Top 10 games of Week 3

Last meeting: Baldwin won 47-37 in the first round of the 2005 Class 4A playoffs.

Things to know: The early part of the season has been an adventure for Baldwin. The Braves traveled almost two hours to face Dacula in a scrimmage, had their home opener against Liberty County become a road game because their turf installation wasn’t complete, and had their game last week at Washington County canceled. Now they travel to the No. 2 team in a higher classification. In their Week 1 game, Baldwin scored 42 first-half points and beat Liberty 42-6 behind two touchdowns each by QB Derrick Lewis and RB Jeramiyah Scott. Ware County has outscored its opponents 104-35 in victories over Cook and Eagle’s Landing Christian. QB Thomas Castellanos is 30-of-44 passing for 475 yards and two touchdowns and has rushed for 147 yards and three TDs. The four-year starter has 5,572 yards passing and 2,860 yards rushing in his career. The Gators’ leading rusher this year, however, has been senior Cartevious Norton, who has 24 carries for 258 yards (10.8 per carry), including 141 against ELCA. Henry Bates, a punter/place-kicker, was a preseason all-state pick.

Cedar Grove at Colquitt County

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Tom White Field at Mack Tharpe Stadium, Moultrie

Records, rankings: Cedar Grove is 1-0 and No. 1 in Class 3A; Colquitt County is 1-1 and No. 6 in 7A.

Last meeting: This is the teams’ first meeting.

Things to know: Colquitt County’s 23-game home winning streak, the state’s longest active one of its kind, ended last week when Westlake of Class 6A won in Moultrie 31-24. Cedar Grove has as much or more high-end talent as Westlake with DE Christen Miller (four-star prospect), CB Kayin Lee (four-star prospect), WR Janiran Bonner (committed to Georgia Tech), RB Rashod Dubinion (Arkansas) and DL Joshua White (three-star recruit). Cedar Grove routed a rebuilding Tucker team 52-10 in the opener. Colquitt would not be the first top-10 Class 7A team that Cedar Grove has beaten. The Saints defeated Milton 14-7 last season, though it was overturned by forfeit. Colquitt has scored 28 and 24 points against good teams (Marietta was the other) and been pleased with the emergence of Charlie Pace, who has rushed for 313 yards and added 61 yards receiving in two games. Sophomore QB Neko Fann, a first-year starter, has thrown for 232 yards. Westlake and Marietta had blue-chip QB recruits, whereas Cedar Grove is better known for its defense.

Cherokee at Rome

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Barron Stadium, Rome

Records, rankings: Cherokee is 2-0 and No. 10 in Class 7A; Rome is 1-0 and No. 6 in 6A.

Last meeting: Cherokee won 21-15 in 2020.

Things to know: Cherokee barely got by Class 6A Sequoyah, a nine-point underdog, 26-25 last week, needing to defend a two-point try in the fourth quarter after taking a 26-13 lead in the third. Sequoyah rushed for 338 yards and outgained the Warriors 426-297. Cherokee WR Adarrius Harshaw, a Utah commit, scored three touchdowns, one rushing. Cherokee gets two-thirds of its offense passing. QB A.J. Swann, committed to Maryland, has thrown for 5,463 yards and 51 touchdowns in his career. Rome beat Rockmart 23-7 in its opener. Martel Hight had 191 yards from scrimmage on four receptions and three rushes. Sophomore QB Reece Fountain had a nice debut, completing 11 of 17 passes for 195 yards and three touchdowns. Rome’s most gifted prospects are sophomore TE Martavious Collins and junior DT Stephaylin Green. In the 2020 game between these two, Cherokee took a 21-9 halftime lead and held on despite being outgained 424-249.

Collins Hill vs. Greenville Christian, Miss.

When, where: 8:30 p.m. Friday, Milton High School’s Eagles’ Nest, Milton

Records, rankings: Collins Hill is 2-0 and ranked No. 1 in Class 7A; Greenville Christian is 3-0 and No. 4 overall in Mississippi (MaxPreps).

Last meeting: This is the teams’ first meeting.

Things to know: This is the last of three games to be played over two nights in the Freedom Bowl. Host Milton plays Life Christian of Virginia tonight, and Alpharetta will face Grayson at 5 p.m. Friday. Greenville Christian and Collins Hill both rely heavily on the passing game. Greenville QB Deandre Smith Jr., a three-star prospect with mid-major offers, is 61-of-92 passing for 1,063 yards and 12 touchdowns in three games that his team won by a combined score of 170-45. He’s also the team’s leading rusher with 462 yards and five TDs on 36 carries. The Saints won a championship last year in the multi-state Midsouth Association of Independent Schools. Collins Hill, which received a forfeit victory against Sprayberry last week, opened the season with a 36-10 win over Brookwood. Sam Horn (committed to Missouri), the No. 9-ranked quarterback nationally, was 31-of-44 passing for 402 yards and three TDs. WR/DB Travis Hunter (Florida State), the nation’s top-rated senior recruit, had 232 yards and two TDs receiving, threw a touchdown pass, and had an interception.

Fellowship Christian at Trinity Christian

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Trinity Stadium, Sharpsburg

Records, rankings: Fellowship Christian is 1-0 and No. 3 in Class A Private; Trinity Christian is 2-0 and No. 1 in A Private.

Last meeting: Trinity Christian won 41-27 in the 2020 Class A Private quarterfinals.

Things to know: Trinity Christian led 21-0 in the first quarter and 41-13 in the third and held on to win last year’s playoff matchup, the first-ever meeting between the programs. David Dallas threw three touchdown passes, and Tyson Wall ran for three scores. Both are back. Dallas was a preseason all-state selection in 2021 along with his brother, Josh, a wide receiver. David Dallas is 30-of-35 passing for 478 yards and nine touchdowns in two lopsided victories this season. LB Christian Hanson and DB Aaron Gates also made the preseason all-state team. Tim McFarlin, who led Blessed Trinity to three state titles over the past four seasons, takes over as Fellowship’s coach. His first order of business has been finding a replacement for all-state RB Murphy Reeves, who rushed for 1,860 yards last year and 5,213 in his four-year career. Senior Josh Cole stepped up in the Paladins’ 31-21 season-opening victory over Christian Heritage, running for 168 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries. Junior QB Caleb McMickle was 10-of-15 passing for 125 yards and a touchdown.

McEachern at Marietta

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Northcutt Stadium, Marietta

Records, rankings: McEachern is 1-1 and unranked in Class 7A; Marietta is 0-1 and No. 9 in 7A.

Last meeting: McEachern won 49-28 in 2020.

Things to know: McEachern leads the series between these longtime Cobb County rivals 20-12-1 and has won 12 of the last 13 meetings, including a 14-12 victory during Marietta’s 2019 state championship season. McEachern rolled past Kell 53-20 in its opener then lost to Grayson 21-7 last week, despite finishing with similar yardage in both games (393 vs. Kell, 337 vs. Grayson). QB Bryce Archie (committed to Coastal Carolina) is 26-of-55 passing for 296 yards and three TDs. The leading rushers are sophomore Makari Bodiford (30 carries, 123 yards, two touchdowns) and junior Peja Womack (18-122-1). Senior WR Kaleb Webb had 146 yards receiving and scored four touchdowns, one on an 86-yard kickoff return, in the opener. Marietta QB Tyler Hughes (Southern) was 17-of-35 passing for 302 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for 55 yards in a 28-25 Week 1 loss to Colquitt County, which rallied from an 18-7 third-quarter deficit and held on. Marietta’s highest-rated player is LB Daniel Martin, a four-star prospect ranked No. 20 in Georgia. He had 11 tackles in the opener.

Oconee County at Clarke Central

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Billy Henderson Stadium/Death Valley, Athens

Records, rankings: Oconee County is 2-0 and No. 2 in Class 3A; Clarke Central is 0-1 and unranked in 5A.

Last meeting: Oconee County won 24-7 in 2020.

Things to know: These neighboring county schools have met each of the past five seasons, with Clarke Central winning three. Oconee County’s C.J. Jones rushed for 140 yards in the 2020 game, an Oconee victory. He’s ran for 124 last week against Cedar Shoals. Oconee County’s most notable players are preseason all-state picks Jake Johnson, a tight end, and Whit Weeks, a linebacker and return man. The most underrated is Darius Johnson, who has seven receptions for 209 yards and four touchdowns, eight tackles, two blocked extra points and a 24-yard TD pass. QB Jacob Wright is 19-of-35 passing for 408 yards and six touchdowns, three in each game. Clarke Central was impressive last week in losing to Class 6A’s No. 1, Buford, 16-3. The score was 6-3 until the final 16 seconds. Clarke junior DE Dailen Howard had four tackles for losses, 2.5 sacks, and four QB hurries. Clarke’s offense managed only 75 yards, though.

Perry at Crisp County

When, where: 7 p.m. Thursday, Cougar Den, Cordele

Records, rankings: Perry is 1-0 and No. 4 in Class 4A; Crisp County is 0-1 and No. 6 in 3A.

Last meeting: Crisp County won 28-7 in 2009.

Things to know: This game came about when each team lost opponents because of COVID cancellations. For Perry, that means a game between two top-10 opponents for the first time since 2008, when the Panthers faced Northside of Warner Robins. Perry and Crisp each opened against Houston County, with Perry winning 36-13 and Crisp County losing 27-24. Perry is on the rise, having won its first region title in 61 years last season and now owning its highest state ranking since 1982. Against Houston County, Armar Gordon passed for 302 yards and two touchdowns. Georgia Power 100 WR/TE Daequan Wright had 108 yards receiving and 32 rushing with three touchdowns. Crisp is rebuilding after reaching the Class 3A semifinals in 2020 and final in 2019, although it remains a talented but young team under first-year coach Miguel Patrick. The Cougars led Houston County 17-7 but faded in the second half. Marquise Palmer rushed for 101 yards.

Westlake at Creekside

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, The Reservation, Fairburn

Records, rankings: Westlake is 2-0 and No. 3 in Class 6A; Creekside is 1-0 and No. 6 in 5A.

Last meeting: Westlake won 27-7 in 2020.

Things to know: These are south Fulton County’s top teams along with Hughes. They’re about 13 miles apart. Creekside has lost the last three games in a series that it leads 11-10. Westlake has been impressive beating Class 7A schools Archer and Colquitt County in a 2-0 start. Georgia Power 100 QB R.J. Johnson is 28-of-46 passing for 345 yards and two touchdowns. Jai’den Thomas has rushed for 222 yards. Westlake’s defense features three Division I-committed players – DL Horace Lockett (Georgia Tech), DB Clayton Powell-Lee (Georgia Tech) and DL Zion Young (West Virginia). CB Avieon Terrell, brother of Falcons CB A.J. Terrell, is a junior four-star recruit. Creekside, as did Westlake, defeated a 7A school, defending champion Grayson, in the opener. LB Vincent Hill and NG Carlton Williams had nine tackles behind the line between them. The top recruits are defensive backs Dainsus Miller and Roderick McCrary. The offense is a bigger question, though, as Creekside had only 165 total yards against Grayson.

Woodward Academy at Marist

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Hughes Spalding Stadium, Atlanta

Records, rankings: Woodward Academy is 2-0 and No. 10 in Class 5A; Marist is 1-0 and No. 2 in 4A.

Last meeting: Marist won 23-3 in 2020.

Things to know: Marist leads 28-23-2 in a series that began in 1922 but had gone unplayed for 20 seasons until revived in 2015. The programs are 2-2 against each other since. Woodward’s top player is RB Damari Alston, an Auburn commit who rushed for 1,507 yards last season but was held to 15 on 12 carries in the 2020 Marist game. He has 183 yards rushing and 71 yards receiving this season, accounting for 67% of his team’s total yards. Jaylen Woods, a 6-foot-3 junior quarterback, has a Division I offer. Junior DE A.J. Hoffler, who has three sacks and a blocked field goal, leads the defense. Marist, the defending 4A champion, is coming off a victory over No. 1-ranked Blessed Trinity of Class 5A. Andrew Mannelly, a Georgia Power 100 player who starts both ways, rushed for 94 yards. Marist’s defense made the difference, holding Blessed Trinity to 191 yards rushing, 80 coming on a TD run after Marist had matters in hand.

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