A season after going 1-9, two years removed from 0-10, Lithonia perked up with a 6-4 finish last year, but first-year coach Kevin Barnes wasn’t satisfied. The Bulldogs didn’t make the playoffs. They could’ve tolerated three region losses, but not four. This week, Barnes is feeling better, for now. Lithonia last week avenged one of those region losses – against Tucker, winning 27-20 after losing 41-7.

Having a career night is a tough ask for a player with more than 4,000 all-purpose yards and 200 tackles in his four seasons to date. When his team couldn’t do without it, Reid Giles delivered. The Rabun County senior running back and free safety topped 100 yards rushing and 200 receiving, returned a kickoff 99 yards and scored four touchdowns in his team’s 49-42 victory over Dalton.

Eli Moore, a senior offensive lineman at Lowndes, is the scoutSMART Student-Athlete of the Week. A key contributor to the Vikings’ 3-0 start, Moore anchors a dominant front line at 6 feet, 2 inches and 270 pounds. Off the field, he’s just as impressive – carrying a 99.07 GPA