Top-ranked Grayson got a total of 6 points off four drives deep into Hawks territory during regulation before escaping with a 20-13 double-overtime win in the Rams’ Week 6 matchup with Mill Creek. After picking up 1st-and-10 at the Grayson 19-yard line, Mill Creek settled for a Brock Pelligrino field goal and a 3-0 lead midway through the second quarter. The Rams responded with a field goal of their own from Jimmy Gonzalez Sanchez that was set up by a long run from star back Phil Mafah. Grayson marched down the field again after the Rams defense forced a quick Mill Creek punt, but the Hawks defense blocked the field goal attempt as time expired for a 3-3 tie at the break. Mill Creek reclaimed the lead late in the third quarter with another Pelligrino field goal—a consolation prize following a goal-line stand from the Grayson defense. The Hawks returned the favor midway through the fourth by forcing a turnover on downs from the Rams at the Mill Creek 15. Grayson got the ball back on the next play, however, and capitalized on the interception with another field goal for a 6-6 tie at the end of regulation. Mill Creek took a 13-7 lead in overtime before Mafah’s 1-yard trip to the end zone sent the game to 2OT. Quarterback DeYon Cannon connected with Jaden Smith for a 9-yard touchdown and Grayson’s first lead of the game, and the Rams defense came up with one last stop to seal the win.
Class 7A
Brookwood 56, Marietta 42
The Brookwood and Marietta offenses scored a combined 98 points and amassed 947 yards of total offense in a Week 6 showdown packed with standout performances, but sophomore quarterback Dylan Lonergan’s and Alexander Diggs’ three first-half touchdowns apiece gave the Broncos the separation they needed to maintain control through the rest of the game for the program’s first 5-0 start since 2005. Lonergan got the scoring started with a 61-yard touchdown pass to De’Nylon Morissette, and Marietta quarterback Tyler Hughes answered with a touchdown for the Blue Devils moments later. Another Hughes TD pass—a 75-yarder to Daniel Martin—and Diggs’ first two scores had Brookwood up 21-14 at the end of the opening frame, and Lonergan found Stone Bonner early in the second for another touchdown. Hughes connected with Zuri Johnson on Marietta’s next drive to cut Brookwood’s lead in half, but Diggs’ third rushing score (40 yards) and Lonergan’s third TD pass—this time to Samuel M’Bake—gave the Broncos a 42-21 advantage at the break. Hughes added two touchdown runs and another scoring strike to Martin in the second half, but rushing scores from Jumal Prothrow in the third and fourth quarters helped the Broncos maintain at least a two-touchdown cushion through the remainder of the game.
Archer 49, Dunwoody 0
The Archer Tigers dominated visiting Dunwoody with a 49-0 shut out that included five touchdowns in the second quarter alone. Schmari Campbell was responsible for two of the five—one of which came on a punt return—and Chase Sellers, Rontayv’on Grant and Renoldo Spivey Jr. contributed the three remaining second-quarter scores. Sellers also had a touchdown in the first quarter, and Grant added another rushing score in the third for the final points of the game.
East Coweta 24, Collins Hill 17 (2OT)
Host East Coweta tied the game at 10-10 on a short field goal by Beau Beldon as time expired in regulation and scored touchdowns in both overtimes. Quarterback Daniel Shoch found Zander Simmons for a touchdown off a tipped ball for the first score, and Shoch hit Tyrell Fudge for a score to give the Indians a 24-17 lead with Collins Hill taking possession in the second overtime. East Coweta stopped Collins Hill on four straight downs to win the game, getting pass breakups from Willie Rice, Pierre Robinson and Makai Sullivan and a tackle for loss from Dylan Spelios. Shoch put East Coweta ahead in the first half with a 1-yard QB sneak, and the 7-0 score stood until the fourth quarter.
Roswell 23, Walton 17 (OT)
Roswell running back Ryan Stephens rushed for the game-winning touchdown in the first overtime following Ethan Nation’s interception. Roswell tied the game after taking possession with 1:30 remaining, driving nearly the length of the field after being pinned inside the 5-yard line by a Walton punt. Roswell’s Marquis Willis had a short touchdown rush to cap the drive and tie the game with 16 seconds left. Roswell scored the first points of the game on a long touchdown pass from Robbie Roper to Michael Fitzgerald but trailed 10-7 at halftime and late into the third quarter before Caden Long made a field goal to tie the game at 10-10.
Hillgrove 28, Gainesville 27
The Hillgrove Hawks came away with the win after withstanding a second-half rally by the Gainesville Red Elephants. The Hawks held a 21-7 lead at the break but were outscored 20-7 in the second half. Gainesville’s Naim Cheeks scored a touchdown in the third making it a 21-14 game. The Hawks were up 28-14 in the fourth, but Gainesville was able to score with under three minutes to go to cut the deficit to seven. Malik Stringer recovered a Hillgrove fumble on the next possession and took it to the end zone to make it a 28-27 game. Gainesville attempted a two-point conversion, but it was unsuccessful.
North Gwinnett 16, North Cobb 0
North Gwinnett got its season back on track, ending the two-game losing streak that began with 38-point underdog Lovejoy’s 19-7 Week 4 upset with a shutout road win over No.5 ranked North Cobb. The Bulldogs got on the board in the first quarter with quarterback Jayson Gilliom’s touchdown pass to Blake Young on a faked field goal attempt. The 7-0 score stood until the North Gwinnett defense tacked on a safety in the third quarter, and Brinston Williams sealed the game in the final frame with a rushing score. North Cobb (4-1) has a bye next week before facing Harrison, and the Bulldogs will host a Mill Creek team fresh off a double-overtime loss to nationally ranked Grayson.
Newnan 41, MLK 7
Newnan jumped out to a 34-0 halftime lead over Class 5A MLK and closed out the Lions to post the program’s first 5-0 start since the 2009 season. The Cougars got on the board with a 25-yard touchdown run by Bryson Moss and grew the lead to 14-0 on MLK’s next possession when a blocked punt was scooped up by James Rosser and returned for a 15-yard touchdown. Aubrey Carter added a 9-yard touchdown run before the first quarter came to an end and then quarterback Michael Maginnis III connected with Reid Brass (17 yards) and Nick Owens (40 yards) in the second quarter to make it 34-0 at the break.
Milton 16, McEachern 3
Milton got the best of a defensive battle by limiting visiting McEachern to just 103 yards of total offense. Eagles quarterback Devin Farrell rushed for a 15-yard touchdown and threw a 36-yard scoring strike to Debron Gatling. The Indians scored first on a 27-yard field goal by Kyle Hill in the second quarter, but they were outscored 16-0 the rest of the way. Milton led 7-3 at halftime and 14-3 through three quarters before Christian Colasurdo tacked on a 27-yard field goal in the fourth.
Class 6A
Johns Creek 27, Riverwood 20
Johns Creek’s Dylan Parr answered a 75-yard second-quarter punt return touchdown from Riverwood with a short rushing score, and the Gladiators recovered a Riverwood fumble moments later to set up a field goal for a 10-7 halftime lead. Riverwood added a score late in the third to go up 13-10 before the Gladiators seized control in the final frame. Quarterback Quin Teeples found WR John Stegenga on 3rd-and-long for a 21-yard touchdown before special teams came up with another fumble recovery. Parr capitalized with a 20-yard touchdown, then scored again on the following Johns Creek drive for a 27-13 lead. Riverwood tacked on another touchdown before Johns Creek ran out the clock for the win.
Carrollton 34, Rome 12
Carrollton jumped out to an early lead with a 23-yard James McCauley touchdown pass to Jalen Marsh following a fumble recovery by the Trojan defense for the game’s first score. Carrollton RB Christian Lett then added a 38-yard touchdown run shortly afterward, but Rome responded with back-to-back scores—an 8-yard run from Bryson Hill and a 19-yard touchdown reception from Martavious Collins—to cut Carrollton’s lead to 14-12. A successful onside kick recovery by Rome was upended by David Johns’ pick-six in the final moments of the half for a 20-12 Carrollton advantage. Trojans RB Bryce Hicks added two touchdowns in the second half to give Carrollton a 34-12 victory.
Allatoona 37, Osborne 0
A shutout by the Allatoona defense paired with a well-rounded offensive attack gave the Buccaneers a 37-0 road win over Osborne. Allatoona took a commanding lead right from the start with early touchdown passes from Elan Hall to Zack Jackson and Jay Ellison before Vinnie Canosa recovered a botched snap by the Cardinals and ran it to the end zone. Smith then connected with Jackson again for another score, and Alex Stanford’s field goal gave Allatoona a 30-0 advantage at the break. Steven Kesser added a pick-six for the Buccaneers in the third quarter for the 37-0 final.
Brunswick 24, Glynn Academy 21
Brunswick snapped a six-game losing streak to rival Glynn Academy in their annual “City Championship” clash with a thrilling Region 2 home victory. The Pirates led 17-7 until midway through the fourth quarter when Glynn Academy began its comeback attempt. The Terrors first cut the deficit to 17-14 on a 3-yard TJ Lewis touchdown run at the 6:44 mark and found the go-ahead score on a 35-yard touchdown throw from Lewis to Cade Hutchinson with just 0:41 left to play. Trailing 21-17, Brunswick’s KJ Lee found Tyrease Jones on a pass that was tipped before the senior secured it and took it 75 yards for the Pirates’ game-winning touchdown. Brunswick’s 17-7 halftime lead was built with touchdown runs by Khamori Simmons and Chuckobe Hill and a field goal with 3:16 left in the half. Lewis put the Terrors on the board with a touchdown run in the first quarter before contributing to the unsuccessful comeback attempt with a rushing and passing touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Buford 51, Central Gwinnett 0
Buford running backs Gabe Ervin and Victor Venn combined for 320 yards rushing and four touchdowns as the Wolves handled Central Gwinnett at home. Ervin rushed for 178 yards on 10 carries, including a 6-yard touchdown in the first quarter and a 57-yard score in the third. Venn went for 142 yards on nine carries, with a 27-yard touchdown in the second and a 63-yard score in the third, and Tommy Beuglas (2 yards), Eli Parks (1 yard) and Christian Butler (13 yards) all found the end zone as well. Buford’s Malik Spencer blocked a Central Gwinnett punt in the first quarter, sending it out of the back of the end zone for a safety, and Alex Mata hit a 45-yard field goal in the second quarter. Buford gained 441 yards of offense, 381 of which came on the ground.
Class 5A
St. Pius X 42, Northview 7
St. Pius X scored 14 points in each of the first three quarters to maintain control against visiting Northview. The Golden Lions scored the first 21 points of the game before Northview’s Marcus Godbey rushed for a touchdown in the second quarter. The Titans were unable to get anything going after that point and finished the game with only 117 total yards of offense. St. Pius X running back Mason Benefield got the scoring started with a 30-yard run in the first quarter and he also found the end zone in the third quarter.
Ware County 43, Benedictine 21
Ware County quarterback Thomas Castellanos rushed for three touchdowns and threw for two more in the Gators’ home win. Castellanos’ two second-quarter touchdown runs propelled Ware County to a 33-7 halftime lead, and he capped the scoring with a 9-yard rushing score with 5:33 left in the fourth quarter. Castellanos threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Dakari Coachman to open the scoring in the first quarter and found Raiden Kennedy on a 24-yard touchdown pass to make it 26-7 in the second. Ware County’s Brandon Mills rushed for a 26-yard score in the first quarter, and Henry Bates hit a 23-yard field goal in the third quarter to make it 36-7—the Gators’ largest lead of the night—before Benedictine added two late scores.
Loganville 59, Johnson-Gainesville 0
The Red Devils exploded to a 52-0 halftime lead and added a late fourth-quarter touchdown pass to record the highest-point total and largest margin of victory in the school’s 57-year history. Mason Lawson returned an interception for a touchdown just 22 seconds into the game to put Loganville up 7-0. Quarterback Tanner Greene threw two first-half touchdown passes to Austin May and one to Jackson Daniel, and Avery Hamilton rushed for 48 and 44-yard touchdowns. Solomon Leslie added a 33-yard touchdown and the team also got a safety in the second quarter following a botched snap by the Knights.
Class 4A
Jefferson 40, Flowery Branch 10
Jefferson answered an early Flowery Branch field goal with back-to-back touchdowns from Malaki Starks to take a 12-3 lead, and the Dragons defense stopped Flowery Branch at the goal line as time expired in the first half. The Dragons opened the second half with an 80-yard drive that ended in Starks’ third touchdown and added another score with a 70-yard return of a blocked field goal for a 26-3 lead. Reese Johnson and Carter Stephenson each added touchdowns in the fourth.
Class 3A
Oconee County 14, Veterans 6
The visiting Oconee County Warriors defeated Veterans for their 300th win in program history. The Warriors took a 7-0 lead with a first-quarter touchdown pass from Jacob Wright to Jake Johnson, and Wright’s scoring strike to Darius Johnson a Veterans field goal brought the score to 14-3 at the break. The Warhawks added another field goal in the fourth quarter, but were unable to close the gap further.
North Murray 40, Sonoraville 20
North Murray trailed 20-14 before the Mountaineers scored 26 unanswered points to run away with a Region 6 road victory over Sonoraville. JoJo McDaniels returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown to put Sonoraville up 7-0, but North Murray answered a minute later with a 75-yard touchdown pass from Seth Griffin to Cade Petty. The Mountaineers grabbed the lead with an 8-yard Dante Tidwell touchdown run before Sonoraville’s Bradley Lackey found McDaniels for a 60-yard touchdown and then ran in a 1-yard touchdown to put the Phoenix up 20-14 with 10:38 left in the first half. Griffin engineered the comeback with three 1-yard rushing touchdowns and a 55-yard touchdown pass to Dante Tidwell. Griffin’s final goal-line touchdown run was set up by a 60-yard completion to Tidwell that put the Mountaineers on the Sonoraville 1-yard line in the first minute of the fourth quarter.
Greater Atlanta Christian 28, Westminster 6
Deymon Fleming threw three touchdown passes to lead visiting Greater Atlanta Christian past Westminster. The Spartans scored the last 28 points of the game to easily erase a 6-0 second-quarter deficit. Fleming tossed two of his scoring strikes to Will Hardy (7, 23 yards), both in the second quarter, and he capped off the scoring with a screen pass that Josh Williamson took 52 yards to the end zone in the fourth. Will Gary added a 1-yard touchdown run for Greater Atlanta Christian. The Wildcats got two early field goals from Alex Bacchetta before the offense stalled out the rest of the way.
Ringgold 34, Murray County 13
Ringgold closed out a road victory over Region 6 opponent Murray County with 21 unanswered points following a 13-13 tie with 8:42 left in the third quarter. Murray County took a 7-0 lead with a 24-yard touchdown pass from Kaleb Jones to Brannon Nuckolls in the first quarter before Ringgold capitalized off of two Murray County fumbles in the second quarter with a pair of 1-yard touchdown runs by Kori Dumas to take a 13-7 lead into the half. Murray County was able to tie 13-13 with another Jones to Nuckolls passing score before the Tigers took over for good. Petyon Williams provided the go-ahead touchdown on a 13-yard carry with 6:56 left in the third quarter and Dumas added two fourth-quarter touchdown runs to give Ringgold the 34-13 victory.
Richmond Academy 20, Harlem 10
Richmond Academy led 13-10 at the half before closing out host Harlem in the Region 4 opener for both squads. Quarterback Jack Murphy threw touchdown passes to Chris Murphy (16 yards) and Kellen McDuffie (59 yards) in the first half and Harlem was able to put 10 points on the board with a 30-yard Brett Sterner field goal and Cam Garnett’s 10-yard touchdown run with near the end of the second quarter. The Musketeers’ 13-10 lead held until the final frame when Rashad Williams cashed in on a 10-yard touchdown run to provide the final margin. Richmond Academy improved to 4-1 overall with the victory and the Bulldogs dropped to 1-4.
Class 2A
Fannin County 57, Gordon Central 6
Fannin County opened up a 49-0 lead at the half before closing out visiting Gordon Central to improve to 4-0 and earn its first Region 7 victory of the year. Quarterback Luke Holloway found Jalen Ingram for a 55-yard touchdown on the Rebels’ first snap of the game and also connected with Andrew Bivens and Cohutta Hyde in the first half. A blocked punt was recovered by Michael O’Neal and returned for a Fannin County touchdown in the first quarter and Caleb Postell’s 11-yard touchdown followed to make it 21-0. Bivens notched an interception and returned it to the 4-yard line to set up a Seth Reece touchdown before halftime, and Fannin County’s final touchdown came on a recovered fumble in the third quarter. Gordon Central avoided the shutout with Jordan Boone’s touchdown run in the final frame.
Class A-Public
Gordon Lee 48, Southeast Whitfield 0
Host Gordon Lee led 41-0 at the half lead and scored a touchdown in the second half for a 48-0 victory over Class 4A Southeast Whitfield. The Trojans scored all eight of their touchdowns on the ground. Bo Rhudy ran in three first-half touchdowns (49, 3, 2 yards), Cade Peterson tallied two rushing scores (36, 57 yards) and Nate Dunfee scored a 6-yard touchdown before the break. Gordon Lee’s final rushing score came with 7:39 left in the third quarter with Brody Cobb’s 5-yard touchdown run.
Commerce 41, Mt. Paran 9
Class A-Public No. 6 Commerce led 34-0 in the second quarter before the Eagles added a field goal on the final play of the half. Dreylan Martin and Sammy Brown gave the Tigers a 14-0 advantage with rushing touchdowns in the opening quarter. Quarterback Trey Huff threw a 40-yard touchdown to Jake Frates, Michael Sherman added a 2-yard rushing score and Elijah Burns found the end zone on a 10-yard carry to grow the lead to 34-0. Huff added a 2-yard Commerce touchdown run in the third quarter, and Mt. Paran’s lone touchdown came in the final frame on a 2-yard run by Sam Griffith-Tesch.
Irwin County 21, Brooks County 13
Visiting Irwin County got a sack from Eli Roberts on fourth down to end Brooks County’s final possession and seal the win. Irwin County’s Kam Ward rushed 18 times for 166 yards and all three Indians touchdowns. Irwin County quarterback Cody Soliday was 6-of-12 passing for 75 yards, and Gabe Benyard (69 yards) and Garland Benyard (56 yards) also contributed to the running game. Bobby Collins ripped the ball from a Brooks County ball-carrier for a forced fumble and recovery to set up an Indians score. For Brooks County, Omari Arnold rushed 14 times for 101 yards—including a 62-yard touchdown run—and quarterback Ni’Tavion Burrus was 7-of-14 passing for 104 yards and a touchdown.
Class A-Private
Athens Academy 35, Hebron Christian Academy 7
Athens Academy’s Charlie Chisolm scored the game’s first touchdown on a 31-yard late in the first quarter, and quarterback Palmer Bush added an 11-yard rushing touchdown in the second to give the Spartans a 14-0 lead at halftime. Bush threw an interception to open the second half but rebounded with a 74-yard touchdown pass to Jack Nasworthy and a 43-yard rushing score on the next two Athens Academy drives. Spartans RB Walley Terrell added a 56-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter to seal the win.
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