The trend

of Fayette's AAA teams performing better than the AAAA

teams continued last week, even though Starr's Mill lost

its first game of the season.

Sandy Creek

got back into the winning trend by defeating Jones

County, while Fayette County and McIntosh had their hands

full with East Coweta and Upson Lee respectively.

Starr's

Mill easily played the most exciting game of Friday night

when the Panthers took on the 6-0 Mt. Zion Bulldogs.

Starr's Mill scored first with a 78-yard touchdown run by

quarterback Brad McClaren, but it was clear that the

evening would be full of battles on both sides of the

ball. There was not another score until the closing

minutes of the first half when Reuben Houston ran for

three yards and a touchdown. The Panthers led 14-0 at the

half and looked to be in good shape.

The second

half was almost the exact opposite of the first half.

While both teams battled tough, Mt. Zion was the team to

put up 14 points, tying the game and forcing overtime.

Craig Maddock made the three-yard touchdown run to put

the Panthers ahead but Mt. Zion capitalized on their

drive as well, doing the Panthers one better and

converting a two-point conversion for the win.

There is

nothing for the Panthers to hang their heads about; they

played great. The Panthers must get up for Friday night's

game against Jones County. Jones County lost to Sandy

Creek last week but has proven a tough opponent in 4-AAA.

Sandy Creek

played some great defense in its 14-9 victory Friday,

despite giving up a ton of yards on the very first drive.

The defense has been able to maintain its high level of

intensity for much of the season. Friday, the Patriots

held Jones County to 155 total yards.

The offense

was led by backup quarterback Riley Swanson who helped

generate a 99-yard drive, capped off by a four-yard

touchdown run by Mark Lawson. The Patriots led 7-0 at the

half and 14-0 early on in the second half. They amassed

248 yards in the game. Jones County scored a touchdown in

the third quarter and then got a safety when Sandy Creek

took a knee when punting from the endzone.

Mt. Zion

now leads the area with a record of 7-0. Sandy Creek and

Starr's Mill are tied for second place with matching

records of 5-1. The Panthers game this Friday with Jones

County will be huge. A win will keep Jones County pretty

much out of the playoff hunt, but a loss will tie Starr's

Mill and Jones County and give Sandy Creek sole

possession of second.

The AAAA

quagmire continued with McIntosh losing 37-10 to

Upson-Lee and Fayette County losing to East Coweta 30-7.

The Chiefs gave up a touchdown on the first play of the

game and then battled themselves by turning the ball over

and going three and out several times.

McIntosh

kicked a field goal to cut the lead to 14-3 in the first

half, but they could not hang on. McIntosh did capitalize

on an Upson-Lee fumble toward the end of the game, when

Jim O'Shea did a quarterback draw and ran 10 yards for

the touchdown.

Fayette

County's Chiefs knew they would meet a tough opponent in

East Coweta, but the knowledge did not slow the Indians

down. East Coweta rushed for 193 yards in the first half

and led 16-7. Fayette County scored when quarterback

Nathaniel Enloe connected with T.J. Brandenburg for a

58-yard touchdown pass.

The offense

would remain silent for the rest of the night, however.

East Coweta gained a total of 445 yards and held the

Tigers to 189 yards. The game represented the momentum

shift in the area from the third week of the season on.

This Friday

will see Starr's Mill travel to take on Jones County,

while Sandy Creek goes on the road to meet Woodward

Academy. Fayette County will host Upson-Lee for

homecoming, and McIntosh will host the Griffin Bears. All

games are scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m.

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