Dacula was 1-9 just two seasons ago, but it wouldn’t be right to say the team has come from nowhere with its 8-0 start to the 2014 season and 27-17 victory over second-ranked Grayson on Friday.
Dacula was 3-4 about this time a year ago, coming off a dreadful 1-9 finish, but got hot and made the state quarterfinals. Dacula is on a 13-1 run, its only loss to Colquitt County. Now, Dacula and Colquitt are AAAAAA’s only unbeaten teams, both 8-0.
Dacula can clinch its first region title since 2005 with a victory at Archer next week. Not that it will be easy. Archer could force Region 8 into a three-way tie at the top.
The architect of Dacula’s revival is second-year coach Tommy Jones, a former Brookwood star player and the son of long-time Brookwood assistant Tom Jones.
Dacula has been rewarded for looking deeper than Jones’ 23-47 record as a head coach at a challenging smaller program, Lumpkin County. Jones was a popular and well-respected coach in Dahlonega for seven seasons. He’d worked as an assistant at South Gwinnett, Oconee County and Dacula before that. The Falcons are glad to have him back.
In other Class AAAAAA observations ...
-A year ago, Region 7 finished in a three-way tie for first, and the seeds for the state playoffs were determined by coin flips at a Cracker Barrel off I-85 late on Friday night.
The region appears headed in that direction again after Peachtree Ridge’s stunning 35-2 victory over fifth-ranked Norcross. Now, there is a four-way tie at the top, each with 4-1 records. They are Norcross, Peachtree Ridge and North Gwinnett, all 6-2 overall, and Mill Creek 5-3.
In 2013, Norcross was the coin-toss winner and went on to win the state title as a No. 1 seed. North Gwinnett got the No. 3 seed despite a 9-1, 7-1 record and also made the final, losing to Norcross 31-14.
This season, North appears to be in the best shape. The Bulldogs are the only one of the four first-place teams that doesn’t have to face another in the regular season.
-Harrison (5-3, 2-2) put itself back in playoff contention with a 43-42 victory over Hillgrove (6-3, 4-1) in Region 4. Harrison, the Cobb program of the decade prior to Hillgrove’s opening in 2010, had been 0-4 against Hillgrove. Hillgrove still can win Region 4 with a victory Nov. 7 against arch-rival McEachern (6-2, 4-0).
-Roswell clinched its first winning season since 2010 but more importantly moved closer to a Region 5 title with 31-21 victory over Cherokee. Roswell will be the region champion if it beats Etowah. Sixth-ranked Milton (7-1, 5-1) needs help because of its loss to Roswell on Sept. 19. Roswell’s resurgence is under the direction of second-year head coach John Ford, who came to Roswell as an assistant in 2008 and had been on Harrison’s staff under Bruce Cobleigh.
-Alpharetta (7-1, 7-0) virtually assured itself of its third Region 6 title in four seasons with a 24-14 victory over South Forsyth (5-3, 5-2). No other team in the region has fewer than two losses. Alpharetta finishes with Northview (6-2) and North Forsyth (1-7). Alpharetta is struggling to get full respect because its region is generally considered the weakest in AAAAAA, but Alpharetta’s only loss – to sixth-ranked Milton 17-10 in the opener – isn’t exactly a bad one. The team is led by QB Austin King (N.C. State) and DE Andrew Butcher (Tennessee).
-Today’s Westlake-Hughes winner will be presumptive Region 3 champion. Every other team in the region has at least two losses. Hughes, the champ the past two seasons, is favored, but Westlake (5-1, 4-0) is on the rise under coach Bryan Love. The team was 0-10 just two seasons ago.
