Week 6 features top 10 clashes as well as battles between undefeated teams. Here is a quick look:
No. 2 (Private) Holy Innocents' (4-0, 1in Region 5) at No. 4 Wesleyan (4-0, 1-0 in Region 5). Neither team was ranked in preseason, but both have leaped into the top five on the power of major upsets. Wesleyan defeated then-No. 3 Prince Avenue Christian 24-14 on Sept. 6. Holy Innocents' beat then-No. 1 Eagle's Landing Christian 42-41 last week. Holy Innocents' and Wesleyan are two of three 4-0 teams in Region 5-A. The other is Trinity Christian, although ELCA (3-1) remains a threat. Wesleyan is led by sophomore and two-year starter J.C. French, who is 47-of-76 passing for 559 yards and six touchdowns (three vs. Prince Avenue). Another sophomore, Griffin Caldwell, has rushed for more than 300 yards. Two-way lineman Tanner Bivins, a junior, is a Division I prospect. Holy Innocents' attempted only one pass (incomplete) last week against ELCA and won behind 424 yards rushing. Michael Cox, a 230-pounder, rushed for 214 of that on 40 carries. Wesleyan has won five straight in the series and led 24-0 at halftime last season before Holy Innocents' scored 16 in the fourth quarter to make it close, 24-16.
No. 3 (Private) Eagle's Landing Christian (3-1, 0-1 in Region 5) at Trinity Christian (4-0, 1-0 in Region 5). ELCA lost its first region game last week since 2009, a streak of 59 straight victories. State Player of the Year candidate senior RB Keaton Mitchell had a career game in the 42-41 loss to Holy Innocents', finishing with 356 all-purpose yards, including 194 yards rushing and five touchdowns. His 73-yard reception in the final two minutes of regulation forced the overtime period. Meanwhile, Trinity, in just its second season in the Georgia High School Association, is 4-0 for the first time in the history of the program, which began in 2011. The Lions are led by sophomore twins QB David and WR/DB Joshua Dallas, sons of head coach Kenny Dallas, who was the longtime head coach of the program that had been ELCA's leading Region 5 rival, Landmark Christian Academy, before serving a three-season stint as defensive coordinator at ELCA (2014-2016). ELCA won last year's meeting, 61-0.
No. 9 (Private) North Cobb Christian (4-0, 1-0 in Region 6) vs. No. 8 (Public) Bowdon (3-0). NCC is 4-0 for the second consecutive season after last week's impressive 24-0 win over No. 9 (Public) Trion, in the region opener for the Eagles. Bowdon, which is 3-0 after finishing 1-9 last season, had a bye last week. NCC won last season's meeting, 19-16.
No. 2 (Public) Clinch County (3-1, 0-1 in Region 2) vs. No. 8 (Public) Wilcox County (4-0, 1-0 in Region 2). The Patriots have lost six straight games in the series, but they're 8-8 against Clinch when ranked. Wilcox is ranked this week for the first time since 2013. New coach Rob Stowe has Wilcox 4-0 for the first time since 2011. Stowe, a Stephens County alumnus, has spent most of his 25 seasons in north Georgia but joined the staff last season as defensive coordinator and was promoted. He inherited perhaps the best all-around public-school player in Class A. Desmond Tisdol is a four-star LB recruit who has two 100-yard rushing efforts in four games and averages 11.6 yards per carry. Other weapons are QB Noah Hollingsworth (576 yards passing for nine touchdowns and 383 yards rushing at 10.9 ypc) and Martez Thrower (111 yards rushing and a team-leading 6.5 tackles last week against Lanier County). Clinch, the two-time defending state champion, lost to Irwin County 14-0 last week. Irwin's touchdowns came on a 70-yard run and 78-yard punt return. Clinch QB Tyler Morehead has rushed for 591 yards, more than half of his team's total offense this season. Clinch is just 6-of-22 passing with two touchdowns and three interceptions. Clinch won last season's meeting, 36-12.
Other games of note:
No. 5 (Public) Marion County (3-1) at Manchester (2-1)
No. 8 (Private) Fellowship Christian (4-0) vs. Mount Paran Christian (2-0)
No. 10 (Public) Lincoln County (2-2) at Warren County (2-2)
No. 9 (Public) Trion (3-1) at Gordon Lee (2-2)
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