Ranking the most surprising and notable games of the weekend:
1. Mary Persons 37, Sandy Creek 29: Six previously unbeaten teams suffered their first losses in Week 11, but the loss by then-No. 1 Sandy Creek of Class 3A was by far the biggest surprise. The computer Maxwell Ratings had projected the Patriots as 33-point favorites. Sandy Creek (8-1) can still win the Region 2-3A title with a victory against Troup this week. Mary Persons (2-7 after forfeiting three early season victories) can finish no higher than seventh in the nine-team league.
2. Kell 28, Cambridge 14: Kell, which two weeks ago was on the brink of missing the postseason for the first time since 2007, handed 13-point favorite Cambridge its first loss of the season and punched a ticket to the playoffs. The Longhorns (6-4, 2-2) are off this week and will await the results of the Cambridge-Blessed Trinity and Westminster-Centennial games to see if they are the No. 2, No. 3 or No. 4 seed in the playoffs. Cambridge can still win the region with a victory this week.
3. North Atlanta 28, West Forsyth 24: North Atlanta, which opened in 1991 with the merger of North Fulton and Northside of Atlanta, beat two-point favorite West Forsyth in a Region 6-6A game to claim first region title in school history. The region championship was the first in the highest class for an Atlanta Public Schools team since Douglass in 2004. The Warriors will open the playoffs at home against the No. 4 team from Region 7, likely Peachtree Ridge.
4. Putnam County 21, Jasper County 14: Jasper County, seeking its first region title since 1992, suffered its first loss in Region 4-A Division I and fell a half-game behind leaders Lamar County and Social Circle. The Hurricanes, 10-point favorites, can still win the region title if they beat Lamar County and Utopian County in their final two games. Putnam County, which has completed its regular season, will likely finished in third or fourth place in the seven-team region.
5. Southeast Whitfield 7, Towns County 3: Southeast Whitfield, a 30-point underdog, beat Towns County to end a 15-game losing streak that was the fifth-longest in school history. It was the Raiders’ first win since defeating Gordon Central 19-16 on Aug. 25, 2023. They had been outscored by an average of 45-7 during the streak. Southeast Whitfield (1-7) of Region 7-4A and Towns County (5-4) of Region 8-A Division II are both playing non-region schedules this season.
Worth noting: Marietta, 1-7 going into its game against six-point favorite Cherokee, won 25-20 to move into a three-way tie for third place in Region 5-6A. The Blue Devils likely will finish as the region’s No. 3 seed if they beat North Paulding this week. … Pickens remained tied for fourth place in Region 6-3A with a 28-25 victory over 17-point favorite Greater Atlanta Christian in the first meeting between the schools. Five of GAC’s six region games have been decided by six points or less. … Shiloh defeated one-point favorite Lakeside of Atlanta 29-21 for its third consecutive win after an 0-6 start and sits in a three-way tie for third place in eight-team Region 4-5A. The Generals likely will be the No. 3 seed if they beat Dunwoody this week. … Tucker put itself in position to win its first region championship since 2017 when it beat 13-point favorite St. Pius 28-26 in a Region 5-4A game. The winner of the Tigers’ game this week against an old nemesis, top-ranked Marist, will win the title.
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