Thomas Co. Central at Northside (W.R.)
TCC travels to McConnell-Talbert Stadium to face region rival and the No. 2 Eagles of Northside-Warner Robins in the first region game between the two football powers. This is the first year these teams have competed in the same region, however, they have combined to win region titles in 12 of the last 15 years. The only other meeting between the Eagles and Jackets was a second-round playoff game in 2005 which was won by Northside 14-7.

Swainsboro at Dublin
The Shamrock Bowl in Dublin will be the site of a much-anticipated battle between the two Region 3-AA leaders. Both teams are undefeated and are ranked in Class 2A; the Irish are ranked No. 5 while the Tigers are ranked No. 7. The schools bring almost identical statistics into the game as the Irish average 30 points a game and allow 12 points defensively while the Tigers average 27 points on offense and allow 10 points per game on defense. Swainsboro is led by running backs Quan Gardner and Jemerico Brown and quarterback Lynquez Blair. Dublin is led by running backs Cedric O’Neal, Chris O’Neal and Maurice Martin.

Stephens County at White County
White County plays host to Stephens County, as both teams enter the contest with 5-1 records atop Region 8-AAA. The winner is in the driver’s seat to play the crossover game in week 10 for the region championship. The Warriors are looking for their first region championship while the Indians have 14 to their credit, with the last coming in 2007. White County is led by Kentucky commitment Ashley Lowery at running back while Stephens County is led by sophomore sensation Chaz Thornton the next great running back in a long line of greats that include Tauren Poole, Eldorado Cochran and Keith Montgomery.

South Gwinnett at Dacula
The Comets and Falcons square off in a key Region 8 showdown, where five solid teams are competing for four playoff slots. Grayson leads the region race, but South Gwinnett and Dacula are tied with Brookwood and Parkview with one region loss. This game could be vital in determining who makes the playoffs. South Gwinnett, averaging 41 points per game, is one of the highest-scoring teams in Class 5A and is led by quarterback Kent Rollins and running back Aaron Wimberly. Dacula sports the second-best defense in the region behind Grayson, allowing 16 points per game, but only 11 points per game over the last four contests.

Peachtree Ridge at Norcross
The Lions and Blue Devils face each other in an important region game between two schools that each lost last week for the first time this season. The winner will remain in second place and in good position to make the playoffs while the loser could be on the outside looking in. Both offenses struggled last week as Peachtree Ridge only managed one offensive touchdown in the 14-7 loss to Collins Hill while Norcross was held to 74 total yards in their worst loss since 1999 in losing 38-0 to North Gwinnett. The series is tied at three, but the Lions have won the last three meetings.

M.L. King at Newton
This is a Saturday night Region 2 showdown between two teams that feature high-powered offensive threats. The Lions of M.L. King feature one of the most prolific offensive threats in DeKalb County history in quarterback Jonqual Dawson. Dawson leads the county with 22 touchdowns (third-best single season total in DeKalb County history) and 1,949 yards passing through only six games. Newton, on a two-game losing streak, is led by Score 44 member Akeem Hunt, who had 76 yards rushing and 82 yards receiving ─ including a 75-yard touchdown catch ─ in the 22-16 loss to Stephenson last week.

Gainesville at Monroe Area
Class 3A No. 8 Gainesville tangles with No. 9 Monroe Area in an important subregion tilt. Gainesville, last year’s state runner-up to Peach County is led by Freshman QB Deshaun Watson. Monroe Area is statistically one of the stingiest defenses in the state, allowing just 4.8 points per contest and is led by Notre Dame commitment and Score 44 member Stephon Truitt on the defensive line. Monroe Area is looking for its first playoff berth since 1995. The Red Elephants lead the series 21-0-1.

Fitzgerald at Thomasville
Scoring points has not been a problem this season for Fitzgerald or Thomasville, as both teams are averaging over 32 points per game. One major contrast is on defense where Thomasville is only allowing eight points per contest while Fitzgerald is allowing 21. Each team has an all-state quarterback: Fitzgerald’s Kaleb Noble, a Clemson commitment, has thrown for over 748 yards and seven touchdowns this season while Thomasville’s Jeffrey Dyson has rushed for over 100 yards in five of the seven games to date. The series is tied at six.

Colquitt County at Lowndes
Rush Propst’s Packers are on a four-game win streak after starting the season 0-3. In last week’s 63-28 win over Tift County, quarterback Tyler Brown threw for 335 yards completing 17 of 19 passes with four touchdowns. Brown has now thrown for 4,382 yards in his career, setting the school record which had been held since 1997 by Reggie Stancil. The No. 3 Vikings defeated county-rival Valdosta last week for the seventh straight time. The winner of this game will remain in first place in the region with an unblemished region record. Lowndes leads the all-time series 21-12 and has won the last 10.

Apalachee at Clarke Central
Clarke Central, state runner-up last year to Sandy Creek, is off to a 6-0 record and No. 2 ranking in Class 4A. Apalachee is 5-1 on the season and won the region title in 2009 but lost in the quarterfinals 24-3 to Griffin. Region 8 produced three of the eight quarterfinalists last year. This game should be wide open as each team has outstanding offensive talent. The Gladiators are led by Score 44 members Martay Maddox, a quarterback, and Alan Posey, an offensive lineman. The Wildcats are led offensively by Zay Henry and Alex Camp.

Contributors: Stephen Black