Saye It Ain’t So: Surprising and notable results from Week 7
1. Mary Persons 45, Prince Avenue Christian 28: Mary Persons beat a top-ranked team for the first time since 1993 when it knocked off Class A Division I No. 1 Prince Avenue Christian, which was projected by the computer Maxwell Ratings as an 11-point favorite. The Bulldogs had been 0-10 against No. 1 teams since a 14-13 victory over Washington County in the 1993 Class 2A semifinals. The loss ended Prince Avenue’s 20-game winning streak, which was the longest in school history.
2. Harris County 28, Sandy Creek 19: Harris County pulled off the biggest upset of the week, according to Maxwell, when it beat 22-point favorite Sandy Creek. Harris County has won five straight games since losing to Troup 31-7 in its season opener, and the Tigers’ 5-1 start is their best since 2013. Harris County was 2-9 last year and lost to Sandy Creek 33-3.
3. Luella 27, Lovett 22: Luella, which went 1-9 last season and finished seventh in eight-team Region 5-4A, is 2-1 in region play and in a four-way tie for second place after defeating 14-point favorite Lovett. The victory was Luella’s first in 10 tries all-time against private schools. Lovett, also tied for second place, beat Luella 15-2 last season and was the region runner-up.
4. Seckinger 43, Oglethorpe County 22: Seckinger, a second-year school in Gwinnett County, picked up the first victory in program history when it defeated eight-point favorite Oglethorpe County. Seckinger was 0-7 in its inaugural season, when it was outscored 280-12, and had started this year 0-5. Oglethorpe County, a Class A Division I school, won 35-0 in 2022. Seckinger is a Class 4A school playing a non-region schedule.
5. Spalding 41, Griffin 0: Spalding, a 38-point favorite, won handily as expected to reach 6-0 for the second time in school history and first since 2015. Spalding beat its crosstown rival 32-0 last season, giving the Jaguars back-to-back victories against Griffin for the first time. Griffin won six straight from 2016 to 2021 and leads the all-time series 13-3.
Worth noting: Effingham County, a five-point underdog, controls its fate in the Region 2-6A title race after a 42-3 victory over Glynn Academy, which had established itself as the favorite with a victory over defending champion Brunswick the previous week. Effingham County hasn’t won a region title since 1995. … Greene County, in its second season under coach Terrance Banks, is 6-0 for the first time since 2005 after a 47-0 victory over Towns County in the teams’ Region 8-A Division II opener. The Tigers’ 2005 team went 13-1 and reached the Class 2A semifinals. … Peach County, a 15-point underdog, seems to have things going in the right direction under first-year coach Marquis Westbrook. The Trojans defeated then-No. 10 Carver of Atlanta for its second consecutive victory after an 0-4 start against a rugged schedule. Carver won 8-6 last year. … Stephens County beat 31-point underdog Monroe Area 38-7 to reach 6-0 for the first time since 2007, when the Indians went 11-1 and won the Region 8-3A championship. Monroe Area has lost three straight since a 3-0 start lifted it to No. 7 in the Class 3A rankings. … Trinity Christian, the No. 3 seed from Region 4-4A last season, is alone in first place after beating 13-point favorite Starr's Mill 17-10 in a matchup of the two remaining unbeaten teams in region play. Starr’s Mill had upset LaGrange and Troup the previous two weeks.