Cedar Grove’s trip to Class 7A No. 6 Colquitt County provides the toughest test the top-ranked Saints might face this season -- well, aside from the program’s trip to Class 7A No. 7 Lowndes scheduled Oct. 9.
Cedar Grove defeated Tucker 51-10 in its opener last week, but Colquitt County will offer a tougher challenge. And the Packers have something to prove.
Colquitt is coming off its first home loss since 2017 – a streak of 23 games -- against 6A No. 3 Westlake, 31-24, where the Packers fumbled inside the Westlake 5-yard line late in the game. Colquitt opened the season with a 28-25 victory against Class 7A No. 8 Marietta in Week 1.
The Packers won’t want to lose at home twice in a row.
Against Tucker, Cedar Grove running back Rashad Dubinion, a 5-foot-10, 188-pound senior committed to Arkansas, led the Saints to a 35-3 halftime lead and finished with six carries for 85 yards and a touchdown. Senior quarterback Jabari Cleckley (6-2, 190-pounds) passed for two touchdowns. The Saints have four-star recruit DE Christen Miller, four-star Georgia Tech-commitment Janiran Bonner, four-star CB Kaylin Lee and three-star DL Joshua White to challenge Colquitt.
Here are some of the other top games:
-- Class 4A No. 4 Perry (1-0) at No. 6 Crisp County (0-1) -- One of the better games this week was scheduled because of COVID cancellations. No. 6 Crisp County was scheduled to play Tift County in Week 1, but the game was canceled because of COVID. It was replaced with a home game against Class 4A No. 4 Perry (1-0) Thursday. Perry originally was scheduled to play Hampton, but the game was canceled. Crisp lost to Class 5A Houston County 27-24 last week on the road. Quarterback Jack Carter was 9-of-17 passing for 129 yards and one touchdown. Marquise Palmer and Ahmad Brown rushed for touchdowns. Palmer had 14 carries for 92 yards. Trae Walker had three receptions for 19 yards and a touchdown. Perry defeated Houston County 36-13 on Aug. 20.
-- No. 5 Westminster (1-1) at 2A Pace Academy – The Wildcats have won each of the five games in the history of the rivalry with Pace, including a 7-3 victory last season. In two seasons – 2018 (Westminster/No. 5, Pace Academy/No. 9) and 2016 (Westminster/No. 4, Pace/No. 2) – both programs entered the rivalry ranked.
-- No. 9 Thomson (2-0) is playing solid football entering its game against Morgan County on Friday. The Bulldogs have beaten Jefferson County (35-6) and Grovetown (40-0). Sophomore quarterback Noah Story is 13-of-20 passing for 227 yards and two touchdowns. Senior back Tay Martin has 13 carries for 209 yards and four touchdowns. Senior Ashton Perry, freshman Tre Tre Jefferies and sophomore Jordan Lane each have scored a rushing touchdown. The Bulldogs are averaging 270 rushing and 131 receiving yards per game.
-- No. 2 Oconee County (2-0) travels to 5A Clarke Central as the favorite. Quarterback Jacob Wright is 19-of-28 passing for 408 yards and six touchdowns to lead a Warriors offense that averages 216 receiving yards to 119 rushing yards per game. Darius Johnson Jr. has seven receptions for 209 yards and four touchdowns. Jake Johnson, Jack Ward and Dylan Manders each have a touchdown reception. Wright has rushed for one touchdown, and C.J. Jones has 37 carries for 213 yards and one touchdown.
Canceled games: No. 4 Peach County was scheduled to play Class 5A Griffin on Friday, but the game was canceled due to COVID. Chattooga vs. Sonoraville was canceled, and one Chattooga player is in ICU fighting double-pneumonia caused by COVID. Also canceled were Beach vs. Savannah Country Day; Liberty County vs. Effingham County, and Windsor Forest vs. Jenkins. Go here to see which other 3A programs had games impacted by the virus.
Class 3A Top 10 Schedule
1. (1) Cedar Grove (1-0) – Friday at 7A No. 6 Colquitt County, 7:30 p.m.; Sept. 17 vs. GAC, 7:30 p.m.; Sept. 24 vs. Carver-Atlanta, 7:30 p.m.
2. (2) Oconee County (2-0) – Friday at 5A Clarke Central, 7:30 p.m.; Sept. 17 vs. 2A No. 4 Thomasville, 7:30 p.m.; Sept. 24 vs. 5A Veterans, 7:30 p.m.
3. (4) Pierce County (1-1) – Friday at Claxton, 7:30 p.m.; Sept. 17 at 2A Clinch County, 7:30 p.m.; Sept. 24 vs. 2A No. 3 Fitzgerald, 7:30 p.m.
4. (3) Peach County (0-2) – Sept. 17 at Mary Persons, 7:30 p.m.; Sept. 24 at Sumter County, 7:30 p.m.; Oct. 1 vs. Pike County, 8 p.m.
5. (5) Westminster (1-1) – Friday at 2A Pace Academy, 7:30 p.m.; Sept. 17 at No. 8 Sandy Creek, 7:30 p.m.; Sept. 24 at GAC, 7:30 p.m.
6. (6) Crisp County (0-1) – Thursday vs. 4A No. 4 Perry, 7:30 p.m.; Sept. 10 vs. A Private No. 2 Eagle’s Landing Christian, 7:30 p.m.; Sept. 17 vs. Jackson, 7:30 p.m.
7. (7) Appling County (2-0) – Friday vs. 6A South Effingham, 7:30 p.m.; Sept. 10 at 6A Tift County, 7:30 p.m.; Sept. 17 vs. 6A Bradwell Institute, 7:30 p.m.
8. (8) Sandy Creek (1-0) – Friday at 7A Newnan, 7:30 p.m.; Sept. 10 vs. 5A No. 7 Starr’s Mill, 7:30 p.m.; Sept. 17 at No. 5 Westminster, 7:30 p.m.
9. (9) Thomson (2-0) – Friday vs. 2A Washington County, 7:30 p.m.; Sept. 10 at 5A No. 2 Ware County, 7:30 p.m.; Sept. 24 at Morgan County, 7:30 p.m.
10. (10) Monroe Area (2-0) – Friday at Morgan County, 7:30 p.m.; Sept. 17 vs. 5A Clarkston, 7:30 p.m.; Sept. 24 vs. 6A Lakeside-Evans, 7:30 p.m.
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