It was a light schedule for the high class on Friday as regions 2 and 3 were off and 1 and 5 don’t start region play until next week.
Cherokee upset Etowah 28-21 in the only Region 4 game. Per the Cherokee Tribune, Nolan Donley threw a 41-yard TD pass to Demond Ellison with 25 seconds left for that win. Best game of the night, for sure, but Cherokee's region is more unsettled as unbeaten Roswell and Lassiter must be dealt with. Here are the three games that mattered most in determining region champions and contenders:
-Newton 13, South Gwinnett 12: The Rams beat No. 10 South Gwinnett to establish themselves as the prime contender to challenge No. 3 Grayson in Region 8. Although Archer, Shiloh and Rockdale County are competitive, Newton will be favored to beat each of them and get a first-round home game.
-Norcross 38, Parkview 15: No. 5 Norcross is now heavily favored to win Region 7 after an impressive victory over No. 8 Parkview. The best of the rest is unranked Brookwood (3-2). Norcross has easily handled every opponent except the strangely close 17-14 decision to Collins Hill and should win its first region title since the state-title season of 2013.
-Mill Creek 44, North Gwinnett 17: Mill Creek is now heavily favored to win Region 6. Only Mountain View (4-1) among the other teams has a winning record. Anything less than a 10-0 regular-season record and second straight region title would be a shock for the Hawks.
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