1. Carver (Atlanta) 36, Sandy Creek 29: Carver was ranked No. 6 in preseason but has been out of the top 10 since a 38-8 loss to West Forsyth in the opener. The Panthers are back now, at No. 7 in Class 3A, after beating Sandy Creek, which was undefeated and projected as a 19-point favorite by the computer Maxwell Ratings. Carver and Sandy Creek are tied for second in 5-3A, a game behind No. 1 Cedar Grove.
2. Monroe Area 17, Oconee County14: Oconee County’s 23-game winning streak in regular-season games was ended by a Monroe Area team that is undefeated but was a 14-point underdog. The victory put Monroe Area in sole possession of first place in Region 8-3A and dropped Oconee County into a tie for second with Hart County. Oconee is the two-time defending region champion.
3. Marist 64, Stephenson 12: Marist’s win over 34-point underdog Stephenson puts the Jaguars’ streak of 21 straight playoff appearances (tied for the fifth-longest active streak in the state) in jeopardy. Stephenson must beat Hapeville Charter this week to avoid missing the playoffs for the first time since 1999. Maxwell gives Hapeville a 69.5% chance of winning.
4. Johnson (Savannah) 26, Windsor Forest 6: Johnson pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the week, according to Maxwell, when it beat 27-point favorite Windsor Forest. The loss was the first in 3-3A play for Windsor Forest, which dropped into a tie for second place with Southeast Bulloch, a half-game behind Liberty County. Johnson is 3-5 overall.
5. Social Circle 28, Commerce 19: Social Circle, an eight-point underdog, beat defending Region 8-A Public champion Commerce for just the third time in the 19-game history of the series. Commerce still has a shot at the region title but must defeat No. 8 Washington-Wilkes and Lincoln County in its final two games to get it. Social Circle is tied for fourth place.
Worth noting: Georgia Military is one win away from its first region title since 1960 after a 17-6 victory over its biggest remaining hurdle, 14-point favorite Warren County. The Bulldogs can clinch the region title and its second-ever 10-win season with a victory over ACE Charter this week. … Johnson County, an 18-point underdog, kept its playoff hopes alive in Region 4-A Public with a 42-35 win over Dublin. The Trojans ended a four-game losing streak in the series in which they had been outscored 169-19, including 49-6 last year. … Riverwood handed five-point favorite Cambridge its first loss, 40-33, and pulled into a three-way tie (along with Johns Creek) for first place in Region 7-6A. Johns Creek holds the point-differential tiebreaker but has the most difficult remaining schedule. … Terrell County, a 15-point underdog, knocked Pelham out of sole possession of first place in 1-A Public with a 29-27 victory. It was Pelham’s first region loss to a team other than Mitchell County since Terrell County won on Sept. 2, 2016. Pelham, Mitchell and Seminole County have one loss each in the region. … Tift County, a five-point underdog, defeated Camden County 21-14 to end a nine-game losing streak in region games. The victory was the Blue Devils’ first in region play since they beat Lowndes on Oct. 19, 2018.
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