It probably wasn’t even Thomas Castellanos' best game, but it was close. The Ware County quarterback also went over 450 yards passing and rushing with four combined touchdowns against Richmond Hill three weeks prior. He did it again last week against Bainbridge.
The 35-30 victory marked the eighth win for Castellanos as a quarterback against a top-10 team. A starter since he was a freshman, Castellanos now has 3,265 yards passing and 2,264 rushing in his career with more than a season and a half remaining.
“For the first two years of his career, he was an athlete running around in the quarterback position, trying to survive and make plays,” Ware County coach Jason Strickland told GHSF Daily this week. “I’m not sure how much he understood football. This year, he’s really become cerebral as far as his understanding of football.”
Castellanos is being recruited by Georgia Tech, Kansas and others.
Top five
*Central of Carrollton RB Narada Lovett rushed for 315 yards and four touchdowns on 37 carries in a 49-28 victory over Villa Rica.
*Rutland RB Jessie Phelps Jr. rushed for 321 yards and six touchdowns on 24 carries in a 50-21 victory over ACE Charter. Phelps had 28 yards receiving.
*Stone Mountain QB Shaheim Bailey rushed for 166 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries, was 12-of-17 passing for 252 yards and four touchdowns and returned two interceptions for touchdowns covering 45 and 58 yards in a 53-7 victory over North Springs.
*Ware County QB Thomas Castellanos rushed for 166 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries and was 16-of-26 passing for 296 yards and three touchdowns in a 35-30 victory over Bainbridge.
*Woodward Academy LB Errington Treusdell intercepted two passes, returning one 73 yards for a touchdown, and returned a fumble 15 yards for a score in a 45-13 victory over Mundy’s Mill. Treusdell had 10 total tackles (four solo, three assists, three for losses), two QB pressures and a pass deflection.
Best of the rest
*Athens Academy QB Palmer Bush was 10-for-10 passing for 240 yards three touchdowns, all in the first half, in a 55-12 victory over Providence Christian.
*Bacon County QB Mason Mikell was 15-of-23 passing for 388 yards and a school-record five touchdowns – four to Terriyon Moore – in a 47-15 victory over Tattnall County.
*Bainbridge QB Quayde Hawkins was 25-of-39 passing for 339 yards and a touchdown in a 35-30 loss to Ware County.
*Benedictine RB/CB Justin Thomas had 141 all-purpose yards and a touchdown, eight tackles, an interception and a pass breakup in a 41-29 victory over Wayne County. A junior, Thomas is committed to play baseball at Georgia.
*Brooks County QB Nitavion Burrus was 11-of-18 passing for 222 yards and four touchdowns to four receivers and rushed for 94 yards and three touchdowns on 15 carries in a 63-34 victory over Mitchell County.
*Calhoun RB Jerrian Hames rushed for 202 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries in a 35-14 victory over Woodstock.
*Calvary Day RB Greg Daniel rushed for 179 yards and four touchdowns on 21 carries in a 42-17 victory over First Presbyterian.
*Camden County LB Hudson Tucker had three sacks, giving him 11 on the season, in a 25-12 victory over Oakleaf of Florida.
*Carrollton LB Jevaryon Farmer had 4.5 tackles for losses in a 34-24 victory over Dalton.
*Carver (Columbus) QB Devin Riles was 12-of-17 passing for 203 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 78 yards and four touchdowns on 11 carries in a 56-12 victory over Shaw.
*Cedar Grove DL Joshua White had four sacks and eight tackles in a 14-7 victory over Milton.
*Central (Macon) DL Adam Lamar had nine tackles, two sacks and two batted passes, one that resulted in an interception, in a 22-11 victory over Americus-Sumter.
*Cherokee FS Ryan O’Keefe had 10 tackles, forced a fumble, intercepted a pass and broke up two passes in a 14-12 victory over Cartersville.
*Collins Hill WR Travis Hunter, Class 7A’s leading receiver, had 14 receptions for 160 yards and four touchdowns in a 30-22 victory over Alpharetta.
*Columbus QB J.P. Powell was 16-of-25 passing for 300 yards and four touchdowns in a 41-26 victory over Jordan.
*Creekside LB Lenorris Robinson had four solo tackles, two for losses, and a sack in a 14-7 victory over Drew.
*Cross Keys RB Roy Huff rushed for 161 yards and three touchdowns on 23 carries in a 28-7 victory over Notre Dame Academy. The win broke Cross Keys' 30-game losing streak.
*Darlington DL Luke Lewis had four tackles for losses and two sacks in a 20-7 victory over Heritage of Ringgold.
*Douglas County RB Kobe Harris rushed for 190 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries in a 19-13 victory over East Paulding.
*East Coweta RB Jayden Bowden rushed for 171 yards and three touchdowns on 14 carries in a 49-17 victory over Northgate.
*East Hall WR Mon Tabor had three receptions for 106 yards and a touchdown and rushed 12 times for 80 yards and two touchdowns in a 49-34 victory over East Jackson.
*East Jackson WR Randy Smith had eight receptions for 176 yards and a touchdown in a 49-34 loss to East Hall.
*Fannin County DB Cohutta Hyde intercepted three passes, returning one for a touchdown, made eight tackles and deflected two passes in a 49-13 victory over Banks County.
*Flowery Branch QB David Renard was 16-of-18 passing for 246 yards and a touchdown in a 34-7 victory over Hiram.
*Forsyth Central ATH Peyton Streko rushed for 84 yards on five carries, returned a kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown and intercepted a pass in a 33-28 loss to Gainesville.
*Gainesville RB Naim Cheeks had 178 yards rushing and three touchdowns in a 33-28 victory over Forsyth Central.
*Georgia Military RB Jasir Saleem, in his first second year of football, rushed for 135 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries in a 36-7 loss to Hancock Central.
*Greater Atlanta Christian QB Deymon Fleming was 13-of-16 passing for 340 yards and four touchdowns in a 55-26 victory over Burke County. WR Brooks Miller had five receptions for 150 yards and a touchdown and returned a kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown.
*Greenbrier QB Brooks Pangle was 27-of-45 passing for 285 yards and four touchdowns in a 28-20 victory over Loganville. Greenbrier once trailed 20-0.
*Harlem RB Cameron Garnett rushed for 158 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries in a 42-27 victory over Lincoln County.
*Hillgrove freshman QB Chase McCravy, coming off the bench, was 14-of-19 passing for 286 yards and three touchdowns in a 42-21 victory over Westlake.
*Irwin County RB/DB Kam Ward rushed for 50 yards and a touchdown on eight carries and intercepted three passes, returning one for a touchdown, in a 35-20 victory over Tift County.
*Islands DE Damonte Smith had a team-leading 11 tackles, two for losses, in a 26-8 victory over Jenkins. The win was Islands' first in history over a ranked opponent.
*Jefferson LB/TE Rem Maxwell had 10 solo tackles, one for a loss, and intercepted a pass in the red zone in a 26-19 victory over Hart County.
*Johns Creek DE David Alexander had 12 tackles, five tackles for losses and two sacks in a 14-10 victory over Sequoyah.
*LaGrange QB Jaylan Brown was 8-for-10 passing for 145 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 57 yards and two touchdowns in a 48-14 victory over Kendrick.
*Liberty County DB James Summersett recorded 12 tackles, two for losses, and intercepted a pass in a 30-20 victory over Bradwell Institute.
*Lincoln County RB Tevin Gartrell rushed for 119 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries in a 42-27 loss to Harlem.
*Monticello OLB Jacarian Grier had four sacks, another tackle for a loss, and caught five passes for 63 yards, one a 48-yard touchdown, in a 30-6 victory over Greene County.
*Mount Zion (Carroll) RB Dakota Browning rushed for 145 yards and three touchdowns on 23 carries in a 35-33 victory over Dade County.
*Murray County WR Brannon Nuckolls had 214 all-purpose yards and returned a kickoff for a touchdown in a 62-22 loss to LaFayette.
*Newnan DL Michai Hill had two sacks and two QB hurries, forced a fumble and returned an interception 45 yards for a touchdown in a 34-21 victory over Harris County.
*North Cobb MLB Jadyn Walker had 11 solo tackles, three for losses, and a forced fumble in a 28-10 victory over Etowah.
*Oconee County QB Jacob Wright was 12-of-14 passing to five receivers for 244 yards and three touchdowns in a 44-14 victory over Thomasville.
*Pace Academy WR Deuce Jordan had 10 receptions for 101 yards in a 55-0 victory over McNair.
*Parkview QB Colin Houck was 13-of-22 passing for 224 yards and five touchdowns - four to Jared Brown - in a 50-28 victory over Marietta.
*Pickens WR Mykel Hand had eight receptions for 145 yards in a 28-14 loss to Union County.
*Pierce County RB D.J. Bell rushed for 169 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries and scored on a 20-yard run late in the fourth quarter for the final margin in a 20-13 victory over Eagle’s Landing Christian.
*Putnam County WR/DB Jalon Kilgore had five receptions for 104 yards and a touchdown, made 11 tackles and returned an interception for a touchdown in a 37-14 victory over Westside of Augusta.
*Richmond Hill DB/RB Kenyan “Nuna” Hunter forced two fumbles, returning both for touchdowns, made six tackles and scored a rushing touchdown in a 52-12 victory over Northside of Warner Robins.
*Savannah Christian DT Caleb Womble had seven tackles, two for losses, in a 48-7 victory over Deerfield-Windsor.
*Schley County RB Zamon Ross rushed for 172 yards, all but 14 of his team’s total offense, and scored two touchdowns on 24 carries in a 15-14 overtime loss to Marion County.
*Social Circle LB Tucker Cleary had 20 tackles and intercepted a pass in a 27-12 victory over Oglethorpe County.
*South Atlanta RB Keywon Brown rushed for 166 yards on 21 carries in a 37-12 loss to Lovett.
*South Forsyth WR Mitch Thompson had four receptions for 151 yards and two touchdowns in a 44-14 victory over Lambert.
*South Paulding S/LB Jalen Marshall had 13 tackles, one for a loss, broke up a pass and forced a fumble in a 22-20 loss to Rome.
*Stephens County WR Gamarion Carter had six receptions for 195 yards and two touchdowns in a 27-12 victory over Habersham Central.
*Strong Rock Christian LB/WR Hunner Lawrence had 14 tackles, caught three passes for 90 yards, rushed four times for 90 yards and a touchdown and threw a TD pass in a 35-14 loss to Aquinas.
*Temple RB Phillip Johnson rushed for 219 yards and three touchdowns on 31 carries and threw a 53-yard TD pass in a 34-21 victory over Pepperell.
*Toombs County RB/DL Brannon Usher rushed for 78 yards and three touchdowns and had four sacks in a 49-0 victory over Berrien.
*Towns County RB Kyle Oakes rushed for 181 yards and two touchdowns in a 31-12 loss to Lakeview Academy.
*Troup freshman QB Taeo Todd rushed for 270 yards on 14 carries and scored two touchdowns in a 42-0 victory over Spencer.
*Tucker WR Isaiah Raheem had four receptions for 106 yards and two touchdowns in a 29-12 victory over Southwest DeKalb.
*Turner County DB/WR Keonvay “Fat” Clark scored three touchdowns, one on a 92-yard kickoff return, caught five passes for 41 yards, and made a tackle in a 34-21 victory over Dougherty.
*Union County QB Logan Helcher was 10-of-16 passing for 172 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 144 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries in a 28-14 victory over Pickens.
*Upson-Lee RB De’travious Mathis rushed for 173 yards and three touchdowns in a 41-0 victory over Pike County.
*Veterans QB Blake Ethridge was 18-of-29 passing for 331 yards and two touchdowns in a 24-14 victory over Perry.
*Walnut Grove LB Dylan Nunn had 13 solo tackles, three for losses, in a 20-0 loss to Jackson County.
*Warner Robins FS Deuce Petty returned a fumble 65 yards and an interception 27 yards for touchdowns in a 44-10 victory over Houston County.
*Westminster TE Holden Staes had seven receptions for 139 yards and two touchdowns in a 27-24 victory over St. Pius.
Lines of distinction
*Dacula’s front five of Terrence Morse, Tyriek McDaniel, Marcus Garner, Adam Watkins and Stephan Johnson along with tight end Makale McKenzie opened holes for 536 rushing yards on 38 attempts in a 49-27 victory over Mountain View. Kyle Efford rushed for 274 yards. Kaleb Edwards rushed for 175.
*Jones County’s offensive line of Joe Hill, Matthew Adams, Grayson Dugger, Brady Smith and Denim Gray allowed zero sacks and recorded 16 knockdown blocks in a 62-22 victory over Union Grove. The Greyhounds had 250 yards rushing on 22 carries and passed for 190 yards.
*LaFayette’s offensive line of Cody Cook, Dakota Catlett, Torrenz Smith, Coy Pendergrass and Carson Keplinger plowed the way to 484 yards rushing and almost 600 total yards in a 62-22 victory over Murray County.
*Lovejoy’s offensive line of David John, Jalen Botellio, Shraeef William, Michai Boireau, Kam Epps Ahmed Brimah and Corbet Wright helped the Wildcats put up 377 total yards – 237 rushing, 140 passing – in a 27-6 victory over Griffin.
*McIntosh County Academy’s offensive line of Ryan Burkhart, Payton Waters, Rayjon West, Daniel Rush, Triston Rayhon and Lake Linton paved the way for 303 rushing yards in a 41-0 victory over Bryan County. Running back Trenton Johnson rushed for more than 100 yards for the fourth consecutive week.
*Norcross' offensive line of Abel Aguirre, Tripp Miller, Pharoah Glenn, Quinton Bradford and Micah Green led the way to 562 total yards in a 40-3 victory over Dunwoody. The Blue Devils rushed for 326 yards and passed for 236.
*North Hall’s offensive line of tackles Nate Cottrell and Baker Dyer, guards Austin Copper and Jarrett Latty, center Kyler Olson and tight end Grayson Kirby facilitated 489 yards rushing on 63 attempts in a 48-28 victory over Chestatee. Benefiting most were Clark Howell (26 attempts, 260 yards, four touchdowns) and Kevin Rochester (24-172-3).
*Ola’s offensive line of Jackson Cannon, Bryson Wolverton, Teagin Hightower, Peyton Morefield, Nelson Kinsey, Otis Coleman and Chandler Fowler helped get two backs, Jake Hall and Micah Bell, over 100 yards in a 20-6 victory over Dutchtown. Ola put up 360 yards rushing.
*River Ridge’s offensive line of Cam Cochran, Telmo Yturralde, Cal Begin, Jack Senay, Jack Hall and Amehre Morrison opened holes for 423 yards rushing and 517 total yards in a 52-35 victory over Chattahoochee.
*Roswell’s offense line of Anietie Ntekop, Blaine Mellor, Trey Lednik, E.J. Bondurant and Corey Robinson made room for two 100-yard rushers - Ryan Hill (134) and Ryan Stevens (105) - in a 37-7 victory over Campbell.
*Vidalia’s offensive line of Haygen Brantley, Makeim Phillips, Jackson Crawley, Tyrique Gainey and Jordan Clopton and tight end Bryant Blount cleared space for 285 yards on the ground on 36 carries in a 33-21 victory over previously unbeaten Richmond Academy. QB Bryce Davis rushed for 146 yards.
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