Top-ranked Cedar Grove stood toe-to-toe with Class 7A No. 7 Lowndes before losing 45-38; Oconee County defeated then-No. 9 Hart County 35-13 in a Region 8-3A game, and following its 27-14 loss to Crisp County, Peach County is unranked for the first time since 2015.
It was an interesting week.
The bad: Peach County, 3-3, is looking for answers after losses to Phenix City (Ala.), 42-23, Northside-Warner Robins, 28-14, and Crisp at home in a crucial Region 2-3A game. In 2015, Peach dropped from the top-10 following a 3-2 loss at Jackson.
You read that correctly.
The only offense the Trojans managed that fateful day was a safety. Peach went on to lose to Calhoun 20-14 in the second round of the playoffs that season, which helped spawn a rivalry that boiled over in the 2017 state title game when the Yellow Jackets won 10-6.
The good: Cedar Grove tried for a state-shaking upset against Lowndes on the road and enjoyed a lead late in the game, but a fumble and Lowndes score kept the lower-classed team in check. Cedar Grove returns to region 5-3A play Friday at Salem.
-- No. 2 Oconee County running back C.J. Jones rushed for four touchdowns, and Jacob Wright’s 19-yard touchdown pass to Jake Johnson lifted the Warriors over Hart. Oconee County hosts No. 7 Monroe Area on Oct. 22.
-- Ringgold is 7-0 and ranked No. 10 after Peach’s departure from the poll. The Tigers have victories against Gilmer (35-15), Ridgeland (44-0), North Murray (31-28), Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe (56-0), Murray County (78-0), Adairsville (24-19) and LaFayette (24-17).
-- The rest of the top-10 performed as it should – No. 4 Appling County defeated Long County (41-8); No. 5 Pierce County beat Brantley County (35-6); No. 6 Thomson defeated Cross Creek (55-0); No. 8 Monroe Area beat East Jackson (40-10), and No. 10 Rockmart defeated Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe (56-0).
New Top 10 results from Week 8
1. (1) Cedar Grove (4-2) lost to Class 7A No. 7 Lowndes 45-38
2. (2) Oconee County (7-0) beat No. 8 Hart County 35-13.
3. (3) Sandy Creek (6-0) was off.
4. (4) Appling County (7-0) beat Long County 41-8.
5. (5) Pierce County (5-2) beat Brantley County 35-6.
6. (7) Thomson (6-0) beat Cross Creek 55-0.
7. (8) Monroe Area (7-0) beat East Jackson 40-10.
8. (9) Hart County (6-1) lost to No. 2 Oconee County 35-13.
9. (10) Rockmart (5-1) beat Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe 56-0.
10. (NR) Ringgold (7-0) beat LaFayette 24-17.
Region Standings After Week 8
Region 1 RGN REG TOT
Appling County 1-0 7-0 7-0
Pierce County 1-0 5-2 5-2
Tattnall County 0-0 5-1 5-1
Long County 0-1 3-4 3-4
Brantley County 0-1 2-4 2-4
Region 2 RGN REG TOT
Crisp County 4-0 4-3 4-3
Jackson 3-1 4-3 4-3
Peach County 3-1 3-3 3-3
Mary Persons 2-2 4-3 4-3
Upson-Lee 2-2 4-3 4-3
Pike County 1-3 1-5 1-5
Central Macon 0-3 0-6 0-6
Sumter County 0-3 0-5 0-5
Region 3 RGN REG TOT
Windsor Forest 2-0 3-2 3-2
Liberty County 2-1 2-3 2-3
SE Bulloch 1-1 5-1 5-1
Beach 1-1 1-4 1-4
Savannah 1-2 3-4 3-4
Johnson-Sav 0-1 1-4 1-4
Groves 0-1 0-5 0-5
Region 4 RGN REG TOT
Thomson 3-0 6-0 6-0
Burke County 2-0 4-1 4-1
Hephzibah 2-0 4-2 4-2
Harlem 2-1 4-3 4-3
Morgan County 0-2 1-5 1-5
Cross Creek 0-3 1-6 1-6
Richmnd. Aca. 0-3 1-6 1-6
Region 5 RGN REG TOT
Sandy Creek 3-0 6-0 6-0
Cedar Grove 3-0 4-2 4-2
Salem 2-1 4-2 4-2
Carver-Atl 2-1 3-2 3-2
GAC 2-1 2-4 2-4
Redan 0-3 2-4 2-4
Westminster 0-3 2-4 2-4
Douglass 0-3 0-6 0-6
Region 6 RGN REG TOT
Ringgold 5-0 7-0 7-0
Rockmart 4-0 5-1 5-1
Adairsville 3-1 5-1 5-1
North Murray 2-2 4-2 4-2
Sonoraville 2-2 4-2 4-2
LaFayette 2-2 3-3 3-3
Coahulla Creek 2-3 4-3 4-3
Murray County 0-5 1-6 1-6
LFO 0-5 0-6 0-6
Region 7 RGN REG TOT
North Hall 3-0 5-2 5-2
Cherokee Bluff 2-0 6-0 6-0
Dawson County 2-0 3-3 3-3
Lumpkin Co. 1-1 2-4 2-4
White County 1-2 2-5 2-5
Gilmer 0-3 2-4 2-4
West Hall 0-3 2-4 2-4
East Forsyth 0-0 2-5 2-5
Region 8 RGN REG TOT
Monroe Area 2-0 7-0 7-0
Oconee County 2-0 7-0 7-0
Hart County 1-1 6-1 6-1
Stephens Co. 1-1 6-1 6-1
Franklin County 0-2 3-3 3-3
East Jackson 0-2 2-5 2-5
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