Holy Innocents’ makes a statement, clinches region title
Holy Innocents’ moved up in the polls, shut out a pesky rival and clinched just its second region championship in 16 seasons of varsity football with a 21-0 win over Wesleyan. The Bears (8-1, 3-0 in Region 5) relied on their triple-option ground game to eat up clock and roll up 242 yards on 49 carries, including three short touchdown runs (1, 2 and 3 yards) from sophomore battering ram Jacobi Murray (6-2, 240) en route to their first region title since 2009. Defensively, Holy Innocents’ held the Wolves (6-3, 2-1), last season’s region champions, to just 167 yards of total offense. The Bears have shut out Wesleyan in six of their seven wins in 17 games against Wesleyan all time. Holy Innocents’ moved up two spots to No. 6 in the Private poll while Wesleyan slipped one spot to No. 7.
ELCA all but clinches another region title
Private No. 5 Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy (3-6, 1-0 in Region 2) used its vaunted running game to move to within a win of claiming the program’s 11th region title in 12 seasons, with a 40-14 win over Whitefield Academy (6-3, 1-1). The Chargers rolled up 300 yards rushing, 247 from two rushers – sophomore Brandon Hood (13 carries for 129 yards and 3 TDs) and senior Chase Davis (16 carries for 118 yards and 2 TDs). Whitefield went up 7-0 early on a 4-yard touchdown run by junior RB/LB Caleb Lavallee, but ELCA went on to score the games next 40 points. ELCA will close out the season next week against rival Landmark Christian (3-6, 0-1), a team they have beaten nine consecutive times and 14 out of the last 15 meetings.
Schley claims the No. 2 seed
Public No. 5 Schley County (8-1, 5-1 in Region 5) will be back in the state playoffs for the fourth time in the last five seasons after knocking off Manchester, 24-6. Schley was led by sophomore QB Jay Kanazawa, who completed 20-of-29 passes for 210 yards and a touchdown. Freshman RB Zayden Walker had 13 carries for 87 yards and two scores. Senior LB Sidney Blackwell led the charge on defense with 11 tackles, 2 behind the line of scrimmage. The win clinched the No. 2 seed for the Wildcats who lost to No. 3 Macon County (54-38) on October 8, but defeated No. 7 Chattahoochee County (20-19) on Oct. 22. The loss dropped Manchester out of the top 10, though the Blue Devils (4-4, 3-3) can lock up the region’s final playoff spot with a win over Taylor County on Friday (2-5, 3-5).
Commerce takes control
Commerce seized the driver’s seat in Region 8 with a 31-20 win over previous No. 7 Washington-Wilkes. Freshman Jaiden Daniels had 38 carries for 229 yards and 4 TDs to lead Commerce to the win. Commerce, Washington-Wilkes and Lincoln County are all 3-1 in the region. If Commerce defeats Lincoln County in the season finale Friday, it will win the league title for the second consecutive season. The loss knocked Washington-Wilkes out of the top 10.
GMC wins region title for first time in 61 years
Georgia Military Academy won a region championship for the first time since 1960 after a 41-6 win over ACE Charter of Macon. With the win GMC, based in Milledgeville, finished the season 10-0 and claimed its first 10-win season since 1934. The Bulldogs are led on offense by junior RB Jessie Washington III, who has rushed for 989 yards this season. Against ACE, Washington finished with 147 yards on 27 carries and a touchdown.
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