Poll Talk: Little change in rankings after week of few upsets

Only seven Top 10 teams lost their games last week. That’s after 16 and 18 were beaten the previous two weeks.

There are five new teams in the rankings — Monroe Area for Riverdale in Class AAAA, Appling County for Dodge County in AAA and George Walton Academy, Commerce and Johnson County for Wilkinson County, Charlton County and Marion County in A.

Expect another calm week, as there are only four games between ranked teams.

- No. 4 Lowndes vs. No. 8 Colquitt County in Region 1-AAAAAA
- No. 7 Gainesville vs. No. 10 Heritage-Conyers in Region 8-AAAAA
- No. 2 Brooks County vs. No. 8 Early County in Region 1-AA
- No. 8 George Walton Academy vs. No. 9 Commerce in Region 8-A

Two other pretty big games to note …

Brookwood at Parkview – This was metro Atlanta’s best rivalry as recently as 2005, and it’s near the top again now that Parkview has beaten Grayson and started 4-0.

Camden County at Valdosta – Camden hasn’t lost a subregion or region game since 1999. But Camden is going from the worst region pound-for-pound in the state to the toughest.

Check back tonight or Monday for our recap on how each ranked fared last week.

Class AAAAAA
1. (1) Camden County (4-0)
Last week: Off. Next: Friday vs. Valdosta (3-1)
2. (2) Lassiter (4-0)
Last week: Beat Cherokee 41-6. Lassiter’s defense had eight sacks and forced four turnovers. Willie Police, who had 206 yards and four touchdowns receiving the previous week, had 111 yards rushing and caught six balls for 93 yards and two touchdowns.QB Eddie Printz was 21-of-30 passing for 270 yards. Next: Friday vs. Woodstock (0-4)
3. (3) Norcross (4-0)
Last week: Beat Duluth 36-7. Norcross allowed minus-4 yards of total offense in the first half and allowed points only on an interception return in the fourth quarter. Myles Autry scored touchdowns on a pass reception and punt return. Next: Friday at Mill Creek (3-1)
4. (4) Lowndes (4-0)
Last week: Beat Hardaway 57-0. Lowndes led 43-0 at halftime and used 11 ball carries to put up 358 yards rushing. Ahman Brown had 118 yards on five carries. Hardaway was held to 58 yards of total offense. Next: Friday at Colquitt County (3-1)
5. (5) West Forsyth (4-0)
Last week: Beat Alpharetta 63-42. In the fifth-highest scoring game ever in the highest classification, West Forsyth QB A.J. Erdely rushed for 199 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries and was 9-of-15 passing for 141 yards. RB Jake Wiezcorek rushed for 163 yards and four touchdowns on 14 carries. West had 597 total yards. Alpharetta QB Joshua Dobbs was 32-of-51 for 497 yards and five touchdowns. Next: Friday vs. Centennial (0-4)
6. (6) North Cobb (3-0)
Last week: Beat Kennesaw Mountain 52-7. North Cobb led 31-0 at halftime and scored on seven straight possessions excluding a first half kneel down. Xavier Borishade, who scored four touchdowns the previous week in the victory over Walton, scored on a 53-yard punt return and 28-yard pass from Tyler Queen (237 yards passing). North Cobb is 3-0 for the first time since 2007. Next: Friday vs. Harrison (3-1)
7. (7) North Gwinnett (3-1)
Last week: Beat Meadowcreek 45-20. North Gwinnett led 45-0 at halftime as QB Michael Haynes (11-for-14, 209 yards) threw three touchdown passes. Meadowcreek has lost 41 straight games. Next: Oct. 5 vs. Duluth (1-3)
8. (8) Colquitt County (3-1)
Last week: Off. Next: Friday vs. Lowndes (4-0)
9. (9) Lovejoy (3-1)
Last week: Beat East Coweta 30-7. Lovejoy held East Coweta without a first down until late in the third quarter. Travis Custis rushed for 158 yards. Next: Friday at Druid Hills (2-1)
10. (10) Parkview (3-1)
Last week: Beat Archer 20-18. Parkview led 14-0 and 20-9 and held on when Archer missed a 51-yard field goal in the final seconds. Parkview lost QB Rob Youngblood to injury, but backup Mac Marshall threw a 59-yard TD pass to Jay Turner on his first attempt. Parkview held Archer to 55 yards rushing. Archer star RB Ernest Alexander was injured on his first carry and did not return. Parkview RB Chris Carson rushed for 143 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries. Next: Friday vs. Brookwood (2-1)

Class AAAAA
1. (1) Northside-Warner Robins (3-0)
Last week: Off. Next: Friday at Lakeside-Evans (1-2)
2. (2) Tucker (4-0)
Last week: Beat Dunwoody 57-0. Preseason all-state RB Yusuf Minor returned to Tucker’s lineup after missing two games and gained 156 of Tucker’s 376 rushing yards. Dallas Rivers and Domnique Sanders had two touchdowns apiece. Next: Friday vs. Lakeside, Atlanta (1-3)
3. (3) M.L. King (4-0)
Last week: Beat: North Atlanta 46-0. Monqavious Johnson threw two touchdown passes to D.J. Polite and one to Romello Shumake. King didn’t winless North Atlanta past midfield and allowed less than 100 yards in total offense. M.L. King led 40-0 at halftime. Next: Friday vs. Arabia Mountain (1-3)
4. (4) Stephenson (3-0)
Last week: Beat Lakeside-Atlanta 63-0. Next: Friday at Southwest DeKalb (3-1)
5. (5) East Paulding (4-0)
Last week: Beat New Manchester 47-0. Mitchell Webb was 12-of-20 passing for 263 yards and four touchdowns, two to Lorenz Suttles. Marcus Gilbert had three catches for 96 yards and a touchdown. Kamani Thomas rushed for 96 yards on 10 carries. East led 41-0 in the third quarter. Next: Friday vs. Villa Rica (1-2)
6. (6) Thomas County Central (4-1)
Last week: Beat Tift County 34-14. It was 14-14 in the fourth quarter when Central broke it open with three touchdowns, all by QB Adam Choice. Choice rushed for 158 yards on 12 carries and Next: Oct. 5 vs. Bainbridge (3-1)
7. (7) Gainesville (3-1)
Last week: Beat Apalachee 62-20. Deshaun Watson was 18-of-21 passing for 301 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 75 yards. Gainesville led 49-0 at halftime. The previous week, Gainesville led Winder-Barrow 62-0 at halftime. Next: Friday vs. Heritage, Conyers (4-0)
8. (8) Warner Robins (2-1)
Last week: Beat Douglas County 52-14. Warner Robins led 31-0 in the second quarter, 52-0 in the third. DeAnthony Mack (133) and Jaquan Burns (125) each rushed for more than 100 yards. Next: Friday vs. Evans (2-1)
9. (9) Allatoona (4-0)
Last week: Beat Lithia Springs 35-7. RB T.J. Herron scored three second-quarter touchdowns to put Allatoona up 21-0 at halftime. QB Jeremy Uzee threw two TD passes in the second half. Next: Friday vs. South Paulding (2-1)
10. (10) Heritage, Conyers (4-0)
Last week: Beat Cedar Shoals 21-0. Kimari Neal returned the second-half kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown and a 14-0 lead. Myron Fears rushed for 169 yards. Heritage is one of eight teams that has not allowed more than seven points in any game this season. Next: Friday at Gainesville (3-1)

Class AAAA
1. (1) Sandy Creek (3-0)
Last week: Off. Next: Sept. 28 vs. Fayette County (0-3)
2. (3) Griffin (4-0)
Last week: Beat Woodland, Stockbridge 52-20. Griffin led 33-14 at halftime. Devontae Freeman rushed for 137 yards on 13 carries and scored three touchdowns. Keyston Fuller caught two TD passes from QB Jaquez Parks. Next: Friday vs. Stockbridge (3-1)
3. (2) Marist (3-1)
Last week: Beat Therrell 53-0. Marist limited Therrell to 2 yards in total offense, minus-29 rushing. Backup QB Chase Martenson rushed for 91 yards and two touchdowns on nine attempts. Myles Willis threw two TD passes to Greg Taboada. Next: Oct. 5 at Columbia (2-2)
4. (5) Burke County (3-1)
Last week: Beat Statesboro 35-14. Burke trailed 14-0 in the second quarter but dominated from there in a game between 3-0 teams. QB Donquell Green rushed for 225 yards and three touchdowns. Next: Friday at Cross Creek (0-3)
5. (6) Stephens County (4-0)
Last week: Beat Walnut Grove 61-20. WR Tomas Colbert scored four touchdowns and caught three passes for 205 yards, all in the first half. He scored on a 60-yard punt return. Chaz Thornton rushed for 104 yards and three touchdowns on nine carries. Next: Friday vs. Chestatee (2-1)
6. (7) Carrollton (1-2)
Last week: Off. Next: Friday vs. Columbus (0-3)
7. (8) Jonesboro (3-1)
Last week: Beat Eagle’s Landing 45-21. Jonesboro intercepted three passes and forced a fumble to nullify the effort of Eagle’s Landing’s Corey Holloway, who rushed for 225 yards. Jonesboro QB Mario Atkinson was 9-for-14 passing for 195 yards and four touchdowns. WR/DB Cameron Sutton scored two touchdowns, one on a kickoff return. Next: Friday at Woodland, Stockbridge (1-3)
8. (4) Statesboro (3-1)
Last week: Lost to Burke County 35-14. Statesboro was held to 180 total yards and nine first downs, according to the Statesboro Herald. The teams could meet again in November if each wins its subregion of Region 3. Next: Friday vs. Butler (0-3)
9. (10) Washington (4-0)
Last week: Beat Stone Mountain 46-18. WR/FS Antavis Rowe returned a kickoff 81 yards for a touchdown, scored on a 19-yard run and had two interceptions that he ran back a total of 100 yards. Washington – 4-0 for the first time since 1998 – pulled away after leading 20-12 at halftime
Next: Oct. 4 at South Atlanta (3-1)
10. (NR) Monroe Area (4-0)
Last week: Beat Lumpkin County 54-13. QB Stanton Truitt rushed for 176 yards and two touchdowns on six carries, and RB Kwon Brooks rushed for 118 and three touchdowns on 10 carries. Monroe Area never punting while scoring 50 or more points for the fourth straight game. This marks the earliest that Monroe Area has been in the Top 10 since Oct. 5, 1971. Next: Friday at Lanier (3-1)

Class AAA
1. (1) Peach County (4-0)
Last week: Beat Macon County 49-0. Keyshawn Lowe rushed for 169 yards and three touchdowns on nine carries. Peach County led 49-0 in the third quarter. Next: Oct. 5 at Henry County (1-3)
2. (2) Thomson (4-0)
Last week: Beat LaGrange 49-42. Thomson trailed 21-0, 28-7 and 42-35 before pulling out the victory, the first time in history the Bulldogs have won while allowing more than 40 points. William Bussey’s 18-yard run in the final minutes gave Thomson its first lead, 49-42. Chris Jordan rushed for 202 yards on 31 carries. Thomson had three critical interceptions, one by Torrie Battle that he returned for Thomson’s first touchdown and sparked the comeback. Next: Friday vs. Westminster (2-3)
3. (3) Washington County (5-0)
Last week: Beat Laney 51-28. Washington County went up 48-7 in the third quarter and put the game on a running clock in the fourth against a team that entered allowing only 5.0 points per game. QB William Walker threw two TD passes and rushed for 67 yards, and Melvin Hill had a 73-yard TD run. Next: Oct. 5 vs. Lovett (2-2)
4. (4) Buford (2-1)
Last week: Off. Next: Friday at Banks County (1-3)
5. (5) St. Pius (3-1)
Last week: Beat Lovett 24-0. St. Pius held Lovett to nine first downs and 143 yards. QB Jack Spear rushed for 121 yards on 12 carries. St. Pius attempted only two passes, completing neither. Next: Friday vs. Towers (0-4)
6. (6) Carver-Columbus (3-1)
Last week: Beat Tri-Cities 32-20. Brandon Thomas rushed for 108 yards, and Carver led 32-5 in the fourth quarter before two late Tri-Cities touchdowns. Next: Friday vs. Pike County (2-2)
7. (8) Cartersville (4-0)
Last week: Beat North Murray 40-22. Cartersville trailed 7-6 at halftime but scored five touchdowns in the second half. Brooks Barden was 7-of-13 passing for 182 yards and three touchdowns. Brandon Long rushed for more than 100 yards and scored two touchdowns. Next: Friday at Coahulla Creek (2-2)
8. (9) Morgan County (3-0)
Last week: Off. Next: Friday vs. Oconee County (1-2)
9. (10) Woodward Academy (3-1)
Last week: Beat Westminster 24-3. It was 10-3 at halftime, but Woodward broke the game open in the third quarter after Westminster fumble a punt inside the 10-yard line and a 90-yard interception return by Quincy Wolff for a touchdown and a 24-3 lead. Woodward’s Jollyce Myrick scored on a 42-yard TD run. Westminster outgained Woodward 227-224. Next: Friday vs. Blessed Trinity (3-1)
10. (NR). Appling County (3-0-1)
Last week: Beat Johnson, Savannah 28-21. Appling County RB Justin Moore scored the game-winning touchdown on a 1-yard run with 5:33 left. Johnson had been shut out in its first three games. Next: Saturday vs. Savannah (1-3)

Class AA
1. (1) Calhoun (4-0)
Last week: Beat Dade County 50-14. Calhoun scored 29 points in the second quarter to lead 36-6. Taylor Lamb was 17-of-25 passing for 262 yards and three touchdowns in the first half. Tydus Curtis had seven catches for 126 yards and two touchdowns. Dade had less than 100 yards in total offense. Next: Friday at Coosa (0-4)
2. (2) Brooks County (4-0)
Last week: Beat Mitchell County 44-8. Next: Friday vs. Early County (3-1)
3. (3) Cook (3-0)
Last week: Off. Next: Friday vs. Thomasville (1-3)
4. (5) Vidalia (4-0)
Last week: Beat Benedictine 12-7. Vidalia took a 12-0 halftime lead and held Benedictine to 77 yards of total offense in a game between 3-0 teams in Region 2. D.J. Mincey and Tray Hardy scored Vidalia’s touchdowns on short runs, and Juan Foster rushed for 86 yards. Next: Friday vs. Metter (0-4)
5. (7) Fitzgerald (3-1)
Last week: Beat Charlton County 37-0. Fitzgerald rushed for 242 yards and five touchdowns and added 65 yards on two receptions taking advantage of four Charlton turnovers. Fitzgerald held Charlton to 44 rushing yards and 88 passing yards.Next: Friday at Pelham (1-3)
6. (6) Washington-Wilkes (4-0)
Last week: Beat Riverside Military 60-6. Washington-Wilkes moved to 4-0 for the first time since 2000. Next: Friday at Union County (3-0)
7. (4) Lovett (2-2)
Last week: Lost to St. Pius 24-0. Lovett was shut out for the first time since 2008, a streak of 52 games. Lovett had only 13 yards rushing. Next: Friday vs. Fort Wayne, Ala. (4-0)
8. (8) Early County (3-1)
Last week: Beat Calhoun County 20-6. RB Ladonis Bryant rushed for 135 yards on 14 carries and scored all 20 of Early’s points on three touchdowns and a conversion. Early held Calhoun County to 138 total yards. Next: Friday at Brooks County (4-0)
9. (9) Lamar County (2-0-1)
Last week: Off. Next: Friday at Taylor County (2-1)
10. (10) Bowdon (4-0)
Last week: Beat Chattahoochee County 35-6. Chris Keith rushed for 124 yards on 16 carries and caught a 67-yard pass. Bowdon led 35-0 in the third quarter and played the fourth with a running clock. Chattahoochee County had minus-10 yards in total offense in the first half, according to the Times Georgian of Carrollton. Next: Friday vs. Manchester (2-1)

Class A
1. (1) Eagle’s Landing Christian (3-1)
Last week: Off. Next Saturday at Holy Innocents’ (2-2)
2. (3) Prince Avenue Christian (4-0)
Last week: Beat Glascock County 48-7. Bryce Huff scored two touchdowns and rushed for 90 yards on just five carries. QB Zack Graham was 6-of-8 passing for two touchdowns and 132 yards. Prince Avenue outgained Glascock 441-165, according to the Athens Banner-Herald. Next: Friday at Athens Christian (1-3)
3. (5) Aquinas (3-0)
Last week: Beat Josey 42-0. Brendan Douglas rushed for 188 yards on 12 carries, and his 80-yard TD run to open the second half made it 21-0. Aquinas held Josey to 38 yards rushing.
Next: Friday vs. Twiggs County (1-2)
4. (2) Wilcox County (2-1)
Last week: Off. Next: Friday at Charlton County (2-2)
5. (6) Calvary Day (4-0)
Last week: Beat Treutlen 27-19. Calvary Day led only 14-12 at halftime but took control in the second half as QB Jake Clemens rushed for 173 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries, and sophomore RB Robert Heyward rushed for 73 yards on 13 carries. Next: Oct. 5 vs. Savannah Country Day (1-2)
6. (8) Lincoln County (2-1)
Last week: Off. Next: Friday at First Presbyterian (2-1)
7. (10) Emanuel County Institute (3-1)
Last week: Beat Claxton 14-6. ECI won a defensive battle despite being outgained 174-142. Greg Purcell rushed for 106 yards on 14 carries. Next: Friday vs. Portal (0-3)
8. (NR) George Walton Academy (3-1)
Last week: Beat Warren County 37-0. Hunter Rice threw three TD passes and intercepted a pass for GWA. Stanley Williams, a junior who has committed to Georgia, scored on a 59-yard run but suffered an ankle injury in the second quarter and did not return. Next: Friday vs. Commerce (4-0)
9. (NR) Commerce (4-0)
Last week: Beat Rabun County 18-17. Commerce is 4-0 for the first time since 2006. Commerce trailed 17-6 in the fourth quarter but allowed Rabun County only two offensive plays and scored two touchdowns. Drew Whitfield’s 4-yard run with 19 seconds left was the game-winning touchdown. Whitfield also had recovered an on-side kick to set up the clinching drive. Next: Friday at George Walton Academy (3-1)
10. (NR) Johnson County (4-0)
Last week: Beat Savannah Country Day 35-28. Johnson County had 402 yards rushing – 230 by Bull Darrisaw and 108 by Keriyon Smith. Johnson County stopped two SCD fourth-down plays in Johnson County territory in the fourth quarter. Next: Friday vs. Savannah Christian (1-2)