For the past four seasons, Dacula and Lanier have met in the next-to-last weekend of the regular season in a game that ultimately determined the champion in Region 8-6A. Dacula won all four.
Things will be different this year, as the two Gwinnett County schools will kick off the region portion of the schedule when they face off Friday at Lanier.
That’s not the only difference, however. The arrival of state powerhouse Buford is certain to add a new dimension to the region-title chase.
The Wolves have moved up to Class 6A this season after winning the 5A title in 2019. They are currently ranked No. 2 and were the preseason favorites to win the region title, according to the computer Maxwell Ratings.
The Wolves will be joined in Region 8 this year by Gwinnett schools Shiloh and Central Gwinnett, which dropped from 7A, essentially replacing Apalachee (moved to 5A) and Gainesville (7A) and turning what had been a six-team region into a seven-team, Gwinnett-centered league.
Here’s a closer look at the teams of Region 8 (in order of the current standings):
*Lanier (3-0): Lanier, which opened in 2010, began playing a full region schedule in 2012. The Longhorns went 5-5 that season and missed the playoffs, but they’ve been every year since, including a trip to the semifinals in 2018 and a second-round appearance last year. Their 3-0 start has come against a 2019 quarterfinalist (Dutchtown of 5A) and Class 7A schools Mountain View and Denmark.
*Buford (2-1): The Wolves won 16 region titles and 11 state championships in the past 19 seasons and are now playing in Class 6A for the first time. Buford finished second to Clarke Central in Region 8-5A last year but went on to win the state title. Buford lost to 7A North Cobb 28-14 in the 2020 opener but has bounced back with victories over Carver-Atlanta (39-6) and Clarke Central (47-0).
*Habersham Central (2-2): The Raiders slumped to 3-7 (and 0-5 in region play) last year after going 7-5 and reaching the second round of the playoffs in 2018. They enter region play on a two-game losing streak, dropping games against White County and Stephens County after a 2-0 start. Habersham Central was projected to finish seventh in the region by the Maxwell Ratings.
*Dacula (1-2): The Falcons have won four consecutive region titles (five in six years) and made consecutive trips to the state semifinals. The Falcons, ranked No. 7 despite a 1-2 start, opened the season with a 40-34, four-overtime loss to Brookwood, then lost to Mill Creek 20-14. Last week, they rushed for 536 yards (including 274 by Kyle Efford) in a 49-27 victory over Mountain View.
*Shiloh (1-2): In his first season, coach Tino Ierulli took the Generals to the state playoffs last year for the first time since 2003 and just the fourth time in school history. Their seven victories were the most since 2000, when David Pollack led them to the quarterfinals and an 8-5 finish. Shiloh will play Buford, Dacula and Lanier in consecutive weeks beginning at home against Buford on Oct. 30.
*Winder-Barrow (1-2): The Bulldoggs, in their third season under coach Ed Dudley, reached the playoffs five of the past six seasons but reached the second round just once. They opened this season with a win over Apalachee before losing to Eastside and Glynn Academy. All three games were decided by 13 points or less. Winder-Barrow hasn’t played since the Glynn game on Sept. 18.
*Central Gwinnett (1-3): The Black Knights reached the playoffs three of the past four seasons out of a Class 7A region that included Brookwood, Norcross and Parkview. Central Gwinnett, under first-year coach Jason Thompson, has struggled on defense, allowing an average of 44.7 points in losses to Jefferson, South Gwinnett and South Forsyth after shutting out Discovery in the opener.
Schedule
Here is the schedule of Friday’s games in 8-6A, as of Monday night:
Central Gwinnett at Buford
Dacula at Lanier
Habersham Central at Winder-Barrow
Westlake at Shiloh (non-region game)
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