GHSF Daily's Chip Saye ranks the most surprising and notable games of the weekend:
1. Southwest-Macon 8, Westside-Macon 3: Southwest handed Westside its first loss to a Bibb County school in the program's 20-year history. Westside had been 28-0 all-time against Central (14-0), Rutland (6-0), Northeast (2-0) and Southwest (6-0). The computer Maxwell Ratings had projected Westside, which beat Southwest 52-26 in 2015, as a 33-point favorite.
2. Grady 14, Woodward Academy 10: The Maxwell Ratings projected before the season that Woodward would win nine regular-season games. Perhaps this was the one the War Eagles were expected to lose, but that's unlikely considering that the Maxwell computer also labeled Woodward as a 27-point favorite. The win lifted Grady into the AAAAA top 10.
3. Dalton 28, Calhoun 13: Calhoun almost never loses regular-season games. It's so rare, in fact, that the Yellow Jackets had lost just twice in the regular season since 2008 coming into this rivalry game, which Dalton led throughout and pulled away in the second half. Dalton had lost seven consecutive games in the series and eight of the past nine.
4. Brantley County 32, Charlton County 29: There's just no explaining this one. Brantley County loses its opener 48-6 to McIntosh County Academy, which lost to Clinch County 32-7 on Friday. Then Brantley rebounds for a three-point victory against a Charlton team that had won 22 consecutive games in the series. Charlton and Clinch play on Oct. 28.
5. Pace Academy 20, West Forsyth 10: Pace Academy, a school with Class A enrollment (451) that is playing in AAA this season, knocked off one of the big boys when it beat West Forsyth, a Class AAAAAAA school with 2,422 students. West Forsyth reached the playoffs in 2015, but Pace won the AA state title and is loaded with major-college prospects.
Also of note: Alpharetta, which won three region titles in the previous five years in the highest classification but moved to AAAAAA this season, likely turned some heads in its new class by dominating 2013 state champion Gainesville 28-7. ... Locust Grove, which went 9-2 last year and has made three straight playoff appearances, pulled off the most high-profile victory in its eight-year history, beating Warner Robins 44-21. Warner Robins has allowed 99 points in its 0-2 start. ... Fellowship Christian moved to the front of what appears to be a strong Region 6-A Division B with a 14-7 victory over Mount Paran Christian, which won a state championship in 2014 and played for the Region 6 title last season. ... Ola is 2-0 for the first time in the program's 11-year history after a 20-19 victory over Dutchtown in the teams' Region 4-AAAAA opener. The Mustangs had lost the previous six meetings with Dutchtown, including 36-26 last year. ... Providence Christian played its first varsity game in 2012 and first full season in 2014, and now it has a win to show for it, beating Fulton Leadership Academy 24-0 for its first victory in 24 tries. Fulton Leadership is in its first season.
Produced by Georgia High School Football Daily, a free e-mail newsletter. To join the mailing list, click here.
About the Author