Grayson knows better than any team that national rankings aren’t all they’re cracked up to be.
In fact, the Rams did Marietta a favor on Friday night when they beat the No. 1-ranked Blue Devils 28-14.
It was Grayson in 2018 that opened the season No. 5 in USA Today, the most prestigious of about a half-dozen outfits that generate national rankings. Grayson had an unprecedented 10 of the state’s top 100 senior prospects.
But none of it mattered in the end as Grayson lost three times, the most disappointing being the Class AAAAAAA quarterfinal defeat to unranked Lowndes. Grayson’s 2018 season was one of the more disappointing in recent state history.
Marietta was the new big thing this season, USA Today’s current No. 5 team with a roster of six of the state’s top-100 senior prospects. Marietta looked the part on Aug. 30, when the Blue Devils beat another top-10 national team, St. Joseph’s Prep of Philadelphia, 21-17 on national TV.
The lesson learned Friday is that no team is getting a free pass to a championship in the highest class, certainly not one that hasn’t won a title since 1967. Grayson intercepted Tennessee-committed quarterback Harrison Bailey four times.
It’s not over yet. Milton and North Gwinnett won state titles the past two seasons after early-season losses. But the path to the championship just got more interesting.
Other outcomes of note in the high class …
*Archer loses shortened game: Archer, the No. 4 team in AAAAAAA, lost to Mill Creek 10-7 in a game that made it only until the 8:31 mark in the second quarter. Archer declined to make up the non-region game and essentially accepted a loss over the alternative, which might've meant two games in five days next week. "I didn't want to put our kids in a four-day turnaround from Monday to Friday (next week)," Archer head coach Andy Dyer told the Gwinnett Daily Post. "At the end of the day, we're trying to make the best decision for our kids physically.''
*Rough night for Region 1: Second-ranked Colquitt County might've been in line to take the No. 1 ranking, but the Packers lost 50-49 to Valdosta on Friday night. Camden County moved to 4-0 but was not overly impressive in a 24-20 victory over Richmond Hill. Tift County is now 1-3 after a 27-13 loss to Crisp County. Lowndes, at No. 3, is the highest-ranked team that won Friday. The Vikings beat East Coweta 27-3.
*To be determined: McEachern to resume: McEachern leads Cedar Grove 14-0 in the first half of a game that will resume at 7 p.m. today. Milton is playing today at 7 p.m. (4 p.m. local time) in California against JSerra.
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