Brooks County (2-2) looks for another chance to beat top-ranked and Class 2A defending champion Pierce County (4-0) when it plays host to the Bears on Friday.
The game highlights a light weekend schedule in Class A Division II, where top-ranked Bowdon, No. 5 Clinch County and No. 6 Greene County take the weekend off.
Brooks County leads the series 6-1, and Pierce has not beaten the Trojans since 2002. The teams last played in 2017, when Brooks won 31-0. Now, it’s first-year head coach Josh McFather’s turn to keep things going.
But it will be a tall task. Pierce’s Bears have scored at least 40 points in three of their four victories against Coosa Christian (Ala.) (41-7), Brantley County (42-7), Wayne County (35-0) and New Hampstead (48-7).
But Brooks is the first ranked program Pierce has played this season.
Brooks County junior quarterback Burruss is 78-of-129 passing for 955 yards and seven touchdowns. but had three interceptions in last week’s 23-13 loss to Fitzgerald. A favorite receiver is George Lamons, who has 34 catches for seven touchdowns. Chris Cole Jr. has five rushing touchdowns and 482 yards.
Brooks County opened with a 35-12 loss to Class A Division I No. 6 Thomasville but beat Class 2A then-No. 5 Cook 45-14 and Worth County 26-7 before losing to Fitzgerald last week.
In other games:
-- Irwin County, ranked No. 2, will travel to Class 2A Cook (2-3). Cook began the season ranked No. 9 in 2A, defeated Berrien 45-13 and Bainbridge 13-10 to ascend to No. 5 in the 2A poll before losing three consecutive games to drop out of the rankings.
-- Two programs will welcome out-of-state teams: No. 8 Trion (5-0) hosts North Carolina’s Robbinsville, and No. 8 Lincoln County plays South Carolina’s Silver Bluff.
Class A Division II Top-10 schedule
1. (1) Bowdon (4-1) does not play.
2. (2) Irwin County (4-0) at Cook
3. (4) Manchester (2-1) at Chapel Hill
4. (3) Brooks County (2-2) vs. Class 2A No. 1 Pierce County
5. (5) Clinch County (5-0) does not play.
6. (6) Greene County (4-1) does not play.
7. (8) Trion (5-0) vs. Robbinsville (NC)
8. (10) Lincoln County (4-0) vs. Silver Bluff (S.C.)
9. (9) Metter (2-1) at Portal
10. (NR) Early County (2-2) vs. Terrell County
