Posted on by

Three Athens area high school football games to watch in Week 10

Three Athens area high school football games to watch in Week 10

Last week was a light week as only eight teams from the Athens region played.

We’re rounding the final corner of the high school football schedule with just four more Fridays left on the schedule. Due to the losses caused by Hurricane Helene in the Peach State, the GHSA extended the regular season to end on November 8th and 9th and the playoffs to begin on November 15th and 16th.

So far, Apalachee (0-5) will be the only Athens-area team to play in overtime week, which will be its home game due to the Sept. 4 shooting that left defensive coordinator Richard Aspinwall and three people dead. was missed others.

Of the 10 GHSA teams in the top four of their regions, seven are undefeated in regional play, two are undefeated overall, four are winless in regional play and three are on the sidelines with one loss under their belt but still in the race the playoffs.

As for the GIAA, undefeated Bethlehem Christian sits in first place in the GIAA 11-team AAAA, while Athens Christian sits in fifth place in their shared region. Westminster Christian is third but GIAA 8-man, while Monsignor Donovan is second from bottom in seventh.

Still, there are several teams to keep an eye on in the Athens region in Week 10. Who has a chance of securing a spot in the playoffs and who can pack up their shoulder pads early? Here’s what you should pay attention to.

Week 10 preview of Athens area high school football

Oconee County (4-3, 2-0) vs. Cherokee Bluff (7-0, 2-0)

Kick-off: Thursday, October 17th at 7:30 p.m

The Warriors have a tough matchup with undefeated Cherokee Bluff, a game that was scheduled to take place in September but was postponed due to Hurricane Helene.

The Bears average a 60.1% completion rate at quarterback and have recorded 92 completions for 1,566 yards and 16 touchdowns on 153 attempts. They also scored 166 carries for 944 yards and 17 touchdowns. The Warriors have Titus Watkins at QB with 93 completions on 140 attempts for 1,523 yards and nine touchdowns. Mason Hall and Caiden Wood lead the offense, which has 225 carries for 1,377 yards and 12 touchdowns.

The Bears defense has 9.5 sacks and 349 tackles this season, while the Warriors have 7 sacks and 264 tackles. Both have played seven games.

Jackson County (5-2, 2-1) vs. Winder-Barrow (5-2, 3-0)

Kick-off: Friday, October 18th at 7:30 p.m

The battle for second place in the region will begin when the Panthers host the Bulldoggs. Winder-Barrow is currently undefeated in regional play and is tied for first place with Clarke Central, with Jackson County right behind.

The Bulldogs’ offense outscored the Panthers’ with 269 carries for 1,760 yards and 22 touchdowns. MJ Dowdy is one of the biggest contributors in this area with 158 carries for 1,170 yards and 16 touchdowns in the rushing game alone. Their quarterback is also more efficient through the air than Jackson County’s, with a 66.7% completion rate for 1,388 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Winder-Barrow has managed to sack opposing QBs 21 times and has 462 tackles this season, while Jackson County has 463 tackles but just 12 sacks. Both teams can get where they need to be and get dirty when they need to. So it will be a tough duel. The Panthers are off to their best start in 32 years.

Athens Academy (8-0, 4-0) vs. Elbert County (4-4, 3-1)

Kick-off: Friday, October 18th at 7:30 p.m

The Spartans have established themselves well at the top of the region with an undefeated record. It’s likely they will survive Elbert County, even if the Blue Devils moved up in the rankings after last week.

Athens Academy features a wide receiver who averages nearly 130 receiving yards per game and a running back who averages nearly 100 rushing yards per game, leading the offense with 286 carries for 2,220 yards and 26 touchdowns and 63 receptions for 1,542 yards and 20 touchdowns takes it to a new level. 18 touchdowns alone were scored by this WR, sophomore Keyon Standifer.

Meanwhile, Elbert County also has a running back who is averaging just over 100 rushing yards per game, with 123 carries for 851 yards and 11 touchdowns in eight games. Their running game is what carries their team, with 28 rushing touchdowns as opposed to 10 receiving touchdowns, and their defense has been really good at hitting the QB for a sack – they have 10 on the season as opposed to ACAD’s 2.