Mill Creek-North Gwinnett highlights weak slate of games

Honesty in reporting compels me to assert that this the weakest weekend of games of the season in Class AAAAAA.

Best game:

Sixth-ranked Mill Creek is 4-0 for the first time in its history and looking for its first-ever region title. The Hawks can a step in that direction this week when they face defending Region 7-AAAAAA champion North Gwinnett.

Mill Creek is ranked highly in part because of an impressive 34-7 victory over Dacula this month. North Gwinnett, meanwhile, is reeling from a 52-23 loss to Collins Hill, which came into the game 0-3. North has won five region titles over the past six seasons but is 2-2 and unranked.

Other Region 7 contenders are 10th-ranked Norcross (4-0, 1-0) and Peachtree Ridge (2-2, 1-0).

Two more to watch:

Parkview (3-1) at Archer (3-1): They share a common opponent that beat them – second-ranked Grayson. Parkview was humbled by the second-ranked Rams 48-9. Archer got off a little easier, losing only 26-24 the previous week. These 8-AAAAAA rivals will pick up the pieces and battle for position in a region that sent all four playoff teams to the second round or better last year.

Milton (1-3) at Roswell (3-0): Milton, the defending Region 5 champion, won its first game Friday, an 18-12 victory over Lassiter. Roswell, ranked No. 3, is the favorite this season. This is the oldest rivalry in north Fulton County. Roswell won 33-31 season, Milton's only regular-season loss. This is the only Region 5 game on the schedule.

Other notes:

Region 1 is basically off until region play begins next week, when Colquitt County at Lowndes is probably the most intriguing matchup. This week, Lee County plays Class A Mitchell County. Region 1 will complete the pre-region schedule with an overall record of 28-2.

Region 2 also begins region play next week. Tucker plays at M.L. King (Hallford Stadium), and Lovejoy plays Mays in games that would’ve been more interesting two-three years ago, frankly.

East Coweta (3-0) plays at Campbell (2-1), and Westlake (2-1) plays at Pebblebrook (2-1), in region openers in Region 3.