Weekend Preview: Top 10 games of Week 10
Carrollton at Westlake
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Westlake Stadium, College Park
Records, rankings: Carrollton is 8-0 overall, 2-0 in Region 2-7A and No. 5; Westlake is 5-2, 1-0 and unranked.
Last meeting: Carrollton won 37-32 in the 2021 Class 6A quarterfinals.
Things to know: In the 2021 game between these two, Carrollton took a 24-0 lead in the second quarter but needed a 33-yard TD pass from M.J. Morris, now at N.C. State, to Bryce Hicks for the game-winner with 41 seconds left. Hicks rushed for 141 yards and had 60 yards receiving in the victory and has gotten better as a senior with 867 rushing yards and 380 receiving yards with 15 touchdowns. His new quarterback, freshman Julian Lewis, has thrown for 2,181 yards and 30 touchdowns. Carrollton’s question mark would be its schedule, ranked 28th in Class 7A, according to the Maxwell Ratings. Westlake will be Carrollton’s toughest regular-season opponent, according to Maxwell. The Lions have lost only to No. 6 North Cobb and No. 1 Cedar Grove of 3A. R.J. Johnson, a two-time all-state quarterback, has thrown for 1,022 yards and 10 touchdowns. He passed for 382 in last year’s Carrollton game, but this year’s receivers aren’t as experienced. Jaiden Thomas has taken on a bigger role with 764 rushing yards. The top senior prospect on either side is Westlake CB Avieon Terrell, who is committed to Clemson.
Cedar Grove at Sandy Creek
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, The Battlefield, Tyrone
Records, rankings: Cedar Grove is 5-2 overall, 1-0 in Region 5-3A and No. 1; Sandy Creek is 7-1, 1-0 and No. 3.
Last meeting: Sandy Creek won 40-35 in 2021.
Things to know: Sandy Creek’s victory over Cedar Grove last season came on the final week of the regular season and didn’t affect the region seeds as Cedar Grove ended up No. 1 with Sandy Creek at No. 3. But it was a remarkable game as Sandy Creek rallied from a 35-13 deficit and ended Cedar Grove’s 34-game winning streak in region play. Sandy Creek’s Geimere Latimer passed for 311 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for three touchdowns in a performance that helped earn for him the Class 3A offensive player-of-the-year award. Latimer, who stands just 5 feet, 9 inches, is back at it as a senior with 1,373 yards passing and 388 rushing. His freshman brother, Amari Latimer, leads the team with 443 rushing yards. The team’s best all-around player is Kaleb Cost, who has 932 all-purpose yards and the requisite cover corner skills to commit to North Carolina. Cedar Grove QB Elliott Colson, a sophomore with several Division I offers, is 93-of-149 passing for 1,470 yards against easily the toughest schedule of a Class 3A team, as the Saints’ losses are to Colquitt County and Mill Creek. Cedar Grove’s defensive is led by CB Kayin Lee (Ohio State) and DL Adonijah Green (Louisville) with linebackers Keith Bass and Quinterio Lawson.
Dalton at Calhoun
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Phil Reeve Stadium, Calhoun
Records, rankings: Dalton is 5-3 overall, 3-0 in Region 7-5A and unranked; Calhoun is 5-3, 2-1 and No. 10.
Last meeting: Calhoun won 42-35 in 2021.
Things to know: Calhoun is a 12-point favorite in the Maxwell Ratings, which gives Dalton only a 9.3% chance of winning the region, but the fact remains that Dalton is alone in first place and football is relevant again after bottoming out at 2-8 last year. Adrian Gongora kicked a 31-yard field goal as time expired in a 31-28 victory over Cass last week to keep the dream alive. Senior RB Tyson Greenwade has burst on the scene with 1,590 rushing yards, at least 100 in every game, with highs of 374 against North Murray and 375 against Hiram. Beating Hiram 52-45 was fun, but it became huge when Hiram upset then-No. 4 Calhoun 44-34 the following week. Calhoun had ended Cartersville’s 62-game region winning streak, so now Calhoun and Cartersville have one loss each in region play, trailing Dalton. Calhoun bounced back last week to beat Woodland of Cartersville 49-0 but played without standout QB Trey Townsend, who was injured late in the Hiram game Oct. 7. Townsend has thrown for 1,574 yards in six games.
Eagle's Landing Christian at Callaway
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Callaway Stadium, LaGrange
Records, rankings: Eagle’s Landing Christian is 4-3 overall, 3-0 in Region 5-2A and No. 7; Callaway is 4-3, 3-0 and No. 10.
Last meeting: This is the teams’ first meeting.
Things to know: These are two of only 18 GHSA programs that have won more than 100 games over the past 10 seasons including this one. ELCA is 106-17 while Callaway is 102-24 over that span. They’re region rivals for the first time because of the GHSA’s abandonment of the public-private split in Class A and the out-of-zone multiplier that moved ELCA up one class. Their game this week is almost certainly for the region title, as all other 5-2A teams have at least two region losses. Both teams have three non-region losses, all against top-10 opponents. ELCA, under first-year coach Tanner Rogers, is getting more yards passing than rushing, which is unusual. Charlie Gilliam, who is committed to Wake Forest, has thrown for 1,249 yards and 14 touchdowns. Colton Hood (22-441-6) is the leading receiver. Brandon Hood (71-484-5) is the leading rusher. Colton, the older brother, is committed to Michigan State as a cornerback. Callaway was about 50-50 run-pass last season but is getting 75% of its total yards from the running game this season. DeShun Coleman, who threw for more than 2,000 yards last season as a sophomore, has passed for 574 yards this season and added 250 rushing yards. Qua Whitfield is the leading rusher with 686 yards.
Houston County at Thomas County Central
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, The Jackets’ Nest, Thomasville
Records, rankings: Houston County is 6-1 overall, 1-1 in Region 1-6A and No. 10; Thomas County Central is 7-0, 2-0 and No. 7.
Last meeting: Thomas County Central won 44-13 in 2011.
Things to know: These region rivals, both under first-year coaches, rank 1-2 in GHSF Daily’s Improvement Tracker for Class 6A winning teams. Thomas County Central, 5-6 in 2021, has ensured its first winning season since 2016. Houston County, 4-7 in 2021, is off to its best start since 2016. The Bears’ only loss came against region leader Lee County (6-1, 2-0). Both teams are averaging 42 points per game. Thomas Central, under former Colquitt County coach Justin Rogers, has built a balanced offense. Sam Brown has thrown for 1,626 yards (top five in Class 6A) and 19 touchdowns. Tyler Floyd has 661 receiving yards. Trey Brenton and Ricky Fulton both have multiple 100-yard rushing games. Houston County, under former Warner Robins offensive coordinator Jeremy Edwards, gets two-thirds of its offense by passing. A.J. Hill has passed for 1,969 yards (second in 6A) and 19 touchdowns. But Ryan Taleb has rushed for 750 yards. Thomas Central has allowed half as many points per game (10.7) as Houston County (21.4).
Irwin County at Brooks County
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Veterans Stadium, Quitman
Records, rankings: Irwin County is 5-1 overall, 1-0 in Region 1-A Division I and No. 5; Brooks County is 5-1, 0-0 and No. 4.
Last meeting: Brooks County won 56-28 in the 2021 Class A Public championship game.
Things to know: These teams played each other four times the past two seasons, with Irwin County winning three, including the 2020 Class A Public championship game. Brooks won the title-game rematch in 2021. Both teams returned their starting quarterbacks. Irwin’s Cody Soliday, a three-year starter, has passed for 4,703 yards and 58 touchdowns in his career. Brooks County’s Jamal Sanders has nearly 3,000 yards passing and 2,000 yards rushing in his career. Both teams have top running backs who are related to local legends. Irwin’s Damarkus Lundy, the brother of Florida State LB D.J. Lundy, has rushed for 482 yards. Brooks’ Chris Cole, the son of career 6,000-yard rusher Chris Cole Sr., has rushed for 498 yards. Brooks County’s loss this season came to Class 2A No. 3 Cook 32-28. Brooks has beaten current ranked teams Bainbridge, Wayne County and Early County, plus Thomasville. Irwin County’s loss came to Class 2A No. 1 Fitzgerald 28-20. Irwin’s best wins have been against Rockmart and Metter. Brooks’ average score is 26-17 against Class A Division I’s toughest schedule, according to the Maxwell Ratings. Irwin’s average score is 37-12 against the seventh-toughest A D-I schedule.
Loganville at Jefferson
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Memorial Stadium, Jefferson
Records, rankings: Loganville is 8-0 overall, 4-0 in Region 8-5A and No. 3; Jefferson is 5-2, 3-0 and unranked.
Last meeting: Jefferson won 47-17 in 1987.
Things to know: Loganville can clinch its first region title since 2008 and third in history with a victory. A Jefferson victory would delay the matter and keep Eastside (5-2, 2-1) in contention. Both of these teams rely more on the run. Loganville’s Solomon Leslie has rushed for 1,095 yards and 12 touchdowns. Jefferson’s Sammy Brown has rushed for 831 yards and nine touchdowns in one fewer game. Brown, a five-star junior prospect, also plays linebacker. Loganville’s Johnny Crowe and Jefferson’s Max Aldridge have similar statistics, each throwing for about 1,000 yards while completing about half their attempts. Jefferson’s average score is 29-13 against Class 5A’s sixth-toughest schedule. Loganville’s average score is 34-13 against the 24th-toughest schedule. Jefferson’s non-region losses are by two points to Oconee County and one point to Alpharetta. Loganville leads the series 7-3 with all games played between 1976 and 1987, when they were small-school region rivals. This will be Jefferson’s second game, and first at home, since the shooting death of star wide receiver Elijah DeWitt on Oct. 5.
Putnam County at Thomson
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, The Brickyard, Thomson
Records, rankings: Putnam County is 6-1 overall, 4-0 in Region 4-2A and No. 9; Thomson is 6-1, 4-0 and No. 6.
Last meeting: This is the teams’ first meeting.
Things to know: These are the only 4-2A teams without a region loss. Both won region titles last season, Thomson in Class 3A and Putnam County in 2A. Both have lost games to top-10 teams (Thomson to Class 4A Burke County, Putnam County to 3A Oconee County). Both teams get more than 70% of their offense running the ball. Thomson’s Jontavis Curry has rushed for 617 yards. Jahkiaus Jones and Noah Story split duties at quarterback and have nearly identical stats. They’ve thrown for 788 yards. Travion Curry is Thomson’s leading tackler. Putnam’s best all-around player is DB/WR Jalon Kilgore, who is committed to South Carolina. He’s the team’s leading tackler but has been less involved in the passing game this season with a freshman quarterback, Branan Griffin. The focal point of the offense has become Tamarion Peters, who has rushed for 681 yards. These schools are only about 65 miles from each other, making it surprising they’ve never met.
Thomasville at Dougherty
When, where: 7 p.m. today, Hugh Mills Stadium, Albany
Records, rankings: Thomasville is 5-3 overall, 3-0 in Region 1-3A and unranked; Dougherty is 8-0, 3-0 and No. 4.
Last meeting: Dougherty won 14-0 in 2005.
Things to know: Thomasville can clinch the region championship with a victory. Dougherty likely would need to beat Carver of Columbus (5-2, 2-1) next week to earn the title. Dougherty last won a region in 2005. Thomasville won a Class 2A region in 2021. Dougherty’s marquee player is QB Kameron Davis, who has thrown for 1,863 yards and rushed for 826. He’s committed to Florida State. Jacob Stallworth has rushed for 641 yards in only six games. Larry Lane has four 100-yard receiving games and went for 193 last week against Monroe. Thomasville is under a new coach, Jonathan DeLay. Dealing with heavy graduation losses, the Bulldogs started 1-3 with lopsided losses to Brooks County, Thomas County Central and Bainbridge, but now they’ve won four straight. Camren Hill, a freshman quarterback, is 35-of-59 passing for 624 yards and six touchdowns during the winning streak. The turning point was a 15-14 victory over Carver. Hill threw a 51-yard TD pass to Jay Randall in the final three minutes. These programs have faced each other only twice since 1995. In the 1970s, they were region rivals in the highest classification.
Wayne County at Benedictine
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Memorial Stadium, Savannah
Records, rankings: Wayne County is 6-1 overall, 2-0 in Region 3-4A and No. 9; Benedictine is 5-2, 2-0 and No. 6.
Last meeting: Benedictine won 51-7 in 2021.
Things to know: These are the only 3-4A teams without a region loss. While the winner here will be the clear region favorite, each still must face Burke County (6-1, 1-1) or New Hampstead (5-2, 1-1). In 2021, these teams’ fortunes were stark opposites. Benedictine won a state title. Wayne County was 0-9. Wayne hired Rabun County coach Jaybo Shaw, and it’s been a Cinderella season. Wayne has three victories of seven points or less, including last week’s 31-24 overtime win against New Hampstead. That game featured six lead changes. Matthew Fuller rushed for 130 yards, running his season total to 897, and scored the winning touchdown. Wayne passes for just 73.3 yards per game, completing less than half its pass attempts. Benedictine has lost only to No. 1 Ware County of Class 5A and unbeaten Christopher Columbus of Florida. Except for the Columbus loss, the Cadets are allowing only 5.7 points per game. They’re balanced offensively. First-year starter Luke Kromenhoek, who is committed to Florida State, has thrown for 1,297 yards and 14 touchdowns with only two interceptions.
