.
Northview 34, Clarkston 0
Sophomore quarterback Drew Beane was 5-of-10 passing for 130 yards and two touchdowns to lead Northview to a shutout victory. Sophomore Cade Zeman caught both touchdowns, in two attempts, and combined for 90 receiving yards. Junior Logan Kupfer and Beane rushed for a touchdown in the romp.
Class 3A
LaGrange 41, Mary Persons 28
LaGrange trailed Mary Persons 28-14 at the half and held the Bulldogs scoreless in the second half for the No. 6-ranked Grangers to secure solo-second place in Region 2, LaGrange is 5-1 in league play, trailing only top-ranked Sandy Creek (4-0). Quarterback Dylan Barber had three touchdowns to lead the Grangers. Senior Jay Mitchell tied the game at 28 with an interception returned for a touchdown to take control of the momentum and the game for LaGrange. Barber gave the Grangers the lead in the fourth quarter on an option-keeper toward the right side of the Mary Persons defensive line, found a hole, and dove past the goal line and three Bulldogs defenders to secure the touchdown.
Class A Division I
Whitefield Academy 42, BEST 6
Junior Mason Hollingworth made 15 carries for 142 yards and three touchdowns to lead Whitefield (5-2, 2-0) past BEST (5-1, 1-2) 42-6 in a Region 5 contest. Quarterback Harris Brantley was 13-of-21 passing for 127 yards and a touchdown while rushing three times for a touchdown. He passed to Cole Rabalais, who had three receptions for 39 yards and a touchdown. Senior Bryce Duck had 11 carries for 58 yards and a touchdown for Whitefield.
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