Ranking the most surprising and notable games of the weekend:
1. Brantley County 28, Jeff Davis 21: Brantley County pulled off the biggest upset of the week, according to the computer Maxwell Ratings, when it defeated seventh-ranked Jeff Davis, a 31-point favorite, in the teams’ Region 1-A Division I opener. It was the first victory of the season for Brantley and the first loss for Jeff Davis. Brantley had not beaten a top-10 team from its classification since 1972, a losing streak of 44 games of its kind.
2. Douglass 28, Cedar Grove 0: Douglass defeated 16-point favorite Cedar Grove to end a seven-game losing streak in a series that Cedar Grove has dominated. Since Douglass’ last victory in 2003, Cedar Grove has outscored the Astros by an average score of 42-2 and won the past three by a combined 139-0. Cedar Grove has won five state titles in the past eight years but is 0-4 for the first time since 2003, not including forfeits.
3. Lakeside (Evans) 28, Glynn Academy 14: Lakeside, which opened in 1988, is 5-0 for the first time after defeating two-point favorite Glynn Academy, which won last year’s meeting 50-7. Lakeside was 3-7 and missed the playoffs each of the past two seasons. The Panthers are tied with Brunswick for first place in Region 1-5A, and the teams will meet on Oct. 18 in a game that could decide the region title.
4. Jonesboro 14, Harris County 12: Jonesboro, a six-point underdog, ended Harris County’s bid for the first 5-0 start in school history when the Cardinals won in the teams’ Region 3-4A opener. Harris County, a region champion and state quarterfinalist in 2023, had won 13 consecutive regular-season games. Jonesboro’s opponent this week, Central of Carrollton, and Harris County were tied for 13th in 4A in GHSF Daily’s Composite rankings last week.
5. Wheeler 24, Marietta 17: Wheeler avoided its first 0-6 start since 2009 with a victory over eight-point favorite Marietta. Wheeler’s losses include a forfeit against North Forsyth in a rain-interrupted Week 1 game followed by one-point losses to Harrison and North Atlanta. Marietta is 1-5 for the second consecutive season, although in 2023 the Blue Devils won two of their final four games to reach the playoffs for the seventh straight year.
Worth noting: Cherokee emerged as one of only two remaining unbeaten teams (along with No. 10 North Cobb) in seven-team Region 5-6A after a 49-28 victory over five-point favorite North Paulding in its region opener. Cherokee is 3-2 overall, with two eight-point losses, after going 2-8 last year and missing the playoffs for the first time since 2017. … Gordon Central, an 0-10 team each of the past three seasons, is 3-2 under second-year coach Lenny Gregory after a 30-0 victory over Coosa. This win was the biggest surprise of the three, as Maxwell projected Coosa as a 19-point favorite. … North Atlanta, which opened in 1991, set a school single-game record for points when it defeated 13-point underdog South Forsyth 62-21. The Warriors, who have never won a region title, are tied with Lambert for first place in Region 6-6A. … Westside (Augusta) is 5-0 for the first time since 2002 after a 21-16 victory over five-point favorite Aquinas in a Region 4-3A game. Westside and Harlem are the only remaining unbeaten teams in region play, and the winner of their game on Oct. 18 is the front-runner for the region title. Westside’s last region title came in 2000. … Westside (Macon), a three-point underdog, ended a 16-game losing streak against ranked opponents in any classification when it won 20-10 against then-No. 4 Lamar County of Class A Division I. The Seminoles get another chance this week when they open Region 2-2A play against No. 2 Morgan County.
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