The battle for playoff seeding and region footholds was a major storyline this past week and one of the most significant results came with Stephenson’s 20-13 win over Westminster out of a crowded Region 6. Visiting Stephenson mounted a second-half comeback after trailing 13-0 at halftime to improve to 5-2 and 1-1 in Region 6. The Jaguars scored their first touchdown at the 9:28 mark of the third quarter on a 45-yard touchdown pass from Marte Barton to Romando Craddock and trailed 13-6 after an unsuccessful two-point-conversion attempt. Stephenson’s Devin Ingram scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, the first coming on a 7-yard run and the second coming on a 63-yard run with 1:48 remaining. Ingram finished with 18 carries for 157 yards rushing. On Westminster’s final possession, the Wildcats (4-3, 1-1) moved the ball to the Stephenson 7-yard line with seven seconds remaining, but Collin Seals came up with the interception in the end zone with two seconds remaining to seal the win for Stephenson. Also in Region 6, Holy Innocents’ served Miller Grove its first region loss in a 47-7 win and snapped the Wolverines’ five-game winning streak. Host Miller Grove scored on the first play of the game, but Holy Innocents’ dominated from there at North DeKalb Stadium to improve to 6-1 and 1-1 in Region 6. Miller Grove fell to 5-2 and 1-1 in the region. Zach Jackson rushed for touchdowns of 80 and 75 yards for the Golden Bears in the first quarter and scored his third touchdown on a 23-yard rush in the third quarter. Quarterback Connor White threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Jackson Phoenix midway through the second quarter to give Holy Innocents’ a 31-7 lead at halftime. Nick Morgan also had an 18-yard touchdown rush in the second quarter and Jamie Savula had a 67-yard touchdown rush in the fourth to cap the scoring. Graham Forgey made field goals of 33 and 30 yards.
In Region 7, Cedartown responded to last week’s loss to Central-Carroll with a 47-35 win over Heritage-Catoosa. Cedartown led 34-7 at halftime and by as many as 30 points in the second half to pick up the home win and improve to 4-3, 1-1 in Region 7. Bulldogs quarterback Drew Ledbetter threw three touchdown passes, all to Demarcus Gardner in the first half of 77, 58 and 40 yards. Michael Gibbons Jr. rushed for touchdowns of 37 and 6 yards and Jaquaveon Price had a 25-yard touchdown rush for Cedartown. Junior Castanon and Braden Broster made second-half field goals for the Bulldogs. Heritage-Catoosa fell to 4-3 and 1-1 in the region.
In Region 8, Cherokee Bluff kept its playoff aspirations alive with a hardfought 10-3 win over previously undefeated East Forsyth. Host Cherokee Bluff gave East Forsyth its first loss, leading 3-0 at halftime and 10-0 until the 4:33 mark of the fourth quarter when East Forsyth’s Daniel Nerey made a field goal. The Bears had a late interception to seal the win. Cherokee Bluff improved to 3-4 and 3-2 in Region 8, while East Forsyth fell to 5-1 and 3-1 in the region. Cherokee Bluff got a Michael Arbour field goal in the first quarter and a Conner Hulsey rushing touchdown late in the third to take its 10-0 lead.
Class 4A Week 8 Results and Current Standings
Region 1
Cairo 2-0, 7-1
Bainbridge 1-0, 5-2
Westover 0-1, 3-4
Shaw 0-1, 3-4 Hardaway 0-1, 0-7
Thursday, Oct. 5
*Bainbridge 41, Westover 14
Friday, Oct. 6
*Cairo 49, Hardaway 6
Region 2
Spalding 3-0, 7-0
Perry 3-0, 6-1
Westside-Macon 1-1, 5-1 Baldwin 1-1, 4-2
Griffin 1-2, 1-6
Howard 0-3, 3-4
West Laurens 0-2, 2-4
Friday, Oct. 6
* Spalding 42, Howard 34
*Perry 41, Griffin 7
*Westside-Macon 27, West Laurens 21
Region 3
Benedictine 2-0, 7-0
Burke County 1-1, 6-1
Wayne County 1-1, 4-3
Southeast Bulloch 1-1, 4-3
New Hampstead 1-1, 3-3
Islands 0-2, 0-7
Friday, Oct. 6
*Benedictine 38, Burke County 30
*Wayne County 49, Islands 10
*New Hampstead 50, Southeast Bulloch 34
Region 4
Trinity Christian 3-0, 4-2
Troup 3-1, 6-1
LaGrange 3-1, 5-2
Starr’s Mill 3-1, 4-3
North Clayton 2-3, 4-4
Whitewater 1-4, 3-4
Fayette County 1-3, 1-6
Riverdale 0-5, 0-8
Thursday, Oct. 5
*Troup 45, Riverdale 0
Friday, Oct. 6
* Starr’s Mill 49, Fayette County 0
*LaGrange 56, North Clayton 6
*Trinity Christian 42, Whitewater 31
Region 5
Stockbridge 4-0, 5-2
Pace Academy 3-1, 4-3
Luella 3-1, 3-4
McDonough 2-2, 4-2
Lovett 2-2, 2-5
Hampton 2-2, 3-4
Mt. Zion-Jonesboro 0-3, 0-6
Woodland-Stockbridge 0-3, 0-6
Thursday, Oct. 5
*Hampton 41, Mt. Zion-Jonesboro 0
Friday, Oct. 6
*Luella 26, Woodland-Stockbridge 7
* Pace Academy 28, McDonough 24
*Stockbridge 48, Lovett 0
Region 6
Hapeville Charter 2-0, 4-3
Holy Innocents’ 1-1, 6-1
Miller Grove 1-1, 5-2
Stephenson 1-1, 5-2
Westminster 1-1, 4-3
Southwest DeKalb 0-2, 2-5
+Druid Hills 0-0, 4-1-1
+Clarkston 0-0, 1-5
+Stone Mountain 0-0, 1-5
Thursday, Oct. 5
Stone Mountain 14, Clarkson 8
Druid Hills 27, Midtown 0
Friday, Oct. 6
*Hapeville Charter 21, Southwest DeKalb 15
*Holy Innocents’ 47, Miller Grove 7
*Westminster vs. Stephenson 20, Westminster 13
Region 7
Central-Carroll 2-0, 7-0
Northwest Whitfield 2-0, 6-1
Heritage-Catoosa 1-1, 4-3
Cedartown 1-1, 4-3
Sonoraville 0-2, 2-5
Southeast Whitfield 0-2, 1-6
Thursday, Oct. 5
*Northwest Whitfield 37, Southeast Whitfield 0
Friday, Oct. 6
*Cedartown 47, Heritage-Ringgold 35
*Sonoraville vs. Central-Carroll 45, Sonoraville 35
Region 8
North Oconee 4-0, 6-0
East Forsyth 3-1, 5-1
Madison County 3-1, 5-1
North Hall 3-2, 5-2
Cherokee Bluff 3-2, 3-4
Cedar Shoals 2-3, 2-5
East Hall 1-4, 2-5
Walnut Grove 1-3, 2-4
Chestatee 0-4, 0-6
+Johnson-Gainesville 0-0, 2-4
+Seckinger 0-0, 2-5
Friday, Sept. 29
*Cherokee Bluff 10, East Forsyth 3
*Walnut Grove 41, East Hall 14
*Madison County 49, North Hall 35
*North Oconee 56, Cedar Shoals 0
Seckinger 55, Heritage-Newnan 0
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