Chestatee at Monroe Area
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, The Purple Pit, Monroe
Records, rankings: Chestatee is 7-1 overall, 5-0 in Region 8-AAA and unranked; Monroe Area is 8-0, 5-0 and No. 4.
Last meeting: Monroe Area won 35-14 in 2012.
Three things to know: 1. Monroe Area will be playing without seven players, five starters, who were ejected from last week's game, a 68-14 victory over Madison County. One is star QB Stanton Truitt. The incident that led to the ejections was an altercation among several players after Truitt was tackled late on the Monroe Area sideline. Monroe Area will have 1,000-yard rusher Kwan Brooks, who ran for 222 yards and four touchdowns against Madison County. 2. The winner will be the region champion. The same scenario existed for the 2012 game as each entered with the same records overall and in region. Truitt coincidentally missed that game too (injured). Michael Gallup played quarterback and scored three touchdowns and passed for two. 3. RB/FS/KR Blake Buffington - who is 5 feet, 5 inches and 140 pounds - is perhaps Chestatee's best two-way player. The senior has rushed for 287 yards and made 33 tackles. In a 42-14 victory over Lumpkin County last week, Buffington intercepted three passes and scored two touchdowns, one rushing and another returning a kickoff 76 yards.
Gilmer at Cedartown
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Doc Ayers Field at Cedartown Memorial Stadium, Cedartown
Records, rankings: Gilmer is 7-1 overall, 3-0 in Region 7-AAAA Div. A and unranked; Cedartown is 8-0, 3-0 and No. 7.
Last meeting: Gilmer won 38-0 in 2012.
Three things to know: 1. Gilmer held Cedartown's Nick Chubb to 74 yards rushing in last year's shocking shutout victory. Chubb, the state's leading rusher in 2012 and 2013, was not held below 100 yards in any other game. The loss knocked Cedartown out of playoff contention. The winner of this game will be the subregion champion and play Nov. 8 for the region title, probably against Dalton (6-2, 4-0). Gilmer hasn't won a region title since 1997, Cedartown since 2001. 2. With 2,115 yards rushing, Chubb accounts for 56 percent of Cedartown's total offense, but WR Israel Battle is one of the region's top receivers. He has 29 receptions for 558 yards in an offense that passes only about 12.5 times per game. 3. Gilmer, a physical, running team, has three two-way starters that are outstanding. FB/LB Tyler Bertolini (5-10, 230) has rushed for 823 yards and scored nine touchdowns and made 60 tackles on defense. RB/D Johnie Flakes (5-6, 170) has rushed for 639 yards and scored eight touchdowns and made 58 tackles, five for losses. TE/LB Austin Cole (6-2, 215) has seven receptions for 211 yards and three touchdowns and 67 tackles, five for losses.
Lowndes at Camden County
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Chris Gilman Stadium, Kingsland
Records, rankings: Lowndes is 7-2 overall, 4-1 in Region 1-AAAAAA and unranked; Camden County is 7-1, 4-0 and No. 7.
Last meeting: Camden County won 24-7 in 2012.
Three things to know: 1. Camden County can win its 13th consecutive region title (second straight in 1-AAAAAA) by beating Lowndes this week and Colquitt County next. Lowndes can finish no worse than second with a victory over Camden but probably won't win the region because of the 37-7 loss to Colquitt County on Sept. 27. The 30-point spread puts the Vikings at a tiebreaker disadvantage. Lowndes coach Randy McPherson is 2-5 all-time against Camden County. No other Georgia school has beaten him more than three times. 2. Lowndes and Camden pass as infrequently as any high-profile teams in AAAAAA. Lowndes' Austin Dixon, who gets almost every meaningful snap, is 36-of-69 passing for 588 yards, 10 touchdowns and four interceptions. Camden's has thrown only 53 times, completing 24 for 394 yards. 3. Camden rushes for 290.1 yards per game (6.2 per carry). Lowndes rushes for 207.2 (4.8). Picking either team's leading rusher in a game is always a guess. Camden County has six players with between 205 yards and Tyler Rauls' 420. Lowndes' leading active rusher is Jerome Daniels (293 yards, seven touchdowns).
M.L. King at Tucker
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Hallford Stadium, Clarkston
Records, rankings: M.L. King is 6-2 overall, 5-2 in Region 6-AAAAA and unranked; Tucker is 8-0, 7-0 and No. 1.
Last meeting: M.L. King won 24-17 in 2012.
Three things to know: 1. First-place Tucker will win the 6-AAAAA championship with victories in its final two games, but the Tigers also could clinch the title on Friday if it beats M.L. King and Mays loses to Stephenson. M.L. King, the defending region champion, might need to beat Tucker to avoid a three-way tie with Mays and Arabia Mountain for the region's final two playoff berths that would be settled by a point-differential tiebreaker. 2. M.L. King's Roland Rivers is the leading passer in DeKalb County with 1,723 yards. He has completed 121 of 179 attempts (67.6 percent) with 15 touchdowns and four interceptions. Rivers had three talented targets in seniors Romello Shumake (37 catches, 577 yards, six TDs), D'Angelo Holt (26-391-2) and Pressley Bray (16-239-2), who all rank among the county's top 20 receivers. 3. Tucker has DeKalb's leading rushing game with 252.1 yards per game and 41 touchdowns. Nineteen players have at least one carry this season, but the leader is junior Elijah Sullivan, who has 482 yards and 11 touchdowns on 56 carries.
North Paulding at Allatoona
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Buccaneer Stadium, Acworth
Records, rankings: North Paulding is 7-1 overall, 7-1 in Region 5-AAAAA and No. 10; Allatoona is 7-1, 7-1 and No. 9.
Last meeting: Allatoona won 56-27 in 2012.
Three things to know: 1. North Paulding QB Chase Noonan is 87-of-137 passing for 1,439 yards and 17 touchdowns, and he is the team's second-leading rusher with 313 yards and six TDs. His top targets are Kayden Bishop (25 catches, 418 yards, seven touchdowns) and Mac Seagle (22-478-7). Corn Collins has rushed for 742 yards and 10 TDs on 105 carries. 2. Allatoona has a more run-oriented offense, led by junior Joshua Bettistea. He has rushed for 1,512 yards and 23 touchdowns on 142 carries (10.65 yards per carry). Bettistea rushed for 282 yards and four TDs in a 44-7 victory against Hiram last week. QB Connor Larson averages about 10 pass attempts per game and has thrown for 741 yards and eight TDs. 3. North Paulding and Allatoona are tied with South Paulding for first place in Region 5-AAAAA. North Paulding, which beat South Paulding , can claim its first region title with victories against Allatoona and Villa Rica (4-4). An Allatoona victory this week likely gives the region title to South Paulding, which beat Allatoona in overtime and closes the season against Paulding County (2-7) and Lithia Springs (0-8).
Northside (W. Robins) at Warner Robins
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, McConnell-Talbert Stadium, Warner Robins
Records, rankings: Northside is 8-0 overall, 5-0 in Region 2-AAAAA and No. 2; Warner Robins is 7-1, 4-1 and unranked.
Last meeting: Northside won 35-28 in 2012.
Three things to know: 1. The Northside backfield pair of Willie Jordan and Glenn Smith is one of the state's best. Jordan has rushed for 935 yards, caught nine passes for 143 yards and scored 10 touchdowns. Glenn Smith, the team's quarterback in 2012, has rushed for 864 yards, caught a team-leading 20 passes for 247 yards and scored 24 touchdowns. He frequently lines up at receiver. 2. Warner Robins also has a pair of running backs that each has a chance at 1,000 yards rushing. Danny Hite Jr. has rushed for 819 yards, and Jacquan Burns has 787. Warner Robins is a little more apt to pass. Caden Johnston is 63-of-119 for 978 yards, and his favorite receiver is Danny Hite III (20 catches, 354 yards). 3. Northside will clinch its fifth consecutive region championship and eighth in nine seasons with a victory. Warner Robins would clinch the region with victories over Northside and Lakeside of Evans on Nov. 8. Warner Robins hasn't won a region title since 2004.
Peach County at Carver (Columbus)
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, A.J. McClung Memorial Stadium, Columbus
Records, rankings: Peach County is 6-2 overall, 4-0 in Region 2-AAA and unranked; Carver is 7-1, 4-0 and No. 4.
Last meeting: Carver won 26-17 in 2012.
Three things to know: 1. The winner of this game will be the Region 2-AAA champion and the loser will finish as the No. 2 seed, the same situation they faced last year when Carver beat Peach for the first time in five all-time meetings. The teams have won a combined 13 region titles in the past 10 seasons, with Peach winning seven and Carver six. 2. Peach County has one of Class AAA's top receivers in Tyler Gibson, who has 41 catches for 841 yards and seven touchdowns. Two other Trojans - Saire Davis and Mictavius Gibson - have combined for 24 receptions, but each averages more than 20 yards per catch. Senior QB Greg Williams has passed for 1,656 yards and 12 touchdowns. 3. Carver graduate Joe Kegler is in his first season as a head coach after being promoted from offensive coordinator to replace Dell McGee, who was hired by Auburn. The Tigers also had to replace another McGee this season when QB Torrance (no relation) transferred to North Cobb, where he is a wide receiver. Talented sophomore Jawon Pass has taken over the job.
Sandy Creek at Carrollton
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Grisham Stadium, Carrollton
Records, rankings: Sandy Creek is 7-0-1 overall, 5-0 in Region 5-AAAA and No. 1; Carrollton is 8-0, 5-0 and No. 2.
Last meeting: Sandy Creek won 30-7 in 2012.
Three things to know: 1. Sandy Creek may have the best pair of junior running backs in the state if not the South. Eric Swinney has 858 yards rushing and has scored 16 touchdowns. Delvin Weems has 860 yards rushing and 17 touchdowns. But Sandy Creek is a dangerous passing team with all-state candidates Cole Garvin (88-of-142 passing, 1,397 yards, 12 touchdowns) and Demarre Kitt (37 catches, 650 yards, five touchdowns). 2. Carrollton's backfield of Trey Chivers (561 yards rushing), Malik Sheppard (531) and Jarvis Terrell (526) has run for 30 touchdowns, each player with 10. But Carrollton throws very well, with passing attempts that are generally limited to the first half because of blowouts. Will Garrett is 37-of-57 passing for 763 yards (20.5 yards per completion) and nine touchdowns. 3. The winner will be the region champion and likely the No. 1-rated team in AAAA entering the state playoffs. Sandy Creek held Carrollton to 107 yards of total offense in winning the 2012 game handily, but Carrollton has its most talented senior class in years (five Division I commitments) and has beaten all four common opponents by bigger margins than Sandy Creek.
Veterans at Mary Persons
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dan Pitts Stadium at Mitchell Field, Forsyth
Records, rankings: Veterans is 5-3 overall, 5-0 in Region 2-AAAA and unranked; Mary Persons is 8-0, 5-0 and No. 6.
Last meeting: Mary Persons won 21-7 in 2012.
Three things to know: 1. The winner will be the 2-AAAA champion, and the loser will finish as the No. 2 seed. Mary Persons has won 15 region titles but none since 1997. Four-year-old Veterans has clinched the first playoff berth in the program's history and is seeking its first region title. The Warhawks were 9-21 in the program's first three seasons. 2. Veterans opened the season with three consecutive losses to Class AAAAA playoff teams (Warner Robins, Northside of Warner Robins and Harris County). It has since won five consecutive games, all in region play. The Warhawks' leader on offense is QB Logan Byrd, who has passed for 647 yards and rushed for 486, according to the Macon Telegraph. 3. Mary Persons is 8-0 for the first time since 1994. FS/WR Akebren Ralls leads the team in receptions and interceptions and has about 1,200 all-purposes yards, including 87 rushing and a touchdown in a 21-7 victory against Baldwin last week. RB Dee High has rushed for 734 yards and 12 touchdowns, and QB Cal King has passed for 1,003 yards and nine TDs.
Wayne County at Statesboro
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Womack Field, Statesboro
Records, rankings: Wayne County is 7-1 overall, 2-0 in Region 3-AAAA Div. A and No. 10; Statesboro is 8-0, 2-0 and No. 5.
Last meeting: Wayne County won 37-20 in 2012.
Three things to know: 1. The winner of this game will take the 3-AAAA Division A title, earn a state playoff berth and meet Burke County next week in the region championship game. The loser will face the third-place team from subregion B in a play-in game for a berth in the state playoffs. In a similar situation last year, Wayne County beat Statesboro and then lost to Burke 43-14 in the championship game. 2. Wayne County is led by Malique Jackson, a quarterback and defensive back who has committed to Florida State. Jackson is 84-for-134 passing for 1,330 yards and 18 touchdowns with only four interceptions. His top target is Krenwick Sanders (37 catches, 731 yards, 13 TD). Sanders and DT Jeremy Patterson have committed to Wisconsin. 3. Statesboro has opened up its offense this season and is averaging 32.4 points per game, led by QB Colin Chance, WR Joe Corless and RB Sherrodric Rawls. But the Blue Devils also have one of the top defenses in Class AAAA, allowing an average of just 8.6 points and holding five of eight opponents to seven points or less. They gave up a season-high 15 points to AAAAA Lakeside of Evans in the opener.
