Top 10 games of Week 8

Last meeting: Benedictine won 28-3 in 2022.

Things to watch: These are the only unbeaten top-10 teams in the region. Both are 6-0 for the first time since 2017, when each made the state quarterfinals. In the 2022 game, Luke Kromenhoek was 12-of-20 passing for 137 yards and two touchdowns and scored two touchdowns. Na’Seir Samuel rushed for 87 yards, all in the second half. Both are back. Kromenhoek is committed to Florida State. Both teams won close, high-scoring games last week, though neither trailed. Benedictine beat New Hampstead 39-31 despite allowing more than 500 passing yards. Kromenhoek passed for 183 yards, giving him 1,005 for the season. Burke County beat Wayne County 37-32. A’merre Williams had 96 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns on 19 touches. He has rushed for 481 yards this season. Ronderius Gray has 314 yards receiving and 265 return yards. Sean Vandiver, a sophomore, has passed for 716 yards and eight touchdowns. Burke County has never beaten a No. 1-ranked team (0-10).

Bleckley County at Dublin

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Shamrock Bowl, Dublin

Records, rankings: Bleckley County is 4-2 overall, 0-0 in Region 2-A Division I and No. 6; Dublin is 4-1, 0-0 and No. 9.

Last meeting: Dublin won 31-13 in 2022.

Things to watch: These are two of the three top-10 teams in the region. The other is No. 2 Swainsboro. In the 2022 game, Micah O’Neal returned a punt 76 yards for a touchdown to open a 17-7 lead in the third quarter, and Dublin scored two unanswered fourth-quarter touchdowns to seal the victory. Kameron Hampton rushed for 79 yards. Dublin was outgained 243-197 but forced three turnovers. Hampton is back and has rushed for 250 yards. The leading rusher is Xavier Bostic with 404 yards. Dublin averages 244.4 yard rushing per game (7.3 ypc) in a clock-draining offense that has completed only nine passes (four for touchdowns). Bleckley is more balanced, averaging 200.3 yards rushing per game and 142.5 passing. Kam’Ryn Everett passed for 168 yards in a 49-13 victory over Westfield last week. Joshua Stanley rushed for 120 yards against both West Laurens and Pelham last month but was unable to play last week vs. Westfield. Bleckley County’s average score is 34-24 against Class A Division I’s 18th-toughest schedule. Dublin’s average score is 35-9 against the 23rd-toughest.

Calhoun at Hiram

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Hornet Stadium, Hiram

Records, rankings: Calhoun is 4-2 overall, 0-1 in Region 7-5A and No. 8; Hiram is 6-0, 1-0 and No. 5.

Last meeting: Hiram won 44-34 in 2022.

Things to watch: These are two of three top-10 teams in the region. The other is No. 4 Cartersville, which beat Calhoun 21-17 last week and plays Hiram next week. Hiram is 6-0 for the first time since 2009, the last time that the Hornets won a region title. In the 2022 game, Hiram outrushed Calhoun 280-76. That will be the game plan again. Led by tackles Clinton Richard (committed to Wake Forest) and Jameson Riggs (Georgia Tech), Hiram averages 288.9 rushing yards and a Class 5A-best 45.8 points per game. Kaden Hamilton has rushed for 587 yards, and Dashaun Williams has rushed for 457. Ryan Strickland is 42-of-69 passing for 613 yards and seven touchdowns. Calhoun is more balanced with QB Trey Townsend, who has passed for more than 1,200 yards, and Caden Williams, who has rushed for 633. Williams, who is committed to Liberty, was lost to injury in the first half of the 2022 Hiram game. Calhoun has played Class 5A’s seventh-toughest schedule, according to the Maxwell Ratings. Hiram has played the 41st-toughest.

Carrollton at East Coweta

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Garland Shoemake Memorial Stadium, Sharpsburg

Records, rankings: Carrollton is 5-1 overall, 0-0 in Region 2-7A and No. 6; East Coweta is 5-1, 0-0 and unranked.

Last meeting: Carrollton won 38-28 in 2022.

Things to watch: These are two of three Region 2-7A teams with 5-1 overall records. The other is No. 9 Westlake. In the 2022 game between these two, East Coweta outgained Carrollton 412-400 but was doomed by four turnovers. This season, East Coweta’s loss came on the road to unbeaten but unranked Lambert 23-22. Cohen Peeples, a first-year starting quarterback, has thrown for 1,161 yards and 12 touchdowns. Deshun Horsley has 537 receiving yards (35.8 per catch) and eight touchdowns. Carrollton’s loss came to Hughes 39-34 in the opener. Carrollton’s Ju Ju Lewis has thrown for 1,134 yards, a few behind Peeples for the region lead. He’s thrown 18 TD passes. Caleb Odom has 25 receptions for 426 yards and seven touchdowns. Kimauri Farmer has rushed for 648 yards. Carrollton’s average score is 44-11 against Class 7A’s 23rd-toughest schedule. East Coweta’s is 33-18 against the 27th-toughest.

Cass at Cartersville

When, where: 8 p.m. Friday, Weinman Stadium, Cartersville

Records, rankings: Cass is 4-2 overall, 1-0 in Region 7-5A and unranked; Cartersville is 6-0, 1-0 and No. 4.

Last meeting: Cartersville won 35-13 in 2022.

Things to watch: Cass won a playoff game last season for the first time since 1983, but beating its county rival would probably supersede that for a program trying to escape Cartersville’s shadow. The time might be now as Cass has its best four-player collection in history. That’s RB/DB Devin Henderson (694 rushing yards, committed to Liberty), WR/DB Sacovie Shite (693 receiving yards, committed to Georgia), QB Brodie McWhorter (1,021 passing yards, sophomore with several major Division I offers) and LB Kevin Henderson (several Division I offers). But Cartersville has greater depth. The lineup features lots of under-the-radar types and first-year starters who simply win. The Purple Hurricanes are 52-6 in coach Conor Foster’s five seasons. They came from 17-0 down last week to beat then-No. 7 Calhoun 21-17, scoring the winning touchdown on a 98-yard drive, in their Region 7-5A opener.

Clinch County at Lanier County

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Roquemore Field, Lakeland

Records, rankings: Clinch County is 5-1 overall, 0-0 in Region 2-A Division II and No. 5; Lanier County is 4-1, 0-0 and unranked.

Last meeting: Clinch County won 35-0 in 2022.

Things to watch: This might be called the biggest regular-season game in Lanier County history, certainly for a home game. The Bulldogs have never won a region title, and they’ve never beaten Clinch County (0-25). But a victory would make them the front-runner, as the Maxwell Ratings have these two teams No. 1 and No. 2 in Region 2-A Division II. Lanier’s Nehemiah Davis has rushed for 528 yards, including 110 last week in a 40-23 upset loss to Pelham in a non-region game. Davis has rushed for at least 95 yards in each game. Clinch County’s offense runs through two primary players. QB Aaron Bryant has rushed for 716 yards and passed for 285 (which is Clinch’s passing total for the season). Jeremy Bell has 577 yards rushing and 281 of Clinch’s 285 receiving yards. The two have scored 19 of Clinch County’s 26 touchdowns. Clinch County held Lanier County to less than 50 total yards in the 2022 game.

Harrison at McEachern

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Walter H. Cantrell Stadium, Powder Springs

Records, rankings: Harrison is 6-0 overall, 0-0 in Region 3-7A and unranked; McEachern is 2-4, 0-0 and unranked.

Last meeting: McEachern won 10-7 in 2022.

Things to watch: Region 3-7A is the hard-to-predict region in the state, per the Maxwell Ratings. McEachern, given a 30.2% chance of winning the title, is Maxwell’s favorite, followed by Marietta (24.8%), North Paulding (23.7%) and Harrison (20.7%). This is the first game between any two of those four. McEachern beat Harrison last year, then didn’t win another region game, as North Paulding took top honors. This season, McEachern started 0-4 against a tough schedule under new coach Kareem Reid but has won handily against Tucker and Valdosta. Jaydon Kinney threw four TD passes (three for 161 yards to Reid Echols) against Tucker. He threw two more against Valdosta, and RB Jayreon Campbell had 132 yards from scrimmage. Harrison’s Braylan Ford is 76-of-11 passing for 849 yards and nine touchdowns. Brady Kluse (committed to Memphis) has 28 receptions for 364 yards and four touchdowns. McEachern’s average score is 20-19 against Class 7A’s fifth-toughest schedule. Harrison’s average score is 25-9 against the 40th-toughest.

Lowndes at Valdosta

When, where: 8 p.m. Friday, Cleveland Field at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium

Records, rankings: Lowndes is 3-2 overall, 0-0 in Region 1-7A and unranked; Valdosta is 4-2, 0-0 and unranked.

Last meeting: Valdosta won 13-6 in 2022.

Things to watch: This will be these teams’ first meeting since 2015, and only the fourth in history, in which neither team is ranked in some poll. Valdosta leads the storied rivalry 38-23, played since 1968, and ended a five-game losing streak against Lowndes last season before a crowd of more than 10,000 at Martin Stadium. Ahmad Denson scored on an 80-yard run late in the first quarter for a 13-3 lead. Both teams had fewer than 200 total yards. This season, both teams have lost twice. Valdosta has lost to Massillon (Ohio) and McEachern. Lowndes has lost to East Coweta and Grayson. Valdosta’s most exciting player is Prince Jean (320 yards rushing, 317 receiving and 118 passing). Eric Brantley, a defensive lineman committed to Colorado, has 22 tackles for losses. Lowndes’ top offensive weapons are Jacarre Fleming (432 yards rushing) and Marvis Parrish (485 passing). Although the championship of each other is what’s most important, a region victory is significant. Although just a five-team region that qualifies four playoff teams, the computer Maxwell Ratings currently have Lowndes as the fifth-highest-rated team. The Vikings haven’t missed the playoffs since 2014.

Toombs County at Appling County

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jimmy Swain Stadium, Baxley

Records, rankings: Toombs County is 6-0 overall, 2-0 in Region 3-2A and No. 8; Appling County is 4-1, 1-0 and No. 2.

Last meeting: Appling County won 34-21 in 2022.

Things to watch: These are two of three top-10 teams in the region. Appling County beat the other, No. 4 Pierce County, 17-14 last week. Toombs County plays Pierce next week. In the Appling-Pierce game, Alan Ramirez kicked a 39-yard field goal with four seconds left to break a 14-14 tie. Jamarion Williams rushed for 112 yards as Appling mostly kept the ball on the ground. But the Pirates can pass. In a 28-17 victory over Toombs County last season (in a game played on a Monday), Dayson Griffis passed for 187 yards and three touchdowns. He’s now a senior. Toombs County is 6-0 for the first time since 2017. The Bulldogs have lost four straight to Appling since 2010. Toombs can be a big-strike passing team. T.J. Stanley has completed only 48 of 84 attempts, but completions are going for 21.7 yards a pop. Lagonza Hayward is probably Toombs’ biggest overall offensive weapon. A two-way starter, he has 317 yards receiving and 281 return yards. Three of Toombs’ six leading tacklers are freshmen. They are LB/DB Alex Scott, MLB M.J. Burton and LB/DE Hayden Johnson.

Walton at North Cobb

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Emory Sewell Stadium, Kennesaw

Records, rankings: Walton is 5-0 overall, 0-0 in Region 5-7A and No. 3; North Cobb is 3-2, 0-0 and No. 10.

Last meeting: North Cobb won 33-6 in 2022.

Things to watch: These are the only ranked teams in the region, and each is more than 20 points better than the next-best team, according to the computer Maxwell Ratings. North Cobb, the defending region champion, has won the past three games with Walton, all by 17 points or better, in a series that is tied 11-11. In the 2022 game, North Cobb’s Nick Grimstead was 6-of-8 passing for 186 yards and three touchdowns. Grimstead is back. David Eziomume, who is committed to Clemson, has rushed for 933 yards, the most in Class 7A. Walton leads all classifications in scoring at 55.0 points per game. QB Jeremy Hecklinski, who is committed to Wake Forest, has thrown for 1,278 yards and 16 touchdowns with just one interception. Cameron Loyd has 481 receiving yards. Makari Bodiford, who is committed to Memphis, has rushed for 372 yards and eight touchdowns. The teams’ have one common opponent. Walton beat Marietta 52-8. North Cobb beat Marietta 32-2.

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