With three weeks to go before a week No. 11 crossover game, mounting injuries have begun to take a toll at Spalding High. Spalding was without team-leading tackler Jevaris Jones and team-leading scorer Powell Krepps last week as well as running back Brandon Thomas and defensive lineman Devontez Carter. To top it off, middle linebacker Jake Jeffcoat left the game with an injury in the second half.

That’s a lot of quality manpower out of the lineup.

The result came as no surprise.

Coming off their fourth loss in a row — 21-0 Thursday at Southern Crescent Stadium against second-place Riverdale (5-2 overall, 2-1 Region 4-AAAAA Div. B) — the road doesn’t get any easier for Spalding (1-4-1, 0-2). The Jags travel to take on third-place Jonesboro (5-1, 1-1) Friday before hosting fifth-place North Clayton (1-6, 1-2) on Oct. 26 and first-place Griffin (5-1, 2-0) on Nov. 2.

Both Jonesboro (averaging 34 ppg) and Griffin (35 ppg) sport high-powered offenses. Both are also respectable on defense, each yielding 17 ppg.

Even for homecoming the Jags, which are averaging 9 ppg while yielding 17 ppg, don’t catch much of a break. While North Clayton (1-6, 1-2) is averaging 13 ppg and allowing 23 ppg, the Eagles are coming off their first win of the season, a 19-14 victory against the same Upson-Lee team which defeated Spalding 31-10 the week before also at Matthews Field.

Griffin, meanwhile, is looking to maintain its current pace atop the Region 4-AAAA Div. B standings.

The only blemish on the Bears’ record this season is a 17-14 loss on a 27-yard field goal with no time left three weeks ago at Memorial Stadium against Region 4-AAAA Div. A first-place Stockbridge (5-1, 1-0).

The rest of No. 9 state-ranked Griffin’s body of work this season has otherwise been impressive. It includes wins against: Dutchtown 42-16, Northgate 35-6, Jonesboro 34-33, Woodland-Stockbridge 52-20 and Riverdale 35-14. Games remain against next-to-last place North Clayton this week at Memorial Stadium, at fourth-place Upson-Lee on Oct. 26 and at Spalding on Nov. 2 before a week No. 11 crossover game for the right to go to state.

Elsewhere in the area, Skipstone Academy (3-6, 0-3) fell 14-7 with :21 left Friday at East Atlanta to be knocked out of playoff contention in Glory for Christ League action. Griffin Christian (1-6, 0-2), which is playing Independent Christian Schools of Georgia and Alabama Athletic Association (ICSGA) 11-man football, has also struggled this season losing six in a row, while Faith Christian (3-2) is playing independent 8-man football which means no league playoff format for the Lions.

(John Sullivan is the sports editor at the Griffin Daily News.)

REGION 4-AAAA STANDINGS

Division A

School |Overall |Region |PF |PA

Stockbridge |5-1-0 |1-0 |18 |11

Woodland-Stock. |2-4-0 |1-0 |20 |27

Locust Grove |5-2-0 |1-1 |25 |19

Dutchtown |5-2-0 |1-1 |33 |20

E. Landing |0-7-0 |0-2 |25 |41



Division B

School |Overall |Region |PF |PA

Griffin |5-1-0 |2-0 |35 |17

Riverdale |5-2-0 |2-1 |22 |19

Jonesboro |5-1-0 |1-1 |34 |17

Upson-Lee |3-3-0 |1-1 |26 |22

N. Clayton |1-6-0 |1-2 |13 |23

Spalding |1-4-1 |0-2 |9 |17



THIS WEEK'S GAMES

N. Clayton at Griffin

Spalding at Jonesboro

Upson-Lee at Riverdale

Dutchtown at Stockbridge

Woodland at E. Landing

Bye: Locust Grove



LAST WEEK'S GAMES

Riverdale 21, Spalding 0

North Clayton 19, Upson-Lee 14

Woodland 23, Locust Grove 14

Dutchtown 52, E. Landing 22

Bye: Griffin, Jonesboro and Stockbridge