The Athens Hornets and Canton Eagles are both undefeated going into their Friday district game. The Athens Review said it is the first time the Hornets have entered the final regular-season game with a perfect record against a district opponent that was also unbeaten. Athens has averaged about 50 points per game. The paper said Canton has scored more points and allowed fewer than Athens.
Pigskin Prep ranked Athens 9th and Canton 13th in state 4A Division II before the game. In Region 3, Athens is second behind West Orange Stark, two spots ahead of Canton. Canton is coached by Heath Ragle, who spent five years at Eustace in his first head coaching job before resigning after a 6-4 season in 2017. He took over at Canton in 2022. The Eagles went 4-6 and 3-7 in his first two seasons, then went 8-3 in 2024 and 10-2 last season.
Canton's offense is led by senior quarterback Cort Ray, who accounted for seven touchdowns in the Eagles' win over Van. That win was Canton's first over the Vandals in 16 years. The article said Athens and Canton's bi-district opponents will come from 10-4A Division 2. West Orange Stark leads that division, followed by Silsbee, and Hamshire-Fannett and Shepherd have the inside track going into the final regular-season games.