There were three region openers in Region 1 this week and the third one I highlighted last Thursday was between Jeff Davis at Brantley County. The undefeated Yellow Jackets were off to a 4-0 start and were ranked for the first time since the 2021 season. As a result, Jeff Davis was the only remaining undefeated team in Region 1 and was set to take on a 0-4 Brantley County team that is coming off a bye and looking for their first win of the season, in addition to the first win under new head coach David Shores, who was hired after a 3-year stint at Brunswick High School this offseason. The Blue Herons came through with a massive 28-21 win to jump to the top of the standings and give coach Shores his first win with Brantley County.
In Region 8, Athens Academy escaped with a thrilling 29-28 win over Commerce. Hampton Johnson gave Athens Academy a 14-0 lead with a pair of touchdown runs—the second of which was set up by a KJ Whitehead fumble recovery. Commerce cut the deficit to 14-7, but the Spartans responded before the half with a 45-yard touchdown pass from Johnson to Bryan McClendon to make it 21-7. Athens Academy fumbled its opening possession of the second half to set up Commerce for the score and then the Tigers stopped Athens Academy at the 2-yard line before Jaiden Daniels’ evened the game at 21-21 with a 98-yard touchdown pass to Tysean Wiggins with just 29 seconds left in the third quarter. Commerce claimed its first lead of the game with a rushing touchdown with 7:12 left. Johnson converted a fourth down with 1:06 left and McClendon broke loose for a touchdown with 44 seconds left to cut the deficit to 28-27. Keon Sandifer took the two-point conversion on an end-around to provide the game-winning points.
In Region 7, Chattooga took the Battle of Taylor’s Ridge and improved to 5-0 with a 49-7 win over Armuchee. Running back Zayden Cook scored on a 62-yard run to put the Indians up 7-0. Chattooga led 49-0 at the end of the third and the senior Cook did not need to play in the final frame to achieve his fifth-straight game with 200-plus rushing yards. Cook finishes with 268 yards off 15 carries. Quarry Gibson connected with Matthew Bryant for a 29-yard touchdown pass to give Chattooga a 14-0 lead and Cook added a 75-yard score after an Armuchee fumble to give the Indians a 21-0 lead. Gibson rushed in a 1-yard score on a quarterback sneak to push the lead to 28-0. An 18-yard touchdown by Cook made it 35-0 at the half and Cook scored his fourth touchdown from 41 yards out midway through the third to make it 42-0. Gibson made it 49-0 with a 5-yard score just before the start of the fourth quarter.
Northeast-Macon (4-1) stamped its second-straight shutout and won its fourth-straight game in a 46-0 victory over ACE Charter. The Raiders took a 27-0 halftime lead after a Nick Woodford 25-yard touchdown run. Woodford opened the second half with a 55-yard touchdown run and Reginald Glover found Josh Evans for a 20-yard touchdown to push the lead to 46-0 heading into the fourth quarter.
Bremen held Model to just 83 yards of offense behind a defense which scored nine of the team’s 31 points in the 31-0 romp of Model. Bremen opened the scoring on a 23-yard run from Trent McPherson to cap a 14-play, 92-yard drive. Carter Allen’s point-after try put the Blue Devils up 7-0. Jaishaun Jones returned an interception 20 yards for a touchdown to extend the lead. Allen kicked field goals of 25 and 36 yards to give Bremen a 20-0 lead at halftime. In the third quarter, Allen kicked a 52-yard field goal to expand the lead to 23-0 and then the Bremen defense forced a safety after pinning Model inside the 5-yard line. Landon Hannah scored on a 7-yard run to put the game out of reach and cap scoring.
The sixth-ranked Fitzgerald Purple Hurricanes got their first region win of the season with a 28-21 victory over visiting Worth County. Fitzgerald led 7-0 in the first and 14-6 at the break before the Rams knotted it up on a touchdown run and successful two-point conversion, then took the lead with a 96-yard fumble return. The Purple Hurricanes responded with a touchdown on the ensuing kickoff, however, followed by an interception on defense that set up one last rushing score.
Week 6 Results and Standings
REGION 1
Thomasville 1-0, 4-1
Fitzgerald 1-0, 3-1
Brantley County 1-0, 1-4
Berrien 0-0, 0-4
Jeff Davis 0-1, 4-1
Bacon County 0-1, 3-2
Worth County 0-1, 2-3
Friday, Sept. 20
Brantley County 28, Jeff Davis 21
Ftizgerald 28, Worth County 21
Thomasville 6, Bacon County 0
REGION 2
Dodge County 4-0, 5-0
Dublin 4-0, 5-0
Northeast 4-0, 4-1
ACE Charter 2-2, 3-2
Southwest 2-2, 2-3
Washington County 2-2, 2-3
Bleckley County 1-3, 2-3
East Laurens 1-3, 2-2
Central-Macon 0-4, 0-5
Jefferson County 0-4, 0-5
Friday, Sept. 20
Southwest 45, Central-Macon 6
Dodge County 46, East Laurens 27
Dublin 56, Jefferson County 0
Northeast 46, ACE Charter 0
Washington County 21, Bleckley County 17
REGION 3
Savannah Christian 0-0, 5-0
Toombs County 0-0, 5-0
Vidalia 0-0, 3-2
Sav. Country Day 0-0, 2-3
Swainsboro 0-0, 1-5
Friday, Sept. 20
Savannah Christian 31, Tattnall County 9
Crisp County 30, Swainsboro 6
Toombs County 61, Hamilton County (FL) 0
REGION 4
Jasper County 1-0, 4-1
Social Circle 1-0, 3-2
Putnam County 1-0, 2-3
Lamar County 0-0, 3-1
McNair 0-1, 2-3
Towers 0-1, 2-2
Utopian Academy 0-1, 0-5
Friday, Sept. 20
Jasper County 43, Towers 8
Putnam County 45, McNair 37
Social Circle 65, Utopian Academy 6
Westside-Macon 10, Lamar County 10
REGION 5
Sub Region A
Wesleyan 1-0, 4-1
Mount Vernon 1-0, 3-1
Fellowship Christian 1-0, 3-2
King’s Ridge 0-1, 4-1
Mt. Pisgah 0-1, 0-5
St. Francis 0-1, 0-5
Mount Bethel 0-0, 3-0 ++
Sub Region B
Landmark Christian 0-0, 4-1
Mount Paran 0-0, 4-1
B.E.S.T. Academy 0-0, 3-2
Whitefield Academy 0-0, 3-2
Walker 0-0, 2-3
Friday, Sept. 20
Fellowship Christian 45, King’s Ridge Christian 7
Landmark Christian 36, Lake Oconee Academy 24
Mount Paran 30, Washington-Wilkes 18
Mount Vernon 35, Mount Pisgah 3
Wesleyan 42, St. Francis 3
Whitefield Academy 27, St. Anne-Pacelli 15
REGION 6
Temple 1-0, 4-1
Bremen 1-0, 3-2
Darlington 1-0, 3-2
Heard County 0-0, 2-2
Model 0-1, 2-3
Haralson County 0-1, 1-4
Pepperell 0-1, 0-5
Friday, Sept. 20
Bremen 31, Model 0
Darlington 21, Haralson County 16
Temple 49, Pepperell 28
REGION 7
Chattooga 2-0, 5-0
Fannin County 2-0, 5-0
Christian Heritage 2-0, 4-1
Gordon Central 1-1, 2-2
Gordon Lee 1-1, 3-2
Armuchee 0-2, 3-2
Coosa 0-2, 2-3
Dade County 0-2, 1-4
Friday, Sept. 20
Chattooga 49, Armuchee 7
Christian Heritage 35, Gordon Lee 20
Fannin County 44, Dade County 0
Gordon Central 30, Coosa 0
REGION 8
Athens Academy 1-0, 5-0
Rabun County 1-0, 4-1
Elbert County 1-0, 2-3
Providence Christian 0-0, 1-3
Commerce 0-2, 2-3
Banks County 0-1, 0-5
Oglethorpe County 0-1, 0-5
Friday, Sept. 20
Rabun County 31, Banks County 9
Athens Academy 29, Commerce 28 Elbert County 46, Oglethorpe County 13
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