1. North Clayton 44, Riverdale 28: North Clayton pulled off the biggest upset of the week, according to the computer Maxwell Ratings, which had projected Region 4-4A rival Riverdale as a 36-point favorite. North Clayton had lost 10 of the previous 11 games in the series, including 69-0 last season. North Clayton was 5-44 over the past five years, 1-9 in 2022.
2. Bryan County 28, Lincoln County 16: Bryan County, which has been playing football since 1976, beat a top-10 opponent for the first time in its history when it knocked off 21-point favorite Lincoln County, which was No. 4 in Class A Division II. Last season, Bryan County went 6-5 last season and reached the playoffs for the first time since 2015.
3. Providence Christian 53, St. Francis 15: Providence Christian, a 20-point underdog, picked up the most significant victory in the program’s 12-season history when it won its first game under new coach John Russ. St. Francis was a Class A Division I semifinalist last season but suffered significant personnel losses and has a new coach, Brian Dameron.
4. Mundy’s Mill 20, Lovejoy 12: Mundy’s Mill ended a 15-game losing streak against 10-point favorite Lovejoy in the teams’ season and Region 3-6A opener. Lovejoy won 25-0 last year in a game that ultimately decided second and third place in the region behind Woodward Academy. Mundy’s Mill had last beaten Lovejoy 28-14 on Sept. 6, 2007.
5. Champions fall: Including the GHSA, GIAA and GAPPS, five schools that won state championships last season lost their 2023 openers. In the GHSA, it was 2A Thomson (14-12 vs. Burke County) and A Division II Bowdon (21-20 vs. Manchester). GIAA champions that fell were 4A St. Anne-Pacelli (38-12 vs. Glenwood, Ala.) and A Thomas Jefferson (34-0 vs. St. Andrew’s), and GAPPS champion Cherokee Christian was knocked off by Calvary Christian 20-19.
Worth noting: Douglass beat 20-point favorite Mays 21-18 to end a five-game losing streak in the Atlanta city series and avenge a 35-0 loss in 2022. The Astros have gone 4-22 the past three years in a region that includes Sandy Creek, Cedar Grove and Carver-Atlanta. … Jasper County, a 19-point underdog, ended an 11-game losing streak in season openers with a 20-18 victory over Walnut Grove. Walnut Grove won 30-0 last season. … Class 6A Lanier picked up perhaps the biggest victory in the two-year tenure of coach Tyler Maloof when it defeated Class 7A South Forsyth 37-20. Lanier was a 15-point underdog against a team that won last year’s matchup 28-0. … New Manchester, in its first season under head coach Olten Downs, ended an 11-game losing streak with a 19-15 victory over seven-point favorite Woodland of Stockbridge. New Manchester lost a first-round playoff game in 2021 and went 0-10 last season. … Peach County got off to a rough start in the first game under head coach Marquis Westbrook when it lost to 14-point underdog Baldwin 34-13. Peach County had won five of the past six games in the series, including 50-20 in 2022.
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