Here are some of Class A’s top games in Week 4:
Our Lady of Mercy (1-1) at No. 1 Aquinas (2-0). The top-ranked Irish have rolled past their first two opponents by a combined scored of 74-24, including a 33-18 win two weeks ago over a solid Prince Avenue Christian team. Now the defending Class A private school champs, led by RB/DB Ruben Garnett, will host their first home game since winning the title. Mercy, which defeated Class AA KIPP Atlanta last week (27-7), is led by dual-threat quarterback Jamison Vest. It will be the first meeting between the two schools since 2005. Aquinas is 4-0 all time against Mercy.
No. 2 Marion County (1-0) at No. 8 Dooly County (2-0). In one of the best games of the weekend in any classification, these two Region 4 foes will renew what has become an intense rivalry over the past five seasons. Marion County, the defending Class A public school champs, has won the last four meetings including twice last season, 27-25 in the regular season and 24-21in the state quarterfinals. The Eagles are led by pre-season all state RB/DB/KR Lorenzo Smothers, a junior, and senior running back Johnny Royal, who rushed for more than 1,000 yards last year. The Bobcats are paced by one of the state's most underrated running backs, senior Chanin Hamilton, who claims offers from Cincinnati, Marshall and Alabama-Birmingham.
Commerce (2-0) at No. 4 in Class AAA Jefferson (3-0). After hovering around mediocrity for most of the last 10 seasons, Commerce is looking to return to the 11-year stretch from 1993 to 2003, when the Tigers went 107-30 and won a state title and five region championships. But their annual tussle with the rival Dragons has not gone well of late, as Jefferson, the 2012 Class AA champion, has won six of the last seven meetings in a series that dates back to 1947.
Other games of note include:
Central, Talbotton (2-0) at St. Anne-Pacelli (2-0)
No. 5 Charlton County (2-0) at Class AA Bacon County (1-1)
No. 6 Clinch County (1-1) at Class AA Berrien (1-1)
Emanuel County Institute (2-0) at Portal (2-0)
Strong Rock Christian (2-0) at Tattnall Square (2-0)
Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy (0-3) at Mount Pisgah Christian (1-1)
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