8 August 2013
Sponsored Section • HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL
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Knights hope to jump into playoff contention Receiver Robinson to draw defensive attention By MIKE BLUM ROSWELL, Ga. – In its fourth, fifth and sixth seasons as a varsity football team, the Centennial Knights went 27-7 and won games both years they advanced to the state playoffs. During the last year of that stretch, Centennial went 8-2 but did not qualify for the playoffs. In the nine years since, Centennial has two playoff berths (both after 5-5 seasons), one winning season (6-4) and zero playoff victories. It’s been a decade since the Knights made any sort of impact on the local football scene, with .500 seasons about the best they could manage since Mike Cloy (currently the Johns Creek head coach) put Centennial on the map a little over a decade ago. Centennial went 3-7 last season after an 0-5 start under first year head coach Jeff Carlberg, playing solid football the second half of the season. Carlberg and his players hope their winning finish will carry over into 2013, which begins like most Centennial seasons, with the Knights
hovering somewhere between possible playoff contenders and also-rans. Centennial returns a majority of its offensive starters, including one of the state’s top receivers, and will look for improvement on defense, even with just three starters back. “We’ve got a lot of shoes to fill,� Carlberg says. “But we’ll be more athletic this year. I’m pretty excited.� Leading the way for the Knights is wide receiver Christian Robinson, who has enjoyed two straight 1000-yard seasons. Robinson caught 72 passes for 1053 yards and 11 touchdowns last year, but will have a new quarterback delivering the ball to him this season. Matthew Harries takes over as quarterback after starting at receiver last season, and will benefit from one season in the offensive system Carlberg installed when he took over as head coach. He also has “some good weapons around him to get the ball to,� Carlberg points out, Robinson chief among them. Opposing defenses will focus their defensive efforts on Robinson, with Carlberg hoping the Knights can look elsewhere for offensive support. Versatile sophomore Caden Herring showed promise as a freshman as both a receiver
and runner, and gives the Knights a second perimeter threat. Centennial will rely on the inside running of Marvin Taylor and Patrick Inwood, with Inwood seeing varsity action last year as a sophomore. A number of players are competing for the other receiver positions, with St. Francis transfer James Kelley providing some speed, and some newcomers looking to break into the lineup. Alex Yankey, Nick Krauter and Chris Conway return in the offensive line, helping to make Harries’ transition to quarterback a little smoother. The Knights have some athletes on defense, but are a little shy on experience. Most of the line will be new, but Carlberg likes the size of his linebackers, most of whom weigh from 200 to 220 and are in the 6-foot-2 to 6-foot-4 range. One of the linebackers is Alex Estes, whose twin brother Andrew will be one of the defensive linemen. Patrick Risse also returns at linebacker, with Chris Calhoun moving from end to provide a little more size at outside linebacker. Carlberg is looking for a major contribution from track standout Alex Richemond, who he describes as “a phenomenal athlete.� Richemond, a strong safety,
PHOTO BY AL LEVINE
Centennial’s Caden Herring celebrates after scoring a TD against Alpharetta last year. and corner Stefan Young are back on the football field after not playing last year, and will head up what should be a strong secondary that could include Thomas Dreesman from the lacrosse team. Devin O’Neill returns to handle the kicking duties, with Centennial capable of fielding
some dangerous kick returners. The Knights were not hit as hard by graduation as some of the other teams in the region, and Carlberg says he “feels like we’re in the mix. I feel a little better about our ability to compete. The second half of last season, we were competitive in all our games.�
2nd season for St. Francis Knights Team again plays non-region schedule By MIKE BLUM
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MILTON, Ga – The St. Francis Knights begin their second full season of varsity football with the team’s numbers a little down compared to last year. Again this year, the Knights will play a non-region schedule, but will play a full region schedule beginning with the 2014. That will make St. Francis eligible for the playoffs. St. Francis is coming off a 4-6 season that second year head coach Brennan Booth says “could have been 6-4 or 2-8. We played a couple of games that were really close.� All four of the 2012 victories came in the team’s last six games, with the Knights facing the toughest teams on their schedule early in the season. They open at Prince Avenue Christian, which lost in the Class A private school championship game. This season’s team includes several players who were part of the first St. Francis football team as freshmen. The Knights played a mostly junior varsity schedule the first two seasons. Joey Roche returns for his final season as quarterback in the team’s triple option offense, the same one run by Georgia Tech. Jonah Huff, the team’s leading rusher, also returns in the backfield along with Knox Eden-
field, who will contribute in several areas. Although the Knights don’t pass much, they have been effective through the air, with leading receiver Nathan Waller averaging 28 yards per reception, scoring seven touchdowns on 19 catches. Seth Cecil and Brent Turry are back in the offensive line, and will be joined by Lake McCkure and Beau Sundy. St. Francis was effective offensively in most of its games last season, scoring 20 or more points seven times. But in three of the six losses, the Knights scored a combined seven points. Most of the offensive starters will also start on defense, with McClure leading the team in tackles in 2012 from his linebacker position. Defensive back Lance Pecot also returns after leading the team in interceptions. “Our numbers are down a little bit,� Booth notes, “but the quality is better than we’ve had. We’re definitely a younger team, which we have been for a while.� Booth has been with the program since it started, first as defensive coordinator. He believes the team “will be better in some spots,� than last year, but admits, “We still have a lot of growing to do.�