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Articles by Jeff Butler
Hopewell Victorious Over Matoaca, 28-6!
Hopewell bounced back from last week's loss to Petersburg with a 28-6 road victory over Matoaca, improving to 7-2 with six wins in its last seven games. The Warriors fell to 2-7 after a difficult schedule. Hopewell opened with promise as freshman quarterback Ar'King Holloway connected with junior receiver Ze'Vion Grammer for 19 yards. A 14-yard run followed, but a fumbled handoff on an end-around ended the possession. Matoaca threatened on its next drive.
Football: North Hall clinches third straight region title with win over White Co.
CLEVELAND, Ga. — With the win over White County and Gilmer's loss to Pickens, North Hall clinched its third straight region title Friday night at Warrior Stadium. Last week it was Cole Cable and Noah Kemp. This week, it was Colton Steele and Asher Jimenez. Steele scored three touchdowns, including on the opening play of the game, a 64-yard touchdown pass; Jimenez added two long touchdown runs as North Hall dominated the third quarter to defeat White County 42-20.
Football: Jefferson claims 8-5A with 27-17 win over North Oconee
JEFFERSON, Ga. – They say defense wins championships. Jefferson really took that to heart in 2026. The Dragons held North Oconee to just 15 offensive yards in the first half on the way to winning the Region 8-5A title with a 27-17 win over the Titans. "We've got a great defensive staff," said Travis Noland. "We've also got a group of young men that care about each other.
Football: Falcons rally for OT win over East Forsyth
GAINSVILLE, Ga. – Flowery Branch took a big step toward cementing its place in the Class 5A state playoffs with a 37-34 overtime win over East Forsyth in Region 8-5A play at Half Mile Stadium. Flowery Branch (5-4, 2-2 Region 8-5A) trailed 34-20 with eight minutes to play but rallied for the win. “Our guys just never quit,” Flowery Branch Coach Michael Perry said. “We’ve played some of the best teams in the state of Georgia. So, our guys are used to being in big-time moments.
Football: Bee scores three times as Habersham Central blanks Cedar Shoals
MT. AIRY, Ga. — Kenley Bee rushed for three touchdowns, and Paris Wilbanks threw for 339 yards as Habersham Central shut out Cedar Shoals 38-0 Friday. The Raiders piled up 381 yards of offense while limiting the Jaguars to 129, including just 12 yards passing. Habersham Central also recovered two Cedar Shoals fumbles. Wilbanks completed 20 of 27 passes and added 30 yards and a touchdown on seven carries.
Football: Lumpkin’s Alvarez scores five times in 43-19 rout of Morgan County
MADISON, Ga. – Joseph Alvarez had five rushing touchdowns on the night, and Kolson Howell threw for over 200 yards as Lumpkin County bounced back in a big way Friday night in a 43-19 win over Morgan County. The Indians had 513 yards of total offense on the night while holding the Bulldogs to just 329. Alvarez was a big part of that, scoring twice in the first quarter before two more touchdowns in the second which pushed the Indian lead to 27-13.
Golden State trails Atlanta Dream 2-1 heading into pivotal WNBA Finals Game 4
ATLANTA (AP) — The Golden State Valkyries are still confident. Trailing 2-1 in the best-of-seven WNBA Finals against Atlanta, they know a win on Saturday will give them back home-court advantage with a trip to “Ballhalla” awaiting. “It would be silly to overreact right now,” Valkyries guard Veronica Burton said. “We continue to point out the things where we lack discipline and where we lack maybe paying attention to their personnel.
Volleyball playoffs: 7 area teams look for Final 4 berths
North Forsyth and North Hall continue to lead the way for northeast Georgia area teams. The two No. 1 seeds will headline seven teams in the Elite 8 round of the Georgia High School Association playoffs on Saturday. And both face tough in-county showdowns at home to try and advance to the semifinals. The Lady Raiders will take on Denmark in Class 7A while the Lady Trojans take on Cherokee Bluff in Class 4A. North Forsyth is looking for a second straight trip to the Final 4.
Football: Buford shuts out Mill Creek
MULBERRY, Ga. – Buford scored twice in the first quarter and never looked back in a 40-0 win over Mill Creek Friday night. Jameer Cantrell got the Wolves on the board on the opening drive with a 1-yard run before DJ Hunter linked up with Braylon Wims for a 34-yard passing score midway through the first to take a 14-0 lead, a score that would stand all the way into the second half. Cantrell broke free on the first play of the second half on a 61-yard run to push the lead to 20-0.
Football: Jackson County blows past Cedar Shoals
HOSCHTON, Ga. – Daylan Maxwell rushed for 154 yards and three touchdowns on 11 carries to lead Jackson County to a 56-0 road win over Cedar Shoals Friday. Ben Musser added two rushing touchdowns on two carries for 20 yards. He also completed 8 of 11 passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns. Owen Anderson caught a 75-yard touchdown pass, while Noah Norwood added a 55-yard scoring reception. Maxwell also caught one 4-yard pass.
Football: Commerce falls at PACS
ATHENS, Ga. – Commerce fell for the first time this season in a 24-9 matchup Friday night at Prince Avenue Christian. Trailing 10-0 after the first quarter, Marco Huff scored to put Commerce on the board, 10-6. The Wolverines found one more touchdown before halftime, though, to take an 11-point lead into intermission. The Tigers found a field goal in the third quarter, but that was the last score Commerce would have as PACS scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach.
Football: Late field goal lifts Milton past Red Elephants
GAINESVILLE, Ga. – Milton’s Ryan Jung kicked a 47-yard field goal with 58 seconds to play to give the Eagles a 49-46 Region 7-6A win over Gainesville at City Park Stadium. After the Red Elephants (6-3, 4-1 Region 7-6A) took an early lead, Milton (7-1, 4-0, Region 7-6A) scored three touchdowns in the third quarter for a 38-30 lead. The Red Elephants steadied themselves and scored twice to retake the lead. P.J. Lewis, who rushed for 78 yards, scored on an 18-yard run.
Football: Rabun County bounces back with win over Oglethorpe
LEXINGTON, Ga. – Rabun County bounced back Friday night with a big win over Oglethorpe County, 35-6. The Wildcats got on the board first after recovering a muffed punt on the 2-yard-line and giving it to JK Fruster for the 7-0 lead. The Patriots answered with a 65-yard touchdown, but a missed PAT kept Rabun in the lead through one quarter. Cooper Kowalsky got it going through the air midway through the second, finding Hayden Cannon for a 17-yard touchdown to take a 14-6 lead.
Dream’s Allisha Gray expected to play in Game 1 of WNBA Finals
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Atlanta Dream coach Karl Smesko was optimistic forward Allisha Gray would return from a finger injury to play in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals on Saturday against the Golden State Valkyries. If Gray was cleared to play, Smesko didn't anticipate any restrictions for his star player as the top two defensive teams in the league face off. “She’s going to go through the workout today.
Former Buford standouts Bolden, Greene ruled out for Dogs vs. Auburn
ATHENS, Ga. — According to the official SEC availability report, a pair of former Buford standouts have been delcared out this week for the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday. Safety KJ Bolden (right leg) was ruled out on Friday, joining defensive back Tyriq Green (ankle). They are part of six players ruled out for Saturday's showdown with Auburn at Sanford Stadium.
Football: Bourque, Pinto rally NoFo to thrilling 6-7A win over SoFo
CUMMING, Ga. — For North Forsyth coach Robert Craft, it was about just one game this week. However, with a thrilling 38-31 come-from-behind win over South Forsyth Friday night, Craft made history and the Raiders set themselves up for perhaps an historical run in 2026. Noah Bourque connected with Cash Martin for a 5-yard touchdown pass with just 2 seconds left to cap a frenetic 86-yard drive in 57 seconds to lift the Raiders to the improbable win.
Football: Commerce in control from the start to beat Rabun and stay unbeaten
COMMERCE, Ga. – The Commerce football team continued its march toward the Class 2A playoffs, and maybe a region championship, with a 28-7 Region 8-2A win over Rabun County on Friday night at Ray Lamb Field. Rebounding from a 2-8 season in 2025 in which they missed the playoffs, the Tigers have been on a roll in 2026 and rank No. 6 in the Class 2A GHSA Postseason Rankings. “I think there's always going to be room for improvement,” Commerce Coach Lenny Gregory said.
Football: Lumpkin bounces back with key region win over Stephens
DAHLONEGA, Ga. – Lumpkin County cooled off one of Class 3A's hottest teams and, in the process, heated up the Region 8-3A championship race. The Indians ended Stephens County’s four-game winning streak with a 28-21 win Friday night at Cottrell Field. “It was a tremendous win,” Lumpkin senior running back Weston Veater said. Lumpkin (5-1, 1-1 Region 8-3A) had a week off after losing to Hart County on Sept. 25 and responded with a strong effort against Stephens.
Football: Jefferson shuts out East Forsyth
JEFFERSON, Ga. – Jefferson pitched a fourth-straight shutout Friday night with a 35-0 win over East Forsyth. It's just the second time in program history the Dragons have had four straight shutouts, but the first time they've done it in a single season. The last time Jefferson didn't give up any points over four games was at the end of the 1958 season and the first of 1959.
Football: Branch holds off Winder-Barrow to get key region win
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. – In a game that was tight early, then saw the Falcons build a two-score lead, then grew tight again late, the Falcons recovered an onside kick with seconds left to seal a 35-32 win over Winder-Barrow Friday at Falcon Field. "We were a resilient bunch, but I'm so sick of these heart attack games," Branch coach Michael Perry said, laughing. "Seems like we're always in [them]. But really happy for our seniors. It was senior night. You know, our last time playing here.
Football: NoFo takes down Forsyth Central
CUMMING, Ga. – North Forsyth scored the final 28 points to defeat Forsyth Central and stay within reach of the top of Region 6-7A. Jackson Hall got things started with a 1-yard rushing score midway through the first before Michael Turner caught a pass from Noah Bourque to double the lead at the end of the first quarter, 14-0. After the Bulldogs scored early in the second, Ethan Cahill answered back, hauling in a 39-yard passing score to take a 21-6 lead.
Football: Gainesville blows past Johns Creek
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. – Gainesville racked up 44 first-half points to win 65-3 at Johns Creek on Friday. Big Red held the Gladiators to just 48 total yards while piling up 348. Ar'Shawn Sampson led Gainesville's rushing game with 92 yards on four carries and a TD. Jordan Brown had 68 yards on three carries and two touchdowns. Kharim Hughley threw for 2-of-8 passing, 43 yards, and a TD. Gainesville hosts Riverwood at City Park next week.
Football: White County stuns Pickens on late 99-yard touchdown, 34-33
JASPER, Ga. — White County saved its biggest play for when it needed it most. Brinn Robinson connected with Zach Godfrey for a 99-yard touchdown with 2:45 remaining Friday night, lifting the Warriors to a dramatic 34-33 comeback win over Pickens. It was the Warriors' sixth game in which they had to rally to win. Godfrey also got some redemption when he hauled in the 99-yard game-winning TD pass. The series before, he muffed a punt, giving Pickens the ball back with 5:05 left.
FGN Week 8 wrap: Lumpkin, Branch win close; GVL, Jefferson roll
Week 8 of high school football had a little bit of everything. From blowouts to barn burners, you could find anything you wanted. Let's start with the blowouts. Gainesville walloped Johns Creek, Jefferson pitched a shutout to East Forsyth, Buford wiped the floor with Dacula and North Forsyth ran away from Forsyth Central. Commerce and Rabun County each earned massive shutout wins as well. Then, we had some thrillers.
Football: Commerce blows past Oglethorpe
COMMERCE, Ga. – Commerce remained unbeaten Friday night with a 50-o win to open region play against Oglethorpe County. The Tigers took the ball to start the game and marched 68 yards on 10 plays, converting on 4th-and-18 to score on a pass from Tate Kirk to Robert Spry. Marco Huff got in on the scoring moments later on a 1-yard run before Kirk linked up with Mason Brown for a 9-yard score to go up 22-0 after one.
Football: LCA routs Fideles
CUMMING, Ga. – Lanier Christian wasted little time Friday night lighting up the scoreboard, taking down Fideles 68-0. Mikah Criste rushed for a 56-yard touchdown on the first offensive play for the Lightning before tacking on nearly 100 more yards throughout the night. He finished with 10 carries for 150 yards, three receptions for 94 yards and a pick-six, tallying six touchdowns on the night. Asher Acton added 124 yards and three scores on 12 carries.
Week 8 notebook: Some area offenses, and defenses, are showing out in 2026
Week 8 got under way last night with North Hall, Cherokee Bluff, and Lakeview Academy all picking up key region wins. There are 17 games on tap tonight, with several more teams fighting for their playoff lives, and others looking to continue the climb toward a region championship. The last few years, offense had ruled the area lighting up scoreboards like Christmas trees. There are still a few left, to be sure. But 2026 seems to be the year of the defense around the area.
Football: Lakeview hangs on to beat Riverside 28-26
GAINESVILLE, Ga. – Lakeview Academy got a fourth-quarter touchdown and a late defensive stop to edge Riverside 28-26 in GIAA AAAA/AAA District 4 play Thursday night at Maginnis Field. With no seniors on the roster, the Lions (2-4, 1-2 AAAA/AAA District 4) have been going through some growing pains but snapped a four-game losing streak with the solid victory. “With a young team that we have, I'm just proud of the way they continue to fight,” Lakeview Coach Lee Coleman said. “We have no seniors.
Stockton throws 3 TDs, No. 2 Georgia rolls past Vandy
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Gunner Stockton threw for 295 yards and three touchdowns as No. 2 Georgia cruised to a 38-14 win over Vanderbilt on Saturday. Georgia scored an opening drive touchdown for the fourth time this season as Stockton found Landon Roldan for a two-yard TD. A Vanderbilt team led by backup quarterback Blaze Berlowitz showed some fight, answering back two drives later as Berlowitz found Junior Sherrill for a 60-yard touchdown and tied the game 7-all.
Tarik Skubal gets nod in 1st career home playoff start vs. Braves
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tarik Skubal expects to hear cheers instead of the usual boos when he takes the mound for the Los Angeles Dodgers against the Atlanta Braves in Game 1 of the National League Division Series on Saturday. That's because the 29-year-old left-hander will be starting a postseason game at home for the first time in his career. His first six career playoff starts with the Detroit Tigers in 2024 and '25 all came on the road.
Football: Big Red dominates Roswell to take upper-hand in 7-6A
ROSWELL, Ga. — The Gainesville defense made sure there would be no thrilling finish this time. Matthew Schletty and the Roswell offense posted their lowest offensive output in nearly a decade as Big Red dominated the Hornets in a 34-5 win at Ray Manus Stadium Friday night. It was the first game Roswell had been held without a touchdown since 2017, when it suffered a 31-0 shutout loss to Colquitt County.
Football: Jefferson rolls to region win over Falcons
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. – A new region in a new classification, but the same winning formula for the Jefferson football team. The Dragons won their Region 8-5A opener 35-0 over Flowery Branch on Friday night at Falcon Field. “It's great to get some momentum to go into the region schedule,” Jefferson senior linebacker/running back Max Brown said. “I think it's a tough region.
Football: East Forsyth holds off Madison County
DANIELSVILLE, Ga. – East Forsyth stopped Madison County's two-point conversion in the fourth quarter and scored late to put away the Red Raiders, 35-26, Friday night. The Broncos jumped out to a 28-13 lead before Madison County came roaring back in the fourth quarter, scoring a pair of rushing touchdowns to cut the lead to two, but needing a two-point conversion, the East Forsyth defense held firm to keep them out.
FGN Week 7 wrap: Gainesville, Jefferson win big
We had a mixed bag of results in Week 7 of high school football, with games we thought would be close being blowouts and vice versa. Let's start with the games that turned into blowouts. Jefferson blew past Flowery Branch after an early goal-line stand. Gainesville shut Roswell's offense down in a big region win for Big Red. East Jackson blanked West Hall in what we think was a de facto playoff eliminator. Now for the close games.
Football: North Hall routs Dawson County
CLERMONT, Ga. – North Hall put up over 500 yards of offense on the way to a 52-7 win over Dawson County in 6-4A action Friday night. The Trojans scored on the opening drive, capped by a Noah Kemp 11-yard rushing score before Colton Steele pushed the lead to 13-0 on a 56-yard sprint just four minutes later.
Football: Clark’s second-half touchdowns lift White County past Gilmer
CLEVELAND, Ga. — Jack Clark scored twice in the second half, including the go-ahead touchdown with 5:26 remaining, as White County rallied past Gilmer 21-14 Friday night. Gilmer had a chance to tie it up late, but White County's defense forced the Bobcats to turn the ball over on downs with 1:52 left. "I would be remiss if I didn't start off and just give a big shout-out to our defense, man," White County coach Chad Bennett said. "They played awesome tonight.
Football: Bluff’s rally falls short in loss to Oconee County
WATKINSVILLE, Ga. – Cherokee Bluff had a chance but turned the ball over on downs late in the fourth quarter, falling to Oconee County, 24-21. The massive Region 8-4A battle didn't start the way the Bears (2-4, 0-1) wanted, falling behind 14-0 on a 50-yard pass and 10-yard run by the Warriors (3-3, 1-0) in the first quarter.
Football: LCA’s Acton has four touchdowns in loss to Victory Baptist
Asher Acton rushed for 167 yards and four touchdowns, but Lanier Christian couldn’t hold off Victory Baptist in a 43-29 loss. The Lightning jumped out to a 15-0 lead behind Acton, who opened the scoring with a 7-yard touchdown run, intercepted a pass on Victory Baptist’s ensuing possession, and added a 20-yard touchdown run. Victory Baptist answered by controlling the clock and tying it up at 22 just before halftime.
Football: East Jackson flys past West Hall
COMMERCE, Ga. – East Jackson started Region 8-4A play on the right foot with a 43-0 rout of West Hall Friday night at home. The Eagles led 22-0 at halftime and scored 21 unanswered points in the second half for a convincing win. It was the Eagles' first region win in eight games. The loss for the Spartans extended their region losing streak to 23-straight going back to 2021.
Football: Towns County defeats Johnson
OAKWOOD, Ga. – Towns County improved to 4-3 on the season with a 36-6 win over Johnson Friday night. Leading 7-0 early in the first, Alex Baert punched it in to double the lead to 14-0 after one. Baert scored again in the second quarter to get the lead up to three touchdowns before Sam Sarafin caught a pass right before halftime to score and make it 28-0. Alfonso Giampola found Baylor Rogers early in the third quarter to go up 34-0 before a safety made it 36-0.
Football: Union County gets in the win column at Sonoraville
CALHOUN, Ga. – Union County got their first win of the season Friday night as they took down Sonoraville, 26-0. Leading 6-0 after the first quarter, the Panthers tacked on more midway through the second quarter as Kamden Kendrick found Jax Dillinger for a 1-yard passing touchdown to take a 12-0 lead. Kendrick was successful again through the air early in the third quarter, linking up with Bentley Rich for a 3-yard passing score to take an 18-0 lead.
Football: Commerce rolls over Temple
TEMPLE, Ga. – Commerce's offense continue to put up big numbers in a 45-14 win over Temple Friday night on the road. Marco Huff got things rolling in the first quarter to help give Commerce a 4-7 lead early on, while Essien Lockleer and Jace Lyle both had scores, Lockleer through the air from Tate Kirk and Lyle on the ground, in the second quarter to get to a 28-14 lead at intermission.
Coaches are worried about disruptions as President Trump set to attend
KNOXVILLE, Tennessee (AP) — When President Donald Trump attends Saturday's Texas vs. Tennessee college football game, it could mean more than tougher traffic and extra-long security lines for fans. The disruptions caused by Trump's visit could extend to the game on the field, with headaches for coaches and players, Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian said this week.
Football: North Hall blows past East Hall at The Brickyard
GAINESVILLE, Ga. — North Hall needed less than a quarter to take control against East Hall. Noah Kemp scored in three different ways, and quarterback Alex Schlieman threw four touchdown passes as the ninth-ranked Trojans rolled to a 56-21 win Friday night at the Brickyard. The victory was North Hall’s 17th straight over the Vikings. It was a good rebound from last week’s loss to Flowery Branch. North Hall coach Sean Pender was pleased with the way his Trojans started against East Hall.
Football: Jackson uses big second quarter to roll past Raiders
MOUNT AIRY, Ga. – In a competitive region like 8-6A, stacking road wins early in the region play can pay off in the end. Jackson County has done just that. The Panthers went on the road Friday night to knock off Habersham Central 40-7 at Raider Stadium. They opened region play last week, beating Mountain View. “Any time you can start the region 2-0, you are appreciative,” Jackson Coach Korey Mobbs said. “I say this all the time. Humility is only one week away.
Football: Buford shuts out Seckinger to open region play
BUFORD, Ga. – Buford's offense scored every touchdown Friday night as the Wolves opened up Region 8-7A play with a 58-0 win over Seckinger. Silas Nuckles, Jameer Cantrell and AJ Granville all had rushing touchdowns in the first quarter from inside the 5-yard line, taking a quick 21-0 lead. After a field goal early in the second, Cantrell scored again on a 5-yard pass from Braydon Thompson to take a 31-0 lead.
Football: Indians collapse in stunning 50-14 loss to Hart Co.
HARTWELL, Ga. — Turnovers, big plays, untimely penalties. It was a trifecta that proved costly for Lumpkin County in a disappointing and surprising 50-14 loss to Hart County on Friday in their Region 8-3A opener at Herndon Stadium. It was the premier matchup between two top-three Class 3A teams in the Postseason Rankings (PSR). The Indians (4-0, 0-1 Region 8-3A) had committed just one turnover all season. They had allowed just a handful of explosive plays in their first four games.
Football: Gainesville breezes by Alpharetta
GAINESVILLE – Homecoming was nice for Big Red fans as Gainesville shut out Alpharetta Friday night at City Park, 56-0. Kharim Hughley had a pair of touchdowns, going 7-of-8 for 160 yards through the air. He linked up with Doyle Morrison and Holt Williams for his two passing touchdowns. Arshawn Sampson, Jordan Brown, Amarion Vick and Damarien Parrott all had rushing touchdowns as the Red Elephants tallied 379 yards of offense. Gainesville has a big showdown at Roswell next week.
Football: Rabun bounces back with big win over Banks
HOMER, Ga. – Rabun County's offense came to life Friday night in a 45-10 win over Banks County. The Wildcats jumped out to a 38-0 lead by halftime, powered by JK Fruster's three touchdowns in the first half, putting him at 14 on the season. Banks County got on the board on the first play of the fourth quarter as Elijah Ariail hit a 25-yard field goal to make it 45-3 and scored again with 5:08 left on a 43-yard touchdown from Whit Williams to get to the final score.
Football: LCA blows past Skipstone
THOMASTON, Ga. – LCA made quick work of Skipstone Academy Friday night, winning 58-28 on Skipstone's homecoming. The Lightning jumped out to a 44-14 lead at halftime thanks to six rushing touchdowns. Asher Acton had a 44-yard rushing touchdown to get the scoring started and added a 5-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter. Evan Kalinauskis had a 40-yard quarterback keeper for a touchdown in the first quarter as well.
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