Lee County, the defending state champion and No. 1-ranked team in Class AAAAAA, was a bit off its game in a 24-3 victory over Northside-Warner Robins last week after dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Michael, but the Trojans bounced back in a big way Friday, routing third-ranked Valdosta to take firm control of Region 1-AAAAAA.
The Trojans’ 63-7 victory was its first in nine all-time meetings with the Wildcats, and it was the most-lopsided loss in Valdosta history. Lee County’s 31-28 loss to Valdosta last year was its only blemish on its championship season.
Lee County (8-0, 2-0) emerged as the only remaining unbeaten team in region play, a half-game ahead of Valdosta (5-4, 2-1) and a game ahead of Northside (4-4, 1-1). Having beaten both teams, the Trojans would hold the advantage in any tie involving the three teams. Lee County can clinch its second consecutive region title, and fourth in its history, with a victory in either of its final two games, against Houston County (2-6, 0-2) next week or Coffee (7-2, 1-2) on Nov. 2. Northside travels to Valdosta next week in a game that likely will determine the No. 2 seed.
In Friday’s other Region 1 game, 2017 state runner-up Coffee saved its season and avoided being eliminated from the playoffs with a 41-14 victory over Houston County. Coffee was undefeated and ranked No. 2 in the state earlier this month, but a loss to the Bears would have left it with no possible path to the playoffs. Coffee lost to Northside and Valdosta in its first two region games.
Here are some of the other big stories in Class AAAAAA from Week 10:
- Grovetown (4-4, 3-0) put itself in position to win the first region title in the program’s 10-year history with a 30-14 victory over Lakeside-Evans that left the Warriors in sole possession of first place in Region 3. Regardless of what happens in its game against Heritage-Conyers next week, Grovetown will clinch the region title if it beats defending region champion Evans (2-6, 2-1) on Nov. 2.
- Creekside, an 0-10 team last year, will be playing for first place in Region 5 next week when it hosts region-leading Douglas County. The Seminoles improved to 5-3 overall and 5-1 in the region after beating Alexander 33-21. Douglas County (7-1, 6-0) had the week off. Creekside won its most recent region title in 2014. Douglas County has won seven region championships but none since 2002.
- Sequoyah knocked Sprayberry out of the Region 6 playoff race with a 35-28 win, leaving five of the nine teams still in contention. The only team outside of the top four (Creekview, Harrison, Sequoyah and Allatoona) that still has a shot is Dalton. The Catamounts would need to win both remaining games, including against Allatoona next week, and have the Buccaneers lose both of theirs.
- Johns Creek (7-1, 6-0) took sole possession of first place in Region 7 with a 28-26 victory over Centennial (5-3, 5-1), which came in tied with the Gladiators. And thanks to Alpharetta’s 28-26 loss to Northview, Johns Creek will win its second region title in three seasons with a victory in either of its final two games, against Alpharetta (5-3, 4-2) next week or Dunwoody (1-6, 0-5) on Nov. 3.
- Gainesville ended the second-longest losing streak (nine games) in program history and picked up the first victory of coach Heath Webb’s tenure with a 20-7 win over Winder-Barrow, the team Webb coached for the past four years. Despite their record (1-7, 1-2), the Red Elephants are very much in playoff contention, tied for third place in Region 8 with Habersham Central and Apalachee.
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