Top 10 Georgia high school football games of Week 4

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Weinman Stadium, Cartersville

Records, rankings: Calhoun is 2-0 and No. 1 in Class 3A; Cartersville is 3-0 and No. 4 in 4A.

Last meeting: Cartersville won 35-13 in 2024.

Things to know: These are northwest Georgia’s top programs this century as Calhoun is 292-49 and Cartersville 261-57 since 2000. (Calhoun is second and Cartersville fifth statewide.) Cartersville, the larger school, is 7-4 against Calhoun in those years with six victories in the past seven meetings. In the 2024 game, Cartersville’s Nate Russell was 11-of-13 passing for 215 yards and threw a 90-yard TD pass to Brady Marchese. Both are back. Russell is 30-of-40 for 527 yards and nine touchdowns without an interception. Marchese, who is committed to Georgia, has 10 receptions for 181 yards and two touchdowns. Calhoun started 1-3 last season but has won 13 straight since, including the 2024 Class 3A championship game. Trace Hawkins, a sophomore two-year starter, has completed 76.5% of his passes for 415 yards and four touchdowns in two games. Isiah Nalls, another sophomore two-year starter, has rushed for 183 yards on 16 carries. Justin Beasley has had games of 101 and 187 receiving yards. Calhoun DL Sager Quinn is committed to USF. Cartersville OL Langston Hogg has committed to Tulane.

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Cook Memorial Stadium, Adel

Records, rankings: Callaway is 0-2 and No. 6 in Class 2A; Cook is 3-0 and No. 10 in 2A.

Last meeting: Callaway won 36-23 in 2024.

Things to know: These are top-10 Class 2A schools 200 miles apart that scheduled each other simply because both needed a game they felt was an even matchup. In the 2024 game, the first played between the schools, Callaway’s Blake Harrington threw a 35-yard pass for the game-winning touchdown with 6:11 left. Harrington, now a senior, rushed for 143 yards in that game. LB Xae Anderson had 10 tackles in the game. Anderson and DL Tyrone Fitten made all-state as juniors last season. Callaway has lost to No. 1 Prince Avenue Christian of Class 3A-A Private and to Alabama’s No. 7 Class 7A team, Opelika, in overtime. Cook is 3-0 for the first time since 2012. The Hornets have allowed 6 points in each game. They didn’t allow as few as 6 points in any 2024 game. Cook beat Brooks County last week despite only 74 yards of total offense. Brooks had just 70, and all-state WR George Lamons, a top-100 national recruit, was limited to two catches for 7 yards. Freshman Dawson Davis rushed for more than 100 yards in each of Cook’s first two games.

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Cannon Field, Fairburn

Records, rankings: Douglas County is 3-0 and No. 3 in Class 6A; Hughes is 2-0 and No. 1 in 5A.

Last meeting: Douglas County won 21-14 in 2024.

Things to know: Nine players in this game are top-300 national recruits, and six others are 3-star prospects committed to Division I schools. Douglas County has nine of the 15, and that doesn’t count Zamarcus Lindley, an uncommitted 3-star running back whose leaders are Memphis and Boston College. He rushed for 118 yards in the 2024 game, and his 2-yard run with 8:50 left broke a 14-14 tie and held up as the winning score. Hughes’ top running back, Carsyn Baker, is committed to Florida as the consensus No. 14 player at his position. Other top-300 players in the game are TE Xavier Tiller (committed to Florida State) and OT Kelsey Adams (No. 7 junior player at his position) from Hughes and WR Aaron Gregory (Texas A&M), DE Jordan Carter (Texas A&M), WR Devin Carter (Florida State), OT Joshua Sam-Epelle (No. 13 player at his position among juniors), DB Adryan Cole (No. 13 junior player at his position) and DB Kennedy Green from Douglas County. Both teams have transfer quarterbacks. Douglas County’s Michael Johnson, who came from Dutchtown, is committed to Utah. Hughes’ Darnell Kelly, who came from Peachtree Ridge, is committed to Colorado State.

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, McConnell-Talbert Stadium, Warner Robins

Records, rankings: Houston County is 3-0 and No. 8 in Class 5A; Warner Robins is 2-1 and unranked in 4A.

Last meeting: Warner Robins won 54-44 in 2024.

Things to know: This county rivalry matchup produced one of the best games of the 2024 season, when Warner Robins QB Skyler Williams had more than 150 yards both rushing and passing and scored on a 5-yard run with 2:11 left to give Warner Robins a 47-44 lead. Houston County’s Antwann Hill passed for 270 yards and four touchdowns in a game of seven lead changes. Those quarterbacks have graduated (Williams to Kennesaw State, Hill to Memphis). Houston County’s new quarterback is sophomore Ryan Maxwell, who has thrown for 706 yards and seven touchdowns in three games. Colin Anderson has rushed for 354 yards. MJ Mathis has 264 yards receiving. Houston County also features DB Jordan Smith (Georgia), OL Braylin Mills (top-400 junior prospect) and LB Westen Ard (UConn). Warner Robins’ new quarterback is Chandler Dyson, a 6-foot-4, 225-pound sophomore. He passed for 300 yards and five touchdowns against Fayette County. He has passed for 494 yards and rushed for 96 on seven carries on the season. OL Trey Glover, committed to Appalachian State, is a preseason all-state pick.

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, The Rock, Rockmart

Records, rankings: Ringgold is 3-0 overall, 1-0 in Region 7-2A and unranked; Rockmart is 1-1, 0-0 and No. 3.

Last meeting: Rockmart won 23-20 in 2024.

Things to know: Rockmart’s 59-game winning streak in region games is the longest active feat of its kind in Georgia. Ringgold might’ve ended it last season, but Rockmart’s Riley Gober kicked a 25-yard field goal in overtime after Ringgold missed a field goal try. Rockmart also blocked an extra point in the fourth quarter and survived five lost fumbles. This year’s Rockmart team has a freshman quarterback, Tucker Parson, who has thrown six TD passes without an interception in two games. Nate Davis, who rushed for 135 yards in this game last season, is a two-way starter and probably the team’s best all-around player. Ringgold is mostly a running team, although Zach Grower threw three TD passes to Grady Haddock against Murray County two weeks ago. Jeremiah Frost has rushed for 336 yards in three games. Haddon Fries has rushed for 238 yards and four touchdowns on 15 carries. Ringgold is 0-4 all-time against Rockmart. The first meeting was in 1950, the year of Rockmart’s only state title.

When, where: 8 p.m. Friday, Phillip Beard Stadium, Buford

Records, rankings: Roswell is 2-0 and No. 6 in Class 5A; Buford is 2-0 and No. 2 in 6A.

Last meeting: Buford won 52-17 in 2024.

Things to know: Roswell lost only to Class 5A finalists Milton and Hughes and to 6A power Buford last season, so the Hornets’ second-round defeat and region runner-up finish were unfair reflections of their talents. They beat No. 5 Gainesville to get the region’s second seed. Buford won last year’s game after returning two interceptions for touchdowns and going up 38-3 in the first half. It was a breakout game for Tyriq Green, whose interception return covered 107 yards. He rushed for 45 yards. His is an AJC Super 11 pick committed to Georgia. Green is among 10 Buford seniors committed to Power 4 programs. They include QB Dayton Raiola (Nebraska) and RB Dylan McCoy (NC State). Roswell’s main weapons are QB Trey Smith (406 yards passing, 212 rushing in two games), RB Nick Peal (237 rushing, 73 receiving) and Wills Campbell (166 receiving). Balint Vorosmarty, who is committed to Georgia State, kicked a 26-yard field goal on the final play to beat Walton 30-28 last week. Roswell has a new coach, Jonathan Thompson, who was Lee County’s record-setting offensive coordinator last season.

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Eagle’s Landing Stadium, McDonough

Records, rankings: Stockbridge is 2-1 overall, 1-1 in Region 2-4A and unranked; Eagle’s Landing is 3-0, 2-0 and unranked.

Last meeting: Stockbridge won 24-14 in 2024, although the victory was later overturned by forfeit.

Things to know: Eagle’s Landing is 2-0 in a 10-team region that shows eight other teams with 1-1 region records. The team’s path to a first region title in history goes through Stockbridge, when went 9-0 in region play last season but forfeited the nine because of an ineligible player. At 31-7 in non-forfeits over the past three seasons, Stockbridge is the standard in this region and Henry County. These schools are about 7 miles apart. In the 2024 game between these two, Stockbridge freshmen receivers Mason Freeman, Zyon Robinson and Gavin Kinchen had 11 receptions for 101 yards. All are back. Robinson is a top-150 national prospect with offers from Georgia Tech, Florida State, Tennessee and others. Joshua Scott, also a returning starter, has thrown eight TD passes this season. A freshman, Dominic Turner, is the team’s leading rusher with 205 yards. Eagle’s Landing is 3-0 for the first time since 2015, largely on the strength of its defense, which has allowed 40 points total compared to 78 against the same three opponents last season. Ronald Isidore has rushed for 310 yards and four touchdowns. Sophomore QB Tyler Fletcher has thrown for 250 yards.

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, The Jackets’ Nest, Thomasville

Records, rankings: Thomasville is 3-0 and No. 3 in Class A Division I; Thomas County Central is 3-0 and No. 3 in 5A.

Last meeting: Thomas County Central won 48-10 in 2024.

Things to know: This is the 58th meeting in a rivalry between schools with stadiums less than 2 miles apart. Thomas County Central leads the series 29-28. This is the first time they’ve met when both had top-three rankings since a famous 1987 game that pitted quarterbacks that would lead teams to national titles — Central’s Charlie Ward at Florida State and Thomasville’s Shawn Jones at Georgia Tech. Thomasville won, but Thomas Central and the future Heisman Trophy winner got revenge in the playoffs. (The losing team was ranked No. 1 each time.) In those days, the schools were similar in size. Thomas Central has twice the enrollment today and has won the past three games, each no closer than 31 points, but Thomasville won four of five meetings from 2017 to 2021. In the 2024 game, Thomas Central outrushed Thomasville 357-22. Thomas Central has been putting up video-game numbers during its 3-0 start, averaging 10.7 yards per play. Central’s Power 4-committed players are DE Cam Brooks (California), WR Jaydon Dunbar (Pittsburgh), RB Deuce Lawrence (Wake Forest) and OL Artem Korchagin (California). QB Jaylen Johnson has about 10 mid-major offers. Thomasville has a pair of Division I-committed players in the backfield. They are QB Cam Hill (Mercer) and RB Lavonte Cole (South Alabama). Hill, a four-year starter, has passed for 400 yards and five touchdowns without an interception this season. Cole has rushed for 286 yards.

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Barron Stadium, Rome

Records, rankings: Toombs County is 3-0 and No. 1 in Class A Division I; Rome is 0-2 and unranked in 5A.

Last meeting: Toombs County won 33-29 in 2024.

Things to know: Toombs County was ranked No. 1 before this game last year, but the victory stamped the Bulldogs as the no-doubt favorites to win Class A Division I, which they did for their first state championship. Rome, a much bigger school, was a 28-point favorite. Toombs’ TJ Stanley passed for two touchdowns and ran for two. He’s at Georgia State now, and his chief partner in crime, Lagonza Hayward, is at Florida. The new quarterback is junior Joseph Owens (500 yards passing in three games). Three of his targets have more than 100 yards receiving. Justin Powell has rushed for 208 yards and seven touchdowns in a balanced offense. This year’s team is notable for its defense, as seven of its 12 leading tacklers last season were sophomores. Rome played last year’s game four weeks after a bus filled with players overturned on the way back from a scrimmage. There were no serious injuries, but Rome was banged up and started 0-2, then won eight straight games and a region title and reached the Class 5A second round. This year’s Wolves have lost to No. 2 Creekside of Class 4A and No. 4 Carrollton of 6A, the latter by 7 points last week. Aidan McPherson has thrown for 340 yards and three touchdowns without an interception against the advanced competition. Wide receivers Darnell Collins and Jeremy Winston — both 6 feet, 3 inches — are committed to Georgia Tech. Collins also plays strong safety.

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Callaway Stadium, LaGrange

Records, rankings: Whitewater is 1-1 overall, 0-0 in Region 2-3A and unranked; Troup is 2-0, 0-0 and No. 9.

Last meeting: Whitewater won 28-10 in 2024.

Things to know: Six of Class 3A’s best 15 public-school teams reside in Region 2, according to the Maxwell Ratings. Maxwell has Troup at No. 7 and Whitewater at No. 9. They trail No. 3 Sandy Creek and No. 5 LaGrange. The Troup-Whitewater game was for a playoff berth in 2024, and Whitewater won as a 13-point underdog for coach Chad Frazier’s 100th victory. Troup had won 56-7 the season before. Troup gets about 70% of its offense rushing this season. Its offensive leaders are QB Garrison Edwards (320 yards passing, 82 rushing, five total touchdowns), RB Javarris Warner (223 rushing) and WR Davis Moncus (115 receiving). Whitewater gets 80% of its offense rushing and has three backs with more than 100 yards, all sophomores — QB Case Roberts (200), CJ Nesmith (127) and Jacob Ross (103). Roberts has completed only five passes, but three have gone for touchdowns. Whitewater DB KJ Deriso is committed to Michigan State.