1. Cedar Grove 33, Greater Atlanta Christian 6: Top-ranked Cedar Grove took control of Region 5-3A with a victory in a rematch of last year’s semifinal game, which the Saints won 28-18. The loss ended GAC’s 40-game winning streak in region games that dated to 2013 and puts the Spartans' hopes for a seventh consecutive region title in serious jeopardy.
2. Wayne County 10, Veterans 7: Wayne County entered region play as the only unranked team from 1-5A, but the Yellow Jackets are tied for first place with No. 1 Ware County after a win over then-No. 10 Veterans, which was projected as a 16-point favorite by the computer Maxwell Ratings. Wayne County is 3-4 against a schedule that has included five ranked opponents.
3. River Ridge 20, Creekview 17: River Ridge’s magical ride continues. The Knights are 6-0 for the first time in school history and tied for first place in 7-6A with defending champion Johns Creek after beating 10-point favorite Creekview in overtime. River Ridge is seeking the first region title in its 12 seasons and closing in on its first playoff berth since 2012.
4. Norcross 23, Mill Creek 20: For the second time in three weeks, Mill Creek (2-4) lost in two overtimes against a top-five team that was favored by four touchdowns. On Oct. 9, the Hawks lost to then-No. 1 Grayson, a 27-point favorite, 20-13. This time, the loss was against fifth-ranked Norcross, a 28-point favorite, in the teams' first game of Region 8-7A play.
5. Prince Avenue Christian 41, Athens Academy 7: Prince Avenue took control of 8-A Private and moved to No. 1 in the rankings with a lopsided victory over the previous No. 1 team. Athens Academy had won four straight in the series. The win puts Prince Avenue on a potential collision course with five-time defending champion ELCA in the quarterfinals.
Worth noting: Fayette County, an 18-point favorite, reached five wins for the first time since 2007 by beating McDonough 27-6. The Tigers' 2007 team finished 11-1 and won the only region title in school history. Fayette is tied for first place in 5-4A. … The playoff picture is cloudier in 6-7A after upsets by 15-point underdog Forsyth Central (beat North Forsyth 28-27) and four-point underdog West Forsyth (beat South Forsyth 41-34). All four teams are 1-1 or 1-2 in region play, behind unbeaten Denmark and Gainesville. … Salem beat Rockdale County 36-2 in Rockdale’s first game of the season (it was Salem’s second). Rockdale County became the final school fielding a team this season to play its opening game. The county rivals hadn’t met since 2015. … Winder-Barrow was the biggest underdog to win in Week 8, according to Maxwell, when it beat 21-point favorite Shiloh 35-28. It was the first region victory for Winder-Barrow, which kept alive its hopes for a playoff berth in Region 8-6A. … Woodland (Stockbridge) beat Stockbridge 34-28 for its first-ever victory against its crosstown rival. Woodland opened in 2007 and began playing Stockbridge in 2012. No game in the first eight meetings was decided by fewer than 14 points.
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