By John McClellan for Hometown Headlines
The Model Blue Devils, Adairsville Tigers and Trion Bulldogs opened the 2014 high school football season with wins as a number of schools in Georgia got the jump on the usual Labor Day weekend start to the year. The first weekend of the 2014 season was not as successful for Armuchee, Coosa, Darlington, Georgia School for the Deaf and Rome as they all tasted defeat in their openers. Cass, Woodland, Cartersville, Cedartown, Pepperell, Rockmart, Calhoun, Gordon Central, Sonoraville and Chattooga will play their first games of 2014 this Friday night.
Model (1-0) at Sonoraville (0-0)
Series History: Sonoraville leads 5-3
Last Meeting: Model defeated Sonoraville 27-6 on September 13, 2013
The Model Blue Devils used a tough defensive effort to pull out a 15-8 season opening win over Lumpkin County. The Sonoraville Phoenix are coming off a 4-7 season that ended with a first round playoff loss to Class AAA state champion Buford. The Blue Devils are looking to go 2-0 as they head into a tough early season stretch of the schedule. Model wins by 8.
Trion (1-0) at Armuchee (0-1)
Series History: Trion leads 29-13-2
Last Meeting: Trion defeated Armuchee 43-6 on August 30, 2013
The Trion Bulldogs held off a comeback attempt by the Gordon Lee Trojans to defeat their longtime rival 21-15. The Armuchee Indians jumped out to a 10-0 lead before losing 44-17 to Fellowship Christian. The Bulldogs are looking for their third straight win against the Indians. Trion wins by 24.
Pepperell (0-0) at Paulding County (0-0)
Series History: Pepperell leads 6-2
Last Meeting: Pepperell defeated Paulding County 27-7 on August 28, 2009
The Pepperell Dragons ended the 2013 regular season with three straight wins before losing to Heard County in the first round of the Class AA state playoffs. The Paulding County Patriots had wins over Hiram and Lithia Springs en route to a 2-8 record in 2013. This looks to be one of the closest games in northwest Georgia this week. Pepperell wins by 1.
Darlington (0-1) at Bremen (0-0)
Series History: Darlington leads 5-3
Last Meeting: Darlington defeated Bremen 28-26 on September 16, 2011
The Darlington Tigers ran into a relentless rushing attack by defending North Carolina Class A state champion Murphy and suffered a 35-12 loss on the road to the Bulldogs. The Bremen Blue Devils lost consecutive games to Spencer, Manchester and Bowdon in 2013 and finished 5-5 for the second straight year. Darlington wins by 9.
Cass (0-0) at Cartersville (0-0)
Series History: Cartersville leads 39-5
Last Meeting: Cartersville defeated Cass 42-7 on September 6, 2013
The Cass Colonels, who last had a winning record in 2006, were inconsistent in 2013 on their way to a 4-6 record. The Cartersville Purple Hurricanes started the 2013 season 11-0 before losing 31-19 to St. Pius X in the first round of the Class AAA state playoffs. The Purple Hurricanes face back-to-back Class AAAAAA opponents after this week’s game against their traditional rival. Cartersville wins by 26.
Adairsville (1-0) at Woodland (0-0)
Series History: Tied 1-1
Last Meeting: Adairsville defeated Woodland 28-20 on August 28, 2009
The Adairsville Tigers picked up where they left off last year with a 28-14 win over Ridgeland. The Woodland Wildcats overcame a 0-6 start in 2013 to finish 4-6 in a season highlighted by a triple overtime win over Rome in their final game. Adairsville wins by 9.
Class AAA Number 2 Calhoun (0-0) at Dalton (1-0)
Series History: Dalton leads 34-8-1
Last Meeting: Calhoun defeated Dalton 17-2 on September 6, 2013
The Calhoun Yellow Jackets finished 11-2 in 2013 after losing in the Class AA state quarterfinals to Benedictine. The Dalton Catamounts, who were eliminated in the first round of the 2013 Class AAAA state playoffs, had an impressive road win Friday night in defeating Scottsboro (Ala.) 40-21. Calhoun wins by 5.
Hiram (0-0) at Cedartown (0-0)
Series History: Cedartown leads 2-0
Last Meeting: Cedartown defeated Hiram 17-7 on September 28, 2001
The Hiram Hornets had a disappointing season in 2013 with a win over Lithia Springs being the lone bright spot in a 1-9 season. The Cedartown Bulldogs started the 2013 season with eight straight wins before an upset loss to Gilmer forced the Bulldogs into a first round state playoff game that they lost on the road to Sandy Creek. Cedartown wins by 15.
North Murray (0-0) at Rockmart (0-0)
Series History: Rockmart leads 2-0
Last Meeting: Rockmart defeated North Murray 43-21 on September 2, 2011
The North Murray Mountaineers finished the 2013 season with wins over Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe, Coahulla Creek and Gordon Central to finish 4-6. The Rockmart Yellow Jackets, who make their debut under new coach Bin Turner, were 3-7 a year ago. North Murray wins by 8.
LaFayette (0-0) at Gordon Central (0-0)
Series History; Gordon Central leads 5-1
Last Meeting: Gordon Central defeated LaFayette 35-14 on October 19, 2001
The LaFayette Ramblers defeated Ridgeland and Johnson of Gainesville on their way to a 2-8 record in 2013. The Gordon Central Warriors suffered through a season of injuries and inexperience to finish 0-10 for the second time in school history. Gordon Central wins by 10.
Ridgeland (0-1) at Chattooga (0-0)
Series History: Chattooga leads 4-0
Last Meeting: Chattooga defeated Ridgeland 28-21 on September 5, 2003
The 2014 season started on a disappointing note for the Ridgeland Panthers in a 28-14 loss to Adairsville. Charles Hammon takes over as the new head coach for the Chattooga Indians, who were 2-8 in 2013 with wins over Murray County and Armuchee. Ridgeland wins by 21.
Off this week: Coosa (0-1), Rome (0-1) and Georgia School for the Deaf (0-1).. Unity Christian School (0-0) will start its 2014 season on Sept. 5 after Cornerstone Preparatory School, who UCS was scheduled to play in its Aug. 22 season opener, was unable to field a football team.
In other games involving schools in regions in Northwest Georgia:
North Atlanta (0-0) over KIPP Collegiate (0-0) by more than 30 (Thursday)
Etowah (1-0) over Sequoyah (0-0) by 12
Chapel Hill (0-0) over Cambridge (1-0) by 12
Dawson County (0-0) over Forsyth Central (0-0) by 9
Class AAAAA Number 6 Kell (1-0) over Lassiter (1-0) by 7
Pinecrest Academy (0-0) over North Springs (0-1) by 5
Riverwood (1-0) over Holy Innocents (0-1) by 16
Kennesaw Mountain (0-0) over Sprayberry (1-0) by 5
Class AAAA Number 5 Carrollton (0-1) over Newnan (0-0) by 25
Gilmer (0-0) over Fannin County (0-0) by more than 30
Class AAA Number 8 Ringgold (1-0) over Heritage of Catoosa (0-0) by more than 30
White County (0-0) over Pickens (0-0) by 9
Southeast Whitfield (1-0) over Murray County (0-0) by more than 30
Callaway (1-0) over BEST Academy (0-0) by 21
Haralson County (0-0) over Greenville (0-0) by 1
Gordon Lee (0-1) over Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe (0-0) by 2
Dade County (0-0) over North Sand Mountain (Ala.) (0-0) by 7
Class A Number 4 Mt. Paran Christian over Whitefield Academy by 25
Randolph County (Ala.) (0-0) over Mt. Zion (1-0) by 12
Fellowship Christian (1-0) over Riverside Military (0-0) by 3
St. Francis (0-0) over Providence Christian (0-0) by 26
North Paulding (1-0) over East Paulding (0-1) by 14
Class AAAAA Number 10 Allatoona (1-0) over Villa Rica (1-0) by 19
The historical data contained in this column is compiled by the Georgia High School Football Historians Association and may be found at www.ghsfha.org. The rankings used are those done by Georgia High School Football Daily for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.