What to watch: Week 9

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Buccaneer Stadium, Acworth

Records, rankings: Hapeville Charter is 6-0 and No. 1 in Class AA; Allatoona is 4-2 and No. 9 in AAAAAA.

Last meeting: This is the teams' first meeting.

Maxwell's projection: Hapeville by 8

Notes: Hapeville Charter is the defending Class AA champion and has won 19 consecutive games. Allatoona, a top-10 team from four classes higher, is by far the biggest remaining obstacle standing between Hapeville and the first 10-0 regular season in the program's eight-year history. Allatoona started the season 0-2 but has since won four straight, including a 23-7 victory last week over Harrison, which was ranked No. 3 in AAAAAA at the time. Hapeville has a balanced offense that averages 168.0 yards rushing and 165.5 passing. Marcus Carroll has more than half the rushing yardage (573) and has three consecutive 100-yard games. But the Hornets are more known for their defense, which has allowed just three points all season, none since a 33-3 victory over Heard County in the second game. DL Jajuan White leads the team in tackles (31) and sacks (eight). Allatoona relies heavily on the run, averaging 229.3 yards rushing and 73.0 passing. Daniel Parsons has run for 683 yards and six touchdowns on 82 carries and had 163 yards on a season-high 32 carries against Harrison. The Buccaneers have given up just 31 points during their four-game winning streak.

Vidalia Indians at Toombs County Bulldogs*

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Booster Stadium (The Pit), Lyons

Records, rankings: Vidalia is 6-0 overall, 2-0 in Region 2-AA and No. 7; Toombs County is 5-2, 3-0 and unranked.

Last meeting: Toombs County won 26-7 in 2017.

Maxwell's projection: Vidalia by 18

Notes: These are two of three Region 2-AA teams that haven't lost in region play. The other is Swainsboro (4-2, 2-0). The 2017 champion, Benedictine, moved up to AAA, which opened the door for change. Toombs hasn't won a region title since 2002. Vidalia's last title was 2014. Toombs is in revival mode under third-year coach Richie Marsh and had a 10-win season last year for the first time since 2000. Toombs had lost eight straight to Vidalia, its county rival, until last season. Toombs is balanced, averaging 150.7 yards rushing and 146.0 passing per game. The offensive players to watch are QB Trey Cloud (1,022 yards passing, nine touchdowns), RB Derrick Mincey (485 yards rushing), RB Demetrius Owens (409 rushing) and WR Chandler Lynn (553 receiving). Mincey and Lynn are sophomore two-way starters who rank in the top three in tackles. Six of Toombs' 11 leading tacklers are 10th graders. Vidalia is a wing-T team that averages 352.8 yards rushing per game (9.9 per carry) and fewer than five passing attempts per game. WB/LB Nyshun Bell leads the team in rushing yards (578) and tackles (47).

Elbert County Blue Devils at Rabun County Wildcats

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Frank Snyder Stadium, Tiger

Records, rankings: Elbert County is 4-2, 2-1 in 8-AA and unranked; Rabun County is 5-1, 3-0 and No. 5.

Last meeting: Rabun County won 35-7 in 2017.

Maxwell's projection: Rabun County by 20

Notes: After beginning the season with a 13-10 loss to No. 4 Bremen, the Wildcats have seemingly returned to form, ripping off five wins while averaging 49 points in that span. They come into Friday's game well rested after their bye, which follows a 68-7 win over Banks County. The 68 points scored is the highest in program history. Freshman quarterback Gunner Stockton has a 118 quarterback rating on 91-of-141 passing for 1,264 yards and 13 touchdowns to two interceptions, and he has also rushed for a team-high nine touchdowns to go with 376 yards on 49 carries. The Blue Devils are also coming off a bye after narrowly losing to Union County 29-28. In that game, Union County took the lead with 1:25 remaining on a touchdown and 2-point conversion. The Blue Devils can make 8-AA a three-way race — which would include Union County — should they beat Rabun County on Friday. But that hasn't happened since the two joined 8-AA in 2016. Instead, the Wildcats have outscored them 77-17 their last two meetings. A win for Rabun County would inch the Wildcats one step closer to their fifth consecutive region title.

Washington County Golden Hawks at Dodge County Indians

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Memorial Stadium at John M. Peacock Field, Eastman

Records, rankings: Washington County is 6-0, 2-0 in 3-AA and No. 6; Dodge County is 6-1, 2-1 and unranked.

Last meeting: Dodge County won 42-7 in 2017.

Maxwell's projection: Even

Notes: In an incredible rarity, Maxwell's projections could not compute a favorite for this matchup and lists Washington County as a 0-point favorite. That might be an indication of how close this game will be, but it also goes to show how far the Golden Hawks have come since losing by a considerable margin to the Indians last year. The Golden Hawks are off to their best start since 2014, when they finished the regular season 10-0 and advanced all the way to the AAA finals. They've beaten all of their opponents by double digits except for Swainsboro, which they edged 47-45. They're coming off a 54-20 win over Bleckley County, which followed a 47-7 win over East Laurens in their 3-AA opener. Last week, they scored 21 points off turnovers. The Indians slipped from No. 5 to completely out of the rankings after losing 34-10 last week to Dublin, which snapped their regular-season win streak at 17. A win here would put the Indians right back in the mix in 3-AA, and win for Washington County would likely set up a season-finale showdown with Dublin for the region championship. The Golden Hawks last won 3-AA in 2016.

Brooks County Trojans at Early County Bobcats

When, where: 3 p.m. Saturday, Standifer Stadium, Blakely

Records, rankings: Brooks County is 5-2, 1-0 in 1-AA and No. 8; Early County is 5-1, 0-0 and unranked.

Last meeting: Brooks County won 49-0.

Maxwell's projection: Brooks County by 9.

Notes: The Trojans are coming off an impressive 27-11 win over then-No. 7 Thomasville, with the surprise coming from the margin of victory. They've now one two straight since slipping against AAAAA's Thomas County Central with a 24-14 loss. The Thomasville win put them in the driver's seat for their first region title since 2015. The Trojans have used two quarterbacks thus far, with sophomore Ni'Tavion Burrus completing 42 of 72 passes for 463 yards and six touchdowns to two interceptions, and senior Jacolby Brown going 33-of-56 passing for 395 yards and two touchdowns to three interceptions. Deon Fountain leads the team in rushing with 298 yards and four touchdowns, followed by Brown (148 yards, three touchdowns) and Burrus (128, 2). The Bobcats are coming off a bye and are the only team in 1-AA yet to play a region game. At 5-1, they're off to their best start since 2007, when they won their first six games and finished 8-3. They're seeking their first region title since 2003 after finishing 2-8 last year and 1-8-1 in 2016. Three of the Bobcats' five opponents this season are from Alabama, and they're 3-0 in those games. Their lone loss was 33-7 in their season opener, to the same Thomas County Central team that beat the Trojans.

Fitzgerald Purple Hurricane at Thomasville Bulldogs

When, where: 7 p.m. Saturday, Veterans Memorial Stadium, Thomasville

Records, rankings: Fitzgerald is 5-2, 1-0 in 1-AA and unranked; Thomasville is 4-3, 0-1 and No. 10.

Last meeting: Thomasville won 38-10 in 2017.

Maxwell's projection: Thomasville by 6

Notes: While Brooks County and Early County jockey for position in 1-AA, the Purple Hurricane and Bulldogs will help to further shape the standings in an equally crucial game. Should Fitzgerald win, they'll be in excellent shape for their first region title since 2016. Even if they lose, they could still create a three-way tie with a win over Brooks County in the season finale. Thomasville would all-but-eliminated from 1-AA title contention with a loss. The two teams have played each other every season dating back to 2000 except for 2004, and the series has been about even in that time, with Fitzgerald winning 10 times to Thomasville's seven. The Bulldogs' win last year broke a two-year Fitzgerald win streak. The Purple Hurricane's two losses came to ranked teams Irwin County (No. 2 in A-public) and Dodge County (then No. 6). They also beat A-public's No. 6 Dooly County and with Thomasville, this will be their fourth game against a ranked opponent this season. Thomasville is on a two-game losing streak (Crisp County, Brooks County) and has lost three of five.

*Courtesy of GHSF Daily

Follow the AJC’s Class AA coverage on Twitter.