Poll Talk: Should a 2-4 team be ranked? Lovett stays at No. 10

We’re looking at some pretty good games this week …

Stephenson-Tucker (both undefeated)
West Forsyth-Johns Creek (both undefeated)
Fitzgerald-Brooks County
Calvary Day-Savannah Christian
Lincoln County-Aquinas (last great public-private game of season)

Then there’s Lowndes-Valdosta thing, maybe the state’s best rivalry.

But let’s talk about Lovett – 2-4 record, losers of four straight. How can the Lions be ranked?

One effect of going to six classifications this season was smaller regions. Which means fewer region games. No better example exists than Region 6-AA, which has five teams. Four of them are potential Top 10 teams in GAC, Lovett, Westminster and Wesleyan.

With only four region games, those teams had six non-regions to schedule.

Lovett has played six games, five against teams currently ranked in highest classifications. Those are #8 Blessed Trinity (AAA), No. 2 Marist (AAAA), No. 5 St. Pius (AAA), No. 7 Fort Payne (AAAAA in Alabama) and No. 3 Washington County (AAA). (Lovett is the only team to come within 14 points of Fort Wayne, btw.)

The non-ranked team is Woodward Academy. Woodward is 4-2, its losses to Lovett and Blessed Trinity. Woodward has been in and out of the AAA rankings twice and might still get in there before the season is done.

The Maxwell Ratings rank Lovett’s schedule as sixth-toughest in the state – in all classifications. Further Lovett’s average opponent is 29 points better than the average opponent of the other nine Top 10 teams in AA, according to Maxwell.

Strength of schedule is not enough. You still have to beat somebody. Lovett has beaten Blessed Trinity and Woodward. The only team in AA with two wins that good is No. 1 Calhoun (Carrollton, Ridgeland).

Class AAAAAA
1. (1) Camden County (6-0)
Last week: Beat Coffee 39-12. J.J. Green rushed for 97 yards on seven carries and scored on a 40-yard interception return and a 55-yard run. Camden led 32-7 at halftime. LB Jarrad Davis had 10 tackles. Next: Friday vs. Tift County (2-4)
2. (2) Lassiter (6-0)
Last week: Beat Walton 21-9. Lassiter scored on long drives to start each half, and Eddie Printz was 16-of-30 passing for 196 yards. Walton RB Tyren Jones rushed for 189 yards on 32 carries but lost a fumble into the end zone when Walton led 9-6 in the second quarter. Walton was 3-of-13 passing for 86 yards and two interceptions. Patrick Levandoski forced Jones’ fumble and intercepted a pass deep in Lassiter territory. Next: Oct. 19 at Milton (5-1)
3. (3) Norcross (6-0)
Last week: Beat Habersham Central 55-0. Norcross RB Alvin Kamara rushed for 123 yards and three touchdowns. Myles Autry had a 76-yard punt return for a touchdown. QB Joseph Wilber had two TD passes. Next: Friday at Collins Hill (4-1)
4. (4) Lowndes (6-0)
Last week: Beat Brunswick 52-8. Lowndes put up 475 yards rushing. Nick Burgman ran for 104 on six carries and scored three touchdowns. Preseason all-state DB/RB Tijuan Lang rushed for 94 yards and a touchdown and intercepted three passes. Next: Friday at Valdosta (3-2)
5. (5) West Forsyth (5-0)
Last week: Off. Next: Friday vs. Johns Creek (5-0)
6. (7) Parkview (4-1)
Last week: Off. Next: Friday at Dacula (0-6)
7. (8) Grayson (5-1)
Last week: Beat Central Gwinnett 52-0. Grayson had a 447-29 advantage in total yards and led 42-0 at halftime. David McTier threw TD passes to Jordan Germany (who also had a rushing TD) and Cory Schaeffer. Central QB Eman Westmoreland, who has thrown for more than 5,000 yards in his career, did not play because of a sprained ankle. Next: Friday at Berkmar (1-4)
8. (9) North Gwinnett (4-1)
Last week: Beat Duluth 42-28. Duluth got within 35-28 with 3:05 left and recovered an onside kick, but the kick traveled only 9 yards. Less than a minute later, QB Michael Haynes ran 45 yards for a clinching touchdown. Haynes rushed for 145 yards on 12 carries and was 12-of-21 passing for 91 yards. RB Cam Lewis had 96 yards rushing on 13 carries. North Gwinnet had a season-high 271 yards rushing and 441 yards in total offense. Next: Friday at Mill Creek (4-2)
9. (10) Lovejoy (5-1)
Last week: Beat Rockdale County 41-0. Georgia Tech-bound RB Travis Custis scored four touchdowns and rushed for 98 yards on 10 carries. It was Lovejoy’s first shutout of the season; the team had eight in 2011. Next: Friday at Morrow (1-4)
10. (NR) Colquitt County (4-2)
Last week: Beat Tift County 49-7. Sophomore QB Daniel Mobley got his first start ahead of senior Cole Segraves and was 15-of-19 passing for 213 yards and four touchdowns, two to Bobby Hill. Segraves was 5-of-8 for 51 yards. The two have split time much of the season. WR Javonta Woods had six receptions for 102 yards and five carries for 67 yards. Next: Oct. 19 at Brunswick (3-2)
Class AAAAA
1. (1) Northside-Warner Robins (5-0)
Last week: Beat Houston County 41-3. RB Curtis Martin rushed for 126 yards and a touchdown, and WR/RB Keshun Hill had 92 yards rushing. Houston County was held to 145 total yards and completed only 3 of 16 passes. Next: Saturday vs. Grovetown (1-4)
2. (2) Tucker (5-0)
Last week: Off. Next: Friday at Stephenson (4-0)
3. (3) M.L. King (5-0)
Last week: Off. Next: Thursday vs. Dunwoody (0-5)
4. (4) Stephenson (4-0)
Last week: Off. Next: Friday vs. Tucker (5-0)
5. (5) East Paulding (5-0)
Last week: Off. Next: Friday at Hiram (3-2)
6. (6) Thomas County Central (5-1)
Last week: Beat Bainbridge 17-14. Gavin Wilson’s 34-yard field goal won it in overtime. Bainbridge QB Damian Bouie fumbled after a big hit by Jerrell Jones near the goal line on Bainbridge’s overtime possession. In the fourth quarter, Bainbridge had a punt return for a touchdown negated by an illegal block trailing the play. “We had the good Lord shining on us tonight,” Central coach Bill Shaver told the Thomasville Times-Enterprise. “That punt return guy was about in the end zone, about the time that guy blocked 25 yards behind the play. Not just one referee, two referees threw flags.” Central QB Adam Choice rushed for 147 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries. Next: Friday vs. Northside, Columbus (2-2-1)
7. (7) Gainesville (5-1)
Last week: Beat Cedar Shoals 42-23. Gainesville led 28-23 in the fourth quarter before QB Deshaun Watson scored two of his three touchdowns. Watson was 20-of-28 passing for 234 yards. He rushed for 118 yards. Next: Friday at Salem (2-4)
8. (8) Warner Robins (4-1)
Last week: Beat Jones County 35-7. Warner Robins scored its 35 points in the first half. Danny Hite Jr. rushed for 180 yards. Jones County RB Undre Williams rushed for 152 yards, but Jones County quarterbacks were sacked seven times. Next: Friday vs. Greenbrier (1-4)
9. (9) Allatoona (6-0)
Last week: Beat New Manchester 41-13. TB T.J. Herron fumbled on Allatoona’s opening series, leading to a New Manchester 7-0 lead, but Herron finished with 110 yards rushing and three touchdowns. Next: Oct. 19 vs. Villa Rica (2-3)
10. (10) Kell (5-1)
Last week: Beat Riverwood 35-7. Kell took a 28-0 lead by the second quarter against a team that entered 5-0. South Carolina-committed RB/CB Brendan Langley had a 53-yard TD run, and RB Khalil Bell scored two touchdowns rushing. RB Jarami Moore rushed for 115 yards. Next: Friday vs. Osborne (1-5)
Class AAAA
1. (1) Sandy Creek (5-0)
Last week: Beat Troup 48-10. Sophomore RB Eric Swinney rushed for 126 yards on 14 carries, and Sandy Creek held Troup to 59 yards rushing, 66 passing. FB Antonio Williams scored two touchdowns. Sandy Creek led 17-10 late in the first half and scored the next 31 points. Next: Friday vs. Shaw (3-2)
2. (2) Marist (4-1)
Last week: Beat Columbia 16-0. Marist held Columbia to 97 yards in total offense. Columbia also made it tough for Marist QB Myles Willis, holding him to 32 yards rushing (13 carries) and 68 passing (5-of-10). Gray King had a 70-yard punt return. Three Marist kickers scored points – Thomas Andrews made an extra point, Fletcher Malloy made a 24-yard field goal, and Joey Gogel made field goals of 44 and 45 yards. Next: Friday vs. Lithonia (1-4)
3. (3) Burke County (5-1)
Last week: Beat Wayne County 50-21. QB Donquell Green rushed for 241 yards and scored four touchdowns on 20 carries and was 9-of-12 passing for 146 yards. He did not play in the fourth quarter. Next: Friday at Richmond Academy (2-3)
4. (4) Carrollton (3-2)
Last week: Beat Fayette County 44-13. Trey Shivers rushed for 158 yards on 11 carries for Carrollton. Montrell Kelley rushed for 188 yards for Fayette County and scored on an 80-yard run to make the score 24-6 early in the third quarter, but Fayette got no closer. Next: Friday vs. Troup (1-4)
5. (5) Statesboro (5-1)
Last week: Beat Swainsboro 32-7. Statesboro allowed only 107 yards in total offense and forced four turnovers. Quan Daniels scored two touchdowns, one on a 43-yard run for a 9-0 lead shortly after Statesboro had scored a safety. Swainsboro’s only points were from a fumble return. Next: Friday vs. Liberty County (5-1)
6. (6) Washington (5-0)
Last week: Beat South Atlanta 26-21. Washington blew a 20-0 lead but saved itself when Ferenanda Tucker threw a 67-yard TD pass to Antavis Rowe with 34 seconds left. Washington began its winning drive on the South Atlanta 10-yard line with 1:27 left. Tucker threw four TD passes, two on screen passes to Charlie Patrick, the other two to Rowe. Next: Saturday vs. Grady (4-1)
7. (7) Monroe Area (5-0)
Last week: Off. Next: Friday vs. Stephens County (4-1)
8. (8) Stockbridge (5-1)
Last week: Beat Eagle’s Landing 31-7. Winless Eagle’s Landing was within 10-7 at halftime, but Malik Bryan scored two second-half touchdowns and rushed for 112 yards. Next: Oct. 19 vs. Dutchtown (4-2)
9. (9) Griffin (5-1)
Last week: Beat Riverdale 35-14. QB Jaquez Parks threw three TD passes on 14-of-26 passing for 219 yards, and RB Devontae Freeman scored three touchdowns. Griffin drove 73 yards on 11 plays for a touchdown on its first possession, then led 14-0 after linebacker Quintavious Jackson stripped Riverdale’s quarterback of the ball. Nic Williams returned the fumble 47 yards for a 14-0 lead. Next: Oct. 19 vs. North Clayton (0-6)
10. (10) Jonesboro (5-1)
Last week: Beat North Clayton 26-8. QB Mario Atkinson was 23-of-36 passing for 239 yards and a touchdown. Winless North Clayton’s only points came after Jonesboro fumbled the opening kickoff. Jonesboro led 12-8 at halftime. Next: Oct. 19 vs. Spalding (1-3-1)
Class AAA
1. (1) Peach County (5-0)
Last week: Beat Henry County 48-7. Keyshawn Lowe rushed for 130 yards on 13 carries, and Peach took a 28-0 lead in the second quarter. WR Demarcus Robinson had four catches for 64 yards and scored a touchdown. Peach also scored touchdowns after a blocked punt and on an 87-yard interception return by Alex Dickey. QB Greg Williams was 7-of-10 passing for 193 yards and two touchdowns. Next: Friday at Jackson (4-2)
2. (2) Thomson (6-0)
Last week: Beat Greater Atlanta Christian 36-27. Thomson won after trailing for the sixth time as GAC led 20-15 at halftime. Chris Jordan rushed for 200 yards on 21 carries and scored three touchdowns, and his 69-yard return of a teammate’s fumble in the final minute provided the final margin. Trailing 30-27 with 1:06 left, GAC had a first down at the Thomson 24 but was intercepted in the end zone by William Bussey. Next: Friday at Swainsboro (3-2)
3. (3) Washington County (6-0)
Last week: Beat Lovett 48-35. RB Melvin Hill rushed for 183 yards and four touchdowns on 20 carries, and QB William Walker had 232 rushing on 22 carries and was 10-of-18 passing for 107 yards. Washington County scored on all seven drives that did not run up against the end of a half, but led only 42-35 until Hill’s 23-yard run with 3:15 left. Next: Friday at Jefferson County (3-3)
4. (4) Buford (4-1)
Last week: Beat West Hall 61-0. Jess Simpson got his 100th coaching victory. Buford scored 35 points in the third quarter despite running only three offensive plays. Tre Neal (52 yards) and Ryan Coleman (63) returned interceptions for touchdowns. The longest score was Dontravius Wilson’s 84-yard run. Wilson scored three touchdowns and rushed for 201 yards on 10 carries. Next: Friday at White County (4-1)
5. (5) St. Pius (5-1)
Last week: Beat McNair 34-0. St. Pius outgained McNair 312-73. FB Ryan Braswell rushed for 91 yards and scored three touchdowns. This was St. Pius’ 11th regular-season shutout since 2010, covering 26 games. Next: Oct. 19 vs. Cedar Grove (4-2)
6. (6) Carver-Columbus (4-1)
Last week: Off. Next: Friday vs. Henry County (1-5)
7. (7) Cartersville (6-0)
Last week: Beat Lakeview-Ft. Oglethorpe 45-16. Cartersville led only 17-16 at halftime but broke it open in the third quarter. Josh Cooper blocked a punt that Trevor Carlton recovered in the end zone for a 31-16 lead. Next: Oct. 19 vs. Gordon Central (6-0)
8. (10) Blessed Trinity (4-1)
Last week: Off. Next: Friday vs. Decatur (3-3)
9. (NR) North Oconee (4-1)
Last week: Beat Morgan County 35-7. Kawon Bryant rushed for 113 yards and scored three touchdowns, one on a 64-yard reception. Bryant, one of the top sophomore backs in the state, had missed three games with an ankle sprain. Morgan County, previously unbeaten, was held to 185 yards. Next: Friday vs. Franklin County (1-4)
10. (NR) Elbert County (3-2)
Last week: Beat Oconee County 62-21. Three Elbert players had more than 100 yards rushing. They were all-state RB Tyshon Dye (seven carries, 154 yards, three touchdowns), freshman QB Mecole Hardman (4-110-1) and RB K’Taro Cade (5-113-1). Next: Friday at Morgan County (4-1)
Class AA
1. (1) Calhoun (5-0)
Last week: Off. Next: Friday vs. Pepperell (2-3)
2. (2) Brooks County (6-0)
Last week: Beat Thomasville 28-10. QB Malcolm Parrish threw four TD passes. He was only 16-of-37 passing but threw for 290 yards. Brooks was held to 39 yards rushing on 27 carries, according to the Thomasville Times-Enterprise. Thomasville was held to less than 200 yards. Thomasville is 1-5 for the first time since 1994. Brooks is 6-0 for the first time since 1995. Next: Friday vs. Fitzgerald (5-1)
3. (4) Vidalia (6-0)
Last week: Beat Atkinson County 35-6. Juan Foster rushed for 212 yards and two touchdowns. Vidalia held Atkinson to minus-3 yards rushing and surrendered its only points on a 64-yard return of a fumble late in the fourth quarter. Next: Oct. 19 vs. Bryan County (1-5)
4. (5) Fitzgerald (5-1)
Last week: Beat Cook 21-15. QB Romarius Gaulden scored on runs of 58 and 40 yards in the first quarter and threw a 24-yard TD pass to Zeke Coley. Coley had intercepted a pass moments before. Gaulden had 121 yards rushing on 21 carries. Next: Friday at Brooks County (6-0)
5. (3) Cook (4-1)
Last week: Lost to Fitzgerald 21-15. Cook got a safety before halftime after turning the ball over on downs inside the Fitzgerald 1-yard line. Cook also threw an interception early in the second half that set up Fitzgerald’s third touchdown, which put Cook in a 21-8 hole. Next: Friday vs. Pelham (1-4)
6. (7) Lamar County (4-0-1)
Last week: Beat Northeast 36-0. Lamar held previously unbeaten Northeast to 144 yards in total offense and five first downs. Lamar scored on three long second-quarter plays as QB Lance Austin threw TD passes of 55 yards to Quan Searcy and 86 to brother Lawrence Austin, and Antwaan Wallace had a 50-yard run. Next: Friday at Monticello (1-4)
7. (8) Heard County (5-0)
Last week: Beat Chattahoochee County 40-14. FB Ta Freeland had three catches for 117 yards and nine carries for 66 yards and scored two touchdowns. Chattahoochee County scored both of its touchdowns on fumble returns. RB Duranta Dunson rushed for 156 yards on 11 carries, intercepted a pass and made 15 tackles. QB Jonathon Hunt threw for 172 yards and two touchdowns and returned a kickoff for a touchdown. Next: Friday vs. Manchester (4-1)
8. (9) Greater Atlanta Christian (4-2)
Last week: Lost to Thomson 36-27. Rafe Chapple was 18-of-32 passing for 355 yards and three touchdowns but was intercepted three times, the final one in the end zone with about a minute to play, when GAC trailed 30-27. GAC receivers Peter Whiteneck (six catches, 156 yards) and Darius Slayton (6-103) each had more than 100 yards receiving. Next: Friday vs. Westminster (2-4)
9. (NR) Benedictine (5-1)
Last week: Beat Bryan County 21-9. Casey Hughes rushed for 140 yards and scored on a 1-yard run in the fourth quarter for the final margin. Hughes also had four catches for 54 yards. Benedictine is ranked in the Top 10 for the first time since 1997. Benedictine’s loss is to No. 3 Vidalia. Next: Friday vs. Bacon County (4-2)
10. (10) Lovett (2-4)
Last week: Lost to Washington County 48-35. Lovett lost to a ranked team in a higher classification for the fourth consecutive week and was within 42-35 until Washington County’s final touchdown with 2:43 left. QB Willie Chandler was 18-of-27 passing for 232 yards and three touchdowns. Next: Oct. 19 vs. Hapeville Charter (2-3)
Class A
1. (1) Eagle’s Landing Christian (4-1)
Last week: Off. Next: Friday vs. Mount Vernon Presbyterian (2-4)
2. (3) Aquinas (5-0)
Last week: Beat Hancock Central 31-6. Aquinas led only 7-0 at halftime but held Hancock Central to 125 yards of total offense. Brendan Douglas rushed for 142 yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries. Next: Thursday vs. Lincoln County (4-1)
3. (4) Calvary Day (5-0)
Last week: Beat Savannah Country Day 48-7. QB Jake Clemens was 8-of-8 passing for 131 yards and two touchdowns, and he scored four touchdowns while rushing for 145 yards. Derek Kirkland had two interceptions. It was 35-7 at halftime. Next: Friday at Savannah Christian (3-2)
4. (6) Emanuel County Institute (5-1)
Last week: Beat Wheeler County 68-7. ECI led 62-0 at halftime. RB Greg Purcell had 94 of ECI’s 414 rushing yards and scored two touchdowns on five carries. Next: Friday vs. Treutlen (3-2)
5. (7) George Walton Academy (5-1)
Last week: Beat Hebron Christian 52-10. Freshman Dimetrios Mason caught a 37-yard TD pass and returned a punt 54 yards for a score. RB Stanley Williams rushed for 137 yards and three touchdowns on 12 carries. Next: Oct. 19 at Pinecrest Academy (3-1)
6. (8) Athens Academy (5-0)
Last week: Beat Prince Avenue Christian 14-7. Austin Schulte threw a 25-yard TD pass to Jordan Lawson with 6:03 left for the winning score. Schulte was 14-of-23 passing for 207 yards and two touchdowns. Next: Friday at Pinecrest Academy (3-1)
7. (5) Lincoln County (4-1)
Last week: Beat Warren County 49-6. Lincoln County allowed 47 yards in total offense and forced four turnovers. Mike McIntire rushed for 126 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries. Lincoln has beaten Warren 38 consecutive times. Next: Thursday at Aquinas (5-0)
8. (2) Prince Avenue Christian (5-1)
Last week: Lost to Athens Academy 14-7. Connor Sibley scored Prince Avenue’s touchdown on a 13-yard run late in the third quarter that tied the game 7-7. Prince Avenue had won 15 straight home games. Next: Friday vs. Commerce (4-2)
9. (9) Savannah Christian (3-2)
Last week: Beat Claxton 24-14. Wade Benton blocked a punt, and Jalen Myrick made a scoop-and-score for a 7-0 lead in the third quarter. Myrick set up another Savannah Christian score with a long punt return. Next: Friday vs. Calvary Day (5-0)
10. (NR) Clinch County (3-2)
Last week: Off. Next: Friday vs. Irwin County (3-2)