High School Sports
FROM THE PREP ZONE BLOGS ON AJC.COM
The high school bloggers on ajc.com include Todd Holcomb (Class AAAAAA), Chip Saye (AAAAA), David Purdum (AAAA), Stan Awtrey (AAA), Adam Krohn (AA) and S. Thomas Coleman (A).
Class AAAAAA
The longest losing streak in Georgia high school football has ended.
Meadowcreek, a Gwinnett County school with a 1-94 record during the past 10 seasons, defeated Habersham Central 21-14 on Friday at home. Meadowcreek led 21-0 in the first half and held on to win 21-14.
The victory ended a 53-game losing streak, the second-longest in state history. Glascock County’s 82-game losing streak, which ended in 1999, remains the longest. Meadowcreek’s previous victory was a 24-14 decision against Duluth in 2008.
Here are other notable things that occurred Friday in AAAAAA and the other classifications:
- No. 1-ranked North Gwinnett trailed Mill Creek 47-26 with 6:24 left Friday, but won 50-47 after scoring three touchdowns and three conversions in one of the more remarkable games of the season. Nate Brown had four touchdown receptions for North Gwinnett (6-0).
- North Cobb, ranked No. 7 in preseason, might be the team many thought it could be. Tyler Queen passed for 303 yards and three touchdowns in a 27-17 victory against No. 6 and previously unbeaten Hillgrove. North Cobb lost early to unranked Walton and fell out of the Top 10.
- The underdog in this series for the first time since 2002, Lowndes beat 10th-ranked Valdosta for the ninth time in the past 10 meetings, the first by shutout since 2005. Lowndes won 3-0.
- Norcross is looking like its old self. The defending state champions beat ninth-ranked and previously unbeaten Collins Hill 28-0. It was the first time Collins Hill had been shut out in five years.
Class AAAAA
- The top two teams in AAAAA played a game worthy of their lofty rankings. Nekyle Lundie caught a 35-yard Hail Mary pass from Joseph Farrar with 13 seconds remaining to give top-ranked Tucker a 31-28 victory against No. 2 Stephenson in a wild back-and-forth Region 6 game at Hallford Stadium on Friday. The victory puts Tucker in position to win its third region title in four years and 15th overall, but the Tigers still have two significant hurdles to clear when they close the regular season against probable playoff teams M.L. King and Mays.
- There's no overlooking McIntosh anymore. The Chiefs improved to 6-0 for the first time in their history and tied the school record for victories in a season by beating Whitewater 35-15. The Wildcats came into the game 5-1 and had won all seven previous meetings in the series by at least 27 points. When asked if it was the biggest victory in school history, McIntosh coach Lee Belknap said, "I think so … it may be. We told the guys in the locker room, though, that we don't want this to be the biggest thing that happens to us this year."
- Harris County opened defense of its 1-AAAAA title with a 31-30 victory against Bainbridge. Harris County scored with 44 seconds remaining, and Taquon Marshall ran in the game-winning two-point conversion.
Class AAAA
- No. 4 Monroe Area ran only 15 plays in the first half against Stephens County. The Purple Hurricanes scored touchdowns on seven of those plays en route to a 47-0 victory. Quarterback Stanton Truitt and running back Kwan Brooks each ran for two touchdowns for Monroe Area, which is 7-0 for the second consecutive season.
- No. 1 Sandy Creek and No. 2 Carrollton continued their dominating starts and stayed on course for their Nov. 1 showdown. Eric Swinney scored three touchdowns, and the Sandy Creek defense posted its second consecutive shutout in a 49-0 victory against Shaw on Thursday. The Patriots have won 38 consecutive region games. Jarvis Terrell rushed for four touchdowns to lead Carrollton to a 49-12 victory against Troup County on Thursday. The Trojans have outscored opponents 292-47.
- Nick Chubb rushed for 355 yards and five touchdowns in undefeated Cedartown's 42-34 victory against Pickens. Chubb has 1,587 yards and 29 touchdowns. Cedartown is 7-0 for the first time since 2000, when the Bulldogs reached the state championship game.
- No. 5 Statesboro beat previously unbeaten Liberty County 24-7 to move on top of Region 3, Division A. Anthony Curtis' short touchdown run late in the fourth quarter sealed the victory for the Blue Devils, who improved to 7-0.
- Grady won its fifth in a row, knocking off previously unbeaten Washington-Atlanta to improve to 5-1 and 2-0 in Region 6, Division B. Isiah Jenkins rushed for three touchdowns and more than 200 yards in the Grey Knights' 28-7 victory.
Class AAA
- Looks like No. 3 Washington County settled the matter of supremacy in Region 3 with its 40-0 victory against No. 6 Jefferson County. Washington County's defense produced two quick scores in the first quarter on a blocked punt and an interception return.
- Peach County has fought past a 1-2 start against a difficult schedule and improved to 4-2 by whipping Jackson 51-16. The Region 2 title could again come down to a showdown between Peach County and Carver-Columbus. Nick Searcy and Keshawn Lowe combined to run for 186 yards for Peach County.
- Decatur (5-2) got the signature victory it has needed when Nathan Tumperi kicked a 33-yard field goal to win the game in double overtime. It puts the Bulldogs back in the playoff picture. The loss means Blessed Trinity (3-3) may need to run the table, which includes games against No. 8 St. Pius and Cedar Grove to end the season.
- Cedar Grove (6-1) beat neighbor-rival McNair for its sixth consecutive victory. But the Saints close the season with powerhouse teams St. Pius, Woodward Academy and Blessed Trinity. The Saints hold the tiebreaker over Decatur.
Class AA
- The Rabun County Wildcats didn't pull off the victory against the No. 7 Jefferson Dragons, but they did prove their days as an 8-AA bottom-feeder are over in second-year coach Lee Shaw's new era. Rabun County is 5-1 and 2-1 in 8-AA. Meanwhile, the Dragons, without injured quarterback Evan Shirreffs, improved to 4-2 and 2-1 in region play. Both teams are behind No. 4 Washington-Wilkes in the standings. The Tigers defeated Greene County.
- The No. 8 Brooks County Trojans took charge of Region 1-AA, beating the No. 9 Fitzgerald Purple Hurricanes 39-21. The Trojans (6-1, 3-0) are looking to repeat as region champions while the Purple Hurricanes (4-2-1, 2-1) hope Brooks County slips.
- There will be a new team at No. 10, as Macon County lost to Bleckley County in a key 4-AA game. Bleckley County (5-1, 3-0) is a possible candidate to replace Macon County (4-2, 2-1), along with the Bowdon Red Devils, who beat Temple 48-13. The Red Devils are 7-0 and 5-0 in 5-AA. In other games involving Top 10 teams, No. 1 Lamar County defeated Monticello 47-7; No. 3 Greater Atlanta Christian beat Westminster 49-3; No. 5 Calhoun shutout Pepperell 45-0, and Benedictine topped Toombs County 51-13. No. 2 Lovett did not play.
Class A
- Once again the biggest shocker of the night involves Savannah Christian, and again the news is not good. The Raiders (2-3-1, 0-2) lost their third consecutive game 37-0 at rival Calvary Day (4-2, 2-0). The Cavaliers scored all 37 points in the first half, taking advantage of three turnovers by the Raiders, who mustered 20 yards of offense, according to the Savannah Morning News.
- No. 2 Aquinas had lost 32 consecutive games in its series with Lincoln County, with the previous victory coming in 1972, 45-0. On Friday night the Irish ended the losing streak with another blowout, 42-14 over the Red Devils. Aquinas (6-0, 3-0) went ahead 20-14 late in the second quarter and stayed unbeaten with 21 consecutive points in the second half in Lincolnton.
- No. 7 Prince Avenue Christian moved to 6-1, 3-0 in rugged Region 8, with a 28-14 victory at Commerce (4-3, 2-1). The Wolverines, last year's private-school runner-up, used big plays by junior running back Zantravious Shields, who scored touchdowns on an 85-yard punt return, an 85-yard kickoff return and a 71-yard run from scrimmage, to re-establish themselves as state title contenders. Commerce showed that it will be a tough out when the public school playoffs begin.
- Last season was a nightmare for Clinch County. The Panthers finished 4-6, their worst record since 1985, and missed the playoffs for the first time since 1994. But things are getting back to normal in Homerville. Clinch County (3-3, 2-0) went on the road and outlasted previously unbeaten No. 5 Irwin County (4-1-1, 1-1) 30-24. The Panthers sit atop Region 2 with Charlton County (5-2, 3-0), another proud program getting back on track after a rough 2012 season. Charlton County won its third consecutive game, 38-8 against Lanier County (1-2, 2-5).
