North Gwinnett has had five quarterbacks over the past 10 years to get some measure of all-state recognition. None ever put up more passing yards in one game than John Urzua, who threw for 498 in a 52-49 victory against No. 1-ranked McEachern last week.
Urzua saved his best for last - a 9-yard TD pass to Kyler Knudsen on a fake spike in the final seconds of a game that ended at 1:35 a.m. Sunday.
Here are some of Georgia's top individual performers from the first week of the regular season.
Top five
*Buford LB Austin Smith had nine tackles - three for losses - in a 17-0 victory over nationally ranked Trinity Christian Academy of Jacksonville. Trinity boasted nine recruits rated three stars or better by Rivals.
*Camden County DB/RB Antonio Wimbush had 27 yards rushing, 47 yards receiving, a 40-yard punt return, a 76-yard kick return, one tackle for a loss, a blocked kick, a forced fumble and a pass breakup in a 49-27 victory over Lincoln of Tallahassee, Fla.
*Greater Atlanta Christian WR Darius Slayton had eight receptions for 186 yards and three touchdowns in a 24-21 victory over Benedictine. His 63-yard TD reception was the game-winner.
*Kell WR/LB Bryson Armstrong caught nine passes for 107 yards as a receiver and had a team-leading six solo tackles - two for losses - and recovered a fumble for a touchdown as a linebacker in a 20-7 victory over Carrollton. Armstrong also blocked a field-goal attempt.
*North Gwinnett QB John Urzua was 38-of-48 passing with seven touchdowns in a 52-49 victory over No. 1-ranked McEachern.
Best of the rest
*Allatoona RB Russell Halimon, playing in place of preseason all-state RB Josh Bettistea, rushed for 209 yards on 39 carries in a 27-21 victory over East Paulding.
*Aquinas RB Ruben Garnett rushed for 181 yards and scored four touchdowns on 18 carries in a 41-6 victory over Glenn Hills. Garnett also played every down as a nickel back on defense and made one tackle.
*Brookstone junior RB Sam Ndem rushed for 169 yards and scored four touchdowns in a 42-34 victory over previously fifth-ranked Mount Pisgah Christian in a Class A game.
*Cambridge QB Brian Moore was 14-of-23 passing for 327 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for 45 yards and scored two touchdowns in a 42-6 victory over Holy Innocents'. His main target was WR John Hurst, who had six catches for 134 yards and two touchdowns.
*Cherokee WR Andrew Harris caught 14 passes for 222 yards and three touchdowns in a 42-7 victory over Chattahoochee. QB Spencer Ashley passed for 308 yards and four touchdowns.
*Colquitt County LB Bull Barge had 10 solo tackles and six assists in a 31-14 victory over Mill Creek, which entered the game ranked No. 6 in Class AAAAAA.
*Columbus junior QB Derrick James was 15-of-28 passing for 232 yards and three touchdowns and scored a touchdown in a 27-25 victory over Jordan. It was Columbus' first season-opening victory since 2003 (Spencer).
*Creekside's starting five on the offensive line - Marquel Harrell, Deandre Ford, Jacquon Nicholson, Aaron Dowdell and Venzell Boulware - paved the way for two 200-yard rushers in a 55-41 victory over South Cobb. Bricen Terry ran for 204 yards. Julian Gibbs rushed for 203.
*Dacula LB Corey Ames blocked a punt and intercepted a pass in a 34-14 victory over Collins Hill in a game between teams that made the AAAAAA quarterfinals in 2013.
*Dodge County DB Roscoe Wilcox had seven solo tackles, one for a loss, and intercepted two passes in a 35-10 victory over Bleckley County.
*Dunwoody RB Daniel Hinton rushed for 147 yards on 11 carries and scored three touchdowns in a 48-7 victory over Clarkston.
*East Paulding MLB Sonny Smith had 15 solo tackles - two for losses - and forced and recovered a fumble in a 27-21 loss to Allatoona.
*Etowah RB Raishod Devezin had 278 yards on 28 carries and five touchdowns in a 48-20 road victory over Marietta.
*Greenbrier RB/CB Jamal Richard rushed for 212 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries in a 34-0 victory over Harlem.
*Hughes DE D'Andre Walker had four sacks in a 27-7 victory over previously 10th-ranked Mays of Class AAAAA. Mays was held to 134 yards in total offense, 81 of which came on one running play.
*Jefferson WR/P Dalton Hill had four catches for 149 yards and averaged 46 yards on two punts in a 50-14 victory over Rabun County.
*Lakeside of Atlanta RB Kellyen Walker rushed for 274 yards and three touchdowns and returned a punt 99 yards in a 40-19 victory over Redan.
*Lovett DL Ian Herbert had 3.5 sacks for 19 yards in losses in a 38-3 victory over Pace Academy.
*Lowndes LB Brian Bell had a team-leading six tackles, blocked a punt and broke up a pass in a 37-14 victory over Roswell, which got 123 of its 159 yards in total offense after trailing 37-0.
*Lumpkin County sophomore RB Zach Matthews had 37 carries for 181 yards and scored his team's eight points in a 15-8 loss to Model.
*McEachern QB Bailey Hockman passed for 302 yards and four touchdowns in a 52-49 loss to North Gwinnett.
*Model LB Dax Bishop had 24 tackles in a 15-8 victory over Lumpkin County. Lumpkin ran 87 plays from scrimmage on offense to Model's 38 but scored only once.
*Mount Paran Christian LB Nick Sbravati was in on three sacks in a 31-14 victory over Eagle's Landing Christian.
*Mountain View LB Jordan Jones had 14 tackles (eight solo), one tackle for a loss and one sack for a safety in a 38-31 victory over South Forsyth. It was Mountain View's first season-opening victory since its first full varsity season in 2010.
*Newton QB Romario Johnson was 16-of-23 passing for 281 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for 134 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries in a 42-14 victory over Berkmar. His main target was WR DeAndre Huff, who had seven catches for 134 yards and two touchdowns.
*Norcross DE Jean-Baptiste Kouassi had seven solo tackles and 2.5 sacks in a 32-29 victory over Tucker. His fumble recovery in overtime clinched the win.
*North Paulding QB Kyle Banks was 21-of-28 passing for 309 yards and four touchdowns in a 55-20 victory over Creekview.
*Rome WR Jai Creamer had 14 receptions for 191 yards and two touchdowns in a 28-26 loss to Villa Rica.
*Sandy Creek RB Eric Swinney rushed for 220 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries and returned a kickoff 35 yards in a 21-13 victory over Archer.
*Towers RB Torrance Marable rushed for 284 yards and three touchdowns on 20 carries in a 50-26 loss to Miller Grove.
*Tucker LB Elijah Sullivan had 2.5 tackles for losses, intercepted a pass and broke up a pass in a 32-29 loss to Norcross. Sullivan also scored on runs of 3 and 5 yards.
*Valdosta DB Josh Norwood intercepted two passes, returning them 42 yards, and a team-leading six solo tackles - one for a 4-yard loss - in a 31-0 victory over Brookwood.
*Wesleyan LB Ollis "Sax" Robinson had six tackles - two for losses - a sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in a 45-7 victory over Walker.
*West Laurens WR Justin Smith had 10 receptions for 221 yards and three touchdowns in a 42-35 victory over Thomasville.
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