Saye It Ain’t So: Surprising and notable results from Week 6
Ranking the most surprising and notable games of the weekend:
1. Social Circle 39, Lamar County 7: Social Circle recorded the biggest upset of the week, according to the computer Maxwell Ratings, knocking off 29-point favorite Lamar County, which was ranked No. 8 in Class Division I. It was the Redskins’ first victory against a ranked opponent in 65 tries all-time. Social Circle is 4-1 for the first time since its 2006.
2. Discovery 21, Duluth 17: Discovery moved into a tie for fourth place in Region 7-7A and pulled itself into the playoff race with a win over 28-point favorite Duluth. The victory was secured when Duluth spiked the ball on fourth down inside the Discovery 10-yard line in the final seconds. Discovery opened in 2016 and has reached the playoffs just once, in 2020.
3. Loganville 64, Heritage (Conyers) 8: Loganville was a 42-point favorite but far exceeded that, scoring a school-record 64 points in the Region 8-5A victory. Loganville is 6-0 for the first time since 1983, when the Red Devils opened the season with six consecutive victories but lost their final four games. Loganville has outscored its opponents 228-68.
4. Johnson (Savannah) 22, Liberty County 21: Johnson is 4-1 for the first time since 2009 after a Region 3-3A win over five-point favorite Liberty County. Johnson is tied for first place in the region with Calvary Day and Long County as it seeks its third consecutive playoff berth, which would be a first in school history. The Atomsmashers play Calvary Day this week.
5. Early County 7, Mitchell County 0: No team in the state has played more than three region games except Early County, which is 5-0 in 1-A Division II after beating Mitchell County. The top-ranked Bobcats wrap up region play, and can clinch the title, against Randolph-Clay on Oct. 7 and then close out the regular season with three non-region games.
Worth noting: Four-point underdog Commerce beat Banks County 17-14 on a field goal by Ivy Tolbert with 1:02 remaining for its 18th consecutive victory in the series, which it leads 33-2. The schools are about 10 miles apart in northeast Georgia. … Glenn Hills, which had been outscored 118-7 in its previous three games, picked up its first region victory with a 12-10 win over 26-point favorite Westside of Augusta. Glenn Hills went 2-15 over the past two seasons but is 2-4 this year. … KIPP Atlanta Collegiate, 5-27 in region play over the past five seasons, is 1-1 in 6-2A after a 32-0 victory over 24-point favorite B.E.S.T. Academy. The 32 points were the Warriors’ most in a game since a 40-10 win over Forest Park on Oct. 17, 2020. … Lowndes, somewhat overlooked after a 2-2 start, is back on the radar after a 24-14 win over 15-point favorite Grayson, the No. 2-ranked team in Class 7A last week. Lowndes has a week off before its rivalry game against Valdosta. … Wilkinson County, a 20-point underdog, improved to 6-0-1 all-time against Portal and 2-2 this season with a 23-13 win. A victory against Twiggs County this week (Wilkinson is favored by 42) would give the Warriors their best start since 2015.