Jack Rhodes was leading the GHSA in receiving yards earlier this month. Then Aquinas’ starting quarterback was injured. So, Aquinas coach James Leonard found another way to get the ball to his best athlete, a three-star senior prospect committed to Virginia. The coach put Rhodes behind center. The decision won Aquinas a game Friday night.

Madalynn “Cricket” Cauley, a senior quarterback and safety at Harris County, is GHSF Daily’s flag football player of the week. Leading a 7-1 team, Cauley has passed for 1,480 yards and 24 touchdowns, completing 70.4% of her attempts. She has rushed for 273 yards and five touchdowns. She has 19 flag pulls and three interceptions.

Myles Twyman, a senior running back/defensive back at Darlington School, has been named the scoutSMART Student-Athlete of the Week. Twyman, a three-time letterman with a 4.2 GPA, exemplifies excellence on the field, in the classroom and throughout his community. He has rushed for 564 yards and seven touchdowns this season.

Statesboro hasn’t won a region title since 2011, and capturing one this season is still three victories away But without last week’s 28-21 victory over Brunswick – a 23-point favorite – the elusive championship would be out of the Blue Devils’ control. Now, Statesboro can win Region 1-5A with victories over Evans, South Effingham and Effingham County.

In a scoreless game, a 33-yard field goal attempt with 2:12 left is a priceless opportunity. Sometimes for the other team. On Friday night, Clinch County’s Fred Causey blocked the field goal, and Jakyri Posley returned it 80 yards for a touchdown in a 6-0 victory over Brooks County in a game that decided first place in Region 2-A Division II.

Nalani Gainey, a senior quarterback and middle linebacker at Seckinger, is GHSF Daily’s flag football player of the week. Gainey has passed for 590 yards and nine touchdowns, rushed for 366 yards and seven touchdowns and intercepted six passes, returning four for touchdowns, while leading her team in flag pulls with 33 through seven games.

Ben Corhei, a 6-foot-5, 290-pound senior offensive lineman at Lowndes, has been named the scoutSMART Student-Athlete of the Week. Corhei carries a 99.15 GPA. Lowndes is 7-0 overall, 2-0 in Region 1-6A and ranked No. 4 in Class 6A going into Friday night’s game against Camden County.

Worth County beat Thomasville by one point last season as a 21-point underdog. This season, Worth County was something worse – actually trailing by 20 points late in the third quarter, down 34-14. “Players were saying that we’ve just got to go play football, and coaches were just saying to trust our stuff and everything was going to play out in the end,” quarterback Lyndon Worthy said.

Hudson Hulett is 5 feet, 10 inches and 185 pounds. He's an exceptional athlete who is a 1,000-yard rusher and starting quarterback and safety. Players with those qualities who attend North Murray High School will get the obvious comparison. “Reminds me a lot of Ladd,” North Murray coach Preston Poag said, referencing Ladd McConkey, the former Mountaineers quarterback who starred at Georgia and now plays wide receiver for the Los Angeles Chargers.

Alana Calhoun, a senior wide receiver and safety at Milton, is GHSF Daily’s Flag Football Player of the Week, an award sponsored by Sports Turf. In six games, all Milton victories, Calhoun had 25 receptions for 356 yards and eight touchdowns, nine flag pulls, 15 passes defended and one interception.

Drew Hardwick, a 6-foot-5, 230-pound senior tight end at Cambridge, has been named the scoutSMART Student-Athlete of the Week. Hardwick holds a 4.0 GPA and is committed to Cornell University. A three-year starter, he played a key role in Cambridge’s 10-3 season last year.

North Clayton is chasing its first region title since 2008 and got a historic victory last week by beating Stephenson 42-41. The game ended with a tackle on a Stephenson back at the North Clayton 1-yard line.

West Laurens senior running back Ty Cummings rushed for a state-record 615 yards and eight touchdowns on 19 carries in a 70-55 victory over Baldwin on Friday. He set another record this week – the first player to win GHSF Daily’s Player of the Week award twice in the same season. Cummings, a senior who committed to Georgia Southern, scored on runs of 59, 91, 75, 53, 59, 59, 86 and 78 yards.

Dickson Petifrere, a senior defensive back and linebacker at Coffee, has been named the scoutSMART Student-Athlete of the Week. Petifrere carries a 3.95 GPA and, through five games, has recorded 39 total tackles (28 solo, 11 assists) along with five tackles for loss.

Jenkins and Calvary Day might’ve become Savannah’s best football rivalry. The 2024 game went to overtime, with Calvary Day winning 34-31 and claiming the Region 3-3A title as a result. Last week, it was Jenkins’ turn. The Warriors won 41-33 and now stand alone atop the Region 3 standings.

It wasn’t necessarily the best game he’s ever played. As a sophomore last season, Ty Cummings rushed for 280 yards against Aquinas in a region victory and 318 against Baldwin in a playoff loss. He had 222 yards rushing earlier this season against North Clayton. But this was just a game that West Laurens really needed if it fancies a Region 4-3A championship, and Cummings showed the way.

Brady Robinson, a senior linebacker and tight end at Landmark Christian, is the scoutSMART Student-Athlete of the Week. Robinson leads the team in tackles and added his third and fourth touchdowns of the season last week – one on offense and one on defense – in a 35-0 victory over South Atlanta.

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.