There few series in the state that have been as lopsided as Peach County and Perry. The two next-door neighbor rivals will meet again on Friday in Perry, with the No. 6-ranked Trojans looking to continue their mastery.
Peach County leads the series 29-9 and has won the last six meetings. Perry’s last win was in 2007, a 48-28 victory that snapped a 13-game losing streak.
Peach County is coming off an impressive 19-0 win over Warner Robins, another neighboring rival. Keyshawn Lowe rushed for 114 yards and sophomore James Jacks ran for 126 yards in the opener. Quarterback Robert Allen threw for 183 yards and one touchdown.
Some of Friday’s other top games include:
Mary Persons at Washington County: The No. 1-ranked Golden Hawks have won seven straight against Mary Persons dating back to 1994. The two old rivals haven't played since 2005 in a series that Washington County leads 9-7.
Washington County is led by A.J. Gray, the Georgia Tech commitment who starts at quarterback and defensive back. Gray threw for 186 yards and ran for 46 yards in one half; he also returned an interception for a score.
The Washington County defense will be tested by Mary Persons running back Dee High, who rushed for 213 yards in the season opener against Jackson.
Westminster at Laney: Two of the state's top AA upgrades meet in Augusta. Both were impressive in their opener: No. 9 Westminster beat arch-rival Lovett, while Laney knocked off Dublin. The unlikely series began in 2012, with Westminster winning both previous meetings.
Laney is led by quarterback Vicente Thompkins, who ran for 123 yards and threw for 112 against Dublin. The junior is also a standout in the secondary. Westminster didn’t sustain many drives against Lovett (the Wildcats ran 39 plays) but came up with the big plays when it mattered.
Jefferson at North Hall: No. 5 Jefferson is led by quarterback Evan Shirreffs, who has thrown for 200 yards. The running back combination of Sammy Williams and Colby Wood have totaled more than 340 yards in the two games. North Hall, which moved up to AAAA this year, has only one starter back from last year's team. The Trojans, who have yet to play, have a first-year coach in David Bishop. Jefferson leads the series 9-3, but North Hall won last year's game 41-34.
Carrollton at Calhoun: No. 2 Cahoun will have to avoid another slow start this week if it hopes to keep pace with Carrollton, No. 8 in Class AAAA. Last week the Yellow Jackets spotted Dalton 14 points before coming back to win 21-14.
Carrollton is a different story; the Trojans are loaded with speed and ability – plus they are motivated after dropping the first two games of the season against opponents from larger classifications. Carrollton hasn’t opened the season with three straight losses since 1977.
This is the third straight year the two programs have met. Carrollton won last year 42-7 after Calhoun prevailed 46-35 in 2012. Carrollton leads the series 6-2.
Elbert County at Stephens County: The two regional rivals renew their series after a two-year lapse. Class AAAA Stephens County leads the series 30-19-2, but Elbert won the last two meetings to end a 10-game losing streak.
No. 7 Elbert quarterback Mecole Hardman had a nice debut last week with 204 yards rushing and three touchdowns in a win over Cedar Shoals. Stephens County (1-0) opened with a 27-point win over Franklin County under new coach Frank Barden, who had spent the last 18 years at Cartersville.
Vidalia at Toombs County: The two arch-rivals have been playing non-stop since 1987, with Vidalia the dominant team since 2002. Vidalia leads the series 16-11, including last year's 22-7 victory. The Indians have won five straight meetings and 10 of the last 12. The last Toombs victory was 20-0 in 2008.
Vidalia (2-0) is led by quarterback Jordan Black, who threw for 123 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 169 yards and two touchdowns in last week’s win over West Laurens. Toombs (1-0) opened its season last week with a win over Johnson Savannah.
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