HS rankings: Grady falls out, East Paulding holds on

Not much a changin’ in the rankings this week as only Grady and East Paulding lost among last week’s top 10.

Grady is out, while EP stayed at #10, though EP likely blew its chance to win the region title with the loss to Pope.

This week, some of the big games are Brookwood-Grayson, Brooks County-Fitzgerald, Marist-Mays & North Oconee-Elbert County.

Class AAAAA

1. Camden County (8-0)

Last week: Beat Jenkins 56-7. Camden led 42-0 in the first quarter. QB Brice Ramsey was 6-of-9 passing for 102 yards and three touchdowns, and he put all nine of his kickoffs into the end zone. J.J. Green scored two touchdowns on just two carries (15 yards) and three receptions (63 yards). LB Rafael Hardee had two sacks. Next: Friday vs. Johnson, Savannah (3-6)

2. Grayson (8-0)

Last week: Beat South Gwinnett 40-0. Grayson led 27-0 at halftime and held South Gwinnett to eight yards rushing. Grayson rushed for 303 yards, and QB Nick Schuessler was 7-of-9 passing for 113 yards. Next: Friday vs. Brookwood (6-2)

3. Hillgrove (8-0)

Last week: Beat Pebblebrook 41-25. Hillgrove won despite committing seven turnovers and nearly blowing a 20-3 halftime lead. Pebblebrook got within 25-23 before Kenyan Drake scored two late touchdowns. He finished with 217 yards rushing and three touchdowns on 21 carries. Next: Friday at Kennesaw Mountain (0-8)

4. Stephenson (8-0)

Last week: Beat East Coweta 24-17. DT Brandon Anderson made a sack to stop East Coweta’s fourth-and-goal from the 4-yard line in the final seconds. Stephenson trailed 10-3 at halftime but came back on the rushing of Mike Davis (180 yards, 25 carries, two touchdowns) and T.J. Moon (80 yards, nine carries, one touchdown). Stephenson had 276 rushing yards. Stephenson allowed 260 yards rushing. Next: Friday vs. Newnan (5-3)

5. M.L. King (8-0)

Last week: Beat Newnan 41-17. Jonquel Dawson threw six touchdown passes, and M.L. King forced four turnovers. Next: Friday at East Coweta (6-2)

6. Walton (8-0)

Last week: Beat Wheeler 45-7. Zack Blaylock returned an interception for a touchdown for the third consecutive game, and Tyren Jones rushed for 148 yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries. Walton held Wheeler to 72 yards of total offense. Next: Friday vs. Marietta (4-4)

7. McEachern (7-1)

Last week: Beat North Cobb 56-17. Trent Thompson threw four touchdown passes, three to Tray Fletcher, who also returned a kickoff 99 yards for a score. Chris Okeh returned a kickoff 70 yards for a touchdown. Next: Friday vs. Harrison (3-5)

8. North Gwinnett (7-1)

Last week: Beat Mill Creek 29-7. Joe Jones rushed for 119 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries, and Chad Scott caught six passes for 59 yards and two touchdowns. Next: Friday at Duluth (4-4)

9. Colquitt County (7-1)

Last week: Off. Next: Friday at Coffee (5-4)

10. Peachtree Ridge (7-1)

Last week: Beat Duluth 47-14. D’Aaron Hill returned a fumble 11 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter, but Peachtree Ridge didn’t pull away until a 23-point third quarter. Raham Dixon (55 yards, 11 carries) had three short touchdown runs. Next: Friday at Mill Creek (4-4)

Class AAAA

1. Tucker (8-0)

Last week: Beat Redan 54-7. Tucker had 400 yards rushing with only one player over 100. That was Jordan Landry, who got 101 on two carries. Tucker used 12 ball carriers, and six of them scored. Next: Friday at Lithonia (4-4)

2. Northside, Warner Robins (8-0)

Last week: Beat Houston County 21-0. Northside led only 7-0 at halftime, scoring on an 88-yard interception return by Marquez Moore, but didn’t let Houston County close in the second half. QB Jack Montgomery scored on a 56-yard run that made it 14-0, and Marte Polke rushed for 102 yards on 13 carries. Next: Thursday vs. Northside, Columbus (5-3)

3. Flowery Branch (8-0)

Last week: Beat Loganville 49-21. QB Kanler Coker rushed for 109 yards, scored four touchdowns and was 15-of-22 passing for 221 yards. Jeremy Haley rushed for 138 yards on 15 carries. C.J. Curry caught TD passes of 37 and 35 yards. Next: Friday vs. Salem (5-4)

4. Statesboro (8-0)

Last week: Off. Next: Friday at Greenbrier (4-4)

5. Ware County (7-1)

Last week: Beat Richmond Hill 37-12. QB Josh Bennett was 15-of-19 passing for 183 passing yards and also rushed for 55 yards on 11 attempts. Ware led in total yardage 404-128. William Golden had eight tackles, recovered a fumble, made an interception and had 107 yards of total offense. Next: Friday at Wayne County (4-3-1)

6. Marist (7-1)

Last week: Beat Lithonia 42-12. QB Myles Willis rushed for 112 yards and a touchdown on six carries and was 4-of-5 passing for 157 yards and a touchdown – which was a school-record 99-yard pass to Gray King. Marist led 42-0 at halftime. Next: Friday vs. Mays (7-1)

7. Lovejoy (8-0)

Last week: Beat Forest Park 34-0. Travis Custis rushed for 196 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries, and Lovejoy overcame four turnovers, all in Forest Park territory. Lovejoy was up 21-0 at halftime and allowed less than 75 yards in total offense. Jamie Nunez kicked field goals of 35 and 42 yards. Demarcus Gates returned a fumble 15 yards for a touchdown. Next: Friday vs. Creekside (5-3)

8. Northgate (8-0)

Last week: Beat Starr’s Mill 41-21. Northgate led 28-0 in the first quarter against last year’s Class AAAA runner-up. Bret Misutka threw TD passes of 57 and 18 yards in the first four minutes to Brandon Macyson. Payton Usher rushed for 138 yards on 14 carries, and Alex Lakes rushed for 106 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries. Next: Friday vs. Whitewater (7-1)

9. Warner Robins (6-2)

Last week: Beat Bainbridge 14-10. Cartrell Brooks caught an 8-yard pass from Ty Odom with 1:17 left for the winning touchdown. Damian Mercado caught a 54-yard screen pass to set up the score. Bainbridge had connected on a 54-yard TD pass earlier in the quarter to lead 10-7. Warner Robins led in total yards 310-266. Next: Saturday vs. Thomas County Central (6-2)

10. East Paulding (7-1)

Last week: Lost to Pope 29-23. Pope’s Holland Frost threw a 65-yard touchdown pass to Mason Shiflett with 5:46 left, then threw a conversion pass for the final margin. Pope had trailed 23-21. Pope put up 379 yards in total offense. Frost was 14-of-26 passing for 249 yards and two touchdowns. He rushed for 87 on 16 carries and scored a touchdown. East Paulding was stopped a yard short on two fourth-down attempts in Pope territory in the fourth quarter. Next: Friday at Osborne (2-6)

Class AAA

1. Sandy Creek (8-0)

Last week: Beat Spalding 48-0. JaQuay Williams returned the opening kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown. Spalding then lost a fumble on its first offensive play, and two plays later Williams had another touchdown, a 15-yard pass from Cole Garvin (6-of-10 passing, 102 yards). Shaquille Williams got his eighth interception of the season. Sandy Creek led 42-0 at halftime. Next: Friday at Fayette County (1-7)

2. St. Pius (8-0)

Last week: Beat Grady 49-16. St. Pius led 21-0 in the first quarter before Grady had run its second play from scrimmage after Grady fumbled and failed to recover a short kickoff. QB T.J. Holloman, playing in place of injured Trey White, rushed for 109 yards and four touchdowns on four carries. Ryan Braswell rushed for 102 yards. Next: Friday at Washington (5-3)

3. Carrollton (8-1)

Last week: Beat Columbus 56-14. Carrollton led 42-0 in the first quarter and 56-0 at halftime and ran only 27 plays in the game, largely because of a second-half running clock. Carrollton still had 363 yards in total offense. Dan Harris rushed for 94 yards and a touchdown on three carries. DE Bryan Byrd had 2.5 tackles for 14.5 yards in losses. Next: Nov. 4 vs. Central, Carrollton (4-4)

4. Burke County (7-1)

Last week: Beat Washington County 28-20. Burke put up 423 yards in total offense in a game between teams that didn’t have a loss in the south subregion of 3-AAA. With a 22-20 lead and four minutes left, Burke County gambled and made it on a fourth-and-1 play on the Burke 46. Montres Kitchens later had a 43-yard run that set up his 2-yard TD run for a 29-20 lead. Kitchens also intercepted two passes. Next: Friday at Butler (7-1)

5. Thomson (8-0)

Last week: Beat Josey 54-7. Thomson led 25-7 at halftime despite no touchdowns on offense and three turnovers. The scores came on two interception returns and Torrie Battle’s returns of a kick and a punt. Battle had four touchdowns and 250 all-purpose yards. Next: Friday vs. Grovetown (6-2)

6. Allatoona (8-0)

Last week: Beat Pickens 42-7. Allatoona had a 481-98 edge in total yards, according to the Marietta Daily Journal. Miles Jones rushed for 183 yards on 16 carries. Next: Friday at Gilmer (5-3)

7. Baldwin (7-1)

Last week: Beat Veterans 14-7. Next: Thursday at Rutland (2-6)

8. Gainesville (7-1)

Last week: Beat Walnut Grove 48-0. Deshaun Watson was 8-of-11 passing for 160 yards and two touchdowns, and Jeremiah Ledbetter returned a blocked punt for a touchdown as Gainesville led 28-0 at halftime. Walnut Grove was held to 78 yards of total offense. Next: Friday at West Hall (2-6)

9. Cairo (6-2)

Last week: Beat Westover 28-20. Westover led 20-0 at halftime, and Terrell Cason scored four touchdowns in the second half, three in the fourth quarter. Next: Friday vs. Crisp County (5-3)

10. Peach County (7-1)

Last week: Beat Perry 24-6. Peach County led 24-0 at halftime. Darion Howard rushed for 110 yards, and Peach outgained Perry 362-178. Next: Friday vs. Howard (0-8)

Class AA

1. Buford (9-0)

Last week: Beat Greater Atlanta Christian 28-0. Buford held GAC to five first downs and 105 yards in total offense and led 21-0 at halftime. Andre Johnson rushed for 89 yards on nine carries and scored touchdowns on Buford’s first two possessions, after which Buford led 14-0 at 4:32 in the first quarter. GAC had only 26 yards rushing. Buford had 233. Next: Nov. 4 vs. Blessed Trinity (5-3) in Region 6 championship

2. Calhoun (8-0)

Last week: Beat Dade County 42-7. Darius Washington scored on a 71-yard run in the first two minutes of the game, and Calhoun wasn’t threatened from there. Calhoun is 23-0 against Dade County schools all-time, and only one game – the first in 1950 (13-12) – has been decided by fewer than eight points. Next: Friday at Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe (4-4)

3. Greater Atlanta Christian (7-1)

Last week: Lost to Buford 28-0. The loss puts GAC in a region play-in game Nov. 4 against the loser of this week’s Westminster-Lovett game. Next: Friday vs. Hapeville Charter (0-3)

4. Carver, Columbus (7-1)

Last week: Beat Kendrick 47-0. Carver led 40-0 at halftime while holding Kendrick to negative total yardage. Torrance McGee threw two touchdown passes, both in the first quarter. Carver beat Kendrick 47-0 last season and 47-7 in 2009. Carver has won 24 consecutive games against Muscogee County schools and can clinch its fifth consecutive region championship with a victory next week. Next: Thursday at Jordan (0-8)

5. Fitzgerald (8-1)

Last week: Beat Berrien 28-0. Kaleb Nobles was 7-of-10 passing for 132 yards and went over 5,000 yards passing for his career. Next: Friday at Brooks County (7-1)

6. Brooks County (7-1)

Last week: Beat Albany 62-27. Brooks County led just 21-19 early in the third quarter but dominated the rest of the way. Malcolm Parrish scored five second-half touchdowns, including four in the fourth quarter. Next: Friday vs. Fitzgerald (8-1)

7. Elbert County (8-0)

Last week: Beat East Jackson 45-14. Tyshon Dye scored five touchdowns and rushed for 149 yards on eight carries. His touchdowns included a 65-yard punt return and 25-yard reception. Next: Friday vs. North Oconee (8-0)

8. Dublin (8-0)

Last week: Beat Dodge County 28-7. Rob East was 6-for-9 passing for 154 yards in a game Dublin led 21-0 at halftime. He threw TD passes of 80 and 22 yards to Brandon Coney in the second quarter. Dublin overcame three lost fumbles. Next: Friday at Jefferson County (5-3)

9. Appling County (8-0)

Last week: Beat Long County 38-8. Next: Friday vs. Vidalia (5-3)

10. North Oconee (8-0)

Last week: Beat Oglethorpe County 52-0. North Oconee had 406 yards in total offense. David Pinkerton rushed for 111 of them on six carries. Next: Friday at Elbert County (8-0)

Class A

1. Savannah Christian (8-0)

Last week: Beat Calvary Day 49-7. Savannah Christian led 42-0 at halftime in a game between unbeaten Savannah private schools. Calvary Day had beaten Savannah Christian 6-0 in 2010. Will Austin rushed for 173 yards and four touchdowns in the first half of this one. Next: Friday vs. Bryan County (6-2)

2. Eagle’s Landing Christian (7-1)

Last week: Beat Our Lady of Mercy 52-7. John Tatum rushed for 296 yards and four touchdowns on 16 carries. Keyante Green aggravated a mild groin injury early in the game and didn’t play the final three quarters. Next: Friday at Southwest Atlanta Christian (1-7)

3. Lincoln County (8-0)

Last week: Beat Aquinas 44-22. Mike McIntire had two short TD runs in the fourth quarter after Aquinas had pulled within 30-22 with 11:36 left. Craig Jones rushed for 145 yards on 19 carries for Lincoln County. Aquinas’ Brendan Douglas rushed for 171 yards and two touchdowns. Next: Friday vs. Twiggs County (0-8)

4. Wilcox County (8-0)

Last week: Off. Next: Friday vs. Bacon County (6-2)

5. Marion County (8-0)

Last week: Beat Greenville 10-7. A.J. Wells’ 34-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter broke a 7-7 tie. DeMarquez Mallard threw a 36-yard TD pass to Tavarious Bryant in the second quarter for a 7-0 lead. Greenville had a chance to become the first team to score on Marion County in the first half. In the first quarter, Greenville had a first-and-goal from the 4 but failed to score. Next: Friday vs. Brookstone (7-1)

6. Charlton County (8-1)

Last week: Beat Bacon County 32-13. Tre Hamilton rushed for 247 yards and four touchdowns and set a school record for points in a career. His total of 472 beats the mark of 458 set by Lemuel Walker (2003-06). It also was Hamilton’s 24th career game with at least 100 yards rushing, breaking the school record held by Lamar Williams (1998-2001). The game was 7-7 at halftime. Hamilton scored on a 75-yard run on the second play of the half. Charlton’s Caleb Smith rushed for 103 yards. Next: Nov. 4 vs. Clinch County (6-2)

7. Prince Avenue Christian (8-0)

Last week: Beat Commerce 35-13. Prince Avenue rushed for 366 yards and didn’t complete a pass. Ron Farriba scored three touchdowns in the first half, which ended with Prince Avenue leading 21-13. Next: Friday vs. Athens Christian (2-6)

8. Holy Innocents’ (7-1)

Last week: Beat Pace Academy 30-7. RB/LB Lee Davis rushed for 194 yards and three touchdowns on 11 carries. He had 83 more yards and two touchdowns nullified by penalties. Holy Innocents’ rushed for 437 yards on 53 carries. The game lasted more than three hours because of problems with the clock. Next: Friday at King’s Ridge Christian (5-3)

9. Wesleyan (6-2)

Last week: Beat Pinecrest Academy 42-14. Will Anderson threw for 336 yards and four touchdowns. Next: Friday at Mount Pisgah Christian (4-4)

10. Seminole County (7-1)

Last week: Off. Next: Friday at Miller County (3-5)