There are premiere matchups that stick out heading into each week, and there are also of course, plenty of games that might have been under the radar, that end up surpassing those perceived expectations. Then, there are the weeks that are absolutely stacked with intriguing matchups. Week 8, is indeed one of those weeks that is loaded with major matchups, and there are five games in particular that are worthy of the hype.
Carver-Columbus vs. Cairo (at Kinnett Stadium)
This matchup pairs last year’s Region 1-AAAA champion (Cairo), with its runner-up (Carver), and both of the teams are coming in with 4-0 starts to their 2019 race for the Region 1 top seed. Carver dropped a 28-26 loss to Harris County in its season opener and then has strung together five straight victories. Against Region 1, the Tigers have toppled Hardaway (34-14), Dougherty (44-8), Columbus (51-10) and Northside-Columbus (52-0) in convincing fashion. Cairo has looked just as stout on both sides of the football. The Syrupmakers opened the year with a 45-21 win at Thomasville and then dropped a 14-10 game to defending Class AAAAA Bainbridge before taking on the region. Cairo’s region dominance includes a win over Northside-Columbus (53-7), Hardaway (21-7), Westover (49-14) and Columbus (39-0). Cairo has won the last three regular season meetings, including a 43-14 win last year. Carver-Columbus also fell 42-13 to Cairo in the 2008 Class AAA semifinals. The Tigers’ only win against Cairo in the six all-time meetings, however, was a big one—a 16-13 victory in the 2007 Class AAA state championship.
Eastside vs. Woodward Academy (at Sharp Stadium)
Eastside allowed a whopping 42.8 ppg in its three non-region games, but the Eagles have found their footing on the defensive side of the ball ever since, opening up Region 4-AAAA with a 39-2 win over North Clayton and scoring a 21-0 win at Luella this past Friday. The Eagles have now won three-straight following back-to-back losses to open the season, and look a lot more like last year’s team, which completed its first-ever undefeated regular season and swept its way to the Region 4-AAAA title. Woodward Academy’s defensive turnaround is a different success story. After struggling on that side of the ball in 2018, the War Eagles have been nothing short of dominant this season, opening up the year with a 5-0 start and limiting opponents to just 5.4 ppg. Woodward Academy defeated Westminster (19-0), Grady (35-7) and Blessed Trinity (13-0) in non-region play and have scored lopsided wins over McDonough (47-7) and Druid Hills (44-3)
LaFayette at Northwest Whitfield
This Region 6-AAAA matchup has major playoff implications. Northwest Whitfield reached a fourth-straight postseason last year as the No. 4 seed, but this year’s Bruins have a chance to compete for region title after opening region play with a massive 27-16 win at Ridgeland. The victory snapped a three-year losing streak against the Panthers and moved the Bruins to 4-1 overall. LaFayette is fighting for a shot at the playoffs this season and comes in with a 3-3 overall record and a 1-1 Region 6-AAAA start. The Ramblers scored a 33-6 win over Southeast Whitfield, but then dropped a tough 37-34 loss to Heritage-Catoosa this past Friday. Northwest Whitfield scored a 36-14 win in last year’s meeting.
Denmark at Blessed Trinity
A two-year-old program (Denmark) that is loaded with talent is facing off against two-time defending state champion (Blessed Trinity) in a unique top 10 showdown. Last year, Blessed Trinity dominated 47-6, but this year will likely be much more competitive with Denmark coming in with a 5-0 record that includes four shutouts and a 44-point average margin of victory. Denmark’s roster featured only underclassmen last season and now they have a core group of guys familiar with the challenge this week. The Denmark program is expected to be reclassified into a higher classification after this season, so there is a window of opportunity to do something big this season. It is not hyperbole to say that ‘this is the biggest game in the history of the Denmark program,’ because it absolutely is.
Oconee County at St. Pius
Region 8-AAAA is kicking off this week with undefeated North Oconee (6-0) taking on Madison County (3-3) and Oconee County (5-1) at St. Pius (3-3) with Stephens County (1-5) off on a bye week. Oconee County and St. Pius are clearly not the only contenders in Region 8 this year, but the result of their matchup this Friday is going to send the winner that much closer to achieving that goal. Oconee County dropped last year’s meeting 28-14 and 2017’s 41-13, but scored a 20-16 victory in 2016.
About the Author
