Class A Football: No. 1 ELCA at Class AAAAA No. 3 Stockbridge, No. 6 Aquinas at No. 7 Prince Avenue among solid Week 2 slate

Week 2’s Best

Here’s a look at some key matchups this weekend, along with some other games worth checking out.

No. 1 Eagle's Landing Christian Academy (1-0) at Class AAAAA No. 3 Stockbridge.  ELCA beat North Florida Christian (ranked No. 3 in Florida's preseason Class 2A poll) 35-0 in its opener last week. LB Chase Burdette (9 tackles) and DE Dalton Hardemon (11 tackles) led a defense that allowed just 106 total yards. Trevor Gear rushed for 81 yards, and QB D.J. Hammond scored two touchdowns.  Stockbridge returned 13 of 24 starters from its 2014 Class AAAAA semifinal team. That includes AJC Super 11 DE Charles Wiley. Stockbridge won its opener against Central of Phenix City, Ala., on QB Malachi Brown's 30-yard TD pass to Demitrius Sullivan in the final four minutes. Central was shut out after returning the opening kickoff for a touchdown. This is the second meeting between the two teams. Stockbridge won 33-3 last season.

No. 6 Aquinas (1-0) at No. 7 Prince Avenue Christian (0-0).  Aquinas (7-A) and Prince Avenue (8-A) both won region championships in 2014. Aquinas, the 2013 private school state champion, went undefeated in the regular season and lost to eventual champion Mount Paran Christian in the Class A private-school semifinals. Prince Avenue finished in a three-way tie for first place in its region but got the title on tiebreakers before losing in the state quarterfinals. Prince Avenue LB Zack Ragle and OL Rob Kraeling were named to the preseason all-state team. Ragle had 91 tackles, seven sacks and four blocked kicks and was the Region 8-A defensive player of the year in 2014. Kraeling is a 6-foot-9, 267-pound senior who has committed to Duke. The Wolverines also feature RB/DB Kevon Hudson (5-10, 175), who sat most of last season with a knee injury.  Aquinas QB Liam Welch is a third-year starter who led his team to the 2013 state championship and a 27-1 record the past two seasons. He passed for 1,973 yards with 23 touchdowns and four interceptions in 2014. Welch was joined on the preseason all-state team by teammate Will Evans, a 6-foot-3, 255-pound defensive lineman who has committed to Ohio. This is the second meeting between the two teams. Aquinas won last season, 33-18.

No. 8 Mount Paran Christian (1-0) vs. Whitefield Academy (0-0).  MPC, the defending private school champs, began the defense of their private school state title with a 42-35 win at Erwin of Asheville (N.C.).  However, the MPC defense yielded over 300 passing yards and five touchdowns through the air. Senior RB/DB Taylor Trammell ran for 212 yards on 33 carries and scored five touchdowns, and had an 85-yard interception return. The game will feature two debuts.  It will be the first game in MPC's new $3 million stadium, which will be called Catherine Steele Sewell Stadium. It features seating for 3,000 and a new Shaw Sports Turf field. On the other side of the field, former NFL quarterback Quinn Gray will make his Georgia high school coaching debut. Gray, who wasn't hired until April, was the offensive coordinator at Florida A&M, his alma mater, last season. This is the third meeting between the two schools. MPC won last season, 49-9.

No. 9 Hawkinsville (0-0) at Class AA Bleckley County (0-1).  It's the season debut for the defending public school champions. Hawkinsville will be led this season by senior OL/LB Matthew Money (5-9, 190), senior WR/CB Tyrus Davis (6-2, 185), senior OT Nathan Wheeler (5-10, 295) and sophomore LB Phuong Pham (5-11, 185). This is the 33rd meeting between the two teams. Bleckley had won three straight until last season, when the Red Devils won 41-7.

Other games of note

No. 2 Marion County (0-0) vs. Miller County (0-0)

No. 3 Landmark Christian (1-0) vs. Class AAAAA Lithia Springs (0-0)

No. 5 Charlton County (0-0) vs. Class AA Manchester (0-0), Saturday at Mercer

Dooly County (0-0) at Wilcox County (0-0)

Commerce (0-0) at Class AAA Banks County (0-0)