As we head into the final week of the regular season, there was a shuffle in the middle of the Class AA rankings, but the top 10 remains intact. With its amazing 23-20 come-from-behind win over Brooks County, Thomasville leapfrogs Rabun County and is now ranked No. 4, while Rabun County drops to No. 5 despite beating Oglethorpe County 56-14.
The reason the Thomasville made the leap is because Brooks County was undefeated and ranked No. 6 at the time. Brooks County dropped to No. 7, swapping places with Jefferson County, which beat Josey 72-30.
Six AA teams are currently undefeated, though that's guaranteed to not be the case by this time next week, as 9-0 Jefferson County plays No. 3 Screven County (8-0) to decide the 4-AA champion. Spoiler alert: that will be the game of the week previewed on Thursday.
For a breakdown of AA games played in Week 11, go here.
Here's a glimpse at the updated rankings, with the previous week's rankings in parenthesis:
1. (1) Benedictine (9-0)
2. (2) Hapeville Charter (8-1)
3. (3) Screven County (8-0)
4. (5) Thomasville (9-0)
5. (4) Rabun County (9-0)
6. (7) Jefferson County (9-0)
7. (6) Brooks County (7-1)
8. (8) Dodge County (9-0)
9. (9) Heard County (8-1)
10. (10) Callaway (7-1)
- With their 35-0 win over Glenn Hills, the Screven County Gamecocks notched their sixth consecutive shutout. By the time they take the field against Jefferson County on Nov. 3, they will have gone more than two full months without allowing a point. Wade Hampton, which plays in South Carolina's highest classification (AAAAA), managed 13 points against the Gamecocks on Sept. 1 as the Gamecocks won 48-13. Since that game, they've beaten Butler 50-0, Laney 49-0, Harlem 35-0, Westside-Augusta 49-0, Josey 42-0 and Glenn Hills. According to research by Georgia High School Historians Association cofounders Todd Holcomb and Lorne Maxwell, the Gamecocks have the longest shutout streak since 2008, when Newnan recorded six straight. The last time a team had more than six shutouts in a row was 2005, when Dublin had eight in a row. Going back to 1948, the record is 11 by Americus set in 1975. Vidalia had 19 in a row from 1932 to 1933, but the dates of four games and the complete schedule couldn't be confirmed.
- WTOC has highlights of Screven County's win over Glenn Hills.
- Updating a previous item from the Week 12 Friday night recap, the Thomasville Bulldogs clinched the 1-AA title with their win over Brooks County. Even if they lose to Fitzgerald in the regular season finale, they own the three-way tiebreaker over the Purple Hurricane and the Trojans thanks to points awarded for each non-region victory based on classification.
- Sticking with the Bulldogs, they're one of four 9-0 teams in program history (1988, 1987, 1973, 1955). They've set a lot of individual and team records this year, and with last week's win they now have the record for most points scored in a season (including the playoffs) with 423. The previous regular season record was 377 set in 1927 . JT Rice also surpassed Mike Bobo for most passing yards in a season with 1,780 .
- Here's a highlight of the Bulldogs' go-ahead score that capped the comeback after being down 20-0. Here they are charging the field after the game. WTXL featured the game on its Friday Night Football program beginning at the 1:00 mark. David Almeda of the Thomasville Times-Enterprise has a follow-up story on the game.
- In a class-act move , Brooks County tipped its cap to Thomasville on social media immediately after the game.
- Brooks County's Jacolby Brown was nominated for WTXL's Play of the Week for his reception from Mac Perry.
- For the first time in 29 years , the Rockmart Yellow Jackets are region champions. Here's coach Biff Parson talking to the team following the Jackets' 41-0 win over Gordon Central. To commemorate the accomplishment, Rockmart has made a Christmas ornament for fans to purchase.
- Rockmart defensive back Tyler Abram was named to the Offense-Defense All-American Bowl in New Orleans.
- Toombs County won again, beating Vidalia 26-7 with Johnathan Benjamin ending the game with an interception. Rigoberto Tinco kicked a 52-yard field goal for the Bulldogs. WTOC has highlights and complete coverage can be found at ToombsNow . The Bulldogs broke a eight-game losing streak against the Indians, beating them for the first time since 2008. If they win next week against Swainsboro, they'll finish the regular season 9-1 for the first time since 2000, when they reached the quarterfinals under Mark R. Stroud.
- In 4-AA, Harlem beat Laney 27-26 in an overtime thriller to clinch a playoff spot for the first time since 2001.
- The Savannah Quarterback Club honored Benedictine's Travis Blackshear as offensive player of the week for his 197-rushing yard, three-touchdown performance in the Cadets' 45-0 win over Metter.
- Here's Benedictine coach Danny Britt being asked by WSAV's Rex Castillo about the possibility of back-to-back 15-0 seasons.
- Bleckley County let an upset slip away against Dodge County. Dave Whitaker of The Bleckley Progress revisits what happened.
- Callaway free safety Jalin Shephard has been invited to the NUC All American Game Week.
- Here are highlights from Hapeville Charter's 42-2 win over Therrell.
“AA in brief” will run for the final time this football season next Tuesday, then it's on to state playoff coverage. Is there something you’d like to see in this space? Follow and reach out to us on Twitter.
Credit: Adam Krohn
Credit: Adam Krohn
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