Fulton County Schools' teams return to action this weekend after COVID-19 concerns led to a two-week delay in the start of their seasons, and their first week of play includes a couple of big games involving Class 6A teams.
Johns Creek travels to Milton to kick off the action in the northern part of the county Thursday night in a battle of defending region champions. Johns Creek is coming off a 10-2 season, setting a school record for victories, and won the Region 7-6A title for the second consecutive season and third time in four years. Milton, which won the Class 7A championship in 2018, won its second straight 5-7A title last season.
Although the schools sit only 11 miles apart, they have played each other just twice since Johns Creek opened in 2009. They split the previous two meetings in 2012 and 2013.
On the south end of the county, Westlake hosts Creekside in a matchup of successful programs that have dropped in classification since last season. Westlake won region titles the past six seasons playing in the highest classification but is now in 6A, where it is ranked No. 5. Creekside won a region title as recently as 2018 and a state championship in 2013 in the second-highest class but will be a member of 5A this season.
Westlake has won the past two meetings in the series, including 23-22 last year, but Creekside still leads it 11-9.
“It’s tough for the kids to stay focused when they’ve had a month and a half of practice with no game and no gratification for their work,” Westlake coach Bobby May told GHSF Daily’s Todd Holcomb this week. “I would be more worried if the opponent wasn’t in the same situation. If we were playing a team that had already played two games, then that would be tough. Not that Creekside isn’t tough, but that makes it more even.”
Here are five other games worth watching involving Class 6A teams that are on the schedule for Friday:
*Alexander at Cartersville: Alexander is No. 2 in Class 6A offense and No. 3 in defense after rolling past Chapel Hill (50-6) and Lithia Springs (45-7). Those lofty rankings will tested by a Cartersville team that has won a state-record 60 consecutive regular-season games, a streak that dates to 27-26 loss to North Cobb on Sept. 5, 2012. Alexander is looking for its first 3-0 start since 2016.
*Dacula at Mill Creek: Dacula has waited two weeks for a chance to bounce back from its 40-34, four-overtime loss to Brookwood in the Corky Kell Classic. Mill Creek of Class 7A has had an even longer wait, as COVID-19 concerns prompted the Hawks to delay the start of their season by two weeks. Dacula won 24-21 last year and went on to win its fourth consecutive Region 8-6A title.
*Kell at Pope: This is one four matchups marking the beginning of region play in 6-7A. Both teams are likely to be in the playoff hunt all season long in the all-Cobb County region, and the winner could establish itself as a top challenger to favorite Allatoona for the region title. Both teams are 0-1, with both losing to 7A Walton. Kell lost 35-28 in the opener, and Pope lost 34-10 last weekend.
*Houston County at Coffee: Houston County and Coffee were in Region 1-6A together the past four years until reclassification sent Coffee down to 5A. Coffee won all four meetings during that stretch by an average of 22.5 points and has won eight straight in a series it leads 8-2. Houston County is 1-1 after a 12-0 loss to Class 3A No. 2 Crisp County last week. Coffee is off to a 2-0 start.
*Rome at Cherokee: Rome’s last experience against a 7A team was a 48-14 loss in last year’s opener against Marietta, which went on to win the state title. Now playing in 6A, the Wolves will get another shot at the highest class when they face a Cherokee team that comes in hot after lopsided victories against Carver-Atlanta and Sequoyah. Rome rallied to beat Rockmart 28-21 two weeks ago.
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