AA in brief: Berrien ‘disrespected’ by Atkinson County, responds with record performance in win

The new Class AA rankings are out and there is a new addition — the Dodge County Indians make their season debut at No. 10. They won their season opener over AAAAAA’s unranked Bradwell Institute back on Aug. 23 and enjoyed a bye last weekend. Leaving the rankings were the Fitzgerald Purple Hurricane, who were blown out 35-8 by Irwin County, the No. 2 team in A-Public. The Purple Hurricane may earn their way back into the rankings at the Indians’ expense, as the two play each other at Fitzgerald on Sept. 20.

For a look at last week's results for ranked teams, check out the Friday night recap.

Below is a look at the new top 10, where the top three remained in place, and every team ahead of Fitzgerald moved up a spot. The number in parenthesis represents the previous week's ranking.

1. (1) Rockmart (2-0)
2. (2) Hapeville Charter (0-1)
3. (3) Callaway (0-1)
4. (5) Dublin (1-0)
5. (6) Rabun County (2-0)
6. (7) Washington County (2-0)
7. (8) Brooks County (1-0)
8. (10) Swainsboro (1-0)
9. (9) Heard County (0-1)
10. (NR) Dodge County (1-0)

In brief

• In Dodge County's win over Bradwell on Aug. 23, Jamal Mahan recorded 15 tackles — including 3.5 for loss — and a forced fumble to earn the team's Defensive Player of the Game honors. Daylon Gordon (13 carries for 322 yards and four touchdowns) was the team's Offensive Player of the Game.
• The Temple Tigers called for a black out on Friday at Rogers Stadium. It must've worked, because they beat Putnam County 55-21 in their opener.
• Here's some highlights from Hapeville Charter's game against Cedar Grove. Here are even more from ExclusProductions.
• WTOC and WSAV have highlights of Jeff Davis' 22-14 win over AAA's Windsor Forest. Here are audio highlights.
• Jonathan Blaylock of the Rome News-Tribune takes a look into the challenges Armuchee and Pepperell face after losing their quarterbacks to injury. In addition, the injury bug continues to plague Armuchee.
• After having to forego their season opener thanks to weather, the Hephzibah Rebels defeated AAA's Savannah 33-12. The Rebels, led by fifth-year coach William Harrell, are looking to build off of last season's 8-3 finish, which was the most wins for a program that dates back to 1954. Hephzibah's Marshall Chambers took AugBball's Top Play honors for Week 2.
• Listen to Screven County Gamecocks coach Ron Duncan discuss his team on the PoJo's Coaches Show. The Gamecocks would edge Southeast Bulloch 26-23 to move to 2-0. Some trash talk later came from a Gamecocks twitter account.
• Here's highlights of Douglass beating Booker T. Washington 24-15 in the Westside Classic.
• Todd Forrest of NGN sports has a game story of Union County's season-opening 49-8 win over East Hall. Here's a photo gallery.
• Toombs Now has its usual extensive coverage of the Toombs County Bulldogs, this time from a 24-0 win over Hancock Central. It was the second shutout in a row for the Bulldogs (2-0), who last week beat Twiggs County 14-0. It's the first time since 2012 they've opened the season with consecutive shutouts. In that season, they finished 7-3, missing out on the playoffs after losing twice in a tie-breaker region mini-game.
• Bremen dropped to 0-2 after a 20-7 loss to Bowdon. Mason Wittner of the Times-Georgian has the game story.
• The Bleckley County Royals dropped to 1-1 after losing 28-10 to Veterans. Dave Whitaker has the details for The Bleckley Progress.
• WJBF has a football roundup for AA teams Harlem, Washington County, Jefferson County and Hephzibah.
• The Thomasville Bulldogs have started 0-2 for the first time since 2016, losing to Thomas County Central, 31-17. WTXL has video excerpts.
• The Social Circle Redskins dropped their opener to Stone Mountain, 39-3. Andrew Kenneson of The Walton Tribune has the game story.
• The Vidalia Indians took the field with a heavy heart after longtime girls basketball coach Chunk Reid passed away earlier in the week. He was 75. They would lose at home to AAA's No. 3 Appling County, 24-0. Southeast Georgia Today has the details.
• The Callaway Cavaliers have to be holding their heads high even though they dropped their opener on the road to Opelika, 10-7, especially after Opelika just defeated the No. 6 school in the state's highest classification (AAAAAAA), Auburn 21-13. And of course, the Cavs still have Tank Bigsby.
• Here's a touching story from WJBF on former Glenn Hills standout and current Savannah State football player Kyle Frazier overcoming cancer.
• Former Rabun County and current Tennessee Tech quarterback Bailey Fisher led his team to a comeback double-OT win and earned Ohio Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Week honors in the process. Here's the game-winning play.
• Former Heard County and current Marshall lineman Levi Brown can dance.
• Former Bleckley County/current Washington State linebacker Willie Taylor laid a hit this weekend against New Mexico State.
• Former Vidalia/current Ole Miss linebacker Lakia Henry came through in his collegiate debut.
• Coosa dropped to 0-2 with a 49-0 loss to Darlington. Jeremy Stewart has the game story for the Rome News-Tribune.
• Former Hapeville Charter quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams has earned the starting quarterback job at Campbell University.
• Host Berrien felt disrespected by Atkinson County walking onto the "B" at midfield. So they beat them 61-43 behind the effort of Gerrick Johnson, who finished with 205 yards and six touchdowns on 22 rushing attempts and returned a kickoff for a touchdown, totaling 339 all-purpose yards. The seven total touchdowns are a program record.
• The AJC's top performers for Week 2 from AA include Berrien running back Gerrick Johnson (see above); Temple running back Philip Johnson (378 yards, five touchdowns on 22 carries and two kickoffs for 80 yards); Rockmart quarterback Javin Whatley (8-for-12 passing for 145 yards and a touchdown, and 172 rushing yards and two touchdowns); Union County receiver Jonah Daniel (180 rushing yards, three touchdowns and two receptions for 41 yards and a touchdown).