Hillgrove at Lovejoy

Hillgrove is 2-1 and comes off a 28-21 loss to the potent North Gwinnett Bulldogs. Lovejoy is 2-0 under first-year head coach Edgar Carson and has dominated Mundy's Mill and Dutchtown on the road by a combined 88-28 heading into its home opener. Tennessee commit Preston Williams is a five-star receiver and caught four touchdowns last Friday against Dutchtown and is in the race for Georgia's Offensive Player of the Year.

Peachtree Ridge at McEachern

McEachern has one of the most difficult schedules in the state and it is not getting easier anytime soon. After one-score losses to North Gwinnett and Buford to open the season, sophomore quarterback Bailey Hockman leads the Indians against a 2-0 Peachtree Ridge team. Peacthree Ridge opened the year with a 14-10 win over Archer and exploded to a 41-24 win at Parkview last Friday. Deangelo Gibbs is a sophomore defensive back and receiver that looks to be the top prospect in the state from the Class of 2017. Gibbs has offers from all over the SEC and is considered the No. 5 sophomore prospect in the entire nation. Gibbs had seven catches for 144 yards and a touchdown in Week 1 and recorded his first interception of the season last week.

Grayson at Archer

Archer got a much-needed bye week last Friday after opening the season with a 21-13 loss to Sandy Creek and a 14-10 loss to Peacthree Ridge. The Tigers are finally back at home and will face a Grayson team that currently sits as the No. 2 team in Class AAAAAA. Grayson won the 2011 state title with a dream team of seniors but took a slide the past two years. They're back to championship form and after blanking Gainesville 39-0 in the opener, the Rams rallied from a 16-7 deficit to Hughes last Friday to runaway with a 26-16 victory.

Coffee at Ware County

This is one of the top games in South Georgia as Class AAAAA's No. 3 Ware County hosts No. 2 Coffee. Ware County is led by Franklin Stephens, who came from Lamar County and Tucker. The Gators dominated Brooks County 31-6 before pounding national power Manatee (Fla.) 23-7 the following week. Coffee was classed down from AAAAAA this year after competing in the daunting Region 1-AAAAAA with Camden County, Valdosta, Lowndes, Tift County and Colquitt County the past few seasons.

Flowery Branch at Lanier

No. 10 Lanier entered the Class AAAAA top 10 for the first time this week and will host No. 8 Flowery Branch. Lanier is a young program in just its third full varsity season and comes off a school-record 9-3 finish last year. The 2-0 Longhorns are neighbors to North Gwinnett and house some of that same talent. Flowery Branch shutout Chestatee 29-0 in the season opener and had a bye last Friday.

East Coweta at Whitewater

Whitewater has a chance to make a run in Class AAAA after getting bumped down a classification this year from its previous home in Class AAAAA. East Coweta has looked impressive with a 42-14 win over Arabia Mountain in the season opener and a 24-7 win at Harrison last weekend.

Westminster at Elbert County

Class AAA No. 6 Westminster has big wins over Lovett and Laney to open the season and will visit No. 10 Elbert County. The Blue Devils beat Cedar Shoals 42-20 and Stephens County 35-20 to earn a spot in this week's top 10.

Commerce at Jefferson

Commerce sits at 2-0 as they visit Class AAA No. 5 Jefferson. The Jefferson Dragons have opened their season with wins over Rabun County (50-14), Winder-Barrow (41-7) and North Hall (48-8), outscoring the trio of opponents 138-29. This is Jefferson's first season in AAA after getting bumped up from Class AA and this is the non-region game before jumping into region play.

Marion County at Dooly County

Defending Class A-Public state champion Marion County opened the season with a 40-0 road win over Miller County and enjoyed a bye week last Friday. Dooly County has beat a pair of solid opponents and is fresh off a 24-13 win over Wilcox County.

No. 2 Grayson at Archer

Other than Colquitt County, Class AAAAAA's power teams have largely been

Photo by Sonny Kennedy

a disappointment. Especially if you look at our preseason rankings. Archer, ranked highly in every preseason poll, has nose-dived into an 0-2 start with losses to Sandy Creek and Peachtree Ridge. The offense, which dazzled last year and in summer 7-on-7's, has largely been the culprit. The Tigers need QB Gabe Tiller to hit his stride - and fast. Grayson appears to be back after a rough 2013. This is Archer's chance to get back on its feet in region play.

Eastside at Class AAAA No. 3 Griffin

Following their state championship season, the Griffin Bears encountered some controversy and coach Steve DeVoursney was forced to resign. The Bears, however, have started the season 2-0 including an impressive 36-22 win over Burke County last week. Griffin is led by a talented cast of playmakers, including Auburn commitment Jordan Colbert, Georgia commitment Christian Owens and Duke pledge Keyston Fuller.

Eastside QB Austin Holloway will need to have a spectacular game to help the Eagles overcome the talent-rich Bears.

Class AAA No. 6 Westminster at No. 10 Elbert County

Based on ranking, it would be a slight upset if Elbert County pulled of a win over the 2-0 Wildcats, who have opened the season with quality wins over Lovett and Laney. However, the Blue Devils just so happen to play in one of the most intimidating venues in all of Georgia high school sports: The Granite Bowl.

Westminster comes in with a staunch defense that has allowed just 16 points, while Elbert County counters with an offense that has totaled 77 points in wins over Cedar Shoals and Stephens County. Elbert County will be tough to beat at home, despite being ranked below Westminster. 

Class A No. 8 Commerce at Class AAA No. 5 Jefferson

One of the top rivalries in the state, Commerce and Jefferson have been going at it since 1947. The Commerce Tigers own the series record with 42 wins in 68 games, but the Dragons have won six of the past seven. However, Commerce put the lone loss on Jefferson during the Dragons' 2012 state championship campaign.

Jefferson QB Evan Shirreffs should help lead the Dragons to a win at home, but don't count out Commerce in this rivalry.

Hillgrove at Class AAAAAA No. 4 Lovejoy

Hillgrove has started out strong, and nearly upset North Gwinnett last week in a tight 28-21 loss. The Hawks, however, get another chance to pull off a shocker this week when they travel to Clayton County to face the Wildcats. Lovejoy is led by WR Preston Williams, who is arguably the top pass-catching prospect in the state.

Lovejoy has struggled to beat quality Class AAAAAA teams in recent history, nearly losing to Alpharetta, East Coweta and Marietta last year, none of which advanced past the second round of the playoffs. Lowndes eventually eliminated Lovejoy from the postseason in Round 2. Hillgrove has been battle-tested over the years under coach Phillip Ironside, pulling off playoff upsets over Camden County and Stephenson in recent seasons. 

THIS WEEK'S GAMES

Coffee at Ware County

Grayson at Archer

Marion County at Dooly County

Westminster at Elbert County

Flowery Branch at Lanier

Hillgrove at Lovejoy

Woodward Academy at Lovett

Peachtree Ride at McEachern

South Paulding at East Paulding

East Coweta at Whitewater