Here are five games to watch this week in Class 7A:
*Rome at Cherokee: Cherokee, ranked No. 10, barely got by Class 6A Sequoyah 26-25 last week and dropped a little in the polls, although the Warriors had a big lead and were never in great danger. Rome, ranked No. 6 in 6A, should be a tougher test. Cherokee beat Rome 21-15 last season. Rome is better this year, so a Cherokee victory would restore faith on those that believe this is Cherokee’s best team in years.
*Greenville Christian vs. Collins Hill: This is the second game of a Friday doubleheader at Milton as part of the Freedom Bowl. Greenville Christian, which plays in the MidSouth Association of Independent Schools, is a school of only about 250 students but is ranked the No. 4 overall team in Mississippi by MaxPreps. It won a MidSouth championship last season. Collins Hill is No. 1 this week for the first time. The game will be streamed by FloFootball.
*Life Christian at Milton: Life Christian is Virginia’s No. 2 team, according to MaxPreps. In this Thursday game, Milton is looking for answers after taking a 40-21 loss to North Cobb last week. Star defensive lineman Lebbeus Overton remains unlikely to play. Milton was unable to stop the run against North Cobb and also didn’t show much in the passing game. Running back Jordan McDonald has been effective so far, though banged up. This game is also part of the Freedom Bowl and will be streamed by FloFootball.
*Cedar Grove at Colquitt County: Colquitt County’s 23-game home winning streak, the state’s longest active run of its kind, ended last week when Westlake of Class 6A came to Moultrie and won 31-24. Cedar Grove, ranked No. 1 in Class 3A, has as much or more high end talent as Westlake, though is a smaller school, so depth could be a question when facing a powerful 7A power. Colquitt is ranked No. 6. The Packers are young and looking for their identity.
*McEachern at Marietta: These Cobb County rivals are in different regions, so this game might reveal the region-title viability of either. Both were dreadful by their own standards in 2020, with McEachern finishing 4-6 and Marietta going 3-8. The last time both had losing seasons was 1974. Both are almost certain to be two of the most improved teams largely because both have talented Division I quarterbacks with Bryce Archie at McEachern and Tyler Hughes at Marietta.
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