Senior quarterback JD Davis finished the first half with a trio of touchdowns through the air and another on the ground to lead No. 10-ranked Grayson to an emphatic 40-0 victory over visiting Lowndes. The Rams are now 4-1 under 29-year-old first-year head coach Santavious Bryant, who replaced Adam Carter when he took the head coaching job at Lowndes. The win also snapped a three-game losing streak against the Vikings that included a pair of quarterfinals exits in 2018 and 2019.
Lowndes kicker (and Georgia Tech-commit) Carson Page punted eight times in the first two quarters, the second of which was followed by Davis’ 10-yard touchdown run to put the Rams on the board (the PAT was no good). After a third three-and-out from the Vikings, MJ Evans picked off Davis, but back-to-back sacks from Kel Ikpechukwu forced another Vikings punt. Davis found Aiden Taylor for a 33-yarder late in the opening frame for a 13-0 lead, and Amari Alston capped off a seven-play, 90-yard drive with a rushing score on the Rams’ first possession of the second quarter. Eathen Cantres and Dylan Elder each hauled in a Davis touchdown pass as well, the latter of whom stretched past two defenders to extend the Grayson lead to 33-0 at the break.
In addition to a stellar showing from Davis, who finished the night 21-of-25 for 237 yards and 62 rushing yards on 12 carries, the Rams defense held Lowndes (3-2) to 28 total yards of offense in the first half and provided the final points of the night via Darren McKenzie’s 15-yard scoop-and-score. The Rams’ lone loss of the season came against the still-undefeated Walton Raiders in the Corky Kell + Dave Hunter Classic, and Grayson will look to extend its four-game winning streak next week in its region opener against undefeated Newton.
The AJC has writers at Valdosta at McEachern, North Cobb at Milton and Mill Creek at Parkview. Follow the link to Todd Holcomb’s Friday night wrap or see the full Friday recaps below. Recaps from Thursday are at the bottom of the file.
Class 7A
Buford 30 Marietta 3
Buford had little trouble with Marietta in its 30-3 victory and led by University of Georgia-commit quarterback Dylan Riaola, the Wolves built a 23-3 halftime lead to secure momentum. Buford took the lead on a seven-yard touchdown pass from Raiola to KJ Bolden. Bolden also had a 64-yard rushing touchdown. The Buford defense found scoring from linebacker Bryson Banks, who had a 49-yard fumble returned for a touchdown on Marietta’s first possession, giving Buford the early 10-0 lead.
Forsyth Central 28, Seckinger 12
Visiting Seckinger built a quick 12-0 lead over host Forsyth Central, but the Bulldogs finished the game with 28 unanswered points to improve to 2-3 ahead of their bye week. Both Jayce Todaro and Max Haertel scored a pair of rushing touchdowns for Forsyth Central, which will travel to Lambert in two weeks to kick off Region 6 play.
Norcross 27, South Gwinnett 20
Norcross handed South Gwinnett its first loss of the season in the non-region matchup to improve to 4-1. Jayshawn Appling put the Comets ahead 13-10 in the second quarter, but the Blue Devils went on a 17-0 run on a pair of touchdown runs from Arrington Watkins from 20 and 55 yards out and a field goal to take a 27-13 lead. Norcross will continue Region 7 play next week at Duluth.
Harrison 42, Pebblebrook 17
After winning only four games in each of their past three seasons, the Harrison Hoyas are now 6-0 following a big win over host Pebblebrook. The Falcons (2-4) led 10-7 at the break, but Harrison seized control in the second half, outscoring Pebblebrook 35-7 over the final two quarters. The Hoyas will remain undefeated for at least one more week as they enter their bye and will begin region play with a trip to McEachern a week later.
Lambert 23, East Coweta 22
Christian Smith gave Lambert a 23-22 lead over visiting East Coweta midway through the fourth with his third touchdown of the night, then picked off the Indians on 4th down to seal the Lambert comeback victory. East Coweta dominated the first half, with the Longhorns finally getting on the board with a field goal just before the break to bring the score to 16-3, but Lambert quarterback Marshall Coleman and Smith found a groove in the second half.
Kennesaw Mountain 36, South Cobb 15
Kennesaw Mountain got its first win of the season against visiting South Cobb to enter its bye week on a positive note. The Mustangs built a 23-7 lead by the break with rushing scores from Tyson Harmon, Chase Jones and Melvin Emioma — the last of who scored from 26 yards out — and a field goal from Ty Roldan, and will host Osborne in two weeks for their Region 5 opener.
Osborne 14, Woodland-Cartersville 0
Osborne quarterback Edward Burr found Lamarri Robertson for a 39-yard touchdown to put the Cardinals on the board, and the visitors added a second-quarter score to pad their lead ahead of the break. Osborne improves to 5-0 with the win and will travel to Kennesaw Mountain in two weeks following its bye.
In other Class 7A games -- No. 5-ranked Carrollton improved to 5-1 with a 49-0 rout of host Hillgrove to enter its bye on a five-game win streak. The Trojans have shut out three of their last five opponents and will open region play at East Coweta in two weeks. … Westlake dropped out of the rankings last week after a loss to Newton, but the Lions responded with a 42-7 win over visiting Collins Hill to get their season back on track ahead of their bye. … Peachtree Ridge is now 6-0 on the season and 2-0 in Region 7 play following a 34-12 victory over visiting Meadowcreek (0-5), which the Lions led 34-0 at halftime. Wheeler lost its first game of the year last week to North Atlanta, but the Wildcats will enter their bye on a positive note following a 45-0 shutout over host Campbell (2-4). Duluth got its first Region 7 victory of the season at Discovery, defeating the host Titans by a margin of 63-7. The Wildcats will continue region play next week when they host Norcross. North Gwinnett is now 2-0 in Region 7 (and 4-2 overall) following an emphatic 48-7 win over visiting Berkmar. The Bulldogs will face a Meadowcreek team still looking for its first win next week. … Camden County won its fifth-straight game — a 47-7 victory over visiting Atlanta Coast from Florida — to improve to 6-1 ahead of the Wildcats’ bye week and will host Richmond Hill in their Region 1 opener.
Class 6A
Lanier 35, Habersham Central 14
Host Lanier and Habersham Central were tied 14-14 at the break of their Region 8 opener before the Longhorns outscored the Raiders 21-0 in the second half. The loss snaps a two-game win streak for the Raiders, who will host Jackson County next week. The Longhorns have now won three-straight and will travel to top-ranked Gainesville in Week 7.
North Forsyth 41, Shiloh 7
North Forsyth improved to 2-0 in Region 8 with a 41-7 win over host Shiloh. Quarterback Elijah Seaney threw touchdown passes to Avery Adams and Nate Gravitt and also scored twice on the ground, and Darron Parry provided the remaining Raiders touchdown. North Forsyth will travel to Lanier in two weeks following its bye.
Thomas County Central 55, Godby (Fla.) 19
No. 3 Thomas County Central defeated Godby of Tallahassee, Fla., to improve to 5-0. The Yellow Jackets led 48-6 at halftime. Trey Brenton, Ahmad Ponder and A.J. Clark rushed for touchdowns for Thomas County Central, and quarterback Jaylen Johnson also rushed for a score and threw a touchdown pass to Malachi Thomas. Dee Reddick returned two punts for touchdowns for the Yellow Jackets. Backup quarterback Jabari Watkins rushed for a score for the Yellow Jackets’ final points.
Tift County 17, Gadsden County (FL) 0
The Tift County Blue Devils got their first win of the season against visiting Gadsden County. Zamorian Brown put the home team on the board in the second quarter with an 85-yard pick-six, and a field goal just before the break gave Tift County a two-possession lead. The Blue Devils will host Northside-Warner Robins next week in their Region 1 opener.
Dunwoody 16, Lakeside 15
Lakeside saw its 9-0 lead evaporate within minutes after Dunwoody capitalized on a safety with a rushing touchdown and tied the game minutes before halftime. The Wildcats started the second half on their own 11 and finished a long possession with another touchdown for a 16-9 lead going into the fourth quarter. Lakeside’s Kyle Davis threw his second touchdown pass of the night midway through the fourth quarter, but a failed 2-point conversion attempt ultimately preserved Dunwoody’s perfect record on the road.
Houston County 41, Warner Robins 7
No. 4-ranked Houston County improved to 5-0 on the season with its final non-region game, a 41-7 rout of No. 6-ranked Warner Robins out of Class 5A. The Bears led 28-0 at halftime and 34-0 heading into the fourth quarter and are now outscoring their opponents by an average margin of 50-16. Houston County will host Lee County (4-1) next week in the teams’ Region 1 opener.
Evans 27, Grovetown 6
The Evans Knights improved to 2-3 on the season with a 27-6 win in their region opener against host Grovetown. The Warriors were first on the board after scoring on 4th-and-goal but would fail to find the end zone the rest of the game. Evans got a safety and a field goal early in the second to cut Grovetown’s lead to 6-5, then took the lead for the first time late in the third quarter with the Knights’ first touchdown.
Douglas County 30, Hughes 27
The tenth-ranked Tigers visited No. 2 Hughes for their second week of Region 5 action and came away with a 30-27 win after a roughing-the-passer call extended Douglas County’s go-ahead touchdown drive in the game’s final minutes. The Panthers took a 20-17 lead into the fourth quarter before James Johnson’s 4-yard run put the Tigers on top. Hughes quarterback Prentiss “Air” Nolan responded with a 39-yard touchdown pass for a 27-23 edge, but Tigers quarterback Sire Hardaway capitalized on the penalty on 4th-and-5 with a 29-yarder to Johnson for the game’s final points.
Jackson County 35, Apalachee 17
Jackson County evened its overall and Region 8-AAAAAA records at 3-3 and 1-1 with a home win over Apalachee, leading 35-0 at halftime. In the first quarter, Daniel Stites scored on a 2-yard rush and Jackson County covered the ball in the end zone for a touchdown after Apalachee’s punter dropped the snap. In the second quarter, Peyton Scott had a 17-yard rushing touchdown, Acoreon McClure rushed for a 1-yard score and Jacob Coombs caught an 18-yard touchdown pass on a wide-receiver pass.
Newnan 21, South Paulding 15
Newnan took an early lead, then held on through a South Paulding comeback attempt to win its first region game of the season. Antevius Berry found the end zone twice in the opening frame, and Jaylon Teagle capped off a 14-play, 80-yard drive with a 2-yard rushing score for a 21-0 lead at the 6:46 mark of the third. The Spartans cut the lead to 21-12 in the fourth and were poised to score again, but the Newnan defense forced them to settle for a field goal.
Rome 62, Allatoona 0
The sixth-ranked Rome Wolves kicked off Region 6 play with a 62-0 victory over the winless Buccaneers to improve to 4-1 on the year. Quarterback Reece Fountain threw two touchdown passes to Braijon Jackson (18 and 22 yards) and one apiece to Nic Hester (22 yards), Javarius McDearmont (41 yards) and DK Daniel (56 yards); and backup quarterback Moss Tant connected with Corey Gardhigh on a 34-yarder in the fourth quarter. Additionally, the Wolves got a 48-yard touchdown run from Chance Arthur, a 50-yard punt return for a touchdown from Tinerious Stallings and a 48-yard pick-six by Joe Wilkinson.
Blessed Trinity 31, Sprayberry 3
The Titans got their season back on track following last week’s loss to Marist with a comfortable 31-3 victory in their region opener against host Sprayberry. Blessed Trinity (4-1, 1-0) struck first with Marcelous Townsend’s pick-six in the opening frame, and Sprayberry got its lone points of the night on a 42-yard field goal in the second. Following John Winter’s recovery of a Sprayberry fumble on a punt return, Dylan Torrico took a 2-yard trip to the end zone for a 14-3 edge at the break. The Titans added a field goal in the third and fourth-quarter touchdowns on an Ahmontae Pitts run and a 50-yard pass from junior quarterback Brooks Goodman to Kameran Betts.
Glynn Academy 22, Brunswick 15 (OT)
Glynn Academy trailed Brunswick 15-0 midway through the third quarter before Jayden Ellis’ touchdown kicked off the comeback campaign, which ended in a 22-15 victory for the Red Terrors in the Region 2 opener. Heze Kent scored for Brunswick on a Jarrod Elikins pass after Aviyon Addison recovered a Glynn Academy fumble on the opening kickoff, and the following Red Terrors drive ended in a fumble recovered by Travis Simpson. The teams traded turnovers in the second — Mike Torello recovered a fumble for Glynn Academy and Zion Rauls intercepted Ellis in the end zone for Brunswick — before a 70-yard return from Kent set up a touchdown run from Devin Smith. Brunswick began the second half with a 58-yard return, but settled for a field goal and a 15-0 edge. Ellis made it a one-possession game (15-8) shortly after, and Torello’s 1-yard run and a successful two-point conversion knotted the game with 7:30 to play. Late in the fourth, the Red Terrors attempted a punt, but a penalty resulted in the loss of a down and gave Brunswick the ball inside the Glynn Academy 10-yard line. The field goal attempt was blocked, however, and Ellis’ OT touchdown run — and back-to-back sacks by the Glynn Academy defense — secured the comeback win.
Woodward 42, Alcovy 6
Woodward scored all 42 of its points in the first half. War Eagles QB Griffin Marshall was extremely efficient on 12-14 passing for 175 yards and three touchdown passes to three different receivers. Woodward’s Lucas Farrington had 102 rushing yards and a touchdown, while Landon Walker threw and ran for a touchdown also. Alcovy’s only points were scored on a 90-yard interception return early in the fourth quarter.
In other Class 6A games -- New Manchester snapped a three-game losing streak with a 35-0 victory over Region 5 foe Alexander. Alexander now has a three-game losing streak of its own and will travel to Hughes next week, while the Jaguars travel to Douglas County. … Alpharetta built a 28-3 lead over visiting Pope before the Greyhounds scored 20 unanswered points, but the Raiders held on to win the Region 7 opener 34-23. … No. 8-ranked Roswell lost its first game of the season last week against Milton, but the Hornets responded with a 56-0 win over host Johns Creek (1-4, 0-1). Roswell (4-1, 1-0) will travel to Blessed Trinity next week. … Jonesboro (4-1, 2-0) traveled to Rockdale County and came away with a 44-0 win. The Cardinals have now outscored their first two Region 3 opponents by a margin of 97-0 and will look to build on that next week against Mundy’s Mill. … Mundy’s Mill remains undefeated (5-0, 3-0) after another Region 3 victory — this time a 43-0 win over host Forest Park. The Panthers (0-5, 0-3) will continue region play next week against Rockdale County, and the Tigers will face Jonesboro. … Effingham County took control of its region opener at South Effingham early, building a 28-0 lead by halftime and coasting to a comfortable 42-7 victory. The Rebels will host Glynn Academy next week, while the Mustangs (3-1, 0-1) will host Class A opponent Screven County.
Class 5A
Northgate 35, Veterans 14
Host Northgate defeated Class 6A Veterans 35-14 as Vikings quarterback Dylan Barber rushed for four touchdowns. Barber rushed for a touchdown in the first quarter to put Northgate ahead 7-0, and Evan Garrett also had a first-half rushing touchdown to give the Vikings a 14-7 halftime lead. Barber rushed for an 80-yard touchdown on the first play of the third quarter, added a short touchdown run later in the quarter and put Northgate ahead 35-7 with a fourth-quarter rushing score. Northgate improved to 3-3, and Veterans fell to 3-2.
Eastside 39, Flowery Branch 32 (2OT)
Visiting Eastside outlasted Flowery Branch in two overtimes, as Eastside’s Anquez Cobb rushed for a short touchdown in the first possession of the second OT and Marion Eubanks intercepted Flowery Branch on the next possession to end the game. Jayden Barr rushed for three touchdowns for Eastside, two in the first quarter and one in the second, to help the Eagles take a 26-7 lead at halftime. Eubanks also caught a touchdown pass from Payton Shaw in the first quarter. A third-quarter field goal from Johnathan Gomez gave Eastside a 29-13 lead, but Flowery Branch would score two touchdowns and convert both two-point tries in the fourth quarter to tie the game 29-29, which was the score at the end of regulation. Gomez made a field goal in the first overtime to tie the game 32-32. The game was the Region 8-AAAAA opener for both teams.
Coffee 21, Richmond Hill 0
The third-ranked Coffee Trojans closed out their non-region schedule against host Richmond Hill out of Class 7A and left with a 21-0 victory — their second shutout in as many weeks. Coffee got on the board in the first, then added rushing touchdowns from Patrick McCall and Maurice Hansley to bring the score to its final tally before the break. The Trojans are now 6-0 entering their bye week and will host Bradwell Institute in two weeks to open Region 1 play.
Jefferson 22, Clarke Central 14
No. 4 Jefferson improved to 5-0 with a home win over Clarke Central in the teams’ Region 8-AAAAA opener. Jefferson jumped out to a 15-0 lead at halftime after Dragons quarterback Gavin Markey found Sammy Brown for a 44-yard touchdown pass and Christopher Law for a 38-yard touchdown pass, both in the first quarter. Jefferson missed the extra point after the second touchdown but picked up a safety in the second quarter after Clarke Central was called for holding in the end zone. Clarke Central trailed just 15-7 after scoring a touchdown in the third quarter, but Jefferson answered on the first play of the fourth quarter with a 4-yard touchdown run from Brown. Clarke Central scored again late, but Jefferson’s R.J. Hinton recovered the Gladiators’ onside kick with 1:32 remaining to seal the win. Clarke Central fell to 3-2.
In other 5A games – Villa Rica scored on a run with one minute left in the game to move past Banneker 13-10. … Leading 14-7, Northgate scored two unanswered touchdowns in the third quarter to take control in a 35-14 victory over Veterans. … Cass had little trouble with M.L. King and led 40-0 at the half in the 40-0 romp. … Bradwell Institute led 21-8 at the half in a 35-14 victory over McIntosh County Academy. The Tigers added two unanswered touchdowns in the third quarter to pull away. …
Class 4A
Fayette County 25, Riverdale 12
Fayette County started with a 61-yard touchdown run from Trennedy Whatley then recovered a muffed punt in the end zone followed by a Trennedy Whatley pick-six—one of his two INTs on the night—as time expired in the first half to take a 19-0 lead at halftime. Whatley then scored another touchdown in the third quarter to extend the Tigers’ lead to 25-0. Riverdale briefly found life late in the game and cut the deficit to 13, but didn’t have enough to complete the comeback.
Burke County 34, Statesboro 0
No. 7 Burke County defeated Class 5A Statesboro at home to improve to 5-0. Bears quarterback Sean Vandiver threw three touchdown passes to Jensen Brantley for 37, 34 and 9 yards. Brantley also rushed for a 1-yard score. On the kickoff to open the second half, Burke County’s Ronderius Gray had a 70-yard return for a touchdown.
Cedartown 35, Dalton 27
The Cedartown Bulldogs handed host Dalton (Class 5A) its first loss of the season in a back-and-forth Week 6 battle. After a scoreless first, the teams traded touchdowns until the Bulldogs got the first pair of back-to-back scores of the night in the fourth to take a two-possession lead. For Cedartown, Isaiah Johnson finished with two rushing scores, JuQuaveon Price and Juelz Davis each scored on the ground, and quarterback Drew Ledbetter connected with Demarcus Gardner for a 17-yard touchdown pass. Catamounts quarterback Ethan Long threw touchdown completions to Kendrix London (65 yards) and RJ Storey (10 yards), and Adrian Gongora and Adriel Hernandez added rushing scores as well.
Cedar Shoals 10, East Hall 7
A 10-7 thriller may sound like a misnomer, but it’s a truly accurate description of the Jaguars road win. Both teams turned the ball over in the opening period. Kayden Scott opened the second with a 28-yard touchdown run to give Cedar Shoals a 7-0 lead at halftime. Cedar Shoals maintained possession on a methodical drive for most of the third quarter, which resulted in a 10-0 lead. East Hall missed a field goal to open the final period but rebounded with a 90-yard touchdown pass from Peyton Llewallyn to Chasen Jones shortly afterward. After holding on defense, East Hall was unable to capitalize on its final possession, turning the ball over on downs in the final minute of the game.
Spalding 34, Baldwin 0
Host Spalding, ranked No. 8, shut out No. 10 Baldwin in the teams’ Region 2-AAAA opener. Spalding’s Cur’Tavian Clark threw two touchdown passes, finding Robert Henderson for a touchdown in the first quarter and Camauri Berry for a score in the fourth. Clark also had a short fumble return for a touchdown just before halftime to give Spalding a 20-0 lead at the half. Henderson also rushed for a touchdown in the second quarter, and Cedric Evans had a punt return for a touchdown in the third quarter. Spalding improved to 5-0, and Baldwin fell to 3-2.
Starr’s Mill 20, Troup 18
No. 4 Troup fought back at home from a 20-3 deficit in the fourth quarter but fell after Starr’s Mill quarterback Logan Inagawa picked up a fourth-and-1 at his own 29-yard line that allowed the Panthers to run out the clock. Starr’s Mill, which improved to 3-2 and 2-0 in Region 4-AAAA, got a 30-yard rushing touchdown from Inagawa and a 2-yard rushing touchdown from Dorsey Benefield in the first quarter and led 17-3 at halftime after a 32-yard Max Prozny field goal in the second quarter. After a scoreless third quarter, Prozny made a 28-yard field goal in the fourth to put the Panthers ahead 20-3. Troup got a 46-yard touchdown pass from Logan Sinkfield to Noah Dixon and a two-point conversion rush from Jabari Fannin to cut the score to 20-11, and the Tigers added a 13-yard touchdown rush from Ashton Williams to pull within two points. Troup fell to 4-1 and 1-1 in region play.
North Hall 27, Cherokee Bluff 17
Cherokee Bluff led 7-0 after a short run from Asher Wilson but North Hall responded with a 10-yard pass from Tanner Marsh to Ryals Puryear late in the first quarter to tie the game. Marsh scored on a 2-yard run late in the first half to put North Hall up 14-7. Michael Arbour kicked a 12-yard field goal for Cherokee Bluff but North Hall scored on a 40-yard fumble returned for a touchdown by Parker Carlton to take a 21-10 lead. The North Hall defense converted an interception returned for a touchdown to put the game out of reach with five minutes remaining. Wilson passed to Malcolm Millsap on a 10-yard touchdown with four minutes left but the onside kick failed.
Westminster 36, Riverwood 6
Westminster scored touchdowns on five of its first six possessions, including all four in the first half. Four of Westminster’s touchdown came on the ground while one was delivered through the air.
East Forsyth 21, Walnut Grove 0
East Forsyth moved to 4-0 for the first time in school history with a 21-0 road victory over Walnut Grove in a Region 8-AAAA matchup. The Broncos also improved to 2-0 in region play while Walnut Grove fell to 1-4 and 0-3 in the region. Troy Hoover rushed for an 8-yard touchdown in the second quarter to give the Broncos a 7-0 halftime lead. Will Moffitt had rushing scores of 6 and 3 yards in the third quarter to put the game away.
Perry 41, Howard 0
Perry defeated Howard on the road in the first Region 2-AAAA game for both teams. The Panthers, ranked No. 4, got three touchdown passes from Colter Ginn, two in the first quarter and one in the third quarter. Perry led 17-0 at halftime and 27-0 after Ginn’s third touchdown pass. Perry improved to 4-1, and Howard fell to 3-2.
In other 4A games -- No. 5 Bainbridge upset Class 5A No. 1 and defending champion Ware County at home, 35-21, as the Bearcats improved to 3-2 and the Gators fell to 3-2. Bainbridge scored a touchdown with 4:58 remaining for the game’s final points. ... No. 2 North Oconee handled Chestatee in a Region 8 matchup, 56-0, to improve to 4-0 and 2-0 in the region. North Oconee led 42-0 at halftime.
Class 3A
Dawson County 32, West Hall 14
Dom LeBlanc scored all but three points for Dawson County in its Region 7 victory. The hot streak started with a 40-yard field goal followed by touchdown receptions of 33 and 49 yards and the extra points for each as well. LeBlanc scored on a 41-yard touchdown reception midway through the third quarter (missed PAT) and a field goal in the final period. In addition to the three touchdown passes, Tigers QB Preston Bannister also scored a 13-yard rushing touchdown in the game.
Wesleyan 50, Gilmer County 28
Gilmer County opened with a 60-yard touchdown run on its first possession, but Wolves QB Ben Brown didn’t flinch. He threw five touchdown passes on the night—including three to James Tremble as well as one each to Shep Jones and Brice Gillis—and ran for another in Wesleyan’s homecoming rout. Walker Kirkland found Luke Madison for a touchdown late in the game to put the Wolves at the half-century mark for the night.
Lumpkin County 49, Pickens 14
Lumpkin County led 14-0 after the first quarter and 28-0 at the half as the Indians moved to 1-0 in Region 7 play. Cal Faulkner passed to Nolan Matthews for an 18-yard touchdown to put Lumpkin up. Mason Sullens scored on a 60-yard run to extend the lead. Faulkner scored on a 14-yard run to put Lumpkin up 21-0, capping a 9-play, 72-yard drive. Sullens scored on a short run to extend the lead to 28-0. Sullens, who had 140 yards on 15 carries in the first half, scored on a 3-yard run with 3:32 left in the third quarter. Faulkner scored on an 8-yard run with 9:54 left in the game and Jackson Bell scored on a 2-yard run with 1:13 left to bring the score to its final tally.
Calvary Day 42, Savannah Christian 21
After entering the locker room tied at 21, Calvary Day held Savannah Christian scoreless in the second half to take the victory against its crosstown rival. A 40-yard interception returned for a touchdown from Michael Smith put the game away for Cavalry Day. Jamari McIvory had an interception returned 85 yards for a touchdown for Savannah Christian to open scoring. Calvary Day responded with a 65-yard kickoff return from Caden Arnold, setting the back-and-forth tone of the first half. Raiders quarterback Blaise Thomas scored on a 33-yard run early in the second quarter, but Calvary Day quarterback Jake Merklinger tied the game on a short run minutes later. Merklinger’s 20-yard pass to Arnold gave Calvary Day the 21-14 lead with four minutes left in the first half. But Thomas tied the game with a 20-yard completion to David Bucey before halftime. Chase Lucas pushed the lead to 28-21 with a 5-yard run and Merklinger expanded the margin with a 9-yard run with two minutes left in the game.
Crisp County 20, Northside-Warner Robins 16
Unranked Crisp County traveled up three classes and came away with a victory against Northside-Warner Robins after trailing 13-0 entering the second quarter and 13-12 at the half. Crisp County forced Northside into a safety with two minutes left in the game and then scored on a 13-yard pass from Hagan Slimp to Deshaun Fedd to put the game away with less than a minute left. Northside led early after a 32-yard field goal from Noe Yanez-Robles and a blocked punt returned for a touchdown from Jaquavian Turner gave the Eagles a 10-0 lead merely minutes into the game. Dezimon Tabor recovered a fumble and Yanez-Robles kicked a 25-yard field goal to extend the lead to 13-0. Crisp got on the board with a fumble returned 54 yards for a touchdown from Zymarion Hudson with less than a minute left in the first half. Derrell Brown passed to Fedd on a 65-yard touchdown to cut into the lead after a Northside fumble. Yanez-Robles kicked a 37-yard field goal with 10 minutes left in the game to extend the lead to 16-12.
Bremen 21 Ridgeland 14
Trailing 7-0, Dilon McCoy passed to Wesley Bush to get Bremen on the board in its Region 6 victory over Ridgeland. The Blue Devils trailed 14-7 at the half but held Ridgeland scoreless in the second half to take control. Nick Richardson caught a 58-yard touchdown pass with 10 minutes left in the third quarter to tie the game and a 4-yard run from Trent McPherson with five minutes left in the game put Bremen ahead for good. For Ridgeland, Bryson Donald scored on a 5-yard run and Ethan Waters completed a 49-yard touchdown pass to Elijah Waters.
Liberty County 42, Johnson-Savannah 14
Liberty County led 28-0 at halftime in a romp of Johnson-Savannah in a Region 3 game. Johnson moved to 1-0 in the league behind Calvary Day (2-0).
Adairsville 28, Ringgold 26
Trailing by a touchdown, Adairsville outscored Ringgold 21-3 in the second quarter to lead 21-10 and then held on through a fourth quarter comeback attempt from Ringgold, which fell short. Jonathan Gough scored on a 5-yard run to tie the game and passed to Noah Matthews to take the 14-7 lead. Gough passed to Braxton Elrod with less than a minute remaining in the first half to extend the margin. Gough passed to Matthews with 10 minutes left in the third quarter to cap scoring for the Tigers. Ringgold converted a field goal with nine minutes left in the game and scored on a run with one minute left, but failed to convert the 2-point conversion.
Sandy Creek 46, Jackson 14
Sandy Creek led 20-14 at the end of the first quarter but took control of the game with a 20-0 effort in the second quarter to lead 40-14 at the half.
In other 3A games -- Mary Persons led 52-0 at the half and 55-0 entering the fourth quarter in a 55-0 romp of Columbus. … Beach moved to 1-1 in Region 3 play after moving past Groves 23-12. … Peach County got its first win of the season and first for head coach Marquis Westbrook after beating Hardaway 47-6 at home. The Trojans led 20-0 at the half. … Coahulla Creek led 14-7 at the half before outscoring Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe 14-0 in the third quarter to take control. The Colts moved to 2-0 in Region 6 with the victory. …
Class 2A
Callaway 38, Redan 6
After Tyren Buggs put Callaway on the board first with a 1-yard touchdown run early in the game, Callaway QB DeShun Coleman found Cam Tucker for two touchdown passes then Treyonn Tucker for another. Cam Tucker also had a punt return for a touchdown in the second quarter, giving Callaway a 35-0 lead at halftime.
Fitzgerald 56, Dodge County 32
Fitzgerald accumulated a 30-0 lead by the end of the first quarter before holding on for victory. The Purple Hurricanes returned two interceptions for touchdowns in the game, while Dodge County had three and a safety. However, Fitzgerald’s hot start and strong finish—16 unanswered points to start the fourth quarter—ultimately proved to be too much for the Indians to overcome.
B.E.S.T. Academy 12, KIPP Atlanta Charter 6 (OT)
The B.E.S.T. Academy Eagles got their first region win of the season and improved to 3-3 overall with the 12-6 overtime victory over visiting KIPP Atlanta. After a scoreless first three quarters, the home team capitalized on friendly field position afforded by a blocked KIPP punt with Jaylen Wyatt’s 19-yard touchdown pass to Amir Robinson (the PAT was no good). The Warriors finally found the end zone in the final moments of regulation with Marcus Martin’s rushing score, but the missed potential go-ahead extra point sent the game to overtime, where Robinson scored again to secure the Eagles win.
Fellowship Christian 30, Lovett 24
Three field goals from senior Nathan Chapman helped prove the difference for Fellowship Christian. Trailing 3-0 after a Lovett field goal, CJ Givers gave the Paladins a 7-3 lead on a 6-yard run. Chapman expanded the lead with a field goal to end the first quarter. Lovett tied the game with 7:42 left in the second quarter but a 17-yard run from quarterback Jonathan Granby gave the Paladins the lead. Lovett tied the game at 17 with 20 seconds left in the first half. Chapman kicked a 28-yard field goal to break the tie with 4:05 left in the third quarter. With 9:31 left in the game, Givers scored on a run to extend the lead. Chapman kicked a field goal with 2:51 left in the game to put it out of reach. Lovett scored with one minute left but ran out of time.
Athens Academy 49, Mount Vernon 16
Athens Academy led 21-7 after the first quarter and 35-13 at the half on the way to victory against Mount Vernon. Jamari Welch opened scoring on a 35-yard run with 10 minutes and after a fumble recovery, the Spartans went up 14-0 on a 3-yard run from Jeremiah Wingfield. Hampton Johnson passed to KJ Whitehead on a 23-yard touchdown to extend and Wingfield’s 10-yard run early in the second quarter gave Athens Academy a 28-7 lead after a Mount Vernon kickoff return for a touchdown. Johnson completed a 70-yard touchdown pass to Boone Presnell to expand the margin but Vernon scored on a pass with two minutes left before half to edge closer. Welch scored on a 13-yard run with two minutes left in the third quarter and Johnson’s 67-yard pass to Keyon Standifer capped scoring for Athens Academy.
Model 49, Murray County 7
Model opened its Region 7-AA schedule with a big 49-7 win on the road over Murray County on Friday. The Blue Devils got two touchdown runs by Jeremiah Gamble, one from 39 yards out and one from 7 yards out. Quarterback Jake Sanders tossed touchdown passes to Javon Samples (20 yards), Keith Sprayberry (52 yards), and Jeremias Heard (4 yards). Amir Pinkard added a 12-yard touchdown on an end-around play, and Dakota Sapp closed out the scoring with a 10-yard TD run. Murray County got its lone score late in the fourth quarter on a 25-yard touchdown run by Aiden Johnson. The Indians will travel to North Murray next week, while Model returns home to host Rockmart.
In other 2A games -- Worth County got 409 passing yards and 6 TDs from Lyndon Worthy and 367 total yards (228 rushing + 139 receiving) plus four total TDs from Kayden Chester in its 62-34 win over Berrien. … Toombs County dominated Tattnall County wire-to-wire for a 35-0 win. … Vidalia’s defense swarmed and suffocated Windsor Forest all night en route to a decisive 29-6 victory. … Westside-Augusta RB Jeanarion Kamga scored four touchdowns in their 41-0 win over Glenn Hills.
Class A Division I
Metter 20, Irwin County 14
Metter led 14-6 after the first quarter and held on for victory through scoreless second and third quarters. Nursing a 17-14 lead, a 26-yard field goal from Fidel Esquivel with less than a minute left in the fourth quarter put the game out of reach.
Heard County 37, Clarkston 6
Heard County led 7-6 after the first quarter but outscored Clarkston 21-0 in the second quarter to take control. Shaun Swofford passed 85 yards to LJ Green to put Heard up, but Clarkston responded on a 1-yard run from William Housch but the failed PAT left the Angoras trailing 7-6. Qua Nelson scored on a 6-yard run and a 4-yard run to give Heard a 21-6 lead. Ethan Tisdale passed to Green with less than a minute left in the first half to extend the lead to 28-6. Heard County forced a safety and Nelson’s 2-yard run with 10 minutes left in the game brought the score to its final tally.
Screven County 28, Warren County 0
Ryan Barnes returned the opening kickoff 70 yards, Andre Michaud scored two touchdown runs and Gatlin Scott passed to Luke Bohannon with a minute left in the game to cap scoring for Screven.
Class A Division II
Dooly County 41, Turner County 21
Dooly County led 14-8 at the half before outscoring Turner County 21-6 in the third quarter to take control of the game. Jaylen ‘Bull’ Hall intercepted a pass and on the ensuing possession, Antwan Clayton passed to Hall for a 5-yard touchdown to give Dooly the lead. Turner County forced a safety with 10 minutes left in the first half. Clayton passed to Kevin Graham on a 60-yard touchdown with four minutes left in the second quarter to extend the lead to 14-2. Carlton Brannon completed a touchdown pass to cut into the lead for Turner County. JD Davis scored on a 3-yard run for Dooly to make it a 21-8 game. Hall returned his second interception 65 yards for a touchdown with four minutes left in the third quarter to extend the margin for Dooly. Clayton passed to Graham for a 1-yard touchdown to expand the lead. Brannon passed to Ke’arrin Dawsey for Turner but the 2-point conversion failed. Clayton passed to Hall (70 yards) with 10 minutes left in the game to cap scoring for Dooly.
Telfair County 16, Bryan County 7
Tied at 7 at the half, Telfair County scored on a 10-yard run from Jackie Wilcox to take the lead with eight minutes left in the third quarter and kicked a field goal with less than a minute left in the quarter to put the game away.
Bowdon 42, Temple 20
Bowdon led 7-6 after the first quarter and 21-6 at the half and pushed the lead to 35-13 entering the fourth quarter against Temple. Temple scored on a 30-yard pass from Manny Watkins to Jadyn McClaude with less than a minute left in the first quarter but missed the PAT. Kaiden Prothro returned the kickoff 65 yards to give Bowdon the 7-6 lead. Bowdon scored on a run with nine minutes left in the first quarter to lead 14-6 and extended the lead on a run with three minutes left. The Red Devils expanded the lead on a run early in the third quarter and with five minutes left in the third quarter, Bowdon scored again to extend the lead to 34-13. Prothro caught a touchdown pass with six minutes left in the game to cap scoring for Bowdon.
Aquinas 20, Greenbrier 12
Jim Franklin’s 9-yard touchdown run with three minutes left put the game away for Aquinas. Greenbrier led 3-0 after a field goal with seven minutes left in the first half but a 78-yard touchdown pass by Jack Rhodes gave Aquinas the lead. Keegan Moran kicked a 30-yard field goal to leave Greenbrier trailing 7-6 at the half. Jim Franklin completed a 28-yard touchdown pass with less than a minute left in the third quarter to five Aquinas the 14-6 lead. Greenbrier cut into the lead on a 36-yard run from Cole Trupp to trail 14-12.
In other A Division II games – Early County moved to 4-0 in Region 1 after a 34-8 victory over Mitchell County. ... Taylor County led 35-0 after the first quarter in a 56-5 romp of Central-Talbotton. … Emanuel County Institute led 9-0 at half and held on for a 15-7 victory against Johnson County. … Manchester led 19-0 after the first quarter and 32-0 at the half in a 46-0 victory over Chattahoochee County. …
Recaps from Thursday below.
Class 7A
Denmark 24 Dacula 17
Hester Brendan scored on a 7-yard run in overtime to lead Denmark past Dacula. The Falcons led 3-0 after a 17-yard field goal from David Felix. Denmark responded with an 80-yard kickoff return from Kai Fernandes with one minute left in the first quarter. Dacula took the 10-7 lead on a 3-yard run from Donovan Jones. Fernandes scored on a 5-yard run with a minute left before halftime to lead 14-10. Dacula tied the game with a 15-yard pass from Garrison Cantrell to Kobe Adeleke-Hokes with two minutes left in regulation, sending the game to overtime.
Brookwood 42 South Forsyth 35
With six seconds remaining, Brookwood running back Cam French ran 22 yards for the game-winning score, capping a three-touchdown fourth quarter to give Brookwood the lead for good. In his first start of the season, Brookwood quarterback Matt Peavy passed for touchdowns of 32, 69, and 61 yards in the victory. South Forsyth controlled most of the second half, not trailing until the final seconds of the game. South Forsyth’s final hope, a hook and ladder play, came up short as time expired.
Class 5A
Arabia Mountain 41, Locust Grove 16
Courtesy of Mark Brock: The Arabia Mountain Rams scored four first-quarter touchdowns on the way to a 41-16 victory over the Locust Grove Wildcats on Thursday night at Godfrey Stadium. Arabia Mountain scored on its first two plays from scrimmage to open a 14-0 lead in the first two minutes of the game. The first score came on the first play by the Rams following the opening kickoff as quarterback Solomon Washington dropped back and threw down the right seam to Daniel Ndukwe who out jumped a pair of defenders for the ball and raced the rest of the way into the end zone for a 77-yard touchdown. Mahin Masih hit the PAT for a 7-0 lead with 11:44 left in the first quarter. Locust Grove was forced to punt on its first possession, and it was partially blocked after a low snap. The Rams took over at the Wildcats 35. Another drop back by Washington and throw down the middle to Alex Richard was hauled in at the goal line for the 35-yard scoring play. Masih was good on the PAT again to make it 14-0 with 10:00 minutes left on the first quarter clock. Antonio Jordan intercepted a Washington pass, but two plays later Kenneth Hollinger picked off McAlister and raced 85 yards for the pick six with 6:24 to play in the opening period. The PAT was no good and the Rams were up 20-0. On the first play following the kickoff a Locust Grove running back was stripped of the football in a crowd of Ram defenders and Ndukwe scooped it up and ran 31 yards for the fourth touchdown of the quarter for the Rams. Masih hit the PAT to make it 27-0 with 6:06 to play. Locust Grove got the ball to start the second quarter on the Arabia 31-yard line. McAlister passed to the side to Maurice Sellers who slipped away for a 16-yard gain. The Rams defense stiffened and forced a 32-yard field goal by Miguel Pascaru that cut the lead to 27-3 with 8:33 to play. Jordan Miller upped the lead to 34-3 on the ensuing kickoff as he took wound his way to the left and then right on the way to a 60-yard touchdown return. Masih hit the PAT to make it 34-3. Locust Grove got the football back with 1:33 to play in the first half and scored on a nine-yard touchdown pass from McAlister to Julius Lowe around the left side. A two-point run failed, and Arabia Mountain was up 34-9 at the half. It would be the fourth quarter before another score came about as Jonathan Adeh Adimah finished off a three-play drive with a 10-yard touchdown run set up by his 19-yard run. Masih hit the PAT to make it 41-9 with 9:30 to play. Brandon Lowe’s 31-yard run, and a 12-yard run by Taj Callahan set up a six-yard touchdown pass from McAlister to Nikhia Daniel with 4:02 to play. Parascu hit the PAT to make the final score of 41-16. Arabia Mountain’s 4-1 start is only the second time in school history they have reached the mark, the last time coming 2016 when the Rams finished 9-3 and reached the second round of the state playoffs.
Northside-Columbus 34, Westover 20
Cayden Clay passed to Kingston Rivers and Darnell Brooks Jr while rushing for a touchdown in the victory over Westover. Rivers added touchdown runs of 36 and 11-yards in the romp.
Class 4A
LaGrange 35, Whitewater 0
Quarterback Malik Kemp was 10-of-16 passing for 154 yards and two touchdowns – both to Parker Shattuck – in a romp of Whitewater. Kemp, Jonathan Keys and Caydin Thomas each scored touchdown runs in the victory.
Class 2A
Northeast-Macon 48, Southwest 6
Nick Woodford scored on runs of 12 and 18 yards to lead Northeast. Jordan Wiggins scored on a 90-yard run to push the lead to 28-0. Reginald Glover passed to Kavon Conciauro (48 yards) and scored on runs of 36 and five yards Christyn Clark scored on a run with one minute left in the game to bring the score to its final tally.
