Sep. 2—Southeast hosts Gordon Lee, looks for 3-0 start

With a win tonight, Southeast Whitfield can lock up a win total just three weeks into the season that the Raiders haven't managed in four years.

Southeast comes into its home opener at 7:30 tonight against Gordon Lee at 2-0. The Raiders haven't had more than two wins since the 2018 team finished 3-7.

Standing in the way is a Gordon Lee team that enters at 0-2.

Gordon Lee played Southeast in both 2020 and 2021, handing the Raiders blowout defeats in each. The Class 3A Trojans have struggled out of the gate this year with two losses to Class A schools.

Christian Heritage heads to Rome for showdown with Darlington

For several years, Darlington was the hurdle Christian Heritage needed to clear to vie for a region championship. The two shared a region from 2012-2013 and 2016-2021, and the one time the Lions were able to overcome Darlington, they won a region title in 2020.

The two are no longer region foes this year — Christian Heritage is in Region 7-A Division II, while Darlington is in Region 7-A Division I — but the Lions will still make the trip to Rome this year looking for a win against one of their biggest rivals.

Christian Heritage comes in at 1-1, having fallen to North Cobb Christian to begin the year before bouncing back with a 21-6 win over Temple last week.

Darlington had its opener last week, where the Tigers downed Sonoraville 45-22.

Northwest hosts Ringgold for home opener

After opening the season with two straight road wins over non-region opponents to begin the season, Northwest Whitfield plays at home for the first time tonight, when the Bruins (2-0) host Ringgold (0-1) at 7:30.

It's the renewal of a longtime rivalry between the schools from neighboring counties. Northwest has played the old region rival from Catoosa County 31 times, but the two haven't played in five years. Northwest won the last matchup 48-29 in 2017.

Ringgold finished 10-2 last season but lost several seniors from that squad. The Tigers opened the season in 2022 with a 31-17 loss to Heritage, a fellow member of Region 7-4A with Northwest. Ringgold was idle last week.

Northwest is coming off wins over Pepperell, and quarterback Owen Brooker already looks to be in midseason form. Brooker accounted for five scores in the opener, then added three more, including a game-winning rushing score, against Coahulla Creek last Friday.

Dalton travels to Sonoraville after open week

After a season-opening win followed by a bye week, the Dalton Catamounts (1-0) make the trip south to Gordon County face Sonoraville (1-1) tonight at 7:30.

It's only the third time the two schools have played since Sonoraville started its football program in 2006. Dalton won the previous two matchups in 2016 and 2017.

Dalton looks to keep an impressive ground attack going against the Phoenix. Senior running back Tyson Greenwade piled up 371 yards and two touchdowns in a week one win over North Murray. That running game helped Dalton to a 49-27 victory without having to lean much on its two inexperienced quarterbacks. Senior Parker McClurg started, but sophomore Ethan Long also saw plenty of action.

After winning 27-15 over Pickens to begin the year, Sonoraville fell 45-22 to Darlington last week.

North Murray hits the road for first matchup against Ridgeland

After playing Dalton and Pickens for the first time in program history in the first two weeks of the high school season, North Murray continues its season of firsts tonight at 7:30.

The Mountaineers (1-1) travel to Rossville for the team's first game against Ridgeland (0-1).

North Murray put together a double-digit fourth quarter comeback — on the strength of seven total touchdowns from quarterback Seth Griffin — last week to get past Pickens 54-50 and avoid falling into a 0-2 hole to start the season.

Ridgeland, meanwhile, comes into the game with only one game played, a 20-7 loss to North Cobb Christian last week. The Panthers are coming off two straight 1-9 seasons.

Murray travels for game against Gilmer

Murray County (0-2) came a few plays short of grabbing the first win under new head coach Kurt Napier last week in a 13-7 overtime loss to Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe.

The Indians will keep searching for that win, and the next chance for them to do it is a road game tonight at 7:30 against Gilmer (2-0).

Gilmer downed LFO 32-13 in the first week of the season, and the Tigers followed that with a 49-35 victory over Fannin County last week.

The Indians have struggled to put points on the board so far this year, scoring 14 through two games.