Ranking the most surprising and notable games of the weekend:
1. Columbia 13, Camden County 10: Class 2A Columbia pulled off the upset of Week 1 when it defeated 7A Camden County, which was projected as a 34-point favorite by the computer Maxwell Ratings. Columbia lost to Camden 31-0 in 2021 but went on to finish with its most wins (eight) since 2005 and won a playoff game for the first time since 1997.
2. Osborne 46, Woodstock 7: Osborne upset 26-point favorite Woodstock by scoring its most points in a game since 2015. It was an impressive debut for new offensive coordinator Phil Ironside, the longtime Hillgrove head coach now working under his former assistant, Osborne head coach Luqman Salam. Another win this week, against Chattahoochee, would make Osborne 2-0 for the first time since 2001.
3. Wheeler County 42, GMC Prep 14: Wheeler County ended a 69-game losing streak against top-10 opponents by beating Class A Division I’s No. 9 team. Wheeler County returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown and never looked back. The Bulldogs last had beaten a ranked team in 1977 (Reidsville). They are ranked for the first time since 1998.
4. Gainesville 34, Marist 23: New Gainesville coach Josh Niblett had a successful debut when his Red Elephants took a big lead early and held on to beat 21-point favorite Marist in a battle of newcomers to 6A. Niblett won seven state titles in Alabama, including six at Hoover. Gainesville is back in 6A after two years in the highest class. Marist jumped two classes from 4A.
5. Two champions fall: Two reigning state champions lost their season openers, both against 6A opponents in games that were seen as virtual tossups. Lee County beat two-point favorite Warner Robins, the defending 5A champ, 26-10. Woodward Academy knocked off one-point underdog Trinity Christian (A Private champ now in 4A) 37-19.
Worth noting: Swainsboro’s 21-7 victory over three-point favorite Metter brought an end to Metter’s 24-game winning streak in regular-season games. Metter had defeated Swainsboro 32-20 and 28-0 in season openers the past two seasons. ... Class 7A Meadowcreek stunned 13-point favorite Greater Atlanta Christian 34-12 in the first-ever meeting between the schools, which are located about two miles apart in Norcross. GAC is the highest-profile team Meadowcreek has beaten since at least 1997. … Mount Pisgah Christian defeated Fellowship Christian 21-18 to end a lopsided four-game losing streak in the series. Fellowship, a 28-point favorite, won the previous four meetings by an average of 36.5 points, including 45-28 last year. … Ola, a two-point underdog, had played Griffin four times from 2008 to 2011 and never scored more than seven points in a game and was outscored by a combined 158-28. The Mustangs turned the tables Friday, winning by a surprisingly large 46-18 margin. … South Paulding, which opened in 2006, defeated 14-point favorite Harrison 28-20 for its first victory in program history against an opponent from the highest classification. Jamarion Wilcox ran for 236 yards and three touchdowns.
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