This week’s 10 best HS football games span from Rockmart to Ware County
After a marathon Week 1, with games from Wednesday to Saturday, Georgia high school football settles in Week 2, with the large majority of games scheduled for Friday night.
Here’s a look at the 10 best football games on the schedule for Week 2.
Cartersville at Rockmart
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, The Rock, Rockmart
Records, rankings: Cartersville is 1-0 and No. 5 in Class 4A; Rockmart is 1-0 and No. 2 in 2A.
Last meeting: Cartersville won 35-6 in 2024.
Things to know: Cartersville has won 14 of the past 15 games in the series, losing most recently in 2009, but Rockmart, a Class 2A semifinalist last season, is feeling strong after last week’s 56-7 victory over county rival Cedartown, a team that beat Rockmart 24-3 the previous season. Tucker Parson, a freshman and the son of head coach Biff Parson, was 9-of-13 passing for 212 yards and four touchdowns, each to a different receiver. Nate Davis rushed for 55 yards on four carries and caught a 63-yard TD pass. Davis, a 2024 all-state player, also forced two fumbles playing linebacker. Cartersville beat Columbia 44-0 last week after leading 35-0 at halftime. Nate Russell was 11-of-13 passing for 155 yards and two touchdowns. Cartersville had two 100-yard rushers in last year’s win over Rockmart, but the 2025 offense likely will focus more on Russell, who threw for 2,497 yards last season, and Georgia-committed WR Brady Marchese, who had 1,051 yards receiving last season. On defense, Cartersville returns four sophomore starters from a team that finished 12-1.
Coffee at Ware County
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Memorial Stadium, Waycross
Records, rankings: Coffee is 1-0 and No. 8 in Class 5A; Ware County is 1-0 and No. 8 in 4A.
Last meeting: Coffee won 20-16 in 2014.
Things to know: This is the sixth consecutive season and ninth in 11 years that these South Georgia programs have met when both were ranked. Ware has won six of the those 11, but Coffee has won the past two. In the 2024 game, Tyrese Woodgett rushed for 209 yards and three touchdowns, the last one an 18-yarder with 6:34 for the game-winner. Woodgett is off to GMC Prep, but Coffee remains a staunch running team. In a 28-14 win over Bainbridge last week, the Trojans were 0-for-2 passing while Kentavius Debruce rushed for 162 yards and four touchdowns. Coffee is 36-6 with a 2023 state title under coach Mike Coe but is faced with replacing all 14 of its 2024 all-region players. Ware County beat Appling County 55-7 last week in a game that was tight for a half. Ware rushed for 301 yards. Tayshaun Franklin rushed for 152 yards and three touchdowns on six carries. Jamir Boyd rushed for 108 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries. Expect Ware to rely on those two, plus all-region offensive lineman Cason Hall, while breaking in new starting quarterback Isaiah White.
Fellowship Christian at Hebron Christian
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Burlingame Field, Dacula
Records, rankings: Fellowship Christian is 1-0 and No. 3 in Class 3A-A Private; Hebron Christian is 1-0 and No. 2 in 3A-A Private.
Last meeting: Hebron Christian won 24-17 in the 2024 Class 3A-A Private semifinals.
Things to know: Hebron Christian beat Fellowship Christian 38-18 in the regular season and 24-17 in the playoffs last season. Hebron’s Jarvis Mathurin, now a senior, rushed for more than 100 yards in both games. Devon Caldwell, who rushed for 157 yards and four touchdowns in the August game, also is back. Those two were integral in last week’s 29-22 victory over North Atlanta, which was secured with a forced fumble after North Atlanta reached Hebron’s 1-yard line in the final two minutes. Caldwell rushed for 127 yards, and Mathurin had 92 receiving yards and returned a kickoff for a touchdown. Fellowship brings back its two biggest offensive weapons from 2024. Jonathan Granby was 13-of-22 passing for 176 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 95 yards on 10 carries in last week’s 26-0 victory over Class A Division II reigning champion Bowdon. C.J. Givers (committed to Duke) rushed for 70 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries. Both teams are greener on the lines of scrimmage, as Fellowship’s Josh Petty (Georgia Tech) and Hebron’s Sichan John (Virginia) are among five players off these teams to sign with ACC schools.
Holy Innocents’ at Blessed Trinity
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Blessed Trinity Stadium, Roswell
Records, rankings: Holy Innocents’ is 1-0 and No. 8 in Class 3A-A Private; Blessed Trinity is 1-0 and No. 4 in 4A.
Last meeting: Blessed Trinity won 45-7 in 2024.
Things to know: In the 2024 game, the only meeting in history between these schools, Blessed Trinity’s Brooks Goodman was 15-of-21 passing for 159 yards and two touchdowns. Goodman, a junior then, graduated early to join Cincinnati. In Blessed Trinity’s opener, a 57-14 victory over Tri-Cities, quarterbacks Ty Page and J.D. Callaway were 6-of-7 passing for 94 yards and two touchdowns. Ahmontae Pitts rushed for 133 yards and three touchdowns and returned a kickoff 61 yards. DJ Jacobs (five-star junior prospect) had three sacks. Lucas Smalls-Allen (committed to Kansas) had two. Holy Innocents’ won its opener against North Springs 30-0, playing just one quarter before lightning stopped it. Sophomore QB Ryan Woods passed for 115 yards and threw a 58-yard touchdown to Alex Coley. Top Holy Innocents’ players include DB/WR Brayden Bailey, the sophomore son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Champ Bailey, and TE/WR Khalid Worthy, a senior with offers from Georgia Southern and Georgia State.
Lincoln County at Jenkins County
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Roy Head Stadium, Millen
Records, rankings: Lincoln County is 1-0 and No. 1 in Class A Division II; Jenkins County is 1-0 and No. 7 in A Division II.
Last meeting: Lincoln County won 31-3 in 2024.
Things to know: Neither team was ranked during the 2024 game, but each advanced to the quarterfinals in November. That was Lincoln County’s best finish since 2022 and Jenkins County’s best since 1960. Lincoln County is No. 1 this week for the first time since 2012. That honor came after last week’s game against Augusta Christian was canceled. (The GHSA granted Lincoln County a forfeit victory, although Augusta Christian played another team Friday and won.) Lincoln County brought back 10 of its 12 leading tacklers. Among the Red Devils’ best players are RB/LB Kelby Glaze (900-yard rusher, team leader in sacks with 10 last season) and QB/DB Mekhi Wade (856 yards passing, 539 rushing last season, also returns punts). Jenkins County returns five of its 17 all-region players. In the opener, a 28-7 victory over Glascock County, Calvin Adams scored on runs of 51 and 37 yards and finished with 144 yards rushing on 10 carries. Jenkins County held Glascock County to 148 total yards. Lincoln County is 7-0 all-time against Jenkins County. The 2024 game was the first meeting since 1991.
North Cobb at McEachern
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Walter H. Cantrell Stadium, Powder Springs
Records, rankings: North Cobb is 1-0 and No. 6 in Class 6A; McEachern is 1-0 and unranked in 6A.
Last meeting: North Cobb won 45-33 in 2024.
Things to know: These are Cobb County’s two best teams, according to the computer Maxwell Ratings. Both posted quality wins last week. McEachern defeated Walton, an 11-point favorite, 50-17. McEachern put up 583 total yards. Henry Pullen rushed for 100 yards. Calvin Pittman passed for 227 yards, surviving three interceptions. Jacorey Shockley had 112 receiving yards. Casey Barner, Georgia High School Football Daily’s state player of the week, had 353 all-purpose yards and scored on a reception, kickoff return and fake punt. North Cobb last week beat Archer, a second-round playoff advancer last season, 28-14. Sophomore Zach Belyeu, who has offers from Georgia and Ohio State, rushed for 119 yards and three touchdowns. Quavy Echols rushed for 107 yards. Teddy Jarrard, who is committed to Notre Dame, was 15-of-22 passing for 156 yards. Brandon Anderson, the right tackle, has committed to Missouri. In the 2024 game between these two, Nick Grimstead, now at Morehouse, passed for 314 yards and three touchdowns and scored two touchdowns.
Perry at Peach County
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Trojan Field at Anderson Stadium, Fort Valley
Records, rankings: Perry is 1-0 and No. 10 in Class 4A; Peach County is 1-0 and No. 5 in 3A.
Last meeting: Perry won 49-39 in 2024.
Things to know: Perry has won the past three meetings in this Middle Georgia series after losing 23 of the previous 24. Perry coach Kevin Smith, hired in 2017, is 3-1 against Peach. In the 2024 game, Perry led 49-25 entering the fourth quarter. Ahmad Gordon, now at Valdosta State, rushed for 181 yards. Decorrion Daniels, now a senior, rushed for 70 yards and two touchdowns and caught a 41-yard TD pass. In Perry’s opener, a 46-18 victory over Baldwin, Reid Ginn was 18-of-27 passing for 323 yards and four touchdowns. Ginn is a younger brother of Colter Ginn, the Georgia walk-on quarterback who led Perry to a 2023 state title. Jackson Thompson had five receptions for 108 yards and two touchdowns in the Baldwin game. Peach County beat Northeast 33-14 last week. Caiden Ivory is the replacement for graduated all-state quarterback D.J. Hudson, now at Fort Valley State. Ivory was 8-of-18 passing for 76 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 60 yards on nine carries in last week’s victory over Northeast. Zion Ellison rushed for 84 yards on 14 carries. Against Perry last year, Zion Hudson had five receptions for 233 yards and two touchdowns. He is a preseason all-state pick.
Rabun Gap at Grayson
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Grayson Community Stadium, Loganville
Records, rankings: Rabun Gap-Nacoochee is 0-0 and was No. 32 nationally in the High School Football America preseason poll; Grayson is 1-0, No. 1 in Class 6A and No. 4 in the HSFA national poll.
Last meeting: This is the teams’ first meeting.
Things to know: These are two of Georgia’s four best teams, according to High School Football America, which has Grayson No. 1 in the state and No. 4 nationally and Rabun Gap No. 4 and No. 32. MaxPreps has Rabun Gap at No. 95 nationally. Rabun Gap is a 122-year-old boarding school in Rabun County that plays in the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association. The GHSA’s transfer rules make GHSA membership untenable. In recent years, Rabun Gap’s football program has emerged as a national force. Rabun Gap seniors include QB Gavin Owens (committed to Memphis), OL Wilson Zierer (Auburn), DB Walker Bryson (Indiana), Zeke Marshall (more than 20 offers), WR Isaac Obrokta (Georgia Tech) and DE Ryan Hassett (Northern Illinois). Junior offensive linemen Elijah Hutcheson and Jacob Burns are top-400 national recruits. Twelve of Rabun Gap’s 64 players are from Georgia. Twenty-seven are international students. Rabun Gap has played a few GHSA teams in recent years, slowly raising the ante. The Tigers beat Benedictine 41-17 last season. Grayson represents Rabun’s toughest test and its 2025 season opener. Grayson beat Collins Hill 51-3 last week. Grayson’s cast of major Division I recruits runs deeper than Rabun Gap’s. QB Travis Burgess (North Carolina), LB Tyler Atkinson (Texas) and LB Anthony Davis (Ole Miss) are top-300 national recruits, although the linebackers were held out last week against Collins Hill. Grayson has nine others committed to Division I schools, including defensive linemen Cameron McGee (Arkansas) and Lawrence Brown (North Carolina).
Wesleyan at North Hall
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, The Brickyard, Gainesville
Records, rankings: Wesleyan is 1-0 and No. 6 in Class 3A-A Private; North Hall is 0-0 and No. 7 in 3A.
Last meeting: Wesleyan won 24-21 in 2024.
Things to know: Wesleyan won the 2024 game on Beau Billing’s 26-yard field goal with three seconds left after North Hall muffed a punt. Ben Brown, now at Furman, threw three of his 43 touchdown passes on the season in that game. The new quarterback, Walker Kirkland, was 8-of-16 passing for 159 yards and two touchdowns in the opening 45-27 victory over Commerce. Maddox Grantland rushed for 113 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries. Wesleyan’s most outstanding players are OL/DL Eli Rickell (committed to North Carolina) and TE/DB Brice Gillis (offers from Georgia State, Southern Miss). North Hall is coming off its first quarterfinal appearance and first 10-win season since 2012 and holds its highest August ranking since 2013. Fourteen of North Hall’s 18 players that got all-region recognition are back. Those include region athlete of the year Parker Carlton and lineman of the year Mason McGill (committed to Charlotte). Also back are Smith McGarvey (1,701 yards passing in 2024) and Cole Cable (967 yards receiving).
Westminster at Pace Academy
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Walsh Field, Mableton
Records, rankings: Westminster is 1-0 and unranked in Class 4A; Pace Academy is 1-0 and unranked in 4A.
Last meeting: Westminster won 17-7 in 2024.
Things to know: These Atlanta schools, 2 miles apart on opposite sides of I-75, have new coaches who got their first victories last week. Westminster’s coach is Nelson Stewart, who led Isidore Newman in New Orleans for 19 seasons and was the high school coach of Arch Manning and Odell Beckham Jr. In Stewart’s debut, Westminster beat archrival Lovett 14-8. Christopher Kuzniak threw touchdown passes of 38 and 18 yards to Will Barton for a 14-0 second-quarter lead. Westminster won despite being outgained 313-167 and committing two turnovers to none. Westminster stopped Lovett on two four-down conversions, one on Lovett’s final drive that had progressed to the Westminster 29. Pace’s coach is Sean Weatherspoon, who played seven NFL seasons, six with the Falcons. Pace beat Chamblee 21-12 last week. Weatherspoon was a linebacker, so he was pleased with a defense that held Chamblee to 204 total yards. Jalen Smith, a 6-foot, 210-pound running back/linebacker with a few midmajor offers, had six solo tackles, intercepted a pass and rushed for 78 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. Westminster leads the series 7-2. Neither team has beaten the other by more than 15 points.
About the Author
Todd Holcomb has been a contributor to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution since 1985. He is currently co-founder and editor of Georgia High School Football Daily.
