Friday night football recap: Sequoyah, Walnut Grove score pivotal victories

Football heavyweights Buford, Carrollton, Colquitt County, Milton and North Oconee showed their punching power Friday night with victories over other top-10 teams, but the most impressive wins of the season’s fifth weekend belonged to Sequoyah and Walnut Grove, schools with no region titles in the past 20 years.

Sequoyah, the No. 8 team in 5A, beat No. 6 Sprayberry 60-23 in a Region 6 game between teams that reached the 2024 quarterfinals last season. Sequoyah all-state running back Will Rajecki scored seven rushing touchdowns.

In avenging its 2024 loss to Sprayberry, Sequoyah is now the favorite to win its second region title in history, first since 2003.

Walnut Grove, marked as a 20-point underdog by the computer Maxwell Ratings, defeated Class 3A’s No. 8 team, Monroe Area, 21-14.

The victory moved Walnut Grove to 4-0, the best start in the 16-year history of the program. It was the Warriors’ first victory over a top-10 team, as they had been 0-15 in those games. The win ended a six-game losing streak against Monroe Area, a Walton County rival, dating to 2016.

Only four top-10 teams lost to lower-ranked or smaller schools. Walnut Grove, a 4A school, didn’t qualify under that criteria, though Sequoyah did. Also getting those victories were North Cobb, Swainsboro and Brooks County.

In Class 6A, unranked North Cobb beat No. 10 Walton 41-7. North Cobb began the year ranked but dropped out after an upset loss against Class 4A’s Cass last week.

Swainsboro, the No. 8 Class A Division I team, beat Class 2A No. 9 Thomson 44-42. Brooks County, Class A Division II’s No. 7 team, beat Division I’s No. 2 team, Fitzgerald, 21-3.

Many of the state’s best teams had tough challenges Friday but came through.

Buford, the No. 2 team in Class 6A, beat No. 4 Douglas County 34-26 in a game featuring nearly 20 players already committed to Power 4 conferences. Douglas County led 409-243 in total yards but got 248 of those on three touchdown drives after trailing 31-6 in the third quarter.

Class 6A No. 3 Carrollton beat Class 5A No. 3 Gainesville 43-21. Cam Wood rushed for 145 yards and four touchdowns for Carrollton.

Class 6A No. 9 Colquitt County beat 5A No. 5 Lee County 43-36. Colquitt led 43-12 entering the fourth quarter and had to recover Lee County’s onside kick late to seal the victory.

Class 5A No. 4 Milton beat 4A No. 3 Blessed Trinity 21-10. Blessed Trinity led 10-0 after the first quarter, but Milton’s Jordan Carrasquillo had two touchdown receptions in the comeback.

North Oconee, the No. 1 team in Class 4A, beat Class 3A’s No. 2 team, Jefferson, 35-0. North Oconee has outscored its three opponents 137-7 this season.

Cambridge, the No. 9 team in Class 4A, beat Class 3A No. 1 Calhoun 52-42. Cambridge also beat Calhoun last season, 31-19, and Calhoun won its final 11 games to the 3A title.

In a game between Class 3A-A Private teams, No. 3 Fellowship Christian beat No. 6 Savannah Christian 52-21, avenging a 2024 loss.

Heard County, the No. 5 team in Class A Division I, beat No. 3 Bowdon of Class A Division II 29-28. Bowdon is a defending state champion.