Sammy Brown had been playing with a slow-to-heal ankle sprain the past six weeks. The Jefferson junior demonstrated what a healthy five-star recruit looks like last week.
Brown scored all six of his team’s touchdowns, one on a 97-yard run, another on a 30-yard over-the-shoulder catch, in the Dragons’ 42-6 victory over then-No. 3 Loganville in a game that decided first place in Region 8-5A. Brown finished with 337 yards from scrimmage.
“This is the Sammy Brown we’ve been waiting on for the past six weeks,” Jefferson coach Travis Noland told Athens Banner-Herald reporter Ryne Dennis. “He’s gone through a tough time, but he showed up big tonight.”
Top five
*Callaway RB Qua Whitfield rushed for 293 yards and six touchdowns on 29 carries in a 49-20 victory over Eagle’s Landing Christian.
*Hebron Christian QB Gavin Hall rushed for 250 yards and four touchdowns on 15 carries and was 16-of-20 passing for 219 yards and a touchdown in a 56-0 victory over Franklin County.
*Calhoun RB Caden Williams rushed for 261 yards and three touchdowns in a 28-13 victory over Dalton.
*Jefferson RB/LB Sammy Brown rushed for 282 yards and five touchdowns on 19 carries, caught two passes for 55 yards and a touchdown and had two tackles and five assisted tackles in a 42-6 victory over Loganville.
*North Murray ATH Judson Petty rushed for 198 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries, had four receptions for 68 yards and a touchdown, threw a 28-yard TD pass, had five tackles and forced and recovered a fumble in a 35-28 victory over Model.
Best of the rest
*Bleckley County RB JahVon Butler rushed for 249 yards and four touchdowns on 14 carries in a 49-14 victory over East Laurens.
*Brentwood RB Zach Denton, returning from a broken hand two months ago, rushed for 215 yards and three touchdowns on 11 carries in a 48-12 victory over Piedmont Academy.
*Brunswick WR T.J. Mitchell had four receptions for 144 yards and two touchdowns in a 42-3 victory over South Effingham.
*Calvary Day QB Jake Merklinger was 12-of-12 passing for 320 yards and five touchdowns in a 56-13 victory over Savannah Country Day.
*Camden County LB/DB Jake Lindsey had 10 solo tackles, six assists, two tackles for loss and an interception in a 17-14 victory over Valdosta.
*Carver (Columbus) DE/LB Trey Henry had six tackles for loss in a 35-19 victory over Monroe.
*Cedar Shoals QB Mandrell Glenn was 24-of-33 passing for a school-record 378 yards and five touchdowns in a 46-39 victory over Chestatee.
*Cedar Grove QB Elliott Colson was 19-of-28 passing for 369 yards and six touchdowns and scored a touchdown in a 49-24 victory over Sandy Creek.
*Chamblee QB Fabian Walker Jr. was 15-of-19 passing for 152 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 105 yards and four touchdowns in a 49-6 victory over Arabia Mountain.
*Christian Heritage RB Eli Thomason rushed for 186 yards and four touchdowns on seven carries and caught a 38-yard TD pass in a 56-6 victory over Asheville Christian.
*Clarke Central WR Jaden Cofer had 12 receptions for 157 yards and two touchdowns and scored the game-winning two-point conversion in overtime in a 28-27 victory over Eastside.
*Clinch County WR Jeremy Bell had six receptions for 194 yards and two touchdowns in a 47-19 victory over Atkinson County.
*Coahulla Creek WR Manny Dominguez had five receptions for 139 yards and two touchdowns in a 14-10 victory over Bremen.
*Colquitt County WR Ny Carr had seven receptions for 176 yards and three touchdowns in a 42-14 victory over Lowndes.
*Cook RB Keshun McKever rushed for 223 yards and three touchdowns on 32 carries in a 47-37 loss to Dodge County.
*Creekside RB Roderick McCrary rushed for 187 yards and three touchdowns on four carries in a 63-0 victory over Villa Rica.
*Crisp County LB Julian Fox blocked two punts, returning one for a touchdown, had 12 tackles and two sacks, recovered a fumble and returned a kickoff 67 yards for a touchdown in a 52-10 victory over Columbus.
*Dunwoody QB Porter LeDoyen rushed for 186 yards and four touchdowns on 23 carries and was 10-of-13 passing for 137 yards in a 38-24 victory over South Cobb.
*East Jackson CB Nate Heiss had seven tackles, two assists, one tackle for a loss, two forced fumbles and two pass breakups in a 21-17 loss to Union County.
*East Paulding RB Javen Parker rushed for 154 yards on 28 carries in a 37-6 loss to Douglas County.
*Elbert County RB Quan Moss rushed for 206 yards and five touchdowns on 34 carries in 41-21 victory over Commerce.
*Evans RB Rayshaun King rushed for 196 yards and three touchdowns on 13 carries in a 25-22 loss to Glynn Academy.
*Fellowship Christian QB Caleb McMickle was 9-of-15 passing for 250 yards and three touchdowns in a 42-10 victory over Providence Christian.
*Gainesville RB Naim Cheeks rushed for 157 yards and three touchdowns and had two receptions for 55 yards in a 34-7 victory over Shiloh.
*Glynn Academy RB Greg Peacock rushed for 233 yards and a touchdown on 37 carries, had a 28-yard reception and returned a kickoff 49 yards in a 25-22 victory over Evans.
*GMC Prep ATH Caleb Bush had 97 yards rushing and 113 yards receiving and scored three touchdowns in a 49-28 victory over Glascock County.
*Habersham Central WR Zeke Whittington had a school-record 15 receptions for 132 yards and a touchdown in a 24-14 loss to North Forsyth.
*Hampton WR Jeray Greene had six receptions for 165 yards and a touchdown in a 41-7 victory over McDonough.
*Howard LB Zelin Pollard had 10 solo tackles, three assists, three tackles for loss, an interception and a touchdown in a 35-16 loss to Griffin.
*Johnson County ATH Jook Whitley scored on a 9-yard pass, a 66-yard run, a 30-yard interception, a two-point run and a two-point pass in a 47-6 victory over Wilkinson County.
*LaGrange WR Jaylon Brown scored on passes of 89 and 72 yards, one on a third-and-8, in a 24-10 victory over Trinity Christian.
*Lakeview Academy RB Landon Hanes rushed for 206 yards and four touchdowns in a 44-6 victory over Riverside Military.
*Lambert LB Joe Tripp had six solo tackles, four assists, two tackles for loss, a pass breakup and an interception returned for a touchdown in a 39-31 victory over Denmark.
*Landmark Christian RB/LB Micah Lewis rushed for 174 yards and three touchdowns and had two tackles, an assisted sack and a caused fumble in a 43-6 victory over Towers.
*Lanier Christian RB Zeke Clanton rushed for 180 yards, had 317 all-purpose yards and scored a touchdown in a 40-13 victory over King’s Ridge Christian.
*Lumpkin County QB Cooper Scott rushed for 271 yards and four touchdowns on 25 carries and was 13-of-21 passing for 183 yards and a touchdown in a 56-35 victory over White County.
*Mount Pisgah Christian WR Makael Carter had 10 receptions for 151 yards and three touchdowns in a 38-27 victory over Mount Vernon.
*New Hampstead WR Malachi Lonnon had six receptions for 146 yards and three touchdowns in a 48-7 victory over Islands.
*Heritage (Newnan) DL Jacob Miles had three tackles for loss, two other tackles and a sack in a 30-12 victory over Strong Rock Christian.
*Norcross DE Jaylen Brown had three hits behind the line, two sacks, five solo tackles and two forced fumbles, one that he recovered, in a 64-21 victory over Meadowcreek.
*North Cobb LB Ben Trelles had 14 tackles, two tackles for loss, a touchdown-saving tackle and a QB hurry in a 22-19 victory over Kennesaw Mountain.
*North Oconee QB Max Wilson was 9-of-9 passing for 183 yards and three touchdowns in a 44-0 victory over Walnut Grove.
*Peachtree Ridge DE/G John Dutton had 12 tackles, one tackle for a loss and two QB pressures in a 17-14 victory over Discovery.
*Pickens LB/RB Kadyn Hampton had 11 tackles, four tackles for loss and nine rushing attempts for 78 yards and three touchdowns in a 29-7 victory over West Hall.
*Pierce County RB D.J. Bell rushed for 205 yards and six touchdowns and threw for 29 yards while playing only one half of a 49-14 victory over Windsor Forest.
*Rabun County QB Keegan Stover was 20-of-33 passing for 301 yards and five touchdowns, all in the first three quarters, in a 52-7 victory over Athens Christian.
*Rome WR/DB DeKaylon Daniel had five receptions for 121 yards and two touchdowns and intercepted a pass in a 55-7 victory over River Ridge.
*Roswell WR Ethan Crane had three receptions, all for touchdowns covering 192 yards, in a 49-7 victory over Sprayberry.
*Savannah Christian LB Jaden Miles had 10 tackles and two tackles for loss in a 49-7 victory over Beach.
*Shaw LB Cameron Moore had eight tackles, nine assists and a fumble recovery in a 21-17 victory over Hardaway.
*Social Circle QB Logan Cross was 18-of-23 passing for 274 yards and four touchdowns in a 30-0 victory over Jasper County.
*South Gwinnett QB Nate Miller was 17-of-25 passing for 371 yards and three touchdowns in a 28-27 loss to Archer.
*Thomasville WR/DB Jay Randall had four receptions for 112 yards and two touchdowns and intercepted two passes in a 35-20 victory over Dougherty.
*Towns County DL Chance Schmeltz and LB Seth Gillis each had 12 tackles and three tackles for loss in a 20-8 victory over Warren County.
*Trion RB Toby Maddux rushed for 184 yards and three touchdowns on 13 carries, caught seven passes for 94 yards and had 60 return yards and two tackles in a 42-14 victory over Pepperell.
*Troup QB Taeo Todd rushed for 173 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries and passed for 189 yards and two touchdowns in a 49-21 victory over Fayette County.
*Union County WR Jensen Goble had 10 receptions for 146 yards and two touchdowns in a 21-17 victory over East Jackson.
*Veterans WR Damare Franklin had eight receptions for 181 yards and two touchdowns in a 27-20 victory over Tift County.
*Washington-Wilkes RB Tamari Curry rushed for 157 yards and two touchdowns, both that gave his team the lead, in a 34-26 victory over Aquinas.
*Wilcox County WR/DB Willie Butts had three receptions for 73 yards and three touchdowns, returned an interception for a touchdown and had three tackles in a 53-21 victory over Dooly County.
*Winder-Barrow DB A.J. Johnson blocked a punt that he returned 15 yards for a touchdown and returned a fumble 86 yards for a touchdown in a 52-0 victory over Heritage of Conyers.
*Worth County DL Andrew Dixon and DL Danny Wilkerson had four tackles for loss apiece in a 43-7 victory over Jeff Davis.
Lines of distinction
*Appling County’s offensive line of Jaylon Smith, Wesley Hendricks, Rhett Stone, Jacob Gardner and Marcus NeSmith with tight ends Mykel Reed and Dawson Griffis helped the Pirates rush for 473 yards with two 150-yard rushers – Jaylen Johnson (215) and Jamarion Williams (156) – in a 34-13 victory over Vidalia.
*Centennial’s offensive line of Daniel Calhoun, Paul Bowling, Luke Stevens, Solomon Cox and Timmy Robert opened holes for 316 rushing yards, at 8.1 per carry, in a 38-6 victory over North Springs.
*Dodge County’s offensive line of Clay Lee, Dallas Parkerson, Emanuel Sutton, Jimmy Givens, Brian Hall and Damarion Simmons blocked for two 100-yard rushers – Lamari Mitchell (152) and Duke Johnson (129) – in a 47-37 victory over No. 4 Cook in a Class 2A game. Dodge County finished with 380 total yards in the victory over a 29-point favorite.
*Grayson’s offensive line of Bryce Hudson, Bryce Jones, Walt Flynn, Chase Glenn, Marlon Corey and Hadine Diaby paved the way for 449 total yards and six touchdowns in a 42-14 victory over Brookwood.
*Hebron Christian’s offensive line of J.T. Sperring, Deacon Maynard, Dean Maynard, Adam Cannon and Ike Adams paved the way for 599 total yards and two 100-yard rushers – Gavin Hall (250) and freshman Devon Caldwell (130) – in a 56-0 victory over Franklin County. The line has blocked for Class 3A’s leading rusher, Hall, now at 1,725 yards.
*LaFayette’s offensive line of Chase Hughes, Michael Hamilton, Bryar Hartline, Noah Johnson and Nick Shropshire paved the way for 351 rushing yards and two 100-yard rushers – Austin Tucker (145) and Dawson Pendergrass (106) – in a 30-14 victory over Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe.
*Lincoln County’s offensive line of Brent Hearst, Tai’Sean Bennett, Lane Parton, RJ Crite, Justin Zellars and Jack Antonakos paved the way for 300 yards rushing on 40 carries and 130 yards passing in a 31-21 victory over Greene County.
*Lovejoy’s offensive line of Elijah Shareef, Demarcus Morris, Marcus Bailey, Marquell Sullivan, Khamari Gray and Jaden Johnson with fullback Zacchaeus Storey led the way for 273 yards passing for QB Malachi Lightfoot and 282 yards rushing in a 34-16 victory over Morrow.
*Madison County’s offensive line of Wyatt Morris, Braxton Waller, Walker Simmons, Will Huntsinger, and Justin Smith created space for 362 rushing yards in a 42-34 victory over East Forsyth. Triple-option QB Camden Smith went over 1,000 yards rushing (1,009) on the season.
*Pelham’s offensive line of Adavian Arline, Leonard Guyton lll, Cole Snead, Jeremy Hampton and Freddie Williams, all underclassmen, cleared a path for 353 yards rushing in a 47-24 victory over Bacon County.
*Prince Avenue Christian’s offensive line of Jake Atha, Mason Townsend, Austin Head, Bubba Howard, Mason Goodyear and Caleb Chandler led the Wolverines to 380 passing yards and 187 rushing yards in a 56-17 victory over Oglethorpe County. Prince Avenue leads Class A Division I in scoring at 41.6 points per game.
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