Football Power Rankings – Week Eight
Literally zero movement in our Power Rankings for a second week in a row. Here is the rundown after Week Eight.
#1 JEFFERSON
LAST RANK: #1
RECORD: 6-0 (2-0)
LAST: W 49-0 vs Cedar Shoals
NEXT: BYE
The #1-ranked Dragons again rolled past a region opponent, this time blanking Cedar Shoals at home. A bye week is up for Jefferson.
#2 RABUN COUNTY
LAST RANK: #2
RECORD: 6-1 (0-0)
LAST: W 42-6 @ Columbia Academy (TN)
NEXT: vs Banks County
#1 Rabun has the top-ranked offense in the state, and again knocked on the door of 50 points. They have the potential to do much the same over the next few weeks, as they are favored by double digits in each region game. Gunner Stockton put up another 5 TD, including 4 passing. His second TD pass against Columbia was the 100th of his career, making him one of eight in state history to meet that mark. He also eclipsed 8,000 career passing yards in the win, putting him in the top 20 all-time.
#3 COMMERCE
LAST RANK: #3
RECORD: 6-1 (2-0)
LAST: W 55-7 vs Towns County
NEXT: BYE
The #3-ranked Tigers had no trouble at all with Towns, and now get a bye week after four straight wins. Sammy Brown continues to be unbelievable as just a freshman for this team.
#4 DAWSON COUNTY
LAST RANK: #4
RECORD: 3-3 (2-0)
LAST: W 35-0 vs Gilmer
NEXT: @ West Hall
Dawson County pitched a shutout against Gilmer and move to 2-0 in region. It’s looking increasingly more likely that the Week 12 game at North Hall might end up being a true region title game if both teams keep winning. Next up is a 1-6 West Hall team.
#5 WHITE COUNTY
LAST RANK: #5
RECORD: 5-2 (1-2)
LAST: W 35-0 vs West Hall
NEXT: BYE
The Warriors finally stopped the bleeding and picked up a win over West Hall. Silas Mulligan, Riley Stancil, and Darius Cannon have really stepped up while star QB J Ben Haynes continues to heal. With a bye week, that could be the final game White County plays without Haynes, who could be back for the final three games, which White County needs to win in order to get a better draw in the state tournament.
#6 STEPHENS COUNTY
LAST RANK: #6
RECORD: 4-3 (0-2)
LAST: L 28-29 @ #9 Franklin County
NEXT: BYE
Stephens County has dropped two straight in region, and this one stung badly. They’ll have awhile to sit on that one, as a bye week is up before taking on big-time rivals Hart County in Week 10. The Indians can only afford one more loss if they want to make the playoffs.
#7 HABERSHAM CENTRAL
LAST RANK: #7
RECORD: 3-4 (1-2)
LAST: L 14-50 @ #5 Dacula
NEXT: vs #9 Lanier
The grind continues, as now Buford and Dacula, both top-five teams, have come and gone on the calendar. Now comes #9 Lanier. Things do get easier after that, when the Raiders have Central Gwinnett, a bye week, and Shiloh. They’ll need to win two of three to make state a reality.
#8 UNION COUNTY
LAST RANK: #8
RECORD: 3-2 (1-0)
LAST: W 19-7 @ Banks County
NEXT: vs Elbert County
Union County got a win after three weeks off. It wasn’t pretty at times, but the Panthers got it done and opened region play with a win. Now comes a big test against Elbert County. The good news is the return of Jonah Daniel, the star RB who was injured early in the first game. He scored two TDs against Banks County and was the difference. If he’s back and can shoulder a bit of the load, Union should be just fine.
#9 TOWNS COUNTY
LAST RANK: #9
RECORD: 2-4 (0-1)
LAST: L 7-55 @ #3 Commerce
NEXT: BYE
Towns County gets another off week to try and correct the ship. The Indians have now lost three in a row and have had a game canceled, and two bye weeks to think about all that.
#10 BANKS COUNTY
LAST RANK: #10
RECORD: 1-6 (0-1)
LAST: L 7-19 vs Union County
NEXT: @ #1 Rabun County
Banks County has a few key players out with injury. Again, this team will for sure be in the playoffs, as will all 8-AA teams, but the Leopards would like to find some traction at some point soon.
#11 LUMPKIN COUNTY
LAST RANK: #11
RECORD: 0-6 (0-2)
LAST: L 10-33 @ North Hall
NEXT: vs #10 Cherokee Bluff
Lumpkin County may not have a win, but there are some positives. Cooper Scott made some plays in the loss to North Hall. Next up is Cherokee Bluff, who comes in a perfect 6-0.
BLITZ 