HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK: Americus-Sumter, Southland pick up key wins

Sumter County’s high school football teams are on a roll.

Americus-Sumter picked up a big win Friday night, edging Northside-Columbus 21-17 to move to 2-0 in GHSA Region 1-4A competition. That sets up a showdown with Cairo, the other 2-0 team in the region, this Friday in Americus.

Both Americus-Sumter and Cairo, a 30-7 winner over Shaw, are 3-2 overall.

Meanwhile, Southland continues its hot start, blanking Tiftarea 24-0 in the Raiders’ GISA Region 3-3A opener and improving to 7-0.

Clay Owens picked up 175 rushing yards and a touchdown on 25 carries. Alex Roach completed 8-of-14 passes for 148 yards, a night that included a 72-yard touchdown pass to Townsend Ray.

Southland travels to Deerfield-Windsor this Friday.

Pelham thrives on road

Pelham’s three-game September road swing turned out to be a success.

The Hornets followed up wins over Terrell County and Calhoun County with a 42-38 victory Friday at Miler County.

With Randolph-Clay losing 56-23 to Seminole County, that leaves Pelham and Mitchell County, pending its game Saturday night against Terrell County, as the lone unbeaten teams in GHSA Region 1-1A play.

Pelham (4-1 overall) hosts its next four games leading into the regular-season finale at Mitchell County.

Alabama travels

Deerfield-Windsor ventured to suburban Birmingham, Alabama, on Friday, where it lost 20-7 to Bessemer Academy, the defending Alabama Independent School Association Class 3A champion.

Bessemer led 14-7 at halftime.

Garrett Jones ran for 144 yards on 18 carries, including a 54-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, for Deerfield-Windsor (3-3). Cooper Roberts added 62 yards on 12 carries.

Around the Albany area

Things did not go well for Dougherty County teams, with Carver-Columbus beating Westover 20-0, Brooks County rolling past Monroe 49-0 … Calhoun County notched its first victory of the season, beating Stewart County 27-0 … Glascock County topped Pataula Charter 42-16 … A score was not reported from the Terrell Academy-Flint River contest.

Around Southwest Georgia

GHSA Region 1-7A: Second-ranked Lowndes remains unbeaten following a 55-0 rout of Shiloh … Tift County, tied for fourth in Class 7A, edged Class 6A No. 2 Coffee 33-31 … sixth-ranked Colquitt County shut out Valdosta 27-0 … ninth-ranked McEachern beat Camden County 38-13.

GHSA Region 1-6A: Fifth-ranked Northside-Warner Robins topped Ware County 23-14 … Houston County beat Spalding 27-7.

GHSA Region 1-5A: Sixth-ranked Warner Robins beat West Laurens 31-9 … Bainbridge rolled past Sarasota (Florida) 51-0, with Dameon Pierce rushing for 216 yards and four touchdowns … In a battle of teams that used to share a stadium, Perry topped Veterans 31-20 … Callaway edged Harris County 28-27.

GHSA Region 1-4A: Hardaway rolled past Columbus 41-14.

GHSA Region 1-3A: Cook gave Thomasville, the No. 6 team in Class 2A, a fight, falling 40-34 … second-ranked Crisp County blanked Spencer 36-0.

GHSA Region 1-2A: Berrien rolled past Early County 34-14.

GISA Region 3-3A: Valwood shut out Brookwood 27-0.