1. Newton 28, Brookwood 16: Brookwood’s best start since 2005 got its first blemish when the Broncos (6-1) lost in their Region 4-7A opener against Newton, which was projected as a 26-point underdog by the computer Maxwell Ratings. Brookwood had won nine of the past 10 games in the series, although the teams hadn’t faced each other since 1997. Brookwood quarterback Dylan Lonergan was injured in the first half and did not return.
2. Habersham Central 36, Lanier 15: Habersham Central picked up its first victory in five all-time meetings with Lanier, another Gwinnett County upset victim that was favored by 26 points. The win put Habersham Central (4-4, 2-2) in third place in Region 8-6A and in strong position to earn its third playoff berth in 13 seasons. Lanier (4-2, 1-2) is tied for fourth.
3. Northeast 37, Bleckley County 34: Northeast is in the driver’s seat in 3-2A after knocking off 12-point favorite Bleckley, which was ranked No. 4 last week. The Raiders are the only remaining unbeaten team in region play and can win their first title since 2009 with a win against Dodge County this week and then another in either of its final two games.
4. Cambridge 21, Johns Creek 14: Johns Creek, which won the Region 7-6A title three of the past four seasons, lost its share of first place when it was upset by 10-point underdog Cambridge on Saturday. Cambridge had lost the last two meetings but leads the series 3-2. Johns Creek is a game behind region leader River Ridge, which it plays in two weeks.
5. Logjam in Region 6-5A: Four teams with one loss each sit atop the 6-5A standings after a pair of upsets on Friday. Jackson of Atlanta picked up its first victory of the season when it beat 11-point favorite Chapel Hill 24-21, and eight-point underdog Villa Rica won 30-27 against Lithia Springs, the projected region favorite, according to Maxwell. Chapel Hill and Villa Rica are both 3-1 in region play; New Manchester and Lithia Springs are 2-1.
Worth noting: Dade County beat 18-point favorite Chattooga 19-14 for its first victory in the series since 2013 and just its seventh in 29 all-time meetings. Dade County, in fifth place in 7-2A, kept alive its hopes for its first trip to the playoffs since 2015. … Hiram picked up its first win of the season and ended an eight-game losing streak that was the second-longest in school history when it beat 19-point favorite Cass 38-14. Cass has lost two of its last three games after starting 5-0. … Landmark Christian ended an 11-game losing streak that was tied for the longest in school history when it beat Heritage of Newnan 20-17 in a game that was seen as a toss-up by Maxwell. Heritage is 0-7 in its first season in the GHSA. … Newnan, an eight-point favorite, beat McEachern 46-27 to reach 7-0 for the first time since 2009, when it won its most recent region title, finished 13-1 and reached the state semifinals. McEachern’s five losses are its most since 2008. … Savannah Country Day scored a touchdown and two-point conversion with 55 seconds to play to upset 18-point favorite Aquinas 29-28 in the teams' 3-A Private opener. It was the first loss for Aquinas, which has won four region titles since 2013.
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