The Lee County football team lost just one game during the 2020 season before falling to Buford 34-31 in overtime in the Class 6A final, and this week the Trojans get a chance to avenge that regular-season defeat when they host Lowndes on Friday in Leesburg.
This will be a matchup of two of south Georgia’s most prominent programs, particularly over the past five seasons. Lowndes went 55-11 with a state runner-up finish and two semifinal appearances from 2016 to 2020, and the Vikings are currently ranked No. 7 in Class 7A. Lee County was 60-8 with two state championships and a runner-up finish in that stretch. The Trojans are ranked No. 2 in 6A.
“Our kids, our fans and our community love big games like this,” Lee County head coach Dean Fabrizio told Albany Herald correspondent Joe Whitfield. “It’s a big game for us, but we play in a lot of big games, especially in our region. We play a tough schedule, and this kind of competition helps us prepare for our region games.”
Lee County opened the season with a 25-22 victory over Class 4A No. 5 Carver-Columbus, then recorded lopsided victories over Jackson-Atlanta (64-0) and East Ridge, Fla. (60-0) that marked the Trojans’ first consecutive shutouts since the opening games of the 2020 season. That streak ended when Lee County lost to Lowndes 38-13 the following week.
Lowndes lost to Walton 34-28 in overtime at the Corky Kell Classic but rebounded with victories over Griffin (44-34) and Lake Gibson, Fla. (58-47). The Vikings are led by quarterback Jacurri Brown, a four-star quarterback who is committed to Miami. Brown has passed for 523 yards, rushed for a team-best 277 yards and accounted for 11 touchdowns this season.
Lee County has five players among the top 70 in the 247Sports Composite ranking of Georgia seniors. They include LB Jaron Willis (No. 16, committed to Georgia Tech), OT Qae’shon Sapp (No. 31, Florida State), TE Tyrus Washington (No. 57, Arkansas), S Quavian Carter (No. 61, Michigan State), and S Malcolm Jones (No. 70, Virginia Tech).
This won’t be Lee County’s last big test before the playoffs, however. The Trojans face Class 5A No. 1 Warner Robins in two weeks and face their rugged Region 1 schedule of Houston County, No. 9 Northside-Warner Robins and No. 10 Valdosta to close out the regular season.
Here are five more top games involving Class 6A teams. All games are Friday, and all are subject to change:
*Brunswick at New Hampstead: Brunswick is 2-0 for the first time since 2012 after handling Pierce County and McIntosh County Academy. This week, the Pirates head to Pooler Stadium to face New Hampstead, which is 3-0 in its third season under former McEachern coach Kyle Hockman. The teams have met twice, in 2018 and 2019, with Brunswick winning both by a total of 14 points.
*Collins Hill at Rome: Rome has allowed just 262 total yards in victories over ranked opponents Rockmart and Cherokee, and the Wolves will need that type of defensive performance again against the No. 1 team in Class 7A and the state’s top quarterback-wide receiver combination. Collins Hill WR Travis Hunter is the nation’s No. 2 overall recruit, and QB Sam Horn is No. 10 in Georgia.
*Colquitt County at Valdosta: Class 7A No. 6 Colquitt County will be facing its fourth consecutive top-10 team when it travels to 10th-ranked Valdosta. Colquitt has victories over Marietta and Cedar Grove and lost to Westlake. Valdosta is 1-2 after having to forfeit its game against Bainbridge last week. The Wildcats are ineligible for the playoffs this year because of recruiting violations.
*Northside-Warner Robins at Warner Robins: Northside is 3-0 for the first time since 2016 and ranked for the first time since the early part of the 2019 season, but the Eagles will have a tough task this week against their crosstown rivals. Warner Robins has made four consecutive trips to the 5A finals, winning the title last year, and has won four straight in the series, including 47-0 last season.
*Sprayberry at Kennesaw Mountain: The Region 6 playoff race is wide open after preseason favorites Allatoona and Kell lost last week, and the winner of this game will be tied for first place with Lassiter or Pope. Kennesaw Mountain edged Allatoona 22-21 to reach 3-0 for the first time in school history. Sprayberry has played just once, missing the first two weeks with COVID-related issues.
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