By Chip Saye, GHSF Daily

Allatoona, the state runner-up in 2019 and one of only two remaining unbeaten teams in Class 6A this season, cliched first place in Region 6 with a 44-9 victory over Lassiter. It is the Buccaneers’ first region title since 2015, when they also won the state championship. Also in Region 6, Kell beat Sprayberry 38-31 to take sole possession of second place. Allatoona and Kell are likely to be joined in the playoffs by Sprayberry and Pope.

A fourth team had a chance to win a region title but came up short when Carrollton lost to Alexander 23-22 in a Region 5 game. Jacob Tucker gave Alexander its only lead of the night when he kicked a 29-yard field goal with 2:14 remaining, and the Cougars held on for the victory. Carrollton will get another chance to win its second straight region title when it faces Douglas County next week. Rome pulled even with Carrollton in first place after beating Douglas County 16-15 Friday, but the Wolves would lose the tiebreaker because of its 34-12 loss to the Trojans on Oct. 9. Carrollton, Rome and Douglas County have clinched playoff berths, and the winner of next week’s Alexander-South Paulding game will be the fourth team.

Two of the five region championships that will be settled next week will come down to battles of first-place. Evans (7-2, 2-0) will take on Alcovy (2-4, 2-0) for the championship in Region 3, and Buford (7-1, 5-0) will face four-time defending champion Dacula (6-2, 5-0) for the Region 8 title.

River Ridge, at 8-0 the only other unbeaten Class 6A team, missed out on a chance to lock up Region 7 when its game against Johns Creek was canceled over COVID-19 concerns. The Knights can put the finishing touches on their first region title with a victory against Cambridge next week.