Buford Flexes Its Muscle in Matchup of Top 7A Teams
This past weekend of high school football across Georgia didn’t produce many surprises, except for those who expected to see Mill Creek topple Buford in a battle of Class 7A heavyweights.
Undefeated Early County Falls to Brooks County
In another highly anticipated matchup, it was the undefeated Early County Bobcats of Joel Harvin hosting Maurice Freeman and the Brooks County Trojans, who were finally playing a football game again after having not set foot on the field for a scheduled game in almost a month due to canceled games and scheduled bye weeks.
The last time Brooks County had played was September 16 against Bainbridge, whom they beat 26-18. The Trojans were eager to play and it showed against a solid Early County team, which played toe-to-toe with the Trojans early on. A 14-7 Brooks lead at the half stuck through the third quarter. But, as championships team do, Brooks County did what it does best, which is run the football. Behind three fourth-quarter rushing TDs – two from Chris Cole and one from Jamal Sanders – and a strong defensive performance, Brooks County put the game away, winning 34-7.
Border War: Cook vs Berrien
Cook and Berrien County are having great seasons so far, which added a little more to this always-contentious rivalry known as the “The Border War.” While Cook was looking to avenge last season’s 25-21 loss, a game that seemed to just zap the energy right out of the Hornets in 2021, coach Byron Slack’s team was also looking to stay in the hunt for the Region 1-2A title.
They entered the game with a 2-0 region record, while Tim Alligood’s Rebels, who have also enjoyed a great run so far this season, also came into the rival game at 2-0. The winner would be in a position to challenge Fitzgerald for a potential winner-take-all matchup for the region title.
Cook jumped out to an early 21-7 lead in the first quarter and cruised to a 45-28 win over Berrien County. Hornets running back Keeshawn McKeever had 130 yards rushing, while Nick Goodwin led the defense with 2 interceptions.
It is worth noting that Berrien junior kick returner Josiah Davis had yet another kickoff return for a touchdown, giving him 7 on the season. According to Alligood, he is nearing the nationwide high school record.
“The record is 8 TDs in a season,” Alligood said.
Cook improves to 6-1 overall and 3-0 in the region, while Berrien is still in good shape for postseason play with a 5-3 overall record and a 2-2 region record. Cook still has Dodge County to get past, but if they can find a way to defeat the Indians, it will set up a Region 1-2A showdown with Tucker Pruitt’s Fitzgerald Purple Hurricanes for the region championship. That game will be the featured ITG Next Georgia Game of the Week on October 28.
