Game of the Week – Franklin County vs Stephens County

Our Game of the Week takes us to Carnesville for the first time this year for what’s an intriguing region contest between Franklin and Stephens.

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Franklin County
The Lions started out blistering hot at 3-0 before last week’s stumble against Crescent (SC). It was a shocking 38-3 final, as Franklin came into that game with a top-5 offense and defense in the state of Georgia. Still, that game doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. The offense is tough with Knox Whitworth, Carson Cheek, and Jett Whitworth the key cogs. A caveat for this game, Cheek is out to an injury and won’t be back for awhile. Defensively, look for Elliott Harbin to be a wrecking ball. And the most talented prospect on the field is on the line in Kennan Burtch.
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Stephens County
The Indians opened the can on the season at 0-2. There was a lot of unrest about that. Stephens County has righted the ship officially with runaway wins over Dawson County and Union County. However, those teams are a combined 0-9 on the season, so that’s worth keeping in mind. Even still, Branson Stowe has been leaps and bounds more efficient than he was last year. The run game hasn’t really been a strong point, but the best athlete for Stephens is bar none Kaiden Harbin. He’s next level, and Duke Collins is a big-time factor as well.

By the numbers

Franklin County
3-1 (0-0 IN 8-AAA)
Region Standings: N/A
38.0 OFFENSE AVG (#8 in Class 3A)
16.5 DEFENSE AVG
N/A State Ranking

Stephens County
2-2 (0-0 IN 8-AAA)
Region Standings: N/A
28.8 OFFENSE AVG
25.5 DEFENSE AVG
N/A State Ranking

How the teams stack up

We typically make a case for both, with our official pick linked below. Let’s begin with the Lions. If they play anything like last week, there’s zero chance. However, if they play the brand we saw from the first three games, they have a great shot to win. That also means finding someone to run the ball to replace what Carson Cheek would have brought to the table. Franklin will need to be disruptive on defense and yet also disciplined in the secondary. They MUST stop Kaiden Harbin. For Stephens County, they’ll need to get the ball into Harbin’s hands and Duke Collins’. That’s the biggest key. Get the ball to the playmakers and let them work. Defensively, the Indians will need to make Knox Whitworth uncomfortable.

Quick stats

For Franklin County, the Lions have gone 1-2 overall in our three games covering them. For Stephens County, it’s a 16-14 mark across 30 games.

Game details

Time: 7:30 PM
Place: Franklin County HS / Ed Bryant Stadium / Carnesville, GA
Last meeting: 2025: Stephens County 24, Franklin County 20
All-time record: Stephens County leads the all-time series 11-46-1
Records: Franklin County Lions (3-1) vs Stephens County Indians (2-2)
Head coaches: Chuck Holland (14-21; 4 Seasons); Thomas Flowers (8-8; 2 Seasons)
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Historically speaking

This series is truly ancient – 58 all-time meetings in the books going back to 1966. From that year until 1997, this game was played like clockwork (not missing a year). The only interruption is 1998 and 1999. From 2000-2025, this game continues to be on the calendar. Since 2000, Stephens County has won all but two meetings (2009 and 2020). The last five have all gone to the Indians, though last year was a thrilling 24-20 final.

Team leaders (2026 Stats)

*Stats accumulated by team-published data on Ga MaxPreps

Franklin County Lions

Passing
Knox Whitworth –
RUSHING
Carson Cheek –
Knox Whitworth –

Receiving
Jett Whitworth – 316 yds, 3 TD
Gavin Wells – 175 yds, 2 TD
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Defensive leaders
Elliott Harbin – 63 TKL, 7 TFL, 2 Sacks, 1 PBU
Jett Whitworth – 9 TKL, 1 INT (TD)

Stephens County Indians

Passing
Branson Stowe – 874 yds, 9 TD, 3 INT, 62% passing

Rushing
Jasiah Wiley – 179 yds, 1 TD
Dallas Hague – 130 yds, 2 TD
Branson Stowe – 84 yds, 2 TD
Ashton Winters – 47 yds, 2 TD
Kaiden Harbin – 46 yds, 0 TD

Receiving
Kaiden Harbin – 464 yds, 4 TD, 21 rec
Duke Collins – 135 yds, 3 TD, 11 rec
Macade Huff – 102 yds, 0 TD, 8 rec
Dallas Hague – 32 yds, 1 TD, 2 rec
DEFENSIVE LEADERS
Isaiah Arthur – 49 TKL, 1 TFL, 1 FR
Karunte Wiley – 37 TKL, 3 TFL
Peyton Feaster – 34 TKL, 1 TFL
Isaiah Patterson – 30 TKL, 2 FF
Seth Fulbright – 21 TKL, 3 TFL, 1 INT
Duke Collins – 18 TKL, 1 TFL, 2 INT

SEE ALSO

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