Weekend Preview: Top 10 games of Week 7
Blessed Trinity at Roswell
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Ray Manus Stadium, Roswell
Records, rankings: Blessed Trinity is 4-1 overall, 1-0 in Region 7-6A and No. 10; Roswell is 4-1, 1-0 and No. 3.
Last meeting: This is the teams’ first meeting.
Things to know: These schools are about a mile apart, but they’ve never met in football as Roswell has played in the highest classification throughout Blessed Trinity’s existence while Blessed Trinity was playing in 3A just seven years ago, when the Titans emerged as a perennial power. They entered this season having lost only five region games since 2011. This season, their first in 6A, was expected to be a struggle, especially with the transfer of star running back Justice Haynes, but they’ve gotten good work from Keiran Davis, who has rushed for 622 yards. He’s committed to East Carolina as an edge rusher. Brooks Goodman, a sophomore, has thrown for 683 yards and eight touchdowns with only one interception. Mavrick Torrico, a returning all-state linebacker, is the leading tackler. Blessed Trinity has beaten two ranked opponents, including No. 8 Calhoun of 5A, and lost only to Marist. Roswell’s loss came against Milton of Class 7A. Roswell passes for 226 yards per game and rushes for 183. K.J. Smith, a first-year starting quarterback, passed for 209 yards and rushed for 109 last week against Johns Creek. Nykahi Davenport rushed for more than 100 yards in each of the first four games but sat out last week.
Bowdon at St. Francis
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Peter Carriuolo Field, Alpharetta
Records, rankings: Bowdon is 4-1 and No. 3 in Class A Division II; St. Francis is 4-1 and No. 10 in Class A Division I.
Last meeting: Bowdon won 21-17 in 2019.
Things to know: St. Francis is ranked for the first time in its history. It’s an Alpharetta school best known for basketball (seven boys and girls state titles). Its first full varsity football season was in 2012. Frank Barden, in his 29th season as a Georgia head coach, took over the program in 2018. St. Francis’ only loss came to Hart County, a Class 3A school, 31-7, and its best win came against Fellowship Christian, a team ranked in preseason. St. Francis has never beaten a ranked team (0-17 record), and three are on the horizon – the Knights play No. 3 Rabun County and No. 7 Whitefield Academy next month. The team’s leading passer (Jaiden Jenkins), rusher (Kevin Maven-Winchester) and receiver and tackler (Cameron Robinson) are underclassmen. Four of the six leading tacklers are sophomores. Bowdon has won region titles each of the past two seasons and won a round in the playoffs each of the past three. Its top player is dual-threat quarterback Robert McNeal, a four-year starter.
Calhoun at Cartersville
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Weinman Stadium, Cartersville
Records, rankings: Calhoun is 3-2 overall, 0-0 in Region 7-5A and No. 8; Cartersville is 5-0, 0-0 and No. 1.
Last meeting: Cartersville won 21-14 in 2021.
Things to know: These are the only ranked teams in Region 7, and each is two touchdowns better than the next-closest rival, according to the Maxwell Ratings. Cartersville has won 62 consecutive region games dating to 2011, the fifth-longest streak in GHSA history. Two of those victories were against Calhoun in 2020 and 2021. (Calhoun holds the record with 119 straight region victories from 2001 to 2019.) Calhoun’s losses this season have come to No. 10 Blessed Trinity of 6A and No. 1 Cedartown of 4A. Neither has beaten a top team its size this season, though Cartersville defeated No. 8 Columbia of 2A 42-0 and has three shutouts. Both teams are good at passing. Cartersville’s QB pair of senior Paul Gamble and freshman Nate Russell are a combined 56-of-88 for 930 yards and 13 touchdowns. Calhoun’s Trey Townsend is 86-of-140 passing for 1,181 yards and 10 touchdowns. Caden Williams, a 1,000-yard rusher last season, has 311 rushing yards and 1877 receiving with seven touchdowns.
Callaway at Columbia
When, where: 8 p.m. Thursday, Avondale Stadium, Avondale Estates
Records, rankings: Callaway is 2-3 overall, 1-0 in Region 5-2A and unranked; Columbia is 4-1, 1-0 and No. 8.
Last meeting: This is the teams’ first meeting.
Things to know: These are two of three standout Region 5 teams. The other is No. 6 Eagle’s Landing Christian. It’s a much tougher region for Columbia than the one out of which the Eagles earned a home playoff game in 2021. Columbia opened the season with a stunning 13-10 victory at Class 7A’s Camden County but wasn’t competitive against No. 1 Cartersville of 5A in a 42-0 loss earlier this month. This will be the most telling gauge of where Columbia stands in Class 2A, as Callaway has reached four consecutive 2A semifinals and won the title in 2020. Callaway’s 2-3 record is deceiving. Its losses have come against Troup, Cedartown and Opelika, Ala. The Maxwell Ratings have Callaway as a five-point favorite. Both are primarily running teams that play good defense. The teams’ best-known players are defenders. Columbia’s Jadan Baugh, a junior safety/wide receiver, is a top-100 national recruit who leads the team in receiving yards and is third in tackles. Callaway’s Sam Williams, a defensive lineman, is committed to Wake Forest.
Central (Carrollton) at Cedartown
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Doc Ayers Field/Cedartown Memorial Stadium, Cedartown
Records, rankings: Central is 4-1 overall, 0-0 in Region 7-4A and unranked; Cedartown is 5-0, 0-0 and No. 1.
Last meeting: Cedartown won 34-7 in 2021.
Things to know: Cedartown is heavily favored in all remaining games in a bid to finish the regular season 10-0 for the first time since 2001. Central might be the best challenger left, although Northwest Whitfield (4-1) and Heritage of Ringgold (5-0) can be disagreeable, too. Central has three of the region’s best playmakers. Vicari Swain, who is committed to South Carolina, is a preseason all-state player with 449 all-purpose yards. He’s a two-way starter. Freshman RB Jonaz Walton has rushed for 898 yards, the most in 4A. QB Devan Powell has 621 yards passing, 309 rushing. Cedartown’s average score is 35-7. Three beaten opponents were ranked at the time, including then-No. 4 Calhoun of Class 5A. Harlem Diamond leads the team in rushing (405 yards), receiving (121 yards) and touchdowns (11) and is second to all-state LB Eli Barrow in tackles. Cedartown has won the past six in the series.
Collins Hill at Buford
When, where: 7 p.m. Friday, Tom Riden Stadium, Buford
Records, rankings: Collins Hill is 2-3 overall, 0-0 in Region 8-7A and unranked; Buford is 5-0, 0-0 and No. 1
Last meeting: This is the teams’ first meeting.
Things to know: It’s not the game ESPN anticipated when it decided to make it part of the GEICO Showcase Series. These are reigning state champions, Collins Hill from 7A and Buford from 6A. Buford is now in the highest class and competing in Collins Hill’s region. The Wolves are 5-0 and the consensus No. 7 team in the country. Collins Hill is 2-3, young and overwhelmed by injury. As many as eight starters were missing from Collins Hill’s 40-6 shellacking from Cedar Grove on Sept. 9. Collins Hill’s highest-rated recruit, Ethan Davis, won’t play this season because of an injury. Collins Hill is not without good players, though. DB/WR Jayden Davis is committed to Louisville, and LB Dion Crawford is a three-star prospect. Buford’s long list of top recruits bears repeating since ESPN is calling this a showcase. It includes RB Justice Haynes (Alabama commit), DB/WR K.J. Bolden, DE Eddrick Houston, OL Paul Mubenga, DE Alijah Williams, LB Ryan McKinnis (Appalachian State), QB Dylan Wittke (Virginia Tech), DB Tyshun White, DB Jadon Perlotte and DB Devin Williams. All are three-star recruits or higher.
Crisp County at Dougherty
When, where: 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Hugh Mills Stadium, Albany
Records, rankings: Crisp County is 3-2 overall, 0-0 in Region 1-3A and No. 7; Dougherty is 5-0, 0-0 and No. 8.
Last meeting: Crisp County won 22-6 in 2017.
Things to know: These are the only ranked teams from Region 1, although Thomasville and Carver of Columbus, who were state runners-up last season, are expected to challenge. Dougherty has the better record between these two, but Crisp County is the more established program. Crisp has won 12 playoff games since 2016 while Dougherty, in making the Class 4A quarterfinals, won its first playoff game in 16 years last season. Crisp County has beaten Dougherty the past nine times they’ve played, though Dougherty leads the series 19-17. Crisp County’s losses have come to larger schools Westlake and Northside of Warner Robins. Yet both could use a defining win in 2022. Both teams have outstanding quarterbacks. Crisp County’s Ahmad Brown, who is committed to Ole Miss, has been held in check offensively (just 424 yards passing, 77 rushing). He’s been solid on defense. LB Julian Fox is another Division I prospect on Crisp’s defense. Dougherty QB Kam Davis has passed for 1,152 yards and rushed for 541. He’s a top-40 recruit nationally among juniors and a leading candidate for 3A offensive player of the year.
Eastside at Loganville
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Red Devil Stadium, Loganville
Records, rankings: Eastside is 4-1 overall, 1-0 in Region 8-5A and No. 10; Loganville is 6-0, 2-0 and No. 6.
Last meeting: Eastside won 10-9 in 2021.
Things to know: These are two of three ranked Region 8 teams without a region loss. The other is No. 9 Jefferson. Loganville, the region favorite according to the Maxwell Ratings, is chasing its first region title since 2008. Eastside’s most recent region championship was in 2018. Eastside has beaten Loganville 10-9 and 7-3 the past two seasons. Neither team has scored more than 23 points in their past 10 meetings dating to 2002. In the 2021 game, Loganville missed an extra point, and Eastside snuffed out Loganville’s fourth-and-4 fake punt in Eastside territory in the fourth quarter. Eastside’s loss came against county rival Newton, a Class 7A school. Loganville is 6-0 for the first time since 1983. A victory over Eastside would be Loganville’s first over a top-10 team from the same class since 2018 (Southwest DeKalb) and first 7-0 start since 1971. Eastside gets 78% of its offense rushing. Kenai Grier has rushed for 628 yards this season and more than 2,000 for his career. Loganville gets 67% of its offense rushing. Solomon Leslie (6-1, 225) has rushed for 907 yards, second-most in Class 5A.
Houston County at Lee County
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Trojan Field, Leesburg
Records, rankings: Houston County is 5-0 overall, 0-0 in Region 1-6A and No. 8; Lee County is 4-1, 0-0 and No. 2.
Last meeting: Lee County won 29-9 in 2021.
Things to know: These are two of three ranked teams in Region 1. No. 7 Thomas County Central is the other. Lee County leads the series 8-0. Houston County was favored only once, in 2016, when Lee won 55-29 against a team ranked No. 1 with quarterback Jake Fromm. Lee is a one-point favorite in this game, according to the computer Maxwell Ratings. Lee County’s loss this season came against Colquitt County, the No. 3 team in Class 7A, 48-27. Lee is a strong rushing team led by Ousmane Kromah, who has run for 645 yards with eight touchdowns despite sitting out a game. J.D. Fugerson has 22 catches for 248 yards. Houston County is 5-0 for the first time since 2016 and averaging 50.4 points per game. Antwann “A.J.” Hill is Class 6A’s leading passer with 1,501 yards and 15 touchdowns, seven to Ricky Johnson. Houston County has beaten one currently ranked team, Perry, by a 57-56 count.
Oconee County at Hebron Christian
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Burlingame Field, Dacula
Records, rankings: Oconee County is 3-2 overall, 0-0 in Region 8-3A and No. 5; Hebron Christian is 5-0, 0-0 and unranked.
Last meeting: This is the teams’ first meeting.
Things to know: Hebron Christian, under first-year coach Jonathan Gess, is 5-0 for the first time. It started varsity football in 2007. Hebron defeated three top-10 teams in 2019, when the Lions reached the Class A Private quarterfinals, but beating Oconee County, a 3A team with two state-finals appearances the past three years, would be the best victory in program history. Hebron is led by Gavin Hall, a junior with 1,086 yards rushing and 786 passing and 24 combined touchdowns. Hebron averages 50 points per game, the most in 3A. Hebron’s best victory was a 35-28 win over Morgan County, the No. 19 team in 3A, according to the Maxwell Ratings. Oconee County has losses to North Oconee 16-13 and Burke County 28-21. Both are ranked in Class 4A. Oconee has beaten No. 9 Jefferson of 5A. Accounting for schedule strength, Maxwell rates Oconee as the third-best defensive team in Class 3A. Whit Weeks, a linebacker committed to LSU, is the defensive leader but also has 290 yards from scrimmage as a running back.
