Marist coach Alan Chadwick became the 35th football coach in U.S. history to win 400 games Friday night, and North Cobb beat a No. 1-ranked team for the first time in 62 years in a game televised on ESPN.
Like North Cobb, Marist and Chadwick took out a No. 1-ranked team, Blessed Trinity of Class 5A, 28-13. Not even Chadwick commonly beats top-ranked teams. It was his fifth victory over a No. 1, the first since 2009, when Marist beat Tucker.
Chadwick’s career record is 400-73, all compiled at Marist, the DeKalb County Catholic school that promoted him to head coach in 1985. In Georgia, he trails only retired Lincoln County coach Larry Campbell, who has 477.
North Cobb, ranked No. 6, defeated No. 1 Milton 40-21 in a Class 7A game. Quarterback Malachi Singleton rushed for 217 yards and five touchdowns.
It was the Warriors’ first win over a No. 1 team since 1959, when North Cobb was a Class C school in its second year of existence.
A third No. 1 team, Irwin County of Class A Public, also lost, though not so much an upset. South Georgia-rival Fitzgerald, the No. 3 team in Class 2A, beat Irwin County 18-15 in overtime.
A fourth No. 1, Buford of 6A, had to go the distance with unranked Clarke Central, leading by only four points deep into the fourth quarter before winning 16-3.
Two of the more impressive teams Friday for the second consecutive week were Mill Creek and Westlake.
Mill Creek, the No. 5 team in Class 7A, beat No. 7 Norcross 41-13. Unranked in preseason, Mill Creek beat then-No. 7 Parkview 43-10 last week.
Westlake, the No. 3 team in 6A, defeated No. 3 Colquitt County, a 7A opponent, 31-24. Westlake beat another 7A team, Archer, 29-14 last week.
Collins Hill got a forfeit win over Sprayberry and could become No. 1 in 7A after Milton’s loss.
Grayson, the preseason No. 1 in 7A, bounced back from its opening loss to Creekside and beat McEachern 21-7.
Several ranked teams lost to higher-ranked teams or to bigger schools.
Those included Dacula losing to Brookwood, Peach County to Northside-Warner Robins, Westminster to St. Pius, Benedictine to Christopher Columbus of Miami, Eagle’s Landing Christian to Ware County, Bainbridge to Coffee, Commerce to Pickens, Crisp County to Houston County, Dublin to Dodge County, Wilcox County to Bleckley County, Calhoun to McCallie of Chattanooga, Clinch County to Appling County and Wesleyan to Decatur.
Though Decatur is a Class 5A school, its 13-6 victory over No. 3 Wesleyan of Class A Private was significant, the Bulldogs’ first win over a top-10 team since 2013 and third in 40 years.
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