Top 10 games of Week 4

Last meeting: This is the teams' first meeting.

Things to know: This game came together late after both teams had holes in their schedules because of pandemic-related cancellations. The first four games on Blessed Trinity’s original schedule were called off, and Kell had an opening after Hillgrove canceled a game two weeks ago. Blessed Trinity, the three-time Class 4A champion now playing in 5A, opened its season Saturday with a 38-14 victory over five-time defending Class A Private champion Eagle’s Landing Christian. Justice Haynes, who rushed for 1,754 yards as a freshman last season, ran for 107 yards and threw a 74-yard TD pass. J.C. French was 8-of-10 passing for 130 yards and a score. French passed for 3,800 yards over the past two seasons at Wesleyan before transferring back to Blessed Trinity, which he attended through the seventh grade. Kell QB Corbin LaFrance has passed for 445 yards through two games, including 271 with two TDs in a 35-28 loss to Walton in the opener. Sophomore David Mbadinga rushed for 110 yards and three TDs in a 34-10 victory over Pope last week.

Crisp County at Eagle’s Landing Christian

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Commitment Field, McDonough

Records, rankings: Crisp County is 2-0 and No. 2 in Class 3A; Eagle’s Landing Christian is 2-1 and No. 1 in Class A Private.

Last meeting: This is the teams' first meeting.

Things to know: ELCA is the five-time defending Class A Private champion, and Crisp County was the 3A runner-up last year. Crisp has opened with shutouts of Tift County (7-0) and Houston County (12-0), schools about twice Crisp’s size. LB Chris Paul (Arkansas commit) has five tackles for losses. DB Sirad Bryant (Georgia Tech), LB Preston Lavant (Pittsburgh) and DE Nick Mercer (Georgia Southern) also are committed to Division I schools. J’Kobe Harris has four interceptions. Moving the ball has been a little tougher, as Crisp is only 10-of-26 passing and averaging 3.8 yards per rush, but QB A.J. Lofton and RB Marquis Palmer each rushed for more than 1,000 yards last season. ELCA also shut out its first two opponents, including Woodward Academy, before falling to Class 5A No. 2 Blessed Trinity 38-14. Josh Rogers has rushed for 523 yards. ELCA has attempted only 21 passes. Top defenders are LB Charis Spence (four sacks) and CB Kaleb Anthony (committed to UConn). ELCA has won 41 consecutive home games dating to 2014.

Lee County at Lowndes

When, where: 8 p.m. Friday, Martin Stadium, Valdosta

Records, rankings: Lee County is 2-0 and No. 2 in Class 6A; Lowndes is 3-0 and No. 2 in 7A.

Last meeting: Lowndes won 42-7 in 2015.

Things to know: This game matches the team with the best winning percentage in Class 6A over the past three seasons against the second-best 7A school in that period. Lee County is 40-4 (.909) with two state titles since 2017; Lowndes is 35-6 (.854), trailing only North Gwinnett in 7A. Lowndes RB Justin Lee (23 carries, 206 yards, two TDs) is the leading rusher in Region 1-7A, and QB Jacurri Brown is second in both rushing (34-196-3) and passing (22-of-45, 383 yards, three TDs). Brown is a junior four-star recruit with 21 FBS offers. The Vikings have four three-star recruits on defense committed to FBS schools – LB Thomas Davis (Miami), safety T.J. Quinn (Louisville), DE Jacques Hunter (Vanderbilt) and LB Leon Williams (Kent State). Lee County traditionally has a strong defense and does again this season, shutting out Jackson of Atlanta and Crawford County in its first two games. LB Baron Hopson has 13 FBS offers. The Trojans also have a potent offense, led by RB Caleb McDowell (South Carolina) and QB/WR Chauncey Magwood (Kentucky).

Mill Creek at Brookwood

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Brookwood Community Stadium, Snellville

Records, rankings: Mill Creek is 1-0 and No. 5 in Class 7A; Brookwood is 2-0 and No. 6 in 7A.

Last meeting: Mill Creek won 13-10 in the first round of the 2018 Class 7A playoffs.

Things to know: Mill Creek opened last week after its first two games were canceled over COVID-19 issues on Mill Creek’s team, but the Hawks have rearranged their schedule and salvaged a full 10-game schedule. The Hawks beat Dacula 20-14 after leading 17-0 at halftime. Josh Battle rushed for 124 yards on 20 carries, and M.J. Patterson was 10-of-15 passing for 166 yards and two touchdowns. Both are new starters, although as a sophomore, Battle scored two touchdowns against Brookwood, one in overtime, in a playoff victory. Brookwood also has played Dacula this season, winning 40-34. The Broncos then beat Walton 43-32. It’s the 12th time that Brookwood has scored 40 or more in consecutive games in coach Philip Jones' six seasons as coach. It’s actually the fourth straight game dating to last season. Brookwood sophomore QB Dylan Lonergan is 51-of-72 passing for 780 yards and seven touchdowns while rushing for a team-leading 128 yards. He got a scholarship offer from Georgia on Saturday. Junior receivers Samuel Mbake (15 catches, 164 yards) and Denylon Morrissette (12 catches, 215 yards against Dacula) also have major Division I offers.

Rome at Collins Hill

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Fahring Field, Suwanee

Records, rankings: Rome is 1-1 and No. 10 in Class 6A; Collins Hill is 2-1 and unranked in 7A.

Last meeting: This is the teams' first meeting.

Things to know: Both teams come into this game after suffering their first losses last week, Rome 21-15 against Cherokee and Collins Hill 28-7 against Class 7A No. 1 Grayson. This will be a game of contrasting styles. Rome gets about two-thirds of its offense from a running game led by senior E.J. Lackey. He has rushed for 297 yards in two games and scored the game-winning touchdown on a 4-yard run in the fourth quarter of a 28-21 victory over Rockmart in the opener. PK Fernando-Lopez Romero kicked field goals of 41, 43 and 47 yards against Cherokee. Collins Hill is all about the passing game, which accounts for 75 percent of its offense. Sam Horn, a four-star recruit with 12 FBS offers, is the No. 4-rated junior pro-style quarterback nationally. He is 74-of-114 passing for 795 yards and seven touchdowns. Wide receiver Travis Hunter, a five-star recruit committed to Florida State as a defensive back and the No. 5-rated junior overall nationally, has 356 yards and five TDs on 28 catches. Junior Spenser Anderson (28-141-3) is the Eagles' leading rusher.

Thomasville at Bainbridge

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Centennial Field, Bainbridge

Records, rankings: Thomasville is 2-1 and No. 6 in Class 2A; Bainbridge is 0-2 and No. 7 in 4A.

Last meeting: Bainbridge won 47-26 in 2003.

Things to know: These schools first met in football in 1916. Bainbridge’s win in 2003 ended a nine-game losing streak in the series. Thomasville has bounced back from an opening loss to Brooks County, the No. 1 Class A Public team, to defeat Thomas County Central (34-7) and Cairo (20-7). That’s a reversal from 2019, when Thomasville beat Brooks but lost to the other two. Ronnie Baker, a two-year starter, has completed 55 of 79 passes (69.6 percent) for 491 yards and four touchdowns. Ricardo Johnson has 13 receptions for 163 yards. Junior LB Ty Anderson, a region defensive player of the year last season, leads the team with 22 solo tackles. Bainbridge has lost to Coffee (31-16) and Valdosta (45-7), both top-10 teams from higher classifications. Quayde Hawkins, who threw for 1,791 yards last year, predictably has struggled, completing only 43.4 percent of his passes. LB Tahari Tate easily has been the Bearcats' best performer. He has 25 solo tackles and six tackles for losses. He returned a kickoff 88 yards against Valdosta.

Valdosta at Colquitt County

When, where: 8 p.m. Friday, Tom White Field at Mack Tharpe Stadium, Moultrie

Records, rankings: Valdosta is 2-0 and No. 1 in Class 6A; Colquitt County is 1-0 and No. 4 in 7A.

Last meeting: Valdosta won 50-49 in 2019.

Things to know: This game became the most highly anticipated of the season on April 14, when Valdosta hired former Colquitt coach Rush Propst. Colquitt had fired Propst after the 2018 season amid allegations of misconduct that Propst largely denied. Propst was 119-35 with two state titles in Moultrie. “Is it a special game? I’m not going to deny that,” Propst told GHDF Daily. “I’ve got a lot of good memories over there, but when all is said and done, it’s not about Rush Propst but about the Wildcats and Packers.” Meanwhile, former Valdosta coach Alan Rodemaker, who claimed his own firing this year was unjust, has joined Colquitt’s staff as co-defensive coordinator. Valdosta has beaten Warner Robins 28-25 and Bainbridge 45-7. Jake Garcia, a Southern Cal-committed quarterback who transferred from California, threw for 332 yards against Warner Robins, but his eligibility is under investigation by the GHSA. In his place in game two, Amari Jones passed for 205 yards against Bainbridge. Former Colquitt receiver Tajh Sanders has a team-leading 10 receptions for 238 yards and two touchdowns. Colquitt had its first three weeks of games canceled over COVID-19 and scheduled Banneker late and won 51-0 last week. Xavier Williams, making his first start, was 12-of-22 passing for 225 yards and a touchdown.

Ware County at Thomson

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, The Brickyard, Thomson

Records, rankings: Ware County is 2-0 and No. 4 in Class 5A; Thomson is 3-0 and No. 10 in 3A.

Last meeting: Thomson won 51-35 in the second round of the 2002 Class 4A playoffs.

Things to know: This will be just the second meeting, first in the regular season, between two schools located about 180 miles apart in eastern Georgia. For Ware County, it will also be the second of seven games in a row against teams ranked in this week’s AJC top 10s. Ware County is the only currently ranked opponent on Thomson’s schedule. Both teams' leading rusher is a junior quarterback. Ware County’s Thomas Castellanos has run for 232 yards (116 per game) and five touchdowns on 23 carries, while Thomson’s Tay Martin has run for 347 yards (115.7 per game) and five TDs on 53 carries. Thomson’s Snoop Williams has contributed 131 rushing yards, 103 of which came in a season-opening 21-14 victory over Jefferson County. Ware County is the more likely team to throw. Castellanos is 27-of-45 passing for 445 yards and three touchdowns, while Thomson has attempted just 25 passes, completing 12 for 144 yards, in three games. Ware County linebacker Michael Mincey, a preseason all-state pick, committed to Vanderbilt this week.

Warner Robins at Northside (Warner Robins)

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, McConnell-Talbert Stadium, Warner Robins

Records, rankings: Warner Robins is 1-1 and No. 1 in Class 5A; Northside is 2-1 and unranked in 6A.

Last meeting: Warner Robins won 39-0 in 2019.

Things to know: Warner Robins has won three consecutive games against Northside after losing 16 of the previous 21. The Demons' three-game winning streak in the series, which they lead 37-25, is their longest since winning seven straight from 1989 to 1995. Warner Robins' Jalen Addie, the first-team all-state quarterback in 5A last season, is 21-of-34 passing for 319 yards and three touchdowns and has run for 163 yards and a TD on 24 carries. LB Ahmad Walker, another returning all-state player, is committed to Liberty. RB Jahlen Rutherford is committed to Air Force. The Demons have lost to Valdosta (28-25) and defeated Archer (42-7) this season. Northside has the leading rusher (Jaylen Cephus, 40 carries, 165 yards, two TDs), passer (Elijah Robinson, 35-of-81, 479 yards, four TDs) and receiver (Justin Luke, 16 catches, 327 yards) in Region 1-6A. Traditionally, however, the Eagles are more known for their defense. This year, they’ve given up just 10.33 points per game in a loss to Veterans (17-7) and wins over Peach County (14-7) and Howard (28-7).

Westminster at Pace Academy

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Walsh Field, Mableton

Records, rankings: Westminster is 0-0 and unranked in Class 3A; Pace Academy is 1-0 and No. 4 in 2A.

Last meeting: Westminster won 36-21 in 2019.

Things to know: Westminster is coming off a 6-5 season that marked only the second time in 13 years that the Wildcats didn’t advance a round in the playoffs. This year, they delayed their season opener three weeks over COVID-19 concerns. Westminster’s best players are probably LB Lowell Jones, second on the team in tackles last season, and TE Holden Staes, a junior committed to Penn State. Westminster has the best kicking specialists in the state. with P Connor Weselman and PK Alex Bacchetta. Westminster will have a new starting quarterback, likely either Wyatt Stevenson, a senior who might’ve started last year until an injury derailed him, or John Collier, a promising sophomore transfer from Blessed Trinity. Pace won its opener 14-7 over Holy Innocents' and canceled its game last week with Eagle’s Landing Christian because of weather. Evan Smith-Rooks threw for 215 yards in the opener. Pace QB M.J. Morris, a transfer and four-star recruit, did not play, and his status remains questionable. Westminster leads the series, played each of the past four years, 4-0, winning three times when Pace had a higher ranking.

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