Coweta County Schools has three football teams, and Northgate has been third for most of its history, with no victories over Newnan or East Coweta. In a game between unbeaten county rivals last week, Northgate broke through. beating Newnan 35-21, likely the most satisfying regular-season triumph in the Vikings' 28 seasons of varsity football.

Sequoyah running back Will Rajecki scored at least one touchdown in every game last season except one. That was against Sprayberry, a 31-17 loss during an 11-2 season. “Last year, I didn’t play my best, and I don’t think the team did either,” he told GHSF Daily before Friday’s rematch. “But this year, we’re stronger, more experienced and more prepared for the moment.”

Tyson Sanford, a senior cornerback at Peachtree Ridge is the scoutSMART Student-Athlete of the Week. Sanford, a three-year starter, Tyson anchors the Lions’ secondary with consistency and leadership. Off the field, he maintains a 3.62 GPA while taking AP courses. Sanford recently committed to Duke.

A season after going 1-9, two years removed from 0-10, Lithonia perked up with a 6-4 finish last year, but first-year coach Kevin Barnes wasn’t satisfied. The Bulldogs didn’t make the playoffs. They could’ve tolerated three region losses, but not four. This week, Barnes is feeling better, for now. Lithonia last week avenged one of those region losses – against Tucker, winning 27-20 after losing 41-7.

Having a career night is a tough ask for a player with more than 4,000 all-purpose yards and 200 tackles in his four seasons to date. When his team couldn’t do without it, Reid Giles delivered. The Rabun County senior running back and free safety topped 100 yards rushing and 200 receiving, returned a kickoff 99 yards and scored four touchdowns in his team’s 49-42 victory over Dalton.

Eli Moore, a senior offensive lineman at Lowndes, is the scoutSMART Student-Athlete of the Week. A key contributor to the Vikings’ 3-0 start, Moore anchors a dominant front line at 6 feet, 2 inches and 270 pounds. Off the field, he’s just as impressive – carrying a 99.07 GPA

It wasn’t about revenge, Creekside coach Maurice Dixon said. Just respect. Creekside beat DeSoto, Texas – ranked in the top 25 of four national polls – 70-28 after losing 70-0 to the same team last year in Texas. It was the biggest one-year points turnaround for a GHSA team since the 1940s.

North Hall senior Ty Kemp isn’t the best known wide receiver on his own team, but he proved last week that opponents had better know who and where he is at all times. Kemp had eight receptions for 177 yards and three touchdowns in a 43-31 victory over Cherokee Bluff in a game between top-10 Class 3A teams.

Sims Antonakos, a sophomore halfback and linebacker at Lincoln County, is the scoutSMART Student-Athlete of the Week. Sims (6 feet, 180 pounds) boasts a 98.62 GPA. He leads through service. He participated in a community workday, helping those in need by cutting grass, trimming hedges, moving furniture and spreading mulch. He also volunteered with the River of Life Summer Program, repairing property for local residents.

Newnan coach Chip Walker called it a game that “will be talked about for years to come” in Coweta County. Against East Coweta, Newnan's archrival, Newnan trailed 49-24 late in the third quarter and 56-46 late in the fourth but won 60-56 after scoring two late touchdowns and recovering a critical onside kick with 48 seconds left.

Devon Caldwell’s path to football stardom has been a steady climb, and what he did Friday night was the peak so far. The Hebron Christian senior running back rushed for a career-high 328 yards in a 45-29 victory against Fellowship Christian in a rematch of a 2024 Class 3A-A Private semifinal.

Colby Smith, a senior running back and linebacker at Southeast Bulloch, is the scoutSMART Student-Athlete of the Week. Smith, who maintains a 4.0 GPA, ran for 49 yards on 11 carries in the season opener last week. He had 2,454 all-purpose yards and 22 touchdowns last season and was a Class 3A preseason all-state selection this year.

As soon as practical, any new football coach should strive to get rid of any losing streak he finds lying around. It’s good for morale. In coach Kevin Saunders’ first game Saturday, his new team, 15-point underdog Apalachee, discarded a 29-game losing streak, defeating Chattahoochee 29-9 and avenging a 47-21 loss from the previous season.

Casey Barner is the consensus No. 1 sophomore prospect in Georgia, but he wasn’t a household name in the GHSA before the season. That’s beginning to change. Playing in Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday, the McEachern 10th grader scored on a 98-yard kickoff return, a 39-yard reception and a 69-yard run and finished with 353 all-purpose yards in a 50-17 victory over Walton.

Northeast just became the first Macon team to reach a state championship game in 49 years with a 46-14 victory over Fitzgerald in the Class A Division I semifinals. Nick Woodford, a 2,000-yard rusher again, rushed for 326 yards. Northeast is GHSF Daily’s Team of the Week.

C.J. Wiley was the state’s leading receiver last season. With "only" 1,064 yards this season, about 400 off his old pace, he might not defend that title with so many other talented weapons in the Milton offense, but he remains firmly in contention for the title of Georgia’s best wide receiver.

Maggie Sullivan, a junior running back and edge rusher for Blessed Trinity, is GHSF Daily’s Flag Football Player of the Week. Sullivan had eight receptions for 105 yards and a touchdown and a sack in a 13-7 victory over Woodstock in the Division 4 first round last week.

North Cobb Christian coach Matt Jones called his school “a hidden gem” in September after his team beat Ringgold 41-39 in six overtimes. There’s nothing hidden now about the football team, only the spotlight of the quarterfinals’ most conspicuous upset.

Upon further review, it was great blocking, speed and acceleration that best explained Tyrese Woodgett’s 605-yard rushing performance Friday. It set the single-game Georgia record in Coffee’s 72-48 victory over Sequoyah in the Class 5A quarterfinals. The previous record was held by Devyn Collins of Pepperell, who rushed for 485 yards against Rockmart in 2014.

Sprayberry’s historic season collected more mementos last week in a 35-7 victory over Newnan. Earlier this month, Sprayberry clinched its first region title in 16 seasons with a victory over Woodstock that clinched Region 6. On Friday, the Yellow Jackets won their 11th game, setting a record for a school that opened in the 1950s.