Newton, Sandy Creek, Blessed Trinity post big wins; 22 top-10 teams lose

Newton has beaten top-10 teams in consecutive weeks for the first time in history.

Sandy Creek, the No. 1 team in Class 4A, beat Douglas County, now ranked No. 7, 21-0, becoming the first team to shut out the Tigers in the regular season since 2018.

It was hard to imagine in preseason that Sandy Creek would start 2-0, as Douglas County and Grayson were ranked in the top five of the highest class to start the season. Sandy Creek beat Grayson, a school with three times its enrollment, 21-13.

No. 3 Blessed Trinity of 5A beat No. 2 Milton of 6A 21-20 in a game between north Fulton County schools. Milton had a first-and-10 at the Blessed Trinity 12-yard line in the final two minutes but was intercepted on fourth down. Blessed Trinity lost to Milton the previous two seasons in their only prior meetings.

No. 3 Troup of 4A beat No. 4 LaGrange of 5A 22-20. It was the first meeting between those Troup County rivals when both were ranked in the top five.

Class A’s top 10 was dismantled, as only No. 4 Johnson County and No. 6 Bowdon, a four-time reigning champion, were victorious.

The rest - from No. 1 Lincoln County to No. 10 Hawkinsville – were beaten this week. Also losing Friday were Clinch County, Wheeler County, Early County, Trion and Irwin County. ECI lost to Swainsboro on Thursday.

Lincoln County lost to Westside of Augusta, a Class 3A school, 48-41. No. 2 Clinch County lost to Jeff Davis, a Class 2A school, 42-7.

Wheeler County (to Montgomery County), Trion (to Model) and Irwin County (to Bacon County) were two-touchdown favorites, according to the Maxwell Ratings.

Bowdon, which lost to unranked Bremen 38-19 last week, bounced back with a 32-3 victory over Callaway, the No. 8 team in 2A.

Also bouncing back Friday was Benedictine, beaten 58-21 by Toombs County last week. Benedictine, a perennial power from 5A, defeated Hebron Christian 48-17.

Greater Atlanta Christian, the No. 3 team in the Private class, beat Calhoun 24-17. GAC has beaten two top-10 teams to open a season for the first time since 2017 (Lovett, Westminster). GAC beat North Hall last week.

East Paulding’s 27-23 victory over Harrison was the Raiders’ first victory over a top-10 team since 2018 against Kell.

Mount Vernon’s 34-28 overtime victory over No. 8 Whitefield Academy in a Private game was the Mustangs’ first against a ranked team in history. Mount Vernon had been 0-37 in those games.

Other top-10 teams that lost were Mary Persons to Jasper County, Burke County to Statesboro, Northeast to Warner Robins, Cook to Bleckley County, Pepperell to North Cobb Christian and Savannah Christian to Bethesda Academy.