Got something to say? Send it to
the editor.
Learn More

WE WELCOME YOUR COMMENTS BELOW

Ten games to watch

1. St. Pius at Marist (Aug. 28): Intense rivalry that dates back to 1962. St. Pius won 21-10 last season for only the third time since 1976. The War Eagles’ prolific ground game should click again this season with its two top rushers back, but Pius will counter with eight returning defensive starters.
   
   
2. ML King vs. Southwest DeKalb (Aug. 28, Hallford): The two teams played for the first time last season, with ML King prevailing 21-12. Both teams return a ridiculous amount of talent. Southwest has potentially 25 or more players capable of playing college football while ML King returns 15 starters. Southwest’s T.J. Stripling is one of the top defensive linemen in the state.
   
   
3. Dunwoody at Griffin (Aug. 28): The three previous meetings have been decided by a total of 14 points. Two proud programs with three state titles between them. Dunwoody is coming off its best season since its 1993 state title team with only five returning starters.
   
   
4. Stephenson at Ware County (Sept. 18): The first meeting between the two teams last season resulted in a 34-14 Stephenson win. Should be another solid early-season test for the Jaguars, who have won seven straight non-region, regular season games. Ware, with its third coach in the past three seasons, has not had a losing season since 2001.
   
   
5. Marist at Tucker (Sept. 25, Adams): Two of the county’s oldest programs will meet for the third time in two seasons. Tucker won its first state title last year with a 15-3 win over Marist in the AAAA championship game. Marist scored the most lopsided win in the series’ 18 games with a 38-0 regular season win last season.
   
   
6. ML King vs. Stephenson (Oct. 16, Hallford): Plenty at stake in one of the county’s newest rivalries. Like last season’s game, which the Jaguars won, the Region 2-AAAAA title likely will be on the line when the two teams meet. Expect plenty of speed and athleticism as both teams boast some of the county’s top talent.
   
   
7. Dunwoody vs. McNair (Oct. 23, Panthersville): Region realignment made these two teams region foes in 2008 in a sporadic nine-game series that dates back to 1992. Dunwoody, on its way to one of its best seasons in school history a year ago, broke a three-game losing streak to McNair. This will be a crucial game for both teams in the hunt for a playoff berth out of Region 5-AAA.
   
   
8. Marist at Southwest DeKalb (Oct. 23, Hallford): Marist holds a five-game winning streak against the Panthers. The War Eagles are one of only two teams to have at least 10 wins against the Panthers (Avondale holds a 16-4-2 edge but the two teams have not played since the 1970s). This one could determine the regular season 6-AAAA champion.
   
   
9. Southwest DeKalb vs. Tucker (Oct. 30, Adams): Southwest should have enough talent to break the defensive grip the Tigers have had in the past two games in the series. Southwest has managed only seven points in the past two meetings. The last six games in the series have been split 3-3.
   
   
10. Chamblee vs. Miller Grove (Nov. 6, North DeKalb): As during last season, this matchup should play a big part in determining Region 6-AAAA’s fourth playoff team. Southwest DeKalb, Tucker and Marist are the cream of the crop. Chamblee pushed itself into the postseason with a 14-0 win in last year’s game, the first ever between the two schools.