A handful of local teams are getting the chance to rest up and heal for Week 6, but there are still plenty of games worth taking in across Northeast Georgia.
Habersham Central, fresh off a non-region win over Chestatee, gets a well-deserved bye before taking their 4-1 record against Gainesville at home next week. Perhaps the night’s biggest local game is #10 Dawson County at North Hall. #5 Rabun County takes on Banks County in Tiger, while a top-10 matchup in #6 Commerce and #3 Prince Avenue Christian also highlights the schedule. Habersham, #10 Stephens County, Lumpkin, White and West Hall all have Week 6 byes on the slate.
BLITZ Game of the Week
#10 Dawson County Tigers (2-1; 0-0 7-AAA) @ North Hall Trojans (4-1; 1-0 7-AAA)
WHEN: 7:30 pm
WHERE: Gainesville, GA (North Hall High School – The Brickyard)
HIGHLIGHTS: Check for highlights on BLITZ website (Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter) for score updates and game highlights, also on High 5 Sports at 11 p.m. on Fox 5.
PREVIOUS HIGHLIGHTS:
Week 0: Habersham/East Hall | Week 1: Lumpkin/White
Week 2: Rabun/Stephens | Week 2: White/Habersham
Week 3: Rabun/White | Week 3: Habersham/Franklin
Week 4: Stephens/Habersham | Week 5: Jefferson/Gainesville
When North Hall hosts Dawson County at the Brickyard in Gainesville, there’s more at stake than meets the eye. The region foes have only met twice in history, with the Trojans outscoring the Tigers 98-20 in a pair of wins in 2012-13. This time it’s different, as Dawson, the reigning region 7-AAA champions, is looking for the inside track at playing #1-ranked GAC for the region title this season.
The Trojans were recently ranked at #10 but fell with a hard, devastating loss to White County, who was winless at the time. The Trojans quickly rebounded with a Week 5 win over Fannin to start region play. However, in looking at common opponents, Dawson trounced White County 46-0 in Dawsonville. Gauging those results, you may assume that the Tigers will easily handle North Hall. But this is why we play the games – you just never know!
The Tigers have a dual threat in junior QB Coey Watson, who has torched defenses with 524 passing yards and three touchdowns in just three games, adding 233 on the ground with seven scores. Seniors Taylor Cronan (133 yds) and Payton Myers (112 yds, 2 TD) help pace the running game. Senior Austin Young is Watson’s go-to target, catching 17 passes for 272 yards and two TDs. Fellow senior Kolton Brumbelow also has 141 yards receiving. The defense is anchored by senior Luke Martin, who has an astounding 58 total tackles and 10 tackles for loss through the first three contests, including one interception out of a team four.
No surprise to anyone that is familiar with North Hall – don’t expect anything with the passing game. Halfway through the season, the Trojans have just 155 passing yards from senior Jackson Madonna. Their staple is traditionally the running game, which has 1,441 total yards in 2016, led by the senior star Kyle Bacus (829 yds, 10 TD). Three juniors in Cutter Sanford (165 yds, TD), Peyton Mavity (142 yds) and Jack Brown (139 yds) are all viable options also, as well as senior Maddox Turner (136 yds, 4 TD). Turner is also the “top target” in the passing game with 102 receiving yards on five catches. Sophomore David Seavey has been a force on defense with two interceptions and a fumble recovery, tallying 17 tackles and two for loss.
It’s set to be a matter of stopping Bacus for the Tigers, while the Trojans will have to prevent Watson from making plays on the ground and through the air. Dawson will likely load the box to stop the run game, while North Hall, in respect to the passing and running attack of Dawson, will have to be more balanced defensively.
Highlights of the North Hall/Dawson game will be provided by BLITZ, and shared with HIGH 5 SPORTS at 11 p.m. on Fox 5.
Friday Night Full Slate (Week 5)
#10 Dawson County (2-1) @ North Hall (4-1)
Union County (4-1) vs East Hall (2-3)
#5 Rabun County (3-0) vs Banks County (2-3)
#6 Commerce (3-1) @ #3 Prince Ave Christian (5-0)
Towns County (2-3) vs Hebron Christian (3-1)
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#1 Buford (3-1) @ Clarke Central (3-2)
#5 Jefferson (4-1) @ Madison County (5-0)
Gainesville (2-2) vs #8 Marist (2-2)
Flowery Branch (2-3) vs Cedar Shoals (3-2)
Johnson (0-5) vs Walnut Grove (1-4)
BYE WEEK
Habersham Central (4-1)
#10 Stephens County (4-1)
Lumpkin County (2-2)
White County (1-4)
West Hall (4-2)
