There’s nothing like a good backyard brawl. And that’s exactly what will be going on Friday night in Snellville when the Broncos travel down the road to face the neighboring Comets.
Both teams have gotten off to quick starts this season. Since the third quarter of the season opener at Lowndes, South Gwinnett has been virtually unstoppable. The Comets fell behind in that game by four touchdowns before rallying in the fourth and nearly pulling off a miraculous comeback. And head coach John Small’s team hasn’t lost since. After a shootout win over ML King the following week, the Comets destroyed Shiloh and Central Gwinnett in consecutive games.
The Broncos, on the other hand, started their season with wins over Walton and Collins Hill, but fell to Dacula in week three. However, head coach Mark Crews’ team rebounded to defeat Archer the following week 37-0.
The Comets are led by running back Aaron Wimberly, who had 169 yards rushing on just 11 attempts in a game against Central Gwinnett. In the same game, Wimberly also returned a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown as well as catching three balls for 80 yards and another score.
Brookwood will counter with a solid back of their own in Nick Thompkins, who rushed 16 times for 199 yards and two touchdowns against Archer. Bronco wide receiver A.J. Sims, a Score 44 member, will look to make big plays against the South Gwinnett secondary. Sims is committed to sign football at Michigan State next year on a full scholarship.
A rivalry that has been played almost annually since 1982, Brookwood and South Gwinnett have played 26 times with the Broncos winning 22 of them. However, the Comets won last year’s meeting 17-14, their first win in the series since 2003. But South Gwinnett should beware- Brookwood has never lost two in a row in this series.
Small’s team has made the playoffs two of the past three years, while Brookwood has been a staple in the postseason for years. And this game should go a long way in determining playoff representatives from Region 8-AAAAA.