A D1 Region 8 Top Player Performances of the Week
Congratulations to this week's top players! We're covering the best performances from Friday's football action (using all statistics entered as of the time of writing). Enjoy!
Jamari Welch's Big Game Leads Athens Academy over Elbert County
Jamari Welch's big game helped extend Athens Academy's winning streak to nine on Friday. Elbert County had no answer to Welch as he rushed for 122 yards and two touchdowns on only 15 carries. Welch's longest rush was for an impressive 59 yards, which helps to explain his lofty yards per carry total.
Athens Academy pushed their record up to 9-0 with the victory, which was their fifth straight on the road. Welch and Athens Academy will take on Rabun County at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.
Gamescore: 42.40
Jacari Barnett Turns in Another Game with at Least 130 Rushing Yards
Jacari Barnett continued his hot streak on Friday by dropping his fifth-straight game (dating back to last season) with at least 130 rushing yards. He rushed for 177 yards and three touchdowns.
Barnett and Elbert County will get a bit of extra time to process the defeat as their next game is a ways off. They'll take on Rabun County at 7:30 p.m. on November 1st. The Blue Devils got just the result they wanted when they last faced the Wildcats, probably because Barnett had a solid game then too: he rushed for 154 yards. Can he match (or beat) that performance?
Gamescore: 41.00
Hickman Made His Presence Known in Elbert County's 35-34 Defeat
Jayvyn Hickman put up the most rushing yards he's had since back in November of 2023 on Friday. He rushed for 187 yards and a touchdown while picking up 7.2 yards per carry, and also threw for 82 yards and a touchdown.
Hickman and Elbert County will have a little extra prep time after the defeat as they won't be playing again for a while. They'll take on Rabun County at 7:30 p.m. on November 1st. The last time Hickman took on the Wildcats, he rushed for 71 yards, and also threw for 80 yards and a touchdown. Can he match (or beat) that performance?
Gamescore: 37.87
Athens Academy Wins Ninth-Straight Thanks to Hampton Johnson
Athens Academy picked up their ninth consecutive win on Friday thanks in part to Hampton Johnson. Johnson did his part (and then some), rushing for 77 yards and a touchdown on only nine carries, while also throwing for 143 yards and two touchdowns for the 'W'.
For the season, Johnson has thrown 21 touchdowns (and and only 4 pick) while averaging 175.9 passing yards per game. That doesn't tell the whole story though: at this point last year, he was only averaging 3.89 rushing yards per game. This year he is averaging 36.78 rushing yards.
Gamescore: 31.43
Michael Miller Makes Top Five
Rounding off our Top Five is Michael Miller of Providence Christian Academy. Miller threw for 197 yards and three touchdowns, and also rushed for 64 yards.
Providence Christian Academy is on a four-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 1-7. Miller and Providence Christian Academy will challenge Oglethorpe County at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.
Gamescore: 28.73
Other Notable Players
- Keyon Standifer: 101 yards receiving, 2 TDs (Gamescore: 27.22)
- Telley Anthony: 25 yards rushing; 100 yards receiving, 1 TD (Gamescore: 18.13)
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
