Weekend Preview: Top 10 games of Week 9

Brooks County at Clinch County

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Donald Tison Field at Panther Stadium, Homerville

Records, rankings: Brooks County is 3-3 overall, 1-0 in Region 2-A Division II and No. 3; Clinch County is 5-0, 0-0 and No. 4.

Last meeting: Brooks County won 56-16 in 2021.

Things to know: The winner of this game becomes the front-runner to challenge No. 1 Irwin County (6-0, 1-0) for the region title. Brooks County leads the series 15-9, though they’ve played as region rivals only five times. Brooks County has played a much tougher schedule and taken losses against higher-classified top-10 teams Thomasville, Fitzgerald and Pierce County. Clinch County has faced only Class A teams, none ranked, though most are near the top of their regions. Due to a scheduled off week and Hurricane Helene postponements, Clinch has not faced any opponents since Sept. 13. Panther Stadium's lighting and scoreboard were fixed Thursday. Clinch’s marquee player is Aaron Bryant, a 5-foot-10, 175-pound quarterback who has rushed for 681 yards and 11 touchdowns. Clinch averages 268.6 yards rushing and 42.6 yards passing. Brooks County is more balanced. Chris Cole has rushed for 739 yards. Junior Burrus has passed for 1,063 yards and 10 touchdowns. George Lamons has 25 receptions for 497 yards and eight touchdowns. Marquis Williams has 21 tackles for losses totaling 152 yards, eight QB hurries and three caused fumbles. Both teams have new coaches. Jim Dickerson came out of retirement to lead Clinch, which he guided to five state titles earlier this century. Josh McFather was promoted to replace Maurice Freeman, now coaching in Alabama.

Coffee at Lee County

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Trojan Field, Leesburg

Records, rankings: Coffee is 6-0 overall, 1-0 in Region 2-5A and No. 3; Lee County is 6-0, 1-0 and No. 2.

Last meeting: Lee County won 35-17 in 2019.

Things to know: Lee County can become the second team in GHSA history (first since Crisp County in 2001) to end two 20-game winning streaks in one season. Lee County ended Thomas County Central’s 20-game streak last month. Coffee has won 21 straight. The victory over Thomas Central leaves Lee and Coffee tied for first place in the region with Houston County (6-1, 2-0). Lee County and Coffee were in the same region from 2016 to 2019, and Lee was 5-0 in the series during that time. That includes an overtime victory in the 2017 Class 6A championship game. Lee County is a bit more of a running team with Ousmane Kromah, recently committed to Georgia, rushing for 635 yards on the season and more than 5,000 in his career. Weston Bryan has thrown for 971 yards, completing 68.5% of his passes for nine touchdowns. Bryan has rushed for 562 yards and 16 touchdowns. Coffee is even more run-oriented as Tyrese Woodgett has rushed for 692 yards, but he has not played since a first-half injury Sept. 20 against Mainland, Fla. Coffee’s most outstanding feature is its defense. The Trojans are allowing 9.3 points per game. No team has scored more than 18 points on them since 2022.

Colquitt County at Valdosta

When, where: 8 p.m. Friday, Cleveland Field at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium, Valdosta

Records, rankings: Colquitt County is 4-2 overall, 1-0 in Region 1-6A and No. 10; Valdosta is 6-0, 1-0 and No. 4.

Last meeting: Colquitt County won 44-28 in 2023.

Things to know: With their victories last week – Valdosta over then-No. 4 Camden County, and Colquitt County over then-unbeaten Lowndes – these teams are their region favorites. Richmond Hill (6-0, 1-0) also is unbeaten in region play. Valdosta got up 42-14 in the first half against Camden and put up 587 total yards. Todd Robinson, GHSF Daily’s Player of the Week, passed for 269 yards and rushed for 132. Marquis Fennell rushed for 150 yards, had eight receptions for 91 yards and scored four touchdowns. Valdosta is averaging 46.8 points per game, second-most in Class 6A. Colquitt County beat Lowndes on Brett Fitzgerald’s 43-yard field goal. Ty’Jaevian Lamar, a junior, rushed for 182 yards on 13 carries and got an offer from Georgia a day later. Day’shawn Brown rushed for 131 in the Lowndes game. Colquitt County is developing slowly as a passing team with freshman QB Cohen Lawson, who has thrown for 671 yards and eight touchdowns with four interceptions. Colquitt’s losses came to unbeaten teams North Gwinnett and Lee County. Colquitt has won four straight in this series and 10 of the past 11. In the 2023 game, Colquitt scored on kickoff and interception returns and maintained a safe advantage throughout. While Colquitt has won region titles the past two seasons, Valdosta’s most recent title in the highest class is 2011.

Eastside at North Oconee

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Titan Stadium, Bogart

Records, rankings: Eastside is 7-0 overall, 3-0 in Region 8-4A and No. 7; North Oconee is 7-0, 3-0 and No. 5.

Last meeting: This is the teams’ first meeting.

Things to know: North Oconee has won three consecutive region championships and 27 straight region games. The Titans also have won 33 straight regular-season games while not allowing more than 20 points in any of them. Harrison Faulkner is 93-of-130 passing (71.5%) for 1,480 yards and 16 touchdowns. He’s also North Oconee’s leading rusher with 373 yards, although the offense is balanced overall. Landon Roldan, who is committed to Georgia, has 38 receptions for 576 yards and nine touchdowns. OLB/TE Khamari Brooks, a top defender, has four TD receptions. Eastside is chasing its first region title since 2018. Eastside has three Power 4-committed players. They are LB Christian Gass (Tennessee), LB Bailey Benson (Wake Forest) and DB/RB Jayden Barr (Georgia Tech). Barr has 800 all-purpose yards, 569 of that rushing, with 15 touchdowns, one on a kickoff return. Myles Mims has rushed for 530 yards in an offense that gets two-thirds of its production on the ground.

Greater Atlanta Christian at North Hall

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, The Brickyard, Gainesville

Records, rankings: Greater Atlanta Christian is 3-3 overall, 3-0 in Region 6-3A and No. 10 in Class 3A-A private; North Hall is 4-2, 3-0 and unranked in 3A.

Last meeting: Greater Atlanta Christian won 33-0 in the second round of the 2020 Class 3A playoffs.

Things to know: These teams hold a one-game lead in region play over Lumpkin County (4-2, 2-1). A region title would be GAC’s first since 2020 and North Hall’s first since 2012. There are no bad losses with either team. North Hall has won four straight since losing to No. 10 Wesleyan of Class 3A-A private and No. 4 Cherokee Bluff of 3A. GAC has won three straight since losing to Newnan and Decatur of Class 5A and Westminster of 4A. GAC lost its original starting quarterback to injury, but senior Tommy Young has led the Spartans to those three wins while throwing for 725 yards. He rallied them from 13-0 down to beat Lumpkin County 19-13 and hit Jack Griggs eight times for 154 yards. In a 21-16 victory over Dawson County, Gabe Daniels had eight receptions for 150 yards. While GAC is pass-heavy, North Hall is more balanced, although that’s game to game. Against Pickens in North Hall’s most recent game, Cole Cable had eight receptions for 192 yards and three touchdowns, and Alex Schlieman passed for 244 yards. The game before, against White County, North Hall had three 100-yard rushers – Luke Jenkins (138), Parker Carlton (134) and Smith McGarvey (123). McGarvey, a junior, is a quarterback who shares time with Schlieman. GAC leads the series 5-0.

Marist at St. Pius

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, George B. Maloof Stadium, Atlanta

Records, rankings: Marist is 6-0 overall, 4-0 in Region 5-4A and No. 1; St. Pius is 6-1, 5-0 and unranked.

Last meeting: Marist won 17-0 in 2023.

Things to know: These are two of three teams without a loss in region play. The other is Tucker (5-1, 4-0). All others have lost twice or more in the region. Marist has won four consecutive region titles and 24 straight region games. Marist has won four straight games in this series and leads it 37-18-3. In the 2023 game, Jack Euart rushed for 115 yards, and Marist held St. Pius to 126 total yards. Euart is back. He has rushed for a team-leading 400 yards and passed for 250 despite limited second-half duty. Marist is outrushing its opponents 277-42. No opponent has rushed for more than Jefferson’s 63 yards in the opener. No team had passed for more than 100 until Southwest DeKalb hit two 80-yarders and went for 274 on Sept. 28. St. Pius has won five straight games after an opening loss to Blessed Trinity. Running an offense similar to Marist’s, the Lions are outrushing their opponents 260-105. St. Pius has seven running backs between 100 and 300 rushing yards, and 13 rushers have scored touchdowns. Aiden Francois leads in yards with 280 on 27 carries. Colin Crosby has rushed for 208 yards and passed for 306. St. Pius’ most significant victory was a 28-27 overtime game against Southwest DeKalb. Ivan Lipscomb made a 26-yard field goal in the final seconds to force the extra period, and St. Pius successfully defended Southwest DeKalb’s two-point try to win.

Mill Creek at Collins Hill

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Fahring Field, Suwanee

Records, rankings: Mill Creek is 6-1 overall, 3-0 in Region 8-6A and No. 6; Collins Hill is 6-1, 2-1 and No. 7.

Last meeting: Mill Creek won 24-18 in 2023.

Things to know: These are two of three top-10 teams in the region. No. 2 Buford (5-1, 2-0) is the other. Collins Hill lost to Buford 34-7 last week and must win to remain in contention for first place. In the 2023 Collins Hill-Mill Creek game, Collins Hill had first-and-goal from the 7 in the final two minutes before Mill Creek’s Jaiden Patterson, now at North Carolina, intercepted a pass in the end zone. Shane Throgmartin threw three TD passes. This season, Throgmartin has passed for 1,234 yards and 11 touchdowns. Daniel Smith has rushed for 950 yards, second-most in Class 6A. Luke Metz, a linebacker committed to Alabama, is the leading tackler. Mill Creek’s loss came to No. 3 North Gwinnett. Collins Hill, held to negative rushing yards against Buford, averages just 285 total yards per game, a mlld number for a top-10 team, but the Eagles have one of the state’s best defenses. Deuce Geralds has 17 tackles for losses. Katrell Webb has 16. Both are top-300 national prospects in the junior class.

Milton at Gainesville

When, where: 8 p.m. Friday, Bobby Gruhn Field at City Park, Gainesville

Records, rankings: Milton is 7-0 overall, 3-0 in Region 7-5A and No. 1; Gainesville is 6-1, 3-0 and No. 6.

Last meeting: Gainesville won 12-0 in 1985.

Things to know: These are two of the three top-10 teams in their region. The other is No. 7 Roswell (5-1, 2-0). Milton, the 2023 Class 7A champion, is ranked in the top five of five national polls, peaking at No. 3 in MaxPreps and High School Football America. Milton’s Luke Nickel, who is committed to Miami, is 92-of-138 passing for 1,556 yards and 16 touchdowns. The leading receivers are Florida State pledge C.J. Wiley (30 receptions, 577 yards) and Georgia pledge Ethan Barbour (22 receptions, 361 yards). T.J. Lester has rushed for 678 yards and 13 touchdowns. DL Caleb Bell (Arkansas) and CB Tyler Redmond (Tennessee) are among the defensive standouts on a team with nine seniors committed to Power 4 Conference teams. Gainesville’s offense is similar to Milton’s, each team getting 59% of its total yards passing. Kharim Hughley, a first-year starter, is 88-of-142 passing for 1,628 yards and 12 touchdowns without an interception. His three best targets are over 400 yards receiving – Jeremiah Ware (492), Taz Smith (451) and Shane King (404). Carmelo Byrd has rushed for 593 yards. Gainesville has three P4-committed players. They are OL Alex Payne (North Carolina), DL Julius Columbus (Duke) and LB Xavier Griffin (Southern Cal). Milton and Gainesville have met four times, all in the 1980s, with Gainesville winning three.

North Cobb Christian at Rockmart

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, The Rock, Rockmart

Records, rankings: North Cobb Christian is 6-0 overall, 4-0 in Region 7-2A and No. 8 in Class 3A-A private; Rockmart is 4-2, 4-0 and No. 6 in Class 2A.

Last meeting: Rockmart won 63-10 in the second round of the 2022 Class 2A playoffs.

Things to know: Rockmart has won 55 consecutive region games, the state’s longest active run of its kind. North Cobb Christian is probably the best team the Yellow Jackets will have faced in region play since the streak began in 2016. These two teams are reigning Class 2A region champions. North Cobb Christian won Region 6, the Eagles’ first in history, while Rockmart won Region 7, the Yellow Jackets’ seventh straight. These teams have played only once, and Rockmart won handily in the 2022 playoffs. Rockmart, the 2023 Class 2A runner-up, has won four straight games since losing to Class 4A top-10 teams Cedartown and Cartersville. WR/DB Tristan Anderson is an all-state player who had more than 1,000 yards receiving last season. He’s at 325 this season. RB/DB Tyree McCrary is the team’s leading rusher (359 yards) and second-leading tackler (27 tackles). LB Nick Davis, a preseason all-state pick, is the defensive leader. North Cobb Christian’s Teddy Jarrard, a sophomore, is 83-of-122 passing for 1,032 yards and 11 touchdowns. The leading rusher (Cooper Bazarsky with 399 yards) and receiver (Brody Archie with 315 yards) also are sophomores. These teams will part ways in the playoffs. The computer Maxwell Ratings project North Cobb Christian to get the No. 9 seed in the Class 3A-A playoffs and for Rockmart to get the No. 4 seed in Class 2A, but that’s with Rockmart as the favorite in this game. Those projections would roughly reverse if North Cobb Christian wins.

Northeast at Dublin

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Shamrock Bowl, Dublin

Records, rankings: Northeast is 5-1 overall, 5-0 in Region 2-A Division I and No. 6; Dublin is 6-0, 5-0 and No. 2.

Last meeting: Dublin won 26-21 in 2019.

Things to know: These are two of three teams without a loss in region play. The other is Dodge County (7-0, 6-0). All others have at least three region losses. Northeast lost its opener to Peach County, the No. 2 team in Class 3A, then won five straight. In the only contested victory, Northeast beat Bleckley County 33-30 last week. Bleckley missed a 42-yard field goal in the final two minutes. Nick Woodford rushed for 218 yards and three touchdowns and scored on a 40-yard reception. Woodford has rushed for 962 yards in five games (missed the Peach County loss). Reginald Glover has more than 700 yards rushing and 400 passing. Dublin is averaging 52.7 points, the most of any Georgia team. The Irish average 361.8 yards rushing per game at 10.2 yards per carry. One in 5.5 carries has gone for a touchdown. Dublin has completed only 15 passes, and four of those went for touchdowns. Xavier Bostic’s 568 yards and 11 touchdowns lead the team. Bostic also leads in total tackles (28) and tackles for losses (seven). Dublin leads the series 5-2. This is their first meeting with both teams ranked since 2002.