Top 10 games of Week 11

Last meeting: Allatoona won 27-14 in 2018.

Things to know: Harrison is likely to be the champion in 6-AAAAAA, but a lot remains undecided about the other three playoff spots. Allatoona currently sits in second place but just a game ahead of two-loss teams Dalton, Creekview and Sequoyah. Dalton was the one of that group of five that missed the postseason last year, ending a streak of seven consecutive playoff berths. Allatoona traditionally has been known as a running team, but the Buccaneers have been more balanced this year, averaging 180.3 yards rushing and 157.6 passing. Dante Marshall has passed for 1,226 yards and 14 touchdowns. Asante Das (24 catches, 767 yards 10 TDs) is one of the top receivers in Class AAAAAA. Alex Wilson has run for 624 yards and six TDs. Dalton's offense leans heavily on Georgia Tech-committed running back Jahmyr Gibbs, the state's leading rusher with 1,964 yards and 33 touchdowns on 173 carries. Gibbs set school records with 420 yards and eight TDs in a 62-10 season-opening victory over Ringgold. Gibbs has 2,270 all-purpose yards, about 60 percent of the team's total. The Catamounts have passed for 805 yards on 76 attempts.

Alpharetta at Johns Creek 

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, The Colosseum, Johns Creek

Records, rankings: Alpharetta is 6-2 overall, 6-0 in Region 7-AAAAAA and unranked; Johns Creek is 7-1, 6-0 and No. 7.

Last meeting: Johns Creek won 32-6 in 2018.

Things to know: Alpharetta and Johns Creek are the two remaining unbeaten teams in 7-AAAAAA play, and no other team has fewer than three losses, so the winner will be the champion and the loser will be the runner-up. Johns Creek was the region champ in 2016 and 2018, and Alpharetta won it in 2017. Alpharetta has averaged 33.8 points per game in region play after opening the season with shutout losses to Milton and Lanier. Raiders QB Will Gerdes has passed for 1,343 yards, including at least 200 in four of the past six games. His top target is C.J. Dobard, who has 439 yards and four touchdowns on 28 receptions. Junior Jaden Slocum is a three-star recruit at safety. Johns Creek’s only loss was a 47-16 setback on Aug. 30 against Jones, the No. 11-ranked team in Florida, according to MaxPreps. The Gladiators are led by QB Ben Whitlock, a transfer from Denmark who surpassed 2,000 yards passing for the season (2,040) with a 272-yard effort in a 37-17 victory over Centennial last week. Dalton Pearson has 850 yards and 13 TDs on 39 receptions. Tank Pritchett (364 yards) and Will Watson (304) are the leading rushers.

Appling County at Pierce County 

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Bearville Stadium, Blackshear

Records, rankings: Appling County is 7-1 overall, 3-0 in Region 2-AAA and No. 5; Pierce County is 8-0, 3-0 and No. 3.

Last meeting: Pierce County won 27-26 in 2018.

Things to know: These are the two remaining unbeaten teams in 2-AAA play. Appling County can clinch the region title with a victory. Pierce County likely would still need to beat third-place Liberty County on Nov. 8 to avoid a three-way tie for first place. Liberty County lost to Appling County 21-6 on Oct. 18. Both teams like to run the ball — Pierce County averages 217.4 yards rushing, Appling averages 285.5 — but Pierce gets more from its passing game (121 yards per game compared to Appling's 65.5). Pierce QB Jermaine Brewton is 54-of-83 passing for 977 yards and is second on the team with 295 rushing yards. L.J. Newton is the leading rusher with 665 yards and 10 TDs on 81 carries. For Appling County, the workload on the ground is shared by Sharode Roberts (76 carries, 536 yards, seven TDs), R.J. Conaway (74-465-6), Jeremiah Holmes (50-438-6) and Matthew Nails (44-304-2). Appling County is 13-6 under veteran head coach Rick Tomberlin, who was coaxed out of retirement last year to lead his alma mater. Pierce County is in its first season under Ryan Herring, who was hired from Oxford (Ala.) after Jason Strickland left for the Ware County job.

Athens Academy at Hebron Christian 

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Burlingame Field at Lions Stadium, Dacula

Records, rankings: Athens Academy is 8-0 and No. 1 in Class A private; Hebron Christian is 6-2 and No. 9 in Class A private.

Last meeting: Athens Academy won 22-20 in 2018.

Things to know: These teams have clinched their subregions and will meet again next week for the Region 8-A championship game. The scheduling quirk stems from the 10-team region's decision in 2018 to split into subregions, meaning this game doesn't factor in the region race. In the 2018 game, Athens Academy took a 22-7 lead into the fourth quarter and held on, once stopping Hebron on a fourth-and-goal attempt. Hebron is 12-8 over the past two seasons, but that's deceiving. This will be the Lions’ 12th ranked opponent in that time. It's an up-and-coming program under coach Jeff Saturday, the retired Indianapolis Colts center. Colten Gauthier has passed for 1,604 yards. Donnovan Moorer has 805 receiving yards. Both have major Division I offers. Athens Academy is typically more of a running team, but Peyton Bush has imitated Peyton Manning lately with five TD passes each of the past two weeks, during which he’s 27-of-35 for 664 yards. More predictable is the Spartans’ defense, which allows 6.3 points per game, fewest among Class A private schools.

Blessed Trinity at Marist 

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Hughes Spalding Stadium, Atlanta

Records, rankings: Blessed Trinity is 7-1 overall, 4-0 in Region 7-AAAA and No. 4; Marist is 9-0, 5-0 and No. 1.

Last meeting: Blessed Trinity won 10-7 in 2018.

Things to know: This is for the region title, as has been the case every year since 2016, when these Catholic schools first met in football. Blessed Trinity has won two of those three regular-season matchups and avenged the lone defeat in 2017 with a victory in that season's Class AAAA championship game. The victory margins in the three region games have been one, two and three points. This season, Blessed Trinity has pulled out nail-biters to beat Denmark 20-19 and Flowery Branch 20-17 while Marist is ranked No. 1 largely on its dominance. Marist has put away eight of nine opponents by halftime and led 37-7 by the fourth quarter in the other game. Marist allows 6.9 point per game, second-fewest in AAAA. The offense is more solid this season thanks to a talented offensive line and the development of two-year starting QB Connor Cigelske, who has rushed for 947 yards and passed for 1,034. Blessed Trinity, the two-time defending AAAA champion, graduated a super-talented senior class and hasn't found that balance yet, as passing has been erratic, but freshman Justice Haynes eclipsed 1,000 yards rushing last week (1,003 on the season), and Elijah Green, limited to four games because of injury, rushed for 167 yards and three touchdowns on just six carries. The pair is probably the best RB duo in the state.

Colquitt County at Lowndes 

When, where: 8 p.m. Friday, Martin Stadium, Valdosta

Records, rankings: Colquitt County is 8-1 overall, 2-0 in Region 1-AAAAAAA and No. 3; Lowndes is 9-0, 2-0 and No. 1.

Last meeting: Colquitt County won 40-6 in 2018.

Things to know: These are the state's two best teams, according to computer models done by Massey, Maxwell, MaxPreps and CalPreps. They rank 1-2 in scoring offense in Class AAAAAA - Lowndes at 40.9 points per game, Colquitt County at 39.2. Lowndes is first in scoring defense (7.9). Colquitt is seventh (12.2). The winner will be the champion of Region 1. Colquitt has reverted to being a pass-heavy team under first-year coach Justin Rogers. The Packers get 71.5 percent of their yardage in the passing game, as Jaycee Harden has thrown for 2,504 yards and 32 touchdowns. In 2018, Colquitt got 48.2 percent of its yards passing. Lowndes has been a more run-heavy team the past two seasons with QB Jacurri Brown, who has rushed for 901 yards, though he passed for a career-high 214 yards last week against Camden County. Lowndes gets 73.7 percent of its yards rushing. Colquitt has won four of the past five meetings, claiming the region title with each victory.

Dacula at Lanier 

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Longhorns Stadium/The Ranch, Sugar Hill

Records, rankings: Dacula is 8-0 overall, 3-0 in Region 8-AAAAAA and No. 1; Lanier is 8-0, 3-0 and No. 5.

Last meeting: Dacula won 23-0 in 2018.

Things to know: This game is almost certainly for the region title, but while Dacula will clinch the championship with a victory, Lanier likely would need to defeat Gainesville (4-4, 2-1) on Nov. 8 to close things out. Dacula is 18-0 since this region was formed in 2016. In the 2018 game, Dacula had six sacks and intercepted four passes. Both teams then advanced to the semifinals in the state playoffs. This season, both are ranked in the top 10 of AAAAAA in scoring offense and defense, but Dacula has an edge statistically in scoring (36.3 to 33.3), scoring defense (9.9 to 11.8), rushing yards per game (245.5 to 199.4), passing yards per game (176.5 to 136.4) and strength of schedule (21st toughest in AAAAAA to 43rd). Trenton Jones, who rushed for 140 yards in the 2018 game, is back. Jarrett Jenkins, a Georgia Southern baseball recruit, has thrown for 1,395 yards and 10 touchdowns. Lanier runs its offense through Taj Barnes, who has surpassed 1,000 yards rushing for the second consecutive season. Lanier OLB/DE Phillip Webb, an uncommitted four-star recruit, has 19 tackles for losses.

Hillgrove at Marietta 

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Northcutt Stadium, Marietta

Records, rankings: Hillgrove is 7-1 overall, 2-1 in Region 3-AAAAAAA and No. 6; Marietta is 6-2, 2-1 and No. 7.

Last meeting: Hillgrove won 48-24 in 2018.

Things to know: With McEachern closing in on the 3-AAAAAAA title, this game probably will settle second and third place in the region. The impact of that is significant. The No. 2 seed is likely to play unranked Camden County at home in the first round of the playoffs. The third seed will travel to top-ranked Lowndes or No. 3 Colquitt County. This game will feature the state's top two recruits, Hillgrove DE Myles Murphy (No. 1, committed to Clemson) and Marietta TE Arik Gilbert (No. 2, LSU). It will be the first time a Georgia game has featured the state's top two recruits since 2007, when Westlake’s Cam Newton faced Creekside’s Eric Berry. Both teams get about two-thirds of their offense from the passing game. Marietta's Harrison Bailey (2,314 yards and 23 touchdowns passing, committed to Tennessee) is the more well-known quarterback, but Hillgrove's Matthew McCravy is having a good season, as well. McCravy has completed 60.7 percent of his 206 passes for 1,590 yards and 20 TDs with just three interceptions. Hillgrove is allowing 13.25 points per game, the second-lowest average in the program's 14-year history.

Oconee County at North Oconee 

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Titan Stadium, Bogart

Records, rankings: Oconee County is 7-1 overall, 2-0 in Region 8-AAAA and No. 9; North Oconee is 9-0, 3-0 and No. 6.

Last meeting: North Oconee won 23-8 in 2018.

Things to know: North Oconee, which opened in 2004 just 4.5 miles up Hog Mountain Road from Oconee County, leads this rivalry 3-2. They’ve played only when members of the same region. This is the first meeting with a region title on the line or when both were ranked. North Oconee has gone 18-3 the past two seasons after going 1-19 the previous two. Tyler Aurandt, offensive coordinator on Grayson's 2011 state-championship team, has orchestrated the revival. QB Bubba Chandler, a first-year starter who is committed to Georgia as a baseball player, is 90-of-159 passing for 1,502 yards and 19 touchdowns. He’s also rushed for 381 yards. RB/LB Adam Weynand has rushed for 808 yards and 12 touchdowns. North Oconee has blocked five kicks and scored three touchdowns on special teams. Oconee County is having its best season since its 2015 region title. QB Max Johnson (committed to LSU) is 73-of-124 passing for 1,105 yards and 13 touchdowns. Both teams rank in the top 10 in AAAA for scoring defense, North Oconee fourth at 11.6 points per game, Oconee County seventh at 12.6. North Oconee is fifth in scoring offense (38.3). Oconee is 17th (28.5). According to the computer Maxwell Ratings, Oconee has played the tougher schedule.

Whitefield Academy at Fellowship Christian 

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Bob Lord Field, Roswell

Records, rankings: Whitefield Academy is 7-1 overall, 6-0 in Region 6-A Div. B and unranked; Fellowship Christian is 8-0, 6-0 and No. 5 in Class A private.

Last meeting: Fellowship Christian won 44-42 in 2018.

Things to know: The winner of this game will clinch first place in subregion B of Region 6-A and move on to face fourth-ranked Darlington in the region championship game next weekend. The two programs, both of which are less than 20 years old, have won two region titles each — Fellowship Christian in 2007 and 2016, Whitefield Academy in 2007 and 2008. Whitefield Academy has won six consecutive games since a 43-21 loss to Prince Avenue Christian on Aug. 30. Freshman Ayden Duncanson has run for 505 yards and passed for 640 this season. RB/LB Jaden Griffith had 73 yards rushing, made 10 tackles and returned an interception 73 yards for a touchdown in a 42-7 victory over rival Walker last week. Fellowship Christian averages 48 points per game, fourth-best among all Class A schools, and has scored at least 42 in every game. The Paladins average 344.5 yards rushing and attempt fewer than 10 passes per game. Murphy Reeves (97 carries, 971 yards, 12 touchdowns) is the leading rusher, but Jayven Hall (57-483-9) and Josh Cole (42-446-9) are significant contributors.

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