Week 4 featured a top 10 matchup between Class AA schools, but you wouldn’t know by the score. The No. 8 Rockmart Yellow Jackets made easy work of the No. 3 Heard County Braves, waltzing to a 33-0 shutout.
It should be noted that 1) the game was shortened to two quarters, and 2) it was the Braves who decided to essentially concede defeat by telling officials they didn’t want to wait through a weather delay.
Noah Syverson covered the game for the Rome News-Tribune and writes that it will go down as a forfeit by the Braves (1-2). It will also go down as the second loss in a row for them — they lost 33-3 to top-ranked Hapeville Charter last week — so they will surely be punted from the rankings. After all, they've been outscored 66-3 their last two games.
Syverson writes that one of the Braves’ top players, running back/defensive back and Tennessee commit Aaron Beasley, did not travel with the team.
As for the Jackets (3-0), they continue their dominant start to the season. They’ve outscored then-No. 10 Cedartown, Central-Carrollton and Heard County 104-21 as they head into Region 7 play, where they are defending champions.
Though the Jackets were overlooked and unranked heading into the season despite coming off a second straight 9-3 finish, they’re playing like a state finalist with a realistic shot at a 10-0 regular season. This is the first season since 2010 in which they begin 3-0.
Here’s how the rest of the top 10 fared:
- The No. 2 Callaway Cavaliers coasted to a 50-0 win over Cross Keys. The Cavs are off to a 3-0 start for the third straight year. Kevin Eckleberry has the game story for the LaGrange Daily News.
- The No. 4 Thomasville Bulldogs rebounded from a blowout loss to Colquitt County with a 39-0 win over Everglades (Fla.). They are 2-1. Both the Thomasville Times-Enterprise and Valdosta Daily Times covered the game.
- The No. 5 Bremen Blue Devils edged AAAA's Cedartown 13-9, moving to 3-0.
- The No. 6 Dodge County Indians topped AAA's Appling County 14-7. They're 3-0 with a 14-game win streak in the regular season.
- The No. 7 Rabun County Wildcats beat Stephens County 41-14 to move to 2-1. Jeff Hart has the writeup for accessWDUN.
- The No. 10 Washington County Golden Hawks coasted to a 55-7 win over AAAAAA's Greenbrier. They are 3-0.
- On bye: No. 1 Hapeville Charter; No. 9 Dublin
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