Major upsets across state shake up GHSA football region title races
Oglethorpe County and Statesboro won as 23-point underdogs in Week 9 of the high school football season, and Savannah ended a 40-game losing streak dating to 2021.
Here are some of the surprising and notable results from the weekend.
1. Oglethorpe County 28, Rabun County 19: Oglethorpe County, projected by the computer Maxwell Ratings as a 23-point underdog, picked up its first Region 8-A Division I victory and handed Rabun County its first loss of the season. Oglethorpe County had lost 43 straight games against top-10 opponents dating to 1994. Rabun County, ranked No. 5 in its class last week, fell out of a tie for first place and left Athens Academy and Elbert County as the region’s only unbeaten teams. Oglethorpe County is in fourth place.
2. Statesboro 28, Brunswick 21: Statesboro, a 23-point underdog, handed defending Region 1-5A champion Brunswick its first region loss, leaving Statesboro, Brunswick and Effingham County with one loss each at the top of the standings. Statesboro can win its first region title since 2011 with victories in its final three games, against Evans, South Effingham and Effingham County. Brunswick won region titles three of the past four seasons.
3. Savannah 19, Claxton 6: Savannah, a four-point underdog, ended a 40-game losing streak with a victory over Claxton in a Region 3-A Division II game. It was the Blue Jackets’ first victory since they defeated Groves 12-6 on Sept. 17, 2021. The losing streak was the longest in school history and the second-longest active streak in the state behind Jordan’s 52-game drought. Claxton had beaten Savannah the past three seasons by a combined score of 119-26.
4. Champions’ close calls: Two reigning state champions barely escaped Week 9 with their undefeated seasons intact. Carver of Columbus was favored by one point against previously unbeaten Sumter County and won 8-7 in a Region 1-2A game. The bigger surprise came in Class 4A, where North Oconee defeated 34-point underdog Eastside 14-13 in a Region 8-4A game. The eight defending champs are a combined 52-8 this season.
5. Lanier County 34, Turner County 30: Lanier County pulled off the biggest upset of the week, according to the Maxwell Ratings, when it defeated 26-point favorite Turner County in a Region 2-A Division II game. The victory was Lanier County’s first since beating Berrien in the second game of the 2024 season, breaking a 15-game losing streak. Lanier County and Turner County are tied for fourth place in the region.
Also worth noting
Dalton, which snapped a school-record 16-game losing streak earlier this season, beat four-point underdog Cedartown 25-20 for its second victory in three games and moved into fourth place in Region 7-4A. The Catamounts likely will make the playoffs if they win either of their two remaining games.
Gainesville, a four-point underdog, put Milton’s seven-year streak of region titles in jeopardy with a 28-16 victory in a Region 7-5A game. Gainesville and Roswell are the region’s remaining unbeaten teams. Gainesville can clinch its third region title in four seasons with a victory against Roswell on Oct. 24.
Marietta started the season 0-4 in nonregion games but is now the only unbeaten team remaining in Region 5-6A after a 36-35 victory over four-point favorite North Cobb. Marietta is in the driver’s seat to win its first region title since 2005 (the Blue Devils’ 2019 state championship team was a region runner-up).
Midtown moved into a three-way tie for third place in Region 4-4A with a 27-12 victory over 21-point favorite Pace Academy. Midtown is tied with Jackson of Atlanta and Mays at 3-2 in the region, behind No. 1-ranked Creekside and second-place M.L. King.
Mount Bethel Christian, a second-year varsity program in Cobb County, improved to 7-1 with a 27-7 victory over defending GAPPS champion Lanier Christian, which was a 21-point favorite. Mount Bethel is 12-2 in its two seasons playing a nonregion schedule loaded with out-of-state opponents.
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.
