All good things come to an end. #2 Rabun County saw its 50-game win streak in region play come to an end in a shocking 21-9 loss at home to Elbert County in a top-5 matchup that gave the Blue Devils the inside track to the region title. That loss pushes Rabun from a potential 10^th straight region title, with those hopes now controlled by other teams.

The #4-ranked Blue Devils set the tone early with a TD on the opening drive when Jacari Barnett busted through the line and sprinted in from 64 yards out for the 7-0 lead. The Wildcats turned the ball over on downs when failing at midfield to convert a 4^th & 1. However, Elbert gifted the ball back when fumbling near the red zone, recovered by Riley Stewart.

Still, the Cats could get nothing going on offense. Elbert County pushed the lead to 14-0 on a screen pass from Jayvyn Hickman to Ty’Rikis Jones, who used a block to convert a 31-yd TD. Rabun County, needing a response, got 1^st & Goal before settling on a 29-yd FG by Marcus Remillard, leaving it at 14-3 going into the break.

Rabun marched quickly to open the second half, but turned it over a second time on downs. Neither side put up points in the third, but Elbert opened the fourth with a 20-yd TD from Braylon Scarborough to Malik Moon, a dagger to make it 21-3. It came after the Blue Devils punted, but the ball hit a Rabun player’s helmet and was recovered by Elbert.

Needing a homerun play, the Wildcats got it when Ty Truelove hit Willie Goodwyn for a 66-yd TD. The failed 2-point try kept it at 21-9, and Rabun was again turned away on downs in the closing minutes.

The Cats fall to 6-2 overall and 0-1 in region play, taking their first loss in nearly 10 years. The last region defeat was at the hands of Washington-Wilkes on October 18, 2013. Rabun (36.3) and Elbert (33.4) both underplayed their offensive averages. The win was the first for Elbert County in the history of the series after 7 straight losses.