1. South Cobb 17, Kennesaw Mountain 15: South Cobb pulled off the biggest upset of the year, according to the computer Maxwell Ratings, when it knocked off Kennesaw Mountain, a 40-point favorite. Kennesaw Mountain was off to a school-best 6-0 start and ranked No. 4 in Class 6A. South Cobb (2-5) entered the game in last place in nine-team Region 6-6A.
2. Pebblebrook 38, East Coweta 21: Pebblebrook established itself as the region front-runner with a victory over 20-point favorite East Coweta in the teams’ Region 2-7A opener. The Falcons’ 6-0-1 start is their best since the 2000 team had a 10-0 regular season before a first-round playoff loss. Pebblebrook is seeking its first region title since 2006.
3. Miller Grove 34, Stephenson 27: Miller Grove (5-2) is within one victory of tying the school record for wins in a season after surprising 27-point favorite Stephenson, which was 5-0 and ranked No. 7 in Class 4A. Miller Grove had lost four straight in the series by a combined score of 124-21. The teams are tied for third place in 6-4A, with Miller Grove now holding the tiebreaker.
4. Haralson County 42, Callaway 14: Haralson County defeated seven-point favorite Callaway in the teams’ Region 5-2A opener. Haralson also won their 2020 meeting, but Callaway recovered to win its final seven games and claim the Class 2A championship, its first state title. Callaway has a two-game losing streak in one season for the first time since 2014.
5. Turner County 38, Clinch County 35: Turner County ended an eight-game losing streak against Clinch County, which was a seven-point favorite. Perhaps more significant is that the loss puts Clinch’s playoff streak in serious jeopardy. The Panthers have missed the state playoffs just once since 1996 and reached at least the semifinals the past six seasons.
Worth noting: Dublin, which has won three consecutive region titles but started 1-3 this year, is back in the title chase after a 49-0 victory over seven-point favorite Wilcox County. Dublin, Wilcox County, Montgomery County and Dooly County have one loss each in 4-A Public. … First Presbyterian defeated six-point favorite Tattnall Square 20-0, handing the then-No. 7 Trojans their first loss and knocking them out of the Class A Private top 10. Last year, First Presbyterian won its first region title since moving to the GHSA in 2010. … North Paulding, a 13-point underdog, ended a three-game losing streak against Marietta with a 45-42 win in the teams’ 3-7A opener. Marietta has lost two straight games after a 3-1 start that had put the Blue Devils at No. 7 in the 7A rankings. … Richmond Hill, which started 0-3 for the first time since 2005, is in the thick of the playoff race in Region 2-6A after knocking off 14-point favorite Effingham County 28-6. Richmond Hill, Effingham, Glynn Academy and Statesboro have one loss each in region play, trailing unbeaten Brunswick. … South Paulding upset then-No. 7 Douglas County, a 13-point favorite, 28-6 and created a five-way tie for first place in eight-team Region 5-6A. South Paulding, Douglas County, Rome, Carrollton and Alexander are all 3-1 in region play.
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