Milton solidified its place as a top-10 national team; Gwinnett County standouts Collins Hill, Mill Creek and Hebron Christian won big games, and Fannin County and East Jackson defeated ranked opponents for the first time this century.
Milton, the No. 1 team in Class 5A, defeated American Heritage of Plantation, Fla., 37-28 in the Broward County Classic in a game televised by ESPN.
Luke Nickel, a Miami-committed quarterback, passed for 246 yards and two touchdowns. It was the second victory against a top-25 program in two weeks for Milton, the consensus No. 8 team across nine national polls. Milton beat Buford in the opener.
Buford, still ranked No. 1 in Class 6A despite that loss, feared dropping to 0-2 for the first time this century but rallied to beat Benedictine, the No. 5 team in Class 4A, 29-28. Buford trailed 28-21 until a minute to go at home.
In metro Atlanta games, the Gwinnett trio of Collins Hill, Mill Creek and Hebron Christian stood out.
Collins Hill, the No. 10 team in Class 6A, beat Class 5A No. 7 Woodward Academy 21-14. Collins Hill had opened the season with a victory against then-No. 3 Grayson of 6A.
No. 6 Mill Creek defeated Norcross 21-10 in 6A. Those traditionally strong teams entered 1-0.
In a Class 3A-A private game, No. 3 Hebron Christian beat No. 4 Fellowship Christian 38-18.
Most of the rest of the state’s more interesting results took place farther away.
In the mountains, Fannin County beat No. 4 Rabun County 28-7 in a Class A Division I game. It was Fannin County’s first victory against a top-10 team since 1995, and its second overall, breaking a 32-game losing streak in those games.
In Jackson County, East Jackson beat No. 6 Commerce of Class A Division II 14-13. It was East Jackson’s first top-10 victory in the history of a school that opened in 2007. East Jackson had been 0-25 vs. ranked opponents.
Fannin and East Jackson were 14-point underdogs, according to the computer Maxwell Ratings.
In the top game outside of Atlanta, reigning Class 5A champion Coffee beat Class 4A’s No. 4 team, Ware County, 20-16.
Only a few games involving top-10 teams might be called true upsets. Two occurred in Class A Division I.
ECI beat No. 9 Swainsboro 24-21. Swainsboro is the two-time runner-up in this class but is 0-2. Unranked Dodge County beat No. 7 Bleckley County 19-16. Bleckley County was a 15-point favorite.
Scores of top-10 teams:
Class 6A
1. Buford d. #5 Benedictine 29-28
2. Carrollton d. Columbia 35-7
3. Douglas County d. Jonesboro 48-8
4. Colquitt County d. Monroe 52-14
5. Walton d. Lambert 41-10
6. Mill Creek d. Norcross 21-10
7. North Gwinnett off
8. Camden County d. East Lake (FL) 60-15
9. Valdosta d. Mundy’s Mill 55-22
10. Collins Hill d. #7 Woodward Academy 21-14
Class 5A
1. Milton d. American Heritage (FL) 37-28
2. Gainesville d. Moody (AL) 31-7
3. Lee County d. #6 Hapeville Charter 66-6
4. Thomas County Central d. #7 Cairo 44-14
5. Hughes d. Mays 52-16
6. Coffee d. #4 Ware County 20-16
7. Woodward Academy l. to #10 Collins Hill 21-14
8. Rome off
9. Roswell off
10. Houston County d. Effingham County 44-34
Class 4A
1. Marist off
2. Perry d. #3 Peach County 49-39
3. Cartersville d. #7 Rockmart 35-6
4. Ware County l. to #6 Coffee 20-16
5. Benedictine l. to #1 Buford 29-28
6. North Oconee d. Dalton 42-0
7. Blessed Trinity d. Holy Innocents 45-7
8. Creekside at Westside (FL)
9. Cass d. Model 48-0
10. Eastside d. Hiram 48-21
Class 3A
1. Sandy Creek d. McIntosh 54-22
2. Douglass l. to Westlake 23-7
3. Peach County l. to #2 Perry 49-39
4. Jefferson d. Jackson County 38-3
5. Mary Persons d. Jackson 23-0
6. Troup l. to Harris County 21-17
7. Cairo l. to #4 Thomas County Central 44-14
8. Monroe Area d. Cedar Shoals 38-0
9. Calhoun off
10. LaGrange d. Early County 53-0
Class 2A
1. Pierce County d. Coosa Christian (AL) 41-7
2. Stephens County d. Elbert County 38-21
3. Carver (Columbus) d. Spencer 17-9
4. Burke County d. Cross Creek 52-6
5. Cook d. Bainbridge 13-10
6. Hapeville Charter l. to #3 Lee County 66-6
7. Rockmart l. to #3 Cartersville 35-6
8. Appling County off
9. Callaway off
10. Hart County l. to Madison County 36-37
Class A Division I
1. Toombs County d. Dougherty 55-14
2. Thomasville d. Pelham 40-7
3. Dublin d. East Laurens 66-26
4. Rabun County l. to Fannin County 28-7
5. Lamar County off
6. Commerce l. to East Jackson 14-13
7. Bleckley County l. to Dodge County 19-16
8. Fitzgerald off
9. Swainsboro l. to Emanuel County Institute 24-21
10. Northeast d. Southwest 36-14
Class A Division II
1. Bowdon d. Macon County 56-7
2. Irwin County d. Worth County 55-46
3. Brooks County off
4. Manchester d. Upson-Lee 6-0
5. Clinch County d. Wilcox County 12-7
6. Bryan County l. to Aquinas 42-20
7. Greene County d. Twiggs County 15-7
8. Seminole County d. Chattahoochee County 27-13
9. Trion d. Dade County 31-28
10. Metter d. Tattnall County 33-0
Class 3A-private
1. Prince Avenue Christian vs Mallard Creek (NC)
2. Savannah Christian d. New Hampstead 35-7
3. Hebron Christian d. Fellowship Christian 38-18
4. Fellowship Christian l. to Hebron Christian 38-18
5. Calvary Day off
6. Wesleyan d. North Hall 24-21
7. Athens Academy d. Savannah Country Day 35-0
8. North Cobb Christian d. Darlington 14-7
9. Greater Atlanta Christian l. to Decatur 42-21
10. Lovett d. Crisp County 30-6
About the Author
