North Murray aims for revenge after giving up lead to Northwest last year
After taking down Dalton to open the season, North Murray is set to play another Whitfield County foe in week two.
The Mountaineers (1-0) look for revenge against Northwest Whitfield (1-0) after giving up a 28-0 lead as North Murray welcomes the Bruins to Chatsworth Friday night at 7:30.
North Murray led last year’s game 28-0 in the third quarter, before the Bruins tied the game at 35 late then hit a game-winning field goal as time expired to win 38-35.
The win for the Bruins was the third in four total games in the series between the two, which started in 2020. Northwest can make it 4-1 Friday, but North Murray is looking to cut it to 3-2.
North Murray’s defense held down a young Dalton offense for most of the night in the opening win, but the task gets taller against a refined passing attack at Northwest.
Returning all-region quarterback Gavin Nuckolls looked sharp, tossing two touchdowns and running for another, as Northwest shut out Coahulla Creek 35-0 to begin the season.
Northwest’s defense also had a stellar game in the opener against its own young offensive opponent, holding Coahulla to 45 yards of offense and generating three takeaways, one taken back for a Caden Ramsey fumble return touchdown.
The Bruins defense, though, will see a different look from North Murray than it has in previous seasons.
Where the first four matchups between the two programs have pitted pass-heavy teams with prolific passers — Owen Brooker and Nuckolls for Northwest and Seth Griffin and Skyler Williams for North Murray — this year’s Mountaineers have shifted styles.
Quarterback Hudson Hulett is a capable thrower, but he is also captaining what was a ground-based, I-formation attack for North Murray in game one. He led the Neers in rushing and scored the final Neers touchdown and two-point conversion in the win over Dalton.
Potential Dalton rebound will be difficult task against North Oconee
After missed opportunities cost a young Dalton team points in a week one loss to North Murray, the Catamounts hope to get their offense going in their second game of the season.
But, the challenge doesn’t get any easier for Dalton.
The Catamounts (0-1) host North Oconee (1-0), the sixth-ranked team in Class 4A, Friday night at 7:30 at Harmon Field.
Dalton’s new-look offense scored just nine points in its loss to North Murray, but two touchdowns — a punt return for a score and a passing touchdown — were called back due to penalty and another drive was stopped short on 4th-and-goal.
The young Catamounts, which managed just 142 total yards and six passing yards against North Murray, will likely need to cash in on those opportunities to topple a North Oconee team that finished 12-1 last season.
North Oconee allowed just 10 points of Oconee County in its opening game, a 21-10 win. On offense, three-star wide receiver and Georgia-commit Landon Roldan caught a touchdown.
Despite the lack of offensive production, the Dalton offense, which is starting several freshmen and sophomores, showed flashes. Isaac Summey, the sophomore who lined up at running back and receiver and had the exciting would-be punt return for touchdown, scored the lone Dalton touchdown against North Murray late in the fourth quarter. Dalton didn’t go to freshman starting QB Caine Woods to pass much in his first ever varsity game, but the touchdown that was called back because of an illegal man downfield call featured the right-handed Woods scrambling towards his left and placing the ball perfectly in the back of the end zone for receiver Havyn Searels.
Dalton will look to string more offense together, and clean up the costly penalties, against North Oconee.
Coahulla Creek travels to Chattooga looking to get its offense on track
Coahulla Creek’s new-look offense, featuring new starters at every skill position, had a stiff test in its first game against Northwest Whitfield, and the Colts struggled to move the ball in a shutout loss.
In its second game, Creek hopes to get some offense going, but the Colts will have to do it against another defense that pitched a shutout last week.
Coahulla (0-1) travels to play Chattooga (1-0), which blanked LaFayette 30-0 last week, Friday night at 7:30.
Chattooga is a team coming off back-to-back 2-8 seasons but that appears to be on the upswing. A 17-14 win over Coahulla Creek last year was one of its two wins. The 30 points scored by the Indians in the opened against LaFayette outpaced any game from last year. The top point total of the year was 21 for Chattooga in 2023.
Murray County begins region play with game against Ringgold
In just the second game of the season, Murray County is already hitting Region 7-2A action.
The Indians (0-1) host Ringgold (1-0) Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Murray will try to bounce back from its less than ideal start, a 42-14 loss against a Towns County team that went 0-10 last season. Murray moved the ball well on the ground on offense, putting up 283 rushing yards, but five interceptions, all in the first half, dug a big hole that Murray couldn’t run out of.
Ringgold beat Dade County 23-13 in its opener.
Murray County has beaten Ringgold more than any other team, going 30-25-1 all time against the Tigers. Ringgold has won the last two, though, winning 78-0 in 2021 and 34-14 in 2020.
Southeast Whitfield aims to put loss to Gordon Central behind them, beat Coosa
After a 62-0 loss to Gordon Central to open the season, Southeast Whitfield will try to regroup for what has been a winnable game for the Raiders.
Southeast (0-1) hosts Coosa (0-0) Friday night at 7:30.
Southeast beat Coosa 14-7 in 2022, and the Raiders fell just short in a 28-25 loss last season.
Now, Southeast hosts a Coosa team with a new coach — Jeff Cannon — in the first game of the season for the Eagles.