It was a busy opening weekend in Class AAAA with 35 of its 52 teams taking the field. As the rest of the state opened with non-region action, Region 4 staged its first region contest between Eastside and Luella on Saturday. Eastside dominated, putting up 44 first half points and securing a 50-6 victory. Eastside quarterback Noah Cook found Brayden Harper for seven catches, 161 yards and a score and Taylor Carter rushed for a pair of scores off his eight carries for 37 yards. The rest of the 4A teams that opened their seasons this weekend faced teams outside of the classification apart from Troup’s 31-28 victory over Hardaway. Troup, which resides in Region 5 was trailing Region 1’s Hardaway 28-24 with 7:33 left in the game. Troup’s passing game completed the comeback as quarterback Montez Crowe found Jamari Thrash with a 17-yard go-ahead score.
The 31 remaining Class 4A teams represented the classification well by going a combined 19-12 against opponents from outside the classification. Sandy Creek exploded for 439 yards of offense and scored a 38-0 victory over Creekside. Quarterback Matthew Williams finished 9-of-14 passing for 175 yards and added 89 rushing yards. The Patriots will next face Allatoona, a team that top-ranked Cartersville defeated 35-14 on Friday. Creekside transfer Rico Frye gave Cartersville a four-touchdown performance in his debut and helped the Purple Hurricanes extend their winning streak to 31 games.
Blessed Trinity gave another impressive performance as the Titans scored a 28-0 win over Westminster. Junior Steele Chambers took 13 carries for three touchdowns and 72 yards and fellow junior and starting cornerback Jake Smith contributed a team-high six solo tackles from his defensive back position to go with his efficient 7-of-9 passing, 161 yards and a touchdown from the pocket.
Jefferson defeated Class 7A Discover 43-0 with a four-touchdown performance by Colby Wood. Mary Persons was defeated by Lee County 21-17 in the Corky Kell Classic, but the young Bulldogs proved to be tough and talented as they gave the Class 6A Trojans all they could handle.
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