Mill Creek, a team ranked No. 6 in Class 6A, seized control in the second quarter against the host Blue Devils, then held on through a gritty second-half Norcross push before Daniel Smith’s 9-yard rushing score and Deotris Mize’s interception sealed the 21-10 victory for the Hawks in the sixth annual Great Atlanta Bash.
The Blue Devils struck first, getting on the board just 1:32 into the game on a touchdown pass from senior quarterback Dillon Mohammed to Jahsaun Clarke. Mill Creek owned the rest of the half, however, shutting down the Norcross offense and taking a 14-7 lead after a pair of second-quarter scoring strikes from Shane Throgmartin to Devin Hamilton and Luke Metz.
“We just settled in,” praised sixth-year head coach Josh Lovelady after the game. “We made a few adjustments as far as coverage goes, getting people lined up right. We talked about, even before the game, adversity. And sure enough, it hit us. I said we didn’t know when it was going to come. It came right out of the gate, and the kids responded to it.”
The teams traded punts throughout the third quarter before the Blue Devils run game opened, setting up 2nd-and-1 in the red zone after a successful conversion on 4th-and-2. The Hawks defense ultimately stood strong though, forcing longtime head coach Keith Maloof to settle for a 36-yard field goal.
The Norcross defense returned the favor on the following Mill Creek drive, stopping the Hawks on 4th-and-2, and the Blue Devils seemed poised to take the lead when Mohammed ran into Mill Creek territory on 2nd-and-20. The possession went nowhere from there, however, and Smith made it a two-score game with 4:14 to play before Mize quashed any remaining hope of a comeback with the pick.
“What a great interception at a key moment,” enthused Coach Lovelady. “Especially because of the flow there. We got a penalty, and they were about to have momentum. So, great timing.”
The 2-0 Hawks will host Archer next week for their home opener. Meanwhile, Norcross (1-1) will try to get its season back on track at Walton.
The AJC had writers at McEachern at North Cobb and Woodward Academy at Collins Hill. See Todd Holcomb’s Friday Night Highlights or check out the recaps from Thursday and Friday below.
Class 6A
Buford 29, Benedictine 28
Buford hosted Benedictine in the first-ever meeting between the schools and needed a game-winning touchdown and two-point conversion in the final 1:05 to pick up the 29-28 victory. Benedictine capitalized on a pair of interceptions thrown by Buford’s sophomore quarterback Dayton Raiola to take a 14-10 lead in the second quarter and pushed that lead to 21-10 with a rushing score by Stephen Cannon on a quarterback sneak—capping a 13-play 82-yard drive. JD Gregory cut the deficit to 21-13 with 2:40 left in the third quarter with a clutch 45-yard field goal and then Raiola tied it up 21-21 with an 8-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Allen and a successful two-point conversion by Sam Harkness. The Cadets regained the lead on another 13-play drive and Cannon’s 11-yard touchdown run put the Cadets up 28-21 with 9:06 left. Buford’s decisive score came with 1:05 left on a 27-yard touchdown pass from Raiola to Ethan Ervin. Trailing 28-27, the Wolves went for the win on a swinging gate play and Kenyon Rivera converted the two-point attempt to put Buford up 29-28. Buford’s defense closed out the game by forcing a turnover on downs with 42 seconds left and kneeled out the victory.
Harrison 35, Wheeler 34
The Hoyas are off to a 2-0 start following a wild 35-34 road win over the Wheeler Wildcats. Harrison overcame a trio of interceptions by quarterback Xavier Hill to come out on top of the back-and-forth battle, The Wildcats took a quick 14-0 lead on a long score from Joshua Rodriguez and Emmanuel Jones’ pick-six, then went up 20-7 before 21 unanswered points from the Hoyas. Greg Kendrick put Wheeler back on top late in the final frame with a touchdown run, but Hill led Harrison down the field and TC Washington ran it in from three yards out with 0:28 to play for the game-winner.
Grayson 15, Thompson (AL) 14
Grayson crossed state lines and picked up a hard-fought road win over Thompson of Alabama. The Rams needed extra time to do so, and they made it happen by going for two and the win rather than an extra point to tie. Following Grayson’s touchdown on the second possession of OT, running Elijah Miller took a direct snap and converted the try to clinch victory. The Rams also got a touchdown run by Joel Bradford, while the Warriors scored on an interception return by Anquon Fegans and on a pass from Trent Seaborn to Brooks Byars.
Douglas County 48, Jonesboro 8
The third-ranked Tigers trounced Jonesboro by a margin of 48-8 in their home opener to improve to 2-0. Zamarcus Lindley’s 10-yard run gave Douglas County an early 21-0 edge, and James Johnson connected with Rah-keith Kelly for a 40-yarder to grow the lead before the break. Lindley scored again from 45 yards out in the third quarter and Jachari Streeter added another touchdown before Jonesboro finally got on the board at the end of the third.
Colquitt County 52, Monroe 14
The Colquitt County Packers continued to roll in their week two game against monroe. The Packers defeated the Tornados 52-14 in the teams first meeting since the 1987 season. The Packers started the game with a 21-yard touchdown catch by Day’Shawn Brown to take a 7-0 lead. Colquitt County extended their lead to 14-0 on a Ra’Quavian Kinsey fumble return touchdown. Soon after, Monroe cut the lead to 14-7. Colquitt County quickly pushed the lead back up to 14. Late in the second quarter, Monroe answered with a 7-yard touchdown pass to cut the lead to 21-14. Colquitt County ended the half with a field goal, going into the break up 24-14. Both defenses locked down for much of the third quarter until, with 6 minutes left in the quarter, Colquitt County extended its lead with a 31-yard punt return touchdown. The rest of the game was all Packers, as they scored 21 points in the final 14 minutes. Next week, the Packers will play host to Gwinnett County power North Gwinnett. Monroe continues its brutal non-region schedule next week as they host Dothan (Alabama).
Brookwood 48, Shiloh 20
Brookwood extended its winning streak over county rival Shiloh to 22 straight with a 48-20 win in their first meeting since 2015. Brookwood built an early lead, ending the first quarter up 14-0. Shiloh closed the gap by halftime, trailing by only 7, down by a score of 27-20. Brookwood regrouped at the half and took back the momentum, scoring 21 unanswered points and ending the third quarter up 48-20. Both defenses clamped down in the fourth, neither team giving up a score, ending with a final score of 48-20. Brookwood will play host to another Gwinnett County school next week, South Gwinnett, as they look to start 2-1. Shiloh will hit the road next week, heading to Duluth looking for its first win.
Walton 41, Lambert 10
The fifth-ranked Raiders are 2-0 after a 41-10 home win over Lambert. Quarterback Kaeden Gilstrap connected with Christian Ward for a 44-yard touchdown and Lucas Farrington for a 72-yarder, and sophomore Alex Ward made up for a muffed punt in the opening frame with a 100-yard pick-six in the second.
Westlake 23, Douglass-Atlanta 7
In their first meeting since the 2007 season, Westlake defeated Douglass 23-7 in both teams’ second game of the season. The Lions started off the scoring with a seven-yard rushing touchdown from Naeem Odeniyi to take a 7-0 lead in the second quarter. On the ensuing possession for the Astros, they tied the score at 7-7 with a 70-yard touchdown from John Wilson to Dekari Carter. Westlake took a 10-7 lead into the half and held the Astros scoreless for the rest of the game. The Lions scored once again to open the third quarter and their defense continued to play lights out, holding the Astros off the scoreboard with a 16-7 lead. Westlake’s Tomir Bransford sealed the game for the Lions with a 65-yard rushing touchdown to take a 23-7 lead which was the final score of the night. The programs had met twice in their history with the Astros winning in 2006, 25-22 and Westlake winning the most-previous matchup in 2007, 23-21.
North Cobb 45, McEachern 33
Nick Grimstead threw for 323 yards and three touchdowns to lead North Cobb over McEachern. Grimstead also had two rushing touchdowns in the win. The host Warriors led 31-10 at halftime, but McEachern rallied in the second half to trail 39-33 early in the fourth quarter. North Cobb executed a fake punt midway through the fourth, leading to a Grimstead TD run. The Warriors were also led by Steele Ingram who caught four passes for 189 yards and two touchdowns in the first half. This is North Cobb’s first win over the Indians since 2013.
Camden County 60, East Lake 15
Camden County used an explosive offense to start off the season 2-0 and defeat East Lake (FL) by 45 points. Camden led 46-9 in the fourth quarter after scoring 20 points in the third. The Wildcats crossed the 60-point threshold for the first time since 2016 against Forest Park. Camden County seems to have hit a new gear offensively to start the season under new head coach Travis Roland. The Wildcats are averaging 55.5 points per game through their first two games and have already tied for the most 50-point games they had in 2023 which was two. Camden County will face three Florida schools over the next few weeks before heading into region play.
River Ridge 32, Denmark 17
River Ridge won their first game of the season, defeating Denmark 39-17 in Woodstock. River Ridge built an 18-0 lead in the second quarter and extended their lead to 32-14 in the third quarter. Both teams added late scores in the fourth period, as River Ridge got into the win column for the first time this season winning 39-17. This was River Ridge’s first win over a Forsyth county opponent since 2017, and only the second in school history. Next week, River Ridge will face off against former region rival Allatoona, while Denmark will face Cambridge as they try to get their first win of 2024.
East Coweta 30, Newnan 28
Aaron McWilliams kicked a 25-yard field goal to give East Coweta the victory over Newnan. This came after Newnan scored 14 unanswered points to take a 28-27 lead with 1:44 remaining in the game. East Coweta and Newnan were tied at 14 at halftime, but the host Indians broke the tie late in the third quarter when Cohen Peeples threw a 73-yard touchdown pass to Sam Gritton. This is East Coweta’s sixth consecutive victory over the Cougars.
Newton 70, Alcovy 0
The Newton Rams got into the win column for the first time this season, defeating Newton County rival Alcovy for the team’s 10th straight win over the Tigers. The Rams opened the game with fireworks, as Zion Johnson returned the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown. Soon after, Zack Harden returned an interception for a touchdown, putting the Rams up 13-0. Zion Johnson rushed for another big 45-yard touchdown before the end of the first quarter to extend the Newton lead to 20-0. Junior quarterback Deron Benson then took over the game, passing for two more touchdowns and extending the lead to 36-0. The rest of the first half was more of the same, with Newton finishing the half up 64-0. Newton scored one final touchdown, ending the game with a 70-0 victory. Next week, Newton will host Douglas County while Alcovy plays host to county rival Eastside.
Carrollton 35, Columbia 7
The Carrollton Trojans scored 28 first half points to defeat Columbia 35-7 in the second week of the season. The Trojans struck first with a connection between USC-commit quarterback Julian Lewis and wide receiver Ryan Mosley to take an early 7-0 lead in the first quarter. By the end of the first, the Trojans led 14-0. Carrollton took a 28-0 lead into the half after an action-packed second quarter featuring a Shamar Arnoux interception and a Kimauri Farmer one-yard rushing touchdown. The Trojan-defense didn’t allow a point until the fourth quarter when Columbia scored a rushing touchdown to get on the board for the only time in the night.
Gadsden County (FL) 45, Tift County 7
The third time was the charm, as Gadsden County (Florida) beat Tift County for the first time in school history by a score of 45-7. Gadsden County led the game from start to finish, ending the first quarter up 13-0. In the second quarter, the Jaguars found their groove, extending their lead to 39-0 by halftime. Both teams scored a touchdown in the third quarter, finishing the quarter with a score of 45-7. Neither team scored in the fourth quarter. Next week, the Blue Devils will face off against 5A power Lee County as they look to pull off a big upset.
Seckinger 34, Archer 27
Seckinger is off to their best start in program history after defeating Archer in a high-scoring contest. It’s been an impressive start so far for the Jaguars as their week 1 win against West Hall saw Jaimen Williams be named Gwinnett Daily Post Offensive Player of the Week. Through the first few weeks, the Jaguars have scored 75 points and have been hard to stop. Despite it just being the third season in program history, Seckinger looks to be headed in the right direction under head coach Tony Lotti. The inaugural football season for the Jaguars was in 2022. This is the second year the Archer Tigers have started 0-2 under head coach Dante Williams and next week doesn’t get any easier as they go on the road to face Mill Creek. Seckinger will be home against Mountain View.
Central Gwinnett 27, Stone Mountain 0
The Black Knights are off to a 2-0 start in their 2024 campaign following a pair of home shutouts, most recently a 27-0 result over visiting Stone Mountain in Week 2. Central Gwinnett held a modest 10-0 edge at the break that stood until the fourth, when the Black Knights added a field goal, a touchdown and a pick-six to put the game away.
Richmond Hill 31, Glynn Academy 12
Richmond Hill was tied with Glynn Academy 12-12 at the end of the first quarter and closed out the rival Red Terrors with an 18-0 advantage in the final three quarters of their season opening victory.
Class 5A
Thomas County Central 44, Cairo 14
Defending state champion Thomas County Central traded touchdowns with Cairo in the first quarter before Jaylen Johnson hit JB Watkins for a 46-yard touchdown to make it 14-7 in favor of the Yellow Jackets. The duo connected for their second score of the first half to push the lead to 21-7 and Cairo’s next touchdown came on a tipped ball reception. In the second quarter, Thomas County Central forced a fumble and Johnson escaped for a 38-yard touchdown on the second play of the drive to push the lead to 28-14. Johnson closed out the half with a 20-yard touchdown pass to Rodney Dunbar with just five seconds left to make it 35-14. Christian Lawrence ran in a touchdown in the third quarter and a safety with 3:18 left in the third quarter made it a 44-14 game. Thomas County Central closed out the victory and head coach Justin Rogers celebrated his 100th career victory. Rogers’ century win total includes a 29-1 record with Thomas County Central since joining the program in 2022, a 26-7 record in his three seasons with Colquitt County (2019-21) and a 45-15 record in his five years with Jones County (2014-18). As a result, it has taken coach Rogers just 123 games to reach 100 wins. Thomas County Central improves to 2-0 this season and will host Florida State High School next Friday. Class 3A Cairo opened its season tonight and will host Thomasville next Friday in another top 10 showdown.
East Paulding 33, North Paulding 15
In new head coach Van Spence’s first game with the East Paulding football program, the Raiders got their coach his first win with a 33-15 victory over North Paulding. The Raiders had been on a six-game losing-streak against North Paulding before tonight’s matchup against the Wolfpack, losing 21-17 last season. East Paulding led 10-0 after the first quarter before the scoring from both teams began to ramp up. North Paulding scored 10 points in the second quarter to East Paulding’s nine as it remained a two-possession game, 19-10 heading into the half. North Pauling received the ball to start the second half with the opportunity to cut the lead and fumbled its first possession giving the Raiders outstanding starting field position. East Paulding capitalized on the turnover, taking a 26-10 lead in the third. The Wolfpack cut the lead back to 10 with a touchdown of their own heading into the fourth, 26-16. East Paulding put the nail in the coffin with a touchdown pass with 11 minutes left in the fourth, ultimately sealing the game for the Raiders.
Gainesville 31, Moody (AL) 7
Gainesville went on the road to Alabama and thumped Moody in a contest that was competitive through two quarters. The Red Elephants led 3-0 at halftime on a 27-yard field goal by Francisco Johnson before breaking the game open with a trio of third-quarter touchdowns. Carmelo Byrd scored twice for Gainesville. The Red Elephants held the Blue Devils to four total first downs and a 0-for-11 third-down conversion rate. Moody’s lone touchdown came in the fourth quarter on a 53-yard pass from Charlie Johnston to Braden Wright.
Coffee 20, Ware County 16
Coffee advanced past Ware County to start the season 2-0 for a second consecutive year after an 18-yard touchdown run from Tyrese Woodgett with 6:34 left in the game proved the difference. It would be the final score of the game and the Trojans held on for the final six minutes to close out the victory. Woodgett was pivotal in leading the Trojans to victory finishing with a total of three touchdowns on the night. The game featured five lead changes as both teams battled to create separation. The lone touchdown of the game for Ware County came on a touchdown pass from Luke Hooks to Ja’Mario Rice. Kicker Will Bates was key for the Gators as he made three field goals in the game. Coffee has now won two consecutive games in the series against Ware County after the Gators won three straight from 2020-2022. Coffee leads the series 30-22 all-time
Cedartown 27, Berkmar 7
Tae Harris delivered a pair of touchdown runs to lead Cedartown past visiting Berkmar. Harris’ 72-yard scamper midway through the fourth quarter gave the Bulldogs an overwhelming 27-0 advantage before the Patriots finally got on the scoreboard. Cedartown also got a touchdown run by Isaiah Johnson and three field goals from Edgar Bermudez.
Statesboro 21, Veterans 10
Veterans took a 10-9 lead after trailing 9-0 at the half before Statesboro clinched its victory with a 12-point fourth quarter. Statesboro scored on a safety and touchdown pass to take a 9-0 lead and Veterans claimed the lead with a 1-yard touchdown run and a 34-yard field goal by Brayden Black that was set up by a successful onside kick in the third quarter. Jaylyn Heath’s 35-yard score put Statesboro back in front 15-10 midway through the final frame and Beckham Jarrard iced the game with a 23-yard score with less than a minute left.
Clarke Central 37, Oconee County 36
Host Clarke Central trailed 24-0 in the second quarter and 30-8 at halftime but stormed back to defeat Athens-area rival Oconee County after Gladiators quarterback Hezekiah Millender threw four second-half touchdowns. Millender threw a 29-yard touchdown to Xayvian Berry with 1:07 to tie the game, and the Gladiators’ backup kicker, Derrion Richardson, made his third extra point in as many attempts to give Clarke Central a one-point lead. Skylier Walter Jr. then intercepted Oconee County with 41 seconds remaining to seal the win. Clarke Central (Region 8-5A) scored its first touchdown late in the first half on a 9-yard rush by Corey Watkins Jr. and a two-point conversion rush by Millender, making it 24-8. The Gladiators would continue the comeback in the third quarter with a 29-yard Millender touchdown to Troy Rucker and a 21-yard Millender touchdown to Jamir Hall (followed by another Watkins two-point-conversion rush) to pull within seven points, 30-23. In the fourth quarter, Millender launched a 64-yard touchdown pass to Lagracion Little with 8:10 to play to tie the game. A long touchdown rush by Darius Darden of Oconee County (Region 8-3A) gave the Warriors a 36-30 lead, but Oconee County failed on an extra point attempt for the second time, leaving the door open for Clarke Central. The Gladiators improved to 2-0, and Oconee County fell to 0-2.
Houston County 44, Effingham County 41
Houston County and visiting Effingham County traded early field goals before Bears quarterback AJ Hill’s 16-yard touchdown pass to Austin Stinson put the Bears up 9-3. The Bears forced Effingham County to punt on its next possession and after a short punt, Houston County’s Gavin Kurpis plunged in a 1-yard touchdown to give the Bears a 16-3 lead at the end of the first quarter. Hill completed a 27-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Mitchell in the second quarter, but Kris Swinney returned the ensuing kickoff 82 yards for a Rebels touchdown to cut the lead back to 23-10. Effingham County chipped into the deficit with a field goal to open the third quarter, but Stinson hauled in his second touchdown reception to put Houston County up 30-13. Effingham County brought it within 10 on a 2-yard touchdown run by Tucker Perkins, but Javien Durham answered with a 47-yard touchdown run at the end of the third quarter to give the Bears a 37-20 advantage. Hill completed a 4-yard touchdown pass to Jeffery Thomas to put the game out of reach before the Rebels’ late touchdown from Perkins to Ryan Wells provided the final margin.
Perry 49, Peach County 39
Perry used a 28-point effort in the second quarter to lead 35-17 at the half and pull away from Peach County. The Trojans outscored the Panthers 14-0 in the fourth quarter, but the game was out of reach. Peach County led early on a 4-yard pass from DJ Hudson Jr. to Ashton Barton but Perry responded with a 10-yard touchdown run from Decorrion Daniels to tie the game. Angel Rodriguez kicked a 23-yard field goal to put Peach County up with 10 minutes left in the first half, but the Panthers again responded with a 50-yard touchdown run from Ahmad Gordon. Perry extended the lead on a 45-yard interception returned for a touchdown by Johntavious Carswell. A 70-yard touchdown pass from Zion Hudson to Hudson Jr. left Peach trailing 21-17. Daniels completed a 50-yard pass to Cullen McDaniel to expand the lead to 28-17 and a late touchdown pass left Perry leading 35-17 at the half. Gordon extended the lead on a 1-yard run with five minutes left in the third quarter. Peach cut into the lead on an 80-yard pass to Hudson but Perry capped its offense on a 30-yard run from Daniels late in the third quarter, putting Perry up 49-25.
Winder-Barrow 31, Forsyth Central
The Bulldoggs scored 22 points unanswered in the second half to seal the game thanks to touchdowns from Demetrius Dowdy and London Munoz close out Forsyth Central on the road. The first quarter remained scoreless, but Winder-Barrow was able to outscore Forsyth Central in every period following the first. Winder-Barrow started off the scoring with a 20-yard touchdown pass from Jashod Jackson to Xavier McCoy to take a 7-0 lead in the second quarter. Two Forsyth Central field goals in the second cut the lead to just a point but the half. Forsyth Central took a 13-7 lead early in the third, capitalizing on the Winder-Barrow fumble to start the half. Winder-Barrow followed it up with a touchdown of its own, retaking the one-point lead.
Brunswick 49, Wayne County 7
Brunswick led host Wayne County 15-7 at half before outscoring the Yellow Jacket 34-0 over the final two quarters. The Pirates’ surrendered 28 points off turnovers and miscues in their 51-41 loss to Camden County last week and head coach Garrett Grady was pleased with his team’s defensive effort and improvements.
Decatur 42, GAC 28
Decatur pulled even in the series against Greater Atlanta Christian and after entering the second half tied at 14, the Bulldogs outscored GAC 21-7 in the third quarter to take control of the game. The teams have met 18 times and each has won nine contests.
Northside-Warner Robins 13, Baldwin 12
Baldwin did all of its scoring in the fourth quarter but the Braves ran out of time in a comeback bid against Northside-Warner Robins. A 38-yard field goal from Cody Nelson with one minute left in the game proved the difference. Baldwin scored on a 7-yard run from Sadur Salahuddin with less than a minute remaining to leave Baldwin trailing 13-12 and the Braves failed one the 2-point conversion in an attempt to win the game.
Class 4A
Cass 48, Model 0
Cass dominated on both sides of the ball to cruise past visiting Model. Colonels quarterback Brodie McWhorter completed 14 of 18 passes for 227 yards and three touchdowns before sitting out the entire second half. McWhorter’s scoring strikes went to Elijah Slocum, Braylon Hill and Chase Tatum. Slocum finished with 86 yards on six receptions, while Hill also rushed for 47 yards and two touchdowns. Cass also got 66 rushing yards and a TD from Jachai Delgago. Defensively, the Colonels held the Blue Devils to 89 total yards and six first downs while forcing four turnovers. Having previously defeated Callaway 42-7, Cass has now outscored its opponents by a combined 90-7 margin through two games.
Warner Robins 42, Fayette County 7
Region 1-4A Warner Robins hosted Region 2-3A Fayette County and scored all of its points before halftime, only allowing a fourth-quarter touchdown. Travis English Jr. rushed for touchdowns of 30 and 14 yards for the Demons, who improved to 1-1. Warner Robins quarterback Skyler Williams threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Perkins. Three other Demons rushed for scores: Kenyan Johnson (14 yards), Da’veon Latimore (2 yards) and Damoni Cox (1 yard). Fayette County fell to 0-2.
Flowery Branch 23, Habersham Central 13
Flowery Branch got its first win of the season, defeating Habersham Central 23-13. The Falcons started off the scoring with seven minutes left in the first quarter as Tyler Robinson took a sweep two yards for a touchdown. On the Raiders’ next possession, a fumble led the Falcons to quickly score on a three-yard touchdown run, extending their lead to 13-0. The Raiders turned the ball over again on the next possession, allowing Flowery Branch to extend their lead to 16-0 on a field goal. Both teams struggled to score in the second quarter, and the game went to halftime with the same score. Habersham Central started the second-half scoring with a 14-yard rushing touchdown with nine minutes left in the third quarter. The Raiders cut the lead to three with nine minutes remaining in the game on a one-yard touchdown rush. However, the Falcons ended the Raiders’ chance at a comeback with a four-yard rushing touchdown with less than two minutes remaining. Next week, Flowery Branch will head to Forsyth Central, and Habersham Central will try to win its first game against rival White County.
Allatoona 31, South Paulding 29
Allatoona outlasted South Paulding’s second-half surge to move to 1-1 on the season. The Buccaneers held an early 21-0 lead before the Spartans answered. South Paulding quarterback Kade Wiggington connected on touchdown passes to Kole Weisman and Eddie Stanford to pull the Spartans within a touchdown at halftime and passed for four touchdowns on the night. The junior quarterback has continued to make strides from his sophomore season. The Buccaneers held a 28-21 lead on their final drive in the 4th quarter before nailing a late field goal that gave Allatoona much-needed breathing room with less than a minute to go. South Paulding scored a late touchdown and two-point conversion but ultimately ran out of time. The Spartans dealt with injuries in this game as both of their inside linebackers were out and South Paulding had to lean on their starting running back Albert McCoy to fill the void. Allatoona has half their win total from 2023 and has been improved offensively to start 2024 scoring 27 points in both of their first two games.
Westminster 17, Pace Academy 7
Westminster (1-1) won a tight home game against Buckhead rival Pace Academy (1-1), getting an interception from Drew Hill with 3:58 remaining that allowed the Wildcats to run the clock down and preserve their 10-point lead. Westminster, of Region 6-4A, took a 7-0 lead on a 1-yard Michael Buhay quarterback sneak with 52 seconds remaining in the first quarter. After a scoreless second quarter, Pace Academy, of Region 4-4A, tied the game with 4:50 left in the third quarter on a 22-yard touchdown pass from Kaiden Harley to Cooper Williams. Westminster responded in the fourth quarter, taking a 14-7 lead on a 13-yard touchdown pass from Buhay to tight end Brand Morgan and a 44-yard field goal from Vikas Reddy with 4:47 remaining.
Madison County 37, Hart County 36
Madison County got past Hart County in overtime after being down by two scores in the second quarter. Hart County had a 16-14 lead at halftime and increased the lead by nine in the third quarter when Faustino Rangel scored on a TD run. Madison County took a 29-21 lead in the fourth quarter before Rangel scored another TD to tie the game with 3:59 remaining. This is Madison County’s first win over Hart County since 1991.
Kell 57, Alpharetta 0
Kell dominated in all three phases of the game to defeat host Alpharetta. The Longhorns scored twice on special teams, first when Trenton Wanjogu fell on a snap that went over the punter’s head and again when Tony Forney Jr. returned a block bunt 30 yards to the endzone. In addition to pitching a shutout, the defense contributed points of its own in the form of a 32-yard fumble return by Trey Pegram. Kaleb Narcisse led the offensive charge in his lone half of work, throwing for 106 yards and two touchdowns. Kell also got touchdowns from Brayden Rouse, Moonie Gipson and Landon Mayes.
Eastside 48, Hiram 21
Eastside had no issues overcoming three lost fumbles and a two-touchdown performance from Hiram’s Kaden Hamilton to improve to 2-0 with a decisive 48-21 victory. Offensively, the Eagles were paced by Jayden Barr’s four rushing touchdowns. Eastside led 41-14 early in the fourth quarter before a fumble set up Hamilton’s second touchdown. Eastside’s Bailey Benson scored on a sack and forced fumble that he took in for a touchdown and teammate Marion Eubanks intercepted the Hornets in the first quarter. Payton Shaw found Chase Jordan for a 71-yard touchdown pass that gave the Eagles a 13-0 lead.
Cartersville 35, Rockmart 6
Cartersville used their running game and stout defense to stifle Rockmart’s offense and held them to single digits on Friday night. The Cartersville defense pitched a second-half shutout and forced four turnovers in the game. The Purple Hurricanes held Rockmart to just 146 yards of total offense. Offensively, Cartersville had three rushers with a touchdown including Tyon Coe, Jacaiden Leonard, and Baylon Long. Two of them rushed for 100 yards. Leonard rushed for 127 yards and a touchdown with his longest run from scrimmage being a 63-yard touchdown. He was named Georgia Cotton Commissioner Player of the Game by GPB. Long also crossed the 100-yard mark on the evening and finished with 103 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Junior quarterback Nate Russell was 10-17 for 171 yards and two touchdowns including a 52-yard touchdown pass to Brady Marchese. Friday marked the third consecutive victory for Cartersville in this series. The Purple Hurricanes have won 13 of the last 14 matchups against Rockmart and lead the series 38-29.
North Oconee 42, Dalton 0
North Oconee of Region 8-4A visited Dalton of Region 7-4A and got the shutout, leading 35-0 at halftime. Titans quarterback Harrison Faulkner threw three touchdown passes, two to Khamari Brooks for 40 and 27 yards and one to Logan Phelps for 13 yards. Justin Curtis of North Oconee rushed for touchdowns of 4 and 3 yards, and Cooper McGraw had an 8-yard rushing touchdown. North Oconee improved to 2-0, and Dalton fell to 0-2.
Blessed Trinity 45, Holy Innocents’ 7
Blessed Trinity led 45-0 in the fourth quarter before host Holy Innocents’ spoiled the shutout with a touchdown with 2:05 left. Ahmonte Pitts scored a 5-yard touchdown to put the Titans up 7-0 and a Marcelous Townsend interception set up the first of two touchdown passes from Brooks Goodman to Zion McKenzie that gave Blessed Trinity its 21-0 lead. Freshman MJ Craft increased the lead to 28-0 with a rushing score and a fumble recovery set up a short field goal to give the Titans a 31-0 lead. Goodman added a quarterback sneak touchdown to make it 38-0 and sophomore Bradyn Oblas pushed the lead to 45-0 with 8:52 left in the fourth.
Creekview 20, North Forsyth 14
Creekview batted down a pass in its own endzone as time expired to hold off visiting North Forsyth. The Grizzlies opened the scoring with a touchdown run by Tristan McWilliams, but they trailed 14-6 at halftime before mounting a comeback. Each of Creekview’s two second-half scores came following fumbles by the Raiders. Austin Guest hit Jackson Stanley for an 11-yard touchdown before Guest took a keeper 38 yards to paydirt later in the third quarter. North Forsyth put its points on the board with a 75-yard scamper by Colton Constable and a scoring strike from Elijah Seaney to Brady Holbrook.
East Forsyth 38, Dawson County 7
East Forsyth led 7-0 after the first quarter and 21-0 at the half in a romp of Dawson County. The Broncos moved to 2-0 on the season.
Class 3A
Luella 18, Carver-Atlanta 13
Visiting Luella trailed 7-0 in the first half and 13-7 in the fourth quarter but came back to beat Carver-Atlanta. The Panthers got on the scoreboard first with a 61-yard interception return by Terrious Favors. They regained the lead early in the fourth when Montavious Banks hit Jahid Childs with a 17-yard scoring strike. Luella’s game-winner came in the form of a 32-yard touchdown pass from Dylan Gwinn to Javon Bowser Jr.
Jefferson 38, Jackson County 3
After giving up an early field goal, the Dragons put up 38 unanswered on the road to defeat Jackson County and even their record after last week’s loss to Marist. Quarterback Gavin Markey threw touchdown passes to Dallas Russell and Jalan Childress, also taking a 99-yard trip to the end zone in the third quarter. Additionally, Jefferson got a 39-yard field goal from Taylor McCall, a pick-six by Dashawn Keith, and a rushing score from Russell for the game’s final points with 2:34 left in the third.
Mary Persons 23, Jackson 0
Mary Persons led 14-0 after the first quarter and 21-0 at the half in a romp of Jackson in the Bulldogs’ season-opener. The Mary Persons defense forced a safety in the fourth quarter to bring the score to its final tally.
Cherokee Bluff 49, Apalachee 7
Cherokee Bluff held Apalachee scoreless in the final three quarters of play to secure the victory. The Bears led 21-7 after the first quarter and expanded the margin to 28-7 at the half. Cherokee Bluff expanded the margin to 42-7 entering the fourth quarter.
Class 2A
Stephens County 38, Elbert County 21
Stephens County quarterback Brock Tankersley threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Jonah Swinton to give the Indians a 17-14 lead at the half and produce the fifth lead change of the first two quarters. The Blue Devils answered a Luke Waters field goal with a Jayvn Hickman touchdown pass and Tankersley put Stephens County back up (10-7) with a touchdown pass to Davon Swinton. Hickman connected with Brody Dickerson to reclaim a 14-10 Elbert County lead before Tankersley’s strike to Swinton. Tankersley’s third touchdown pass extended Stephens County’s lead to 24-14 and Elbert County cut the deficit to 24-21 late in the third on a 15-yard touchdown run by Rontavion Mattox. Stephens County iced the game with 14 unanswered points and all five touchdowns came through the air.
Northeast-Macon 36, Southwest 14
Northwest closed out its seventh-straight victory over rival Southwest and more importantly opened Region 2-Div. I play with a victory. The Raiders joined Dublin, ACE Charter, Dodge County and Washington County as teams within Region 2 that scored victories tonight.
Hebron Christian 38, Fellowship Christian 18
Hebron Christian improves to 2-0 on the year following a comfortable 38-18 victory over Fellowship Christian. The Lions led 7-0 after the opening quarter and 31-0 at the break before the Paladins found some success in the second half, getting within two scores (31-15) in the third. Hebron Christian added another touchdown later in the quarter, however, while limiting Fellowship Christian to a field goal.
North Cobb Christian 14, Darlington 7
North Cobb Christian used its defense to carry them over Darlington. The Eagles recovered three fumbles and forced a turnover on downs late in the fourth quarter when Darlington was looking to tie the game. Cooper Bazarsky led North Cobb Christian with 136 rushing yards, and Denim Stevens had 38 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Darlington’s only score came late in the second quarter when Noah Duggan scored on a 6-yard run. North Cobb Christian led Darlington 14-7 at the half.
Class A Division I
Athens Academy 35, Savannah Country Day 0
Athens Academy dialed up a trick play on its opening scoring drive and junior Chap Chapman connected with tight end Tucker Rhodes for the score to put the host Spartans up 7-0. Quarterback Hampton Johnson added a rushing touchdown to push the lead to 14-0 at the break. Keyon Sandifer sparked a 67-yard touchdown run to open the third quarter and then hauled in back-to-back touchdown passes from Johnson that gave the Spartans a 32-0 lead. Athens Academy failed on two PAT tries and a two-point conversion in the third quarter, but still had enough of a lead to force a running clock in the fourth and kicker Grayson Stafford iced the game with a field goal. Athens Academy improves to 2-0 after its 45-22 win over Aquinas last week.
ACE Charter 38, Central-Macon 6
Host ACE Charter opened its season with a critical Region 2 victory over the Chargers. ACE Charter celebrated the win in the newly named Perkins Field that was named after ACE co-founder and former principal Laura Perkins. ACE took a 35-6 lead late in the second quarter before tacking on a field goal to force a running clock in the fourth quarter.
Wesleyan 24, North Hall 21
Wesleyan kicker Beau Billing made a 30-yard field goal with two seconds remaining to give the Wolves the home win. Wesleyan, of Region 5-A Division I, hosted North Hall, of Region 6-3A, in a game that was tied three different times. Wolves quarterback Ben Brown threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to Wes Vail to tie the game at 7-7 in the first quarter and then hit Connor Roush on an 8-yard touchdown pass in the final seconds of the first quarter to give Wesleyan a 14-7 lead. Wesleyan broke a 14-14 tie in the second quarter when Brown found Carter Hayes on a 20-yard touchdown pass, on a fourth-and-5 play, to take a 21-14 lead into halftime. After a scoreless third quarter, a North Hall touchdown pass with 10:07 remaining tied the game at 21-21. Wesleyan improved to 2-0, and North Hall fell to 0-1.
Bremen 57, Jordan 6
The Blue Devils opened their season Friday night after transitioning from Class 3A to their new home in Class A Division I and closed out a convincing victory. The Blue Devils took a 44-0 halftime lead and led 51-6 at the end of the third quarter. Bremen will host Bowdon next Friday in a rematch of last year’s 35-0 loss to the Red Devils.
Dodge County 19, Bleckley County 16
Dodge County snapped a five-game losing streak to Bleckley County. The game was a Region 2 opener for both teams and was Phillip Brown’s first game as Dodge County head coach. Dodge County led 12-9 at the half and went up 19-9 in the third quarter with Duke Johnson’s 28-yard touchdown. The Royals brought it within 19-16 on Joshua Stanley’s 1-yard touchdown with four minutes left in the fourth quarter, but Dodge County was able to close out the late rally.
Savannah Christian 35, New Hampstead 7
Zo Smalls rushed for 171 yards and three touchdowns on 32 carries to lead Savannah Christian over New Hampstead at Pooler Stadium. Kenry Wall and Blaise Thomas each had a rushing TD in the win, and the Raiders recorded 240 rushing yards on 45 carries. Defensively, Savannah Christian limited New Hampstead to 135 yards of total offense. The only score from the Phoenix came with 45 seconds left in the game when Erik Hockman scored on a QB sneak.
Class A Division II
Emanuel County Institute 24, Swainsboro 21
ECI got on the board with a safety and took a 9-0 lead late in the first quarter with a 32-yard touchdown run by Chase Johnson. The Bulldogs added a rushing touchdown and two-point conversion to push the lead to 15-0 before Qindaruis Brown’s late second-quarter touchdown run put Swainsboro down 17-7 at the half. Swainsboro’s Peyton Mason brought the Tigers within 17-14 with a touchdown run midway through the third quarter and then gave Swainsboro its first lead of the game (21-17) early in the fourth quarter with his second touchdown run of the game. ECI’s game-winning score came on a fumble recovery returned for a touchdown with less than five minutes left. Swainsboro made it near midfield, but turned the ball over on downs and the Bulldogs ran out the clock. ECI improves to 2-0, while Swainsboro drops to 0-2 for the first time since 2016.
Manchester 6, Upson-Lee 0
A 20-yard touchdown run from Darrius Favors with five minutes left in the game proved the difference for the Blue Devils. An interception at the 40-yard line with one minute left in the game secured the victory.
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