Class 3A blog: No. 1 Cedar Grove begins 4-week upper-class gauntlet

No. 1-ranked Cedar Grove doesn’t have much to prove in Class 3A anymore. The Saints have won four of the last six 3A state titles, only missing in 2017 (Calhoun won) and 2020 (Pierce County).

But this year’s incarnation of the storied program, in THIS season, remains in the proving stages for another possible title run. So it might as well go on the road to face a four-week gauntlet of ranked Class 7A opponents.

Let’s run it.

After defeating Class 4A No. 7 Bainbridge 30-14 in Week 1, Cedar Grove travels to Class 7A No. 9 Westlake. According to the Maxwell Projections, Cedar Grove is a 21-7 favorite against Westlake, which defeated then-No. 2 Crisp County 47-7 last week.

Next week, Cedar Grove will travel to Class 7A No. 6 Collins Hill, then play Class 7A No. 5 Mill Creek on Sept. 16 and Class 7A No. 3 Colquitt County on Sept. 23.

That schedule certainly will have the Saints ready for region play.

Here are some of the other top games in Week 3:

• Class 2A No. 2 ELCA (1-1) at No. 4 Calvary Day (1-0): Classification newcomer Calvary Day beat Class 4A Islands 49-6 in Week 1 before a BYE last week. The Cavaliers have played ELCA three times, all in the playoffs. Most recently, Calvary Day lost 55-0 in 2017, In 2014, ELCA won 14-7. Calvary Day beat ELCA 35-34 in overtime in 2013. The Cavaliers junior quarterback Jake Merklinger and junior tight end Michael Smith lead the Cavaliers offense.
• No. 10 Adairsville (1-0) at Class A Division I No. 4 Rabun County: Adairsville defeated Cherokee Bluff 51-50 last week and entered the top 10 poll for the first time since 2015. Against Cherokee Bluff, junior quarterback Jonathan Gough was 7-of-14 passing for 209 yards and three touchdowns. Senior Chris Roper had eight carries for 118 yards and two touchdowns, and senior Caden Copeland and junior Ethan Blome each had a touchdown run. Roper, Copeland and Blome each caught one touchdown pass.
• No. 5 Sandy Creek (2-0) at Class 6A Alexander (1-1): The Patriots are 2-0 after beating Newnan 38-27 and Greenwood (S.C,) 46-21 last week. Senior quarterback Geimere Lattimer is 22-of-39 passing for 491 yards and seven touchdowns and has run 14 times for 124 yards and three touchdowns. Junior Jacob Gude and freshman Latimer Amari each have one rushing touchdown. Three Sandy Creek receivers – senior Cameron Watts, senior Kaleb Cost and sophomore Rich Vanzant – each have two touchdown receptions, and Dalen Penson has caught one touchdown pass.

Class 3A rankings/schedule

1. (1) Cedar Grove (1-0); Friday at Class 7A No. 9 Westlake

2. (3) Carver-Columbus (2-0); Off.

3. (4) Carver-Atlanta (2-0); Off.

4. (5) Calvary Day (1-0); Friday vs. Class 2A No. 2 ELCA

5. (6) Sandy Creek (2-0); Friday at Class 6A Alexander

6. (2) Crisp County (1-1); Friday vs. Lovejoy

7. (8) Oconee County (1-1); Friday at Putnam County

8. (7) Peach County (1-1); Off