After the second full week of prep football action wrapped up, some team storylines began to become clearer, while others appear to be less certain. Here are four surprise outcomes that stand out from last week’s games across Georgia and Tennessee:
› South Pittsburg shut out at home
It was no surprise that a stout Silverdale Baptist team was able to go on the road and defeat Class 1A’s top-ranked Pirates. But what was surprising was the complete dominance of an offense loaded with big-play potential. South Pittsburg had not been held scoreless since 2011 (a 3-0 loss at Knox Grace in a driving rain) and had not been shut out at home since 2004 (against eventual state runner-up Boyd Buchanan). However, aside from having a 52-yard touchdown run called back by penalty on their first possession, and an impressive drive to begin the second half that stalled deep in Seahawks’ territory when a bad snap went for an 11-yard loss, the Pirates were completely stymied on offense, finishing with just 147 total yards and averaging fewer than 3 yards per rushing attempt.
› Ridgeland rediscovers the forward pass
Of all the units in Northwest Georgia, the Panthers’ aerial attack is among the most surprising. A season after accumulating just 747 yards through the air, and after beginning this season with just 67 passing yards in a loss to LFO, Ridgeland has found its wings. Sophomore quarterback Kaiden Williams has back-to-back 200-plus yard passing games, with 322 of the yards and five of his seven TDs going to junior receiver JD Hinton. Williams now sits at 572 yards and is on pace to become the first Ridgeland quarterback to go past 1,200 yards in 10 years.