It was a busy and tumultuous week in Class 3A; there’s no other way to put it.
Sandy Creek, the top-ranked team in the classification, lost to Mary Persons, an unranked team. A new top-ranked team, Peach County, emerged. And in a matchup of top-5 programs, then-No. 4 Jefferson handed then-No. 3 Cherokee Bluff its only loss of the season in a somewhat unexpected romp.
Peach County is ranked at the top of its classification for the first time in five seasons, and the Trojans can thank Mary Persons (2-7, 2-5) for the ascension. The unranked Bulldogs, which suffered several forfeits this season, welcomed and defeated top-ranked and previously undefeated Sandy Creek (8-1, 6-1) 37-29 in Forsyth.
While leading 34-21, Persons got a 26-yard field goal from Ryan Bankston with seven minutes left in the game to settle the matter.
In Jefferson’s 35-7 victory against Cherokee Bluff, the Dragons relied on an efficient performance from Gavin Markey to move to 4-0 in Region 8 play. Markey, a senior quarterback, was 4-of-9 for 75 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing 23 times for 206 yards and two touchdowns. Junior Dallas Russell had seven carries for 39 yards and a touchdown.
Three teams secured region titles in Week 11.
Peach County upended then-No. 7 Cairo 48-17 to win the Region 1 title in coach Marquis Westbrook’s second season. Last year, the Trojans finished 4-7 with a first-round exit in the playoffs.
Possibly underappreciated and unranked North Hall (7-2, 6-0) moved past Johnson-Gainesville 56-7 to capture the Region 6 championship, the program’s first since 2012 and fifth overall for a program that has been playing football since 1957.
Calhoun climbed from No. 8 to No. 7 after beating Heritage-Catoosa 38-0 to secure the Region 7 championship, marking Clay Stephenson’s second region title (2022) since taking over for legendary coach Hal Lamb, following Lamb’s retirement in 2018.
Class 3A top-10 results
1. (2) Peach County (8-1, 4-0) defeated then-No. 7 Cairo 48-17 to win the Region 1 title.
2. (4) Jefferson (7-2, 4-0) defeated then-No. 3 Cherokee Bluff 35-7 in a Region 8 game.
3. (5) Douglass (7-2, 5-0) defeated Mount Zion-Jonesboro 37-0 in a Region 5 game.
4. (3) Cherokee Bluff (8-1, 3-1) lost to then-No. 4 Jefferson 35-7 in a Region 8 game.
5. (1) Sandy Creek (8-1, 6-1) lost to unranked Mary Persons (2-7, 2-5) 37-29 in a Region 2 game.
6. (6) LaGrange (7-2, 6-1) did not play.
7. (8) Calhoun (6-3, 5-0) defeated Heritage-Catoosa (5-4, 3-2) 38-0 to win Region 7 title
8. (7) Cairo (6-3, 3-1) lost to then-No. 2 Peach County 48-17.
9. (9) Oconee County (5-4, 3-1) defeated Monroe Area 20-0 in a Region 8 game.
10. (10) Westover (8-1, 3-1) defeated Dougherty 35-0 in a Region 1 game.
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