The landscape of Georgia High School football didn't exactly shift due to any major earthquakes. But ranked teams did lose and others FINALLY moved into rankings.
Let's start with the state's largest classification-AAAAA.
The big news was East Paulding lost its first regular season game since 2006 and in the process, lost the region crown to Harrison. The Hoyas were ONCE AGAIN led by Robbie Godhigh in the 28-16 win. Godhigh had a 92 yard KR for TD and 103 rushing yards + another score, but he had to leave the game with an ankle sprain. QB Christian Burnett had 1 TD pass and 1 TD run, but if Godhigh is out any extended period of time, the Hoyas might let EPHS back into the regional race. If Godhigh can't go in the playoffs, Harrison is donezo....Meanwhile Walton looked mighty impressive in a 42-21 win over Centennial as Michael Boydston had 233 yards and three scores and WR Price Garrett's 9 catches for 175 and 3 TDs gave future opponents something to think about. You can't just load the box and dare Ray Rayburn to beat you because HE CAN....North Gwinnett's Michael Tamburo was solid again: 15-19 155, 2Tds passing, 1TD running in the team's 45-0 win over Northview...Grayson got it done yet again, 28-7 over Berkmar, a team that has really disappointed me. I had highger expectations for Berkmar. Oh well. Pemberton only had 63 yards rushing, but hey, give the Little Giant a break...Newnan is making Paul Mac look smarter every day with a 43-0 pasting of Westlake. Keandreas Wynn had two scores and Russell Powell deserved to be mentioned last week in our segment about QBs. He had 204 passing and 3 scores....Finally Camden made a statement with a 78-6 win. Greg Baker led everyone with three TDs. CamdenvLowndes could be HUGE...A tough loss for South Gwinnett as they started a HUGE stretch run in their attempt to make the playoffs. They go down in three OTs to Parkview, but Parkview was JUST as desperate, imo. Brandon Jacobs had three TDs for the Panthers, but maybe if SGHS lefty QB Michael Polascik didn't throw three first half INTs, the Comets might have been in better shape for their second half comeback. Props to the Panther coaching staff for not letting the team give up after surrendering the big lead...Paging the Brookwood run defense:YOU CAN START PLAYING AGAIN! Teh Broncos gave up 100+ yards AGAIN, this time to Diante Drake, but still won 27-14 over Central Gwinnett...Norcross clinched a playoff berth with a 17-0 homecoming win over North Forsyth. They seem to be rounding into form, DJ Adams especially, at the right time of the season. Maybe I wasn't a fool to predict good things for this team...The week the big games are Shiloh/SouthGwinnett, Brookwood/Dacula, Roswell/Milton, McEachern/Harrison, Walton/Lassiter, and Colquitt Co/Warner Robins.
Moving on the AAAA. The biggest "shock" was that No.2 Mays lost to Banneker and the AJC now has a QB-less Statesboro team ranked No.2 in the recent poll...I guess the pollmeister wasn't impressed with Sandy Creek's 3-0 win over Fayette County. I would STILL be kind of mad at Braxton Lane if I was Rio Johnson. Lane is the future 5th round MLB pick who decided to skip his senior season (even though he was maybe the BEST WR in the state) to "focus on his draft status." RRRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrright. Sandy Creek would be a favorite to win AAAA if he was there. Now Johnson is throwing to a bunch of Jrs and Sophs. Poor guy...TCC is still hanging around: they survive 20-19 as Taylor Payne has 185 passing and Shaun Bryant rushes for 142 and 2 Tds. Terrible though. ONLY BECAUSE OF THEIR NAME ARE THEY RANKED!..Rome was led by FB PJ Green's three TDs. They play Dalton this week. Go Catamounts aka Fighting JCole's!...Evans DE Nigel Charles called his team "the worst 7-0 team in the state." Wow. Dude, you just got 3 sacks. Why are you poormouthing your own school?...And Apalachee had a chance to move back into the rankings and take over first place in the region, but the Wildcats lost 17-12 to Loganville. Chaun Gresham and Co. will still make the playoffs, but they will be bounced early. Too bad. that was a nice story...And Tucker is finally back in the rankings. IT'S ABOUT TIME AJC! But why at #9? They are better than #7 Sequoyah, #6 TCC, #5 Rome. Surprising that the rankings "expert" has them so low after so long out of the poll? Hmmm...This week, SWD plays Marist, Clarke Central/Cedar Shoals battle for Athens and Whitewater plays Fayette Co.
For a AAA recap, let's go to GPB's Fletcher Proctor: The Baldwin Braves looked sharp in taking down Richmond Hills. Jerrico Ford had two TDs rushing while Corico Hawkins led the defensive effort to a 38-0 shutout win. Meanwhile top-ranked Cairo traveled to Dougherty and Reginald Bryant’s 121 yards rushing and two scores paced the Syrupmakers to a 42-7 win. The Syrupmakers improved to 6-0 on the season. Conner Shaw and the No.7 Flowery Branch Falcons visited East Hall and while Shaw had one TD pass and one scoring run, it was Imani Cross doing the lions share of the work with 150 yards rushing and two scores. Dunwoody’s Erick Cooper and Treavor Scales helped the Wildcats thrash Columbia 45-12. Each accounted for one score. The always dangerous Grangers of LaGrange hosted Northside-Columbus and Ocie Slater’s two scores ended this one quickly 47-14 Finally Carver-Columbs, led defensively by Jarvis Jones manhandled Shaw 32-6 sending Shaw to its 6th loss of the year.
And for a preview of this week's AAA, let's go back to Fletcher Proctor: This week could be a very dangerous one for several teams ranked in the top ten of the Class AAA GPB/Score Atlanta rankings. Several ranked teams have a big game next week and might fall victim to the infamous trap game, also known as the look ahead game. No. 8 Carver-Columbus travels to Kendrick this week before visiting No. 2 LaGrange next Thursday. The Grangers shouldn’t be overlooking Columbus either because the home team would love nothing more than to knock off a highly ranked team. Corico Hawkins and his Baldwin Braves must watch out for Liberty County and not look ahead to a trip to No.9 Washington County. The No.1 Cairo Syrupmakers host a traditionally feisty Perry team. Blake Sims and the No.6 Red Elephants of Gainesville return to action against Gilmer. Finally Treavor Scales will see his first action since committing to play next season at Harvard when Dunwoody face McNair. (for more of Fletcher's rantings, visit Http://gpb.org/football)
Moving on to AA. Buford took down AAA's Thomson 29-0, proving to EVERYONE that they could TOTALLY play in a higher classification, but they'd rather just win hollow title after hollow title!...Fitzgerald took down Early County 21-6 and now one of their players will soon partake in the GT Tickle Piles next season. I don't remember his name, so let's just call him Elmo...Appling County is trying its darnedest to get me to mention them on HSH5, but I just can't do it. Congrats on winning 53-14 (Javon James 2 TDs) but sorry, you don't have a shot v Buford...Pepperell, behind Brandon Whitaker's 4 TDs beat Rockmart, and they play Coosa this week (On GPB's game of the week)...Brooks County's Martez Christopher had 225 yards in the FIRST HALF as they take down Berrien 40-14...Drew Little of Henry Co had to score a late rushing TD to outlast SWMacon 36-28. And Dublin won 23-20, behind Rashard Smith, yet again. Those two teams are the best chance of the field taking down Buford...
Finally Class-A. Wayshaun Ealy broke the GA state career TD record with his 111, 112 and 113 TDs, along with 243 yards in the 35-12 win over Hershel's old team Johnson Co...Athens Academy used three Will Daniel TD passes to beat Athens Christian and James Colquitt had 143 rushing in the 38-6 win...Congrats to John Spencer for rising from the dead to beat Marion Co. I know Leo from the West Wing could do a lot (wait, different John Spencer? Oops)...The only upset in that classification was Miller County falling to Seminole Co 12-13. This week, Athens Academy faces Wesleyan and Turner Co plays at Dooly Co. Enh...
That's a look at the last week of Georgia High School football from THISGUY, Fletcher Proctor. Tune in this Saturday morning from 9-10 on 790 The Zone for VW's high School High Five.
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