A great cornerback might not have great statistics because opposing teams don't throw in his direction. And a standout slot receiver might not have standout numbers in a run-oriented offense.
But Jalen Perry, a four-star recruit from Dacula, has found ways to be conspicuous despite the challenges. Perry stepped up last week for 240 all-purpose yards in a 28-0 victory over Gainesville. He also forced a fumble and made four tackles.
Perry is the state's top-rated cornerback among juniors. He has nine pass breakups and two interceptions.
On offense, Perry has rushed for 356 yards and four touchdowns on just 22 carries (16.2 ypc). He has 12 receptions for 166 yards and a touchdown. On special teams, Perry is averaging 26.8 yards on kickoff returns and 12.8 yards on punt returns. He also has three special-teams tackles.
''Aside from being of the single greatest natural athletes that I've been blessed to be around, it's his long list of intangibles that make him so special,'' Dacula coach Tommy Jones said. "He possesses a fierce competitive drive, strong work ethic, genuine humility and team-first mentality.''
Dacula is only 3-4, but all of its losses are to teams from the highest classification. Dacula is 2-0 in Region 8-AAAAAA and the defending champion.
Perry's effort was among the top performances in Georgia last week.
Top five
*Dacula ATH Jalen Perry had 240 all-purpose yards on 10 touches, made four tackles, broke up a pass and forced a fumble in a 28-0 victory over Gainesville. Perry rushed for 177 yards and two touchdowns on seven carries, caught two passes for 58 yards and returned a punt 6 yards.
*Evans QB Damekus Taylor passed for 202 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 151 yards and three touchdowns in a 42-32 victory over Grovetown. He rushed 18 times and completed eight of 11 passes. Taylor threw a 29-yard TD pass to TE Connor Warren on a fourth-and-4 with 1:38 left to seal the win.
*Lithonia RB Rayshard Baldwin rushed for a DeKalb County-record 375 yards on 16 carries and had one touchdown in a 51-0 victory over Chamblee.
*Union County QB Cole Wright was 30-of-44 passing for 436 yards and two touchdowns in 55-34 loss to North Hall. Wright also rushed for 100 yards. Austin Pattee had 13 receptions for 168 yards.
*Woodward Academy RB Tahj Gary rushed for 195 yards and two touchdowns, the last one a 21-yarder with 1:32 left to give Woodward the lead for good, in a 28-21 victory over Eastside. Gary also had two catches for 92 yards.
Best of the rest
*Aquinas RB Joseph Douglas rushed for 165 yards, scored five touchdowns and made 11 solo tackles in a 42-0 victory over Greene County. Douglas scored four touchdowns rushing and caught a 4-yard TD pass.
*Banks County RB Clayton Dykehouse rushed for 177 yards on eight carries and scored two touchdowns, one on a 90-yard kickoff return, in a 38-14 victory over Oglethorpe County.
*Brookwood RB Dante Black rushed for 217 yards and four touchdowns on 32 carries in a 52-28 victory over Central Gwinnett.
*Centennial QB Max Brosmer was 19-of-23 for 395 yards and five touchdowns in a 45-0 victory over North Atlanta. WR Blane Mason had four catches for 151 yards and three touchdowns.
*Central Gwinnett QB Jarren Williams was 26-of-38 passing for 316 yards and three touchdowns in a 52-28 loss to Brookwood. Williams rushed for 64 yards and a touchdown.
*Chattooga freshman TB E.J. Lackey rushed for 178 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries in a 42-13 win over Model.
*Clarkston QB Xavier Wright threw six TD passes in a 66-0 victory over Cross Keys. He completed eight of 15 passes for 207 yards.
*Colquitt County RB Ty Leggett rushed for 251 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries in a 27-6 victory over Camden County.
*Cook RB Darius Cleveland rushed for 239 yards and four touchdowns in a 33-32 victory over Dougherty.
*Creekview RB Cade Radam had 29 rushes for 187 yards and a touchdown in a 24-7 victory over River Ridge.
*Dodge County freshman DB Mykeal Carr had eight tackles and two pass deflections and returned an interception 70 yards to the 5-yard line to set up a touchdown in a 42-7 victory over Washington County.
*Douglas County junior DE Matio Soli and freshman DE Johnathan Jefferson had four sacks apiece in a 19-16 victory over Tri-Cities. They have 25 sacks between them on the season.
*Duluth WR Will Huzzie had 15 receptions for 168 yards in a 52-0 loss to North Gwinnett.
*East Coweta QB Christian Reid was 16-of-23 passing for 305 yards and three touchdowns in a 49-14 victory over Wheeler. Reid rushed for 68 yards a touchdown. Reid has committed to Charleston Southern.
*East Paulding RB Tyrell Robinson rushed for 193 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries in a 41-21 victory over Woodland of Cartersville.
*First Presbyterian WR Titus Moore had eight catches for 157 yards and a touchdown in a 28-7 loss to Stratford Academy.
*Georgia Military RB Javez Mason rushed for 238 yards on just four carries and scored on runs of 88, 71 and 59 yards in a 42-14 victory over Glascock County.
*Glynn Academy RB Craine Crews rushed for 100 yards and three touchdowns on 18 carries in a 26-13 victory over crosstown rival Brunswick.
*Greater Atlanta Christian RB Montae Bailey rushed five times for 170 yards and two touchdowns in a 61-14 win over Lumpkin County.
*Harrison LB Ricky Williams Jr. had 13 tackles and four sacks in a 42-13 victory over Sprayberry. He is Cobb County's leader in tackles.
*Heard County RB Aaron Beasley rushed for 192 yards and three touchdowns on 26 carries in a 35-28 victory over Callaway. Beasley's 4-yard run with about three minutes left broke a 28-28 tie.
*Hiram RB Marcel Murray rushed for 170 yards and four touchdowns on 15 carries in a 41-14 victory over Carrollton. It was Hiram's first victory over a ranked opponent since 2009 (Dalton), ending a 12-game losing streak against the Top 10.
*Irwin County WR Jamorri Colson had two catches for 118 yards and two touchdowns and returned the second-half kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown in a 46-7 victory over Lanier County.
*Jefferson County QB Jaden Jenkins completed 10 of 12 passes for 197 yards and rushed for 130 yards on 10 carries in a 62-30 victory over Butler.
*Kell DE Justin Talley had three sacks and three other tackles for losses in a 38-18 victory over Villa Rica.
*Lee County DL Anthony Harvey had 11 tackles and two sacks in a 16-13 overtime victory over Northside of Warner Robins.
*Liberty County RB Kris Coleman had 259 yards from scrimmage - 185 rushing, 74 receiving - and two touchdowns in a 35-14 victory over Appling County.
*Lovett QB Blaine McAllister was 11-of-11 passing for 182 yards and three touchdowns in a 44-13 victory over Redan. McAllister rushed for 42 yards and two touchdowns on six carries.
*Lowndes RB Travis Tisdale rushed for 149 yards and three touchdowns on 15 carries and had 50 receiving yards on two catches in a 51-38 victory over Tift County.
*M.L. King RB Marcellious Lockett rushed for 135 yards and a touchdown in a 27-17 victory over Jonesboro.
*Marion County WR Josh Rogers had six receptions for 126 yards and three touchdowns and scored a fourth touchdown on an 80-yard kickoff return in a 49-12 victory over Central of Talbotton.
*Mill Creek QB Brady Longenecker was 9-of-12 passing for 177 yards and two touchdowns in a 45-14 victory over Peachtree Ridge. Longenecker, who played only the first half, also rushed for 64 yards and two touchdowns.
*Monroe Area QB Chandler Byron rushed for 195 yards and a touchdown on 35 carries and was 9-of-18 passing for 172 yards and two touchdowns in a 22-21 loss to Morgan County.
*Montgomery County RB Clayton Harvey rushed for 276 yards and three touchdowns on 17 carries in a 30-21 victory over Johnson County.
*Mount de Sales RB Adrian Hardwick rushed for 163 yards and three touchdowns on 15 carries in a 44-22 victory over Wilkinson County.
*Murray County QB John Reed rushed for 151 yards and three touchdowns and passed for 135 yards and two touchdowns in a 49-19 victory over Coahulla Creek.
*North Gwinnett DL Knox Denning had 11 tackles with three sacks in a 52-0 victory over Duluth.
*North Murray RB D'Ante Tidwell rushed for 200 yards and three touchdowns on 23 carries and scored a game-winning two-point conversion in overtime of a 21-20 victory over Ringgold.
*North Paulding LB Tyler Bird had 15 tackles, four tackles for losses, 2.5 sacks, two pass breakups, one interception and a rushing touchdown in a 24-17 victory over North Cobb.
*Northwest Whitfield RB Dominique Sistrunk rushed for 303 yards and a touchdown on 33 carries in a 38-21 victory over Pickens.
*Ola LB Logan Powell had nine solo tackles, eight assists, three tackles for losses and an interception in a 21-16 victory over Locust Grove.
*Our Lady of Mercy ATH Taj Dodson caught two TD passes, made seven solo tackles and had seven assists in a 35-31 victory over Mount Vernon Presbyterian.
*Pickens LB Trevon Hawkins had 17 tackles in a 38-21 loss to Northwest Whitfield.
*Richmond Hill QB Kasey Green was 19-of-25 passing for 334 yards and four touchdowns in a 56-28 victory over Bradwell Institute.
*Rome QB Knox Kadum was 11-of-11 passing for 196 yards and a touchdown in a 49-0 victory over Cass.
*Savannah Country Day RB Adam Byck rushed for 180 yards on 35 carries in a 20-14 victory over Savannah Christian. It was SCD's first win over its crosstown rival since 2005.
*South Forsyth QB Cal Morris was 13-of-23 passing for 152 yards in a 21-13 victory over Milton. Morris also rushed for 59 yards and a touchdown on nine carries.
*Southeast Bulloch RB Chase Walker rushed for 187 yards and three touchdowns in a 24-22 victory over Savannah. The effort put Walker over 1,000 yards (1,112) on the season and at 5,435 in his career.
*Southwest DeKalb QB Justin Tomlin passed for 248 yards and rushed for 90 yards with a hand in three touchdowns in a 31-0 victory over Miller Grove. Francisco Hunter rushed for 176 yards in the win.
*St. Pius RB/DB/RET Jacob Pajer had 214 all-purpose yards - 93 rushing, 18 receiving, 103 returning - in a 41-13 victory over Oconee County. Pajer also had five tackles, two pass breakups and a sack.
*Stockbridge LB Donovan Manuel had 8.5 tackles, including a sack and another tackle for a loss, in a 14-0 victory over Eagle's Landing. It was Stockbridge's third shutout of the season.
*Strong Rock Christian freshman RB Jaylen Blackwell rushed for 188 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries in a 35-14 victory over Landmark Christian.
*Swainsboro QB Jacolby Gibbons had 328 yards passing with three touchdowns in a 40-28 victory over Bacon County. Jalyn Williams rushed for 169 yards, and Deandra Jackson had four receptions for 165 yards.
*Tattnall Square RB/DB Destin Mack rushed for 151 yards and two touchdowns, including a 34-yard run on the first play from scrimmage, in a 28-7 victory over Twiggs County. Mack also had four tackles.
*Taylor County RB Tre'ci Boyington had 189 yards from scrimmage - 111 rushing, 78 receiving - and scored four touchdowns in a 41-9 victory over Hawkinsville.
*Tift County WR Rashod Bateman had nine catches for 218 yards and three touchdowns in a 51-38 loss to Lowndes.
*Upson-Lee RB Daymon Thomas rushed for 158 yards, taking him to 1,037 on the season, in a 38-21 victory over Perry. QB Cameron Traylor rushed for 108 yards and passed for 173.
*Walton RB D.J. Soyoye rushed for 191 yards on 27 attempts in a 42-21 victory over Roswell.
*Warner Robins RB Jarius Burnette rushed for 183 yards and two touchdowns in 11 carries in a 34-8 victory over Harris County.
Lines of distinction
*Franklin County's offensive line of Jacob Burke, Kody Varner, Perry Johnson, Jarious McGlockling, John Buffington, Brandon Weaver and Jackson Dilworth helped their team accumulate 340 yards rushing in a 38-6 victory over East Jackson. Cale Swift (17-214-2) and Myrian Craft (18-100-2) were the most grateful.
*The Heritage (Conyers) offensive line of Matthew Yaber, Murphy McElligott, Malachi Hunter, Ethan Saunders, Kameron Cornwell and Jalen Kimble helped the Patriots put up 327 passing yards and 283 rushing yards in a 36-28 win over Greenbrier. Two players had more than 100 yards receiving - Jordan Young (5-131-2) and Deveron Harper (5-110-1).
*Liberty County's offensive line of Matthew Carter, Brock Pavo, Frank LeCounte, William Jenkins and Jacob Roop helped the Panthers rush for 300 yards and pass for 100 yards in a 35-14 victory over Appling County.
*North Forsyth's offensive line of Daniel Espinosa, Elijah Byrd, Harrison Allen, Brent Grab, Ryan Foust and Jeremy James paved the way for 630 yards of total offense - 407 passing, 223 rushing - in a 45-28 victory over Lambert. Ben Bales, Class AAAAAAA's passing leader with 2,131 yards, threw for 404 yards and four touchdowns. Bryson Trigg rushed for 232 yards. Receivers Cedrick Touchdown (161), Tristan Howard (105) and Charlie Aiken (97) had more than 95 yards receiving.
*Rockmart's offensive line of Reed Couch, Donte Williams, Jay Hinkle, Timothy Malone, Chaz Leathers, Logan Holiday, Cade Holder, Russell Head and Deacon Allen paved the way for 495 rushing yards and 84 passing yards in a 56-42 victory over Pepperell. Rockmart had three 100-yard rushers - Z.J. Whatley (17-212-4), Markus Smith (14-104-1) and Ant Lester (10-132-1).
*St. Pius' offensive line of tight ends Chris Miller and Charles Stouffer, tackles Richard Brown and Luke Ver Meulen, guards Connor Brown and Winston Andrews and center Charlie Albert helped the Lions pile up 366 rushing yards in a 41-13 victory over Oconee County. St. Pius has rushed for more than 300 yards each of the past three games.
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