Bleckley County won the program’s first region title two years ago, and after upending then-No. 2 Swainsboro 21-20 in Region 2 Division I play last week, the Royals are champions again.
Quarterback Kam’ryn Everett scored the go-ahead touchdown with 19 seconds left in the game to lift Bleckley over previously undefeated Swainsboro and will carry the league’s No. 1 seed into the playoffs. Everett was 9-of-14 passing for 126 yards and two touchdowns.
Rabun County needed to beat then-No. 4 Commerce by at least 13 points to win its 10th region title in a row but fell short. Commerce (9-1, 3-0) upended Rabun 23-17 in overtime to take the Region 8 Division I championship. Jaiden Daniels was the hero, scoring on a short run and then recovering a Rabun County fumble to seal the victory.
In other region races in Division 1:
-- Region 1: Brooks County (4-5, 2-0) defeated Bacon County (4-4, 0-2) to take the top-spot in the league and will try for the title Friday. The Trojans lead Irwin County (4-5, 1-1) and Pelham (4-5, 1-1) in the standings.
-- Region 3: No. 9 Bryan County (8-1, 3-0) beat Savannah 66-8 to win the Region 3 championship, a program-first.
-- Region 5: Top-ranked Prince Avenue Christian (8-1, 2-0) leads Social Circle (4-5, 2-0) in the standings and will play for the title in an old-fashioned region championship game to close the season.
-- Region 6: Whitefield Academy (4-5, 2-0) leads Mount Vernon (6-3, 1-1) and Mount Pisgah (4-5, 1-1) in the standings. Whitefield will play Pisgah to close the regular season, and Mount Vernon will face St. Francis (1-6, 0-2).
-- Region 7: Trion (9-0, 5-0) leads the standings with Darlington (6-3, 4-1), Dade County (4-5, 3-2) and Pepperell (4-5, 3-2) chasing. Trion will face Darlington for the league title to close the season.
In other Class A Division II region races:
-- Region 1: Early County (6-3, 6-0) captured the title, but three teams – Seminole County, Miller County and Terrell County are tied in the league at 3-2.
-- Region 2: No. 4 Clinch County (9-1, 4-0) beat Charlton County 31-6 to take the title. Lanier County and Charlton County are 2-1 in the league, ahead of Turner County and Atkinson County (0-3).
-- Region 3: Jenkins County (9-0, 3-0) will play Portal (6-3, 3-0) to determine the champion. The teams are leading Emanuel County Institute (4-5, 1-2) and McIntosh County Academy (4-6, 1-3)
-- Region 4: Dooly County (5-4, 4-0) is the front-runner and entered the top-10 at No. 8 after beating No. 10 Telfair County (7-1, 3-1) 21-15 last week. Hawkinsville (6-3, 2-2) and Wilcox County (5-4, 2-2) are tied for the No. 3/No. 4 seeds. Dooly will face Hawkinsville to close the season.
-- Region 5: Johnson County (6-3, 4-0) leads the league with Wilkinson County (4-4, 3-1), Glascock County (4-5, 2-2) and Hancock Central (4-5, 2-2) jockeying for position. Johnson will face Hancock Central and Glascock will play Wilkinson to close the season.
-- Region 6: Top-ranked Schley County (9-0, 6-0) leads the standings with No. 2 Manchester (6-2, 4-1), No. 3 Macon County (7-2, 4-2) and Taylor County (6-3, 4-2) all capable of shuffling the standings in the season’s final week. Taylor County will play Manchester to close the season, and Schley faces Greenville (2-6, 2-3).
-- Region 7: The three-team league is led by Bowdon (7-2, 1-0) with Christian Heritage (4-5, 1-1) and Mount Zion-Carroll (3-6, 0-1) chasing. Bowdon will play Mount Zion-Carrol to close the season.
-- Region 8: No. 8 Aquinas (7-2, 3-1) upended then-No. 2 Greene County (8-1, 3-1) Friday to create a three-way tie atop the league standings with Washington Wilkes (6-3, 3-1). Greene County will play Washington-Wilkes Friday, and Aquinas will travel to Warren County (3-6, 1-3).
Class A Division I Top-10 results
1. (1) Prince Avenue Christian (8-1) beat Jasper County 56-13.
2. (3) Trion (9-0) beat Armuchee 55-7.
3. (4) Commerce (9-1) beat Rabun County 23-17.
4. (5) Elbert County (8-2) beat Athens Christian 42-0.
5. (7) Bleckley County (8-2) beat Swainsboro 21-20.
6. (2) Swainsboro (8-1) lost to Bleckley County 21-20.
7. (6) Rabun County (7-3) lost to Commerce 23-17.
8. (8) Lamar County (7-2) beat Crawford County 43-0.
9. (10) Bryan County (8-1) beat Savannah 66-8.
10. (NR) Brooks County (4-5) beat Bacon County 35-7.
Class A Division II Top-10 results
1. (1) Schley County (9-0) beat Marion County 36-0.
2. (3) Manchester (6-2) did not play.
3. (4) Macon County (7-2) beat Taylor County 42-14.
4. (5) Clinch County (9-1) beat Charlton County 31-6.
5. (6) Bowdon (7-2) did not play.
6. (7) Jenkins County (9-0) beat Emanuel County Institute 28-7.
7. (2) Greene County (8-1) lost to Aquinas 14-10.
8. (10) Aquinas (7-2) beat Greene County 14-10.
9. (NR) Dooly County (5-4) beat Telfair County 21-16.
10. (8) Telfair County (7-1) lost to Dooly County 21-16.
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