The contenders will start to sort themselves out this week in two of the most competitive regions in Class AAAAA.
In Region 7, No. 7 Rome travels to No. 10 Kell to decide who gets the early leg up. In Region 4, undefeated Ola will play No. 6 Dutchdown in the first of many contests that will separate the wheat from the chaff. Those two games are among the best scheduled for the fourth week of the season.
Here’s a look at the top games:
Rome at Kell, Friday, 7:30 p.m.
This will be a barometer to gauge how much Rome has improved since its opening-night loss to Class AAAAAAA No. 1 Marietta. The Wolves thrashed North Clayton 63-6 last week, rolling up 370 yards of total offense – most of that in the first half before the reserves got a chance to play. Kell will be a legitimate threat.
The Rome offense – hurt by the graduation of tailback Jamious Griffin and four-year starting quarterback Knox Kadum – has thrived behind a veteran offensive line. Last week E.J. Burks rushed for 115 yards and three touchdowns and Trey Lawrence scored three times.
“I think that is something we’re known for, and we’ve got a good offensive line, so it’s something we should be doing,” Rome coach John Reid told the Rome News Tribune. “I think we did it some against Marietta and it was one of the better things we were able to do. But we’ve got to get better. We’ve got to run a little harder. We’ve got to play a good region game next week. It’s going to be a big one.”
Kell’s defense has been stout in the first two games and is coming off a 27-0 win over rival Lassiter. Last week it was linebacker Branson Hall who came up big, posting 10 tackles, one sack and two pass breakups. Kell limited Lassiter to 75 yards of total offense. The Longorns had limited the powerful Mays offense to 12 points in the Corky Kell Classic opener.
The Longhorns are the last Region 7 team to beat Rome; they did it in 2016 and the Wolves have been unstoppable since, winning state championships in 2017 and 2018.
Dutchtown at Ola, Friday, 7:30 p.m.: Ola has ascended to new heights this year, going 3-0 for the first time in school history. Hunter Kautz (421 yards passing, five touchdowns; 320 yards rushing, seven touchdowns) has sparked the offense and teamed up with receiver Kas Stephens for a solid one-two punch. On defense, All-Henry County linebacker Braylen Sanders has 41 combined tackles in the first three games. Last week Devin Lee had six tackles, two sacks and forced a fumble.
Dutchtown gained a reputation for its defense last season when it allowed the fewest points in the state. This season the Bulldogs have shown an improved offense, but have already given up 58 points, after giving up just 92 in 13 games in 2018. Last week Dutchtown’s defense came up big in the final quarter on the road to beat Crisp County. Quarterback Arendez Fedd has the offense rolling; the Bulldogs have put up 125 points in three games
Brooks County at Bainbridge: No. 1-ranked Bainbridge (3-0) will be the next obstacle in the path of Class AA No. 9 Brooks County, which lost to Class A Private No. 1 Clinch County last week and faces Class AA No. 4 Dublin next week. Bainbridge has been rolling and last week easily dispatched North Miami Beach 37-0. Quayde Hawkins has thrown for 591 yards and five touchdowns, hooking up with Michael Ryan 10 times for three touchdowns. Rashad Broadnax has rushed for 302 yards and six touchdowns. The Bearcats have won 10 in a row. Although the two schools aren't that far from each other, last year was the first meeting, with Brooks County winning 15-13.
Newnan at Griffin, Friday, 7:30 p.m. The 50th meeting between the two nearby rivals will take place this week. The series, which dates back to 1908, resumed last year after a 19-year interregnum and Griffin won 26-17. Griffin has run roughshod off both its opponents. The Bears are led offensively by Darshavious Foster (25-for-39, 445 yards, three touchdowns), tailback Mo King (165 yards, four touchdowns) and receivers Jamoi Mayes (nine catches, 158 yards) and Quamari Williams (eight catches, 204 yards).
Miller Grove vs. Riverdale (Southern Crescent Stadium), Thursday, 7 p.m. Miller Grove (0-2) is trying to get back on its feet after suffering heavy graduation losses. The Wolverines have lost two competitive games, falling last week on an 83-yard kickoff return. The offense has struggled, while the defense has come together behind sophomores Travis Jones and Jean Cherelus and senior lineman Dontavious Welch. Riverdale (2-1) gave No. 4 Carrollton all it could handle before the Trojan pulled away in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Avaun Rucker threw for 140 yards and two touchdowns last week, but was also sacked twice. Ninja Cole had an excellent effort against the Trojans with 9.5 total tackles, one for loss, and one interception. Riverdale won 18-12 in 2018 in the first team's first meeting.
Decatur at St. Pius, Friday, 7:30 p.m.: It's been 26 years since Decatur has beaten St. Pius. While the two clubs have met only five times since, St. Pius has dominated the series. Over the last five meetings, St. Pius has outscored the Bulldogs 192-26. That includes last year's 27-7 St. Pius win. Decatur has a solid quarterback in James Swank and a big-time playmaker in Isaac Dimrock, who had two big catches last week. The Bulldogs came up with a series of big plays to beat Miller Grove last week, including a 83-yard kickoff return by Marshall Toole and a 23-yard run by Justin Weaver on a fake punt.
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