High School Football

Top 10 high school football games this week

Buford at Archer

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Archer Community Stadium, Lawrenceville

Records, rankings: Buford is 3-1 and No. 2 in Class AAAAA; Archer is 3-1 and No. 8 in AAAAAAA.

Last meeting: This is the teams' first meeting.

Things to know: This game marks the first time that Buford, a city school in Gwinnett County, has enticed a prominent Gwinnett program to get on its schedule since 2005, when the Wolves completed a home-and-home series with Central Gwinnett. Buford is a power-running team led by Division I recruits Derrian Brown (89 carries, 688 yard, 10 touchdowns) and Elijah Turner (32-316-3). AJC Super 11 OL Harry Miller is one of several beefy D-I recruits on the offensive line. Buford is outrushing its opponents 296 to 57 yards per game. Archer is more of a passing team. Junior QB Carter Peevy (58-of-85 for 792 yards, 14 touchdowns) has come into his own in his third season as a starter. Speedy WR Braylen Weems has 24 catches for 352 yard and seven touchdowns. Archer has bounced back from an opening loss to Milton to clobber former top-10 teams Norcross 42-0 and Mill Creek 37-0, allowing just 109.0 yards total offense per game in those wins. Archer has won five of its last six games against ranked opponents.

Colquitt County at Grayson 

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Grayson Community Stadium, Grayson

Records, rankings: Colquitt County is 5-0 and No. 1 in Class AAAAAAA; Grayson is 3-1 in No. 3 in AAAAAAA.

Last meeting: Grayson won 49-21 in the 2016 Class AAAAAAA quarterfinals.

Things to know: These programs have played four times since 2010, each winning twice. Colquitt won in the 2010 semifinals and 2013 Corky Kell Classic. Grayson won in the 2011 semifinals and 2016 quarterfinals. This will be the fifth consecutive ranked opponent that Colquitt has faced, and the most formidable, as Grayson has 10 major-college senior prospects. The Packers have beaten their first five opponents by an average of 44-10. They have averaged 202.4 yards rushing and 170.6 passing. Daijun Edwards has rushed for 601 yards and 11 touchdowns. Colquitt had eight sacks against Warner Robins last week. Grayson, which has lost only to nationally ranked Bergen Catholic of New Jersey, runs a balanced offense despite the early-season loss of blue-chip RB prospect Ronald Thompkins Jr. Jonathan Halyard has stepped up to rush for 489 yards. J'Kori Jones has passed for 688 yards, rushed for 101 and committed only one turnover. WR Kenyon Jackson (Texas A&M commit) has a TD reception in every game, including two last week covering 60 and 31 yards against Westlake. Five-star LB Owen Pappoe (Auburn commit) has a team-leading 26 solo tackles and five tackles for losses.

Fellowship Christian at Mount Paran Christian 

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Catherine Steele Sewell Stadium, Kennesaw

Records, rankings: Fellowship Christian is 4-0 overall, 2-0 in Region 6-A Div. B and No. 10 in Class A private; Mount Paran is 2-1, 1-0 and No. 8.

Last meeting: Mount Paran Christian won 26-7 in 2017.

Things to know: Fellowship Christian (2016) and Mount Paran Christian (2017) won this subregion the past two seasons, and the winner of this game will be the heavy favorite this year. Both teams lean on the running game but are capable passing, as well. A big key for Fellowship has been the emergence of RB Murphy Reeves, who has 540 yards and six touchdowns on 51 carries after running just 19 times for 89 yards last year as a freshman. Cameron Gill (25-246-5) and Lawson Haigler (35-235-1) both average more than 50 yards per game. QB Brooks Bryant is 30-of-45 passing for 555 yards and seven touchdowns, and his top target has been sophomore Jordan Brewer, who has 18 catches for 285 yards and four TDs. Mount Paran spreads its carries around among leading rusher Jack Allen, QB Niko Vangarelli, John Robert Sess and Sam Griffith-Tesch. In a 42-7 victory over King's Ridge last week, Vangarelli passed for 134 yards and four touchdowns, three of which went to Sess (27, 15 and 30 yards), and ran for 78 yards and a TD. Allen rushed for 77 yards and scored on a 39-yard run. The Eagles finished with 177 yards rushing and 134 passing.

Lowndes at Valdosta 

When, where: 8 p.m. Friday, Cleveland Field at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium, Valdosta

Records, rankings: Lowndes is 4-1 and unranked in Class AAAAAAA; Valdosta is 2-2 and No. 6 in AAAAAA.

Last meeting: Lowndes won 45-0 in 2017.

Things to know: Valdosta leads the Winnersville Classic 37-19, but the series has swung in Lowndes' favor in recent years, with the Vikings winning 10 of the past 14 meetings. Last year's game was the most lopsided Lowndes victory in the series. Lowndes is a run-first team that averages 269.6 yards per game rushing and 140.0 passing. Travis Tisdale (64 carries, 683 yards, 10 touchdowns) is the leading rusher in Region 1-AAAAAAA, and Jacurri Brown (34-295-3) is fourth. QB Andrew Koeneman is 45-of-71 passing for 602 yards and six TDs, and the top receiver is Ty Simms (16-254-3). Lowndes' 243 points scored this season are second in the state, trailing only Class AAAA Mary Persons (245). Valdosta gets two-thirds of its offense from the passing game (240.5 yards passing, 120.8 rushing). Tate Rodemaker is the leading passer in 1-AAAAAA, completing 82 of 119 attempts for 989 yards and eight TDs. WR Aalah Brown leads the region in receiving yardage (287) and has three TDs on 23 catches. Rajaez Mosley has run for 423 yards on 60 carries. Valdosta is 0-2 this season against Tift County (0-2) and Colquitt County (48-13), which are in the same region as Lowndes.

Manchester at Marion County 

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Eagle Stadium, Buena Vista

Records, rankings: Manchester is 2-1 overall, 0-0 in Region 4-A Div. A and No. 7 in Class A public; Marion County is 4-0, 1-0 and No. 6.

Last meeting: Manchester won 30-0 in 2017.

Things to know: Manchester has won its subregion of 4-A and Marion County has finished second both years since Manchester moved down from AA in 2016. Marion County had won the 4-A championship five of the previous six years and was a state champion in 2013. Manchester has won all four previous meetings in the series by an average score of 30-6. Manchester had won 24 of 25 regular-season games until a 19-6 loss to Northeast two weeks ago. The Blue Devils had 403 rushing yards in a season-opening victory over Taylor County and 400 total yards in a 41-0 win over Our Lady of Mercy. Anthony Ferguson had 322 yards rushing on just 22 carries in those two games, and Deenizio Gamble ran for 104 on 20 carries in the opener. Marion County averages 306.5 yards rushing and has two players on pace to go well over 1,000 yards. Travon Mathews has run for 564 yards (including a season-high 208 in a 41-39 victory over Bleckley County last week) and 11 TDs on 64 carries, and QB Trice McCannon has 528 yards and two TDs on 48 carries. They account for 84 percent of the carries and 89 percent of the yards. McCannon is 28-of-42 passing for 624 yards and seven TDs.

Marietta at St. John’s (D.C.) 

When, where: 2 p.m. Saturday, Smith Field at Fernandez Stadium, Chevy Chase, D.C.

Records, rankings: Marietta is 1-3 and No. 9 in Class AAAAAAA; St. John's is 3-0 and No. 4 nationally (MaxPreps).

Last meeting: This is the teams’ first meeting.

Things to know: Marietta has played as many nationally ranked teams as any program in the country this year, and St. John's College might be the toughest foe yet. The Cadets have seven senior recruits rated three stars or better. They defeated Central of Miami 37-34 in five overtimes in their last game Sept. 8. Rakim Jarrett, a top-50 national recruit among juniors, caught a 25-yard TD pass from Sol-Jay Maiava, who has offers from Brigham Young and Michigan. Marietta's own QB/WR duo of Harrison Bailey and Ramel Keyton will go down as one of the most prolific in Georgia history. Bailey has thrown for 6,004 yards (99 yards short of Anthony Jennings' school record) and 57 touchdowns (two short of Jennings' record) in his 25-game career. Keyton (Tennessee commit) has 3,201 yards receiving and 33 touchdowns. Bailey has another outstanding target, five-star junior TE prospect Arik Gilbert, who has 37 catches (9.3 per game) for 460 yards. Marietta averages 351.5 yards passing against a gantlet that includes nationally ranked Grayson, Rome and Good Counsel of Maryland.

Milton at Parkview 

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Big Orange Jungle, Lilburn

Records, rankings: Milton is 3-1 and No. 6 in Class AAAAAAA; Parkview is 3-0 and No. 4 in AAAAAAA.

Last meeting: Parkview won 48-7 in 1995.

Things to know: Both programs are having breakout seasons and emerging as the teams to beat in their regions. Milton last won a region title in 2014, Parkview in 2004. Milton is ranked for the first time since 2014 with a 3-1 start that includes a victory over No. 8 Archer and a loss to No. 5 Roswell, both in tight games. Milton QB Jordan Yates, a Georgia Tech pledge, has thrown for 607 yards and rushed for 182 and leads a balanced offense. One of Milton's best all-around players is MLB/RB Jordan Davis, who has a team-leading 41 tackles and 168 rushing yards on 22 carries. DB Joe Charleston (24 tackles) is committed to Clemson. Milton has been much tougher against the run (96.0 yards per game) than the pass (175.8). And Parkview, sitting at its highest state ranking since 2005, is a good passing team behind efficient junior QB Jordan Williams (42-of-60 for 589 yards, five touchdowns, zero interceptions). WR Malik Washington, a preseason all-state pick, has 20 receptions for 227 yards in three games. Junior MLB Kobe Wilson has been the monster of Parkview's front seven. He has a team-leading 23 solo tackles, five for losses, three sacks and three forced fumbles.

Mount Zion (Carroll) at Darlington 

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Chris Hunter Stadium, Rome

Records, rankings: Mount Zion is 3-1 overall, 0-1 in Region 6-A Div. A and No. 9 in Class A public; Darlington is 4-0, 1-0 and No. 4 in Class A private.

Last meeting: Mount Zion won 31-30 in 2017.

Things to know: This well-kept secret of a game has become quite the rivalry. This will be the third straight time they've met when both were ranked. In the 2016 game, Mount Zion won 25-17 in three overtimes. It was 3-3 after regulation. That was Mount Zion's first victory over a ranked team in 20 years. Then in 2017, Mount Zion won again in overtime, this time just one, after overcoming 17-0 halftime deficit by scoring on the first three drives of the second half. This season, Mount Zion is facing a must-win situation in order to defending its subregion title as the Eagles lost last week to surprising Christian Heritage. Mount Zion, rebuilding a little bit with the graduation four-year starter and multi-position athlete C.J. Ackles, remains a heavy-run team. Breon Henderson, who had 159 yards rushing and 52 receiving in last year's Darlington game, is back. Darlington suffered a huge loss in the second game when preseason all-state QB Griffin Brewster was lost to an ACL injury. Frank Manning was 10-of-18 passing for 105 yards in a 24-7 victory over Gordon Lee last week. Kolin Rogers rushed for 136 yards. "We are much more balanced by necessity right now," coach Tommy Atha told GHSF Daily. "Much more methodical."

Roswell at Wheeler 

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Corky Kell Stadium, Marietta

Records, rankings: Roswell is 4-0 and No. 5 in Class AAAAAAA; Wheeler is 4-0 and unranked in AAAAAAA.

Last meeting: Roswell won 45-7 in 2015.

Things to know: These are two of the most-improved teams in Class AAAAAAA - Wheeler was 3-7 in 2017, Roswell was 3-8 - and this is the only matchup this week between two undefeated teams in the highest classification. Roswell averages 202 yards passing and 162.5 rushing. QB Ethan Roberts is 49-of-82 passing for 805 yards and eight touchdowns and is the second-leading rusher with 122 yards. Kamonty Jett has rushed for 393 yards and four TDs on 81 carries, and he scored the game-winning touchdown on an 8-yard reception with five seconds remaining in a 22-20 upset of then-No. 3 Milton last week. Juniors Jacob Jarrett (15-301) and John Copenhaver (15-290) are the leading receivers. Wheeler, which started the year 3-0 last season but lost its final seven games, outgained Lassiter 452-88 last week in a 35-10 victory that moved the Wildcats to 4-0 for the first time since 1993. Wheeler has a rusher, passer and receiver among the top five in unofficial Cobb County stats. Quarius Smith has rushed for 543 yards and has three consecutive 100-yard games. QB C.J. Ogbonna averages 202.3 yards passing, and WR Ricky White averages 106 yards receiving.

Warner Robins at Northside (Warner Robins) 

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, McConnell-Talbert Stadium, Warner Robins

Records, rankings: Warner Robins is 3-1 and No. 6 in Class AAAAA; Northside is 3-2 and No. 8 in AAAAAA.

Last meeting: Warner Robins won 28-17 in 2017.

Things to know: Warner Robins ended a three-game losing streak in the rivalry with its victory last year, but Northside has won 15 of the past 20 and closed Warner Robins' lead in the series to 35-25. Warner Robins had a 13-game winning streak in regular-season games broken when it lost to Class AAAAAAA No. 1 Colquitt County 41-14 last week. The Demons are averaging 515.3 yards of total offense (313.3 passing, 202.0 rushing) despite being held to 346 by the Packers. QB Dylan Fromm is 79-of-136 passing for 1,233 yards and 10 touchdowns. His top target is junior Marcayll Jones (25 catches, 518 yards). Jahlen Rutherford (63 carries, 409 yards) and Deondre Duehart (33-206) are the leading rushers. Northside QB Jadin Daniels leads an offense that averages 220.8 yards rushing and 147.7 passing. Daniels is the leading rusher in Region 1-AAAAAA with 522 yards on 68 carries. He is 60-of-88 passing for 619 yards and has had a hand in 13 touchdowns. Daniel Neal has 256 receiving yards and four TDs on 15 catches. The Eagles suffered rare back-to-back losses earlier this season - to Peach County and Jones County - but have had two blowout victories since.

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