Kell-Hiram game promises winner a little recognition

By Todd Holcomb

For the AJC

Kell and Hiram are both ranked Class AAAA teams with 4-0 records but little recognition outside of East Cobb and Paulding County. That’s because neither has ever made it past the second round of the state playoffs.

The schedule-maker might have done these Region 5-AAAA North teams a favor this week and cleared the schedule of most other big games, which makes them the main event statewide Friday at Hiram.

No. 5 Kell is trying to go 5-0 for the first time. No. 6 Hiram did it last year but was upset in the second round after an 11-0 start.

“We sputtered out last year, but this year, I think we’ve got two or three teams in this region that can go pretty deep,’’ Hiram coach Andy Dorsey said. “Kell’s already beat up on some [Class AAAAA] folks – Etowah, Woodstock, Grayson. This will be a pretty good year for our region.’’

Pope (3-0) and North Paulding (4-0) also are unbeaten in the subregion and East Paulding (3-1) has lost only to Kell.

The Kell-Hiram matchup is one of three games statewide between ranked opponents.

In Class AA, No. 2 Buford (3-1) plays at No. 7 Lovett (2-1). Lovett broke Buford’s 58-game winning streak in region games in 2009 with a 28-21 victory.

In Class A, No. 8 Emanuel County Institute (3-1) plays at No. 10 Johnson County (4-0) in Region 3.

Other top games in metro Atlanta this week include:

Greater Atlanta Christian (3-1) at Blessed Trinity (3-0)

Mill Creek (3-1) at Norcross (4-0)

Pace Academy (3-0) at King’s Ridge Christian (4-0)

South Gwinnett (3-1) at Parkview (1-2)

Starr's Mill (4-0) at Whitewater (3-1)

Class AAAAA

1. Camden County (3-0)

2. North Gwinnett (4-0)

3. Peachtree Ridge (4-0)

4. McEachern (3-1)

5. Lowndes (4-1)

6. Stephenson (3-0)

7. Norcross (4-0)

8. Valdosta (4-0)

9. South Gwinnett (3-1)

10. Grayson (3-1)

Class AAAA

1. Northside-Warner Robins (3-0)

2. Clarke Central (3-0)

3. Tucker (4-0)

4. Griffin (4-0)

5. Kell (4-0)

6. Hiram (4-0)

7. Marist (3-1)

8. Flowery Branch (4-0)

9. Thomas County Central (2-1)

10. Chattahoochee (3-0)

Class AAA

1. Peach County (4-0)

2. Sandy Creek (3-0)

3. Cairo (4-0)

4. Carrollton (4-0)

5. Baldwin (4-0)

6. St. Pius (3-1)

7. Eastside (3-1)

8. Woodward Academy (3-0)

9. Gainesville (2-1)

10. Cartersville (4-0)

Class AA

1. Carver-Columbus (4-0)

2. Buford (3-1)

3. Calhoun (4-0)

4. Cook (4-0)

5. Dublin (3-0)

6. Thomasville (3-1)

7. Lovett (2-1)

8. Westminster (2-2)

9. Fitzgerald (3-1)

10. Jefferson County (3-0-1)

Class A

1. Charlton County (4-0)

2. Wesleyan (4-0)

3. Clinch County (4-0)

4. Savannah Christian (4-0)

5. Wilcox County (3-1)

6. Lincoln County (3-1)

7. Eagle's Landing Christian (3-0)

8. Emanuel County Institute (3-1)

9. Darlington (3-1)

10. Johnson County (4-0)