How the new top-10 teams fared in Week 8
Class 7A
1. (1) Buford (6-0)
Last week: Off. Next: Friday vs. Mill Creek (6-0)
2. (2) Colquitt County (6-0)
Last week: Off. Next: Friday vs. Camden County (5-2)
3. (3) Mill Creek (6-0)
Last week: Off. Next: Friday at Buford (6-0)
4. (5) Valdosta (7-0)
Last week: Beat Lowndes 13-6. Ahmad Denson scored on an 80-yard run late in the first quarter for a 13-3 lead. Valdosta had only 179 total yards outside of Denson’s TD run but the Wildcats' defense held Lowndes at bay, allowing 182 total yards and two field goals. Omar White had six tackles for losses. It was Valdosta’s first victory in the series since 2016. Next: Friday vs. Richmond Hill (3-4)
5. (4) Carrollton (7-0)
Last week: Beat East Coweta 38-28. Bryce Hicks rushed for 183 yards and two touchdowns on 31 carries and caught seven passes for 42 yards and a touchdown. Julian Lewis was 22-of-32 passing for 215 yards and two touchdowns. Kelvin Hill intercepted two passes, one that he returned to the 2-yard line, setting up a score that made it 25-7 early in the second half. Next: Friday at Pebblebrook (3-4)
6. (8) North Cobb (4-2)
Last week: Beat Walton 33-6. Nick Grimstead, playing for injured Malachi Singleton, was 6-of-8 passing for 186 yards and three touchdowns, and North Cobb took a 33-0 lead into the fourth quarter. Next: Friday vs. Wheeler (4-2)
7. (7) Lambert (6-0)
Last week: Beat Forsyth Central 40-14. James Tyre rushed for 107 yards and was 7-of-11 passing for 98 yards. Lambert is 6-0 for the first time in the program’s 13-year history. Next: Friday at West Forsyth (3-3)
8. (9) Lowndes (3-3)
Last week: Lost to Valdosta 13-6. Lowndes was held to 182 total yards and 9-of-23 passing, and its five-game winning streak against Valdosta ended. Next: Friday vs. Dunbar, Fla. (3-0)
9. (10) Grayson (5-1)
Last week: Off. Next: Friday at South Gwinnett (4-2)
10. (NR) Kennesaw Mountain (6-0)
Last week: Beat Osborne 49-0. Kennesaw Mountain led 35-0 at halftime in a game between unbeaten teams. Cayman Prangley was 15-of-20 passing for 295 yards and four touchdowns. Cayden Lee had eight receptions for 139 yards and a touchdown. Next: Friday vs. Walton (4-2)
Out: No. 6 Walton (4-2)
Class 6A
1. (1) Hughes (7-0)
Last week: Beat East Paulding 59-0. Prentis “Air” Noland was 20-of-25 passing for 291 yards and five touchdowns. Joshua Horton had three tackles for losses. Santonio Jones returned an interception for a touchdown. Next: Oct. 21 vs. Newnan (3-4)
2. (2) Lee County (6-1)
Last week: Beat Veterans 43-7. Weston Bryan was 15-of-19 passing for 202 yards and two touchdowns and scored a touchdown. Ousmane Kromah rushed for 135 yards on 12 carries. J.D. Fugerson had 10 receptions for 181 yards and two touchdowns. Next: Oct. 21 vs. Northside-Warner Robins (4-3)
3. (3) Roswell (6-1)
Last week: Beat Lassiter 58-0. Nykahi Davenport rushed for 192 yards and three touchdowns on six carries and caught a 24-yard TD pass. Synkwan Smith ran for 147 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries. Roswell had 410 rushing yards and 576 total yards, and K.J. Smith threw three TD passes. Next: Friday at Pope (0-6)
4. (4) Woodward Academy (5-1)
Last week: Off. Next: Friday vs. Rockdale County (1-5)
5. (5) Gainesville (6-0)
Last week: Off. Next: Friday vs. Habersham Central (2-4)
6. (6) Rome (6-1)
Last week: Beat Sequoyah 52-0. Rome held Sequoyah to zero first downs and 13 total yards. Jaedon Harmon rushed for 106 yards and three touchdowns on 14 carries. Reece Fountain was 16-of-18 passing for 211 yards and two touchdowns. Next: Oct. 21 at River Ridge (5-2)
7. (7) Thomas County Central (7-0)
Last week: Beat Tift County 42-7. The game was 7-7 at halftime, but Thomas Central scored the game’s final five touchdowns. Sam Brown was 15-of-20 passing for 162 yards and a touchdown. Trey Brenton rushed for 147 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries. Ricky Fulton had 103 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns on 16 touches. Next: Oct. 21 vs. Houston County (6-1)
8. (8) Marist (4-2)
Last week: Off. Next: Friday vs. South Cobb (0-6)
9. (9) Brunswick (7-0)
Last week: Beat Lakeside-Evans 44-10. Brunswick had three scoring drives of 90 or more yards. Jayden Drayton had 134 yards from scrimmage. J.R. Elkins was 11-of-17 passing for 143 yards. Next: Oct. 21 at South Effingham (2-3)
10. (10) Houston County (6-1)
Last week: Beat Northside-Warner Robins 21-17. Antwann Hill was 20-of-27 passing for 202 yards and two touchdowns, both in the third quarter after Houston County trailed 17-7 at halftime. Northside didn’t strongly threaten to score a touchdown in the second half. Next: Oct. 21 at Thomas County Central (7-0)
Class 5A
1. (1) Ware County (5-0)
Last week: Beat Jenkins 42-14. Ware County led only 14-7 at halftime, with one score on a fumble return, but pulled away in the third quarter. Nikao Smith was 15-of-28 passing for 201 yards and overcame a couple of interceptions. Dae’Jeaun Dennis rushed for 84 yards. Next: Friday at Bradwell Institute (0-6)
2. (2) Creekside (4-2)
Last week: Off. Next: Thursday at Jackson-Atlanta (5-2)
3. (3) Dutchtown (6-0)
Last week: Off. Next: Friday vs. Jones County (4-3)
4. (6) Loganville (8-0)
Last week: Beat Clarke Central 28-22. Nick Dowdell had seven receptions for 196 yards and two touchdowns. Johnny Crowe was 13-of-24 passing for 245 yards and two touchdowns. Next: Oct. 21 at Jefferson (4-2)
5. (7) Kell (6-0)
Last week: Beat Northview 47-7. Bryce Clavon was 21-of-26 passing for 316 yards and four touchdowns, two to Justin Mitchell. Kell led 40-0 at halftime. Next: Friday vs. Cambridge (5-2)
6. (8) Coffee (5-1)
Last week: Beat Bradwell Institute 42-13. Fred Brown rushed for 91 yards and two touchdowns on five carries. Tyrese Woodgett returned a punt 54 yards for a touchdown. Dreshawn Taylor had five tackles for losses and three sacks. Next: Friday vs. Statesboro (2-4)
7. (5) Cartersville (6-1)
Last week: Beat Cass 35-13. Paul Gamble was 10-of-13 passing for 171 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 91 yards. Collin Fletcher had four receptions for 101 yards. Cartersville led 21-13 at halftime and pulled away in the third quarter. Next: Friday at Hiram (4-3)
8. (10) Cambridge (5-2)
Last week: Beat Centennial 37-10. Preston Clemmer scored on a 44-yard run and threw an 88-yard TD pass to Will Taylor to put the game away in the second half. Will Petit blocked a punt and intercepted a pass. Next: Friday at Kell (6-0)
9. (NR) Warner Robins (3-4)
Last week: Beat Union Grove 30-7. Chaz Sturn scored on an 85-yard screen pass for a 24-0 lead early in the second half. Daniel Barber made field goals of 35 and 50 yards. Rasean Dinkins intercepted two passes. Warner Robins held Union Grove to 97 total yards. Next: Oct. 21 vs. Eagle's Landing (2-5)
10. (4) Calhoun (4-3)
Last week: Lost to Hiram 44-34. Trey Townsend was 18-of-26 passing for 222 yards and two touchdowns, but he left late in the fourth quarter with a shoulder injury, and Calhoun failed to hold an early 14-0 lead. With leading rusher Caden Williams also lost to injury in the first half, and Calhoun was outrushed 280-76. Next: Friday at Woodland-Cartersville (1-6)
Out: No. 9 Jones County (4-3)
Class 4A
1. (1) Cedartown (7-0)
Last week: Beat Heritage-Ringgold 42-0. Cedartown led 42-0 at halftime. Reece Tanner was 5-for-5 passing for 109 yards and two touchdowns. Harlem Diamond had 164 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns on six touches. Next: Oct. 21 at Sonoraville (5-2)
2. (2) North Oconee (6-0)
Last week: Beat Cedar Shoals 55-12. Khalil Barnes had eight receptions for 142 yards and two touchdowns. He also scored on a running play and an interception return. Davin Busby had 14 tackles. North Oconee had 473 total yards. Next: Friday vs. East Forsyth (5-1)
3. (3) Perry (6-1)
Last week: Beat Griffin 50-7. Armar Gordon threw two TD passes to Dakarai Anderson in limited duty. Demetrius Carter rushed for 84 yards and two touchdowns. Next: Friday at Baldwin (2-4)
4. (4) Troup (7-0)
Last week: Beat Riverdale 52-14. Troup led 45-7 at halftime. Taeo Todd was 11-of-13 passing for 197 yards and rushed for 45. Qua Moss had five receptions for 94 yards. Next: Oct. 21 at Fayette County (1-6)
5. (6) Benedictine (4-2)
Last week: Beat Burke County 28-3. Luke Kromenhoek was 12-of-20 passing for 137 yards and two touchdowns and scored two touchdowns. Na’Seir Samuel rushed for 87 yards, all in the second half. Benedictine recorded six sacks and held Burke County to its lowest point total since 2010. Next: Friday vs. Southeast Bulloch (2-5)
6. (5) Burke County (5-1)
Last week: Lost to Benedictine 28-3. Burke County was held to 156 total yards and without a touchdown after scoring at least three in every game this season. Next: Friday vs. Islands (0-7)
7. (8) Bainbridge (3-4)
Last week: Beat Westover 59-7. Bo Smith was 9-of-13 passing for 219 yards and five touchdowns. Keenan Phillips rushed for 105 yards and a touchdown on nine carries and had two receptions for 45 yards and two touchdowns. Antavious Murphy had four receptions for 152 yards and three touchdowns. Next: Friday at Shaw (3-4)
8. (NR) Trinity Christian (5-2)
Last week: Beat Whitewater 27-23. Trinity Christian came from down 23-7 in the fourth quarter. Henry Brodnax was 19-of-32 passing for 366 yards and three touchdowns. Phoenix Moss rushed for 127 yards on 14 carries and had four receptions for 87 yards. Next: Oct. 21 vs. LaGrange (5-2)
9. (9) Wayne County (5-1)
Last week: Beat Islands 56-7. Wayne County led 49-0 at halftime and ran only 31 plays netting 265 yards. Next: Friday vs. New Hampstead (5-1)
10. (7) Whitewater (5-2)
Last week: Lost to Trinity Christian 27-23. A 23-7 fourth-quarter lead got away. Ty Ellington rushed for 121 yards and passed for 121. His 81-yard TD run in the first quarter gave Whitewater a 14-0 lead. Colin O’Brien had four receptions for 115 yards. Next: Oct. 20 at North Clayton (1-7)
Out: No. 10 Heritage-Ringgold (6-1)
Class 3A
1. (1) Cedar Grove (4-2)
Last week: Off. Next: Thursday at Douglass (3-4)
2. (2) Carver-Atlanta (5-1)
Last week: Beat Mundy's Mill 20-6. Bryce Bowens was 8-of-16 passing for 131 yards and short TD throws to Jaden Ford and Deandre Buchannon. Akiliss Smith had five tackles for losses, two sacks and four QB pressures. Jamontez Hines had two tackles for losses and a sack. Next: Friday vs. Sandy Creek (6-1)
3. (3) Calvary Day (5-0)
Last week: Beat Groves 49-8. Jake Merklinger was 8-of-9 passing for 112 yards and four touchdowns. Calvary Day led 49-0 at halftime. Next: Friday vs. Johnson-Savannah (4-2)
4. (4) Sandy Creek (6-1)
Last week: Off. Next: Friday at Carver-Atlanta (5-1)
5. (6) Dougherty (7-0)
Last week: Beat Columbus 54-24. Kam Davis was 20-of-30 passing for 336 yards and three touchdowns. Jacob Stallworth rushed for 101 yards and three touchdowns. Kendarriyon Johnson rushed for 98 yards. Next: Friday vs. Monroe (4-3)
6. (7) Stephens County (6-1)
Last week: Beat Franklin County 63-0. Ben Stowe was 9-of-14 passing for 213 yards, and backup QB Tripp Underwood was 6-of-6 for 75 yards. T.J. Everett rushed for 106 yards and two touchdowns. Cam’ron Lacy scored on a pass reception and a punt return. Next: Oct. 21 vs. Hart County (4-3)
7. (8) Peach County (3-3)
Last week: Off. Next: Friday vs. Mary Persons (4-3)
8. (NR) Monroe Area (3-4)
Last week: Beat Hebron Christian 41-7. Jeremiah Anderson rushed for 147 yards on 10 carries and had 59 passing yards. Zillion Hammond returned an interception 70 yards for a touchdown. Rickey Robbins had two sacks and recovered a fumble. Next: Oct. 21 vs. Oconee County (4-3)
9. (5) Hebron Christian (6-1)
Last week: Lost to Monroe Area 41-7. Gavin Hall rushed for 162 yards, but Hebron trailed 21-7 at halftime and never bounced back. Next: Oct. 21 at Franklin County (0-7)
10. (9) Oconee County (4-3)
Last week: Beat Hart County 31-14. C.J. Jones rushed for 147 yards on 29 carries, and Mac Ricks ran for 136 on 19 carries while passing for 88 yards on 10 attempts. Whit Weeks caught two balls, both for touchdowns totaling 59 yards. Oconee held Hart to 28 yards rushing. Next: Oct. 21 vs. Monroe Area (3-4)
Out: No. 10 Carver-Columbus (4-2)
Class 2A
1. (1) Fitzgerald (6-0)
Last week: Beat Worth County 42-0. Fitzgerald opened the game with a 16-play, 75-yard drive that consumed 8:32 and ended on Sultan Cooper’s 11-yard TD run. Tyler Williams scored on runs of 17 and 59 yards to put the lead at 21-0 by halftime. Fitzgerald outrushed Worth County 301-48 and allowed 127 total yards. Next: Friday vs. Jeff Davis (0-7)
2. (3) South Atlanta (6-0)
Last week: Beat Mount Paran Christian 50-7. Keyjuan Brown rushed for 309 yards and four touchdowns on 19 carries. South Atlanta led 32-7 at halftime. Next: Saturday vs. North Cobb Christian (7-0)
3. (4) Cook (5-1)
Last week: Off. Next: Friday at Berrien (5-2)
4. (NR) Appling County (4-1)
Last week: Beat Pierce County 28-17 on Monday and Toombs County 34-21 on Friday. Dayson Griffis passed for 187 yards and three touchdowns against Toombs County and 184 yards and three touchdowns against Pierce County. Against Pierce, which was ranked No. 2 at the time, Griffis threw an 86-yard TD pass to Patrick Crosby for a 21-17 lead in the first half and scored on a 58-yard run for a 28-17 lead in the third quarter. Next: Friday at Windsor Forest (1-6)
5. (2) Pierce County (5-1)
Last week: Lost to Appling County 28-17. D.J. Bell rushed for 92 yards, and Jimarion Guyton ran for 94. Pierce County was just 4-of-15 passing. The loss ended Pierce’s 19-game region winning streak and jeopardized its streak of four region titles. Next: Friday vs. Toombs County (4-3)
6. (5) Thomson (5-1)
Last week: Beat Butler 61-6. Tre Tre Jeffery had 99 of Thomson’s 385 rushing yards. Next: Friday at Laney (6-0)
7. (6) Eagle's Landing Christian (3-3)
Last week: Beat Redan 48-23. ELCA was up 48-7 by halftime and ran only 20 plays. Colton Hood returned an interception 55 yards for a touchdown. Joshua Banks returned a blocked punt for a score. Next: Friday vs. Columbia (5-2)
8. (8) Northeast (5-2)
Last week: Beat Kendrick 49-16. Nick Woodford, already the state’s leading rusher, ran for 302 yards and five touchdowns on 17 carries. He has 1,619 yards rushing in seven games. Freshman QB Reginald Glover was 8-of-10 passing for 198 yards and two touchdowns. Freshman WR Isiah Thomas had three catches for 80 yards. Next: Oct. 21 at Spencer (5-2)
9. (7) Putnam County (6-1)
Last week: Beat Glenn Hills 48-6. Putnam County lost what would’ve been its fourth straight shutout when Glenn Hills scored on a fumble return against backups in the fourth quarter. Putnam allowed minus-3 yards rushing and 67 total yards. Jalong Kilgore scored twice out of the wildcat formation and returned a punt and a kickoff for touchdowns. Next: Oct. 21 at Thomson (5-1)
10. (9) Callaway (3-3)
Last week: Off. Next: Friday vs. Towers (0-5-1)
Out: No. 10 Rockmart (4-2)
Class A Division I
1. (1) Prince Avenue Christian (6-0)
Last week: Beat Baylor, Tenn., 42-35. Aaron Philo threw a 45-yard touchdown pass to Ethan Christian to break a 35-35 tie with 1:15 left. Prince Avenue blocked a field goal with 3:30 left and intercepted a pass in the end zone to clinch the victory. Philo was 26-of-31 passing for 385 yards and three touchdowns and scored two touchdowns. Christian had nine receptions for 161 yards. Bailey Stockton had eight catches for 123 yards and two touchdowns. Next: Oct. 21 vs. Oglethorpe County (5-2)
2. (2) Swainsboro (6-0)
Last week: Beat Jefferson County 48-0. Qin Brown rushed for 174 yards and three touchdowns on 12 carries. Swainsboro had 398 yards rushing and completed only one pass, a 25-yard throw from Ty Adams to Demello Jones. Jerrod Steward had two sacks, and Swainsboro held Jefferson County to 1-of-9 passing and 17 total yards. Next: Friday at East Laurens (1-5)
3. (3) Rabun County (7-0)
Last week: Beat St. Francis 17-14. Lang Windham rushed for 108 yards, and his 22-yard run with 8:14 left was the winning touchdown. Jaden Gibson had eight catches for 109 yards. Next: Friday at Elbert County (7-0)
4. (5) Brooks County (4-1)
Last week: Off. Next: Friday at Early County (7-0)
5. (6) Irwin County (4-1)
Last week: Off. Next: Friday vs. Pelham (2-5)
6. (9) Elbert County (7-0)
Last week: Beat Whitefield Academy 35-24. Quan Moss rushed for 190 yards and three touchdowns on 39 carries. Jayvyn Hickman was 12-of-18 passing for 168 yards and two touchdowns. Next: Friday vs. Rabun County (7-0)
7. (8) Darlington (7-0)
Last week: Beat Chattooga 48-21. Jack Good was 8-of-10 passing for 140 yards and three touchdowns. D’Marion Floyd rushed for 146 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries. Talan Shirley returned a kickoff 65 yards for a touchdown. Next: Friday vs. Pepperell (4-2)
8. (7) Whitefield Academy (5-2)
Last week: Lost to Elbert County 35-24. Ayden Duncanson was 21-of-27 passing for 239 yards and three touchdowns. Caleb LaValle had 93 receiving yards and 14 solo tackles. Duncanson also was in on 10 tackles. Next: Oct. 21 vs. St. Francis (4-3)
9. (NR) Metter (4-3)
Last week: Beat Bryan County 30-0. Metter rushed for 298 yards without a carrier with more than eight attempts. Reco Coney led with 82 yards. Next: Friday vs. Savannah (0-7)
10. (NR) Dublin (3-2)
Last week: Beat Bleckley County 31-13. Micah O’Neal returned a punt 76 yards for a touchdown to open a 17-7 lead in the third quarter, and Dublin scored two unanswered fourth-quarter touchdowns to seal the victory. Kameron Hampton rushed for 79 yards. Dublin was outgained 243-197 but forced three turnovers. Next: Friday at Dooly County (4-2)
Out: No. 4 Bleckley County (6-1), No. 10 Social Circle (4-2)
Class A Division II
1. (1) Early County (7-0)
Last week: Beat Randolph-Clay 46-6. Early County led 33-0 at halftime and clinched its first region title since 2003, finishing 6-0 in region play with three non-region games remaining. Cemyrian Stapleton had three receptions for 89 yards. Early County held Randolph-Clay to 121 total yards. Next: Friday vs. Brooks County (4-1)
2. (2) Clinch County (6-1)
Last week: Beat Lanier County 35-0. Keegan Clayton was 6-of-9 passing for 146 yards. Eight players rushed for 253 yards. Eddie Smith had TD receptions of 82 and 30 yards. Clinch held Lanier to three first downs and 39 total yards. Next: Friday at Turner County (1-6)
3. (3) Bowdon (6-1)
Last week: Beat Forest Park 47-7. Robert McNeal was 10-of-14 passing for 280 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 43 yards on four carries. T.J. Harvison rushed for 61 yards and two touchdowns on eight carries and caught two passes for 103 yards, 74 on a TD reception. Asher Christopher had three tackles for losses and two sacks. Next: Friday at Christian Heritage (3-4)
4. (4) Johnson County (6-0)
Last week: Beat Bacon County 41-6. Germivy Tucker rushed for 285 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries, running his season rushing total to 1,169 yards and his career total to 5,181. Next: Friday at Glascock County (2-5)
5. (6) Charlton County (4-2)
Last week: Beat Turner County 35-0. Jaylen Lilley rushed for 191 yards and three touchdowns on 20 carries. On Charlton County’s fifth touchdown, Elyiss Williams recovered a fumble and lateraled to C.J. Lovett, who ran 35 yards. Next: Friday at Atkinson County (2-4)
6. (7) Schley County (4-2)
Last week: Off. Next: Friday at Taylor County (2-4)
7. (8) Dooly County (4-2)
Last week: Beat Treutlen 56-0. Antwan Clayton was 9-of-16 passing for 223 yards and touchdowns to four receivers. John Brown intercepted four passes and returned one for a touchdown. Next: Friday vs. Dublin (3-2)
8. (9) Aquinas (5-1)
Last week: Beat Towns County 42-13. Jim Franklin was 13-of-21 passing for 306 yards and three touchdowns. Kevin Douglas had six receptions for 131 yards and a touchdown. Next: Friday at Lincoln County (4-2)
9. (10) McIntosh County Academy (6-1)
Last week: Beat Jenkins County 27-21. JaReese Campbell rushed for 147 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries. His 5-yard run in the fourth overtime was the game-winner. Next: Friday at Montgomery County (4-3)
10. (NR) Manchester (4-2)
Last week: Off. Next: Friday at Greenville (2-4)
Out: No. 5 Washington-Wilkes (5-2)