Here’s a look at what went down in Week Three.
Athens Academy is the real deal
Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy head coach Jonathan Gess will tell anyone that will listen that along with his team, the five-time private champs, if anyone wants to win a state title they will have to beat Athens Academy because of the Spartans' tough, physical defense. Looks like he’s right.
The No. 2 team in the private top 10 flexed those defensive muscles with a 24-7 win against Public No. 7 Commerce at Slaughter Field in Athens. The Tigers (2-1) managed just 58 yards of total offense after consecutive wins over Class 2A teams -- Banks County (41-18) in Week One and Union County (32-14) – where they scored 73 points and rolled up more than 800 yards of offense.
On offense, senior QB Palmer Bush led the way, completing 19 of 27 passes for 226 yards and two touchdowns – a 26-yarder to Deion Colzie and an 11-yarder to Ethan Connelly. Colzie, a 2020 AJC Super 11 pick, finished with eight catches for 121 yards.
Athens Academy led 14-0 at half, then essentially put the game away on its first possession of the second half, when the Spartans went on a 13-play, 80-yard scoring drive, capped by Connelly’s touchdown catch.
North Cobb Christian takes another step
Private No. 7 North Cobb Christian is 3-0 for the second consecutive season after a decisive 30-19 win over Whitefield Academy (1-2).
Head coach Mark Hollars believes in the old school ground game and his triple option attack rolled up 367 yards against the Wolfpack with two backs – Isaiah Williams (102) and Briyar Powers (100) – going for 100 yards or better and Caleb Cannon gaining 94.
NCC led the entire night, but didn’t put the game away until Powers scored for the second time in the game – a 21-yard run in the fourth quarter – for the final points of the night.
Savannah Christian is 3-0
Private No. 6 Savannah Christian made two big statements with its 54-14 win over the Valwood School Friday night.
First, the Raiders moved to 3-0 for the first time since 2014 and served notice that they should be mentioned as one of the teams that could challenge for the state title. And second, they struck a blow for the supremacy of the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) over the Georgia Independent Schools Association (GISA), as they dominated last season’s runner up in the GISA’s largest classification, AAA.
Senior QB Spencer Robicheaux celebrated his 18th birthday in style by completing 17 of 21 passes for 351 yards and five touchdowns, while also running for 61 yards and another touchdown. Raider head coach Baker Woodward, now in his third season running the program after serving as the offensive coordinator at crosstown Benedictine – where his units helped the Cadets win two state titles and four region championships – says Robicheaux is the best he has coached.
“I’ve coached for 18 years, coaching quarterbacks, I played quarterback in high school,” Woodward told the Savannah Morning News after Robicheaux’s performance. “He’s the best I’ve seen. He’s just not that 6-foot-2 kid. He can make all the throws, the 15-yard dig off his back foot. Because of COVID he wasn’t able to go to camps so people could see him make all the throws, or else I think he would have more offers. Maybe people will see now when they see this game.”
The Raiders will try to make it 4-0 to start the season and 2-0 over the 2019 GISA Class AAA finalists when they host John Milledge Academy on Friday. John Milledge defeated Valwood in the GISA AAA final last season, 62-19.
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