Benedictine came out on top in a rare game between reigning state champions Friday night while Milton, Colquitt County, Valdosta and Marist won other headlining games between top-10 teams in the fourth weekend of the regular season.
Benedictine, the two-time defending Class 4A champion, beat 5A champion Ware County 31-24 in Savannah. It was the 28th game in GHSA history between champions from the previous season. Ware County beat Benedictine 14-10 in their regular-season game last year.
Milton, the No. 8 team in Class 7A, beat Class 6A No. 5 Roswell 34-14 in a North Fulton rivalry game. Milton has its first five-game win streak since 1961 in a series that started in 1950.
Colquitt County, the No. 2 team in 7A, never trailed in a 37-20 victory over No. 4 Lee County of 6A.
Unranked Valdosta of 7A beat Class 5A No. 2 Warner Robins 45-12. Valdosta has won three consecutive games after an opening loss to Massillon, Ohio.
No. 9 Marist beat No. 7 Woodward Academy 17-10 in overtime in a game between Class 6A private schools that made the elite eight last year. Marist has won the past three in their non-region series, all by seven points or fewer.
Ware County was one of three defending champions that lost Friday.
Sandy Creek, the 3A winner last year, lost to East Coweta, an unranked 7A team, 31-14. Fitzgerald, the 2A winner last year, lost to Madison County of Florida 30-16.
Seventeen top-10 teams lost Friday, but only a few teams other than Marist and Benedictine defeated a higher-ranked opponent from their own class or higher, or a ranked team from a higher class.
Two were the No. 1 teams from Class A. Prince Avenue Christian of Division I beat No. 7 Monroe Area of 3A 45-17, and Schley County of Division II beat No. 4 Bleckley County of Division I 48-42 in overtime.
Northeast-Macon, the No. 5 team in 2A, beat No. 9 Carver-Columbus of 3A Unranked ECI of Division II was a 10-7 winner over No. 7 Dublin of Division I, and No. 6 Clinch County of Division I beat No. 9 Cook of 2A 35-27.
Others beating lower-ranked teams or top-10 teams from lower classes were Gainesville (over Clarke Central), Bainbridge (over Thomasville), Stephenson (over Carver-Atlanta), Lamar County (over Manchester), and Dalton (over Rockmart).
Credit: Jamie Spaar
Credit: Jamie Spaar
Credit: Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Credit: Jason.Getz@ajc.com
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