Hughes looking to add to Mays' tough week

The non-region portion of the schedule often raises a lot of questions. The answers begin to come when region play starts.

That’s where things stand this week as Regions 5-AAAAAA and 7-AAAAAA kick off league play.

Here are five lingering questions, along with the games that will begin to answer them. Note that the last two games listed aren’t region contests. All games are Friday unless noted.

1. Can Mays overcome the coaching turmoil?

- Hughes at Mays: Mays coach Corey Jarvis was fired by the Atlanta city school board on Tuesday after a months-long investigation into missing funds within the football program, and Niketa Battle has taken over as interim head coach. The Raiders (1-1) aren’t one of the six 2-0 teams in Region 5 but probably can compete with any of them. Hughes is one of those undefeated teams. If Mays isn’t ready to play, Hughes could make the week even tougher for the Raiders.

2. Is Douglas County for real?

- Northgate at Douglas County: Douglas County, in its first season under coach Johnny White, has matched its win total from last season with lopsided victories against Lithia Springs and Carver-Columbus. Now comes the hard part – fifth-ranked Northgate (2-0) in the Region 5 opener. Douglas County needs a good showing to remain in the conversation about serious playoff contenders.

3. Is Alpharetta the favorite in Region 7?

- Centennial at Alpharetta: Centennial and Alpharetta, which both moved down from the highest class this season, are two of the six teams in Region 7 that are 1-1 (the other three are 0-2). Alpharetta won region titles in 2011, 2013 and 2014, so the Raiders have championship tradition on their side. Alpharetta has won seven of 10 games in the series, but Centennial won 38-35 last season.

4. Will Stephenson’s defense step up?

- Southwest DeKalb at Stephenson (Hallford Stadium): Stephenson is off to its first 0-2 start since 2004, although both losses came to highly ranked teams. The Jaguars have given up 66 points in losses to Cedar Grove (34-23) and Mill Creek (32-7). Last year, they allowed 99 points all season. Stephenson won last year’s matchup 55-0. That’s more like the Jaguars’ defense we’re used to seeing.

5. Can Dacula rebound from a big loss?