Colquitt County at Roswell
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Ray Manus Stadium, Roswell
Records, rankings: Colquitt County is 0-3 and unranked in Class AAAAAAA; Roswell is 2-0 and No. 1 in AAAAAAA.
Last meeting: Colquitt County won 30-13 in the 2015 Class AAAAAA championship game.
Three things to know: 1. Colquitt County is 0-3 for the first time since 2010, when the Packers would right the ship and play for a state title (and lose) against Brookwood. All three losses are by seven points or fewer to ranked teams. In the 21-20 loss to Tucker last week, Colquitt blew a 17-3 lead in the second half and lost a fumble at the Tucker 15-yard line with 2:12 left. 2. Roswell RB Sheldon Evans has rushed for 255 yards in two games and more than 4,000 yards in his career. QB Malik Willis, a transfer from Mays who is committed to Virginia Tech, has thrown for 211 yards and rushed for 190. Roswell has at least five other major Division I prospects, including preseason all-state picks DB Xavier McKinney, CB LeAnthony Williams (Clemson) and WR Jayden Comma. 3. Colquitt County had 440 yards in total offense in the victory over Roswell in the 2015 final. Only 37 of those yards, and 13 of the 65 tackles, were made by players who are back. New QB Jay Saunders is 53-of-90 passing for five touchdowns with three interceptions. J.J. Peterson, a linebacker, is probably the Packers' best player.
» Watch: South Gwinnett at South Forsyth
Fitzgerald at Macon County
When, where: 4 p.m. Saturday, Adams-Maffett Field, Montezuma
Records, rankings: Fitzgerald is 1-0 and No. 1 in Class AA; Macon County is 2-0 and No. 1 in Class A public.
Last meeting: Fitzgerald won 57-32 in 2015.
Three things to know: 1. This game originally was to be played on Friday but was rescheduled as an indirect result of the bad weather in south Georgia last week. Macon County's game last Friday against Irwin County was postponed until Monday, so the Fitzgerald game was pushed back a day. Irwin County has played both teams this season and lost by similar scores - 56-19 against Fitzgerald and 57-15 against Macon County. 2. Fitzgerald has had two off weeks in the first three weeks of the season. The Purple Hurricane rushed for 366 yards against Irwin County, led by RB J.D. King's 119 yards and two touchdowns on seven carries. QB James Graham rushed for 75 yards and was 4-for-7 passing for 81 yards and three TDs. 3. Macon County QB K'hari Lane is 32-for-52 passing for 593 yards and nine touchdowns in two games. He threw for 329 yards and five TDs against Irwin County. WR Trey Brown had three touchdown receptions and RB Jared Daniels rushed for 131 yards in a 45-0 win over Dooly County in the opener.
Grady at Ware County
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Memorial Stadium, Waycross
Records, rankings: Grady is 2-0 and No. 10 in Class AAAAA; Ware County is 1-1 and No. 7 in AAAAA.
Last meeting: This is the teams' first meeting.
Three things to know: 1. Grady coach Earthwind Moreland and Ware County defensive coordinator Michael Youngblood were teammates and defensive starters at Georgia Southern. Ware head coach Franklin Stephenson also played at Georgia Southern earlier. After Grady lost in the second round last year at Thomson, Moreland wanted a tough pre-region road trip and called his friends. This will be Grady's first game played below Macon since 1949 (Savannah). 2. With RB Dedrick Mills off to Georgia Tech, Ware County has opened up the passing game. Dual-threat QB Jemar Lincoln, a returning starter, is 21-of-38 for 267 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. He's also Ware's leading rusher (38-170-1). Lincoln passed fewer than 10 times per game last season. 3. Grady QB Caylin Newton is playing like a POY candidate. He's 30-of-43 passing for 427 yards and has rushed for 276 yards on just 25 carries. Kemari Averett, a 6-foot-7 TE/DL who is committed to Louisville, has eight catches for 114 yards. He had three tackles for losses in a 14-10 victory over Woodward Academy two weeks ago.
Heard County at Darlington
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Chris Hunter Stadium, Rome
Records, rankings: Heard County is 3-0 and No. 10 in Class AA; Darlington is 1-1 and No. 6 in Class A private.
Last meeting: This is the teams' first meeting.
Three things to know: 1. Heard County's Austin Miller had six receptions for 136 yards and two touchdowns and returned a kickoff 83 yards for another score in a 38-28 victory over New Manchester last week. He also returned the opening kickoff 84 yards for a TD the previous week in a 47-6 win over Greenville. QB Emory Jones (committed to Ohio State) has five TD passes in the past two games. 2. Darlington runs the ball about 80 percent of the time in an offense that features RB Tijai Whatley, who has rushed for 205 yards and three TDs on 28 carries. He had 1,190 yards last year in a sophomore season that was limited to eight games because of injury. Elijah McKoy has 154 yards rushing and a team-leading three catches for 54 yards. 3. This is the first game between the schools, which are located about 80 miles apart in west Georgia, and it is a rare meeting with a private school for Heard County. The Braves haven't faced a private school since beating Wesleyan in the first round of the 2014 playoffs. Their last regular-season game against a private school came in 2003.
Mill Creek at Archer
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Archer Community Stadium, Lawrenceville
Records, rankings: Mill Creek is 3-0 and No. 2 in Class AAAAAAA; Archer is 1-1 and unranked in AAAAAAA.
Last meeting: Mill Creek won 23-0 in the 2015 Class AAAAAA quarterfinals.
Three things to know: 1. Mill Creek's quarterfinal victory over Archer last year was stunning for its margin of victory, if not the victory itself. Though Mill Creek was undefeated, Archer (11-1) was ranked higher (No. 4 to No. 5) and was considered by many to be the state's most talented team still, as the Tigers were the preseason No. 1. It stands as Mill Creek's most prestigious victory to date. 2. Archer lost seven major Division I recruits to graduation or transfer and several other starters, so the team's new identity is evolving. New starting RB Keegan Strickland rushed for 174 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries in a 20-19 victory over Peachtree Ridge two weeks ago. In the opener against McEachern, a 27-14 loss, Archer's run game was ineffective, but new starter Braylen Weems was 15-of-22 passing for 119 yards. 3. Mill Creek returned nine starters on offense, but a retooled defense is picking up where it left off, allowing just seven points total in wins over Stephenson and Dacula. Some key figures are CB Jonathan Gipson (Auburn offer), DB Jamar Hall (committed to Furman) and LB Ayoola Ogun-Semore (mid-major offers), one of five players with three tackles for losses. Only Colquitt County (twice) has scored more than two touchdowns off Mill Creek over the past 17 games.
Norcross at North Gwinnett
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Tom Robinson Memorial Stadium, Suwanee
Records, rankings: Norcross is 2-0 and No. 6 in Class AAAAAAA; North Gwinnett is 2-1 and No. 10 in AAAAAAA.
Last meeting: Norcross won 38-10 in 2015.
Three things to know: 1. These Gwinnett County rivals are not in the same region for the first time since 1995. They won or shared eight of the past 10 titles in Region 7 of the highest classification. Norcross led the series 6-5 in that time, including a victory in the 2013 Class AAAAAA championship game. 2. Counter to tradition, Norcross has gotten almost two-thirds of its production passing this season. QB Baron Radcliff (6-3, 210, several Division I offers) is 23-of-42 passing for 384 yards. Other D-I recruits are CB Da'Meon Williams (committed to Georgia Tech) and DE Jalen Pinkney (Vanderbilt). PK Jake Camarda is 9-of-11 on touchbacks and averages 41.3 yards per punt, with three of six inside the 20-yard line. 3. North Gwinnett QB Cade Fortin (committed to Texas A&M) has thrown for 661 yards (47 of 92 attempts) and seven touchdowns. WR Ricky Reed (11-188-1) is the leading receiver, although L.J. Fisher (7-139-4) has hit paydirt more often. Defense is a bigger concern. The Bulldogs are averaging 36.0 points per game but are allowing 30.0.
Rome at Kell
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, C.J. Kell Stadium, Marietta
Records, rankings: Rome is 1-1 overall, 0-0 in Region 7-AAAAA and No. 8; Kell is 1-1, 0-0 and No. 5.
Last meeting: This is the teams' first meeting.
Three things to know: 1. Rome placed three players, all on defense, on the Class AAAAA preseason all-state team. They are led by DL/LB Adam Anderson, a four-star recruit who has committed to Georgia. The others were brothers LB Jaylen Griffin (committed to Virginia Tech) and DL Jaquon Griffin. OG Zach Kadum and RB Jalynn Sykes also are rated as three-star recruits. Sykes has rushed for 282 yards on just 27 carries this season. 2. Kell has a balanced offense that averages 145.5 yards per game rushing and 140 yards passing. Senior QB John Lampley is 18-for-41 passing for 280 yards and a touchdown, and he is the team's leading rusher with 162 yards on 21 carries. LB/SS Solon Page leads the defense with 23 tackles (four for losses) and has a sack and a forced fumble. 3. The is the Region 7-AAAAA opener for Rome and Kell, who spent the past two seasons in the same region but were in opposite subregions and did not play each other. Rome is 3-8 all-time against teams from Cobb County, including a 22-20 loss to Harrison two weeks ago. The Wolves' last victory against a Cobb team was a 14-3 victory over Hillgrove in 2009.
Thomson at Pace Academy
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Pace Academy Athletic Complex, Mableton
Records, rankings: Thomson is 3-0 and No. 2 in Class AAAA; Pace Academy is 2-0 and No. 1 in AAA.
Last meeting: This is the teams' first meeting.
Three things to know: 1. Thomson relies heavily on the running game, rushing for 330 yards against Laney, 305 against Effingham County and 192 against Jefferson. Michael Thomas (54 carries, 371 yards, five TDs) is the leader, but Bubba Murray (19-159-4) and Tyrek Braswell (17-113-2) get their share of carries. QB Mills Ridings attempts about 11 passes per game. 2. Pace Academy returns a lot of offensive talent from the 2015 state championship team, and the result has been a balanced attack that averages 172.5 yards rushing and 131.5 passing. Junior QB Gunnor Faulk is 18-for-31 passing for 263 yards and one TD. RB Deon Jackson (committed to Duke) has rushed for 172 yards, and Trey Blount (Georgia) and Tony Addison lead a deep group of receivers. 3. Thomson is making its first trip to metro Atlanta for a regular-season game since 2013, when it played at St. Pius, Greater Atlanta Christian and Westminster. The Bulldogs lost all three games by a combined score of 127-39. Thomson finished 3-7 that year but has turned things around since Rob Ridings took over as coach the next season.
Valdosta at Tift County
When, where: 7:30 p.m., Brodie Field, Tifton
Records, rankings: Valdosta is 3-0 and No. 3 in Class AAAAAA; Tift County is 3-0 and unranked in AAAAAAA.
Last meeting: Valdosta won 26-23 in 2015.
Three things to know: 1. Valdosta and Tift County had been in the same region for 50 years until now. Valdosta, with enrollment around 2,000, was dropped into the second-highest classification. The move should aid in Valdosta's bid for a first state title since 1998, and the Wildcats are ranked No. 1 in their new class by the computer Maxwell Ratings. Tift County just wants to make hay in its old region, which has only four teams. The Blue Devils have won 13 consecutive non-region games but not had a winning record in region play since 2008. 2. Tift County QB Griffin Collier is 34-of-59 passing for 731 yards and 11 touchdowns and no interceptions. Six of the TD passes came in a 55-19 victory over Thunder Ridge of Colorado last week in Orlando. Rashod Bateman has 15 catches for 324 yards and four touchdowns. 3. Valdosta QB Josh Belton is 35-of-51 passing for 415 yards and has rushed for 192 yards (5.5 ypc), but Hunter Holt came off the bench last week to spark a 28-0 victory over Wayne County. Holt is 7-of-10 passing for 146 yards and has rushed for 165 yards (10.3 ypc).
Westlake at Cartersville
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Weinman Stadium, Cartersville
Records, rankings: Westlake is 1-1 and unranked in Class AAAAAAA; Cartersville is 2-0 and No. 1 in AAAA.
Last meeting: This is the teams' first meeting.
Three things to know: 1. This will be Cartersville's third consecutive game against an opponent that has been ranked at some point this season, and the Purple Hurricanes had little trouble with the other two, beating Allatoona 30-14 and Calhoun 56-0. Their only other ranked opponent is Sandy Creek on Oct. 14. Westlake's only ranked opponents are Cartersville and McEachern (next week). 2. Westlake QB Ravaughn Burch threw two touchdown passes and WR/CB A.J. Terrell (committed to Clemson) scored TDs rushing and receiving in a 29-13 victory over Shiloh last week. The Lions turned two Shiloh fumbles into a 13-0 first-quarter lead. Westlake's other game was a 10-9 loss to Hughes that was called in the third quarter because of bad weather. 3. Cartersville has won 17 consecutive games, the state's longest active streak. QB Trevor Lawrence, the nation's No. 1 junior recruit, is 35-for-58 passing for 602 yards and six touchdowns. His top targets have been Avery Showell (seven receptions, 129 yards, three TDs) and Antoine Jefferson (10-125-0). The Purple Hurricanes are averaging just 59.5 yards per game rushing.
» Watch: South Gwinnett at South Forsyth
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