Top 10 games of Week 3

Three things to watch: 1. Benedictine is 1-13-1 against metro Atlanta's Catholic schools. The win came in 1946 against Marist. But St. Pius will be Benedictine's first metro Catholic opponent since the 2011 season. Benedictine is 46-8 with a 2014 state championship since then. 2. Benedictine returned 1,000-rushers John Wesley Kennedy and Tyleek Collins, 1,500-yard passer Nick Iannone and seven of its 10 leading tacklers from a 12-1 team. Kennedy, the 2015 Region 2-AA player of the year, rushed for 94 yards on five carries and caught a 53-yard TD pass in a 24-7 upset against Glynn Academy on Aug. 19. DE Adam King had four tackles behind the line. 3. St. Pius is trying to avoid its third consecutive 0-2 start, although the Lions have finished 12-3 and 10-3 despite those. In a 22-18 loss to Blessed Trinity two weeks ago, RB/FS Grant Holloman had 100 yards rushing and seven tackles. He was the team's leading rusher and fourth-leading tackler last season as a sophomore.

Blessed Trinity vs. St. Peter's Prep (N.J.)

When, where: 9 a.m. Friday, Donnybrook Stadium, Dublin, Ireland

Records, rankings: Blessed Trinity is 2-0 and No. 2 in Class AAAA; St. Peter's Prep is 0-0 and No. 6 overall in New Jersey (MaxPreps).

Last meeting: This is the teams' first meeting.

Three things to watch: 1. This is one of three high school games that will be played Friday in Ireland as part of the American Football Showcase, which leads up to Saturday's Georgia Tech-Boston College game in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic. The others match Westminster against Community School of Naples, Fla., and Marist against Belen Jesuit of Miami. 2. St. Peter's Prep of Jersey City, N.J., has seven players committed to colleges. The headliners are QB Johnathan Lewis, who received an offer from Georgia, among others, and committed Rutgers; OG Ben Petrula, who is headed to Boston College; and twins Justin (LB) and Jayson (DT) Ademilola, four-star juniors who have committed to Notre Dame. 3. Blessed Trinity sophomore RB Steele Chambers has been the workhorse for a team that gets almost 70 percent of its offense from the running game. Chambers has 37 carries for 234 yards and four TDs. Junior SS Jake Rudolph leads the team in tackles with 19 and has a sack, an interception and a fumble recovery.

Brooks County at Clinch County

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Donald Tison Field at Panther Stadium, Homerville

Records, rankings: Brooks County is 1-0 and No. 4 in Class AA; Clinch County is 2-0 and No. 1 in Class A public.

Last meeting: Clinch County won 33-20 in 2015.

Three things to watch: 1. Clinch County ended a four-game losing streak to Brooks County last season when freshman QB Trezman Marshall rushed for 200 yards on 23 carries. Clinch, which entered unranked after a down (6-5) season, led in total yards 376-172. Brooks came in ranked No. 8. 2. Marshall would miss five later games because of an injury and shared the QB position with Charles McClelland during Clinch's run to a state title. Marshall now lines up mostly at linebacker, his likely college position. He's second on the team with eight tackles. McClelland has rushed for 326 yards and four touchdowns on 29 carries. RB Shannon Young, who ran for 1,615 yards in 2015, has gone for 110 on 19. Clinch has completed only three of eight passes. 3. Brooks County graduated 10 of its 11 all-region players, including 1-AA player of the year QB Damonte Jones (who beat out Fitzgerald's J.D. King). The returner is RB Jonathan White, a junior. DB Jarrious Rhodes is probably Brooks' next most-accomplished player. New QB Mac Perry scored the game-winner on a keeper in overtime in a 21-14 victory over Cook in the opener.

Brookwood at South Gwinnett

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Richard Snell Community Stadium, Snellville

Records, rankings: Brookwood is 2-0 and No. 8 in Class AAAAAAA; South Gwinnett is 2-0 and No. 9 in AAAAAAA.

Last meeting: Brookwood won 23-12 in 2015.

Three things to watch: 1. This is the first season in which Brookwood and South Gwinnett have not been in the same region since 1987. It is the first time since 2003 that both were ranked when they met. That season, No. 8 South Gwinnett upset No. 1 Brookwood 15-14. Both entered 4-0. 2. Brookwood has put up 37 and 40 points in victories over North Gwinnett and Walton. QB Angelo DiSpignia is 25-of-34 passing for 421 yards in two games. Dante Black rushed for 192 yards in the opener. LB Leonard Warner, a four-star recruit, has 21 tackles, an interception and a blocked kick in two games. 3. South Gwinnett, bouncing back from a 2-8 finish in 2015, has three major college prospects on defense - junior DL Robert Cooper (committed to Florida State), senior LB Malik Robinson (North Carolina) and junior DE Justin Mascoll (a five-star recruit among juniors). South Gwinnett's 17-0 victory last week marked the first time that Lanier had been shut out in program history, covering 54 games.

Cartersville at Calhoun

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Phil Reeve Stadium, Calhoun

Records, rankings: Cartersville is 1-0 and No. 1 in Class AAAA; Calhoun is 1-1 and No. 3 in AAA.

Last meeting: Calhoun won 38-10 in 2009.

Three things to watch: 1. Calhoun has not started 1-2 since 2008, the last time that Cartersville was third on the schedule and beat Calhoun. These are the most successful programs lately northwest of metro Atlanta, although Dalton has something to say about that after beating Calhoun for the first time in eight tries last week. 2. Calhoun QB Baylon Spector, projected as a safety in college, has rushed for 433 yards on 33 carries, surpassing 100 in each game. Olico Dennis has 175 yards and three touchdowns. They run behind a physical line led by William Long (6-5, 280) and Noah Davenport (6-3, 275). 3. Trevor Lawrence, the consensus No. 1 junior recruit nationally, is Cartersville's best-known player, but DB Avery Showell (committed to Wake Forest) and CB Trey Creamer also are major Division I recruits. Showell had four sacks in the opener against Allatoona. Cartersville had 250 yards passing but only 58 rushing (30 by Lawrence) against Allatoona.

Coffee at Ware County

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Memorial Stadium, Waycross

Records, rankings: Coffee is 2-0 and No. 6 in Class AAAAAA; Ware County is 0-1 and No. 7 in AAAAA.

Last meeting: Ware County won 23-14 in 2015.

Three things to watch: 1. Coffee QB Max Hughes is the second-leading passer in Region 1-AAAAAA, trailing only Houston County's Jake Fromm. Hughes has completed 48 of 65 attempts for 505 yards and four touchdowns. Milton Jackson has a region-leading 16 receptions for 164 yards and a TD. Demetrius Davis is third in 1-AAAAAA with 194 yards on 34 carries. 2. Ware County is trying to avoid its first 0-2 start since the 1995 team went 1-9. The Gators rushed for 175 yards in a 17-10 loss to Glynn Academy last week, led by Gary Williams' 68 yards on 14 carries. QB Jemar Lincoln was 8-for-17 passing for 99 yards and rushed 15 times for 55 yards and his team's only touchdown. 3. Coffee and Ware County spent the past two years together as members of Region 3-AAAAA before they were split up in the most recent reclassification. Ware County won both meetings, but each won a region title. However, they have played each other regularly, meeting every year except four since 1970 in a series that Coffee leads 25-18.

Dacula at Mill Creek

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Markham Field at Mill Creek Community Stadium, Hochston

Records, rankings: Dacula is 1-0 and No. 4 in Class AAAAAA; Mill Creek is 2-0 and No. 4 in AAAAAAA.

Last meeting: Mill Creek won 34-7 in 2015.

Three things to watch: 1. Dacula and Mill Creek are bordering school districts, the most northeastern in Gwinnett County. They have played each other since 2005, but never in a region game. This will be no exception as Dacula was moved to the second-highest classification this year. Mill Creek leads the series 6-4. This is the first time they've met as top-five teams. 2. Dacula rushed for 353 yards (154 by Tre McMillan) in a 34-13 victory over Central Gwinnett last week. The Falcons have two top-notch defensive linemen. Allen Daniels (18 tackles for loss in 2015) has committed to Boston College. Brandon Jones (6-6, 280) has offers from Tennessee. The best all-around player is RB/LB Ty Harris (80 yards rushing, seven tackles vs. Central.) 3. Mill Creek QB Cameron Turley is 32-of-59 passing for 448 yards. Mill Creek has arguably the best pair of offensive linemen (Tyler Fannin and Jack Franklin) and kicking specialists (PK Brenton King, P Matt Campbell) in the class. Only two defensive starters returned from a team that recorded six shutouts in 2015.

Grayson at McEachern

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Walter H. Cantrell Stadium, Powder Springs

Records, rankings: Grayson is 0-1 and No. 2 in Class AAAAAAA; McEachern is 1-0 and No. 3 in AAAAAAA.

Last meeting: Grayson won 31-12 in 2012.

Three things to watch: 1. Grayson's Chase Brice threw a 53-yard touchdown pass to Jamyest Williams for a 7-0 lead in the second quarter against IMG Academy last week, but IMG scored the final 26 points in a 26-7 victory. Brice was 10-for-17 passing for 148 yards with one interception, but the Rams rushed for just 34 yards on 29 carries, according to the Gwinnett Daily Post. 2. McEachern QB Bailey Hockman threw second-quarter touchdown passes to Tyler Smith of 16 and 6 yards to help the Indians take control in a 27-14 victory over Archer two weeks ago. Hockman finished 14-for-23 for 153 yards, and the Indians rushed for 83 yards on 33 carries. McEachern will have to cut down on penalties - it committed 19 for 153 yards in losses against Archer. 3. McEachern is the only Georgia team that Grayson will play in its five non-region games. In addition to the opener against IMG Academy, the Rams will take on Deerfield Beach of Florida (Sept. 16) along with Ramsay (Sept. 23) and Hoover (Oct. 28) of Alabama. McEachern's remaining non-region games are against Jonesboro, Westlake and Camden County in the next three weeks.

Stratford Academy at Landmark Christian

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

Records, rankings: Stratford Academy is 1-0 and No. 5 in Class A private; Landmark Christian is 1-0 and No. 7 in Class A private.

Last meeting: This is the teams' first meeting.

Three things to watch: 1. Stratford Academy forced five turnovers (three fumbles, two interceptions) and held Savannah Country Day to 178 total yards (minus-3 rushing) in a 24-0 victory last week, according to the Macon Telegraph. The Eagles converted two of the fumbles into touchdowns, and Sammy Martin returned an interception 50 yards for another score. 2. Landmark Christian's Joey Blount rushed for 71 yards and two touchdowns, was 10-for-19 passing for 104 yards and a TD, and had two interceptions in a 34-24 victory over B.E.S.T. Academy two weeks ago. Nick Toomer had a touchdown reception and two interceptions, and Lofton Tidwell rushed for 90 yards and two TDs and had 12 tackles. 3. Stratford Academy is 16-9 since moving from the Georgia Independent School Association in 2014. Four of the losses came against Aquinas, including three last season when the Eagles reached the semifinals. Landmark Christian has a 16-7 record during that same stretch but has failed to make it out of the first round of the playoffs.

Thomson at Jefferson

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Memorial Stadium, Jefferson

Records, rankings: Thomson is 2-0 and No. 4 in Class AAAA; Jefferson is 2-0 and No. 3 in AAAA.

Last meeting: Thomson won 14-0 in 1963.

Three things to watch: 1. Thomson is averaging 317.5 yards rushing through two games, and the workload is spread primarily among three players - Michael Thomas (32 carries, 199 yards, three TDs), Bubba Murray (13-135-3) and Tyrek Braswell (17-113-2). QB Mills Ridings is 10-for-22 passing for 159 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. DB Christian Tutt has 17 tackles. 2. Jefferson's Colby Wood, a 2,000-yard rusher last year as a sophomore, has run for 265 yards and four touchdowns on 34 carries this season in two games, both of which were blowout victories. The Dragons don't throw often, but Wood also is the leading receiver with three catches for 66 yards and a TD. QB Bryce Moore is 9-for-18 passing for 151 yards and a touchdown. 3. The Bulldogs and Dragons met 10 times between 1949 and 1963, but they haven't faced each other since Thomson won the 1963 game. Thomson leads the series 6-2-2, with Jefferson's victories coming in 1950 and 1958.

Produced by Georgia High School Football Daily, a free e-mail newsletter. To join the mailing list, click here.