Top performances from Week 3: The time is now for Houston County’s Mitchell

Jaden Duckett, quarterback for Sprayberry High School, runs the ball during the Sprayberry at Kennesaw Mountain high school football game in Kennesaw, GA on August 30, 2024. (Jamie Spaar for the Atlanta Journal Constitution)

Credit: Jamie Spaar

Credit: Jamie Spaar

Jaden Duckett, quarterback for Sprayberry High School, runs the ball during the Sprayberry at Kennesaw Mountain high school football game in Kennesaw, GA on August 30, 2024. (Jamie Spaar for the Atlanta Journal Constitution)

The old cliché about making up for lost time fits no Georgia player better than Isaiah Mitchell, Houston County’s new star receiver.

Mitchell had to sit out his junior season for academic reasons. He bided his time, helping coach his new team, which his coach, Jeremy Edwards, credits with maturing him.

Mitchell is now a breakout player in Georgia. Last week, the 5-foot-11, 165-pound senior had 10 receptions for 192 yards and four touchdowns in a 31-17 victory over Perry. Playing cornerback, he came on a blitz and picked up a key sack that essentially sealed the win. He also has thrown two touchdown passes and made an interception this season. But most notably, he has 27 receptions for 536 yards and five touchdowns in the Bears’ 3-0 start.

“We knew he was a dude; he just had to wait,” Edwards said.

Despite limited film, Mitchell has 10 offers including those from Georgia Tech and Florida State.

Top five

*Athens Academy WR/DB Keyon Standifer had nine receptions for 284 yards and four touchdowns and broke up two passes in a 48-14 victory over Shaw.

*Cherokee QB Tanner Savasir was 27-of-35 passing for 425 yards and three touchdowns and scored two touchdowns in a 65-42 victory over Pope.

*Elbert County QB Jayvyn Hickman was 24-of-32 passing for 273 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 121 yards and three touchdowns on 19 carries in a 49-35 victory over Wesleyan.

*Houston County WR Isaiah Mitchell had 10 receptions for 192 yards and four touchdowns and made a sack on a corner blitz in a 31-17 victory over Perry.

*Warner Robins DB/WR Rasean Dinkins scored three touchdowns (two on pass receptions, one on a run), intercepted two passes, made five solo tackles, broke up two passes and had 107 all-purpose yards in a 34-12 victory over Northside of Warner Robins.

Best of the rest

*Alexander WR Chris Hutchinson had three receptions for 208 yards in a 63-28 loss to Cedartown.

*Bacon County RB Keyundric Dixon rushed for 204 yards and two touchdowns in a 31-21 victory over Treutlen.

*Benedictine QB Stephen Cannon was 16-of-24 passing for 330 yards and three touchdowns in a 43-14 victory over Burke County.

*Blessed Trinity PK Noah Godhard was 3-for-3 on field goals and 6-for-6 on touchbacks in a 23-21 victory over Prince Avenue Christian. His 29-yarder with 1:30 left was the game-winner.

*Bowdon WR/DB Bryson Roberts scored touchdowns on a reception and an interception and had seven tackles and a tackle for a loss in a 37-17 victory over Bremen.

*Brooks County DE Marquis Williams had 4.5 tackles for losses in a 45-14 victory over Cook.

*Calhoun QB/DB Cross Land was 8-of-11 passing for 187 yards and a touchdown and scored a touchdown in a 28-20 victory over Westminster.

*Cambridge QB Weston Taylor was 13-of-16 passing for 265 yards and three touchdowns in a 39-0 victory over Creekview.

*Camden County TE Elyiss Williams had 11 receptions for 159 yards in a 52-29 victory over West Broward, Fla.

*Carrollton QB Julian Lewis was 30-of-35 passing for 352 yards and five touchdowns in a 44-22 victory over Rome.

*Cedartown ATH Tae Harris rushed for 139 yards and two touchdowns on four carries, caught a 44-yard TD pass and returned a fumble for a touchdown in a 63-28 victory over Alexander.

*Centennial WR Jake Hickox had four receptions for 111 yards, scoring one touchdown and setting up another with a 65-yard catch, in a 17-13 victory over Johns Creek.

*Central (Carrollton) QB J.R. Harris was 14-of-20 passing for 304 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 73 yards and three touchdowns on eight carries in a 44-21 victory over Hiram.

*Chattahoochee QB Luke Priester was 15-of-20 passing for 353 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for 30 yards on four carries in a 52-14 victory over Discovery.

*Cherokee Bluff DB/WR Landon Kemp blocked a punt, intercepted a pass, made five tackles, broke up a pass and caught two passes in a 38-13 victory over North Hall.

*Christian Heritage QB Carter Triplett rushed 25 times for 231 yards in a 21-14 victory over Pepperell.

*Clinch County QB Aaron Bryant rushed for 201 yards and four touchdowns on 23 carries in a 33-22 victory over Miller County.

*Coffee DE/OLB Cupris Morgan had five tackles for losses, two sacks and three QB hurries in a 40-13 victory over Columbia, Fla.

*Coosa QB Charlie Cannon was 25-of-33 passing for 231 yards and a touchdown in a 23-13 loss to Model.

*Dacula QB Garrison Cantrell was 15-of-24 passing for 234 yards and three touchdowns in 35-28 loss to Jackson County.

*Darlington QB/SS Sammy Kunczewski had 216 total yards (137 passing, 79 rushing), two pass breakups and a tackle for a loss in a 49-7 victory over Ridgeland.

*Douglas County RB Zamarcus Lindley rushed for 223 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries in a 35-15 victory over Newton.

*Dublin QB/RB Xavier Bostic rushed for 165 yards and four touchdowns on 10 carries in a 56-34 victory over Southwest.

*Duluth RB Brandon Lyons rushed for 185 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries and caught three passes for 61 yards in a 35-6 victory over Shiloh.

*East Paulding RB Javen Parker rushed for 133 yards on 22 carries in a 34-3 victory over Paulding County.

*Fannin County QB Lawson Sullivan was 5-of-7 passing for 154 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 174 yards and two touchdowns on five carries in a 42-7 victory over Union County.

*Franklin County DB Gavin Wells had five solo tackles, 10 assists, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery returned 65 yards in a 9-6 victory over Banks County.

*Gainesville QB Kharim Hughley was 17-of-31 passing for 341 yards and four touchdowns in a 41-7 victory over Westlake.

*Heard County QB Ethan Tisdale rushed for 206 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries and was 17-of-27 passing for 227 yards and two touchdowns in a 29-27 loss to Murphy, N.C.

*Heritage (Ringgold) WR Cody Bryan had eight receptions for 182 yards and two touchdowns in a 17-14 loss to Ringgold.

*Hillgrove DL Nick Mathious had seven tackles, four tackles for losses and two forced fumbles in a 38-0 victory over McIntosh.

*Jasper County DL TyMir Thornton had six sacks, three other tackles for losses, two tackles and two assists in a 17-7 victory over Wilkinson County.

*Jones County WR Jaivon Solomon had seven receptions for 165 yards and a touchdown in a 28-9 victory over Hampton.

*Lamar County DL Bryson Johnson had nine tackles, three tackles for losses and two sacks in a 19-10 victory over Jackson.

*Landmark Christian WR/DB Jo’Van Freeney had five receptions for 75 yards and two touchdowns, a tackle, a pass breakup and a 30-yard interception return for a touchdown that sealed a 35-18 victory Towers.

*Lee County WR Jaden Upshaw had seven receptions for 187 yards and two touchdowns in a 55-7 victory over Tift County.

*Lithia Springs freshman WR Kamari Frazier had two receptions for 53 yards and a touchdown and 70 return yards in a 14-13 victory over Pebblebrook.

*Lowndes PK Aiden Andrews kicked a 32-yard field goal and was 5-for-5 on extra points and 7-of-7 on touchbacks in a 46-13 victory Central Gwinnett.

*McEachern PK Jonathan Rodriguez was 4-for-4 on field goals (36, 27, 41 and 47 yards), 3-for-3 on extra points and 7-for-7 on touchbacks in a 33-27 victory over Marietta.

*Miller County ATH J.P. Powell rushed for 78 yards on 11 carries, caught seven passes for 117 yards and two touchdowns, threw a 24-yard TD pass and recovered a fumble in a 33-22 loss to Clinch County.

*Milton LB Caleb Bell had four solo tackles, two assists, two tackles for losses and three QB hurries in a 58-0 victory over Alpharetta.

*Montgomery County WR Jordyn Patterson had four receptions for 232 yards and three touchdowns in a 26-21 victory over Atkinson County.

*Mount Paran Christian RB Gavin Steele rushed for 109 yards and a touchdown and returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown in a 27-3 victory over St. Francis.

*New Hampstead WR Kamari Maxwell had 16 receptions for 284 yards and five touchdowns, including a 46-yarder with 30 seconds left, in a 47-44 victory over Effingham County.

*North Cobb MLB Cooper Negron had 19 total tackles (12 solo), three tackles for losses, a sack, a QB hurry and a pass breakup in a 27-20 victory over East Coweta.

*North Gwinnett DL Cole Funderburk had seven solo tackles, four assists, three tackles for losses and two forced fumbles in a 14-3 victory over Colquitt County.

*North Forsyth RB Darron Parry rushed for 101 yards and four touchdowns on 24 carries in a 33-20 victory over Lanier.

*North Paulding DB D’Vyne Cowan had six solo tackles, two assists, two pass deflections, a forced fumble and a QB hurry in a 26-23 victory over Harrison.

*Northeast RB Nick Woodford rushed for 218 yards and four touchdowns on 18 carries in a 42-9 victory over Washington County.

*Northwest Whitfield OLB Lucas Amos had 13 tackles and three sacks in a 12-0 victory over Dalton.

*Ola P Carter Spence averaged 46 yards on five punts with a long of 64 and had three downed inside the 20-yard line in a 7-3 victory over Eagle’s Landing Christian.

*Peach County QB D.J. Hudson was 9-of-10 passing for 241 yards and four touchdowns and scored a touchdown in a 42-7 victory over Berkmar.

*Perry WR Kiel Sparks had 15 receptions for 194 yards in a 31-17 loss to Houston County.

*Pierce County QB Caden McGatha was 13-of-21 passing for 300 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 59 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries in a 42-7 victory over Brantley County.

*Pope WR John Stuetzer had nine receptions for 246 yards and five touchdowns in 65-42 loss to Cherokee. He had nine catches for 266 yards the previous week against Dunwoody.

*Richmond Hill DE Omar Khalil had six tackles, three sacks and a forced fumble in a 45-0 victory over Everglades, Fla.

*Rome LB Jaedon Harmon had 16 solo tackles, three assists, one tackle for a loss, a QB hurry and an 80-yard TD run and a two-point conversion in a 44-22 loss to Carrollton.

*Salem freshman LB Castell Nealy had 10 tackles (seven solo) and a tackle for a loss in a 27-0 loss to M.L. King.

*Sandy Creek RB Amari Latimer rushed for 194 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries and had 43 receiving yards in a 27-7 victory over LaGrange.

*Sequoyah RB William Rajecki rushed for 124 yards and threw a 43-yard TD pass in a 24-21 victory over Kell.

*Southeast Bulloch LB Chase Douglas intercepted two passes and returned one for a touchdown in a 43-7 victory over Islands.

*Southwest DeKalb WR Jordan Christian had four receptions for 125 yards and two touchdowns, scored on a 45-yard run and returned a kickoff 84 yards for a touchdown in 61-7 victory over Chamblee.

*Sprayberry QB Jaden Duckett was 10-of-14 passing for 298 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 59 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries in a 38-3 victory over Kennesaw Mountain.

*Stockbridge QB Joshua Scott was 14-of-20 passing for 213 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for 100 yards on eight carries in a 49-42 victory over Locust Grove. His 45-yard TD pass to Maki Tucker in the final minute broke a 42-42 tie.

*Ware County QB Luke Hooks was 5-of-6 passing, each completion for a touchdown to a different receiver, all in the first half and covering 185 yards, in a 49-7 victory over Bainbridge.

*Washington-Wilkes QB Tamari Curry rushed for 127 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries and had 162 all-purpose yards in a 20-17 victory over Oglethorpe County.

*West Forsyth WR Topher Delp had three receptions for 148 yards and a touchdown and scored on a 28-yard run in a 45-21 victory over Parkview.

*West Hall RB Elijah Hayes rushed for 201 yards and three touchdowns on 17 carries and had four receptions for 39 yards in a 31-19 victory over Chestatee.

Lines of distinction

*Fannin County’s offensive line of Jacob Dye, Case Holloway, Jacob Green, Baylor Twiggs and Isaac Watkins produced 435 total yards (277 rushing, 158 passing) and six touchdowns on 32 plays in a 42-7 victory over Union County.

*Gilmer’s offensive line of Charles Norman, Blane Banks, Logan Hightower, Austin Green, Jack Puckett, Sam Jones, and Robert Pim paved the way for 411 yards rushing and two 100-yard rushers in a 35-34 overtime victory over Pickens.

*Irwin County’s offensive line of Gabe McTear, Hudson Royal, Jakob Brown, Kellen Wynn, Owen Griffin, Brodie Suggs and Tripp Poole paved the way for 520 total yards (366 rushing, 154 passing) in a 60-35 victory over Schley County. Shane Marshall (183) and Jason Jackson (127) topped 100 rushing yards and combined for six rushing touchdowns.

*Jackson County’s offensive line of Wren Skinner, Tripp Brown, Jake Lewis, Alonso Ortiz, Lance Holder, Owen Anderson and Maddox Griswold paved the way for 283 yards rushing on 38 carries (7.4 yards per rush) in a 35-28 victory over Dacula. Daylan Maxwell rushed for 203 yards and three touchdowns.

*King’s Ridge Christian’s offensive line of Murphy Sullivan, Ethan Dorsett, Shaw Branch, Dylan Bowman, Thomas Galbreath, Dylan Jordan, and Max Moore paved the way for 484 rushing yards on 27 snaps in a 62-7 victory over Heritage of Newnan.

*Lee County’s offensive line of Jayden Daniels, Dylan Richardson, Brody Henry, Dom Vigil and Shavez Dixon with tight ends Alex Smith and Durrah Butler paved the way for 635 yards of total offensive in a 55-7 victory over Tift County.

*Marist’s offensive line of Austin Sperry, Henry Utsch, Matt Monarchik, Kelly Spalding and Brady Barry paved the way for 337 rushing yards and five touchdowns in a 38-0 victory over then-No. 10 Woodward Academy of Class 5A. It was largest margin of victory for either team in the history of a series that dates to 1922.

*North Paulding’s offensive line of Courtney Benas, Brandon Cotner, Drake Bentley, Jarrett Reaid and Asher Bevans was the muscle behind 283 rushing yards and 398 total yards in a 26-23 victory over Harrison.

*Seckinger’s offensive line of Matt Grow, Jose Urdaneta Silva, Angel Mayorga, Xander Clarey, Avery Little, Jakhi Jackson and Peyton Linemann paved the way for 393 yards rushing on 40 attempts in a 45-10 victory over Mountain View. Jaimen Williams rushed for 205 yards on 10 carries.

*South Gwinnett’s offensive line of Tyquan Smith, Michael Anderson, Kaleen Taite, Donate Lewis, Damario Brown and Tristan Franklin opened holes for 326 rushing yards and 541 total yards in a 42-20 victory over Brookwood. Eric Ramey (139) and Xavier Butler (113) each went over 100 yards rushing.

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