Seven weeks into the season, the Class AA top 10 is about to get its fourth No. 2 team after Thomasville knocked off second-ranked Fitzgerald, 22-19, on Friday.
Thomasville started 0-3, playing one of the toughest schedules of any AA team in the state. Now two weeks into Region 1-AA play and riding a three-game winning streak, that slow start is fading into memory.
The Bulldogs (3-3, 2-0) trailed 19-15 at halftime, yielding 226 yards to Fitzgerald in the first half, according to the Thomasville Times-Enterprise. But the Purple Hurricanes didn't score again, and Thomasville scored the game-winner on a 1-yard run from Jalandin Jones in the fourth quarter.
Thomasville has positioned itself well in the region race, but tough games remain. The Bulldogs face Pelham (3-2, 0-1) this week, and a battle with No. 6 Brooks County looms on Oct. 31. Meanwhile, Fitzgerald has little time to sulk. The Purple Hurricanes (5-1, 1-1) face Brooks County this week.
No. 8 Darlington downs No. 10 Model in OT
The 7-AA showdown between top-10 region frontrunners Darlington and Model was everything it was supposed to be. The defenses were stingy, the star running backs made big plays, and the outcome needed more than four quarters to be decided.
Ultimately, the Tigers (5-1, 2-0) took the win when Trey Edge scored on a 16-yard run on third and 11 in overtime. Edge, one of AA's leading rushers, finished with 93 yards on 18 runs, but the defenses were what carried the day for both teams.
Darlington allowed just 221 yards, according to Northwest Georgia News, with only Nakyle Watkins having much success for the Blue Devils (5-1, 1-1). The bruising senior tailback ran for 135 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries.
Model's defense was even better statistically, giving up only 109 yards, but Darlington was able to even the score in the second half when the Blue Devils fumbled deep in their own territory and set the Tigers up 8 yards from paydirt.
Model gets the chance to bounce back this week, hosting Armuchee (1-5, 0-2), while Darlington hosts Dade County (1-4, 0-1).
16 quarters and counting
The shutout streak continues. Vidalia's fourth straight shutout was perhaps its most impressive yet, as the Indians held Long County to 12 yards of offense in a 42-0 win. The third-ranked Indians now have a week off to prepare for No. 5 Benedictine in a game that will likely decide the Region 2-AA championship.
Vidalia (6-0, 2-0) is yielding just 168 yards of total offense per game, and have intercepted at least one pass in every game so far after Jordan Black snagged his first pick of the year Friday.
Offensively, Black was again the star, rushing seven times for 111 yards and three touchdowns. The converted wide receiver has run for 10 scores and 483 yards on just 46 carries this season. He's also completed 19 of 30 passes for 355 yards and seven TDs for the run-first Indians.
8-AA up for grabs
It's been taken as a given that Region 8-AA belonged Washington-Wilkes. The Tigers are the defending champs, and when Jefferson got shipped to AAA in reclassification, the road seemed wide open for a repeat title. That could still happen, but it won't be easy after Greene County handed Washington-Wilkes its first region loss in nearly two years, 16-7, on Friday night.
Now, what was once thought to be a one-horse race has four viable contenders: Washington-Wilkes, Greene County, Rabun County and Union County. Greene (3-3, 2-0) and Union (6-0, 2-0) meet next week in a game that's sure to have far-reaching implications.
Other news, notes
- Heard County picked up a big win in its 5-AA opener, 38-20 over Chattahoochee County. The Braves (2-4, 1-0) have been hit by injuries perhaps harder than any team in the state, but have a chance to get healthy with a bye week on deck.
- Jefferson County bounced back from last week's lost to No. 9 Screven County with a 35-14 win over Dublin. That gives the Warriors (3-3, 1-1) the inside track for a top-two seed in Region 3-AA.
- No. 1 Greater Atlanta Christian may have posted the stat line of the night, holding K.I.P.P. Atlanta Collegiate to minus-21 yards of offense and forcin six turnovers in a 52-0 win, according to the Gwinnett Daily Post.
How the top 10 fared
1. GAC def. KIPP, 52-0
2. Fitzgerald lost to Thomasville, 22-19
3. Vidalia def. Long County, 42-0
4. Lovett OFF
5. Benedictine def. Wayne County, 34-14
6. Brooks County def. Berrien, 51-13
7. Lamar County OFF
8. Darlington def. No. 10 Model, 21-14 OT
9. Screven County def. Harlem, 50-0
10. Model lost to No. 8 Darlington, 21-14 OT
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