Biggest upsets, payback, surprises from Georgia high school football Week 4
Week 4 of high school football had its share of upsets, including a 24-point underdog pulling out a win.
Here’s a look at the notable upsets and outcomes — not necessarily from the biggest games — from around the state this past weekend.
1. Cass 35, North Cobb 27: Cass avenged a 43-14 loss from 2024 and won for the second time in the past nine meetings with North Cobb, which was pegged by the computer-based Maxwell Ratings as a 21-point favorite. North Cobb had won 15 consecutive regular-season games after defeating Archer in the season opener but has since lost two of three games. Cass had never scored more than 29 points in any of the 23 previous meetings with North Cobb.
2. Bradwell Institute 35, Glynn Academy 28: Bradwell Institute ended a 13-game losing streak to Glynn Academy that began in 2010 with a victory in the teams’ Region 1-5A opener. Glynn Academy, a 16-point favorite, won last year’s meeting 57-12. Bradwell Institute had been 7-55 in region games since going 3-4 in 2013. Glynn Academy has made 17 consecutive playoff appearances.
3. Lithonia 27, Tucker 20: Lithonia improved to 3-0 for the first time since 2018 and just the second time this century with a victory over 15-point favorite Tucker in the teams’ Region 5-4A opener. Tucker had won 12 consecutive games in the series dating to 1993. Lithonia coach Kevin Barnes is 9-4 in his two seasons after inheriting a team that was 1-19 the previous two years.
4. ACE Charter 20, Dodge County 15: ACE Charter defeated a ranked opponent for the first time in the program’s eight-year history when it beat 14-point favorite Dodge County, which was No. 9 last week, in a Region 2-A Division I game. ACE had lost its eight previous games against top-10 teams. The Gryphons are 3-0 overall and 3-0 in region play, tied for first place with No. 7 Northeast, which it will face on Sept. 19.
5. Stockbridge 62, Eagle’s Landing 7: Stockbridge, an 11-point favorite, took down the lone remaining unbeaten team in Region 2-4A just three games into the region schedule. It also created a six-way tie for first place in the 10-team region that includes Stockbridge, Eagle’s Landing, Hampton, Locust Grove, Ola and Woodland (Stockbridge). All are 2-1 in league play.
Also worth noting
Callaway picked up its first victory of the season and handed Cook its first loss with a 17-3 win. Cook was favored by one point, although Callaway was ranked higher than Cook in Class 2A. The Cavaliers’ losses came against Class 3A-A Private No. 1 Prince Avenue Christian and Opelika, a top-10 team in Alabama’s highest classification.
Class 6A Denmark, a 14-point underdog, recorded its first win of the season with a 30-14 victory over Cambridge, which was ranked No. 6 in Class 4A. Cambridge won 35-34 last year on its way to an 8-0 start and an eventual trip to the state quarterfinals.
KIPP Atlanta Collegiate, under first-year coach Corey Jarvis, is 3-1 for the first time since 2016 and second time in the program’s 13 seasons after its 25-20 victory over Tri-Cities. The 2016 team, which finished 7-4, was the only one in school history to win more than three games.
Salem pulled off the biggest upset of the week, according to Maxwell, when it beat 24-point favorite Washington 40-26. Salem lost to Washington 27-3 last year as part of an 0-4 start and had been outscored 88-0 in its first two games this year.
Woodstock, a 19-point underdog, avenged a 44-14 loss in 2024 and handed then-No. 10 River Ridge its first loss with a 14-10 victory in the teams’ Region 6-5A opener. Woodstock rebounded from its loss last year and went on to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2017.
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.
