Gameday Guide: Week 4

The high school football season is officially in full swing. After a few weeks, a picture has been painted for what the rest of the season could look like. Still, there is plenty of time for things to change.   Here, we take a look at a loaded week 4 slate in Georgia, and some things you need to keep track of.   Game of the Week   Colquitt County at Lee County   A battle between two south GA giants is must watch football. With both teams sitting at 3-0, an already massive game is even bigger than anticipated. For Lee County, they are coming off 3 straight convincing wins, one of them being a season-opening victory over the powerhouse Warner Robins squad. You can say the same about Colquitt County, who has yet to even be challenged. Both teams will present a balanced offensive attack with good QB play and plenty of playmakers around them. This is must-watch football and is a game that has early season playoff implications.   Other Games to Watch   Cedar Grove at Collins Hill   Cedar Grove, a 3A power, has already made a strong impression this year by knocking off 7A power Westlake, and they will get a chance to do it again this week against the defending state champions, Collins Hill. For the Eagles, it has been a tall task replacing some historic talent from last season's squad, but they are still sitting at 2-0 with a big win over Brookwood. While the offense looks to find its groove, the Collins Hill defense and pass rush will do their job to keep them in the game. Still, it won't be an easy task. Cedar Grove is flooded with elite talent on both sides of the ball, and the Eagles will need to make QB [player_tooltip player_id='338652' first='EJ' last='Colson'] uncomfortable in order to win this one. Regardless, this should be a fun game to watch and should come down to the wire.   Marietta at North Cobb   Both Marietta and North Cobb have faced juggernaut schedules in the early part of the season. Regardless, one of these teams has a chance to create a lot of momentum as we approach the halfway point of the season. North Cobb is coming off a tough loss against Buford, which came down to the wire. In week 1, they edged out Westlake in a dramatic finish. Once [player_tooltip player_id='34008' first='Malachi' last='Singleton'] and the North Cobb run game gets going, they will be a team to watch if their defense can continue to step up and perform. Like North Cobb, Marietta is also coming off a tightly contested loss to Roswell. They also suffered a loss to Grayson to open the season but picked up a week 2 victory against West Forsyth. Marietta has plenty of talent, spearheaded by Nacari Ashley and [player_tooltip player_id='34050' first='Jace' last='Arnold']. A win here would do wonders for their confidence, but they will be battle-tested headed into the second half of the season regardless of the outcome.   Underrated Matchups   Clarke Central at Gainesville   At 3-0 with 3 convincing wins, the Elephants are off to their hottest start in recent years, which should come as no surprise. Head Coach Josh Niblett has changed the trajectory of the program, and a win here could help propel Gainesville to a very strong season. Still, it won't be easy. Clarke Central has plenty of big-play threats and can create some momentum. For both teams, this game has postseason implications.   Harrison at Denmark   Both of these squads are talented but have yet to catch their strides here in the early part of the season. At 1-2, Harrison has 2 close losses to South Paulding and South Forsyth. For Denmark, they suffered a tough week 1 loss against Roswell before bouncing back against Cambridge in week 2. Denmark is well rested and has the home-field advantage, but you get the sense that Harrison will be playing with a sense of urgency.   Best Bets   Here are some prospects sure to have a huge week.   [player_tooltip player_id='137483' first='Jeremy' last='Hecklinski'] - Walton QB   Through two weeks, Hecklinski has proven himself to be one of the most prolific and well-polished passers in the state, and he has done it against some of the best competition the state has to offer. This week against Pope, I am expecting another huge night for the rising 2024 QB. Not to mention, Walton is coming off a bye week, so expect the ball to come flying out of his hand. When you watch the film, there is not a throw on the field that Hecklinski isn't capable of making. His confidence is at an all-time high, and I expect that to carry over against a struggling Pope squad.   Daverin Geralds - Collins Hill DL   As I mentioned earlier, the Collins Hill pass rush has been one of their biggest strengths at this point of the season, largely thanks to Daverin Geralds. Geralds is a freshman, but that has not stopped him from making a solid impact at this point of the season, In fact, I would say he has solidified himself as one of the best 2026 prospects in the state. Geralds made his mark known last week with a sack and multiple QB hurries against Brookwood, and I expect him to make some plays in the backfield once again this week.   Jake Gil - Alpharetta RB   Alpharetta is loaded at WR and TE, so much so that their ground game flies under the radar. But not this week. Against Chattahoochee, I am expecting the Alpharetta ground game to come alive, led by senior Jake Gil. I also expect [player_tooltip player_id='339651' first='Amauri' last='Anderson'] to get some touches as well. Chattahoochee has given up 230 and 330 rushing yards in their first two games, so expect Alpharetta to try to expose the run defense.

The high school football season is officially in full swing. After a few weeks, a picture has been painted for what the rest of the season could look like. Still, there is plenty of time for things to change.