GHSF Daily’s Chip Saye ranks the most surprising and notable games of the weekend:
1. Union Grove 25, Stockbridge 20: Union Grove picked up its first-ever victory against a top-10 team from the same classification when it upset previously unbeaten Stockbridge, which was projected as a 16-point favorite by the computer Maxwell Ratings. The loss was just the second for Stockbridge in games that counted in region standings in its past 35 such games, dating to 2014. Union Grove had been 0-25 against ranked teams in its classification.
2. Loganville 38, Clarke Central 21: Loganville was 0-5 in non-region play but now finds itself tied with No. 1-ranked Buford for first place in Region 8-AAAAA after knocking off 25-point favorite Clarke Central for its second consecutive region victory. Loganville, which was the No. 4 seed from the region in the playoffs last year, plays at Buford on Friday.
3. Morrow 19, Tucker 14: Morrow's hopes for its first playoff berth since 1998 got a boost when it knocked off 20-point favorite Tucker, which was the only remaining unbeaten team in Region 4-AAAAAA play. It was just the second loss in 27 region games for Tucker since the Tigers became a member of the region in 2016. Morrow lost to Tucker 22-6 last year.
4. Johnson (Gainesville) 24, Walnut Grove 22: Johnson, a three-point underdog, won a game that counted in the region standings for the first time in almost a decade. The victory snapped a 24-game region losing streak that dated to a 40-27 win over Oconee County on Oct. 22, 2010. The Knights, now 1-1 in 8-AAAAA, played a non-region schedule from 2012 to 2015.
5. Cherokee 21, Roswell 14: Cherokee, which was upset by Etowah in overtime in the teams' 4-AAAAAAA opener on Oct. 4, bounced back with a victory over a Roswell team that was a 13-point favorite and entered the week as the Maxwell Ratings' pick to win the region title. Etowah (4-3, 2-0) and Walton (3-3, 1-0) are the region's remaining unbeaten teams, and they play each other this week.
Worth noting: Alcovy ended a 19-game losing streak in region games with a 28-21 victory over Grovetown, the defending 3-AAAAAA champ and a 13-point favorite. It was the Tigers' first region victory since beating Lakeside (Atlanta) on Oct. 2, 2015. ... Carver (Columbus) moved into sole possession of first place in 1-AAAA with a 52-46 victory over defending region champion Cairo, which was a 10-point favorite. Carver is in the driver's seat for its first region championship since 2015. ... Dougherty beat Northside of Columbus 40-17 to end a 17-game losing streak that was the longest in school history. Dougherty, a three-point underdog, won for the first time since beating Worth County 26-13 on Oct. 20, 2017. ... Veterans beat defending Class AAAAA champion Bainbridge 16-13 for its first win in four all-time meetings. Bainbridge, a four-point favorite that was ranked No. 1 a month ago, dropped out of the top 10 after its second consecutive loss. ... Whitefield Academy is 6-1 for the first time since 2008 after its 37-17 victory over Cobb County private-school rival Mount Paran Christian, a three-point favorite. Whitefield Academy broke a six-game losing streak in the series, which it trails 6-2.
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