I have mentioned that much of the classification has struggled early on this season and the trend continued for Region 1 and Region 3 following Week 3. Both regions were once again swept and now have gone a combined 0-17 to start the year (Region 1 = 0-7, Region 4= 0-10). The classification as a whole went 7-10, although Mays could add a win later Saturday when the Raiders take on Class 5A Grady. As for the teams that did show strong showings Week 3, Benedictine, Flowery Branch, Fayette County, Marist and Jefferson all scored impressive victories.
Benedictine jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter and held off host Brunswick’s comeback attempt to improve to 3-0 its 21-16 victory. LeShon Brooks put the Cadets on the board with a 7-yard touchdown run early in the first quarter and then Justin Thomas scored on a 14-yard carry on 4th-and-4 to push the lead to 14-0. Brunswick brought it within 14-7 on the first play of the second quarter with a 3-yard touchdown run, but Thomas added his second rushing score of the first half to build the lead to 21-7. Brunswick shrunk the deficit to 21-10 before the half with a 38-yard field goal. The score held until the final minute of the third quarter when Brunswick’s KJ Lee found Xavier Bean for a 6-yard touchdown to make it 21-16. Brunswick had an opportunity to take the lead late in the fourth quarter, but fumbled at the Benedictine 18-yard-line and the Cadets ran out the clock.
Flowery Branch quarterback David Renard connected with Sal Sengson for the game-winning touchdown and two-point conversion in the final minute of the Falcons' home game against Hall County rival Gainesville in a 29-11 win. The Red Elephants took a 22-21 lead with a touchdown and two-point conversion — both from quarterback Gionni Williams to Samaj Brown — with 2:20 left to play, but Flowery Branch drove quickly to set up the go-ahead score. It was Renard’s third touchdown pass of the night; the first (23 yards) went to Baxley O’Brien to make it 7-0 in the first quarter and the second (21 yards) was hauled in by Connor Larson for a 14-7 lead at halftime. Myles Ivey rushed for a 5-yard score to give Flowery Branch a 21-7 lead in the third quarter before Gainesville scored back-to-back touchdowns to take the lead. In addition to his touchdown pass, Gainesville’s Williams rushed for the 20-yard touchdown in the second quarter.
The Fayette County Tigers trailed McIntosh 7-0 at the break before a dominant second-half performance in which they outscored the Chiefs 27-7 to grab a 27-14 win. The lone touchdown of the first half came from McIntosh’s Dominick Casper in the opening frame. A 13-0 Fayette County run with touchdowns from Andre Wright and Canaan Johnson gave the Tigers a 13-7 lead heading into the final quarter. McIntosh regained a one-point lead after a rushing touchdown from Hayes Herzog, but Wright responded with back-to-back scores to give the Tigers the 27-14 win.
Hayden Richardson threw two touchdown passes as Marist rolled to a 23-3 road win over Woodward Academy. Richardson connected with Chandler Heath on an 8-yard scoring strike in the first quarter before throwing a 59-yard touchdown to Josh Moore in the second. Woodward got on the board late in the second quarter with a 25-yard field goal by Lee Johnson, but the visitors took control prior to halftime when Andrew Mannelly ran for a 60-yard score. On the defensive side of the ball, Marist benefited from interceptions by Moore and Grey Taylor before tacking on a fourth-quarter safety.
Jefferson racked up 377 rushing yards and toppled Class 2A Rabun County 28-14 in another impressive Dragons' victory. Check out Online Athens' recap of the win HERE
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