Athens Academy completed its first 10-win season and won its first region championship in five years Friday with a 34-28 victory over Rabun County. It's been a season of fourth-quarter heroics. Against Rabun County, Hampton Johnson threw a 68-yard TD pass to Keyon Standifer to break a 28-28 tie with 4:45 left.

Zayden Cook became this season’s first 2,000-yard rusher Friday. That’s usually enough to get the game ball. But Cook did a little extra to make sure. The Chattooga senior rushed for 464 yards and six touchdowns, made nine tackles, intercepted two passes and punted twice for a 42.0-yard average in a 56-36 victory over Dade County.

GHSF Daily’s Offensive Line of the Week is Kell’s unit of left tackle David Torres, left guard Chase Lewandowski, center David Ornelas, right guard Vincent Consolino, right tackle Brodey Bedwell, guard/tackle Kayden Jacobo, guard Keenan Thompson and center/guard Jared Miller with tight ends Brayden Rouse, Kason Fox and Bryce Shelton.

Katie Smith, a senior quarterback at Locust Grove, is GHSF Daily’s Flag Football Player of the Week. Smith was 63-of-87 passing for 850 yards and 18 touchdowns in comfortable victories over Whitewater, Morrow, Luella and Union Grove.

Marcus Romain, a senior quarterback at Wheeler, is the scoutSMART Student-Athlete of the Week. Romain, who has a 4.18 GPA, has passed for 519 yards and rushed for 412 yards this season despite being limited to six games because of an injury. Romain also is a member of the school’s track team.

Call it reloading. Say that tradition doesn’t graduate. The old clichés apply to Cartersville, a team that graduated all eight of its first-team all-region players and returned only five starters from last year’s state semifinal team. The Purple Hurricanes are 9-0, ranked No. 2 in Class 5A, and a victory from their ninth region championship in 11 years.

Sophomore RB Jaiden Moore, described by Hillgrove coach Justin DeShon as a second- or third-teamer getting extra playing time because of an injury, made the most of his moment in a rivalry game Friday night. Moore rushed for 255 yards and scored on runs of 97, 51 and 67 yards in a 30-23 victory over crosstown rival McEachern.

GHSF Daily’s Offensive Line of the Week is Brunswick’s unit of left tackle Chase Richardson, left guard Aiden Watford, center Garrett Wiggins, right guards Chris Wingster and Desmon Smith and right tackle Kasi’yah Charlton. They paved the way for 707 total yards, 425 rushing, in a 61-34 victory against Lakeside of Evans.

Kenzie Horton, a senior quarterback at Greenbrier, is GHSF Daily’s Flag Football Player of the Week. Horton passed for 255 yards and four touchdowns and caught a TD pass in victories last week over Trinity Christian and St. Anne-Pacelli.

Javin Gordon, a senior running back at Stephens County, is the scoutSMART Student-Athlete of the Week. Gordon has rushed for 502 yards and nine touchdowns on 109 carries through the Indians’ first seven games. He has a 4.0 GPA and is committed to play football at Duke.

North Oconee had all manner of winning streaks on the line Friday night against Eastside. That’s 28 consecutive wins in region games, 34 in regular-season games, and 25 in home games. The latest game. between top-10 Class 4A teams, came down to one drive.

In a 24-21 victory over North Cobb Christian, Rockmart's Nate Davis rushed for 154 yards and three touchdowns, made eight tackles, intercepted a pass, set up the winning drive with a forced fumble, scored the winning touchdown on a 22-yard run and made the decisive tackle on fourth-and-1 at midfield that clinched the victory.

GHSF Daily’s Offensive Line of the Week is Irwin County’s unit of Jakob Brown, Hudson Royal, Kellen Wynn, Gabe McTear and Owen Griffin and tight ends Brodie Suggs and Tripp Poole. They paved the way for 531 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns in a 64-34 victory over Charlton County.

Jaci Kitchings, a senior up back and cornerback at Southeast Bulloch, is GHSF Daily’s Flag Football Player of the Week. Kitchings scored all five touchdowns in the Yellow Jackets’ opening victories over South Effingham and McDonough that extended Southeast Bulloch’s winning streak to 64 games.

Jonaz Walton, a 5-foot-9, 200-pound junior running back at Central of Carrollton, is the scoutSMART Student-Athlete of the Week. Walton, who has a 4.0 GPA, has rushed for 857 yards and 10 touchdowns on 116 carries through his team’s first seven games.

Manchester knows as well as anybody that one victory over a No. 1 team isn’t final. The Blue Devils beat No. 1-ranked Bowdon by one point to open the 2023 season, then lost to Bowdon by one point to end it in the championship game.

Todd Robinson isn’t planning to play quarterback or running back in college, but he sure looks like a star at both in a Valdosta uniform. Robinson, a senior committed to Georgia as a defensive back, was 21-of-27 passing for 269 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 132 yards and four touchdowns in a 56-37 victory over fourth-ranked Camden County last week.

GHSF Daily’s Offensive Line of the Week is Douglas County’s unit of Julius Dumas, Brooklyn Spivey, Joshua Vaughan, Devin Munford, Chase Mideau, Eddie Alford and Terrance Brandon with tight end Bryce Anderson. They paved the way for 748 total yards (464 rushing, 285 passing) in a 42-17 victory over East Coweta.

Mia James, a senior at Hebron Christian, is GHSF Daily’s Flag Football Player of the Week. James was 12-of-16 passing for 146 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for 52 yards on 10 carries in two victories during the first full week of the flag football season.

Bryson Hughley, a 6-foot-3, 175-pound junior defensive back at Peach County, is the scoutSMART Student-Athlete of the Week. Hughley has a 3.9 GPA while taking AP Honors classes. He also plays basketball and runs track.