A pivotal game for Region 6 takes place when No. 4 Pace Academy travels to play No. 8 Wesleyan in this week's only matchup between top 10 teams in AA.
At 5-0, the Knights are off to their best start in school history - the program has had two winning seasons (2014, 2010) since coming into existence in 2008. The Wolves are 4-0, which is their best start since the 2010 season, when they won their first nine games and reached the Class A semifinals.
The Wolves beat Pace last year, 23-17 in overtime, and lead the all-time series 3-0. But this is a very different Knights and they are a six-point favorite to win, according to this week's Maxwell Projections.
Every other top 10 team plays an opponent it beat last season. In addition, all games involving the ranked teams are region matchups, with No. 2 Fitzgerald, No. 6 Darlington, No. 7 Dublin, No. 9 Screven County and No. 10 Model playing its region opener.
No. 1 Benedictine travels to Bryan County and though both teams are 1-0 in Region 2, the Cadets won 55-6 last year.
No. 3 GAC is 1-0 in Region 6 and plays B.E.S.T. Academy, which is 0-1 and which lost 58-28 to the Spartans last year.
No. 8 Rabun County is 1-0 in Region 8 and welcomes Social Circle to region play, a team it beat 49-21 last year.
All ranked teams won its matchups by at least two scores last year, with the exception of Screven County - the Gamecocks edged Jefferson County 12-7 in Region 3 play.
Historical reference: GHSFHA.org.
