GPB’s Football Fridays in Georgia returns to Cartersville’s Sam Weinman Stadium this week for the Northwest Georgia showdown between the Purple Hurricanes and the Rockmart Yellow Jackets.

Cartersville (1-0) is the No. 1-ranked team in Class 4A. Rockmart is the No. 6-ranked team in Class 2A.

The schools are only 20 miles apart and have been competing against each other on the football field since 1925, but they haven’t met since 2013. Cartersville leads the all-time series 37-29-4 and has won the last two games, when both were state ranked.

Cartersville, coached by Conor Foster, opened the season by hammering Columbia 40-0. Quarterback Nate Russell threw for 154 yards and two touchdowns in limited time, as the Canes led 33-0 at halftime. 

Rockmart, coached by Biff Parson, lost 24-3 to regional rival Cedartown in the opening week. Rockmart was trailing Cedartown 7-0 when a thunderstorm interrupted play and the teams came back to complete the game on Saturday.