The Sporting News High School Football Game of the Week: No. 2/SN No. 2 Grayson vs. No. 13/SN No. 10 Carrollton originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The No. 2/SN No. 2 Grayson [Loganville, GA] Rams have been Georgia's top-ranked team throughout the 2025 season.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAnd the current No. 5/SN No. 5 Buford [GA] Wolves have maintained their position as the Peach State's No. 2 program.
But somewhat quietly, the Carrollton [GA] Trojans have worked their way into the No. 3 position in Georgia, a spot they've held for several weeks in The Sporting News High School Football Top 25. And, in the past two weeks, they've moved up from No. 20 to No. 10, taking a big seven-spot jump this past week after dismantling the highly-regarded Harrison [Kennesaw, GA] Hoyas in a 51-6 blowout.
The margin of victory in that game served notice that, perhaps, the Trojans deserve to be mentioned in the same breath with the other two frontrunners in Georgia. And the outcome is reflected in that big move in the rankings, positioning the Trojans to possibly even climb into the Top 5 if they can upset the Rams tonight on their own home field.
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No. 2/SN No. 2 Grayson [Loganville, GA] Rams at No. 13/SN No. 10 Carrollton [GA] Trojans
LAST WEEK'S GAME OF THE WEEK No. 5/SN No. 3 Centennial [Corona, CA] Huskies 28, No. 6/SN No. 7 Mater Dei [Santa Ana, CA] Monarchs 27
Friday, November 28, 2025Grisham Stadium, Carrollton, Georgia | 7:30 p.m. EST localTV/Streaming: NFHS Network
Local Media Coverage: Atlanta Journal-Constitution High School Football
School Athletics Websites: Grayson Rams Athletics | Carrollton Trojans Athletics
School Social Media: Grayson Rams on X.com @grayson_fb | Carrollton Trojans on X.com @CarrolltonTroj1
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Background
We've been building to this moment all season long without even knowing it.
Grayson has been in the Top 10 all year, but Carrollton has had to work its way up. And the Trojans are still only ranked No. 13 in The Sporting News Composite Rankings. They're ranked as high as No. 9 in the Massey Ratings, but they still aren't even in the Top 25 in ESPN and High School Football America's lists.
But they are 12-0, and their consistency has allowed them to build to this moment where they are one upset away from possibly cracking the national Top 5 in some lists, including The Sporting News High School Football Top 25. The stakes are even higher for Grayson with the Rams just needing a win to move to No. 1 next week in SN's rankings. They control their own destiny in the national title race while Carrollton likely still needs some help.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementTop Recruits
Grayson has played all year without its 4-star senior QB Travis Burgess who tore his ACL against the Rabun Gap [GA]-Nacoochee Eagles way back on August 28. But the Rams have 11 other ranked prospects on 247sports.com's Georgia Class of 2026 player rankings. That includes 4-star LB Tyler Atkinson (Texas Longhorns) and 3-star recruits like Anthony Davis, Jr. (Ole Miss Rebels), WR Dawson Quarterman (East Carolina Pirates), S Hannibal Carter Navies (Arizona Wildcats), WR Jonathan Stafford Jr. (Western Kentucky Hilltoppers), and EDGE Lawrence Brown (North Carolina Tar Heels). The Rams have another 4-star prospect in junior IOL Jordan Agbanoma (6-3, 295 lbs., uncommitted).
Carrollton counters with some solid senior prospects of its own led by 4-star CB Dorian Barney (Ole Miss Rebels). Three-star seniors include WR Ryan Mosley (uncommitted), IOL Zykie Helton (6-2, 290 lbs., Georgia Bulldogs), LB CJ Gamble (uncommitted), and RB Kimauri Farmer (Liberty Flames).
When Grayson has the ball ...
Grayson was forced to retool its offense around junior QB Deuce Smith early in the season after Burgess went down, and Smith has proven to be more than capable. He's thrown for 2,207 yards with 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions to date, relying heavily on Quarterman who has 51 receptions for 842 yards and 8 touchdowns. But Smith has done an admirable job spreading the ball around with Stafford also logging 38 receptions for 720 yards and 6 scores while junior Saif Bin-Wahad has also got in on the action with 24 catches for 401 yards and 3 touchdowns. The passing game is assisted by a solid running attack, and at least 17 Rams' players have logged multiple carries this year. The main cog in the running game is junior Ashton Turner with 121 totes for 694 yards and 10 touchdowns.
When Carrollton has the ball ...
Carrollton has used both of its quarterbacks in all 12 games this year, and they've both been effective. Freshman CJ Cypher actually has the bigger numbers with 1,804 yards passing and 24 touchdowns with only 2 interceptions. Senior Mason Holtzclaw has thrown for 1,102 yards with 7 touchdowns and only 1 interception, but the biggest difference is that Holtzclaw is able to make more plays with his feet rushing for 207 yards and four scores on 34 carries. Cypher, amazingly, has only 2 carries all year for 4 yards. The main targets are senior Peyton Zachary (70 rec.-823 yards, 10 TDs) and Mosley (45 rec.-816 yards, 8 TDs), but the Trojans also have a workhorse at running back in senior Cameron Wood who has rushed for 1,185 yards and on 134 carries with 28 touchdowns.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementKeys to the game
Grayson wins if Smith is able to protect the ball and not commit a costly turnover to set the Trojans up for an easy score which could be the difference in a close gam. The Rams also need to be able to generate a running game to take the pressure off him as this is the first major test Grayson has had in weeks. On the other side, Grayson can't count on forcing turnovers in this game because Carrollton's quarterbacks have been great at protecting the ball. That may mean employing less pressure and seeking to contain the Trojans' dynamic receiving duo instead, but that's a formula that can work if the Rams aren't giving up big plays.
Carrollton wins if they can establish their running game early on with Wood carrying the load. They'll also need both quarterbacks in their dual-system to be effective when they are in the game, and they've only thrown three interceptions all season long. They haven't faced many defenses like this elite Grayson unit, however, and if they suddenly start committing turnovers, then this could be surprisingly one-sided in the Rams' favor. There's no reason to believe that will happen, but if it does, it will be interesting to see how these two quarterbacks respond in uncharted territory.
Looking Ahead
The winner is on to the state semifinals, likely against a 12-1 North Gwinnett [Suwanee, GA] Bulldogs' squad that could present another formidable challenge. And down the road, one of these two squads is likely to face the Buford [GA} Wolves in the state championship game.
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