Forsyth Central vs Clarkston
When, where: Friday, 7:30 p.m. at Bulldog Stadium in Cumming.
Records, rankings: Central is 2-1 and unranked in Class 7A; Clarkston is 0-5 and unranked in Class 5A.
Series history: Central leads 1-0.
Last meeting: Central won 64-0 in 2018.
What to know: Last week, Forsyth Central showed that it can still put the hammer on vastly inferior opponents, forcing turnovers and ultimately taking a dominating 49-6 win that would have been a shutout had it not been for a Lakeside-DeKalb score with seven seconds to play. It will be very unlikely to see anything but the same kind of outcome this week, with the Bulldogs facing a Clarkston team that has struggled for some time. The Angoras haven’t won a game since 2017 and haven’t put together a winning season since 1998.
South Forsyth vs Hillgrove
When, where: Friday, 7:30 p.m. at War Eagle Stadium in Cumming.
Records, rankings: South is 3-1 and unranked in Class 7A; Hillgrove is 4-0 and ranked No. 8 in Class 7A.
Series history: Hillgrove leads 2-0.
Last meeting: Hillgrove won 36-14 in 2018.
What to know: The War Eagles’ high-flying offense pushed them in front of South Gwinnett 45-28 in a competitive game two weeks ago, and coming off their bye, they’ll have a quite the challenge to face. Hillgrove is coming off an undefeated regular season and a run to the state quarterfinals in 2018, and boast the No. 1 college recruit in the state at defensive end, Clemson commit Myles Murphy. It’ll be a stiff test for South, but if they can come out on top, it could be a statement win.
North Forsyth vs Woodstock
When, where: Friday, 7:30 p.m. at Raider Valley in Coal Mountain.
Records, rankings: North is 3-1 and unranked in Class 7A; Woodstock is 0-4 and unranked in Class 7A.
Series history: Woodstock leads 5-0.
Last meeting: Woodstock won 38-21 in 2018.
What to know: North’s offense was again on display last week with an easy 35-3 win over Kennesaw Mountain. The running game has been particularly strong, with Jared Lucero now fully entrenched as the Raiders’ top rushing option. Lucero has 371 yards and two touchdowns on the season, with 231 of those yards coming last week. Historically, North has never defeated Woodstock, but with the Wolverines sitting at 0-4 with only one of their losses being close, it seems like the Raiders have a good chance to break the streak.
West Forsyth vs McCallie (Tenn.)
When, where: Friday, 7:30 p.m. at The Den in Cumming.
Records, rankings: West is 1-2 and unranked in Class 7A; McCallie is 6-0 and ranked No. 1 in Tennessee’s Division II-3A.
Series history: McCallie leads 1-0.
Last meeting: McCallie won 31-14 in 2018.
What to know: West finally recorded its first win of 2019 last week against Peachtree Ridge, with quarterback Blake Whitfield seeming to round into form with a 204-yard, two-touchdown performance against the Lions. The Wolverines’ daunting non-region schedule will finally end this week, but with perhaps their most difficult challenge yet. McCallie is a football powerhouse in Tennessee, and have the No. 5 college prospect in the state, defensive end Jay Hardy. On offense, the Blue Tornado are led by running back BJ Harris, who ran for 214 yards and four touchdowns last week.
Lambert at Lanier
When, where: Friday, 7:30 p.m. at Lanier High School in Buford.
Records, rankings: Lambert is 0-4 and unranked in Class 7A; Lanier is 4-0 and ranked No. 8 in Class 6A.
Series history: Lanier leads 5-0.
Last meeting: Lanier won 30-16 in 2018.
What to know: After its Week 4 matchup with Peachtree Ridge ended in the first quarter after a lengthy lightning delay, Lambert went right into its off week, meaning the Longhorns haven’t played a complete football game since Sept. 6. They’ll find out whether or not all of that time off was beneficial against Lanier, a team that’s seen plenty of success in the last few years. Quarterback Peyton Rich will have to watch out for four-star recruit Phillip Webb, who will man the middle of the defense at linebacker.
Denmark vs Chestatee
When, where: Friday, 7:30 p.m. at Denmark High School in Alpharetta.
Records, rankings: Denmark is 3-0 and ranked No. 11 in Class 4A; Chestatee is 1-3 and unranked in Class 4A.
Series history: Denmark leads 1-0.
Last meeting: Denmark won 61-47 in 2018.
What to know: The Danes finally played in a game that was competitive last week, but despite a gritty performance from Dawson County, Denmark’s offense ultimately came through, with receiver Ze’Vian Capers racking up 282 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Aaron McLaughlin was spreading the ball around well, finishing his night with 449 yards and three scores. The Danes face Chestatee for their first Region 7-4A matchup of 2019. This game was high-scoring on both sides last year, and while the War Eagles have lost two matchups by four points or less, this feels like Denmark’s game to lose.
Pinecrest Academy vs Walker
When, where: Friday, 7:30 p.m. Between the Pines in Cumming.
Records, rankings: Pinecrest is 0-3 and unranked in Class 1A Private; Walker is 1-2 and unranked in Class 1A Private.
Series history: Pinecrest leads 4-1.
Last meeting: Pinecrest won 37-30 in 2018.
What to know: The Paladins have had a rough start to the season that was compounded last week, when they had to play two games just three days apart, and with injuries, no less. Pinecrest is hosting a 1-2 Walker team, but it still remains to be seen what kind of team the Wolverines are. They were 1-9 last year, but have already defeated Athens Christian this year, a team they lost to handily in 2018. Their two losses this season are to North Cobb Christian and Fellowship Christian, teams with a combined record of 8-0.
