22-point underdogs North Atlanta, Warner Robins keep playoff hopes alive
Here are the most surprising or notable games from Week 11 of the high school football regular season:
1. North Atlanta 31, West Forsyth 17: Defending Region 6-6A champion North Atlanta, projected by the Maxwell Ratings as a 22-point underdog, prevented West Forsyth from clinching this year’s title — at least for a week. West Forsyth will still win the region title if it beats 2-7 Alpharetta this week. North Atlanta likely needs to win at Denmark, which is tied for first place with West Forsyth, to reach the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season.
2. Cairo 38, Peach County 31: Cairo, overlooked after opening the season with lopsided losses to Thomas County Central and Thomasville, handed No. 2-ranked Peach County its first loss and moved into the driver’s seat in Region 1-3A. Cairo, which was an eight-point underdog against Peach County, can win its first region title since 2018 with a victory against Westover this week. Cairo lost to Peach County and Westover last season.
3. Warner Robins 48, Ware County 44: Warner Robins likely salvaged its season with a victory over fifth-ranked Ware County, a 22-point favorite, in a Region 1-4A game. The victory put Warner Robins in a tie with Ware County and Perry for second place in the six-team region and in control of its destiny. The Demons will reach the playoffs for the 15th consecutive season with a victory against Perry or a loss by Wayne County.
4. Long County 43, Southeast Bulloch 21: Long County is in fourth place in 10-team Region 3-3A after beating six-point favorite Southeast Bulloch. Long County coach Mike Pfiester is 30-23 in five seasons after inheriting a team that was 2-45 the previous five seasons and had won only 28 games in history since it began playing annually in 2002. Long County is on the brink of its fifth consecutive playoff berth.
5. Cross Keys 20, Skipstone Academy 12: Cross Keys ended a 43-game losing streak that was the longest in school history and the second-longest active streak in the state with a victory over two-point favorite Skipstone Academy, a GAPPS school in Griffin. The victory was the first for Cross Keys since it defeated Notre Dame Academy of Duluth 28-7 on Oct. 2, 2020.
Also worth noting
Creekview, a seven-point underdog, eliminated River Ridge from the playoff race with a 21-14 victory. River Ridge was tied for first place in the eight-team region three weeks ago but can now do no better than finish tied for fourth place and would lose out on the head-to-head tiebreaker with Woodstock. Creekview is in a three-way tie for first with Sequoyah and Sprayberry.
Jefferson County won for the second time in three games after an 0-6 start and boosted its playoff hopes with a 14-13 victory over 21-point favorite East Laurens in a Region 2-A Division I game. Both teams are on the bubble for the 32-team playoff field, as Jefferson County sits at No. 31 and East Laurens is No. 32 among public schools in the A Division I post season rankings.
Lanier County ended an 11-game losing streak against three-point favorite Irwin County with a 21-17 victory, its first win in the series since 2011. Irwin County is 1-8, its most losses in a season since 2010, and will miss the playoffs for the first time since 2011.
Meadowcreek ended a 17-game losing streak with a 21-14 victory over 13-point underdog Berkmar in a Region 7-6A game. It was the first victory for the Mustangs since their final game of the 2023 season, also against Berkmar. Meadowcreek has won eight of the past nine games in the series.
Woodland-Cartersville defeated 14-point favorite Cedartown 28-14 in a Region 7-4A game for just its second region victory in five seasons. Cedartown finished 2-8, its most losses since 2015, and will miss the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
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.
