Notable results from Week 9: Dutchtown, North Paulding see title odds take hits
Ranking the most surprising and notable games of the weekend:
1. Jones County 24, Dutchtown 7: Jones County recorded the biggest upset of the week when it knocked off then-No. 3 Dutchtown, projected by the computer Maxwell Ratings as a 28-point favorite, in a Region 2-5A game. Jones County, ranked No. 3 in early September before a 2-3 stretch, is now in first place in the region with a half-game lead over Dutchtown, Ola and Warner Robins.
2. Harrison 24, North Paulding 21: North Paulding, the only team with a winning record in 3-7A and Maxwell’s pick last week to win the region title, was upset by 15-point underdog Harrison, which came into the game 1-6. North Paulding is tied with Hillgrove for fourth place in the five-team region but could still claim the title by winning its final three games.
3. Cambridge 42, Kell 24: Cambridge, which opened in 2012, is almost certain to win the first region title in school history after its victory over Kell in a Region 6-5A matchup of top-10 teams. The Bears (6-2, 4-0) can clinch the title with a win this week against last-place Northview (1-7, 0-4). Kell’s game Friday at Greater Atlanta Christian is likely to settle second and third place.
4. Lincoln County 28, Aquinas 24: Lincoln County emerged as the team to beat in Region 8-A Division II after handing Aquinas its first region loss. The Red Devils’ showdown with Greene County this week could decide the region championship. Lincoln County hasn’t won a region title since 2012, the longest drought for the Red Devils since 1964-73.
5. Walton 42, Kennesaw Mountain 14: Walton, a one-point favorite, rebounded from a 27-point loss to North Cobb with a 28-point victory over a Kennesaw Mountain team that was 6-0 and ranked No. 10. Now the Raiders can get back into a possible four-way tie for first place in Region 5-7A if Kennesaw Mountain can bounce back and beat North Cobb this week.
Worth noting: The Griffin Bears, whose 0-5 start was the program’s worst since 1956, suddenly finds itself in third place in seven-team Region 2-4A after a 35-14 victory over 14-point favorite Westside-Macon. The Bears (2-6, 2-2) trail only Perry and Spalding. … Marietta is in position to win its first region title since 2005 after a 34-16 victory over McEachern left the Blue Devils as the only undefeated team in Region 3-7A play. The Blue Devils went 1-5 in non-region games against a schedule that included five teams ranked in the top seven of their classifications. … McNair, which earlier this season ended a school-record 26-game losing streak is 4-4 after a 44-41 victory over 21-point favorite Redan. The Mustangs are tied for third place in seven-team 5-2A but have games remaining against Callaway and Eagle’s Landing Christian, the region’s top two teams. … South Forsyth, a five-point underdog, knocked defending Region 6-7A champion Denmark out of a tie for first place with a 10-3 victory. The two teams tied for first place in 2021, but Denmark earned the title by winning their head-to-head meeting 17-14. … Upson-Lee is in position this week to clinch its first region championship since 1993 after a 42-21 victory over 13-point favorite Jackson in a 2-3A game. The Knights’ task is a tough one, however, as they will face No. 7 Peach County, a 21-point favorite
About the Author
Chip Saye rejoined The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2025, at the launch of AJC Varsity. In 2009 he helped start Georgia High School Football Daily. He previously worked for the AJC, Athens Banner-Herald, Anderson (S.C.) Independent-Mail and Gwinnett Daily News.
