Friday night roundups

Forsyth Central recovered its opening kickoff after a miscue by the Vikings’ return team and Eli Ruis found the end zone on a 21-yard run to put the Bulldogs up 7-0. Mitch Weber notched the first of his three fumble recoveries to set up a 10-yard touchdown pass from Bronson Landreth to Ruis. Weber’s other two fumble recoveries came off of blocked punts and he returned them each for touchdowns. Ruis scored his third touchdown early in the second quarter and Bronson rushed in a 38-yard quarterback keeper that made it 42-0 at the half. Marcus Brown added a Bulldogs touchdown in the third quarter and the Vikings got on the board with just seven seconds left in the fourth.

Parkview 20, Tift County 7

The Parkview Panthers picked up their second win of the season with a 20-7 victory over Tift County behind a strong defensive showing and a stellar performance by junior running back Cody Brown. Senior kicker Nolan McCord scored the only points of the first quarter, knocking in two field goals from 50 and 33 yards out. Brown finally found the end zone in the second, striking on a short run from three yards out to give Parkview a 13-0 lead at the half. Following a scoreless third, Brown exploded for a 93-yard touchdown run in the middle of the fourth to seal the deal on the win.

West Forsyth 27, Peachtree Ridge 10

The West Forsyth Wolverines claimed a 27-10 victory over Peachtree Ridge in large part to a strong first-half defensive showing. Senior Casey Cowart was responsible for two first-half scores, rushing for a 54-yard touchdown in the first and receiving a 30-yard touchdown pass from senior Blake Whitfield in the second. The Peachtree Ridge offense was held to just 38 total yards the entire first half. The Lions quickly turned things around in the third quarter, racking up a field goal and following with a successful onside kick that they capitalized on with a touchdown. However, West Forsyth would score twice more in the fourth, including a second touchdown from Whitfield to Cowart to seal the Wolverines’ first win of the season.

Grayson 35, Westlake 21

Grayson trailed 14-0 until late in the first half, when C.J. Dixon threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to Jamal Haynes to make it 14-7 at halftime, and the host Rams outscored Westlake 21-0 in the third quarter to take the lead. Dixon found Lafayette Gurvin Jr. for a 26-yard score on the first possession of the second half to tie the game, then Gurvin finished the game with three rushing touchdowns (32, 9 and 16 yards) to keep Grayson on top. After Westlake scored a touchdown to pull within seven points at 28-21, Gurvin’s final touchdown run with under two minutes to play put Grayson back up by 14.

McEachern 30, Collins Hill 14

Visiting McEachern opened up the scoring on a 36-yard trick play and a Jordan Simmons touchdown run quickly made it a two-score game. Quarterback Carlos Delrio-Wilson found Jacari Collins for 40 and 5-yard touchdowns to push the lead to 30-0 heading into a running-clock fourth quarter. Collins Hill scored on an 80-yard touchdown pass from Sam Horn to Travis Hunter with 3:25 to play. The Eagles recovered the onside kick and then Horn found Jalen Johnson for a 20-yard touchdown with 1:25 left for the game’s final points.

Class AAAAAA

Harrison 42, Sprayberry 7

The Harrison Hoyas scored 35 unanswered points on the road to best host Sprayberry 42-7. David Roberts’ 35-yard run gave Harrison a first-quarter lead before Sprayberry’s Damarion Owens tied it up with a rushing touchdown early in the second frame. Harrison scored three times before the break—a 20-yard run from Mason Babay and touchdown passes from Gavin Hall to Babay (40 yards) and Roberts (8 yards)—for a 28-7 lead at halftime. James Ziglor III added two more scores for the Hoyas in the third quarter with touchdown runs of 46 and 70 yards.

Sequoyah 28, Campbell 7

The Sequoyah Chiefs built a 21-0 lead before halftime and coasted to a 28-7 victory over the visiting Class AAAAAAA Campbell Spartans. Colin Koprowski found Aidan Moore with a 9-yard touchdown pass on Sequoyah’s opening drive, and Jaden Mitchell added a rushing score later in the quarter. Mitchell scored again in the second, capping a 10-play, 73-yard drive with a 3-yard trip to the end zone, before Giovanunie Russell thwarted Campbell’s first productive drive of the game by intercepting Spartans quarterback Nate Lyons in the end zone. After a scoreless third quarter, Joseph Silva added a 9-yard touchdown run for a 28-0 Sequoyah lead early in the final frame. Lyons saved Campbell from the shutout with a 2-yard quarterback-keeper with 4:16 left on the clock.

Johns Creek 41, Chattahoochee 0

Quarterback Ben Whitlock threw four touchdown passes, three of which went to Dalton Pearson, as visiting Johns Creek handled Chattahoochee in the 41-0 win. Pearson had 96 yards receiving to go with touchdowns of 37, 26 and 7 yards. Ethan Storey caught a 15-yard touchdown from Whitlock. Nick Willis had an 86-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, his second of the season, and Jon Ross Maye had his second interception return for a touchdown (42 yards) in as many weeks.

New Hampstead 21, Richmond Hill 14

The Phoenix outscored Richmond Hill 21-0 in the second half to rally past the host Wildcats. Jalen Rouse ran in Richmond Hill’s first touchdown just minutes into the second quarter and Alex Jefferies added a 64-yard interception return touchdown that grew the lead to 14-0. In the third quarter, New Hampstead’s Aljhanod Thomas ran in a 76-yard touchdown and a 4-yard score to even it up entering the final quarter. Sam Brown provided the game-winner on a 13-yard carry with 6:26 left.

Cambridge 29, Centennial 7

The host Knights capped their opening possession with a 16-yard touchdown pass from freshman Zaire Goff to Julian Nixon, but Cambridge used 29 unanswered points to run away with the victory. The Bears got on the board with a field goal and led 9-7 at the half following a touchdown and a failed 2-point conversion. Phillip-Michael Collins ran in a 10-yard touchdown with 2:47 left in the third quarter, but another failed 2-point try kept it 15-7. Sophomore quarterback Zach Harris found junior Hayden Gardella for a 59-yard touchdown to make it 22-7 and the duo connected for an 83-yard touchdown with 8:04 left in the fourth quarter to extend the lead to 29-7.

Allatoona 41, South Cobb 20

Visiting Allatoona got two touchdown passes from Dante Marshall and two touchdown runs from Alex Wilson. Wilson rushed for scores of 27 and 13 yards in the first quarter, and Marshall found Zach Jackson for a score of 49 yards and Bryce Herring for a score of 10 yards. Brett Blomquist had a fumble recovery for a touchdown of 20 yards to go with an interception in the first quarter. Jude Kelley hit field goals of 55 and 30 yards for Allatoona. Jonathan Simmons rushed for touchdowns of 60, 54 and 17 yards for South Cobb.

Dalton 42, Creekview 19

The Dalton Catamounts soundly defeated Creekview 42-19 with another phenomenal rushing performance by senior Jahmyr Gibbs. Gibbs, who had five touchdowns against Sequoyah in Week 4, compiled over 300 rushing yards on the night and reached the end zone six times, including a 67-yard score in the fourth quarter. Creekview managed to keep the game close at 14-13 late in the second, but simply couldn’t contain Gibbs.

Class AAAAA

Buford 42, Newton 14

Host Buford led just 14-7 at halftime, but a 21-7 advantage in the third quarter pushed the Wolves to a comfortable win. Quarterback Jarvis Evans Jr. finished 7-of-12 passing for 138 yards and three touchdowns, and running back Elijah Turner rushed 13 times for 128 yards and two touchdowns. Evans found Justice Johnson (36 yards), Gabe Ervin Jr. (5 yards) and Julien Lewis (11 yards) for his three scoring passes. Turner’s two touchdowns came in the third quarter, the first one a 51-yard run on the first play of scrimmage in the second half and the second an 8-yard score. Mason McCranie also had a 4-yard interception return for a touchdown for the Wolves.

Kell 45, East Paulding 0

Kell quarterback Corbin LaFrance threw five touchdown passes for the host Longhorns. LaFrance hit Jamal Hill for 39-yard and 26-yard scoring passes, David Mbadinga for a 58-yard screen pass and both Jaylon Brown and Camron Ball for 7-yard touchdowns. Deandre Creary also had an interception return for a touchdown, and the Longhorns blocked an East Paulding punt that was recovered and returned deep into Raiders territory, leading to a Colby Kerns field goal.

Carrollton 24, Rome 20

Myles Morris connected with Austin Waldrop with 20 seconds left in the game to lift Carrollton over Rome in front of the home crowd. Carrollton held a 17-3 lead with 9:05 left before Rome got back into the game. Morris, who was 14-of-30 passing for 155 yards and the game-winning touchdown, also rushed for 77 yards on nine carries. The Trojans built a 14-0 lead on the play of its special teams; Cyrus McClure returned a blocked punt 35 yards for a touchdown early in the first quarter, and Terrell Michael’s scored on a 76-yard punt return later in the opening frame. Alonzo Rodriguez kicked a 27-yard field goal early in the second quarter to get Rome on the board, but Carrollton responded with a 32-yard field goal from Damean Dominquez to make it a 17-3 game. Rome took the lead with a 26-yard pass from Caleb Ellard to Jaquavious Wise, a 26-yard field goal from Rodriguez and a 21-yard run by Ahijah Blackwel with 55 second left before Morris’ game-winner.

Class AAAA

Sandy Creek 28, Starr’s Mill 10

Sandy Creek built off its 14-3 halftime lead to take a 28-3 lead into the fourth quarter before closing out its home victory and starting the season 4-0 for the first time since 2014. Quarterback Matt Williams threw a touchdown pass to Brian Branch to put the Patriots up 7-0 in the first quarter. Starr’s Mill got on the board with a 23-yard field goal in the second quarter, but Sandy Creek running back Rashad Amos ran in three consecutive touchdowns to make it 28-3 heading into the fourth quarter. Hunter Lawson threw a 15-yard touchdown to Owen Phillips with 4:15 left to cut it to 28-10.

Cartersville 28, Cherokee 7

Cartersville quarterback Tee Webb connected with Devonte Ross for a 36-yard pick-up to set up a 1-yard touchdown by Quante Jennings that gave the visiting Canes a 7-0 lead in the opening quarter. Marquail Coaxum forced a fumble that was recovered by teammate Jadon Martin and returned 22 yards for Cartersville’s second touchdown. Jennings added a 12-yard touchdown with nine minutes left in the first half to grow the lead to 21-0. Cherokee made it a two-possession game with a 1-yard score in the third quarter, but Webb answered with a 65-yard touchdown pass to Ross on Cartersville’s next possession and Evan Slocum intercepted the Warriors to ice the game.

Class AAA

North Murray 31, Calhoun 7

North Murray’s stunning road victory over Calhoun snapped the Yellow Jackets 139-game region winning streak dating back to 2001. The Mountaineers led 17-7 with 2:41 left when Noah Lundsford sealed the victory on a 33-yard run. Minutes later, Chaisen Buckner intercepted the Calhoun pass and returned it to the 1-yard line to set up another Lundsford score. Quarterback Ladd McConkley, who was 9-of-12 passing for 93 yards in the first half, scored on a short run early in the second quarter to give North Murray a 10-0 lead. McConkley passed to Hayden Hulett for a 4-yard touchdown pass that put the Mountaineers up 17-7 with 4:17 left in the third quarter. Jerrian Hames scored on a 16-yard run for Calhoun and Eduardo Fajardo added the extra point. This was Calhoun’s lowest points total in a game since the 58-6 loss to Trevor Lawrence’s Cartersville in 2017.

Jefferson 41, Gainesville 7

A three-touchdown outing by sophomore Malaki Starks helped fuel Jefferson’s 41-7 win over Gainesville, giving the Dragons their second win on the season. Starks put the first points of the game on the board following an 11-yard pitch-and-run, and found paydirt again shortly after on a 33-yard rush into the end zone. The Dragons defense got in on the scoring action as well, recovering a fumble late in the second and capitalizing with a return for a touchdown. Senior Colby Cark connected with senior Josh Cochran in the corner of the end zone to close out the first-half scoring spree at 27-0. Starks collected his third touchdown in the third quarter, followed by a Kolton Jones scamper from 15 yards out to cap the Dragons scoring at 41.

Greater Atlanta Christian 38, Thomson 19

Greater Atlanta Christian scored 21 of its 38 points in the fourth quarter while holding Thomson scoreless to take the victory. Jackson Hardy passed for two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to keep the Bulldogs at bay. Tyler Bride rushed for two touchdowns of 76, 64 and two yards and finished with 184 yards on 12 carries. Jackson Hardy passed to Christian Thomas (31 yards) and Brooks Miller (51 yards) for touchdowns. Tyler Curland was 5-for-5 on extra points for GAC while adding a 23-yard field goal. Thomson’s Taymarion Martin passed to Rodney Lazenby for a 37-yard touchdown, Dylan Hobbs scored on a 4-yard run and Lilvasco Winfrey returned a kickoff 91 yards for a touchdown. Thomson led 12-0 before GAC got on the board with nine seconds left before the half.

Class AA

Callaway 55, Troup 45

Callaway weathered an injury to star tailback Cartavious Bigsby and defeated the Class AAAA Tigers in a thrilling shootout. Jacob Freeman returned the opening kickoff for a Callaway touchdown. Troup’s Trey Williams answered with a 16-yard touchdown and then Bigsby rushed for a 12-yard score to make it 13-7 with 5:55 still left in the first quarter. Troup grabbed a 14-13 lead after quarterback Kobe Hudson connected with Zy Varner on a 27-yard touchdown, and the Callaway offense returned to the field without Bigsby in the backfield. Charlie Dixon, filled in for Bigsby admirably, and ran in a 6-yard touchdown that put the Cavaliers up 20-14 at the end of an eventful opening quarter. Dixon fumbled midway through the second quarter, but teammate Jacob Freeman recovered it and returned it for a touchdown to build the lead to 26-14. Callaway eventually outscored Troup 20-0 in the second quarter and took a 40-14 lead into the half—quarterback Demetrius Coleman added a 17-yard touchdown pass to Jymere Jones and ran in a 1-yard touchdown. Troup came storming back in the third quarter, using touchdown runs by Williams and Hudson, two successful two-point conversions and a Hudson touchdown pass to Varner to make it 40-37 with 3:23 left in the period. Coleman closed the half with a 13-yard touchdown to Jalin Shephard that pushed the Callaway lead back to 46-37 entering the final frame. Kicker Blake Eubanks made a 23-yard field goal and Dixon rushed for a 1-yard touchdown to make it 55-37. Hudson ran in Troup’s final score with 1:40 left from two yards out and Williams ran in the 2-point attempt to make it 55-45.

Class A

Irwin County 14, Clinch County 0

A Clinch County punt went into the end zone for a touchback and Irwin County took over at its 20-yard line early in the second quarter. The Indians fumbled at the line of scrimmage, but Gabriel Benyard recovered it and then took it 80 yards for the touchdown to give Irwin County a 6-0 lead. Benyard added two interceptions in the game on the defensive side of the ball. JyQuez Marshall recovered a Clinch County fumble in the fourth quarter and returned it 75 yards and Jamorri Colson ran in the 2-point conversion to put the Indians up 14-0. Colson also had an interception in the game. Clinch County finished with 160 total yards of offense, all of which came on the ground.

Darlington 57, Gordon Lee 6

Darlington’s Kolin Rogers rushed for four touchdowns, including three in the first quarter as the host Tigers cruised past Gordon Lee. Quarterback Griffin Brewster also connected with Trysten Wright for two touchdowns in the first half. Following Rogers’ final touchdown early in the third quarter, Cade Brock forced a fumble that Tate Rutledge returned 26 yards for a touchdown that grew the lead to 50-0 entering the final period. Darius Smith provided Darlington’s final points on a 9-yard run with 6:40 left and Gordon Lee punched in its only points on a touchdown run as time expired.