Here are four surprise outcomes that stand out following last week’s prep football games across Georgia and Tennessee:
› Marion County needs late heroics at Whitwell: In the first matchup of county rivals in 11 years, Class 2A’s top-ranked and defending state champion Warriors were expected to roll past a Tigers team that had lost its first two games by double digits. In the end, Marion County claimed its 12th straight win in the series, and did so by 17 points, but the final score did not represent the struggle.
Whitwell held a 17-7 lead late in the third quarter and later, while nursing a three-point lead in the fourth quarter, was driving inside Marion’s 20 with a chance to extend the lead once again. But that’s where the game turned as Marion’s defense took matters into its hands to swing momentum. It began with Brett Webb scooping a fumble and returning it 85 yards for the go-ahead touchdown, followed by a 35-yard interception return by Quincy Mills to seal the outcome.
› Red Bank’s struggles in close games: Since an 11-win 2022 season — which saw Red Bank fall just shy of making the Class 4A state championship game — one-score ball games have not been kind to one of the area’s most traditionally-successful programs. The Lions are just 1-5 in those games over the last three seasons, which includes back-to-back home losses by a combined four points to Rhea County and Tyner to start this season.
Coach Ted Gatewood’s team, however, has the pieces in place to turn things around.