In a showdown between Georgia powers that featured 33 players with at least one Division I offer,
Carrollton senior running back
Cameron Wood was one of the few without.
On Friday in the MaxPreps Game of the Week, Wood made collegiate programs take notice. Wood ran for a season-high 144 yards and four touchdowns as No. 25 Carrollton downed host
Gainesville 43-21.
Carrollton entered Friday as Georgia's No. 3 team followed by Gainesville at No. 4. The Trojans got two fourth-quarter interceptions from
Tyler Boyd and
Peyton Zachary, who returned his pick 84 yards to the house to ice the game with 27 seconds left.
On a field full of stars, unheralded running back Cameron Wood of Carrollton stole the show in the MaxPreps Game of the Week. (PHOTO: Corey Jones)
Georgia commit
Zykie Helton, Samford commit
Beau Ball and 4-star sophomore
Kweli Fielder helped Carrollton win the battle at the line of scrimmage lining up across from Alabama recruits
Xavier Griffin and
Jamarion Matthews and Duke pledge
Ayden Cain for Gainesville.
Wood ran for 59 yards and a 13-yard score on the game's opening drive, which ended in an 8-0 lead for the Trojans.
The Red Elephants got on the board with 7:33 left in the first half as junior Clemson commit
Kharim Hughley found senior Furman commit
Cameron James, who high-pointed the ball with a leaping catch in the corner of the end zone. The ensuing two-point conversion made it 8-8.
Wood scored his second rushing touchdown of the night from 11 yards out at the 4:16 mark of the second quarter to help Carrollton reclaim the lead at 16-8.
Carrollton extended its lead just before the intermission as freshman quarterback
C.J. Cypher, who already holds 10 college offers, connected with three-star Georgia commit
Ryan Mosley for a 22-yard strike to make it 22-8 at the half. In last year's meeting, Mosley tormented Gainesville with six receptions, 117 yards and two touchdowns as the Trojans downed the Red Elephants 45-16.
Peyton Zachary's late pick-six put things away for Carrollton. (PHOTO: Corey Jones)
Hughley threw a dart to three-star junior
Nigel Newkirk from 17 yards out to shrink the gap to 22-15 at the 6:39 mark of the third quarter.
Griffin and Matthews got into the backfield to help the Red Elephants defense on the ensuing Carrollton drive. With Gainesville backed up inside its own 10,
Darryn Williams intercepted Cypher and returned it for a pick-six, but the point-after try was unsuccessful, allowing Carrollton to cling to a one-point lead, 22-21, after three quarters.
Wood put the game away with two fourth-quarter touchdowns, giving him 10 on the season and a 5-0 start for Carrollton. The Trojans look to return to the AAAAAA championship game after losing a perfect season in last year's final against Grayson, 38-24.
Next week, Carrollton takes on
Parker (Birmingham, Ala.) while Gainesville (3-1) hits the road for the first time this season to begin AAAAA Region 7 play at
Lanier (Sugar Hill).
