A look back at the top performances of Week 7 in Georgia high school football:
1. Starr's Mill 38, Griffin 35: Starr's Mill entered the weekend on a three-game losing streak and had been projected as a 15-point underdog by the computer Maxwell Ratings, but the Panthers' victory over then-No. 9 Griffin threw the Region 3-AAAAA playoff race wide open. Connor Marke, attempting the first field goal of his career, kicked a 50-yarder in the final seconds for the win. Griffin suffered its first loss of the season, and Riverdale took over first place in the region.
2. Johnson County 22, Emanuel County Institute 12: ECI's five-year reign as subregion champion likely came to an end with this loss to a team projected as a 15-point underdog. ECI had won 23 consecutive subregion games and three region titles during that stretch. Johnson County, in 2013, was the last team other than ECI to win Region 3-A Div. B.
3. Tift County 24, Bainbridge 6: Defending AAAAA champ Bainbridge had escaped several close calls this season but finally succumbed to AAAAAAA Tift County, a seven-point underdog. Tift County won for just the second time in six games and had previously lost to lower-classification (but ranked) teams Warner Robins, Valdosta and Crisp County.
4. Sandy Creek 44, Troup 7: This matchup of top-10 teams from Region 5-AAAA was considered a virtual toss-up by the Maxwell Ratings, but it wasn't even close. Sandy Creek ended a three-game losing streak against Troup in which it was outscored 134-57. Sandy Creek and No. 1-ranked Cartersville are the only remaining unbeaten teams in the region.
5. Savannah 20, Groves 16: Savannah was a 15-point favorite, but its victory was nonetheless noteworthy because it ended a 16-game losing streak that was the third-longest in school history. Savannah scored 20 points in the fourth quarter to erase a 16-0 deficit. It was the Blue Jackets' first victory since beating Johnson of Savannah on Nov. 3, 2017.
Worth noting: North Atlanta improved to 4-1 overall and moved into fourth place in Region 7-AAAAAA with a 42-28 victory over three-point favorite Northview. North Atlanta hasn't had a winning season since 2010 or been to the playoffs since 1996. ... North Clayton won for the first time this year and the second time in two seasons when it beat 17-point favorite Hampton 8-7. The Eagles moved into a four-way tie for third place in Region 4-AAAA behind Woodward Academy and Eastside. ... Shaw is 4-1 for the first time since 2007 after its 30-22 victory over 13-point favorite Hardaway. The Raiders moved into third place in Region 1-AAAA, behind Cairo and Carver of Columbus. Shaw hasn't been to the playoffs since 2015. ... Whitewater picked up its first victory of the season when it beat 17-point favorite Jonesboro 21-20. Whitewater and Jonesboro are both 1-1 in Region 3-AAAAA, tied with Griffin and Starr's Mill for second place behind Riverdale. ... Windsor Forest beat 12-point favorite Southeast Bulloch 21-13 in a battle of 2018 playoff teams that are currently tied for fifth place in Region 3-AAA. Windsor Forest was the No. 4 seed last year, and Southeast Bulloch was the region runner-up.
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