Class 2A blog: In brief — Haralson Co. ranked for 1st time since ’76
The new rankings, which came out on Sunday, have no changes to the top three of No. 1 Callaway, No. 2 Fitzgerald and No. 3 Rabun County, all of whom won on Friday.
For a recap of Friday night’s action, go here.
The changes start at No. 4, where the Lovett Lions replace their Region 6 rivals, Pace Academy, which fell to No. 9 after a 7-3 loss to 3A’s then-unranked Westminster, which moved into the 3A polls at No. 8 following the win. The Lions, which narrowly lost to 3A’s No. 5 GAC in their opener, may not lose another game in the regular season, as they have nothing but their region schedule ahead of them. Pace Academy, obviously, will have a say in that. Pace and Lovett are scheduled to play Oct. 16 at Lovett in what should serve as the 6-2A championship.
Thomasville actually moves up a spot from No. 6 to 5 despite losing 21-7 to 4A’s No. 7 Bainbridge.
While Pace had the biggest slide in the polls, the Heard County Braves made the biggest jump, climbing from No. 10 to No. 6. They beat 1A-Private’s No. 10 Darlington and are one of five undefeated teams in the rankings.
For the second week in a row, Early County climbs up a spot without playing a game and now sits at No. 7. The Bobcats have been quarantined for two weeks over contact tracing concerns despite there being no reported COVID-19 cases. They’re set to resume play Friday at home against 4A’s Westover.
Bleckley County moved up a spot to No. 8 after edging Vidalia 21-14.
No. 7 Toombs County exits the rankings following its 27-7 loss to 4A’s unranked West Laurens.
Debuting at No. 10 are the Haralson County Rebels, who trounced Model 49-7 to improve to 4-0. The Rebels are ranked for the first time since 1976, when — six years before The Atlanta Journal and The Atlanta Constitution merged — the Atlanta Journal had them ranked No. 7. The Rebels were reclassified ahead of this season after spending the last 14 years in 3A, where they are coming off back-to-back 8-3 seasons.
Here’s a full look at the rankings, with last week’s ranking and current record in parenthesis:
1. (1) Callaway (3-0)
2. (2) Fitzgerald (4-0)
3. (3) Rabun County (3-1)
4. (5) Lovett (2-1)
5. (6) Thomasville (2-2)
6. (10) Heard County (4-0)
7. (8) Early County (2-0)
8. (9) Bleckley County (3-1)
9. (4) Pace Academy (1-1)
10. (NR) Haralson County (4-0)
Out: No. 7 Toombs County
Also — a new episode of The Class 2A Blogcast is coming out within the next 24 hours. This week’s topics: the Atlanta Falcons and a behind-the-scenes look at how the AJC’s team of freelancers are able to provide the state’s most comprehensive, in-depth coverage for high school football. You can listen and subscribe to the Class 2A Blogcast on Apple or Spotify, among other platforms. Thanks for listening!
In brief:
- Michael Baron of the Rome News-Tribune has a writeup on Haralson County’s 49-7 win over Model.
- Swainsboro’s players of the week are Zabrien Harden and DJ Jones. The Tigers (2-2) lost 27-22 to Washington County on Friday, splitting a rare two-game in-season series after winning their first matchup 20-14 on Sept. 11.
- Worth County’s Tayshaun Shipp and Rabun County’s Gunner Stockton were nominated by Recruit Georgia for play of the week.
- Pace Academy sophomore receiver-defensive back Jordan Sloan remains in critical condition after suffering a traumatic brain injury in the Knights' game against Westminster on Friday. You can support his recovery by donating to his fundraiser on GoFundMe.
- Nicole C Photography produced a video honoring Sloan.
- Here’s former Callaway standouts Tank Bigsby and Keiondre Jones reunited at the next level, doing big things for Auburn. There’s a lot of Callaway talent on Auburn’s roster. Auburn is only 50 miles down the road from Callaway.
- Fannin County coach Chad Cheatham is calling for prayers and support for Union County player Hunter Payne, who was in what he describes as a “terrible wreck”. Payne is listed as a junior defensive end-tackle on the Panthers' roster found on MaxPreps.
- Here’s Cheatham in a post-game interview with Fetch Your News following a 48-0 Fannin County win over Southeast Whitifeld. The Rebels are 2-0.
- The Worth County Rams have now won three straight and are 3-1 following a 30-20 win over 4A’s Rutland. They’ve already surpassed their win total from last season, when they finished 2-8 and have as many wins this season as they had in the last three seasons combined.
- Worth County’s Ke’darius Crutchfield earned WALB’s play of the week honors for his sack in a 21-7 win over Americus-Sumter on Sept. 18.
- Here’s Callaway’s Laquize Gilbert scoring his third touchdown of the game in the Cavs' 35-0 win over Douglass.
- Here’s a WSB segment on Rabun County’s Gunner Stockton.
- Here’s coverage of Banks County’s 37-0 win over Lumpkin County from Fetch Your News. It was the first win of the season for the Leopards (1-3) and their first shutout since a 14-0 win over Putnam County in 2016.
- Here’s WTXL’s highlights of Thomasville’s loss to Bainbridge.
- Callaway’s defense recently earned WRBL’s performance of the week honors for their effort in a 17-6 win over Hardaway on Sept. 18.
- Heard County’s 4-0 start has put the Braves squarely on the radar of GHSF Daily.
- Fitzgerald recently named Altonio Belmer (offense), Dequavion Harper (defense) and Denorris Goodwin (overall) as players of the game following the Purple Hurricane’s 42-6 win over 1A Public’s then-No. 9 Turner County on Sept. 18.
- GHSF Daily’s top performers from 2A are Worth County receiver-defensive back Tayshaun Shipp (215 receiving yards and touchdowns of 99 and 80 yards, three tackles — one for a loss — and intercepted a pass); Bacon County quarterback Mason Mikell (8-of-9 passing for 171 yards and four total touchdowns); Bleckley County running back Chuckie Stephens (135 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries); Callaway running back-linebacker LaQuize Gilbert (92 rushing yards, three touchdowns and 12 tackles); Dade County quarterback-free safety MaKinley Everett (28-of-39 passing for 298 yards and five touchdowns, six tackles); Fannin County receiver Jalen Ingram (three receptions for 102 yards and two touchdowns and a 2point conversion score); Heard County quarterback Maurice Fench (67 yards and three touchdowns on eight carries, 7-of-13 passing for 103 yards); Putnam County running back Cedrion Brundage (238 yards on 15 carries, four touchdowns); South Atlanta running back Keywon Brown (166 yards and one touchdown on 16 carries); Temple running back Phillip Johnson (218 rushing yards and two touchdowns). The offensive lines of Haralson County and Rabun County earned “lines of distinction” honors.
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