So what do we make of GAC’s win over Benedictine?
On one hand, the argument could be made that Greater Atlanta Christian definitively proved itself deserving of the No. 1 spot it holds in the Class AA rankings. The Spartans rallied back behind a mammoth performance from star wide receiver Darius Slayton (186 yards, three TDs), and held on for a win against the third-ranked Cadets despite losing Micah Abernathy — GAC’s other two-way standout — to injury in the third quarter.
Impressive stuff.
But the argument could just as (almost as) easily be made in favor of Benedictine, which went on the road and had the Spartans against the ropes. Only a blocked field goal in the waning stages of the fourth quarter prevented overtime, and the teams were virtual equals in terms of stats (GAC held a 414-392 edge in total yards).
The truth, at least as far as we can tell at this early stage, is that if either of these teams are as good as we think they are, they’ll probably both be playing deep into November and perhaps beyond. I’m not ready based on one week to make any declarative statements beyond that.
And then there’s Lovett. You know, the defending state champs.
The Lions obviously have championship experience, and in Class AA, that is exceedingly rare. Consider: Of the last seven AA state champs, only Lovett is still in AA. And other than Lovett, the only current AA teams to win state titles since Swainsboro’s championship in 2002 are Riverside Military (a GISA title in 2005) and Wesleyan (Class A, 2008).
Of course, having a state championship in your recent ledger doesn’t guarantee future titles, but the dearth of established, traditional powerhouses in AA underscores the point that there’s room for one to emerge —be that Lovett, GAC, Benedictine, or another team completely off the map right now.
OPENING-WEEK WOES SHAKE UP TOP 10: Judging solely by wins and losses, it was a rough week for the top teams in AA. Those with a spot in the preseason AJC rankings went 3-4-1, though it should at least be noted that all of those losses other than Benedictine's came at the hands from schools from larger classifications. So maybe it's not as bad as it would first appear.
Nonetheless, the rankings got a shake-up this week, and the beneficiaries were primarily teams that will be making their season debuts this week: No. 3 Heard County, No. 5 Washington-Wilkes and No. 9 Seminole County, to be specific.
Fitzgerald seized the No. 7 spot with a come-from-behind win over Class AAAA Worth County. Fitzgerald and Heard County will meet Saturday in Macon in what might be my most highly anticipated matchup of the week – we’ll get more into that on Thursday.
KEEP AN EYE ON THE INDIANS: Amidst all the turnover in the top 10, Vidalia's blowout win over Swainsboro could slip under the radar. The win wasn't unexpected; the sixth-ranked Indians are coming off back-to-back seasons with double-digit wins, while Swainsboro has struggled in recent years.
The margin of victory was notable, however, as Vidalia is replacing its leading rusher, quarterback and several of its top offensive linemen. So far, so good. The Indians' new-look offense ran for over 250 yards, the special teams generated a kick-return TD, and the defense forced four turnovers, including three interceptions as Vidalia jumped ahead early and steadily pulled away.
If I had to guess, I’d say the Indians will be undefeated when they meet Benedictine on Oct. 3. No team on the Indians’ schedule between now and then had a winning record last year, but this week’s opponent – West Laurens – is coming off an impressive 42-35 win over Thomasville last week, and should provide a nice test for Vidalia.
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