Here are some bold conclusions from Friday night in AAAAAA …
1. There is parity, and there is Colquitt County in Region 1. That is, Colquitt County is far and away the best team. Consider the scores. There are six teams; there have been six games. Four have been very close:
Valdosta 13, Camden 10
Lowndes 27, Camden 21
Lee 24, Tift 21
Valdosta 27, Tift 24
Based on that, you’ve got five teams that can beat each other on any given night.
And then you’ve got …
Colquitt 45, Lowndes 27
Colquitt 58, Lee 14
The writing is on the wall: Colquitt 10-0, 5-0.
2. It's all but over in Region 5, as well. (I did say bold conclusions.) Milton has rebounded from its 33-31 loss to Roswell on Sept. 19 and won 37-12 against Etowah (5-2) and now 23-0 against Cherokee (5-2). Milton also is the team that defeated Norcross 26-0. Milton will finish 9-1 and claim its first region since 1952. Of course, Roswell is the one that controls its destiny in Region 5. The Hornets have to negotiate the Cherokee County gantlet - Etowah, Cherokee and Woodstock.
3. Region 6 is the land of opportunity. Nice victory by South Forsyth – beating previously unbeaten Northview 33-8.
Alex Barbir made field goals of 56 and 52 yards for South Forsyth. The region title probably will be decided Oct. 24, when South Forsyth (5-1, 5-0) plays at Alpharetta (5-1, 5-0). Sobering fact: Mountain View inflicted South Forsyth’s only loss. Mountain View (1-6) hasn’t won a game since.
4. It’s McEachern and Hillgrove in Region 4. Mark down Nov. 7. As if they were semifinals on Friday, McEachern beat North Cobb 48-28, and Hillgrove beat North Paulding 72-46. Neither game was really close. The big news was the eight touchdowns scored by Hillgrove’s Sonny Harris. He also rushed for 314 yards. Only four players in state history have eight touchdowns in a game. The most recent had been Thomas Flowers of Pebblebrook in 2001.
5. North Gwinnett is the most consistently good team in AAAAAA, at least in the Bob Sphire era. Since 2006, North has never lost more than one region game. Camden County was the only other school that could say that until Friday, when Camden suffered its second loss, to Lowndes, in Region 1. North had a pretty tough test, as well, traveling to Peachtree Ridge (which entered 5-1). The Bulldogs won 51-24 in a game that was 24-24 at halftime. North (5-2, 3-1) will finish the regular season against three teams that are 1-6. The streak will live.
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