The biggest result Week 10 featured the West Laurens Raiders, who secured their spot in this year’s playoffs with a massive 52-7 win over Mary Persons Friday night. This victory is significant for a multitude of reasons. For starters, West Laurens and Perry are now in a battle for the top seed. Also, Mary Persons defeated West Laurens 52-13 last year. Additionally, the 45-point win was the worst defeat that Mary Persons has suffered since a 50-0 loss during the 1961 season.
Here is a closer look at how West Laurens was able to run away with such dominant victory: The teams were tied 0-0 after the opening quarter and were tied 7-7 before closing out the victory with 45 unanswered points. Mary Persons’ senior quarterback attempted just one pass before freshman Logan Hickman stepped in to replace him and Hickman completed 8-of-21 passes for 88 yards and three touchdowns before the game was over.
As for the West Laurens offense, AJ Mathis went 12-of-24 for 203 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. The Raiders did most of their work on the ground and accumulated 352 yards off 34 carries and accounted for five touchdowns. Senior Christian Covin took 11 carries for a game-high 127 yards and a score.
Elsewhere in the classification, Carver-Columbus clinched the Region 1-AAAA championship with its 40-7 win over Shaw. Cairo is sitting comfortably at behind the Tigers in the race for the No. 2 seed with two games to play since it owns the tiebreaker over both Westover and Americus-Sumter.
In Region 2-AAAA, Perry will face Mary Persons on Friday and West Laurens will face Upson-Lee. Thomson and Burke County faceoff in a massive Region 3-AAAA showdown with Thomson entering the matchup as the lone team without a region loss.
Woodward Academy can clinch the Region 4-AAAA title with a win over North Clayton and Cartersville has already secured the top seed out of Region 5-AAAA. Region 6-AAAA is in the midst of a log jam with three teams with one loss in region play and a Pickens team with a 3-2 region record. Pickens is facing LaFayette this weekend in its season finale.
Marist is battling with Blessed Trinity on Friday with a chance to close out a perfect 10-0 season and Region 7-AAAA crown. The War Eagles are coming off a 27-0 win over Flowery Branch. Flowery Branch faces a winless West Hall team this Friday night and will close out its season against Denmark the following week in a game that will determine the region’s No. 3 and No. 4 seed with Marist and Blessed Trinity guaranteed the No. 1 or the No. 2.
In Region 8-AAAA, North Oconee and Oconee County will be playing for the region title this Friday. North Oconee can close out a perfect 10-0 season with a victory, while Oconee County still has Madison County on its schedule.
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