1. North Oconee 11, Jefferson 6: Jefferson fell from the No. 1 team in Class 4A to the No. 2 seed in Region 8-4A with a loss to North Oconee, which had been projected as a 19-point underdog by the computer Maxwell Ratings. It was North Oconee’s first victory against a top-five team in 15 tries. Jefferson’s 24-game winning streak in regular-season games ended.
2. Jenkins 34, New Hampstead 28: Jenkins trailed 22-0 midway through the first quarter but rallied to beat 24-point favorite New Hampstead. Jenkins was 2-4 after a 49-6 loss to Benedictine on Oct. 8 but won its final three games, including two in Region 3-4A by a total of seven points, to earn the No. 2 seed for the playoffs behind the Cadets.
3. Commerce 31, Washington-Wilkes 17: Defending 8-A Public champion Commerce rebounded from a loss to Social Circle and spoiled 17-point favorite Washington-Wilkes’ bid to clinch the region title. Commerce can win the title with a victory against Lincoln County this week. If Lincoln wins, Washington-Wilkes will get the title if it defeats Towns County.
4. Southwest DeKalb 33, Decatur 19: Southwest DeKalb kept alive its hopes for at least a share of first place in Region 5-5A by handing 15-point favorite Decatur its first loss of the season. If Decatur beats St. Pius this week, the three teams are likely to finish tied for first place. If St. Pius wins, it will win the outright region title for the second consecutive season.
5. Dunwoody 17, Discovery 7: Dunwoody’s victory over five-point favorite Discovery sets up a game this week against Duluth that will end a long playoff drought for the winning team, which will claim the No. 4 seed in Region 7-7A. Dunwoody hasn’t made the playoffs since 2009. The wait has been longer for Duluth, which last reached the postseason in 1994 and the state playoffs in 1986.
Worth noting: Gainesville, which is out of the playoff race in 6-7A, spoiled 13-point favorite Denmark’s bid to clinch the region title with a 13-6 victory. Denmark, a fourth-year program, can still win the first region title in school history by beating West Forsyth this week. … Hillgrove has lost a school-record seven games this season, but a 38-31 victory over 19-point North Paulding has the Hawks within reach of a playoff berth in Region 3-7A. A win this week against Harrison probably gets them there. … North Clayton, a four-point underdog, ended a 20-game losing streak that was the second-longest in school history with a 14-0 victory over Mount Zion of Jonesboro. It was the Eagles’ first victory since defeating Druid Hills 6-0 on Oct. 18, 2019. … Pataula Charter, in its sixth season, tied a school record for wins when it beat 26-point favorite Randolph-Clay 22-14 for its fifth victory of the season. Pataula can break the record by defeating Baconton Charter in the regular-season finale. … Westside (Augusta) clinched the No. 2 seed in Region 2-4A with a 14-12 victory over Jefferson County and will host a playoff game for the first time since 2001. Jefferson County, the three-time defending region champion and a semifinalist last year, will be the No. 3 or No. 4 seed and play a first-round game on the road for the first time since 2012.
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