Georgia high school football recap: Highlights, upsets and more from Week 5

Here are some of the top potential upsets brewing across Georgia high school football tonight.

Below are two lists: The Upset Watch, which tracks potential upsets as they are happening, and The Upset Alert, which has upsets once they are finalized.

If you want to add an upset to either list, email a picture of the scoreboard to jack.leo@ajc.com or tag me in a photo on X @theleoreport. Upsets are recognized when a double-digit underdog according to the Maxwell Projections wins.

The Upset Alert

• Calhoun County (-35): Lost to Terrell County, 34-30
• Savannah Christian (-28): Lost to Savannah Country Day, 21-10
• Baldwin (-25): Lost to Howard, 49-43
• Marietta (-28): Lost to North Paulding, 35-28
• Whitefield Academy (-14): Lost to Elbert County, 21-20
• East Forsyth (-10): Lost to Lumpkin County, 42-35
  

Hart County opened region play in memorable fashion on Friday, for better or for worse.

The Bulldogs earned a 24-17 win over reigning two-time state champion Hebron Christian, improving to 5-0 and setting up a big northeast Georgia game with Lumpkin County next week.

Hart County will also remember the win because it finished after 1 a.m. thanks to a roughly three-hour lightning delay, per Benjamin London of the Hartwell Sun.

Hebron Christian fell to 1-3. The Lions hope to correct course at Morgan County next Friday.

Parkview’s Adam Clack started his head coaching career at West Forsyth before leading Milton to a state title and taking over at Parkview.

The veteran head coach faced his former school — and beat it — for the fifth time since his departure in 2017. Parkview beat West Forsyth 63-24 on Friday.

Clack is trying to lead Parkview to an improvement from its 4-6 finish during his first season as it head coach last year. The Panthers are well on their way at 3-2 with respectable losses to Coffee and Peachtree Ridge. 

Gainesville has recovered from its 0-2 start (losses to nationally ranked Buford and East St. Louis). The Red Elephants beat McEachern in their home opener last Friday and responded with a 40-22 home win over Oceanside Collegiate Academy (South Carolina) on Friday.

Gainesville opens region play next week against Alpharetta before a highly-anticipated matchup against region foe Roswell.

Roswell gave Archer its first loss of the season in comfortable fashion, a 37-21 decision on Friday night. The Hornets are now 3-1 (their only loss came to Class 7A juggernaut Newton) and they'll open region play at Lanier next week.

Archer fell to 4-1 and will host Carrollton and Grayson in its next two games.

Westlake scored 61 of the 112 total points scored in its win over Houston County. The Lions improved to 5-0 while the Bears fell to 3-2.

Houston County's defense has allowed 60-plus points in back-to-back games after its 73-66 overtime loss to Central of Carrollton last Friday.

Gilmer edged out Rabun County in a high-scoring overtime matchup. The Bobcats beat the Wildcats, 53-52, to move to 3-1.

It was Gilmer's second straight overtime game, as the Bobcats also needed extra football to decide their game against Flowery Branch on Sept. 4. That was their lone loss of the season.

Rabun County fell to 2-2 and aims to recover at Banks County next week.

Rabun County and Gilmer have traded blows all night, and they’re not done yet. The projected pick ‘em game is headed to overtime tied at 45.

Fitzgerald pulled away in the fourth quarter just enough for a 25-20 win over Worth County. 

Benedictine, which once trailed 14-7, stormed back for a 42-21 win over Statesboro. The Cadets handed Statesboro its first loss of the season, and both teams leave their region opener at 3-1.

Grayson stuffed Buford at the goal line twice before the Wolves pulled out a trick play that took a 23-13 lead in the fourth quarter.