A look at the biggest upsets, turnarounds, surprises of HS football Week 3
1. Alexander 34, Cedartown 31: Alexander pulled off the biggest upset of the week, according to the Maxwell Ratings, when it beat 33-point favorite Cedartown for its first victory of the season. Last year, Alexander lost to Cedartown 63-28 on its way to a 3-7 season. Cedartown, which won its first eight games last season and finished 9-2, is 1-2.
2. Oglethorpe County 42, Washington-Wilkes 12: Oglethorpe County, a 13-point underdog, ended a 17-game losing streak against Washington-Wilkes, beating the Tigers for the first time since 1983. Oglethorpe County’s 30-point victory is its second-largest in the history of the series, which Washington-Wilkes leads 32-6. Washington-Wilkes is 0-3 for the first time since 2018.
3. Creekside 70, DeSoto (Texas) 28: Creekside recorded the biggest turnaround for a GHSA team in more than 75 years, winning by 42 points against the same DeSoto team that won last year’s matchup 70-0. Creekside has played eight high-caliber opponents from other states over the past four seasons and gone 4-4 in those games. The Seminoles begin Region 4-4A play on Sept. 12 against Forest Park.
4. Schley County 20, Irwin County 6: Schley County, a state runner-up in 2022 and a semifinalist in 2023, picked up its first victory of the season when it beat 15-point favorite Irwin County. Schley County lost to Irwin County 60-35 last year as part of a 1-3 start but rebounded to make the playoffs for a school-record fourth consecutive season. Irwin County is 0-3 for the first time since 2011.
5. Veterans 17, Starr’s Mill 14: Veterans doubled its win total from last year when it defeated 14-point favorite Starr’s Mill to improve to 2-1. Veterans lost to Starr’s Mill 35-27 last year and lost its first nine games before beating Northside of Warner Robins in the finale. Starr’s Mill, which won 10 games each of the past two seasons, is 0-3 for the first time since 2008.
Also worth noting
Haralson County, 6-24 over the past three seasons after going 10-2 in 2021, is 3-0 after a beating 15-point favorite Greene County 41-7. Greene County won 25-3 in 2024 as part of an 8-3 season but is off to an 0-2 start this year.
Hawkinsville is 3-0 for the first time since its 2014 state championship season after a 47-13 victory over three-point favorite Lanier County. Third-year coach Tim Suttles is 16-9 at a program that was 9-21 the three seasons before his arrival.
LaFayette, an 0-10 team last season, is 2-1 for the first time since 2021 after beating 14-point favorite Dade County 17-7. LaFayette lost to Dade County 35-0 last year but has won seven of the past eight meetings in the series, which LaFayette leads 13-5.
McDonough ended a 13-game losing streak (not counting a forfeit win against Stockbridge last season) with a 16-14 victory over 13-point favorite Union Grove. McDonough is one of eight teams tied for second place in 10-team Region 2-4A, one game behind Eagle’s Landing.
South Cobb, an 0-10 team each of the past three seasons, is 2-1 after beating 15-point favorite Drew 41-14. The 41 points were only three less than South Cobb scored in all of 2024, when the Eagles were outscored for the season 443-44.
About the Author
Chip Saye is a former writer and editor at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and remains a regular contributor to the AJC. In 2009 he helped start Georgia High School Football Daily. He previously worked for the Athens Banner-Herald, Anderson (S.C.) Independent-Mail and Gwinnett Daily News.
