This Athens-area high school football team is 4-0 for the first time since 2009

North Oconee football powered its way to another victory Friday night — 38-8 at Madison County — improving to 3-0 with one region win. Other high school football teams around the Athens area remain undefeated, too, as the regular season approaches the midway point.

Here's what we learned in Week 5:

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EAST JACKSON 53, FRANKLIN COUNTY 10: At Carnesville, the Eagles improved to 4-0 for the first time since 2009 as they hammered the Lions in their first road game of the season.

East Jackson was led by Quay Hill, who ran for three touchdowns, and Jamarion Parks and Branturan Callahan, who scored two touchdowns apiece. Talan Jackson and Braxton Goolsby also added touchdowns.

The Eagles will play at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Johnson-Gainesville.

PRINCE AVENUE CHRISTIAN 58, EAGLE’S LANDING CHRISTIAN 18: At Brad Akins Field in Bogart, Quarterback Aaron Philo threw for more than 400 yards with six touchdown passes as the Wolverines – ranked No. 1 in Class A Division 1 – crushed the Chargers to remain undefeated.

Philo, who passed Marietta’s Harrison Bailey to take over fifth place in the state record books for career touchdown passes (he now has 122), also ran for a touchdown.

Prince Avenue Christian (5-0) jumped out to an early lead as Philo threw a 21-yard scoring pass to Hudson Hill with 9:40 left in the first quarter. Four minutes later, Philo ran into the end zone for his seventh rushing touchdown of the year, and with 1:42 left in the first quarter Philo hit C.J. Dockery on a 4-yard touchdown pass.

In the second quarter, Connor Causby scored on a 1-yard rush with 9:50 remaining. Philo then tossed his third scoring strike of the evening, a 26-yarder to Dockery with 8:02 left in the quarter. With two minutes left before halftime, Philo hit Hill on a 14-yard pass and a minute later hit Hill again on a 33-yard pass to give the Wolverines a 48-6 lead.

Philo threw his sixth and final touchdown pass of the evening to Gaines Scoggins with 7:24 left in the third quarter (there was a running clock in the second half). Tyler Denny kicked a field goal with 4:05 left in the game for Prince Avenue’s final score.

The Wolverines will hit the road again next week, traveling to Florida to face Pensacola Christian at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

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CLARKE CENTRAL 21, SOUTH FORSYTH 20 (OT): At War Eagle Stadium in Cumming, the Gladiators – ranked No. 10 in Class 5A – bounced back from its loss to Gainesville last week with a dramatic victory over South Forsyth in its final non-region game.

Kendrick Curry scored for Clarke Central (3-1) and Cooper Evans had two field goals in regulation. Jaden Cofer tallied the overtime touchdown and the Gladiators successfully went for two points to claim the victory.

Clarke Central will play at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Jefferson, ranked No. 4 in Class 5A, in both teams’ Region 8-5A opener.

CEDAR SHOALS 14, WALNUT GROVE 6: At Waters-Wilkins Stadium, the Jaguars won their first game of the season and squared their Region 8-4A record at 1-1.

A.J. Hubbard scored on a 9-yard run with 4:17 left in the second quarter and Taiwan Green scored on a 2-yard run with less than a minute remaining in the game for Cedar Shoals (1-3).

The Panthers will play at 7:30 p.m. Friday at East Hall.

COMMERCE 17, LINCOLN COUNTY 10: At Larry Campbell Stadium in Lincolnton, the Tigers beat the Red Devils in enemy territory for the first time since 2001 and improved to 3-1.

Tysean Wiggins scored both of Commerce’s touchdowns, reaching the end zone on a 3-yard run to cap a 10-play drive as the first quarter ended and scoring on a 5-yard rush to highlight an 11-play, 70-yard drive with 10:50 left in the game to give his team a 14-10 lead.

Place-kicker Ivy Tolbert connected on a 22-yard field goal with 45 seconds remaining the ice the victory for the Tigers.

Commerce will host Banks County at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

WINDER-BARROW 19, LOGANVILLE 15: At W. Clair Harris Stadium in Winder, the Bulldoggs won their Region 8-5A opener, posting their second consecutive victory over the Red Devils.

After a scoreless first half, Winder-Barrow (4-1, 1-0) scored its first touchdown on a 45-yard pass from Evan Lynn to Kenyon Glasper with 6:30 left in the third quarter. The extra point attempt was no good and Loganville held a 7-6 lead.

The Bulldoggs went up 12-7 with five minutes left in the third quarter on another Lynn-to-Glasper connection, this one for 46 yards. The two-point conversion was no good. Loganville (2-3) retook the lead at 15-12 with 1:29 left in the third on a pick six and a two-point conversion.

With less than two minutes remaining in the game, Winder-Barrow’s M.J. Dowdy – who came into the game with 413 rushing yards – scored on a 3-yard rush to give his team the come-from-behind victory.

The Bulldoggs are off Friday and will host Jefferson – ranked No. 4 in Class 5A – on Sept. 29.

WESTMINSTER CHRISTIAN 42, VICTORY BAPTIST 12: At Loganville, the Lions recorded their highest point total of the season and improved to 2-3 with a decisive victory over the Warriors.

Dee Moore rushed for 60 yards for Westminster Christian’s first score and Ethan Townsend threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Owen Davis to put the Lions up 14-6 with 9:24 left in the second quarter.

Four minutes later, Townsend and Davis connected on a 21-yard touchdown pass to make it 21-6. Townsend threw his third TD pass of the quarter, a 4-yarder to Noah Goodwin, and Henry Sanders scored on the two-point conversion attempt to give Westminster Christian a 29-6 halftime advantage.

With 7:14 left in the third quarter, Andrew Costello returned an interception for a touchdown and at the end of the quarter Townsend and Davis teamed up for another passing touchdown, this one for 32 yards, to complete the scoring.

The Lions will play at 7:30 p.m. Friday at David Emmanuel Academy in Stillmore.

BETHLEHEM CHRISTIAN 42, GEORGIA CHRISTIAN 17: At Bethlehem, the Knights remained undefeated with a substantial victory over the visiting Generals.

Josh Adams rushed for 224 yards and three touchdowns to lead Bethlehem Christian (5-0).

Zeke Clanton added two rushing touchdowns and Andrew Deloreno scored one touchdown. Bennett Logan was a perfect 6-for-6 on extra points.

The Knights will host King’s Ridge Christian at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

NORTH FORSYTH 42, JACKSON COUNTY 35: At Raider Stadium in Cumming, the Panthers fell to 2-3 but not without a fight as they scored three fourth-quarter touchdowns to come back from a 35-14 deficit.

Jackson County scored its first touchdown in the second quarter on a trick play when place-kicker Brice Rogers threw a 43-yard pass to Elijah Ling on fourth-and-long fake field goal attempt to tie the score at 7-7.

After the Raiders went up 13-7, Jackson County held the lead for a short while when Acoreon McClure ran in from the 1-yard line to cap a 10-play, 56-yard drive and put the Panthers up 14-13 with three minutes left before halftime.

North Forsyth (2-3) then scored the next three touchdowns, reaching the end zone twice in the final minutes of the second quarter and the opening minutes of the third quarter to take a 21-point lead. The Panthers roared back as R.J. Knapp found Jaydan Hibbert open on an 11-yard touchdown pass with 11:50 left in the fourth quarter and then Knapp and Hibbert connected again on a 24-yard pass with nine minutes remaining to make it 35-28.

North Forsyth scored with 6:36 left in the game to go ahead 42-28 and with 4:47 remaining, Knapp scored on a 1-yard dive to again pull within seven, but the Panthers could get no closer as North Forsyth recovered the onside kick and ran out the clock.

Jackson County will host Apalachee at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

BURKE COUNTY 49, OCONEE COUNTY 17: At Warrior Stadium in Watkinsville, Oconee County fell to 1-4 as the visiting Bears – ranked No. 7 in Class 4A – took the one-sided victory.

Mack Ricks recorded a rushing touchdown in the first quarter as the Warriors took a brief lead at 7-0. Burke County scored the next 28 points and held a three-touchdown advantage at the half.

Bryce Queen kicked a field goal for the Warriors late in the third quarter and James Hollman posted a touchdown run in the fourth quarter for Oconee County’s final score.

The Warriors will open Region 8-3A play at 7:30 p.m. Friday, hosting Hebron Christian.

GREEENE COUNTY 14, OGLETHORPE COUNTY 7: At Lexington, Greene County – ranked No. 7 in Class A Division 2 and averaging a winning margin of 33 points in its first four games – escaped with a narrow victory over the Patriots, who fell to 1-3.

The two teams were scoreless at the half and after Greene County (5-0) scored in the third quarter, Oglethorpe County answered on a scoring run by Jake Turner. The Tigers scored the winning touchdown with 1:34 remaining in the game.

The Patriots will host Riverside Military Academy at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

GAINESVILLE 70, APALACHEE 6: At Bobby Gruhn Field in Gainesville, the winless Wildcats had a long night against the undefeated Red Elephants, ranked No. 1 in Class 6A, in both teams’ Region 8-6A opener.

Apalachee’s only score came on a touchdown pass from Howard Holloway to Collin Eishen in the fourth quarter.

The Wildcats (0-5, 0-1) will play at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Jackson County.

PROVIDENCE CHRISTIAN 71, ATHENS CHRISTIAN 0: At Eagle Stadium, Athens Christian fell to 0-4 as the Storm improved to 4-0.

The Eagles will host Loganville Christian at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: One Athens-area football team is 4-0 for the first time since 2009