Highly ranked Irwin, Brooks, Clinch counties set to determine pecking order in Region 2

The fifty yard line is shown before the first round game between Peachtree Ridge and  Lambert in the Class 7A playoffs at Peachtree Ridge high school, Friday, November 10, 2023, in Suwanee, Ga. (Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com)

Credit: Jason.Getz@ajc.com

Credit: Jason.Getz@ajc.com

The fifty yard line is shown before the first round game between Peachtree Ridge and Lambert in the Class 7A playoffs at Peachtree Ridge high school, Friday, November 10, 2023, in Suwanee, Ga. (Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com)

There’s one thing to say about Region 2′s level of competition.

It is top-tier.

The league features No. 1 Irwin County (6-0, 1-0), No. 3 Brooks County (3-3, 1-0) and No. 4 Clinch County (5-0, 0-0), and they’ll do a bit of intermingling this week to determine the region’s pecking order.

Brooks County will travel to No. 4 Clinch County in a game that could determine the Region 2 champion. But top-ranked Irwin County (6-0, 1-0) will play at home against an unranked, but undefeated, Charlton County (4-2, 1-0) team that could threaten for the region title in the upcoming weeks.

This weekend will help narrow down the potential No. 1 seed from the league.

Brooks County lost two consecutive games (to Fitzgerald 23-13 on Sept. 13 and Pierce County 17-14 on Sept. 20) but returned to form with a 49-0 victory against Turner County on Sept. 25. Sophomore quarterback Junior Burrus is 70-of-130 passing for 950 yards and 10 touchdowns – eight to sophomore George Lamons Jr. Senior Chris Cole leads the run game with 100 carries for 745 yards and seven touchdowns.

Clinch senior quarterback Aaron Bryant has 93 carries for 714 yards and a team-leading 11 touchdowns. Five other players have combined for eight touchdown runs.

Irwin County can run and throw. Senior quarterback Luke Snyder is 31-of-55 passing for 565 yards and 10 touchdowns , and he has run for six touchdowns on 30 carries. Senior Shane Marshall has had 109 carries for 809 yards and 14 touchdowns. Junior Jason Jackson has 49 carries for 464 yards and six touchdowns. Jaylen Martin has a team-leading five touchdown receptions.

No. 2 Manchester, No. 6 Greene County, No. 8 Trion and No. 10 Jenkins County are idle.

Class A Division II Top-10 schedule

1. (2) Irwin County (6-0, 1-0) vs. Charlton County (4-2, 1-0) in a Region 2 game.

2. (3) Manchester (5-1) does not play.

3. (4) Brooks County (3-3, 1-0) at No. 4 Clinch County (5-0, 0-0) in a Region 2 game.

4. (5) Clinch County (5-0, 1-0) vs. No. 3 Brooks County (3-3, 1-0) in a Region 2 game.

5. (1) Bowdon (5-2, 0-1) vs. Mt. Zion-Carroll (3-5, 0-2) in a Region 7 game.

6. (6) Greene County (5-1) does not play.

7. (7) Lincoln County (5-0, 0-0) vs. Washington-Wilkes (3-3, 0-0) in a Region 8 game.

8. (8) Trion (7-1) does not play.

9. (9) Metter (4-1, 3-0) vs. Screven County (2-3, 1-2) in a Region 3 game.

10. (10) Jenkins County (5-1, 4-0) does not play.