10 best high school football games this week

Records, rankings: Brookwood is 4-1 overall, 2-1 in Region 8-AAAAA and unranked; South Gwinnett is 4-1, 3-0 and No. 9.

Last meeting: South Gwinnett won 17-14 in 2009.

Three things to know: 1. South Gwinnett’s offense, which is No. 2 in Class AAAAA with an average of 42.8 points per game, is led by quarterback Kent Rollins (958 yards and 11 touchdowns passing, 369 yards and four TDs rushing) and running back Aaron Wimberly (568 yards and six touchdowns rushing, 195 yards and two TDs receiving). 2. Brookwood’s Nick Tompkins has rushed for 763 yards on 62 carries (12.3 yards per carry) this season and had 241 yards on 13 carries in the Broncos’ 59-13 victory against Central Gwinnett last week. It was Brookwood’s highest-scoring game against an opponent other than Meadowcreek since 2005. 3. South Gwinnett beat Brookwood last year and won the first game of the series in 1982. In between, Brookwood won 22 of 24 against the Comets and leads the series 22-4.

Camden Co. at St. Thomas Aquinas, Fla.

When, where: 7 p.m. Friday, Brian Piccolo Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Records, rankings: Camden County is 4-0 and ranked No. 1 in Georgia’s Class AAAAA; St. Thomas Aquinas is 3-0 and ranked No. 1 in Florida’s Class 5A. Both teams hold rankings in six national polls. Camden County is ranked as high as No. 5 in the RivalsHigh 100, while Aquinas is No. 3 in PrepNation.

Last meeting: This is the teams’ first meeting.

Three things to know: 1. St. Thomas Aquinas has five players who are committed to FBS (formerly Division I-A) schools and a sixth, Marcus Roberson, who is rated the No. 2 defensive back in the country by Rivals. Those committed are WR Rashad Greene and OL Bobby Hart (both Florida State), QB Jack Rudock (Iowa), WR Phillip Dorsett (Miami) and P Justin DuVernois (Illinois). 2. Camden County runs a Wing-T offense that Aquinas rarely sees. Camden has no go-to back, but Kenny Hutchinson leads the team with 313 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 30 attempts (10.4 yards per carry). Camden’s average advantage in rushing yards is 279 to 34. 3. George Smith of Aquinas is 349-66 (.840) as a head coach. He has five state titles. Jeff Herron of Camden is 213-40-0 (.842). He has four state titles.

East Coweta at Newton

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sharp Stadium, Covington

Records, rankings: East Coweta is 4-0 overall, 1-0 in Region 2-AAAAA and unranked; Newton is 4-0, 1-0 and No. 10.

Last meeting: This is the teams’ first meeting.

Three things to know: 1. East Coweta is 4-0 for the first time since 2001 (not counting 2007, when an opening loss was overturned by forfeit.). 2. Newton is 4-0 and ranked in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution for the first time since 1995, which is perhaps not coincidentally the last year that Newton was the only public high school in the county. Eastside started varsity football in 1996, and Alcovy began in 2006. 3. Newton’s Akeem Hunt, a running back with a dozen major FBS offers, was named back of the week by the Touchdown Club of Atlanta after rushing for 127 yards and four touchdowns in a 35-32 victory over Newnan last week.

Eastside at Sandy Creek
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, The Battlefield, Tyrone

Records, rankings: Eastside is 4-1 overall, 3-0 in Region 4-AAA and No. 7; Sandy Creek is 4-0, 3-0 and No. 2.

Last meeting: This is the teams’ first meeting.

Three things to know: 1. Sandy Creek jumped to a 27-0 second-quarter lead and went on to beat Henry County last week 41-21 last week despite being outgained 450-376. Derrick Alexander rushed for 159 yards and two touchdowns on eight carries. 2. Eastside came up with big plays in its 42-14 victory against Spalding last week. Dante Blackmon intercepted two passes, one of which he returned 50 yards for a touchdown, and Jamondi Smith returned a kickoff 85 yards for a score. 3. Region 4-AAA is the only one in the state that ended up with three defending region champions (Sandy Creek, Eastside and Jackson) because of reclassification. Eastside beat Jackson 28-6 on Sept. 17, and Sandy Creek will play Jackson on Oct. 15.

Fitzgerald at Cook

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Cook Memorial Stadium, Adel

Records, rankings: Fitzgerald is 4-1 overall, 1-0 in Region 1-AA and No. 8; Cook is 4-0, 0-0 and No. 4.

Last meeting: Fitzgerald won 42-12 in 2009.

Three things to know: 1. Fitzgerald is 9-1-1 against Cook since 1988. Under coach Robby Pruitt, Fitzgerald is 4-0 against Cook with an average score of 39-13. 2. Fitzgerald has had a back over 130 yards in all five games, and three different backs have done it – Tevin Stewart-Gaulden (Tift County), Scottie Griffin (Irwin County) and Tolerance Shepherd (Worth County, Coffee, Albany). 3. Cook’s players to watch are QB Zach Folsom, who is averaging more than 200 yards passing per game, and RB/LB Shannon Cook, who has committed to Alabama.

Pope at Kell
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, C.J. Kell Stadium, Marietta

Records, rankings: Pope is 4-0 overall, 1-0 in Region 5-AAAA North and unranked; Kell is 5-0, 2-0 and No. 4.

Last meeting: Kell won 21-20 in 2009.

Three things to know: 1. Kell’s Chris Gaines rushed for 167 yards and Brian Randolph had 79 yards, each on 10 carries, to lead the Longhorns past previously unbeaten Hiram 30-7 last week. 2. Pope’s 28-6 win against Osborne last week was its ninth consecutive victory since its one-point loss to Kell last season. It is the longest winning streak in school history. 3. The winner will be in the driver’s seat in the Region 5-AAAA North race. Kell and Pope are the two remaining undefeated teams in the subregion, which last week had four teams with no losses.

Wesleyan at Pace Academy
When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Riverview Road Athletic Complex, Mableton

Records, rankings: Wesleyan is 5-0 overall, 2-0 in Region 5-A North and No. 2; Pace Academy is 4-0, 1-0 and unranked.

Last meeting: This is the teams’ first meeting.

Three things to know: 1. Wesleyan’s Kyle Karempelis rushed for 101 yards and four touchdowns and Andrew Frerking threw three TD passes last week as the Wolves set a school scoring record in a 63-6 victory against Fellowship Christian. 2. Pace Academy wide receiver Josh Swan is being recruited in football and basketball. He was a first-team all-state basketball player in Class A last season. 3. Wesleyan has won 15 consecutive region games, although 13 of those victories came in other regions. Pace Academy, in its third season of varsity football, already has set the school record for wins in a season and is 10-14 all-time.

Valdosta at M.L. King

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Hallford Stadium, Clarkston

Records, rankings: Valdosta is 5-0 and No. 8 in Class AAAAA; M.L. King is 3-1 and unranked in AAAAA.

Last meeting: M.L. King won 21-18 in the second round of the 2007 Class AAAAA playoffs.

Three things to know: 1. One week after allowing 729 yards in a 64-62 victory against Brunswick, Valdosta gave up just 46 total yards and no points in beating Robert E. Lee of Montgomery last week. 2. M.L. King is led by junior quarterback Jonquel Dawson, who has passed for 1,277 yards and 15 touchdowns in four games. Dawson has three dangerous receivers in DeMarco Robinson, Kevin Byard and Blake Tibbs. 3. This game matches two of the highest-scoring teams in the state. M.L. King is third in Class AAAAA with an average of 42.3 points per game; Valdosta averages 37.8 points and is fifth in AAAAA.

Ware County at Brunswick

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Glynn Stadium, Brunswick

Records, rankings: Ware County is 3-1 overall, 0-0 in Region 2-AAAA Division A and unranked; Brunswick is 2-2, 0-0 and unranked.

Last meeting: Ware County won 10-0 in 2009.

Three things to know: 1. Each team’s most recent game was played against an opponent from Valdosta, each with odd scores. Ware County lost 3-0 to Lowndes, while Brunswick lost 64-62 to Valdosta. 2. Ware County, coached by former Walton coach Ed Dudley, became the first team in 44 games to hold Lowndes without a touchdown. 3. Of Brunswick’s 194 plays from scrimmage, QB Chris Anderson has passed or run in 127 of them. He has 348 yards rushing on 68 carries, and he’s 59-of-92 passing for 796 yards and seven touchdowns, but has thrown six interceptions.

Warner Robins vs. Northside (W. Robins)

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, McConnell-Talbert Stadium, Warner Robins

Records, rankings: Warner Robins is 0-4 overall, 0-1 in Region 1-AAAA and unranked; Northside is 4-0, 1-0 and No. 1.

Last meeting: Warner Robins won 21-20 in 2009.

Three things to know: 1. In 2009, Warner Robins trailed 20-0 in the fourth quarter and got its winning touchdown on a 47-yard pass on a fourth-down play with two minutes left. 2. Northside QB Briar Van Brunt is a two-year starter who can hurt teams passing (23-of-39, 239 yards, three TDs, no interceptions) or rushing (217 yards, five TDs). 3. Warner Robins is 0-4 for the first time since 1966, when the team started 0-9. The biggest problem is the offense. The Demons have scored only 17 points.