Region front-runners emerge, long losing streaks end in high school football Week 6
Here is our ranking of the most surprising and notable games of Georgia high school football week 6.
1. River Ridge 28, Sequoyah 21: River Ridge pulled off the biggest GHSA upset of the week, according to the computer Maxwell Ratings, when it beat 21-point favorite Sequoyah, the No. 4 team in Class 5A last week. River Ridge’s victory leaves Creekview, which started the season 0-3, as the only remaining unbeaten team in Region 6-5A play. Sequoyah beat River Ridge 38-35 last year in a game that decided second and third place in the region.
2. Dalton 44, Allatoona 35: Dalton ended a 16-game losing streak that was the longest in school history (the previous longest was seven) with a victory over nine-point favorite Allatoona. It was Dalton’s first victory since beating Greater Atlanta Christian in the first round of the 2023 Class 5A playoffs. The Catamounts are in third place in Region 7-4A and now in position to reach the playoffs despite their 0-5 start.
3. Jackson County 64, Clarke Central 14: Jackson County, an 18-point favorite, further established itself as the team to beat in Region 8-5A with a rout of defending champion Clarke Central in the teams’ region opener. Jackson County has been playing football since 1980 but is still seeking its first region championship. Clarke Central won the first nine games in the series, including 27-11 last year.
4. Treutlen 17, Wilcox County 12: Treutlen, a 20-point underdog, ended a nine-game losing streak against then-No. 6 Wilcox County in the teams’ Region 4-A Division II opener. Wilcox County had won 14 of the previous 15 games in the series, including 36-7 last season. Treutlen is 3-2 overall and has not won more than three games in a season since going 4-6 in 2019. The Vikings are seeking their first playoff berth since 2009.
5. Peachtree Ridge 24, Norcross 22: Peachtree Ridge emerged as the top challenger to seventh-ranked North Gwinnett in Region 7-6A with a victory over 11-point favorite Norcross. Peachtree Ridge and North Gwinnett are the only remaining unbeaten teams in 7-6A games, and they will meet on Oct. 3. Norcross beat Peachtree Ridge 27-26 last year in a game that decided third and fourth place in the region.
Worth noting
Jenkins, a seven-point underdog, is the only remaining unbeaten team in 3-3A play after a 41-33 victory over defending region champion Calvary Day. Jenkins lost to Calvary Day 34-31 in overtime last year in a game that decided first and second place in the region.
Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe ended a five-game losing streak against 17-point favorite Ringgold with a 35-17 victory, its fourth in the past 21 meetings in a series that Ringgold leads 44-35-1. The Warriors’ 2-2 start is their best since 2019. Lakeview had lost 20 straight games against top-10 opponents since a 2002 victory over Rome.
New Manchester is 4-0 for the third time in its 15-year history and 2-0 in region play for the first time since 2021 after a 23-22 victory over nine-point favorite East Paulding. New Manchester lost to East Paulding 19-6 last year in a game that ultimately decided second and third place in Region 5-5A.
Osborne ended a nine-game losing streak when it beat nine-point favorite South Cobb 21-20, the Cardinals’ first win since beating South Cobb 13-0 last season. The victory was No. 100 in the coaching career of Osborne’s Derek Cook, whose overall record at South Cobb, Kell and Osborne is 100-48.
West Laurens, a three-point underdog, is 5-0 for the first time since 1990 after a 26-21 victory over defending region champion Harlem in a 4-3A. West Laurens is one of two remaining unbeaten teams in the nine-team region, along with Westside of Augusta.
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.
