Top 10 games of Week 12

Last meeting: Blessed Trinity won 21-14 in 2013.

Three things to know: 1. Cedar Grove was ranked in preseason, largely because of Division I recruits DE Quintez Johnson (N.C. State), DE Gus Cumberlander (Oregon), DB Christopher Fredrick (Syracuse) and junior DT Antwuan Jackson (four star), but the Saints fell off the radar after an early 22-0 loss to Columbia. They've won seven straight. Labron Morris has rushed for 1,198 yards and 13 touchdowns. Sophomore QB Jelani Woods is 81-of-121 passing for 1,163 yards and 11 touchdowns, seven to Benjy Parrish, who has seven Division I offers. 2. Blessed Trinity RB Milton Shelton has rushed for 949 yards and scored 14 touchdowns despite missing two games with an injury. QB Conor Davis is 78-of-130 passing for 1,263 yards and 15 touchdowns with only two interceptions. The team's best all-around player is probably Pat Jasinski, a preseason all-state linebacker who has 16 receptions for 353 yards and four touchdowns as a tight end. 3. Blessed Trinity won the 6-AAA championship last season. It would be Cedar Grove's first region title since 1991. Blessed Trinity has beaten Cedar Grove in 2012 and 2013, their only meetings, but both games were decided by seven points or fewer. In the 2013 game, Shelton rushed for 134 yards while Cedar Grove wasted 350 yards in total offense with three turnovers in Blessed Trinity territory.

Dalton at Kell

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, C.J. Kell Stadium, Marietta

Records, rankings: Dalton is 8-1 overall, 6-0 in Region 7-AAAAA Div. A and unranked; Kell is 9-0, 6-0 in Region 7-AAAAA Div. B and No. 3.

Last meeting: This is the teams' first meeting.

Three things to know: 1. This is the Region 7-AAAAA championship game. Dalton and Kell both won region titles last season (Kell in 7-AAAAA, Dalton in 7-AAAA). Both went undefeated in subregion play this year, but Dalton had the easier time of it, winning its six games by an average of 36.2 points, with no game closer than 22 points. Kell's margin of victory was 18.1 points in the subregion, with two victories coming by four points or less. 2. Dalton ranks No. 3 in Class AAAAA in points scored (42.0) and points allowed (11.9) and is the leader in point differential (30.1). QB Payton Veraldi's 1,828 passing yards were fifth-best in Class AAAAA going into the games last week, when Dalton was idle. Kelvis Rhodes (845 yards, nine TDs in seven games) and Travis Noland (568 yards, nine TDs in nine games) lead a running game that averages 258.7 yards per game. 3. QB Cameron Rosendahl leads a balanced Kell offense that averages 212.2 yards rushing and 199.3 passing. He is 126-for-184 passing for 1,727 yards and 12 touchdowns with one interception. Itabari Mason (699 yards and eight TDs on 110 carries in seven games) and Ivan Walls (698 yards, eight TDs and 89 carries in nine games) lead the running game. Bryson Armstrong is the leading receiver with 619 yards and two TDs on 38 catches.

Jefferson at Hart County

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Pete Herndon Stadium, Hartwell

Records, rankings: Jefferson is 9-0 overall, 5-0 in Region 8-AAA and No. 5; Hart County is 9-0, 5-0 and No. 8.

Last meeting: Jefferson won 57-29 in 2011.

Three things to know: 1. The winner is the Region 8-AAA champion. Hart County has won nine GHSA region titles, but none since 2001. Jefferson has won six, most recently in 2012. This is the sixth time in history that two northeast Georgia teams with 9-0 records have squared off. Jefferson played in one in 2009 and beat East Jackson 35-21. 2. Jefferson has several major weapons on offense. Evan Shirreffs has thrown for 1,841 yards. Sammy Williams has rushed for 1,015 yards and 16 touchdowns. Colby Wood has run for 643 and 13. Receivers Dalton Hill (823 yards receiving) and T.J. Skelton (625) have 14 touchdowns between them. Tradd Porter is the leading tackler and has three interceptions. 3. Hart County also has a potent offense and averages about 220 yards passing and 190 rushing. QB Cameron Fouch, a transfer from T.L. Hanna in South Carolina, has thrown for almost 2,000 yards. He has thrown TD passes to nine different receivers. Hart averages 40.6 points per game, which ranks sixth in AAA.

Lamar County at Macon County

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Adams-Maffett Field, Montezuma

Records, rankings: Lamar County is 7-1-1 overall, 4-0 in Region 4-AA and No. 6; Macon County is 7-2, 4-0 and No. 8.

Last meeting: Lamar County won 48-0 in 2013.

Three things to know: 1. The winner of this game will be the region champion in 4-AA, and the loser will finish as the region runner-up. Lamar County has won three consecutive region titles and last year won a school-record 14 games and reached the state final for the first time. Macon County has won 10 region titles in its history but none since 2007. 2. Lamar County is primarily a running team in its first season under coach Jamie Abrams, who was promoted from defensive coordinator after Franklin Stephens left for the Ware County job. QB L.J. Smith usually attempts fewer than seven passes per game, and the workload in the running game is shared relatively evenly by Noah Eure and Juan Tucker. 3. Macon County has the sixth-ranked offense (35.9 points per game) and No. 5 defense (12.2) in Class AA. The Bulldogs have recorded three consecutive shutouts and held five of their nine opponents to a touchdown or less. More than half the points they have allowed came in their losses to AAAA Americus-Sumter (28-23) and fifth-ranked Fitzgerald (41-34). The leader is Roquan Smith, the nation's No. 4 outside linebacker in the 247Sports Composite rankings.

McEachern at Hillgrove

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Cobb Energy Hillgrove Stadium, Powder Springs

Records, rankings: Hillgrove is 6-3 overall, 4-1 in Region 4-AAAAAA and unranked; McEachern is 7-2, 5-0 and No. 7.

Last meeting: Hillgrove won 31-17 in 2013.

Three things to know: 1. The winner of this game will be the champion in 4-AAAAAA, and the loser will finish in second place. The Powder Springs rivals are 2-2 against each other since Hillgrove moved into the high classification in 2010. Last year, Hillgrove opened up a 21-0 lead in the first five minutes and held on for a 14-point victory. 2. McEachern has six players rated as three-star recruits or better by Rivals. Chuma Edoga, who has committed to Southern Cal, is ranked as the nation's No. 2 offensive tackle by 247Sports. RB Taj Griffin, who is out for the year with a knee injury, is committed to Oregon. Junior four-star DT Julian Rochester has a reported 17 offers. Three-star recruits are OL Chandler Jones (Louisville), DB Tyler Woodley (Georgia State offer) and T.J. Rahming (Duke). 3. Hillgrove has given up 23.6 points per game this season as the defense has dealt with a slew of injuries, but the Hawks have for the most part overcome that with an explosive offense that has averaged 37.1 points (55.3 in the past three games). QB Matthew Wilson has completed 62 percent of his passes and thrown for 1,570 yards and 16 touchdowns. RB Sonny Harris has rushed for 1,125 yards and 14 TDs.

Mill Creek at Peachtree Ridge

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Lions' Den, Suwanee

Records, rankings: Mill Creek is 6-3 overall, 5-1 in Region 7-AAAAAA and unranked; Peachtree Ridge is 7-2, 5-1 and No. 9.

Last meeting: Peachtree Ridge won 31-30 in 2013.

Three things to know: 1. The winner will be the No. 2 seed, the loser the No. 3 seed, in Region 7 if North Gwinnett beats Mountain View this week. The 2013 game between the two, when both were ranked in the Top 10, conspired to knock Mill Creek out of the playoffs. Mill Creek had 478 yards in total offense and scored on a 78-yard pass in the last three minutes, but missed an extra point that would've tied the game. 2. Peachtree Ridge QB Chance Thrasher (committed to Coastal Carolina) is 149-of-246 passing for 2,159 yards and 23 touchdowns with only four interceptions. Na'ceem Antenor has rushed for 803 yards. Christian Sutton has 39 catches, but sophomore Connor Heyward has eight touchdowns (28-492). The leading tacklers are sophomore linebackers Breon Dixon and Kam Jone. 3. Mill Creek was ranked No. 6 in preseason but got lost after defeats to No. 1 Colquitt County (31-14), No. 4 Dacula (28-21) and No. 6 North Gwinnett (51-41). Mill Creek is 4-0 since those, with an average score of 50-5, including a 30-0 victory over Norcross. The offense revolves around QB Daniel David, who has committed to Appalachian State, and linemen Kaleb Kim (Auburn) and Josh Fannin (Middle Tennessee). David has 915 yards passing and 536 yards rushing.

Northside (Warner Robins) at Houston County

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, McConnell-Talbert Stadium, Warner Robins

Records, rankings: Northside is 8-1 overall, 7-1 in Region 2-AAAAA and No. 9; Houston County is 8-1, 7-1 and unranked.

Last meeting: Northside won 45-10 in 2013.

Three things to know: 1. Northside and Houston County are tied for first place in 2-AAAAA, and the winner will be the region champion. Houston County will finish in second place if it loses. Northside would finish second with a loss if Warner Robins beats Jones County, or third if Jones County wins. Houston County is 0-16 all-time against Northside and has never won a region title. 2. Northside is aiming for its 12th region title in 17 years. The Eagles are led by Willie Jordan, who has rushed for 1,326 yards this season. Jordan had 61 yards and two touchdowns last week but was limited to six carries in a 51-0 rout of Cross Creek that was 40-0 at halftime. The Eagles ran for 282 yards in that game, with six players getting at least two carries and 23 yards. 3. Houston County sophomore QB Jake Fromm entered last week's games ranked fourth in Class AAAAA passing yardage and added 227 yards to his total in a 50-24 victory against Evans. That gives him 2,247 yards for the season, with 22 touchdowns and three interceptions. But the Bears also run for 204.7 yards per game, led by Kenny Gant's 1,122 yards and 20 TDs on 146 carries.

Pickens at Cartersville

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Weinman Stadium, Cartersville

Records, rankings: Pickens is 8-1 overall, 5-1 in Region 7-AAAA and No. 10; Cartersville is 8-1, 6-0 and No. 3.

Last meeting: Cartersville won 30-0 in 2011.

Three things to know: 1. A victory would give Pickens a school record for wins in a season and the school's first region title in a football history that began in 1957. It also would be the first victory over Cartersville, which owns an 18-0 record in the series that began in 1958. Pickens has never scored more than 13 points against Cartersville, and Cartersville has never scored fewer than 13 against Pickens. Cartersville has won 15 region titles, including those in 2012 and 2013. 2. Pickens coach Chris Parker's record as a Georgia coach is 45-27, which is impressive given that the schools he has coached, Chapel Hill and Pickens, were 0-10 and 1-9 the seasons before he arrived. It helps having Shannon Brooks, the state's leading rusher (2,043 yards), but QB Marcus Byrd has rushed for 874 yards and 11 touchdowns and passed for 694 yards. On defense, MLB Kalyn Brooks and OLB Kyle West have 16 sacks between them. 3. Cartersville, averaging 42.6 points per game, has done a good job of figuring out how to manage a duplication of talent. After some sharing of time at quarterback, Morris Forristall is now using his 6-4 frame to cause matchup problems as a tight end. The QB job belongs to freshman Trevor Lawrence, who is 107-of-166 passing for 1,894 yards and 18 touchdowns with three interceptions. Cartersville has two Division I prospects at running back, but Kalin Heath (a Kansas State commitment) can line up at wide receiver, and Tiamon Pennymon also is dangerous as a pass-catcher out of the backfield.

Stephenson at Creekside

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Arrowhead Stadium, Fairburn

Records, rankings: Stephenson is 7-2 overall, 5-0 in Region 6-AAAAA Div. A and No. 8; Creekside is 7-2, 3-1 in Region 6-AAAAA Div. B and No. 6.

Last meeting: Creekside won 28-14 on Sept. 19.

Three things to know: 1. The winner is the region champion. In their regular-season game, Stephenson led 14-7 in the third quarter but failed to score on a first-and-goal at the 1-yard line, then gave up a 98-yard TD drive. Stephenson suffered two turnovers in the fourth quarter. Creekside's Bricen Terry rushed for 215 yards. 2. Stephenson features a run-based offense without a feature back, but the most dangerous is Ivonte Patterson, who has 729 yards rushing and 16 touchdowns on 95 carries. Stephenson passes only about 10 times per game, but 10 have gone for touchdowns, six to Dexter Neal, who is committed to South Carolina. Stephenson has not thrown an interception. 3. Creekside also is a more run-oriented team than during its 2013 state-championship season, partly because of the season-ending injury to Super 11 WR Jayson Stanley. Terry has more than 1,300 yards rushing and ranks second in Class AAAAA. Creekside's offensive line, led by Venzell Boulware (Tennessee) and Marquel Harrell (Auburn) is one of the state's biggest. The team's best all-around player might be DB Joshua Moon, a dangerous return man. He is committed to Georgia Southern.

Tattnall Square at Aquinas

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aquinas Stadium, Augusta

Records, rankings: Tattnall Square is 9-0 overall, 5-0 in Region 7-A Div. A and No. 7; Aquinas is 9-0, 4-0 in Region 7-A Div. B and No. 1.

Last meeting: This is the teams' first meeting.

Three things to know: 1. This is the Region 7-A championship game, matching two undefeated teams that are among the top four private schools in this week's Class A power ratings. Only the winner will earn an automatic berth to the playoffs as a region champion, but both will play in the postseason. 2. Tattnall Square is playing its first year in the GHSA after spending its first 43 seasons in the Georgia Independent School Association. The Trojans won 11 state titles in the GISA, most recently in 2011. Tattnall Square could be without star LB/FB Jonathan Ward, who sat out a 35-17 victory against Mount de Sales last week with an ankle injury. His status has not been determined, according to the Macon Telegraph. 3. The star for Aquinas is RB/DB Ruben Garnett, who was the Class A offensive player of the year last season. Garnett has rushed for 1,495 yards and 20 touchdowns on 194 carries and has 10 receptions for 243 yards and four TDs. He also has made 39 tackles, an interception, a fumble recovery and two caused fumbles on defense. QB Liam Welch attempts only about 11 passes per game but has thrown for 1,355 yards and 15 TDs.

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