Jeremiah Ware News Today

Cherokee Bluff and Flowery Branch both took close wins on Wednesday in the first round of the 64th annual Lanierland tournament at the West Hall gym.

The first round of the high school football playoffs gets underway this week in the GHSA, GIAA, and GAPPS, with 15 northeast Georgia area teams ready to begin the quests for what they hope are state titles.

With the regular season coming to an end, two area runners, two receivers, and one quarterback lead their classifications with one more running back also having the ability to win his classification on Friday night.

Lumpkin County began playing football in 1961. The Indians are into their 63rd season of football in the Georgia High School Association. They have never hoisted a region title banner.

With 19 games involving the 26 northeast Georgia-area teams we cover at AccessWDUN/Friday Game Night on the schedule, it’s one of the busiest nights of the season.

Of the 26 teams covered by AccessWDUN/Friday Game Night, not a single one has a chance to clinch a playoff spot this week.

The Week 9 schedule has no larger match-up than the behemoth Class 7A battle between No. 1 Buford and No. 2 Mill Creek.

In recent memory, Dawson County has become synonymous with winning under head coach Sid Maxwell. That certainly wasn’t the case for most of the Tigers’ existence.

Week 8 will be the lightest of the 2023 campaign, with just 16 games involving northeast Georgia-area teams. However, 14 of the 16 games are crucial region matchups.

Flowery Branchs air attack was unstoppable last week in the 41-38 come-from-behind win over Clarke Central.