The Athens Academy Spartans will challenge the Elbert County Blue Devils at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Elbert County will be up against a hot Athens Academy squad: the team just extended their winning streak to seven. The Spartans blew past Providence Christian Academy 69-13 on Friday. The matchup was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 62-6.
Keyon Standifer
| 10/10/25 @ Providence Christian Academy | 4 |
| 10/03/25 vs Banks County | 1 |
| 09/26/25 @ Oglethorpe County | 2 |
| 09/19/25 vs Commerce | 2 |
| 09/05/25 vs John Milledge Academy | 2 |
| + 9 more games |
A big part of Athens Academy's victory came down to the chemistry between Chap Chapman and his top target Keyon Standifer. Chapman threw for 323 yards and four touchdowns while picking up 15.4 yards per attempt while Standifer gained 223 total yards and six touchdowns. What's more, Standifer posted four receiving touchdowns, the most he's had since back in August of 2024.
Athens Academy was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 216 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 189 rushing yards every time they've taken the field this season.
Athens Academy didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off four passes before the game was over. Baynes Collins led the group effort, picking up two of those interceptions all by himself. Brady Colley got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Elbert County got themselves on the board against Banks County on Friday, but Banks County never followed suit. They claimed a resounding 45-0 win over the Leopards. The Blue Devils have beaten the Leopards the last seven times they've met, but they better watch out: this was the closest the Leopards has come to flipping the script.
A big part of Elbert County's victory came down to the chemistry between Brody Baker and his top target Dakhovin Dk Winn. Baker threw for 224 yards and a pair of TDs while completing 77.8% of his passes while Dk Winn picked up 71 receiving yards and two scores. Jose Rodriguez also deserves a mention for his punt return touchdown.
Special teams was a major factor in the game for Elbert County, racking up 15 points in total. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Rodriguez, who ran a punt back for a touchdown.
The win got Elbert County back to even at 4-4. As for Athens Academy, their victory bumped their record up to 7-1.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Friday's game: Athens Academy has been on an offensive roll this season, having averaged 467.6 total yards per game. It's a different story for Elbert County, though, as they've been averaging only 213.1 total yards. Will Athens Academy be able to march up the field at their leisure again, or will the Blue Devils flip the script?
Athens Academy barely slipped by Elbert County in their previous matchup back in October of 2024, winning 35-34. Will the Spartans repeat their success, or do the Blue Devils have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
