No. 3 (Class 2A) Fitzgerald (0-0) at No. 1 Public Irwin County (0-0): It’s the season opener for both teams. Fitzgerald has reached the Class 2A championship game three of the past six seasons, including last year, but still chases its first state title since 1948. Irwin County, a state finalist six of the past seven seasons, is the two-time defending Class A Public champion. Fitzgerald is 18-2-1 against Irwin County this century, but Irwin won in 2018 and 2019, redefining this rivalry between schools just 11 miles apart in South Georgia. Both teams sent their best 2020 players to Kennesaw State (Fitzgerald’s Chance Gamble and Irwin’s Gabe and Garland Benyard), but both also returned a good nucleus. Fitzgerald brings back six of its 15 all-region players. One is LB E.J. Lightsey, Fitzgerald’s best defensive prospect this century. Another is OL/DL Xavier Walker. Irwin returns five starters on each side. QB Cody Soliday in 2020 passed for 1,908 yards and 23 touchdowns, both school records. LB Nemo McCoy, TE Eli Roberts and OL Noah Brown are preseason all-state picks. Fitzgerald won the last meeting, 21-6, in 2020.
No. 6 (Class 2A) Bleckley County (1-0) at No. 7 Public Wilcox County (0-0): Wilcox County won last year’s game, 21-20, when Abe Stowe threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to Matt McAdoo on a fourth-and-15 with 25 seconds remaining, then scored the two-point conversion. McAdoo, who had four receptions for 118 yards, is now at Mars Hill University, but Stowe is back for his junior season. He was named honorable mention all-state by the AJC last year and was selected to the 2021 Class A Public preseason all-state team by GHSF Daily. Wilcox County is coming off back-to-back 9-3 seasons. Bleckley County recovered from the loss by winning its next five games and reached the quarterfinals for the first time since 2006. Last year’s team was led by OL Amarius Mims, the state’s consensus No. 1 prospect who’s now at Georgia. The Royals opened the 2021 season with a 21-14 victory over West Laurens. T.J. Mays broke a 14-14 tie with a 4-yard TD run in the fourth quarter. Jahvon Butler rushed for 68 yards and a touchdown, and James Teston passed for 114 yards and a TD. The Royals held West Laurens to 102 total yards.
No. 2 Private Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy (0-1) at No. 3 (Class 5A) Ware County (1-0): This one is a surprise matchup brought on by COVID cancellations. ELCA’s game this week against Heritage of Newnan and Ware’s game against Bartram Trail of Florida were canceled, allowing the two state powers to play in a cross-state, cross-classification matchup. In its season opener last week, ELCA led then-unranked Class 5A Woodward Academy 14-10 with less than five minutes remaining in regulation, but gave up a long pass and a five-yard touchdown run to Auburn-committ Damari Alston. Then on the Chargers’ ensuing drive a dropped pass sealed their fate. Ware County, on the other hand throttled Class 2A Cook, 52-7. Thomas Castellanos was 12-of-18 passing for 198 yards and two touchdowns, and Cartevious Norton rushed for 117 yards on nine carries. Jarvis Hayes had four receptions for 91 yards and a touchdown.
No. 9 Private Whitefield Academy (1-0) at No. 7 Private Darlington (0-0): This is another solid matchup caused by COVID-19-related cancellations. Whitefield was supposed to travel to Class 2A Elbert County this week, while Darlington was scheduled to host Lakeview Academy of Gainesville. This will be Darlington’s season opener while the Wolfpack beat Mount Vernon, 13-0. Howard Allen scored on a 71-yard run, and Ian Weihe scored on a 54-yard reception. Caleb LaVallee had three sacks and clinched the win with a forced fumble.
Other key matchups:
No. 3 Private Wesleyan (1-0) at Class 5A Decatur (1-0)
No. 2 Public Brooks County (0-1) at Class 4A No. 10 Cairo (0-0)
No. 3 Public Macon County (1-0) vs. Dooly County (1-0)
No. 4 Public Dublin (0-0) vs. Class 2A No. 9 Dodge County (1-0)
No. 8 Public Pelham (1-0) vs. Class 2A Early County (1-0)
No. 10 Public Bowdon (1-0) vs. Class 2A No. 10 Bremen (1-0)
