Weekend Preview: Top 10 games of Week 6

Calvary Day at Jenkins

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Memorial Stadium, Savannah

Records, rankings: Calvary Day is 4-0 overall, 3-0 in Region 3-3A and No. 4 in Class 3A-A Private; Jenkins is 3-1, 3-0 and unranked.

Last meeting: Calvary Day won 34-31 in 2024.

Things to know: These Savannah schools are about a mile apart, and the winner will be the lone unbeaten team in region play. In the 2024 game, which decided the region title, Calvary Day won on Doopah Coleman’s 5-yard run after Jenkins made a field goal on its overtime possession. Jenkins tied the score in regulation on a 16-play, 98-yard drive, all running plays. Calvary’s James Mobley passed for 315 yards and four touchdowns in that game. Now a senior, he has passed for 805 yards and nine touchdowns this season. Three Calvary players have more than 200 yards receiving. Calvary finished 10-2 last season and reached the Class 3A-A Private quarterfinals. The Cavaliers have avenged their lone regular-season loss by beating South Carolina champion Oceanside Collegiate 59-49 last month. Jenkins’ loss came against Lowndes, the No. 5 team in Class 6A. Jenkins’ main offensive threats are seniors Demetrius Holloway (681 yards passing, 116 rushing, eight total touchdowns), Ryan Scott (334 rushing) and Dominique Johnson (254 receiving, 503 all-purpose). These teams do not play in the same state-playoff division, but the outcome is significant because region finish dictates playoff seeding.

Denmark at West Forsyth

When, where: 7:30 p.m. today, Wolverine Stadium, Cumming

Records, rankings: Denmark is 2-2 overall, 1-0 in Region 6-6A and unranked; West Forsyth is 3-1, 1-0 and unranked.

Last meeting: West Forsyth won 28-21 in 2024.

Things to know: These are the two best teams in Forsyth County and Region 6-6A, according to the Maxwell Ratings. West Forsyth made the Class 6A quarterfinals last year as the region’s No. 3 seed and lost to Douglas County 20-14. West Forsyth avenged a 2024 regular-season loss last week with a 44-24 victory over another Forsyth team, Lambert. Andrew Davis rushed for 173 yards and three touchdowns on 18 carries. He has rushed for 554 yards on the season. Max Walraven, a three-year starter, passed for 179 yards, giving him 4,119 for his career. He passed for two touchdowns in the 2024 victory over Denmark and scored the winning touchdown on a short run late in the fourth quarter. West Forsyth’s loss this season is to Parkview 59-45. Denmark, the region’s No. 4 seed last year, returned six first-team all-region players, though started 0-2 with losses to Class 5A No. 5 Sequoyah 24-21 and River Ridge 17-7. The 31-14 victory at Class 4A No. 9 Cambridge provided hope. Denmark rushed for 241 yards, led by London Ruckert’s 121. Michael Palmieri has 11 receptions for 359 yards. CB Kamden Jennings (James Madison) and PK/P Jake Snyder (Memphis) are college committed. This region has two other 1-0 teams in region play. They are North Forsyth and defending champion North Atlanta.

Fitzgerald at Worth County

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Milt Miller Field at Worth County Stadium, Sylvester

Records, rankings: Fitzgerald is 2-1 overall, 0-0 in Region 1-A Division I and No. 9; Worth County is 4-0, 0-0 and No. 1.

Last meeting: Fitzgerald won 42-38 in the 2024 Class A Division I quarterfinals.

Things to know: If region implications and state rankings are the measure, this is the state’s top game this week. Worth County is the defending region champion but lost twice to Fitzgerald last season, including in the Class A Division I quarterfinals. Ranked No. 1 for the first time since 1990, Worth is favored by three points by the Maxwell Ratings, but Worth has lost 11 straight to Fitzgerald. Worth’s Lyndon Worthy, a 6-foot-4, 175-pound quarterback and three-year starter as a junior, has thrown for 818 yards and eight touchdowns. Five receivers have at least 100 receiving yards and a touchdown. Kaden Chester has 391 yards rushing and 143 receiving. Fitzgerald, led by new coach Wesley Tankersley, lost last week to Brooks County 21-3, a team Worth beat 44-25, as Brooks scored on three plays of more than 75 yards. One came on a fumble return after a bad snap when Fitzgerald had a first-and-goal at the 1. Fitzgerald’s top player is QB Victor Copeland, a returning 1,000-yard rusher. Copeland has rushed for 287 yards this season on a team that averages 234 rushing yards and 67 passing yards per game. This is the first of many big games in this region. Also in the mix are No. 3 Thomasville and No. 10 Jeff Davis.

Hebron Christian at Blessed Trinity

When, where: 8 p.m. Friday, Titans Stadium, Roswell

Records, rankings: Hebron Christian is 2-1 and No. 2 in Class 3A-A Private; Blessed Trinity is 3-1 and No. 4 in 4A.

Last meeting: Blessed Trinity won 24-10 in 2024.

Things to know: Hebron Christian is the Class 3A-A Private defending champion, and Blessed Trinity is the best private-school team among eight that play higher than Class 3A, according to the Maxwell Ratings. In the 2024 game between these two, Hebron Christian outgained Blessed Trinity 264-204 but allowed a defensive touchdown and trailed 24-3 by the third quarter. Hebron’s Devon Caldwell rushed for 139 yards. A senior committed to Mercer, he has 463 rushing yards and 565 all-purpose yards this season. Georgia Southern commit Jarvis Mathurin, with 113 yards rushing and 111 receiving, is Hebron’s other main offensive weapon. Blessed Trinity is a run-first, stop-the-run team led by Navy commit Ahmontae Pitts (410 yards rushing) and front-seven defensive stars D.J. Jacobs, Dawson Jacobs and Lucas Smalls-Allen (combined 18 tackles for losses). Quinn Davis, who had two TD receptions in the 2024 game, is back as Blessed Trinity’s leading receiver.

Jackson County at Clarke Central

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Billy Henderson Stadium, Athens

Records, rankings: Jackson County is 3-1 overall, 0-0 in Region 8-5A and unranked; Clarke Central is 1-3, 0-0 and unranked.

Last meeting: Clarke Central won 27-11 in 2024.

Things to know: In its 46th season of varsity football, Jackson County has never won a region title but finds itself as the Maxwell Ratings’ Region 8-5A team to beat entering this game against the defending champion. It’s partly about comparative scores. Jackson County lost 10-3 to Jefferson, which beat Clarke 42-10. By any gauge, Jackson County is on the rise. It doubled its victory total last season, finishing 8-3, under Korey Mobbs, who won two region titles and produced four 10-game winners at Lanier from 2014 to 2020. Jackson County ranks No. 2 among Class 5A teams in GHSF Daily’s Improvement Tracker of winning teams. R.J. Knapp has passed for 731 yards. Daylan Maxwell, a sophomore, has rushed for 504 yards, 225 of those last week in a victory over Madison County. Jayson Lee, another sophomore, rushed for 119 in a 30-26 victory over Flowery Branch. Seven of Jackson County’s 11 leading tacklers or juniors or sophomores. Clarke Central went 6-0 in region play last season, no game closer than 14 points, even after a 2-2 non-region start. Defending the title will be tougher as 2024. QB Hezekiah Millender is now at Georgia and Clarke’s current best player, DL Anthony Lonon Jr., a Georgia commitment, is not expected to play this season. Clarke’s leading rusher, Nuhsi Valenti, and leading tackler, Ijaimi Valenti, are transfers from Pennsylvania. The Gladiators have played Class 5A’s sixth-toughest schedule so far, per Maxwell.

North Cobb at North Paulding

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, The Den, Dallas

Records, rankings: North Cobb is 3-2 overall, 1-0 in Region 5-6A and unranked; North Paulding is 4-1, 1-0 and unranked.

Last meeting: North Cobb won 42-18 in 2024.

Things to know: The winner will be the Region 5-6A favorite, though Marietta and Etowah also have no region losses. North Cobb is the defending champion and owns four region titles over the past five seasons. This year’s Warriors have been hard to figure with an upset loss to Class 4A Cass that bounced them from the rankings followed by a 41-7 victory over then-No. 10 Walton of 6A. In the 2024 game between these two, North Cobb scored the game’s final 28 points. Zach Belyeu, then a freshman, rushed for 80 yards. Now rated the consensus No. 8 sophomore prospect at his position, Belyeu has 337 rushing yards and six touchdowns. Quavy Echols has run for 250 yards. Teddy Jarrard, who is committed to Notre Dame, is 66-of-105 passing for 671 yards and three touchdowns with three interceptions. Against a lesser schedule, North Paulding’s Tyler Niehr is 62-of-107 passing for 882 yards and nine touchdowns without an interception. Khalil Harrell has rushed for 503 yards. North Paulding is averaging 468.8 total yards per game. Safety Markell Taylor is a preseason all-state pick committed to Cincinnati. North Paulding’s loss came against Harrison 25-23 last month.

Peachtree Ridge at Norcross

When, where: 7 p.m. Friday, Blue Devil Stadium, Norcross

Records, rankings: Peachtree Ridge is 3-1 overall, 1-0 in Region 7-6A and unranked; Norcross is 3-1, 1-0 and unranked.

Last meeting: Norcross won 27-26 in 2024.

Things to know: Four Region 7-6A teams have 1-0 region records, and they’re playing each other tonight. The others are North Gwinnett and Parkview. In the 2024 Norcross-Peachtree Ridge game, Peachtree Ridge took a 26-20 lead with a touchdown on a fourth-and-1 with 7:11 left, but Norcross QB Dillon Mohammed threw a 14-yard TD pass to Jahsaun Clarke with 52 seconds left for the game-winner. Those Norcross stars have graduated, and longtime coach Keith Maloof has retired, replaced by 24-year assistant Corey Richardson. Norcross’ most impressive player this season might be its kicker/punter. Elijah Frey has kicked four field goals, one of 51 yards, and 10 touchbacks while averaging 44.7 yards per punt. DL Carson Luckie, a top-400 national prospect, is committed to Georgia. Norcross averages just 203 total yards per game. Norcross’ loss is against Walton 24-21. Peachtree Ridge lost its 2024 star quarterback, Darnell Kelly, to Hughes, but the new guy, Rayshaun Parks, has passed for 1,058 yards and 14 touchdowns, five to Christian Campbell and two to Kobe Adeleke, who is committed to Wake Forest. Sedric Addison, committed to Boston College, has rushed for 240 yards. DB Tristen Hill is committed to N.C. State. Peachtree Ridge’s defeat came against Class 5A No. 8 Roswell 45-17 in the opener.

Southwest DeKalb at St. Pius

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, George B. Maloof Stadium, Atlanta

Records, rankings: Southwest DeKalb is 3-1 overall, 2-0 in Region 5-4A and unranked; St. Pius is 4-0, 2-0 and unranked.

Last meeting: St. Pius won 28-27 in 2024.

Things to know: This is one of only four games that the Maxwell Ratings judge to be a tossup. (The others are Griffin at Starr’s Mill, Villa Rica at South Paulding and Upson-Lee at Whitewater.) The winner will be the leading region contender to challenge defending champion Marist, the region’s only top-10 team. St. Pius won the 2024 game in overtime after trailing 21-3 in the first half. Ivan Lipscomb kicked a 24-yard field goal as time expired to force overtime after St. Pius converted two fourth-down conversions on the drive. St. Pius then stopped a two-point conversion in the extra period. St. Pius, in line with tradition, averages 246 rushing yards per game to 60 passing. Dexter Mosely has rushed for 307 yards and passed for 207, completing 40% of his throws. Southwest DeKalb has shut out its past three opponents after losing its opener 12-7 to Carver of Atlanta, the No. 2 team in Class 2A. DL Earnest Rankins is committed to Florida State. On offense, the standouts are QB Braylon Carter (36-of-59 passing, 697 yards, nine touchdowns) and WR Jordan Christie (19 receptions, 392 yards, five touchdowns, committed to Georgia Tech). St. Pius leads the series 7-0, though the teams did not play in the 1980s or 1990s, which represented Southwest DeKalb’s best era and St. Pius’ worst. The schools are 18 miles apart in DeKalb County.

West Laurens at Harlem

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Bulldog Stadium, Harlem

Records, rankings: West Laurens is 4-0 overall, 2-0 in Region 4-3A and unranked; Harlem is 3-0, 1-0 and No. 10.

Last meeting: Harlem won 28-7 in 2024.

Things to know: These teams play in the only GHSA region in which the Maxwell Ratings judge the top five teams to be within seven points of each other. Maxwell ranks Harlem No. 1 and West Laurens No. 2. The others are Westside of Augusta and Aquinas, which play each other Friday night (previewed below), and Baldwin. Harlem’s 2022 and 2024 region titles are the only ones for the Columbia County school in the past 50 years, both achieved under fifth-year coach Mark Boiter. In the 2024 game between these teams, Harlem scored 28 points in the third quarter after a scoreless first half. This Harlem team is more balanced than last year’s edition that got two-thirds of its yards rushing. Second-year starter Mercer Barton is 30-of-37 passing for 533 yards and four touchdowns. Keaton Tiller has rushed for 226 yards. Joseph Clark and Jayden Futrell each have more than 200 receiving yards with two touchdowns. West Laurens has a pair of players committed to Georgia Southern. One is Grady Howell, a tackle. The other is Ty Cumming, who has rushed for 493 yards. Branden Brooks has run for 310. West Laurens is only 10-of-20 passing for the season, but five receptions have gone for touchdowns.

Westside (Augusta) at Aquinas

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aquinas Athletic Complex, Augusta

Records, rankings: Westside is 4-0 overall, 2-0 in Region 4-3A and unranked; Aquinas is 3-0, 1-0 and No. 5 in Class 3A-A Private.

Last meeting: Westside won 21-16 in 2024.

Things to know: These are Augusta’s two best teams. Westside won the 2024 game on Jaylen Stone’s 73-yard touchdown pass to Jahvon Williams in the final three minutes. The season before, Aquinas won by stopping a two-point conversion in the final minute. Westside is 4-0, same as last season, but under a new coach, Cedric Mason, a former Lakeside of Evans assistant who replaced Lee Hutto, now Evans’ head coach. Stone is back as Westside’s quarterback. Westside’s top offensive weapon this season is Tamari Curry, a transfer from Washington-Wilkes. He rushed for 186 yards against Laney and 179 against Hephzibah. Westside is in contention for its first region title since 2000. Aquinas rebounded from the Westside loss and a 3-4 start in 2024 to reach the Class 3A-A Private quarterfinals. This year’s team excels at the forward pass. Sophomore Turner Stevenson is averaging 304.7 passing yards per game. Jack Rhodes has nine TD receptions in three games among his 25 catches for 488 yards. Rhodes is committed to Virginia.