Weekend Preview: Top 10 games of Week 3
Athens Academy at Prince Avenue Christian
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Brad Akins Field, Bogart
Records, rankings: Athens Academy is 1-1 and No. 10 in Class 2A; Prince Avenue Christian is 2-0 and No. 1 in Class A Division I.
Last meeting: Prince Avenue Christian won 48-14 in 2022.
Watch the game: Online at NFHS Network.
Things to know: Prince Avenue has beaten Athens Academy the past three games, each by big margins, to take a 10-9 lead in the series between these Athens area rivals. In the 2022 game, Prince Avenue trailed 14-0 in the first quarter and scored the final 48 points and finished with 666 total yards. Aaron Philo passed for 452 yards and six touchdowns. Philo is back and committed to Georgia Tech [see today's Four Questions], but he's without three graduated seniors who had 1,000 yards receiving. Prince Avenue has opened with a 42-13 victory over Hammond of South Carolina and a 42-0 win over Nashville Christian of Tennessee, teams that won and lost in state finals respectively last season. Athens Academy stayed in the Class 2A rankings this week despite a 41-21 loss to Mobile Christian, the No. 2 team in Alabama’s Division 3A in MaxPreps' rankings. Jamari Welch rushed for 172 yards, and Jeremiah Wingfield ran for 162. In the opener, a 42-7 victory over Dade County, new QB Hampton Johnson passed for 367 yards, two short of the school record.
Baldwin at Ware County
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Memorial Stadium, Waycross
Records, rankings: Baldwin is 2-0 and No. 9 in Class 4A; Ware County is 2-0 and No. 1 in 5A.
Last meeting: Ware County won 41-3 in 2022.
Watch the game: Online at NFHS Network.
Things to know: Baldwin’s 4-7 finish last season is a far-away memory now that the Braves are 2-0 with victories over Peach County and Putnam County, teams that beat Baldwin a year ago. In fact, Baldwin outscored them 67-26 after being outscored 73-34 last season. All-state RB Micah Welch rushed for 205 yards and scored on runs of 44 and 54 yards in the Putnam County win last week. He’s committed to Colorado. Baldwin rushed for 281 yards and four touchdowns on 28 carries as a team. Ware County, the defending Class 5A champion, will be a much tougher challenge, though. Ware has beaten Appling County 20-17 and Richmond Hill 28-7. Both games were tight most of the way as Ware got a defensive touchdown in the fourth quarter to break away last week. New QB Luke Hooks struggled in the opener but was sharp against Richmond Hill. He was 14-of-18 passing for 184 yards. R.J. Boyd has rushed for 210 yards on the season.
Carrollton at Rome
When, where: 8 p.m. Friday, Barron Stadium, Rome
Records, rankings: Carrollton is 1-1 and No. 5 in Class 7A; Rome is 2-0 and No. 7 in 6A.
Last meeting: Carrollton won 23-6 in 2022.
Watch the game: On television on WPCH Peachtree TV (Atlanta).
Things to know: These northwest Georgia programs have played each season since 2016 and were in the same region until 2022. Rome has won four of the seven games. This will be the sixth time in eight meetings that both teams are ranked. The quarterbacks stand out. Rome’s Reece Fountain has passed for 6,725 yards and 60 touchdowns in his career. Carrollton’s Ju Ju Lewis, a sophomore, is committed to Southern Cal. He’s thrown for 4,545 yards in just 17 career games. Other top Carrollton players are WR Caleb Odom and OL Zykie Helton, both committed to Alabama, and LB Montreze Smith, committed to Duke. Other top Rome players are OL/DL Jarvis Adams (Western Kentucky), DT Justin Terrell (N.C. State), WR D.K. Daniel and DB Joe Wilkinson (Appalachian State).
Cedar Grove at Westlake
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Westlake Stadium, College Park
Records, rankings: Cedar Grove is 1-1 and No. 1 in Class 3A; Westlake is 2-0 and No. 7 in 7A.
Last meeting: Cedar Grove won 30-20 in 2022.
Watch the game: On television on GPB.
Things to know: In the 2022 game, Cedar Grove led 14-7 at halftime, then scored 16 points in the first three minutes of the second half by forcing a safety, returning the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown and throwing a 50-yard TD pass. Westlake played without all-state QB R.J. Johnson, now at Toledo. Cedar Grove returns its quarterback, E.J. Colson, a four-star recruit. Colson is 30-of-39 passing for 335 yards and seven touchdowns, and he’s rushed for 131 yards. Sophomore RB Boden Walker, also a major Division I recruit, has 186 yards rushing and 135 receiving with three touchdowns. Westlake is less experienced at those positions. The Lions’ offensive leaders are juniors Naeem Odeniyi (203 yards rushing), Sean Smith (309 passing) and Travis Smith Jr. (184 receiving). Westlake has eight seniors committed to colleges. Those include DB Christian Peterson (Central Florida), DB Rae’mon Mosby (Louisville) and LB Antwan Smith (Kentucky). Cedar Grove has struggled more than Westlake on defense, allowing 83 points in its 1-1 start. That includes a 50-42 loss to Monarch of Coconut Creek, Fla., last week.
Creekside at Mater Dei (Calif.)
When, where: 10 p.m. (7 p.m. Pacific) Saturday, Santa Ana Bowl, Santa Ana, Calif.
Records, rankings: Creekside is 2-0 and No. 2 in Class 5A; Mater Dei is 2-0 and No. 1 nationally.
Last meeting: This is the teams’ first meeting.
Watch the game: Online at NFHS Network.
Things to know: Mater Dei is the consensus No. 1 team in the country. Its plays in California’s powerful six-team Trinity League, then mostly out-of-state opponents that want to test their luck against the best. Creekside is the first Georgia team to accept the challenge. Milton played another Trinity League team, JSerra Catholic, in 2019 and lost 17-14. No other Georgia team has played in California. Mater Dei OL Brandon Baker and DL Aydin Breland are two of the nation’s 30 consensus five-star senior recruits. They are uncommitted. Nate Frazier, ranked the No. 1 senior RB recruit in the country by On3, is committed to Georgia. Elijah Brown, the consensus No. 8 QB prospect, is committed to Stanford. Creekside beat lower top-200 national opponent, St. Peter’s Prep of New Jersey, 34-15 last week. Creekside has two RB/DB types that are especially outstanding. Roderick McCrary has 279 yards rushing, and Travis Terrell Jr. has 273 yards. The most highly recruited Creekside players are OL Caleb Holmes (Pitt), DL Michai Boireau (Florida) and DB Kevon Gray (Virginia).
Early County at Schley County
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Wildcat Stadium, Ellaville
Records, rankings: Early County is 2-0 and No. 3 in Class A Division II; Schley County is 1-0 and No. 1 in A Division II.
Last meeting: Early County won 19-17 in 2022.
Watch the game: Online at NFHS Network.
Things to know: In the 2022 game, Early County trailed 17-13 and turned the ball over on downs inside the Schley County 10, but Schley lost a fumble, and Early made good on its second chance for the winning touchdown. It was Early’s first victory over a No. 1-ranked team since 1998. Schley is No. 1 again mainly for returning its three best players – QB Jay Kanazawa, WR Jalewis Solomon and LB Zayden Walker – from a team that rebounded to reach the Class A Division II final. Solomon is committed to Auburn as a cornerback. Walker, a five-star recruit, was injured and didn’t play in the Early game last season. Early has opened with victories over Miller County (29-15) and Seminole County (33-13). Ty Stovall rushed for 217 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries last week. All-state DL B’Anthony Wade had three tackles for losses last week and 1.5 sacks the week before.
Northside (Warner Robins) at Warner Robins
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, McConnell-Talbert Stadium, Warner Robins
Records, rankings: Northside is 2-0 and No. 9 in Class 6A; Warner Robins is 0-1 and No. 3 in 5A.
Last meeting: Warner Robins won 17-10 in 2022.
Things to know: For the first time in 50 years, both of these iconic Warner Robins programs have first-year coaches. They are Warner Robins’ Shane Sams and Northside’s Ben Bailey. In 1973, their names were Robert Davis and Conrad Nix, who would face each other 19 times, with Nix’s Northside teams winning 10. Northside’s latest new coach has the Eagles 2-0 with victories over Jones County (33-21) and Peach County (28-17). Keron Milton has been a breakout star with nine receptions for 223 yards and five touchdowns. The team’s more established star is DB Ricardo Jones, who is committed to Clemson. Warner Robins lost its opener to No. 4 Lee County of Class 6A 26-19. Chase Reece passed for 287 yards and two touchdowns. Isiah Canion, who is committed to Georgia Tech, had eight receptions for 161 yards. Cam Flowers had 10 receptions for 84 yards. In the 2022 game against Northside, Reese rushed for 122 yards and scored the winning touchdown in overtime on a 15-yard run.
Savannah Christian at Marist
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Hughes Spalding Stadium, Atlanta
Records, rankings: Savannah Christian is 2-0 and No. 5 in Class 3A; Marist is 1-1 and No. 10 in 6A.
Last meeting: This is the teams’ first meeting.
Watch the game: Online at NFHS Network.
Things to know: These teams’ 2022 opponents for this date did not re-sign, leaving this first-time cross-state meeting between ranked teams. Savannah Christian has perhaps its most talented team in history. DL Elijah Griffin is the consensus No. 1 junior recruit in the country. LB/WR David Bucey, who is committed to South Carolina, had more than 1,000 all-purpose yards last season. RB Zo Smalls had more than 1,700, and he has rushed for 247 yards and seven touchdowns on just 16 carries this season. TE/DE Logan Brooking, the son of former Falcons LB Keith Brooking, has more than 30 offers. Marist’s best-known player is WR/DE Luke Harpring, who is committed to Georgia Tech. WR/DB Casey Comerford, QB/DB Jack Euart and FB/DE Jackson Hughes are key returning starters. True to its option-offense tradition, Marist averages 235.5 rushing yards and 47.5 passing. Although opportunity has been limited, Savannah Christian has never beaten a top-10 opponent from a higher classification since joining the GHSA in 1988. Marist most recently lost to a smaller school in 2016 (Lovett).
Thomas County Central at Bainbridge
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Centennial Field, Bainbridge
Records, rankings: Thomas County Central is 2-0 and No. 8 in Class 6A; Bainbridge is 1-1 and No. 4 in 4A.
Last meeting: Thomas County Central won 35-14 in 2022.
Watch the game: Online at NFHS Network.
Things to know: Thomas County Central ended a five-game losing streak in the series last season. Coming off a surprise 2022 Class 6A quarterfinal appearance while averaging 41 points per game, this year’s Central team appears ready to take the next step under second-year coach Justin Rogers. In a 45-7 victory over Thomasville last week, Jaylen Johnson passed for 294 yards, Trey Benton rushed for 142, and Tre’von Pringle had 161 receiving. Benton rushed for 115 yards in the opener, a victory over Cairo, and Johnson, a first-year starter, passed for 213 yards. Bainbridge has similar weapons. Keenan Phillips has rushed for 290 yards after going for 1,164 in 2022. Antavious Murphy was a 1,000-yard receiver last season. Bainbridge’s defeat came last week against Coffee, the No. 4 Class 5A team, 23-14. These schools are about 40 miles apart along Highway 84, and each is less than 20 miles from the Florida border.
Troup at Callaway
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Callaway Stadium, LaGrange
Records, rankings: Troup is 2-0 and No. 3 in Class 4A; Callaway is 1-0 and No. 4 in 2A.
Last meeting: Troup won 23-14 in 2022.
Watch the game: Online at NFHS Network.
Things to know: Callaway is coming off a 27-10 victory over Cedartown, which beat the Cavaliers 47-7 the year before. Callaway’s Deshun Coleman was 9-of-14 passing for 197 yards and one touchdown and rushed for 81 yards and two touchdowns. Travon Reeves had six receptions for 126 yards. Troup has won its two games handily over Harris County (31-7) and Hardaway (50-0). In limited action precipitated by routs, Taeo Todd has rushed for 331 yards and passed for 120. He went for more than 2,000 in both categories last season. He’s committed to Georgia Southern. LB Qua Birdsong (Central Florida) and DB Noah Dixon (Clemson) are top-200 national prospects. In the 2022 game between these teams, Troup got the lead for good on a kickoff return for a touchdown and took a 7-6 lead in the series. These are two of the three Troup County schools. LaGrange is the other.