Expect to see some new faces in the Class AAAAA rankings this week after three top-10 teams were knocked off on Friday night.
No. 8 Rome, No. 9 Bainbridge and No. 10 Grady were all beaten, which may open the door for others who are off to a good start. But there were extenuating circumstances: Rome lost to No. 5 Kell, Bainbridge lost to Cairo, and Grady lost to No. 7 Ware County.
Otherwise it was a quiet night for the ranked teams. No. 2 Stockbridge, No. 4 Thomas County Central and No. 6 Jones County all won. No. 1 Buford and No. 3 Carrollton did not play.
No. 2 Stockbridge rolls: The Warhawks improved to 3-0 with a 27-14 win over Dutchtown. Quarterback Kenderick Duncan connected for long touchdown passes to Marquez Ezzard and William Guilford. It was the 10th straight win for Stockbridge in the series.
No. 4 Thomas County gets homecoming win: The Yellow Jackets (4-0) survived a trap game, beat Monroe 35-7 on Friday. TCC had come off two emotional wins and faces Valdosta next week, but had little trouble imposing its wil on Monroe. Quarterback Kelias Williams ran for 131 yards and five touchdowns and Tyrice Cloude ran for 89 yards.
No. 5 Kell wins late over No. 8 Rome: It took a last-minute field goal from Connor Mendelson to give the Longhorns (2-1) a 33-30 win over No. 8 Rome in the opening match of rugged Region 7. Rome (1-2) trailed 30-7 halfway through the third quarter before mounting a furious comeback to tie the game with 4:44 left. Kell quarterback John Lampley threw for 129 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 60 yards. Rome's Knox Kadum threw for 226 yards and two touchdowns, but was intercepted twice, and rushed for 94 yards.
Four Hunnicutt TDs pace No. 6 Jones County: Bradley Hunnicutt returned from a season-opening ankle injury and threw four touchdown passes in a 49-34 win over Locust Grove. The game was tied at 14-14 before Jones County (2-1) poured it on.
No. 7 Ware County survives No. 10 Grady: The Gators broke open a 14-14 tie to turn away their challengers 35-21. Quarterback Jemar Lincoln threw a 33-yard touchdown pass and scored on a 1-yard run to break the tie game.
No. 9 Bainbridge comes up short: The Bears (0-2) lost to regional rival Cairo 17-14. Dameon Pierce scored on an 80-yard run and Brett McLaughlin threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Alex McGivern to lead Bainbridge.
Griffin makes its case with big win: The Bears improved to 3-0 with a 53-7 win over Upson-Lee, the third consecutive 50-point game for Griffin. Quarterback Tylan Morton completed 18 of 27 for 415 yards and a school-record five touchdowns. Santo Dunn rushed six times for 140 yards, caught six passes and totaled three touchdowns.
Cedar Shoals rolls to third straight: The Jaguars whipped North Oconee 40-7, its third straight game of scoring at least 40. Osiris Walker and Jerphari Colbert each ran for two scores and Aakeem Glenn threw a pair of touchdown passes.
About the Author
