Here's what we learned from Week 7 of Augusta-area high school football action

Will Cheney, Augusta Chronicle
·3 min read
Harlem defensive end Matthew Williams (74) reacts to a play during the Harlem and Cross Creek football game at Harlem High School on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022. The game was moved due to Hurricane Ian, which is due to hit Augusta on Friday morning. Harlem defeated Cross Creek 54-12.
Harlem defensive end Matthew Williams (74) reacts to a play during the Harlem and Cross Creek football game at Harlem High School on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022. The game was moved due to Hurricane Ian, which is due to hit Augusta on Friday morning. Harlem defeated Cross Creek 54-12.

Week 7 of high school football in Augusta brought with it an interesting set of circumstances.

Teams had to navigate the potential threat of Hurricane Ian, with most teams moving their games to either Wednesday or Thursday and some deciding to push them back later in the season.

More: Tough non-region schedule set Harlem Bulldogs football up for Region 4-AAA run

More: Results: Augusta-area high school scoreboard for Week 7

Despite the hurdles, games still went on and fans were treated to a solid week of football on the field. Here's a few things we learned this week:

North Augusta survives South Aiken's vaunted rushing attack

Matt Quinn's difficult non-region schedule seems to be paying off for North Augusta as the Yellow Jackets started off their region slate with a bang. Junior tailback DJ Curry scored a rushing touchdown with just under four minutes remaining to give North Augusta (2-5) the 24-20 lead, which stood as the final.

The Yellow Jacket offense was working Thursday, as Colson Brown added a pair of touchdown passes on the night. That said, the North Augusta defense stole the show. South Aiken's offense had been putting up gaudy numbers all season, despite the Thoroughbreds' 1-5 record coming into Thursday.

The tandem of Terrence Smith and Jevon Edwards has put up video game numbers all season, so Thursday was a tall task. South Aiken led 14-10 at the half, thanks to a pair of scores from Edwards. South Aiken took a 20-10 lead early in the third on a Smith touchdown, but that was the final time the Thoroughbred offense would find the end zone.

The Jackets held the opposing offense scoreless for the final 23 minutes en route to the victory. North Augusta will look to keep that momentum going as it travels to Aiken next week.

Lakeside pulls off the upset

Lakeside started off Region 2-AAAAAA play on the right foot with a 21-20 win over Evans at home.

For the Panthers (3-2), it was revenge for last year's 37-29 loss at Blanchard Stadium. With the win, Lakeside has already matched its win total from a year ago.

Things seemed like they were trending upward for Evans (3-3) after last week's throttling of Grovetown, but Thursday's loss will make things that much tougher for the Knights down the stretch.

The Panthers travel to Brunswick next week to continue their region schedule. Evans is off next week before a showdown with Effingham County on the road.

Laney remains undefeated

Laney (5-0) continued its winning ways Thursday as the Wildcats held off Washington County 28-18.

Ronnie Baker's squad took a 12-6 lead into the locker room at halftime thanks to a pair of rushing touchdowns. Laney's rushing attack kept going after the break with an 11-yard Willie Booker score and a 50-yard CJ Holmes put a bow on the performance.

No matter the opponent that stands in its way, Laney has answered the call every single week. They'll face off against rival Josey next week before the long-awaited, Oct. 14 conclusion of the Thomson game.

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Augusta high school football: Takeaways from Week 7