Calvary Day moved to the top of the Class 3A rankings after 60-0 victory against Groves on Friday, and it doesn’t take much to see that Jake Merklinger is a large part of the program’s success.
The senior quarterback is 71-of-106 passing for 1,404 yards and 20 touchdowns with 28 carries for 268 yards and six touchdowns. Against Groves, Merklinger, a four-star Tennessee commitment, was a tidy 5-of-7 passing for 175 yards and five touchdowns and ran for a 5-yard score.
Cedar Grove, previously No. 1, dropped to No. 3 after its fifth loss of the season, this time to a team from Alabama.
Calvary Day also is alone atop the Region 3-3A standings at 4-0, leading No. 5 Savannah Christian (3-1), Savannah Country Day (3-1) and Liberty County/Long County (2-2). In the team’s 42-21 victory against Savannah Christian on Sept. 22, Merklinger was 14-of-20 passing for 244 yards and a touchdown and ran 10 times for 77 yards and two touchdowns.
Calvary Day is entering a bye week but will travel to Savannah Country Day on Oct. 20 and Long County on Nov. 27 before closing the regular season Nov. 3 against Beach at home.
Stephens County climbed to No. 2 after its 52-7 victory against Franklin County. The team relies heavily on the combination of junior quarterback Tripp Underwood and junior back Javin Gordon. Underwood is 65-of-116 passing for 964 yards and nine touchdowns. Gordon has 163 carries for 1,124 yards and 17 touchdowns. Against Franklin County, Gordon had 12 carries for 201 yards and six touchdowns.
Mary Persons maintained its No. 4 spot in the poll after a 49-0 victory against Jackson. Louisville-commitment Duke Watson has propelled the Bulldogs to new heights. The 6-foot, 180-pound three-star running back had 20 carries for 208 yards and six touchdowns against Jackson.
Then-No. 6 Thomasville lost to Carver-Columbus 28-14 and fell out of the top-10. Carver moved into the rankings at No. 9. Then-No. 10 Oconee County lost to Hart County 27-16, sending the Warriors out of the rankings this week.
Class 3A top-10 results
1. (2) Calvary Day (7-0) beat Groves 60-0.
2. (3) Stephens County (7-0) beat Franklin County 52-7.
3. (1) Cedar Grove (2-5) lost to Carver (Ala.) 13-9.
4. (4) Mary Persons (6-1) beat Jackson 49-0.
5. (5) Savannah Christian (5-2) beat Johnson 42-6.
6. (7) Lumpkin County (7-0) beat Gilmer 56-3.
7. (8) Sandy Creek (5-2) did not play.
8. (9) Morgan County (6-1) beat Salem 48-0.
9. (NR) Carver (Columbus) (4-3) beat then-No. 6 Thomasville 28-14.
10. (NR) Monroe Area (4-3) beat Hebron Christian 17-14.
Out: No. 6 Thomasville (3-4), No. 10 Oconee County (2-5)
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