It was a week of firsts for No. 6 Lumpkin County in Week 11 of the high school football season.
The Indians (9-0, 5-0) won the program’s first region championship after beating Dawson County 34-24 to take the Region 7 title. Lumpkin, in coach Heath Webb’s second season at the helm, won its ninth game, the first time the Indians have won nine games in a season for a program that’s been playing football since 1961. And the team etched the 9-0 start into the history books, the greatest start in school history, by surpassing an 8-0 start under coach Don Thompkins in 1961.
Lumpkin quarterback Cal Faulkner scored on runs of 12 and 8 yards and passed to Harper Davenport (8 yards) and Nolan Matthews (39 yards) for touchdowns. Mason Sullens scored on a 59-yard run, and Will Staples kicked two field goals – including a 30-yarder with 1:13 left in the game – to lead the Indians into the history books.
Three other region champions were crowned in Week 11, leaving four to decide champions and the other playoff seedings Friday.
The other three region champions were No. 9 Carver-Columbus (7-3, 5-0) from Region 1, No. 4 Mary Persons (8-1, 3-0) from Region 2 and No. 2 Stephens County (9-0, 4-0) from Region 8.
Carver secured the No. 1 seed after beating Dougherty 30-0. Mary Persons downed Upson-Lee 15-0 to take the No. 1 seed, and Stephens County moved past Oconee County 17-14 to earn its No. 1 seed.
In Region 1 play, Crisp County (6-4, 3-2) entered the top 10 after beating then-No. 10 Thomasville 61-22. The Cougars were led by Kevon Merrell, who rushed for 119 yards and three touchdowns, and Deshaun Fedd, who had seven catches for two touchdowns.
In the undecided regions:
-- Region 3: Top-ranked Calvary Day (9-0, 6-0) is ahead of No. 5 Savannah Christian (7-2, 5-1). But behind the front-runners, four teams – Long County (5-4, 3-3), Savannah Country Day (5-4, 3-3), Johnson-Savannah (4-5, 3-3) and Liberty County (3-6, 3-3) – are tied.
-- Region 4: No. 7 Morgan County (8-1, 5-0) and Harlem (7-2, 4-0) will play Friday for an old-fashioned, straight-up region championship game.
-- Region 5: No. 3 Cedar Grove (4-5, 2-0) leads the standings ahead of Douglass (6-3, 1-1) and No. 8 Sandy Creek (6-3, 1-1). Sandy Creek will play Douglass on Friday, and Cedar Grove will travel to Carver-Atlanta (2-6, 0-2).
-- Region 6: Adairsville (7-2, 6-0) leads the standings ahead of Bremen (7-2, 5-1), Gordon Lee (6-3, 4-2), Coahulla Creek (5-4, 4-2) and Ringgold (5-4, 3-3). Adairsville defeated Bremen 28-21 in Week 11, and will play Coahulla Creek to close the regular season.
Class 3A Top-10 results from Week 11
1. (1) Calvary Day (9-0) beat Long County 35-0.
2. (2) Stephens County (9-0) beat Oconee County 17-14.
3. (3) Cedar Grove (4-5) did not play.
4. (4) Mary Persons (8-1) beat Upson-Lee 15-0.
5. (5) Savannah Christian (7-2) beat Groves 56-0.
6. (6) Lumpkin County (9-0) beat Dawson County 34-23.
7. (7) Morgan County (8-1) beat Cross Creek 51-6.
8. (8) Sandy Creek (6-3) did not play.
9. (9) Carver-Columbus (7-3) beat Dougherty 30-0.
10. (NR) Crisp County (6-4) beat Thomasville 61-22.
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