Class 2A blog: In brief — Riverside Military wins after year off

The Riverside Military Eagles beat Druid Hills 32-26 on Friday in their first game since Nov. 8, 2019. After being forced to cancel their season in 2020, the Eagles’ first two games of this season were also called.

For details on the Eagles’ win, see Bill Murphy’s writeup for The Gainesville Times.

The Eagles have now won two in a row dating back to 2019, when they closed the season with a 42-0 win over Providence Christian.

Eagles coach Nick Garrett stuck with the program through the 2020-2021 school year, running the private boarding military school’s fall intramural program, then relaunching the program with spring practice.

Garrett has been nominated for Week 2 Atlanta Falcons Coach of the Week and you can cast your vote for him here. Voting closes mid-Wednesday.

There wasn’t much movement in the top 10, which is no surprise given every ranked team that played won, minus the Vidalia Indians, who dropped out of the polls after debuting at No. 9 last week.

Read the Week 3 recap here.

Entering the rankings is the Heard County Braves at No. 10. They are 3-0 under first-year coach Shane Lasseter after beating 1A Public’s No. 7 Manchester last Friday.

Here are the full rankings:

1. (1) Callaway (3-0)

2. (2) Rabun County (1-1)

3. (3) Fitzgerald (2-0)

4. (4) Thomasville (3-0)

5. (5) Northeast (2-0)

6. (6) Lovett (2-1)

7. (7) Bleckley County (3-0)

8. (8) Dodge County (3-0)

9. (10) Jeff Davis (2-0)

10. (NR) Heard County (3-0)

Out: No. 9 Vidalia

In brief:

• The Dade County Wolverines have canceled their game against Trion due to Covid contact tracing concerns, according to the school, and are looking to fill their Oct. 1 bye week with a new game. The Wolverines (2-0) play 1A Public’s Mount Zion-Carroll on Sept. 17.
• The Berrien Rebels have moved their cross-region game against Toombs County to 7 p.m Saturday. The Rebels haven’t played since their opener on Aug. 20, when they beat 3A’s Long County 34-6. Toombs County is 0-2, with both losses coming to Region 3-2A schools (Dodge County and Bleckley County)
• If there are any 2A teams looking for a very tough and very last-minute opponent, so is Ware County. The Gators (3-0), ranked No. 2 in 5A, are led by former Fitzgerald coach Jason Strickland, in his third season. They finished 10-2 and reached the quarterfinals last year.
• Here are highlights from Thomasville’s come-from-behind win over Cairo.
• Bremen’s Nick Richardson and Heard County’s Isaiah O’Neal have been nominated for Recruit Georgia’s top play of the week.
• Check out this punishing run from Jeff Davis senior running back Aahiyus Allen.
• The Putnam County War Eagles broke in new field turf last week with a 69-0 win over Jasper County, which comes a week after the War Eagles shut out Morgan County 37-0 in their opener. They host 1A Public’s unranked Social Circle (2-1) Friday.
• WMAZ has highlights of Bleckley County’s win over Toombs County.
• From Demetrius Coleman to younger brother DeShun Coleman, the Cavaliers appear to have seamlessly transitioned quarterbacks and found another three-year starter.
• Rabun County lineman Bear Old has been selected to play in the Blue-Grey All American Bowl in Tampa.
• On Aug. 27, Model broke out new uniforms and then beat 3A’s LaFayette 10-6. The Blue Devils are 1-2.
• The Mountain-Valley Independent recently profiled twins Caroline and Abigail Tremmier, who serve as the Dade County Wolverines’ place kickers and have combined to go 10-for-10 on point-after attempts.
• Fannin County’s Seth Reece honored Rebels teammate Jackson Davis, who is recovering from brain surgery.
• Check out this production from the Josey Eagles.
• Pace Academy’s Chris Slade is on GHSF Daily’s very short list of former NFL players coaching GHSA football programs. Slade coached the Knights the program’s only title in 2015, when they won 2A in his third year.
• Former Callaway running back Tank Bigsby scored his first touchdown of the season for the Auburn Tigers, with fellow Cavaliers alum Keiondre Jones blocking for him — a trend that will likely continue.
• Former Callaway receiver Braylon Sanders, now at Ole Miss, was named team captain for his homecoming to The Benz in the Rebels’ opener against Louisville. He had two receptions, one for 28 yards, in a 43-24 Rebels win.
• At the NFL level, another former Callaway receiver, Terry Godwin, who played at Georgia, made Jaguars teammate and Clemson standout Trevor Lawrence pay his bet after the Bulldogs’ win against Clemson.
• Former Riverside Military tackle Khalid Duke is making plays for Kansas State.
• Former Bleckley County tackle and current Georgia freshman Amarius Mims is still huge.
• Former Rabun County quarterback Bailey Fisher, now at Gardner-Webb, recently won Big South Conference offensive player of the week honors.
• This week’s GHSF Daily top performers from 2A are Bremen quarterback Christian Burks (10-of-15 passing for 195 yards and two touchdowns, 126 yards and a touchdown on six carries), Columbia lineman-linebacker Marquez Harris (four tackles for losses, three sacks and a touchdown), Cook receiver Eddie Watson (four receptions for 127 yards and two touchdowns),, Haralson County defensive back-running back JoJo Chandler (12 tackles, a pass breakup, a recovered fumble and a 28-yard touchdown reception, Lamar County athlete C.J. Allen (176 yards and four touchdowns on the ground and had five solo tackles, a sack and a forced fumble), Oglethorpe County quarterback Will Sampson (23-of-42 passing for 322 yards and four touchdowns), Putnam County receiver-safety Jalon Kilgore (two catches for 37 yards and a touchdown, and 10 tackles, one for a loss), Thomasville linebacker Ty Anderson (10 solo tackles, three for loss, and eight assists).