--Class AAAA No. 1 Buford outgained Madison County 320-29 in a 44-0 win. The Wolves (9-0, 6-0) have outscored Region 7-AAAA opponents 263-22 this season. Buford will play at Stephens County (7-2, 5-1) on Friday. Buford has won 34 straight games.
--St. Pius X wrapped up the Region 6-AAAA championship with a 48-7 win over Stone Mountain. Brennan Fitzpatrick and Joey Connors returned interceptions for touchdowns for the Golden Lions (7-2, 7-0), who have won seven straight since opening with consecutive losses.
--Pickens snapped a five-game losing streak to Gilmer and set up a showdown with Cartersville next week that will decide the Region 7-AAAA championship. Pickens quarterback Marcus Byrd and running back Shannon Brooks combined for 441 yards rushing and five touchdowns in a 42-19 win over Gilmer. Byrd had 248 yards on 16 carries, with Brooks, the state’s leading rusher, finishing with 193 yards and three scores. The Dragons (8-1, 5-1) will head to Cartersville (8-1, 6-0) with a chance to win the program’s first region title.
--Whitewater built a 21-0 lead and hung on to upset No. 3 Woodward Academy, 31-28, in dramatic fashion. With the game tied 28-28 with under a minute to play, Whitewater’s Avery Roth returned an interception inside the Woodward Academy 5-yard line, setting up Liam Voigt’s 18-yard game-winning field goal as time expired.
--Sandy Creek bounced back from its first loss of the season with a 16-0 win over rival Carrollton. Quarterback Trey Walker threw a 60-yard touchdown pass to Chris Branch, and Brian Miller returned an interception 65 yards for a score in the Patriots’ fifth straight win over the Trojans. Sandy Creek needs a win over Fayette County on Friday and a Woodward Academy loss to Carrollton to win its seventh straight region championship.
--Mary Persons clinched its first region title since 1997 with a 55-21 road win over Baldwin. Two-way star Keri Brown had an 80-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to lead the Bulldogs to their seventh straight win. Mary Persons (8-1, 5-0) has outscored region opponents 206-28, with three shutouts.
