Class 5A Blog: Results from Friday's games to have season-long impact

In Region 1, front-runner Brunswick was upset by Statesboro 28-21. The region now sees a three-way tie, with Brunswick, Statesboro, and Effingham County all having only one loss in region play. Effingham’s loss is to Brunswick 42-14, while Statesboro’s loss is to Glynn Academy 36-8. At this point, Statesboro is the only team to control its own destiny. If the Blue Devils win out, they will win the region.

Every team in Region 2 was off, and all but two in Region 3 were on bye. In Region 4, Woodward all but solidified the region title with a 42-13 win over Dunwoody. The victory puts the War Eagles one win away from the region title. If they defeat either Decatur or Lakeside-DeKalb, they will be region champions for the fifth year in a row.

In Region 5, Rome and New Manchester look to be on a collision course. New Manchester and Rome are both undefeated in region play. New Manchester (7-0) is in first place in the region and, outside of a 23-22 scare against East Paulding, has dominated region play, winning its other four games by an average of 27 points per game. Rome is no stranger to great football. Standing at 5-2, the Wolves are one of the most dominant teams in the state over the past decade. Currently on a five-game winning streak, last week’s 65-0 victory over Lithia Springs was the team’s third straight win by 42 or more points, and they have not given up more than seven points in any of those three games. This week’s game against South Paulding is the only thing standing between them and a matchup with undefeated New Manchester.

In Region 6, chaos still reigns supreme. Sequoyah, Creekview, and Sprayberry won, staying in a three-way tie for first in the region. Sequoyah and Sprayberry defeated River Ridge 28-10 and Woodstock 31-24, dropping the tie for first place from five to three. Seqouyah is the only team that controls its own destiny. This coming week, the entire region is on bye, with big games between Sequoyah and Creekview and Sprayberry and Woodstock not happening until the final week of the season.

In Region 7, No. Gainesville handed No. 5 Milton its first region loss since 2017. The 28-17 victory is the Red Elephants’ biggest of the Josh Niblett era. Milton drops to third place in the region, with Roswell and Gainesville being the two unbeaten teams. Roswell still needs to face both Milton and Gainesville, games that will decide seeding and the region championship.

Region 8 saw the title race stay put, with No. 9 Jackson County and Habersham Central both on bye. The Panthers will play Winder-Barrow this week in a game that could be a stumbling block for them. If they win, they will host Habersham Central in what will be the region title game. It has been a historic season for Jackson County, whose six wins are already the fourth-most in school history. Last year saw them host their first-ever playoff game, and this season could bring their first-ever playoff win and region title if things play out in the Panthers’ favor.

Class 5A Top 10 schedule

No. 1 Thomas County central travel to Northside-Warner Robins.

No. 2 Hughes hosts No. 8 Northgate in an undefeated matchup.

No. 3 Houston County heads to Coffee.

No. 4 Gainesville travels to Chattahoochee.

No. 5 Milton is on bye.

No. 6 Seqouyah is on bye.

No. 7 Roswell heads to Lanier.

No. 9 Jackson County plays host Winder-Barrow.

No. 10 Lee County hosts Veterans.

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