Two Area High School Football Games Among the Best Matchups in the State

According to Georgia High School Football Daily, the Athens area has two high school football games tomorrow night that rank among the state's best. These two contests should bring out the teams' supporters. Here's what the web publication has to say about:

Elbert County at North Oconee

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Titans Field, Bogart

Records, rankings: Elbert County is 4-2 overall, 3-0 in Region 8-AAA and unranked; North Oconee is 5-1, 3-0 and No. 8.

Last meeting: North Oconee won 27-26 in 2012.

Three things to know: 1. Elbert County sophomore QB Mecole Hardman has rushed for 980 yards on 88 carries (11.1 ypc) and scored at least two touchdowns in every game except the opener against Buford. He also has passed for 364 yards and caught a 31-yard TD pass. And he is the team's punter. 2. North Oconee RB Kawon Bryant has 1,551 yards rushing and accounts for about 63 percent of his team's total offense, but North Oconee is much more likely to pass than Elbert. QB Tate Adcock has thrown for 953 yards. 3. These are two of three unbeaten teams in region play. The other is Hart County (6-0, 3-0). In the 2012 game, Elbert County lost by one point after missing an extra point with 4:01 left. North Oconee then ran out the clock. Hardman went down with an ankle injury earlier in the game. Elbert County missed the playoffs by one game.

Gainesville at Clarke Central

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Billy Henderson Stadium, Athens

Records, rankings: Gainesville is 6-1 overall, 5-0 in Region 8-AAAAA and No. 5; Clarke Central is 5-1, 4-0 and unranked.

Last meeting: Gainesville won 49-28 in 2012.

Three things to know: 1. Gainesville QB Deshaun Watson, the state's all-time leader in career passing yards with 11,442, had one of the best games of his record-breaking junior season against Clarke Central in 2012. He was 23-of-32 passing for 239 yards and six touchdowns and rushed for 174 and a TD on 23 carries. Clarke Central led 21-7 in the first quarter before Gainesville took over. 2. Clarke Central sophomore RB Jaqua Daniels set a school record when he scored five touchdowns in a victory against Apalachee earlier this season. He also ran for a touchdown last week when the Gladiators built a 20-0 first-quarter lead in a 23-3 victory against Heritage of Conyers. 3. Gainesville, Clarke Central and defending champion Flowery Branch are the three remaining unbeaten teams in 8-AAAAA play. Flowery Branch, which plays at Heritage on Friday, will face Clarke Central and Gainesville in its final two games. Clarke Central, Flowery Branch and Heritage shared the region title in 2011, the year before Gainesville joined.