Region play kicks off in 7-AAAAAA this week, and the league gets right down to business with a matchup of top 10 teams that could determine the region title.
Either Norcross or North Gwinnett has won the Region 7 championship in the highest classification each of the past four years. Norcross won in 2012 on its way to the state title, and North Gwinnett won the previous three seasons. And one of these teams is likely to win it again this year (although Mill Creek, Peachtree Ridge and Collins Hill will have a say in it).
But at this point in the season, it’s hard to know exactly how good No. 6 Norcross and top-ranked North Gwinnett are.
Norcross was embarrassed in its opener 55-0, but the loss came against a Booker T. Washington (Fla.) team that is ranked No. 1 in the nation by USA Today. The Blue Devils rebounded last week with a 21-7 victory against Parkview, which was a state quarterfinalist last season and expected to be a playoff contender again this year. But the Panthers are off to an 0-2 start for the third time in four seasons.
North Gwinnett opened the season with a 34-14 rout of Camden County, which struggled badly in its first game under new coach Welton Coffey but has bounced back with two lopsided victories. The following week, North Gwinnett dominated in a 35-0 victory against Grayson, the 2011 state champion that is 0-2 for the first time since 2006 but has lost to the No. 1 and No. 3 teams in AAAAAA.
Both teams should be fine at playoff time, making a deep run in November. But I suspect North Gwinnett is a little better right now, so look for the Bulldogs to get the early advantage in 7-AAAAAA.
THE WEEKEND PREDICTIONS
Last week: 131-46 (.740); Overall: 294-103 (.741)
THURSDAY
Winner##Loser
Bowdon##Kendrick
Liberty County##Johnson-Savannah
Locust Grove##Morrow
Northside-Warner Robins##Westside-Macon
Rutland##Central-Macon
Shaw##Hardaway
FRIDAY
Adairsville##Pepperell
Albany##Mitchell Co.
Allatoona##Rome
Americus-Sumter##Macon County
Appling County##Screven County
Archer##Brookwood
Athens Christian##Jackson County
Bainbridge##Early County
Banneker##Westlake
Benedictine##Metter
Berrien##Lanier County
Bremen##Chattahoochee County
Bryan County##Jeff Davis
Buford##Hancock Central
Burke County##Coffee
Calvary Day##Montgomery County
Camden County##Beach
Carrollton##Calhoun
Cartersville##Rockmart
Carver-Atlanta##Alexander
Cass##Heritage-Catoosa
Cedartown##LaFayette
Charlton County##Bradwell Institute
Chattahoochee##Douglas County
Cherokee##North Forsyth
Christian Heritage##Coahulla Creek
Clarke Central##Loganville
Collins Hill##Habersham Central
Colquitt County##Carver-Columbus
Commerce##Banks County
Cook##Dougherty
Coosa##Haralson County
Creekside##Tri-Cities
Darlington##Chattooga
Dawson County##Forsyth Central
Decatur##Greenville
Dutchtown##Luella
Eagle’s Landing Christian##Hapeville Charter
East Hall##East Jackson
East Paulding##Paulding County
Eastside##Alcovy
Elbert County##Evans
Emanuel County Institute##Jenkins County
Etowah##Pope
Fellowship Christian##Oglethorpe County
Flowery Branch##Cedar Shoals
Gainesville##Winder-Barrow
George Walton Academy##Holy Innocents’
Georgia Military##Riverside Military
Gilmer##Southeast Whitfield
Gordon Central##Murray County
Gordon Lee##Armuchee
Grayson##Parkview
Greater Atlanta Christian##Chamblee
Griffin##Jonesboro
Harlem##Glascock County
Harris County##Veterans
Harrison##Campbell
Hart County##Stephens County
Hebron Christian##Cross Keys
Heritage-Conyers##Salem
Hillgrove##Marietta
Houston County##Northside-Columbus
Howard##Walnut Grove
Irwin County##East Laurens
Jackson##Monticello
Jackson-Atlanta##South Atlanta
Jefferson##North Hall
Jefferson County##Greenbrier
Johnson County##Portal
Johnson-Gainesville##North Murray
Kell##Lassiter
Kennesaw Mountain##South Cobb
Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe##Dade County
Lamar County##Pike County
Lambert##Northview
Landmark Christian##Mount Paran Christian
Laney##Glenn Hills
Lanier##Franklin County
Lee County##Westover
Lovejoy##Alpharetta
Lowndes##Windsor Forest
Manchester##Spencer
Marist##Lovett
Mary Persons##Henry County
McEachern##Pebblebrook
McIntosh##Ola
McIntosh County Academy##Atkinson County
Mill Creek##Mountain View
Miller County##Pelham
Miller Grove##North Atlanta
Milton##Centennial
Model##Sonoraville
Monroe##Fitzgerald
Monroe Area##Oconee County
Morgan County##Putnam County
Mount Pisgah Christian##Our Lady of Mercy
Mount Zion-Carroll##North Cobb Christian
New Manchester##Woodland-Cartersville
Newnan##Troup
North Cobb##Walton
North Gwinnett##Norcross
North Oconee##Madison County
North Paulding##Lithia Springs
Northeast-Macon##Southwest-Macon
Northgate##North Clayton
Northwest Whitfield##Pickens
Pace Academy##King’s Ridge
Pacelli##Stewart County
Peachtree Ridge##Duluth
Perry##Hawkinsville
Pierce County##Swainsboro
Pinecrest Academy##Mount Vernon Presbyterian
Rabun County##Towns County
Richmond Academy##Josey
Richmond Hill##Savannah
Ridgeland##River Ridge
Ringgold##Central-Carrollton
Riverdale##Grady
Riverwood##North Springs
Rockdale County##Drew
Roswell##Johns Creek
St. Pius##Thomson
Sandy Creek##East Coweta
Savannah Country Day##Wheeler County
Seminole County##Clinch County
Shiloh##Berkmar
South Effingham##Effingham County
South Forsyth##Cambridge
South Gwinnett##Dacula
Southwest DeKalb##Lakeside-DeKalb
Statesboro##Tattnall County
Stephenson##Dunwoody
Stockbridge##Columbia
Stone Mountain##Wesleyan
Taylor County##Schley County
Telfair County##Baconton Charter
Terrell County##Central-Talbotton
Thomas County Central##Cairo
Thomasville##Westminster
Tift County##Worth County
Toombs County##Bacon County
Towers##Clarkston
Treutlen##Strong Rock Christian
Trion##Walker
Tucker##Arabia Mountain
Turner County##Calhoun County
Twiggs County##Crawford County
Union Grove##Forest Park
Upson-Lee##Eagle’s Landing
Valdosta##Crisp County
Vidalia##Long County
Villa Rica##Hiram
Ware County##Brunswick
Warner Robins##Peach County
Washington##Mount Zion-Jonesboro
Washington County##Baldwin
Washington-Wilkes##Warren County
Wayne County##Glynn Academy
West Forsyth##Starr’s Mill
West Hall##Lumpkin County
West Laurens##Dublin
Westside-Augusta##Hephzibah
Wheeler##Hughes
White County##Fannin County
Whitefield Academy##St. Francis
Whitewater##Fayette County
Wilcox County##Dooly County
Woodward Academy##Woodland-Stockbridge
SATURDAY
Cedar Grove##Redan
Druid Hills##Therrell
M.L. King##Mays
McNair##Douglass
Temple##Jordan
*Games involving out-of-state teams not included
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