A look at the top 10 Georgia high school football games for Week 4

Brookwood at Marist

When, where: 8 p.m. Friday, Hughes Spalding Stadium, Atlanta

Records, rankings: Brookwood is 3-0 and No. 7 in Class 7A; Marist is 2-0 and No. 3 in Class 5A.

Last meeting: This is the teams’ first meeting.

Things to know: Brookwood will be the 132nd opponent Alan Chadwick has faced in his 42 seasons as Marist’s coach. Chadwick is 109-22 overall and 65-6 in the regular season in first meetings. His 42nd team is as run-oriented as most of the other 41, averaging 264.5 rushing yards while holding opponents to 47.5 yards rushing. Marist is 2-of-6 passing for 40 yards. Marist has beaten Woodward 10-3 and Druid Hills 53-0. Cullen O’Leary has rushed for 133 yards, and Vince Fiore is the leading tackler with 10. Lineman Cooper Martenson, with offers from Georgia and Georgia Tech, is team’s most high-profile player. Brookwood is a running team with a marquee back, Brayden Tyson, but three others have more than 100 rushing yards, including quarterback Gary Chatman, who is committed to Auburn. Chatman is 30-of-47 passing for 474 yards and five touchdowns and has rushed for 131 yards on 11 carries. Tyson, committed to South Carolina, has rushed for 361 yards and seven touchdowns this season and 4,418 yards and 53 touchdowns in his career. Another Power 4 player is safety Julian Elzey, committed to Georgia Tech. Brookwood, 3-0 for the first time since 2020, has beaten Cambridge 52-7, Mill Creek 36-8 and South Gwinnett 55-20.

Cairo at Westover

When, where: 7 p.m. Thursday, Hugh Mills Stadium, Albany

Records, rankings: Cairo is 2-0 overall, 1-0 in Region 1-4A and No. 4; Westover is 3-0, 1-0 and No. 9.

Last meeting: Cairo won 22-14 in 2025.

Things to know: These are the best two teams in Region 1-4A, according to the Maxwell Ratings. They’ve split their past two meetings, both played on Halloween. The 2024 game was the first in series history when both were ranked. Westover had lost 22 of its past 23 meetings against Cairo until winning 29-10. It was a showdown between two brilliant sophomores, Westover’s Dominique Bell and Cairo’s Bryian Duncan. Bell rushed for 302 yards, clinching Westover’s 9-1 regular season. Bell transferred to Lee County, and Westover dipped to 6-4 last season. Now, another running back, senior Malik Young, is having a breakout season with 353 rushing yards and five touchdowns. Westover has beaten King’s Ridge Christian, Seminole County and Columbus by an average score of 38-7. Westover’s schedule is only 49th best among 55 Class 4A teams playing a region schedule, according to Maxwell. Cairo has beaten Thomasville 36-14 and Hardaway 52-13. Its former super sophomore, Duncan, is back, now a Georgia Power 100 senior who had more than 2,000 all-purpose yards last season. La’Derrick Perkins was the star of the Thomasville victory with 197 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns on five rushes and four receptions.

Greater Atlanta Christian at Prince Avenue Christian

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Brad Akins Field, Bogart

Records, rankings: Greater Atlanta Christian is 2-0 and No. 2 in Class 4A-2A Private; Prince Avenue Christian is 1-0 and No. 3 in Class 4A-2A Private.

Last meeting: This is the teams’ first meeting.

Things to know: Greater Atlanta Christian leads the GHSA’s PSR standings for Class 4A-2A Private but is projected to finish 12th, according to the Maxwell Ratings. Prince Avenue Christian stands sixth but is projected to finish first. Maxwell thinks Prince Avenue is the stronger team, a belief not shared by the other six pollsters in the AJC Composite Rankings. But GAC has the tougher road ahead with top-10 teams Douglass and Stephenson. Prince Avenue is favored in the rest of its games. GAC has beaten North Hall 28-21 and Calhoun 24-17. Both were ranked. GAC has beaten top-10 teams in three straight games only once before, in 2002, in the playoffs. GAC is led by quarterback Michael Miller (330 passing yards, 180 rushing yards), linebacker CJ Ohuabunwa (committed to Florida State) and edge Tyler Younger (Alabama). Prince Avenue beat Thomson 30-21 in its only game. First-year starting quarterback Gavin Hollum threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to Hudson Hill with 36 seconds left to break a 21-21 tie. Jackson Bentley rushed for 122 yards. Andrew Beard, a 4-star prospect committed to Florida, is expected to make his debut after sitting out the opener with an ankle injury. Beard has rushed for 3,229 yards and 34 touchdowns in his two seasons at Prince Avenue.

Heard County at Bowdon

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dwight Hochstetler Stadium/Warren P. Sewell Field, Bowdon

Records, rankings: Heard County is 2-0 and No. 1 in Class 2A; Bowdon is 1-2 and No. 4 in Class A.

Last meeting: Heard County won 29-28 in 2025.

Things to know: Heard County and Bowdon have split meetings the past two seasons, each that ended with Bowdon winning a Class A championship. In the 2025 game, Ethan Tisdale passed for 117 yards, rushed for 75 and scored all four Heard County touchdowns, two in the fourth quarter, which Heard entered trailing 28-17. Darience Coleman rushed for 160 yards and had 232 all-purpose yards. Both are back for Heard. Another big weapon is Brody Buc Cofield, who has six touchdown receptions in victories over Central of Carrollton (50-28) and Clarkston (58-8). Bowdon is less certain of itself after graduating Kaiden Prothro to Georgia and region player of the year and quarterback Joshua Hopkins to Southwestern. Bowdon has beaten Callaway, ranked No. 8 in Class 3A at the time, 32-3, but lost to unranked 3A team Lamar County 20-7 and Class 2A’s No. 6 team, Bremen, 38-19. Bowdon’s new quarterback, Connor Daniel, is Bowdon’s leading rusher with 217 yards and four touchdowns but is 7-of-19 passing. Bowdon has lost two games each of the past three seasons, each ending with state titles. Bowdon has not lost three games in a season since 2020.

Lee County at Colquitt County

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Tom White Field at Mack Tharpe Stadium, Moultrie

Records, rankings: Lee County is 3-0 and No. 2 in Class 6A; Colquitt County is 2-1 and unranked in Class 7A.

Last meeting: Colquitt County won 43-36 in 2025.

Things to know: In the 2025 game, Colquitt County led 43-12 entering the fourth quarter, setting off a running clock, which became a weapon as Lee County scored its 24th point with 1:39 left but failed to recover an onside kick. Colquitt County’s Cohen Lawson passed for 169 yards. He is now Lee County’s starting quarterback. Lee County’s Jaden Upshaw had eight receptions for 114 yards in last year’s Colquitt game. He’s an AJC Super 11 pick coming off an 11-catch, 213-yard performance against Sequoyah. Upshaw also returned a punt 50 yards for the go-ahead touchdown in that 43-32 victory in which Lee County trailed 32-21 with 2:30 left and scored 22 points in 70 seconds. Lee County also has beaten Carol City of Florida 23-20 and Hapeville Charter 51-0. Colquitt County dropped out of the Top 10 after losing to No. 1 Thomas County Central of Class 6A 57-21 in the opener. The Packers have beaten Monroe 52-0 and Cook 38-6 since. Colquitt County’s new quarterback, Khi Mitchell, a transfer from Mount Zion of Jonesboro, is 40-of-62 passing for 564 yards and six touchdowns and has rushed for a team-leading 112 yards. Antwan Lockett, a wide receiver committed to Georgia Tech, has 18 receptions for 280 yards and three touchdowns.

McEachern at Gainesville

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Bobby Gruhn Field at City Park, Gainesville

Records, rankings: McEachern is 2-1 and unranked in Class 7A; Gainesville is 0-2 and No. 7 in Class 6A.

Last meeting: This is the teams’ first meeting.

Things to know: Neither team has had the start it wanted. McEachern, ranked No. 4 in Class 7A preseason, was bounced from the rankings after losing to Marietta 21-19 last week. Gainesville, No. 2 in Class 6A preseason, is 0-2, losing to Buford 39-19 and East St. Louis of Illinois 24-20, teams in the top 50 of composite national rankings. Both teams have eight Power 4 players listed on the 247Sports Composite. McEachern’s are athlete Casey Barner, wide receivers Zyon Robinson and Jacorey Shockley, linebacker Joakim Gouda (committed to Georgia), wide receiver Nash Johnson (Auburn) and defensive backs Cole Pollock, Quinn Pollock and Kayden Battle (Pittsburgh). Barner, the consensus No. 5 prospect nationally among juniors, has 307 all-purpose yards on 16 touches. He has seven solo tackles as a safety. Gainesville’s eight are quarterback Kharim Hughley (Clemson), running back Nigel Newkirk (Alabama), offensive linemen Tyler Ford (Miami), Bryson Hurt (NC State) and Carter Mathis (Pittsburgh), linebackers Jeremiah Proctor (Pittsburgh) and Darryn Williams (Wake Forest) and cornerback Jai’lil Goley (uncommitted 4-star). Newkirk, who suffered an ACL injury in December, has not played this season. Hughley is 29-of-60 passing for 331 yards and has rushed for 142 yards against the advanced competition.

North Oconee at Jackson County

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Panther Stadium, Hoschton

Records, rankings: North Oconee is 3-0 and No. 4 in Class 5A; Jackson County is 2-0 and No. 10 in Class 6A.

Last meeting: North Oconee won 62-27 in 2013.

Things to know: Outside of Class 7A Newton and 2025 state runner-up Gainesville, these are probably Northeast Georgia’s two best teams. Both made state quarterfinals last season. North Oconee is 55-3 since 2022 and 40-0 against Northeast Georgia opponents since 2021. Jackson County is newer to state prominence. The 2025 region title, 10-win season and state-playoff victories were firsts for a program started in 1980. Jackson County has maintained the momentum, beating Class 7A schools North Forsyth 34-22 and Dacula 43-35. Daylan Maxwell, a preseason Georgia Power 100 pick, has rushed for 305 yards. Quarterback Ben Musser, a transfer from Prince Avenue Christian, has rushed for 275 yards and six touchdowns and passed for 208 yards. Musser is committed to Appalachian State. North Oconee has beaten Oconee County 42-21, Stockbridge 38-24 and Clarke Central 17-10. With former classification offensive player of the year Harrison Faulkner now at Georgia Southern, North Oconee is learning more on the run game. Joby McCannon has rushed for 411 yards. Brooks Benton has thrown for 291 yards. Safety Harrison Luke and tight end Nicholas Pollack are committed to Clemson, where Harrison’s father, Matt, is the offensive line coach. Pollack is a son of former Georgia star David Pollack. The head coaches in this game have Gwinnett County roots. Jackson County’s Korey Mobbs played at Parkview and led Lanier to four 10-win seasons in his seven seasons there. North Oconee’s Tyler Aurandt played at Greater Atlanta Christian and coached at Grayson and Parkview before North Oconee made him head coach for the first time in 2017.

Parkview at Peachtree Ridge

When, where: 7 p.m. Friday, The Lions Den, Suwanee

Records, rankings: Parkview is 2-1 overall, 0-0 in Region 7-7A and unranked; Peachtree Ridge is 3-0, 0-0 and unranked.

Last meeting: Peachtree Ridge won 36-26 in 2025.

Things to know: Parkview is a 2-point favorite in the Maxwell Ratings, making this the most competitive game between Class 7A opponents this week. These Gwinnett County teams play in a region that has four top-20 teams in the Maxwell Ratings. The others are top-10 teams Brookwood and North Gwinnett. Norcross also is a projected playoff team. Peachtree Ridge has beaten Lambert 36-28, Shiloh 17-0 and Greenville of South Carolina 33-30. In the victory over Greenville, Zain Belfield was 22-of-37 passing for 340 yard and four touchdowns and rushed for 68 yards. Braxton Palmer had 11 receptions for 177 yards and three touchdowns. Langston Abernathy had five receptions for 135 yards and a touchdown. The trio played behind seniors on Peachtree Ridge’s 7-4 team last season. Parkview, in its second season under coach Adam Clack, lost its opener to Coffee 49-14 but bounced back to beat 7A Gwinnett rivals South Gwinnett 55-30 and Collins Hill 34-7. All are projected playoff teams, according to Maxwell. Parkview has a balanced team offensively. Greg Hart has passed for 635 yards, and Zandon Mullins has rushed for 321. They are returning starters. Christian Ema, who came from Tucker, has 310 receiving yards. The two Power 4-committed players in the game, both for Parkview, are safety KJ Caldwell (NC State) and tackle JJ Brown (Clemson). These coaches first met as coaches in north Fulton County when Clack led Milton and Matt Helmerich led Johns Creek.

Westlake at Northside (Warner Robins)

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

Records, rankings: Westlake is 3-0 and No. 8 in Class 7A; Northside is 2-1 and unranked in Class 6A.

Last meeting: This is the teams’ first meeting.

Things to know: Northside is coming off a 32-10 victory over Warner Robins that ended the Eagles’ nine-game losing streak in the series. Quarterback Keirion Tate passed for 285 yards and scored on touchdown runs of 45, 38 and 2 yards. Multi-position player JaNoah Hicks scored on a 65-yard reception and 45-yard punt return, threw a 50-yard TD pass and intercepted a pass. Two-way lineman Elijah Patmon had three sacks and forced two fumbles. Northside’s second-year coach, Daniel “Boone” Williams, got his first coaching job from Westlake coach Kevin Whitley when Whitley was Creekside’s head coach in 2004. Williams is now best known as the coach who led Hughes to its first state title in 2022. (Hughes, Creekside and Westlake are nearby south Fulton County schools.) Cannon Robinson, a preseason Georgia Power 100 player, has thrown for 641 yards and nine touchdowns without an interception. Westlake’s four Power 4-committed players are cornerbacks Khamani Estrada (Pittsburgh) and Brandon Allen Jr. (Mississippi State), defensive end Elijah Cox (Ole Miss) and wide receiver Roscoe Hayes (West Virginia). Westlake is averaging 344.3 yards rushing and 234.7 yards passing per game.

Worth County at Thomasville

When, where: 8 p.m. Friday, Veterans Memorial Stadium, Thomasville

Records, rankings: Worth County is 2-0 and No. 2 in Class 3A; Thomasville is 1-1 and No. 5 in Class 2A.

Last meeting: Worth County won 41-40 in 2025.