COVINGTON, Ga. – A full slate of Newton County football is ahead of us this week as we inch closer to the playoffs. Here’s who Newton County teams are facing this week on the gridiron.
Social Circle looks to play spoiler to Monticello’s historic season
The Social Circle Redskins are coming off of a decisive region victory over McNair last Friday, winning 38-19 on the road. The win put the Redskins at 5-2 on the season and 3-0 in region play, sitting one seed back from the top spot in Region 4-A.
As the Redskins return home this Friday, they will face a tough matchup against a longtime rival in the Monticello Hurricanes.
The Canes are in the midst of a historic season, well in the fight for a region title at 5-1 overall and 2-0 in region play. But the Canes are fighting for something far larger. With a win against Social Circle this Friday, the Canes will clinch their first winning season in over two decades, giving them an extra level of motivation.
The two teams have split games in recent years, going 2-2 against each other since the 2018 season. Social Circle has won the last two matchups in 2022 and 2023.
Looking at this year’s squad, the Redskins have been solid running the ball this year. Jaylen Victor and Deven Usand lead the way on the ground for the team. Quarterback Luke Cross also has 8 TD passes on the season, six of them going to Jude Nelson.
The same can be said for the Canes, with senior running back Jalen Stewart averaging 100 rushing yards per game for the Canes. The defense has also been solid, too, only allowing 57 points on the season.
A crucial battle in Region 4-A will kick off on Friday, Oct. 18 at 7:30 p.m. at Redskin Stadium.
Eagles looks to move past heartbreaking loss
The Eastside Eagles were oh so close last week against the North Oconee Titans.
The heavyweight battle between the two undefeated squads went until the last second, when Khamari Brooks scored a go-ahead touchdown to seal the game for the Titans. This dropped the Eagles to 7-1 and 3-1 in region play.
Senior running back and Georgia Tech commit Jayden Barr had his best game of the year, accounting for all five scores for the Eagles. The performance was just the latest in a string of impressive games, cementing his status as an All-Cov News MVP candidate.
But there is no rest for the weary for the Eagles, as they face another tough matchup against the East Forsyth Broncos. The Broncos also sit at 7-1 overall and 3-1 in Region 8-AAAA, with their only loss coming against North Oconee earlier this season.
East Forsyth currently sits at 254 points scored against 124 points allowed. The Eagles have been far more productive so far on offense scoring 326 points while only allowing 125 points.
The Eagles will play their last regular season game on Friday Oct. 18, with a kickoff time of 7:30 p.m.
Newton returns from long bye
It has been nearly one month since we have seen the Newton Rams. But the wait is now over, as the Rams will return in their homecoming matchup on Saturday against the Heritage Patriots.
The Rams played their last game on Sept. 20, when they defeated Archer 50-25. It was an offensive powerhouse performance from Newton, who had nearly 600 yards of total offense.
Leading the way were the rushing duo of Cincinnati commit Zion Johnson and the freshman phenom Kevin Hartsfield had 209 and 190 rushing yards, respectively.
After starting 1-3, the Rams powered up to .500 before the long drought of postponed games due to Hurricane Helene and the Rockdale County BioLab fire.
Their opponent this week is on a losing streak. After winning the first two games of the season, the Patriots have dropped their last three games, seemingly forfeiting their last contest against South Gwinnett, according to MaxPreps.
The Patriots have scored 44 points this season compared to 69 points allowed. The Rams have scored 222 points opposed to allowing 128 points.
But the big question for Newton: Has the long time away from game action impacted the Rams?
We will all find out during Saturday’s contest at Sharp Stadium when the Rams kick off their return on Saturday, Oct. 19 at 5p.m.
Alcovy seeks second win of season
It has not been a great year for the Tigers, as they dropped last week’s contest against Habersham Central 52-17.
The Tigers were never close in the game, but saw some highlights from the returning Nick Slidell and Elijah Slidell, both finding the end zone in the second half.
Alcovy will travel to Apalachee High School for this week’s contest on Friday. The Wildcats are seeking its first win of the season, as they sit at 0-5 overall and 0-2 in region play. Apalachee will only play two more games this season, as they opted to cancel three of their contests due to the tragic school shooting that occurred earlier this year.
Apalachee has scored 68 points this season and allowed 204 points. Alcovy has scored 88 points this year while allowing 336 points.
While neither team is likely to move into the playoffs, it will be a competitive game against two teams looking to build momentum on the season.
Kickoff will commence in Winder at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 18.
