Grayson and Valdosta, the No. 1-ranked teams in the two highest classifications, suffered lopsided losses Friday night while the No. 1 team in the third-highest class, Buford, survived in overtime.
The evening’s big winners were Lowndes and Colquitt County.
Lowndes, ranked No. 2 in the highest class and poised to move up in Sunday’s new poll, beat Valdosta 24-0. It was not an upset, as Lowndes was at home and Valdosta plays in the lower classification, but a disappointment for the Wildcats, who entered 5-0 and confident, having recently beaten Colquitt County. But Lowndes won its third straight in the crosstown rivalry called the Winnersville Classic.
Colquitt, ranked No. 5 in AAAAAAA, defeated Grayson 31-7 in a game between the two programs in the highest class with the most victories since 2010, each with 100 or more and two state titles. Colquitt now has beaten Grayson four of six times this decade, including a 26-14 win at Grayson last year.
Buford, No. 1 in AAAAA, beat No. 10 Archer of AAAAAAA 29-28 in overtime. The Wolves trailed 28-21 after the overtime’s first possession but scored a touchdown and went for two.
Had Buford lost, it would’ve marked the first time since at least 1982, the start of the modern AJC poll, that the No. 1 teams in the three highest classes had lost in the same week. Instead, it’s still only the fourth time since 1982, and first since 2013, that No. 1 teams in the two highest classes have lost in the same week.
Elsewhere in the highest class, No. 8 Parkview defeated No. 7 Milton 16-7. That’s the third loss for the defending champion of AAAAAAA.
No. 4 Harrison beat No. 7 Dalton 42-21 in a Region 6-AAAAAA game between undefeated teams. Harrison (6-0), No. 2 Dacula (5-0) and No. 3 Coffee (5-0) have never been ranked No. 1 and have an opportunity with Valdosta losing, although Valdosta (5-1) remains unbeaten in its classification.
In AAAAA, No. 7 Warner Robins beat cross-town rival Northside 39-0. It was the widest margin of victory in series history and Northside’s worst loss since 1970.
Two defending champions had good nights against ranked opponents as No. 3 Bainbridge of AAAAA beat No. 7 Crisp County of AAA 14-9, and No. 2 Cedar Grove of AAA beat No. 8 Lovett 41-17 in AAA.
In Class A, No. 2 Holy Innocents’ won impressively for the second straight week with a 31-0 victory over No. 5 Wesleyan. Holy Innocents’ had beaten previous No. 1 Eagle’s Landing Christian last week.
Also in A, Manchester beat public-school No. 5 Marion County 43-14, and No. 2 Clinch County edged No. 8 Wilcox County 28-22.
Bowdon, the No. 7 team A public-school team, beat No. 9 private-school North Cobb Christian 27-21.
The regular season is officially halfway done with six weeks down, six to go.
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