5 Takeaways from Week 4 of Georgia high school football

Norcross is proving itself; Bufford wins big; North Gwinnet remains hot and more

The Norcross Blue Devils got a statement win on Friday night when they went on the road and put the hammer down in a 41-14 win over Walton. / Norcross Football

Week 4 of the Georgia high school football season is in the books and boy was it another exciting week at that. 

We saw three Gwinnett County teams go on the road and earn huge wins. Norcross blasted Walton, 41-14, on the road, Buford trounced Roswell, 52-17, at Roswell and North Gwinnett gutted out a 37-34 come-from-behind victory over Mill Creek for what was easily the best game of the night. 

Here are five things we learned from an exciting night of football in Week 4. 

Norcross football Is better than people think 

The Blue Devils went on the road and routed Walton, 41-14, Friday night. If it isn’t obvious now, the Blue Devils are better than people think. Are they a state championship contender In Class 6A? Probably not. But are they a team that can disrupt some plans? Absolutely. They played a really good Mill Creek team tough in their second game and followed that up with their big win over the Raiders Friday night to improve to 2-1 on the season. 

Douglas County is a state championship contender in Class 6A 

Nobody saw the Tigers coming last season. In 2024, everyone knows who they are and what they’re about, and that isn’t making much of a difference. Facing off against an excellent Langston Hughes squad Friday night, the Tigers used their ground game to beat the Panthers 21-14 for what was easily one of the most impressive wins of the night. Class 6A is loaded with talented teams, and the Tigers are one of them. They are absolutely a team that can win a state championship in 2024. 

RELATED: Douglas County tops Langston Hughes with a fourth quarter TD in this Top 5 Georgia showdown

Buford proves it remains among Georgia's high school football programs 

Giving a frustrated, bent-out-of-shape Buford squad two weeks to prepare for a team is a recipe for disaster for that opponent. And on Friday night, Roswell was the unlucky team in that scenario. The Wolves trounced the Hornets 52-17, an absolute beatdown from start to finish. This was a much-needed moral boost for the Wolves, who had gotten off to a rocky start to their season, for their standards. But if anyone was doubting the Wolves, this win proves they aren’t going anywhere. 

North Gwinnett’s hot start continues 

Things weren’t looking too great for the Bulldogs early on in their Week 4 matchup on the road at Mill Creek. Trailing the Hawks 21-10 at the half and later 24-16 midway through the third quarter, a switch flipped. By the end of the third quarter, the Bulldogs led the Hawks 30-24. The Hawks regained a 34-30 advantage with 5:16 to play in the fourth quarter, but a late Bulldogs touchdown, a 73-yard bomb from Ryan Hall to Tommy Lafayette with 4:21 left, was enough to seal a huge 37-34 come-from-behind victory. 

With the win, the Bulldogs are 3-0 with wins against McEachern, Colquitt County and Mill Creek, which is as good of a trio of wins as anyone has earned to start the season. Oh, and they have yet to play a home game. 

Eastside and Archer – a prime example of two programs headed in opposite directions 

There’s always good storylines and bad storylines to be found in any given year. Friday night’s match-up between a red-hot Eastside squad and a disappointing Archer squad is a perfect example of both. 

The Eagles have been one of the biggest brightspots in the state of Georgia this season. They beat their cross-town rival Newton in Week 1 for the first time since 2018 and entered Friday night’s matchup 3-0 on the season.  On the other side, Archer entered the matchup 0-3 and were looking to avoid their second 0-4 start in three years. 

An 0-4 start was in the cards, however after the Eagles rumbled its way to a 34-16 win to improve to 4-0, their best start since 2018. 

The Eagles are a team on the rise. They are well-coached and they get the most out of the players that they have. They are in the mix to compete for a Class 4A state championship without a doubt and should enter the playoffs with a bare minimum 8-9 wins in the regular season. 

On the flip side, the Tigers are in uncharted territory. Yes, they started 0-4 two years ago, but the losses were to West Forsyth, Norcross, Mill Creek and Norcross. Their four losses this year have come against North Cobb, Seckinger, Mill Creek and now Eastside, and they weren’t competitive in three of the four. The Tigers lost by a touchdown against the Jaguars, a program that is only in its third year of existence. 

It looked as if the Tigers had turned a corner last year after following up their 2-8 season with a 5-5 regular season and earning a playoff spot in the process. But after starting off this season 0-4, it appears their success in 2023 might have been short-lived. 

The Tigers have winnable games in region play that will kick off for them on Sept. 20, and will have a shot to earn a playoff spot. But they will need to start playing much better in order to make that a reality.