Our Game of the Week for the final scrimmage tune-up is in Tiger, as the #3-ranked Wildcats of Rabun County take on visiting Bowdon, a 10-win, second-round team from last year.

RABUN COUNTY

The Wildcats had a mass exodus of its coaching staff and a 20-plus senior class headlined by 5-star Gunner Stockton, the state’s all-time passing TD and total TD leader. Only two coaches remain from the Golden Age of Rabun County football, and head coach Michael Davis is one of those. He brings back several key skill players from last year, and is determined to make sure the Golden Age continues, even if it looks different. Headlining the talent on the roster is incoming transfer QB Keegan Stover, who is getting DI looks, and Jaden Gibson, who is fresh off 1,800 receiving yards and 19 TD (yardage is second most in state history). If he hits 1,300 receiving and another 19 TDs, he’ll be the all-time leader in both categories in Georgia history. Lang Windham, Cory Keller, and Cesar Cruz are among the bigtime guys back in 2022, along with players like Willie Goodwyn, Nic Baloga, and Jarrett Giles. Davis guided the offense that averaged nearly 50 points per game last year. The Cats look for yet another region title and quarterfinals or deeper run, and come in ranked #3 in the state polls early on.

BOWDON

The Red Devils last season won 10 games and made the second round, so this is no easy scrimmage for the Wildcats. Bowdon won the second of back-to-back region titles in 2021, and look to return to that form again this season. Though this group lost a chunk of receivers (their top three), they bring back their starting QB and running back. The defense lost its top two players on that side of the ball, but return about seven starters there. This team is solid.

BY THE NUMBERS (2021)

RABUN COUNTY

• 11-2 (3-0; Region 8-AA Champions)
• Region Standings: 1st
• 48.62 OFFENSE AVG
• 15.15 DEFENSE AVG
• #1 State Ranking

BOWDON

• 10-1 (4-1; Region 2-AA Runner-Up)
• Region Standings: 2nd
• 31.58 OFFENSE AVG
• 13.58 DEFENSE AVG
• #6 State Ranking

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

Be looking for highlights post-game late tonight as well as a story recapping the scrimmage. Highlights are shared on Channel 5 (Fox) on the 11 PM “High 5 Sports” show throughout the regular season. You can also follow us on Twitter (@BlitzSportsGa) for live score updates (5G pending).

OUR PREDICTION

Rabun County is anxious to turn the page and pen a new chapter while keeping the sun in the sky on this program. Look for an amped-up offense to score at a high clip, and the game to be settled by the third quarter. OUR PICK: Rabun County

DO WE BRING LUCK?

We’ve seen Rabun County in action 55 times over the years, and the Cats have gone 43-12 in those games. Not that they need us to be there, but they just make winning a habit.

DETAILS OF THE MATCHUP

TIME: 7:30 PM Kickoff
PLACE: Rabun County HS / Tiger, GA / Frank Snyder Memorial Stadium
LAST MEETING: N/A
ALL-TIME RECORD: N/A
RECORDS: [2021] #1 Rabun County Wildcats (11-2; 3-0 in 8-AA); #6 Bowdon Red Devils (10-2; 6-0 in 6-A Public)
HEAD COACHES: Michael Davis (0-0; 1 Season) vs Richard Fendley, Jr. (28-37; 7 Seasons)

HISTORICALLY SPEAKING

This is a first-time matchup for these two programs. Tonight will make history for both.

TEAM LEADERS (Returning Players, 2021 Stats)

RABUN COUNTY

PASSING
Keegan Stover (2,409 yds, 25 TD, 3 INT, 59% completion) *West Forsyth

RUSHING
Lang Windham (812 yds, 13 TD, 9.3 YPC)
Nic Baloga (172 yds, 1 TD, 5.7 YPC)

RECEIVING
Jaden Gibson (1,878 yds, 19 TD, 86 rec)
Lang Windham (664 yds, 9 TD, 44 rec)
Cory Keller (175 yds, 2 TD, 6 rec)
Noah Legault (170 yds, 0 TD, 10 rec) *West Hall

DEFENSIVE LEADERS
Cory Keller (103 TKL, 7 TFL, 2 FR)
Cesar Cruz (76 TKL, 7.5 TFL, 6 Sacks, 4 FR)
Willie Goodwyn (36 TKL, 5 INT)
Jarrett Giles (42 TKL, 3 TFL, 3 INT)

BOWDON

PASSING
Robert McNeal (1,961 yds, 20 TD, 3 INT, 62% completion)

RUSHING
Luke Windom (1,034 yds, 9 TD, 6.2 YPC)
Robert McNeal (749 yds, 11 TD, 6.9 YPC)
Eli Mays (108 yds, 1 TD, 9.0 YPC)

RECEIVING
Will Rainwater (165 yds, 2 TD, 5 rec)
Luke Windom (133 yds, 0 TD, 11 rec)
Asher Christopher (59 yds, 2 TD, 4 rec)

DEFENSIVE LEADERS
Chris Wyatt (59 TKL, 2 TFL, 2 Sacks, 2 INT)
Jamichael Jones (57 TKL, 1 FR)
Asher Christoper (55 TKL, 7 TFL, 4 Sacks, 1 FR)
Dylan Akins (45 TKL, 3 TFL, 2 Sacks)
Jordan Beasley (45 TKL, 4 TFL, 2 Sacks)