When Class A Division II No. 9 Aquinas travels to Towns County (0-5, 0-1) for a Region 8 game, it will be led by the team’s star freshman, Jaden Wuerth, a 6-foot-2, 232-pound defensive end who has been an anchor for the Spartans.
Wuerth has 34 solo tackles, 30 assists with 18 tackles for loss and a team-leading nine sacks. In the 14-12 victory against Westside-Augusta on Aug. 25, he had eight tackles, four for losses. In last week’s 28-21 victory against Lincoln County, he had six solos, seven assists and two tackles for loss.
Aquinas should enjoy Wuerth’s maturation during the next several seasons like it will for sophomore leading receivers Christian Kates and Jack Rhodes.
Rhodes has 27 receptions for 384 yards and four touchdowns; Kates has 20 receptions for 126 yards and four touchdowns. Kates adds 56 carries for a team-leading 280 yards and two touchdown runs.
The Aquinas offense is led by junior quarterback Jim Franklin, who leads an offense that averages 198 passing yards to 105 rushing yards per game. Franklin is 108-of-157 passing for 1,179 yards and 10 touchdowns. He has rushed 57 times for 228 yards and a team-leading five touchdowns.
The Spartans will travel to Washington-Wilkes next week before the team’s truest region test against No. 2 Greene County (6-0, 1-0) on Oct. 27.
In Class A Division I, region supremacy will be on the line when No. 6 Bleckley County (4-2) travels to No. 9 Dublin (4-1) to open Region 2 play for the 18th edition of the rivalry that dates to 1992. Dublin has won 16 of the games, including last year’s 31-13 victory when Dublin was ranked No. 4 and Bleckley was unranked.
Bleckley County defeated Dublin 28-21 in 2014, the team’s only victory in the series. But the Royals are entering the game after beating Pelham 43-21 and Westfield 49-13. The Royals’ only blemishes came against No. 1 Schley County 48-42 in overtime on Sept. 8 and West Laurens 33-28 in overtime on Sept. 15.
Dublin is averaging 244 rushing yards to 29 passing yards and has gotten touchdown runs from six different players. The offense is led by junior Xavier Bostic, who has 44 carries for 404 yards and five touchdowns.
Region 2 is stacked, with No. 2 Swainsboro (6-0), No. 9 Dublin and No. 6 Bleckley. Swainsboro travels to Jefferson County on Friday, and East Laurens travels to Jasper County before beginning region play at Swainsboro next week.
In Class A Division I, No. 1 Prince Avenue, No. 2 Swainsboro and No. 8 Lamar County are idle. In Class A Division II, No. 1 Schley County, No. 3 Manchester and No. 4 Macon County are idle.
Class A Division I Top-10 schedule
1. (1) Prince Avenue Christian (6-1) Off
2. (2) Swainsboro (6-0) Off.
3. (3) Trion (5-0) vs. Coosa
4. (4) Rabun County (5-1) vs. St. Francis
5. (6) Elbert County (5-1) vs. White County
6. (7) Bleckley County (4-2) at No. 9 Dublin
7. (8) Commerce (5-1) vs. Social Circle
8. (9) Lamar County (5-2) Off.
9. (10) Dublin (4-1) vs. No. 7 Bleckley County
10. (NR) Mount Vernon (4-2) at Mt. Zion-Carroll
Class A Division II Top-10 schedule
1. (1) Schley County (6-0) Off.
2. (2) Greene County (6-0) at Warren County
3. (3) Manchester (5-1) Off.
4. (4) Macon County (4-2) Off.
5. (5) Clinch County (5-1) at Lanier County
6. (6) Bowdon (5-2) vs. Forest Park
7. (7) Early County (4-1) vs. Randolph-Clay
8. (8) Jenkins County (6-0) vs. McIntosh County Academy
9. (10) Aquinas (5-1) at Towns County
10. (NR) Telfair County (5-0) vs. Wilcox County
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