Weekend Preview: Top 10 games of Week 4

Buford at Roswell

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Ray Manus Stadium, Roswell

Records, rankings: Buford is 1-1 and No. 2 in Class 6A; Roswell is 2-0 and No. 7 in 5A.

Last meeting: Roswell won 24-7 in 2016.

Things to know: Roswell tries to take down a ranked Class 6A team for the second week in a row. The Hornets beat then-No. 5 Walton 42-32 last week. Trey Smith was 11-of-18 passing for 163 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 112 yards and three touchdowns on 10 carries. Synkwan Smith (committed to Pitt) rushed for 142 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries and scored on a 3-yard pass. Kobby Sakyi-Prah (South Carolina) had four tackles for losses. Buford was off last week. The Wolves lost to Milton 13-10 and beat Benedictine 29-28, winning the latter with a touchdown and two-point conversion with 1:05 left after trailing 21-10 in the third quarter. Dayton Raiola, brother of Nebraska freshman Dylan Raiola, is 20-of-39 passing for 316 yards and two touchdowns. Buford is averaging 169.5 passing yards and 126.5 rushing yards. LB A.J. Holloway (South Carolina) leads the team in solo tackles, assists and tackles for losses. Buford has a state-leading 10 players committed to Power 4 Conference schools. Buford first played Roswell in 1952, when both were small towns that didn’t think of themselves as metro Atlanta.

Cartersville at Calhoun

When, where: 8 p.m. Friday, Phil Reeve Stadium, Calhoun

Records, rankings: Cartersville is 3-0 and No. 2 in Class 4A; Calhoun is 1-1 and No. 10 in 3A.

Last meeting: Cartersville won 21-17 in 2023.

Things to know: These northeast Georgia programs were in the same region the past four seasons. Now they’re in different classifications, but the rivalry continues between schools with a combined 32 region titles and five state championships since 2001. The past two games have been especially stirring. In 2023, Cartersville trailed 17-0 and won 21-17 on a 98-yard drive that hit paydirt in the final minute. In 2022, Calhoun won 50-48 in three overtimes. Both teams had heavy graduation losses. Cartersville has picked up where it left off (Class 5A semifinal finish, five shutouts). The ’Canes have allowed six points total in their three victories, all won decisively. Baylon Long has rushed for 197 yards. Jacaiden Leonard has rushed for 192. Calhoun bounced back from an opening loss to Creekview 17-10 to beat Westminster 28-20 last week. Calhoun employs two quarterbacks. Cross Land has passed for 215 yards. He's less the runner than Trace Hawkins, who has passed for 113 yards and rushed for 63. Either would be well served to get the ball to all-state TE Emaree Winston, who has seven receptions for 82 yards and seven rushes for 27. Winston is committed to Texas. Cartersville has a pair of Power 4 commits. They are ATH Jamauri Brice (Georgia Tech) and CB Jordyn Woods (Cincinnati).

Greene County at Morgan County

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Bill Corry Stadium, Madison

Records, rankings: Greene County is 3-0 and No. 6 in Class A Division II; Morgan County is 3-0 and No. 3 in 2A.

Last meeting: Greene County won 24-14 in 2023.

Things to know: This is the first time since 1990 that these teams from bordering counties have played when both were ranked. Greene County has a pair of Power 4 Conference commits on defense. WR/DB Steve Miller (Mississippi State) is a two-way starter who also returns kicks. He has 14 receptions for 172 yards. Formerly Greene’s starting quarterback, he threw for 169 yards in the 2023 win over Morgan County, administering the Bulldogs’ only regular-season defeat. The other P4 player is DL Kevin Wynn (Florida State). He and Layous Burt have six tackles for losses apiece. Travez Gibson (244 yards) and Amari Durham (233) are the leading rushers. Landon Garretson has thrown for 377 yards. Morgan County is averaging 479 total yards per game. Davis Strickland has thrown for 795 yards and nine touchdowns. Jaylen Elder has 20 catches for 433 yards and five touchdowns. Christian Monfort has rushed for 326 yards. He’s also an outside linebacker with five tackles for losses. The series dates to 1916, when their predecessor schools, Madison and Greensboro, first played each other. Morgan County/Madison leads the combined series of those schools 48-38-3.

Hughes at Douglas County

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Tiger Stadium, Douglasville

Records, rankings: Hughes is 2-0 and No. 5 in Class 5A; Douglas County is 3-0 and No. 3 in 6A.

Last meeting: Douglas County won 30-27 in 2023.

Things to know: In different classifications now, these schools have played eight of the past 10 seasons as region rivals. Hughes is 6-4 in those games, but Douglas County has won four of the past five. In the 2023 game, Sire Hardaway threw a 29-yard TD pass to James Johnson with two minutes left for the game winner. Hardaway graduated, but Johnson is back. He committed last week to Southern Cal. He’s joined by top-50 junior national recruits Devin Carter and Aaron Gregory to form the most highly touted wide receiver room in state history. The new quarterback is D.J. Bordeaux, who has thrown for 439 yards and five touchdowns and rushed for 189 yards. Bordeaux also is a major Division I recruit. Hughes hangs its hat on its offensive line, all five starters weighing in at more than 300 pounds. The most renowned are tackles Tavaris Dice (committed to Auburn) and Dontrell Glover (Georgia). Hughes’ highest-rated recruit is a tight end, Xavier Tiller. Carsyn Baker has rushed for 293 yards. Christian Langford, the heir to Air Noland’s QB spot, has thrown for 349 yards, completing 78.1% of passes, and is a good runner.

Jones County at Ola

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Mustang Stadium, McDonough

Records, rankings: Jones County is 3-0 overall, 2-0 in Region 2-4A and unranked; Ola is 3-0, 2-0 and unranked.

Last meeting: Jones County won 48-17 in 2023.

Things to know: There are 25 Georgia teams that are 3-0 and unranked, and 10 play in deep Class 4A. Jones County and Ola also are the only undefeated teams in their region, though three others haven’t lost in region play. The computer Maxwell Ratings considers these two the region favorites in what is projected to be a three-team race with Stockbridge. Jones County has been an offensive juggernaut, averaging 39 points per game, with Devin Edmonds throwing for 821 yards and nine touchdowns without an interception. Zacari Thomas has rushed for 227 yards. Jaivon Solomon has 357 receiving yards and four touchdowns. Solomon (Duke) is one of three Jones County players committed to Power 4 Conference teams. The others are DB Javion Butts (North Carolina) and LB Zacari Thomas (Boston College). Ola beat Eagle’s Landing Christian 7-3 last week after Caden Worley threw a 37-yard TD pass to Jacoby Parker on a fourth-and-14 with 1:28 left. Worley, a sophomore, has thrown for 288 yards this season. Nigel Newkirk, also a sophomore, rushed for 365 yards. Ola has never won a region title and lost handily to Jones County last season but upset the Greyhounds 22-15 in 2022 when they were ranked No. 9.

North Cobb at Cass

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Doug Cochran Stadium, White

Records, rankings: North Cobb is 3-0 and unranked in Class 6A; Cass is 3-0 and No. 8 in 4A.

Last meeting: North Cobb won 44-0 in 1997.

Things to know: Coming off its best finish in 40 years, Cass is playing a perennially formidable team from the highest class, something the Colonels historically were not prepared to do. The current Cass team has outscored its opponents 139-7. Though all were smaller schools, each has been ranked in at least one poll this season. QB Brodie McWhorter is 40-of-51 passing for 610 yards and eight touchdowns. He has rushed for 80 yards. Braylon Hill has rushed for 330 yards. Elijah Slocum has 15 receptions for 216 yards. Six receivers have TD catches. Cass junior offensive linemen Kail Ellis and Bear McWhorter are top-400 national recruits. North Cobb, with three victories over Class 6A teams, is 3-0 for the first time since 2020. QB Nick Grimstead has passed for 441 yards and rushed for 280. Countering Cass’s vaunted offensive line will be North Cobb defensive linemen Kamron Cullins (Georgia Tech) and Dominick Moody (East Carolina). Cass coach Steve Gates worked on North Cobb coach Shane Queen's staff from 2010 to 2015 (Gates' first high school coaching job), and their relationship led to scheduling this game.

North Gwinnett at Mill Creek

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Markham Field, Hoschton

Records, rankings: North Gwinnett is 2-0 and No. 4 in Class 6A; Mill Creek is 3-0 and No. 5 in 6A.

Last meeting: Mill Creek won 49-14 in 2023.

Things to know: North Gwinnett leads the series 13-4, but Mill Creek has won the past two meetings decisively. These two always played as region rivals until 2023. North Gwinnett, holding its highest ranking since 2020, features a dual-threat quarterback and stifling defense. Ryan Hall has thrown for 281 yards and four touchdowns without an interception in two games and leads the team with 152 rushing yards. Nicholas Bookman has three TD receptions. North Gwinnett DE/LB Cole Funderburk (Wake Forest) and 320-pound DL Braxton Kyle (Rutgers) have six tackles for losses apiece. Jake Godfree, a nationally ranked sophomore linebacker, leads the team with 16 solo tackles. North Gwinnett beat then-No. 4 Colquitt County 14-3 last week on the strength of 13 tackles for losses. Mill Creek has beaten Lambert, Norcross and Archer. Shane Throgmartin has thrown for 547 yards and seven touchdowns. Daniel Smith has run for 506 yards while averaging 9.8 per carry. Luke Metz, a linebacker committed to Alabama, leads the team in solo tackles (21) and tackles for losses (four).

Rockmart at Ringgold

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Don Patterson Field, Ringgold

Records, rankings: Rockmart is 0-2 overall, 0-0 in Region 7-2A and No. 9; Ringgold is 3-0, 1-0 and No. 10.

Last meeting: Rockmart won 18-6 in 2021.

Things to know: Rockmart has won 51 consecutive region games, the longest active streak of its kind in Georgia. None of those 51 opponents were ranked, however. Ringgold is. Ringgold also is undefeated with victories over Dade County, Murray County and county rival Heritage. The Heritage game was 17-14 with a long missed field goal at the end. Ringgold’s Jeremiah  Frost, playing for an injured starter, rushed for 165 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries. Garrett Edgar was 11-of-16 passing for 175 yards. Eli Pursley had seven receptions for 133 yards. Cole Runion intercepted two passes and returned a fumble 31 yards for a touchdown. Despite its 0-2 record, Rockmart remains an 18-point favorite and the region favorite, according to the computer Maxwell Ratings. (Another region threat is North Cobb Christian, ranked No. 8 in the 3A-A private division.) Rockmart has taken severe lumps against bigger schools Cedartown and Cartersville, which held them to nine total points. Rockmart returned only two of its 11 first-team all-region players. They are WR/DB Tristan Anderson and LB Nate Davis. Both were preseason all-state. Rockmart remains the reigning Class 2A runner-up (lost in three overtimes) with the tradition of 12 playoff victories over the past eight seasons.

Stephens County at Jefferson

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Memorial Stadium, Jefferson

Records, rankings: Stephens County is 3-0 and No. 2 in Class 2A; Jefferson is 2-1 and No. 2 in 3A.

Last meeting: Jefferson won 27-24 in 2017.

Things to know: This is the first time Stephens County has played in a game between top-five teams since 1992, when the Indians beat Dalton in the Class 3A quarterfinals. Jefferson played in one last month and lost to Marist. Stephens County is averaging 29.3 points per game. Tripp Underwood, a returning starter, has passed for 642 yards and eight touchdowns. All-state RB Javin Gordon (committed to Duke) has 585 all-purpose yards, 277 of that rushing. Davon Swinton (three TD receptions) and Jonah Swinton (three interceptions) are key figures on offense, defense and special teams. Jefferson has dominated Jackson County and Clarke Central since the Marist loss. Gavin Markey has passed for 349 yards on just 27 attempts while rushing for 135 yards. Jefferson has five other players with more than 100 all-purpose yards. Sophomore LB Max Brown has a team-leading 19 solo tackles.

Warner Robins at Houston County

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Freedom Field, Warner Robins

Records, rankings: Warner Robins is 2-1 and No. 10 in Class 4A; Houston County is 3-0 and No. 8 in 5A.

Last meeting: Houston County won 41-7 in 2023.

Things to know: One could say this is for the county championship with each coming off impressive victories in the semifinals. Houston County beat Perry 31-17 while Warner Robins beat Northside 34-12. Houston County features the potent QB-WR combination of Antwann Hill (state-leading 958 yards passing) and Isaiah Mitchell (536 receiving). Javien Durham has rushed for more than 125 yards in two of the Bears’ victories. The Bears held Perry to minus-5 yards rushing. Warner Robins’ defensive was impressive too against Northside, holding the Eagles to 29 rushing yards. Isaiah Gibson (Georgia) had two sacks and two other tackles for losses. Rasean Dinkins (Georgia Tech) intercepted two passes and scored three touchdowns, two receiving and one rushing. Skyler Williams was 8-of-13 passing for 131 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 135 yards.