Region play is slowly getting under way in Class 6A, but the two top games on the schedule this weekend involve Region 1 teams playing non-region games.
Top-ranked Valdosta will be at home Friday to face crosstown rival Lowndes in the Winnersville Classic, which will be televised nationally by ESPN2. Lowndes won the past three games against the Wildcats by lopsided scores, including 24-0 last year, but still trails in the series 37-21.
Both teams have first-year coaches with championship history. Valdosta’s Rush Propst led Hoover High of Alabama to five state titles and Colquitt County to two, while Lowndes' Jamey DuBose won three state titles in Alabama.
Lowndes is 4-0 and ranked No. 2 in Class 7A. Valdosta is No. 1 in Class 5A despite a 1-2 record that includes a forfeit to Warner Robins of the season opener that Valdosta won on the field 28-25.
With that Valdosta win now under its belt, Class 5A No. 1 Warner Robins will go for a sweep of the Wildcats' four-team Region 1-6A when it plays at Class 6A No. 3 Lee County. Warner Robins has beaten 1-6A teams Northside-Warner Robins (47-0) and Houston County (44-10) the past two weeks.
Elsewhere in Class 6A, Regions 3 and 8 will begin league play this week, joining Regions 5, 6 and 7, which are already under way. The other three regions will start in the coming weeks.
Here are some other games worth watching this weekend involving teams from Class 6A regions that have begun league play:
*Lanier vs. Dacula: These Gwinnett County teams were the two best in Region 8 over the past four seasons. Their games near the end of the regular season in that span essentially decided the region title, with Dacula winning them all. Now they’re playing in the region opener, and the winner will have a leg up in the race. However, second-ranked Buford, up from 5A, will be the biggest hurdle.
*Johns Creek at Riverwood: The winner of this game will move into sole possession of first place in Region 7. Both are 1-0 in region play, as are River Ridge and Creekview, which are off. Johns Creek is the two-time defending region champ. Riverwood is coming off the best year in school history, an 11-1 season in 5A that included the program’s first region title and second playoff win.
*Alexander at Douglas County and Rome at Carrollton: These four teams are 1-0 in Region 5 games, and the winners this week will emerge in a tie for first place. Rome and Carrollton are moving up together from Region 7-5A after successful runs during their four years there. However, No. 9 Douglas County is the region’s highest-ranked team and is 4-0 for just the second time since 2003.
*Richmond Hill at Bradwell Institute: Richmond Hill of Region 2 is coming off a 9-4 season that included the second region title and first semifinal appearance in school history. The Wildcats are facing a Bradwell Institute team that didn’t play its first game until two weeks ago because of its county’s decision to delay the season’s start. Bradwell played Liberty County both weeks and lost both.
*Lassiter at Wheeler: If Allatoona, Sprayberry and Kell continue to run through Region 6 as they did the previous two games, it’s going to leave just one playoff spot available for the other six teams. Lassiter, Wheeler and Pope appear to be the top candidates to grab that spot. Lassiter lost to Pope 27-6 on Sept. 25 and needs to win this week to have any realistic hopes of remaining in the race.
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