The GAC Spartans showed why they're the No. 2 team in the state, making relatively easy work of the No. 8 Lovett Lions - a Region 6 rival - with a 34-7 win as they inch closer to consecutive region titles.
A win next week over No. 10 Wesleyan will give them a No. 1 seed in the state playoffs.
As discussed here, the Lovett-GAC game was guaranteed to be close. That, as it turns out, was an incorrect prediction.
In fact, the Maxwell Projections were a much safer guide to the big game, a game that if Lovett had won would have given the Lions the region title. The Maxwell Projections had the Spartans winning by 25. The Spartans won by 27.
In fairness, the prediction on a close game was reasonable. After all, this has been won of the state's better inter-region rivalries in recent memory, with the Lions having owned a 6-5 series lead heading into Friday. Last season the Spartans, who ended up reaching the state finals, only won by a touchdown and that ended a six-game Lions win streak in the series. The season before, Lovett won the state championship. In addition, the previous four meetings between the two teams were decided by a touchdown or less. Finally, the Maxwell Projections got Lovett wrong the previous week when picking Wesleyan to beat the Lions - a game Lovett won 21-7.
But the Spartans wouldn't allow for a close game and are clearly on a mission, hoping for the opportunity to redeem themselves come championship time for the way last season ended and this season began - with a loss to Benedictine.
Speaking of No. 1 Benedictine, the Cadets took care of business as expected, beating McIntosh County Academy 42-0 to claim Region 2.
In fact, the rest of the top 10 - No. 3 Rabun County, No. 4 Darlington, No. 5 Fitzgerald, No. 6 Brooks County, No. 7 Jefferson County, No. 9 Pace Academy and No. 10 Wesleyan - took care of business with wins.
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