On Thursday, Class A-3A No. 1 ranked Savannah Christian scored a 44-20 win over Oceanside Collegiate (SC). Zo Smalls had 38 carries for 214 yards and four touchdowns while Kenry Wall added four carries for 31 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Raiders. Wall added two interceptions and Isaiah Redmond had one interception. Kicker Christian Johns was 5-of-6 on PATs and 1-for-1 on field goals.
Friday night, Class A Division I continued to make waves statewide as No. 1 ranked Toombs County served Rome a 33-29 win. Before we get into the victory, it is worth noting that Savannah Christian and Toombs County will close out the regular season against each other in Region 3 and as of now that would be a No. 1 vs. No. 1 matchup. No. 1 Toombs County went on the road and defeated Rome in one of the biggest upsets of the season. Coming into the game, the Bulldogs were a 28-point underdog. Toombs County led the entire way fueled by quarterback TJ Stanley’s three touchdowns. Tennessee-commit Lagonza Hayward added a 12-yard touchdown reception and continued his impressive start to the season. Rome made it interesting in the second half and after trailing 27-9, the Wolves scored 14 unanswered points to cut the lead to 27-23 with 5:25 left in the game. Toombs County running back Dabyn Wadley had a 48-yard touchdown run that sealed the deal giving the Bulldogs a double-digit lead with less than three minutes left. Rome’s Jaedon Harmon had two rushing touchdowns on the evening, one from two yards and the other from four yards out. Wide receiver Timerious Stallings also had a receiving touchdown for the Wolves. Toombs County has started 3-0 for the second consecutive year under head coach Buddy Martin.
This week, Temple scored a 34-21 win over South Atlanta. Sophomore Serjoe Jones had 13 carries for 112 yards and three touchdowns and senior CJ Gray had 23 carries for 177 yards and two touchdowns to lead Temple past South Atlanta. Temple led 21-14 after the first quarter.
No. 7 ranked Dodge County held on for a 33-28 win over ACE Charter and improved to 3-0 in Region 2 play. First-year head coach Phillip Brown maintained his flawless start and all three of Dodge County’s wins have come in region play due to the 11-team Region 2. ACE Charter falls to 2-1 overall and 2-1 in region play. Next week, Dodge County will host Vidalia in its only non-region game of the season. ACE Charter led 21-13 midway through the second quarter and 21-20 at the half. ACE Charter athlete Brice Whitley scored a 90-yard kickoff returned for a touchdown for the Gryphons.
Host Rabun County, ranked No. 10 in Class A Division I, took down Class 4A Dalton 35-13 thanks to four rushing touchdowns from running back Reid Giles. Fellow Wildcats running back Lake Evans also rushed for a score. Rabun County improved to 2-1, and Dalton fell to 0-4.
Dublin scored 28 points in the first quarter en route to a 49-0 victory over Washington County. Micah O’Neal had a big night for the Fighting Irish, throwing two touchdown passes and rushing for one in the first half. O’Neal also had a 68-punt return for a TD in the second quarter to give Dublin the 42-0 lead at halftime. The Fighting Irish have scored at least 40 or more points in all four games this season.
Commerce won its second-straight game and is a team that is on my radar to make its way into the polls. The Tigers are 2-0 with Jaiden Daniels healthy and playing the quarterback role. Bremen rebounded from last week’s loss of starting quarterback Carson Kimball to a spinal injury and picked up an emotional 31-14 home win over Region 4′s McNair to improve to 2-1. The Blue Devils will take on Region 8′s Rabun County next Friday night in their final non-region game.
Wesleyan, ranked No. 10 in Class 3A-A Private, met B.E.S.T. Academy in a non-region private-public matchup of teams from Region 5-A Division I and won 40-0. Quarterback Ben Brown threw five touchdown passes for the host Wolves, finding five different receivers: Connor Roush, Grayson McCollum, Alex Moran, Carter Hayes and Ryley Webb. Maddox Gartland also rushed for a touchdown for Wesleyan. The Wolves improved to 3-1, and B.E.S.T. fell to 3-1.
Visiting Armuchee got four touchdown passes from Blaine Ragland and moved to 3-0 in a 46-13 win over Southeast Whitfield. Ragland threw two touchdown passes to Will Pethel and one each to Evan Hayes and Caleb Fellows. Jakson Hightower rushed for two touchdowns for Armuchee, of Region 7-A Division I, and Julian Alvarez made a first-quarter field goal. Southeast Whitfield, of Region 7-4A, fell to 0-4.
Week 4 Results and Standings
REGION 1
Jeff Davis 0-0, 4-0
Thomasville 0-0, 3-1
Worth County 0-0, 2-2
Bacon County 0-0, 2-1
Fitzgerald 0-0, 1-1
Berrien 0-0, 0-4
Brantley County 0-0, 0-4
Thursday, Sept. 5
Clinch County 35, Berrien 13
Friday, Sept. 6
Vidalia 30, Brantley County 0
Jeff Davis 30, Tattnall County 6
Thomas County Central 48, Thomasville 10
Brooks County 26, Worth County 7
REGION 2
Dublin 3-0, 4-0
Dodge County 3-0, 4-0
Northeast 3-0, 3-1
ACE Charter 2-1, 2-1
Bleckley County 1-2, 2-2
Washington County 1-2, 1-3
East Laurens 1-2, 2-2
Southwest 1-2, 1-3
Central-Macon 0-3, 0-4
Jefferson County 0-3, 0-4
Thursday, Sept. 5 (ALL REGION GAMES)
East Laurens 49, Central-Macon 0
Northeast 47, Jefferson County 0
Southwest 30, Bleckley County 29
Friday, Sept. 6
Dodge County 33, ACE Charter 28
Dublin 49, Washington County 0
REGION 3
Savannah Christian 0-0, 4-0
Toombs County 0-0, 3-0
Vidalia 0-0, 3-1
Sav. Country Day 0-0, 1-3
Swainsboro 0-0, 1-3
Thursday, Sept. 5
Savannah Christian 44, Oceanside Collegiate 20
Friday, Sept. 6
Savannah Country Day 44, Bluffton 16
Appling County 32, Swainsboro 12
Toombs County 33, Rome 29
Vidalia 30, Brantley County 0
REGION 4
Lamar County 0-0, 3-0
Jasper County 0-0, 2-1
McNair 0-0, 2-2
Social Circle 0-0, 2-2
Towers 0-0, 1-2
Putnam County 0-0, 1-3
Utopian Academy 0-0, 0-4
Friday, Sept. 6
Lamar County 62, Rutland 7
Bremen 31, McNair 14
Putnam County 28, Haralson County 3
Whitefield Academy 35, Social Circle 14
Cherokee Christian 38, Towers 6
Saturday, Sept. 7
Woodson (DC) 46, Utopian Academy 0
REGION 5
Sub Region A
King’s Ridge 0-0, 4-0
Wesleyan 0-0, 3-1
Fellowship Christian 0-0, 2-1
Mount Vernon 0-0, 1-1
Mt. Pisgah 0-0, 0-4
St. Francis 0-0, 0-4
Mount Bethel 0-0, 2-0 ++
Sub Region B
B.E.S.T. Academy 0-0, 3-1
Landmark Christian 0-0, 2-1
Mount Paran 0-0, 2-1
Whitefield Academy 0-0, 2-1
Walker 0-0 ,1-3
Friday, Sept. 6
Fellowship Christian 38, Osborne 13
King’s Ridge Christian 42, Walker 0
Providence Christian 27, Mt. Pisgah 12
Lanier County 14, St. Francis 7
Wesleyan 40, B.E.S.T. Academy 0
Whitefield Academy 35, Social Circle 14
Mount Bethel 14, Creekside Christian 9
REGION 6
Temple 0-0, 3-1
Bremen 0-0, 2-1
Heard County 0-0, 2-1
Model 0-0, 2-2
Darlington 0-0, 1-2
Haralson County 0-0, 1-3
Pepperell 0-0, 0-4
Thursday, Sept. 5,
Temple 34, South Atlanta 21
Friday, Sept. 6
Bremen 31, McNair 14
Putnam County 28, Haralson County 3
Trion 22, Model 12
Cedartown 44, Pepperell 0
REGION 7
Armuchee 0-0, 3-0
Chattooga 0-0, 3-0
Fannin County 0-0, 3-0
Christian Heritage 0-0, 2-1
Coosa 0-0, 1-1
Gordon Central 0-0, 2-1
Gordon Lee 0-0, 1-1
Dade County 0-0, 1-2
Friday, Sept. 6
Armuchee 46, Southeast Whitfield 13
Chattooga 45, Mount Zion-Carroll 20
Coosa 28, Ridgeland 6
Gordon Lee 38, Heritage-Catoosa 28
REGION 8
Athens Academy 0-0, 4-0
Rabun County 0-0, 2-1
Commerce 0-0, 2-2
Elbert County 0-0, 1-2
Providence Christian 0-0, 1-3
Banks County 0-0, 0-3
Oglethorpe County 0-0, 0-4
Friday, Sept. 6
Athens Academy 47, John Milledge Academy 14
Dawson County 14, Banks County 7
Commerce 28, Madison County 12
Laney 34, Oglethorpe County 14
Providence Christian 27, Mount Pisgah 12
Rabun County 35, Dalton 13
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