First place in Region 4-6A and likely a region championship will be at stake Thursday night when North Atlanta faces Marist at Eddie S. Henderson Stadium in Atlanta.
The Warriors and War Eagles are the only remaining unbeaten in region play, and the winner will emerge as the clear front-runner for the title, although some work will remain to clinch it.
North Atlanta is unranked despite its 7-0 record, one of only four teams in Class 6A without a loss. The Warriors are led by quarterback Ian Reynolds, who has passed for 1,215 yards, and Demeitrus Barnes, who has rushed for 697 yards, including 213 in a 37-21 victory against Riverwood two weeks ago. North Atlanta, which opened in 1991, won a playoff game last year for the first time and is seeking its first region championship.
Eighth-ranked Marist has won six consecutive games since a 34-26 loss to No. 1 Gainesville in the season opener. Jack Euart has rushed for 373 yards and passed for 414 yards this season. Luke Harpring (committed to Georgia Tech) leads the team in receiving yards and tackles for losses. The War Eagles have won 17 consecutive region games and three straight region titles.
North Atlanta will face South Cobb and Dunwoody in the final two weeks of the regular season, and Marist will play St. Pius and Riverwood. The two region leaders will be heavily favored in both games.
Here are five more big games in Class 6A this week. All games are Friday unless noted.
*East Paulding at Douglas County: East Paulding (4-3 overall, 3-1 in Region 5) is the biggest remaining hurdle in Douglas County’s quest for its first region title since 2002. Douglas County (7-0, 4-0) holds a one-game lead over East Paulding and defending state champion Hughes, which it has already defeated. East Paulding, which lost to Hughes, could create a three-way tie for first place with a win on Friday. Regardless of the outcome this week, however, the Raiders are well positioned for their first playoff berth since 2018.
*Glynn Academy at Evans: These two teams and Brunswick are the three one-loss teams in Region 2 behind unbeaten Effingham County. Glynn Academy has one more win than the other two and beat Brunswick, and the Red Terrors can clinch a playoff berth this week if they beat Evans and Brunswick beats South Effingham. If Evans, which lost to Effingham 42-10 last week, fails to win Friday night or next week against Brunswick, its game against South Effingham on Nov. 3 probably decides the final playoff berth.
*St. Pius at Riverwood: With an 0-2 record in Region 4 and No. 8 Marist still on the schedule, this is a must-win game for St. Pius if the Golden Lions want to avoid missing the playoffs for the first time since 2005. St. Pius, Riverwood (1-1 in the region) and Dunwoody (1-1) appear to be battling for two playoff spots. Dunwoody beat St. Pius 21-0 last week and hosts Riverwood next weekend. Riverwood also will be in a tough spot with a loss this week unless it rebounds against Dunwoody and create a tie for third.
*Woodward Academy at Jonesboro (Southern Crescent Stadium): Woodward Academy and Mundy’s Mill are the only remaining unbeaten teams in Region 3 and appear headed for a showdown next week for the region title. However, Woodward Academy must first get past third-place Jonesboro, which suffered its only region loss against Mundy’s Mill and is looking to keep its chances alive for at least a share of first place. Woodward Academy is projected by the Maxwell Ratings as a 35-point favorite this week.
*Thomas County Central at Houston County (Freedom Field, Saturday): Second-ranked Thomas County and No. 4 Lee County are the only unbeaten teams remaining in Region 1 play, but No. 6 Houston County is one game back (after losing to Lee County) and still hoping to create a three-way tie for first place. If Thomas County Central, which beat Houston County 42-21 last year on its way to a 10-0 regular season, wins the rematch, then next week’s game against Lee County almost certainly will decide the region title.
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