13 MOST WINS LONGEST PLAYOFF STREAK Jefferson BUFORD 25
FLAG ON THE PLAY
GHSA, ref associations looking to solve ‘concerning’ shortage
Story by By Jeff Hart
Is there truly a referee shortage in high school football in Georgia? That’s what we want to know. And if so, why?
Doing our best Leonard Nimoy, Friday Game Night went “In search of …” to see what is fact, what is pure fiction, and what is speculation when it comes to just why there “appears” to be a troubling lack of football officials.
Here is one fact we do know: There are not enough physical bodies of referees to cover all of the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) games on a traditional Friday night without having to move games to other days of the week. Not to mention, there are weekly games in the GIAA and GAPPS as well.
...there would be NO GAMES without referees. They are as essential as the players and coaches -- maybe more.
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It can’t be done in today’s high school football world. And none of that takes into consideration JV, middle school, and park and rec games that local associations are entrusted to oversee on a weekly basis as well.
Is there a single, concrete reason for this?
The complaint box for most statewide referee associations is probably filled to the brim with “suggestions” about low pay, verbal abuse, travel, and time commitment, among a myriad of “ideas.”
And that’s not even mentioning other factors like current officials retiring and low recruitment numbers for new officials. But are any of these reasons actually true? Are all of them true? Is there an even bigger issue at play?
One thing is for certain: there would be NO GAMES without referees. They are as essential as the players and coaches -- maybe more. And here’s what we quickly learned:
‘HOUSTON (COUNTY), WE DEFINITELY HAVE A PROBLEM.’
“I don’t know if we’re at a crisis level yet, but it is definitely a concern,” said Ernie Yarbrough, Coordinator for Officiating for the GHSA. “We have older refs who are aging out and not being replaced because the recruitment numbers have not been where we need them to be. The COVID year was disastrous in terms of recruitment. It’s begin-
“The (the number of officials) is not really increasing.“There are several factors to that, but if things continue the way they have over the last five to 10 years, it’s going to be a huge issue.”
GREG NORTON, SUPERVISOR FOR OFFICIALS FOR THE MOUNTAIN
FOOTBALL CONFERENCE
ning to pick back up a little but still nowhere near where we need them to be.”
Greg Norton, supervisor for officials for the Mountain Football Conference based in north Georgia, has been an official for 35 years and has been in his current position since 2012. He’s seen it all and said the lack of officials is very much real and troubling for the future of the sport.
“The (the number of officials) is not really in-
creasing,” Norton said. “There are several factors to that, but if things continue the way they have over the last five to 10 years, it’s going to be a huge issue.”
Norton outlined for Friday Game Night what he thought were the biggest issues concerning the shortage of officials. He listed them by priority: Number of games, time commitment, game day experience, safety and security, and lack of appreciation.
Norton does not mention issues of low pay, age, and experience of officials, among several others, but they are highly perceived negatives by the public. As we addressed each of these issues, it became apparent that certain things were rooted in fact, others in myth, and others were just a matter of perspective.
‘JUST TOO MANY GAMES!’ — FACT
“Perhaps the No. 1 primary reason why we have a shortage of officials is just the simple fact that there are too many games. To me, this is a fact,” Norton said. “The demand for officials has not been able to keep up. The number of officials is not really increasing, but the number of games and the number of schools that we have are.
“Everybody is playing football from high school down to multiple middle school teams and park and rec. During football season, there is almost a
game every night.”
Does “too many games” essentially mean “too many teams?”
Yarbrough stated that was not a question for the GHSA, a private organization made up of member schools, which now total more than 450 statewide. The GIAA and GAPPS have their own governing bodies regarding policies and procedures.
So, would fewer teams (i.e., leagues) be an easy solution to alleviate the problem? It could, but which leagues would volunteer to cease operating? Would school systems drop certain age-level programs to help with the logistics?
No one Friday Game Night reached out to volunteered to address that issue, which is really more for county and city school boards. New schools are essentially created when school boards feel there is a need due to overcrowding. Unless the schoolage population begins to decline dramatically, an increase in schools will continue to be the way of the foreseeable future.
LOW PAY — FICTION
Nationwide, Georgia is in Section 3 of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), along with North and South Carolina, Florida, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana.
Yarbrough said recruiting new officials is always a high priority, especially for football, and said the
GHSA takes a survey of its officials every three years to look at their concerns.
People outside of the industry often cite pay, or the perceived lack thereof, as the key element explaining why there hasn’t been more interest.
However, the GHSA’s most recent survey of its
“...Parents/coaches/players feel more entitled nowadays. And I’m going to blame social media for a lot of this. Second, there’s a real lack of respect for the job.”
JIMMY LAWLER, FLOWERY BRANCH ATHLETICS DIRECTOR
officials in 2023 strongly suggested otherwise.
“Pay was No. 4 on the list (among those surveyed),” Yarbrough emphasized. “Sportsmanship, security, and advancement were the top three by a wide margin. Among Section 3, we pay the most
during the regular and postseason for football officials. We’re in the top three or four in the nation as well. The lack of pay is definitely fiction.”
The GHSA has set the new rates for officials for all sports beginning with the 2024-26 cycle. Georgia will pay $128 to call a varsity football game, with sub-varsity games paying $75/game. This is an increase from the 2022-2024 rate cycle and is higher than the rest of Section 3.
Keith Hammond, president of the Lanier Football Officials Association, which covers Hall County and other surrounding schools, said the actual pay for games is not an issue.
“It’s a pretty good gig for the time you spend,” said Hammond, who began officiating high football games in 1986. “The time factor you put in can vary from as little as four hours to as much as eight hours depending on location of the game and where you’re based. But I think it’s very much worth it overall from a cost-analysis standpoint.”
Norton agreed.
“(We) are paid fairly well to officiate games, even at the lower levels,’ Norton stated. “I mean, at (park and rec levels), the average pay for one rec league football game, which lasts about an hour and 15 minutes, is about $50 a game. Most people don’t make (that average) at their regular job. (This) is definitely fiction to me.”
Along with the amount organizations pay are the costs for officials to stay current (dues, train-
ing, etc.) and the startup costs for new officials. All officials are required to take annual training sessions—typically held in the summer—and purchase their uniforms and equipment. The camps and registration usually cost around $100, while the uniform and equipment can cost as much as $350 in the beginning.
Yarbrough, however, said the GHSA has the lowest yearly registration fee ($32/year) in the nation as it tries to keep the costs down. The camps are roughly $70 to $75 annually.
To help alleviate this issue and hopefully attract new recruits, the GHSA partnered with Arthur Blank and the Atlanta Falcons through the Blank Family Foundation in December on a new initiative to recruit new officials statewide. The Blank Foundation gave the GHSA $50,000 to jumpstart the program.
The program will pay for a new recruit’s firstyear registration and camp up front and reimburse them for the uniforms and equipment after working their first game during the season.
“We try to keep our registration as low as we can, but the people running the camps need to get paid too,” Yarbrough said. “But this new grant from the Blank Foundation, we hope, will make it easier and more enticing to recruit new officials. Also, if a veteran official brings in a new recruit, we’ll waive their fee and camp costs for that session.”
Jefferson football coach Travis Noland, who doubled as athletics director in two of his stops over
“The average age of our officials right now is 58,” Norton said. “We need to get more younger people involved.”
GREG NORTON, SUPERVISOR FOR OFFICIALS FOR THE MOUNTAIN FOOTBALL CONFERENCE
the years, also handles finding officials for the Dragons’ home games. He says the younger generations have “changed the game” as far as pay scale and that the GHSA should take advantage of that.
“The younger people seem to have a value of worth, so they’re not going to do something like this for low pay,” he said. “They’re making some of the changes happen by saying they need more money. I have no problem with that.
“But if we’re No. 3 in the country in paying our officials, if I’m the GHSA, I’m making sure everyone around the country knows that, especially the states next to us. That could make a big difference.”
‘LACK OF’ SPORTSMANSHIP — FACT
Looking at the top issue on the GHSA survey –sportsmanship – Flowery Branch Athletics Director Jimmy Lawler, who has been at his post now
for 12 years after coaching baseball for more than two decades, emphatically said that’s a fact, as did Norton, Hammond, and Yarbrough.
“First, parents/coaches/players feel more entitled nowadays. And I’m going to blame social media on a lot of this,” Lawler said. “Second, there’s a real lack of respect for the job (the officials are) doing. The respect level has really dropped in the last 10, 15, 20 years.
“Whether they’re good officials or bad officials, they leave a game probably more stressed out than they’d like to be. These guys enjoy the game of football, and they’re out there doing the best that they can. Yet, they’re scrutinized by spectators, coaches, and players almost by the second on social media. It’s a huge problem.”
“Bad behavior by spectators is on the rise, unfortunately,” Yarbrough said. “To me, it starts with the AAU and other travel leagues where there is just less accountability for the fans and for the coaches as well. And that is now carrying over to the high
school level.”
This brings us to the No. 2 issue on the GHSA survey: security.
SECURITY — MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE
With all sporting events, emotions and adrenaline run high among the coaches, competitors, and fans. That has never changed. And maintaining security for everyone has always been in the foreground as far back as modern sports began.
However, this is still being cited as the No. 2 reason that can affect someone joining the ranks, staying on, or moving on as an official. But as we found out, opinions can vary greatly within even a team of officials on a given night.
Yarbrough said the safety of its officials is always paramount but ultimately falls to each member school’s responsibility.
“I think we’ve all gotten better at trying to let everyone know what is expected at any of our
games, regardless of sport, and for the most part, I think everyone has done a good job,” Yarbrough said. “There are always going to be a few incidents here and there, but we’re really not seeing, at least at the high school level, that many bad situations.”
Norton said the GHSA and the schools are taking it seriously. But also knows it only takes one incident to tip the scales.
“At a GHSA event, the security and safety of an official is generally almost always very good,” Norton said.” And if there is a situation, usually the school is going to support it, and it works out.
Fortunately, in our (north Georgia) area, we’ve not really had a lot of these issues.
“But it only takes one bad incident for something to go viral. That is definitely a part of the problem, you know, as far as people hearing bad things and seeing that thing.”
Hammond offered another perspective.
“Look, they’re just some places that you’re not
going to have an issue,” Hammond said. “And there are some places where if things don’t go well for the hosting side, then you’ve got to be prepared for it.”
TRAINING AND ADVANCEMENT — MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE:
Advancement was third on the GHSA survey. That is definitely a quadruple-edged sword as sportsmanship, security, pay, and time commitment all can affect whether newer officials stay. The sheer number of games could be seen as a positive, at least providing plenty of opportunities for younger and/or newer officials to gain experience.
However, getting that experience usually starts at the lower levels, where the sportsmanship issue is the most concerning. New officials may not be ready to handle and/or deal with the onslaught of criticism -- both from the fans and coaches and from those entrusted with teaching them how to do just that.
Noland, who is in the trenches every Friday night, said more needs to be done.
“I know it’s been tough the last few years to get new officials. I really haven’t seen that many new officials the last five years or so,” he said. “To me, a big problem is that they’re not being trained well enough, especially the younger generations, to handle the criticism and the fans that come with the job. I don’t know of any other profession where being offended has a bigger impact on whether they stay on (as officials).”
Hammond said dealing with that aspect is the Maginot Line.
“I’ve been doing this a long time at many different associations,” Hammond said. “What I have come to believe is that if we can keep them for three years if we can get them to that fourth year, then we may have a keeper.”
Norton explained there are several factors that can make or break a new official staying in it for the long haul.
“There are a lot of factors that go into that which aren’t always about any of the issues we’ve discussed so far,” Norton said. “A guy gets married or gets a new job or has expanded his family or any of a number of lifestyle things for that person that change. All those things have come into play on whether someone will stay with it.”
“I think the training is there,” Yarbrough said. “We feel like we’re getting the right kinds of camps for the first-year guys as well as for those guys that have been around for many, many years. The time commitment becomes more of an issue than the training from where I sit.
“These guys have to be willing and also put in the time it takes to improve year-over-year, which helps them advance. We evaluate the officials often so that individually we can find areas they need to work on and the things they are doing well.”
ARE THERE ANY SOLUTIONS?
Are there any clear-cut solutions on how to turn the tide on recruitment and retention? That’s the challenge, not just for the GHSA, GIAA, and GAPPS in Georgia, but for just about every state
in the country.
Illinois, with over 800 schools in the ISHA organization, has been exploring some new options under the direction of Kurt Gibson, the ISHA Director of Officiating.
Illinois implemented a reciprocity provision for other states on its border and has begun issuing Provisional licenses to 15-and 16-year-olds to attract more seasoned officials and develop a crop of young people simultaneously.
“The reciprocity has really helped in those areas on the borders where we were having some trouble,” Gibson said. “In the last 18 months, we have given out over 450 Provisional licenses. Both of those are creating conversations in the communities. But we’ll really know more in about five years as we track the retention rate of the kids that have signed up.”
Yarbrough said reciprocity was discussed by the GHSA once in 2013 but quickly dismissed.
“We have a higher standard for our officials than other states, which allows us to pay higher rates,” he said. “It might help the numbers, but I’m not sure it would help in higher competency for our officials.”
There is also a national program called RefReps, which began in 2022 and is working its way around the country. Both Illinois and Georgia have jumped on board. RefReps is a high school curriculum that will introduce officiating to the next generation and offer some basic early training in each sport.
According to the RefReps website, 43 states have already signed on, and more than 870 schools are implementing the curriculum. RefReps claims that more than 200,000 officials nationwide, with the average age being 34 and under, were introduced through the program.
Yarbrough said roughly 100 schools in Georgia currently are offering RefReps curriculum.
“I think it’s a great program, and we hope more systems will look into it. That’s something we’re working on right now,” he said.
Attracting young people to join the ranks of officiating is crucial because the one thing no one can beat is becoming the biggest obstacle moving forward: age.
“The average age of our officials right now is 58,” Norton said. “We need to get more younger people involved.”
Lawler agreed.
“All these kids are coming out of high school who probably aren’t going to go play collegiately, they love the game. Those are the people we need to target,” he said. “We need to get them involved.”
Despite the numbers and regardless of any perceptions, Yarbrough backed up his statement that the issue as a whole is more of a concern than a crisis—for now.
“We’re fortunate still in Georgia. Other than adjusting a few playoff games, schools are not having to cancel games because of lack of officials,” he said. “That’s not the case in a lot of other states.”
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PLAYOFF RANKINGS RETURN
BUT NOT FOR ALL
Chestatee dropped from Class 4A to Class 3A during the latest GHSA reclassification cycle and will play in Region 6-3A this season.
Story by BO WILSON
The power rankings in Georgia high school sports have returned with a new and improved formula. However, it only pertains to three classifications: Class A Division 1, Class 2A and Class 3A.
In the next chapter in the great novel, Public vs. Private, GHSA’s attempt to make a level playing field in high school athletics, the postseason ranking formula is introduced. But first, here is how it all began.
Photo by Lee Heard
East Hall dropped from Class 4A to Class 3A in the latest GHSA reclassification cycle and will play in Region 8-3A this season.
Photo by Karson Clements
Last year, the GHSA eliminated Class 7A, which housed the state’s largest schools, causing a shift in the high school sports landscape. This led to a reduction in the number of classifications to six (seven if you count the Class A Division 1 and Division 2). The GHSA also modified its method of determining students living outside the school district. If a student was in the school district before middle school but lived outside the district, the multiplier does not apply to those students now. The impact of the change dropped both private and public schools down in classification. As for the private schools, most are now housed in Class A to Class 4A.
With the new classifications, the GHSA has made a change to its playoff format for the 2024-2026 school years, introducing postseason rankings (PSR) in Class A Division 1 to Class 3A.
In addition to the PSR, private schools that are housed in regions with public schools will not compete against public schools in the playoffs. So, basically, a private school can win a region championship playing against public schools but won’t play the public in the playoffs. All the private schools in Class A Division 1 to Class 3A will play for the private school state championship.
The PSR system – again applicable only in Class A Division 1 to Class 3A – takes into account a team’s winning percentage, the opponent’s winning percentage, and the opponent’s opponent’s winning percentage to determine playoff rankings.
This system is designed to provide a more objective and data-driven approach to seeding teams in the playoffs, regardless of whether they are public or private schools.
Below is the formula:
GHSA Post Season Ranking Formula: (Public Schools)
PSRF = (WP*0.35)
+ (OWP * 0.35)
+ (OOWP * 0.30)
WP – Winning Percentage
OWP – Opponents’ Winning Percentage against GHSA opponents only
OOWP – Opponents’ Opponents’ Winning Percentage against GHSA opponents only
WP – team’s wins divided by the number of contests it has played. Home win equals 0.9, Away win equals 1.1, neutral site and nonGHSA opponents win is 1.
OWP – is calculated by taking the average of the WPs for each of the team’s GHSA opponents with the requirement that all contests against the team in question be removed from the equation.
OOWP – is calculated by taking the average of each GHSA Opponent’s OWP. Note that the team in question is part of the team’s OOWP. Team A loses to Team B at home Team A wins against Team B on the road Team A loses to Team C on the road Team A is 1-2.
The GHSA’s goal with this change is to create a more level playing field for all schools and ensure that the best teams in each classification can compete for a state championship.
With the PSR in place, playoff brackets will no longer feature No. 1 vs. No. 4 and No. 2 vs. No. 3 matchups in the first round. The PSR will first seed all the public region champions, with the team holding the highest PSR ranking, earning the overall No. 1 seed, followed by the next highest, and so on until all the region champs are seeded. Next in line will be the runner-ups in each region, seeded in the same manner, followed by the third and fourth-place teams from each region.
So, what happens to the openings left by private schools?
Good question. That’s where the PSR will seed another public school. For example, in Class 3A, there will be four spots up for grabs only if those private schools finish in the top four. If you apply the PSR to last year’s bracket, Lumpkin County, who won the Region 7-3A championship, would be a No. 3 seed. Dawson County, who finished sixth in the Region 7-3A but had a high PSR, made the playoffs and would have played the Indians in the first round as a No. 30 seed.
However, the system has a flaw: If the private school(s) wins the region, the PSR will penalize the public school. How? The runner-up public school would not be seeded with the No. 1 seeds.
“That is the one thing that is frustrating about
The Lumpkin County Indians captured their first region title last season in Region 7-3A. They entered the 2024 season as a favorite again.
Photo by Seth Chapman
the system,” Lumpkin County coach Heath Webb said. “For them to be able to win a region championship and not be in our bracket, yes, it’s an opportunity for somebody else to get in, but now we’re a No. 2 seed. There are other regions that don’t have private schools in them and don’t have to deal with that situation, so not every region is made equal, that’s for sure.”
It’s only one of the concerns or frustrations about the new system for the area’s coaches. In total, 15 area teams will be affected by this change.
Other concerns that have popped up are scheduling, travel in the first round, and the possibility of playing a region opponent in the opening round of the playoffs.
Webb says he’s not against the PSR but does have some concerns.
One of those is the potential of two teams from the same region playing each other in the first round. The GHSA used the PSR system based on last year’s finish, and Lumpkin County would have been a No. 3 seed, playing region rival Dawson County, who did not make the playoffs last season, in the first round in Dahlonega.
“That is a concern for me, potentially playing someone in our own region in the first round of the playoffs,” he said. “I don’t want to play someone
from our region in the first round. I mean, obviously, that could happen in the later rounds, but I don’t like the idea of playing a team from our region in the first round.”
Commerce coach Mark Hollars agreed. The Tigers are in Class A Division 1 and are housed in Region 8A with Rabun County and Banks County.
“Last year, we played Rabun County Week 10 for the region championship,” Hollars said. “That game went down to the wire and was a heck of a football game. I don’t think they wanted to play us the next week, and I know we didn’t want to play them the next week. So, I do think that is something that we should look at trying to avoid.”
Hollars, who typically schedules out-of-state perennial playoff contenders, did not schedule them this year because they would not be counted in the PSR formula. Commerce, however, would have been the No. 1 overall seed in the Class A Division 1 playoffs based on last season’s finish.
“It does play a role in your scheduling now,” Hollars said. “We’ve played Southside Christian out of South Carolina and Murphy out of North Carolina, and those two are really good football programs that do very well in their state. But we’re not playing them anymore because of the way the
new rankings system works. We wouldn’t get the value you would get by playing a team in Georgia. So, scheduling, I think, becomes very important.”
Webb agreed that the schedule is now becoming very important and maybe a bit tricky. Coaches now have to factor in not only the opponent’s winning percentage but also the opponent’s opponent’s winning percentage when trying to make a schedule. Webb said he tossed in the towel once he got to that point.
“First of all, you have to schedule good people,” Webb said. “One of the equations is the opponent’s opponent’s winning percentage. So, now I have to be worried about not just who I schedule but who my opponents are scheduling. At that point in time, I just gave up on that and said, let me just schedule good teams, try to win those games, and let it play out as it may.”
There is the potential for long road trips in the first round of the playoffs now, whereas, in the old system, first-round matches were geographically closer – north teams stayed north, and south teams stayed south.
For example, based on last year’s finish with the new PSR formula, No. 30 seed Liberty County would have to travel almost five hours to No. 4 seed Stephens County.
Rabun County and Commerce played for the Region 8-A title last season. The two will be in the same region this season.
“If you’re a No. 3 seed versus a No. 30 seed in South Georgia, the lower seed is going to be spending a lot of time on the bus in the first round, which I don’t love that either,” Webb said.
Hollars also agreed, saying the GHSA should be looking for ways to make it better.
“You have the potential to be playing someone five to six hours away from you in round one,” he said. “So, yes, I think travel is a concern. And it’s something that we should be looking at to make better.”
Overall, though, the PSR-seeded playoffs have the potential to feature better opening-round matchups, especially in the middle seeds.
In Class 3A, based on last year, No. 15 seed Monroe would have played No. 18 seed Long County in the first round. Both were No. 4 seeds in last year’s playoffs. That’s just one possible example. If you compare last year’s traditional bracket to the PSR-seeded bracket using the previous year’s data,
in Lumpkin County’s quadrant, there are two No. 1 seeds, three No. 3 seeds, one No. 4 seed, and one that didn’t qualify under the old system, Dawson County.
“There could be some really good games in there, but the extremes, like No. 1 versus No. 32, may not be a very good game,” Webb said. “There’s always going to be some first-round extremes; that’s always been the case, but you could end up with some better matchups with those middleranked opponents.”
Hollars also believes there will be some evenlymatched games in the middle of the rankings.
“It’s going to produce evenly matched teams definitely,” he said. “Based on where they stand, the power ranking system is probably going to sort those teams out in the middle, so I’d imagine you’re gonna have some evenly matched football teams.”
The PSR has the potential to make the next two
seasons interesting. Who will make the playoffs outside of the top 4 in each region based on the PSR? However, Webb and Hollars did bring up one final question: If the PSR system is good enough for Class A D1, Class 2A and Class 3A, why is it not good enough for Classes 4-6A?
“If this is such a great system, why isn’t 4A-6A doing it,” Webb said. “It’s basically saying not all classifications are equal. They are all equal because they all work on a population base. It’s like we’re lower-class citizens because we have a lower population of students.”
“It would be ideal if we could come up with a system where all classifications follow it,” Hollars said. “But to your point, I understand they’re experimenting with this as they transition separating public and private schools, which I’m in favor of, so we’ll see how this experiment goes. Hopefully, we’ll learn from it and keep figuring out ways to make this the best product for our kids.”
Although not in the same region, Union County and East Jackson will play in Class 2A.
Photo by Seth Chapman
Photo by Courtney Kidd
TOP 10 GAMES TO WATCH
This game has become a marquee matchup since the two have been housed in the same region. Commerce beat Rabun County for the Region 8-A Division 1 title last year and is the favorite to win it again this year.
E MUST-SEE FOOTBALL
Story by CALEB HUTCHINS
very season, every year, teams overperform and underperform across the state, making predicting which games will mean the most hard to do in the preseason. That won’t stop us from trying, however.
From intense rivalries to talent-loaded matchups, here are 10 games we can’t wait to see in 2024:
Photo by Seth Chapman
Although not a region contest this year, the Cherokee Bluff and North Hall battle has become Hall County’s newest rivalry. The two will meet in Week 3 this season.
WEEK 1
Buford at Milton
Longtime readers of this magazine will likely remember that this was supposed to be that matchup that opened the head coaching career of Buford’s Bryant Appling back in 2019. The Wolves and Eagles were scheduled to square off at a re-purposed CoolRay Field in Lawrenceville to open the 2019 campaign before Mother Nature stepped in and pushed the game to the following week. Buford won that matchup 29-26, but this one maybe even more anticipated. Milton comes in as the defending Class 7A state champions, while Buford is looking to break through in their third year playing in the state’s highest classification. This will be an early test for the Wolves, as they’ll have to contain a dynamic Milton passing attack. Miami-bound quarterback Luke Nickel is back, and he has a bevy of talent to throw to with two 4-star tight ends in Ethan Barbour and Ryan Ghea (committed to Georgia and Auburn, respectively),
along with 4-star receiver prospect C.J. Wiley. Buford has plenty of talent, too, though, meaning this could be an early heavyweight fight.
WEEK 2
Gainesville at Moody (AL)
Gainesville has quickly ascended into the state’s elite in Josh Niblett’s two short years at the helm. The Red Elephants have had back-to-back region championships and undefeated regular seasons, with deep playoff runs to go along with them. Entering year three, Big Red is looking to break through to capturing their first state championship since 2012, but they’ll have to spend the first couple of months of their journey away from home. Extensive renovations to City Park Stadium have Gainesville on the road well into October. They open with a Week 1 game at Marietta, but the first real eyebrow-raiser comes in Week 2, as they travel to Josh Niblett’s home state of Alabama to face Moody. It will be the
first-ever trip to the state of Alabama for the Red Elephants and their first game played outside of the state of Georgia since a 1950 game against Olympia of South Carolina. The Blue Devils will present a stiff test for Gainesville, coming off a 10-3 season with a playoff run of their own. The Red Elephants feature several new pieces on offense, and an out-of-state road trip will put that to the test early.
WEEK 3
North Hall at Cherokee Bluff
If you haven’t been paying attention to Hall County’s newest budding rivalry, you’ve missed out on a lot of fireworks so far. The Trojans and Bears have played some ferocious games in the past four years, and they’ve usually had some major postseason ramifications. Cherokee Bluff won their first two region titles with wins over North Hall in 2020 and 2021. Still, the Trojans have returned the favor over the last two years, beating the Bears in a 14-12 thriller at The
Photo by Seth Chapman
Brickyard in 2022 and then using two defensive touchdowns to rip away a 27-17 win in Flowery Branch last year. The game returns to Yonah Field again this year, but there will not be any region stakes this time around, as the two found themselves on opposite sides of the GHSA’s split of the Hall County schools in Class 3A. Instead, this will be a high-intensity non-region battle. North Hall is looking to prove they have staying power in year three under Sean Pender after losing star quarterback Tanner Marsh to graduation, while the Bears are hoping their youth movement in 2022 and 2023 will finally bud into a return to region contention in 2024.
WEEK 5
G.A.C. at Lumpkin County
Northeast Georgia schools in Region 6-3A must feel like the Resistance from Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker…Somehow, Greater Atlanta Christian returned. The private school out of southern Gwinnett County was a thorn in the side of the region for what felt like decades. Now, they return to share Region 6-3A with schools from Hall, Lumpkin, Dawson and White counties amid the GHSA’s on-againoff-again relationships with private schools. Under normal circumstances, the Spartans would waltz into the region as runaway frontrunners, but they happen to be coming in amidst a renaissance in Dahlonega. The Lumpkin County Indians are coming off their best season in program history, with a 12-1 2023 campaign that saw them capture their first-ever region title and make a run to the state quarterfinals. They won’t be so quick to relinquish their first-ever region crown, and they have one of the area’s top players in quarterback Cal Faulkner, to help defend it. That, coupled with what will likely be
a raucous crowd at the Burial Grounds, should make for a must-see matchup.
WEEK 7
East Forsyth at Flowery Branch
The Broncos and Falcons have never met before, but there figures to be plenty on the line when they do match up for the first time. The two schools are just a handful of miles apart as the crow flies, but Lake Lanier and a population gulf about as wide as Two Mile Creek have kept the two schools from meeting. Now, they share Region 8-4A, which looks to be a highly competitive region from top to bottom. Powerhouse North Oconee looks to be the top of the class, with Madison County coming off of a strong season as well and Eastside lurking as a typically strong opponent. That means there are no guarantees for Flowery Branch or East Forsyth to make the postseason, and making the top four in the region could come down to who wins this battle at Falcon Field. Both teams are looking to replace several key playmakers from 2023, with the Broncos also replacing their head coach for the first time in school history. Most of the kinks should be worked out by the time this game rolls around, and expect a physical battle between two teams that are traditionally strong on the line of scrimmage.
WEEK 7
Rabun County at Commerce
If the last two games between these two are any indication, we should be in for a great battle. When Commerce first rode across the Tallulah Gorge in 2022, they were doing so as heavy
underdogs, looking to play spoiler to a Rabun County program that felt like an unstoppable force to any 2A or 1A school north of I-20. They took the Wildcats to the wire, but Rabun ultimately held on for a 27-22 win and their ninth consecutive region championship. Things felt different in 2023, with Rabun County sporting a young roster that had already been upended once in region play by Elbert County. However, they could still capture their 10th straight region crown with a win over the Tigers. Instead, Commerce’s defense rose to the challenge, forcing a fumble in overtime to claim their first region championship since 2020. Rabun’s going back to Ray Lamb Stadium this year, and you know they would love to enact revenge on the Tigers for snapping their streak. They’ll have to contain the two-headed monster of Jaiden Daniels and Tysean Wiggins. It will also be a great clash of styles between the high-flying spread attack of Rabun County and the option attack of Commerce.
WEEK 9
Milton at Gainesville:
If Gainesville wants to win their third straight region championship, they’ll have to face their most formidable region foe yet in the Josh Niblett era. As discussed earlier in this article, the Milton Eagles come in with loads of firepower on offense and are defending champions of the now-defunct Class 7A. Now, they are playing in 5A, joining Gainesville and Roswell in what looks to be a power-packed region. The Red Elephants will need to slow down Luke Nickel and the Eagles’ passing game, but Big Red should have plenty of firepower of their own defensively. Julius Columbus and Xavier Griffin are two
When the GHSA realigned regions, Gainesville found itself in the same house as defending Class 7A champion Milton. This game will likely be for the Region 6-5A championship.
Photo by Seth Chapman
Buford and Mill Creek have each won a region championship over the last two seasons in Region 8-7A. The Hawks captured the crown in 2023 and won the Class 7A state title in 2022. The two foes are now housed in Region 8-6A and are the preseason favorites to battle for the region crown.
Photo by Seth Chapman
monster defensive linemen who should be able to keep Nickel on a strict time limit to get rid of the ball. Meanwhile, the revamped Gainesville offense should be clicking on all cylinders by Week 9 and could be a nightmare to defend. This is scheduled to be the third game for Gainesville in their newly-renovated City Park Stadium, and this will be the first high-profile matchup hosted in the shiny new digs. That means there should be an electric atmosphere to go with the matchup on the field.
WEEK 10
North Forsyth at West Forsyth
North Forsyth is rejoining the neighborhood of their fellow Forsyth County schools in Region 6-6A. That means the Leatherhead Rivalry now has stakes beyond the leather helmet trophy. This has tended to be one of the more competitive rivalries in Forsyth County, with the Raiders and Wolverines playing a number of close games in recent years. The last three meetings have been decided by a combined 10 points, with West Forsyth winning 17-14 at home last year to snap a three-year Raider winning streak. As is often the mark of a great rivalry, the best team does not always win this matchup. It was just three years ago that the Raiders used some Coal Mountain Magic to upend the 7th-ranked Wolverines 3027 in Raider Valley. West Forsyth looks to be
one of the favorites in the Forsyth County region again this year, but don’t count out a North Forsyth program that has been quietly gaining steam. They are now entering their ninth year under head coach Robert Craft, by far the longest-tenured coach in program history, and have had a habit of playing spoiler to region favorites.
WEEK 12
Jefferson at Oconee County
Jefferson and Oconee County have been two of the most consistent power programs in this part of the state over the past decade. They have played each other every year but two since 2014, and in that time, they have combined for nine region championships and 12 playoff runs that went to the quarterfinals or farther. Now, the two share the same region in 8-3A, and this matchup to end the 2024 regular season could very likely be for the region championship. It will also be the rubber match for two coaches who used to coach the opposition. Jefferson’s Travis Noland led the Warriors from 2014 through 2021, guiding them to three region titles and two state championship game appearances. Oconee County’s current head coach, Ben Hall, was previously the head coach at Jefferson from 2013 through 2016, winning two region titles of his own and taking the Dragons to three state quarterfinals and one final four. Jefferson will need to find its offensive firepower
from somewhere other than Sammy Brown, however. Last year’s do-it-all star graduated. This game is being played in November, though, and that means Noland and company should have their ducks in a row when they travel to Watkinsville.
WEEK 12
Buford at Mill Creek
In May, residents of northeast Gwinnett County voted to incorporate the new city of Mulberry. The city will elect its first city council members this November, and what better way to ring in Northeast Georgia’s newest city than hosting Gwinnett’s newest big football rivalry? Buford and Mill Creek have sat across the way from each other for decades but finally started playing when Buford moved up to Class 7A in 2022, and they have provided some of the best games around in these past two years. In 2022, Buford used big special teams plays to upend the Hawks at Tom Riden Stadium. Last year, however, Mill Creek rallied to take the lead late and then held off a late Dylan Raiola drive to take down the Wolves. Now, it’s round three, and it looks to be just as competitive as in years past. Buford and Mill Creek are expected to be the class of Region 8-6A, meaning this could likely be the region championship game to end the regular season. If you’re looking to attend this game, we recommend arriving at least 90 minutes early. And no, parking will not be easy.
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REGION PREDICTIONS
Cherokee Bluff was picked to finish fourth in a tough Region 8-3A.
by Seth Chapman
WHO’S THE CHAMP? MEDIA PICKS
REGION WINNERS
ast season, we correctly picked four out of eight region champions: Fellowship Christian, Gainesville, Jefferson, and North Oconee. We also nailed 26 of the 32 playoff teams in our eight Northeast Georgia regions. This season, there are 10 new regions among six classifications that should bring some exciting action to the area. A 13-person panel, made up of media members from Blitz Sports Georgia, Friday Game Night, Gwinnett Daily Post, North Georgia SportsLink, WDUN AM/FM, White County News and WRWH AM/FM, have cast their votes for who will win their regions.
Photo
Nof the crop each year is never an easy task and 2024 is no different. The AccessWDUN Sports team once again undertook the difficult task, consulting with area coaches to pick our “All Access Team.” (And 11 more made honorable mention.)
GRIFFIN SAYS: “Really, the only expectation is to be 2024 state champs. I feel like the chemistry of the team has gotten better. I feel like we’re bonding a lot better than we were the year before.”
COACH JOSH NIBLETT SAYS:
“He’s just a special dude. He has a great rapport with the players, great respect from the players, and a great sense of humor, but he’s really humble. He continues to learn every day – just wanting to get better at his position. He is already an elite player, but how much more elite is he going to be? He has a chance to be unbelievable.”
FAULKNER SAYS: “We expect to be as successful as we were last year. One of our team mottos is fighting for 15, so we want to play those 15 games this year to make it to the state finals. Personally, I expect to run the offense as well as anyone can. Do everything I’m supposed to do and just help our team.”
COACH HEATH WEBB SAYS:
“It’s an absolute joy to coach Cal. Forget about his talent level. We all know he can make plays as good as anyone in the state, but what I enjoy the most is the competitor who wants to learn and get better each and every day. He has a tremendous work ethic, and he hates to come off the field - he wants to play defense, he wants to be our punter, he wants to return kicks, he wants to play receiver when we play another QB. He’s not a vocal guy. He just goes to work and leads by example.”
WR - Senior 5-11, 190 lbs
2023 STATS:
50-1,132 yards, 14 TDs
Holds offers from Arkansas State, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Georgia Tech, Kent State, Memphis, ETSU
WARE SAYS: “Our expectations are to go all the way and be state champs this year. Individual growth has been good. I’ve been getting faster since I have been here.”
COACH JOSH NIBLETT SAYS:
“He’s an awesome kid. He gets it and wants to be elite. He’s so versatile, which makes him a really, really good receiver. He can play anywhere on the field, inside, outside, and if we wanted to put him in the backfield, he can play that. He’s just so dynamic. He’s just a physical, bigger receiver that has unbelievable speed. He’s a guy that can go, but also when you’re as big as he is, can run like that, and have the ball skills that he has, that is what makes him so phenomenal. He’s going to give us that opportunity to be even more explosive as far as getting the ball down the field and blowing the top off of it. So we’re excited about that.”
DL - Senior 6-1, 280 lbs
Committed to Duke
2023 STATS:
58 tkls, 20 sacks, 15 TFLs
COLUMBUS SAYS: “We’re taking last year as a learning experience. So, we’re focused on the small things and the big things this year. We’re just expecting to be a better team than we have been the past two years. Personally, I want to be more productive, be an animal on the field, and create tackles for losses, more tackles, and sacks.”
COACH JOSH NIBLETT
SAYS: “He’s an unbelievable kid. He’s very conscientious about himself and wants to be respected by his peers by being here every day, working his tail off, and putting in the work. As a football player, just the shock and awe of him as far as the things that he’s able to do upfront. He’s just so athletic and so powerful. You don’t have 22 sacks and 15 tackles for losses by not doing something right. And I think that’s what makes him so good. He’s worked his tail off to put himself in a position to be ranked at the top as far as D linemen go in the state of Georgia.”
HEMPHILL
LB - Senior 6-0, 190 lbs
2023 STATS: 129 tkls, 14 TFLs, 3 sacks
HEMPHILL SAYS:
“Stepping up to the leadership role this year has been kind of tough, but I’ve been working on leading the younger players to step up as the seniors in the past did to me. I try my best to be a vocal leader and pick those.”
COACH TRAVIS NOLAND SAYS:
“He is a hard worker and a very good player. He offers a lot to our program in the fact that he can do so many things on both sides of the ball and in the kicking game.”
KENYON
RIVERIA
LB - Senior 6-2, 195 lbs
2023 STATS: 36 tkls, 2 TFLs, 3 sacks
Holds Power 4 offers from Kentucky, Kansas, Louisville, Maryland, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Missouri, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech
RIVERA SAYS:
“My team goal is to improve every day and every game. But you know that the end goal is always to win a state championship. So, I’m hoping that that’s what we can pull off this year.”
COACH BRYANT
APPLING SAYS:
“Kenyon is an asset to our defense, but he is still pretty new in the position he is playing. Coming up through middle school and early high school. He played inside the box, but having a physical, fast, smart football player on the edge gives us a new dimension in our defense. He leads by example all the time, and when he says something, it means a lot to his teammates. His level of play raises the level of play of his teammates around him, and we are looking forward to a great senior season out of him.”
“I’m looking forward to together and mature as a team this season and, hopefully, win more than we have in the last couple
young man he’s become. On the field, you never know when he is going to break a big run at any is a great weapon to have, but also is a lot of fun to watch as a
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Perlotte
PERLOTTE SAYS:
“We’ve been working differently than we had the last couple of years, so a lot of people are going to be shocked when we come out with, you know, we changed everything up, and we are coming for it.”
COACH BRYANT APPLING
SAYS: “The sky is the limit for what he can do with his experience and athleticism. I’m looking forward to him reaching his potential this year and playing at a level that we have not seen at this position in our program in a couple of years. In so many ways, he reminds me of the great players who preceded him in this position, meaning he should leave no doubt of where he stands in the history of defensive players who have worn the gold helmet before him.”
DANIELS
RB - Senior 5-9, 165 lbs
Holds offers from Wayne State,
2023 STATS:
221-1,965 yards 23 TDs rushing
DANIELS SAYS:
“Everybody has been working hard this summer. We already know the expectation, which is the Commerce way. We only lost one offensive lineman, so I feel like we’re going to come back stronger this year with the run game. I feel like Coach Hollars trusts me, and our linemen trust me. They pave the way for me.”
COACH
MARK HOLLARS SAYS:
“I appreciate the relationship that Jaiden and I have developed over the past three years. There is mutual trust between us, and we can talk about things beyond football. I want him to know that he is on the team for life and that we want to help develop him as a player and a man. Coaching him in football is easy because he buys into what we are doing, and he plays hard every week. We both want Commerce
“The goal is the same every year – go to game 15. From a team standpoint, I feel like we’ve had a great offseason. Personally, I’ve been working a little bit more on my running game. I’ve added a little weight, so that should help me this year.”
COACH MICHAEL DAVIS SAYS:
“Ty is such a high-character kid. He has all the intangibles of a great quarterback – leadership, toughness, competitiveness, and high football IQ. He is also a tremendous athlete who loves playing the game of football.”
Committed to North Carolina
2023 STATS:
Average OL grade of 88 %
PAYNE SAYS:
“I’ve just been focusing on my technique, just focusing on the little things because that’s what contributes to the big picture. If you do your own part, everyone has their own part. We’re a player-led team, so I’m using all that fuel from last year to push the young guys, myself, and other kids in my class
COACH JOSH NIBLETT SAYS:
“I think the biggest thing is just watching Alex develop since the first day I got on campus, trying to find his niche and his identity. He’s gotten more physically, bigger and stronger in the weight room. And now, he’s come into his own and created a personality where he’s a physical football player and a leader on our team. He understands the importance of the people around him and how to treat people the right way. I can’t say enough about the maturity that he’s had in the last three years, and I’m excited about watching him play his senior year and at the next level.”
Tyler Ford OL — Sophomore Gainesville 6-5, 340 lbs
Alex Yearwood OL — Senior Rabun County 6-3, 295 lbs
Chasen Jones WR — Junior East Hall 6-2, 195 lbs
Jayden Yang LB — Senior Jefferson 5-9, 215 lbs
2023 Stats: 122 tkls, 2 tfls
Jon Scott LB — Senior White County 6-0, 200 lbs
Nicco Maggio DL — Senior Buford 6-1, 270 lbs
CHANGING THEIR WAYS?
WOLVES’ USING 7A DISAPPOINTMENT TO FUEL 24 RUN
The Buford Way has been touted for nearly 30 years as the catalyst for the Wolves’ collection of 13 state titles since 2001.
But after two disappointing playoff runs for the Wolves in the always-brutal and nowdefunct Class 7A, Buford coach Bryant Appling said it may be time to change things up.
Story by Jeff Hart
Jadon Perlotte (5), a 2024 First-team All-AccessWDUN selection, and AJ Holloway (44) will be two big cogs on defense for the Wolves in 2024.
Photo by Seth Chapman
2024 BUFORD WOLVES SCHEDULE
“Kids are different (in today’s society), and you have to look for new approaches to teach them,” he said. “When you have a lot of talent, you have attitudes sometimes that they feel they may not need to work as hard. That was the case a little bit last year. Finding ways to battle that is always a challenge. Today’s kids are different than, say, 15, 20, 25 years ago. You have to be able to change with the times.”
Before you let out the gasp, don’t worry, Wolves fans. Appling said the one thing that WON’T change will be the hard-nosed, defensive-minded approach that has come to symbolize their gameday experience. He was espousing more of how they will handle getting the team ready on Friday nights moving forward.
“We’re still going to play physical, run the ball, take shots when we have them. And, of course, play tough, hard-hitting defense every snap. None of that will change,” he said. “As a team, we didn’t learn as much last year as we needed to. You learn more from a loss. When we finally got to (the playoff) games, we didn’t remember what it was like to fight in a four-quarter war. Down the stretch, we just made too many mistakes.
“We learned a lot about our program the last two seasons. We’re using what we found
out as coaches to try and continue to teach and develop our kids in ways that will best help them reach their highest potential. My goal is for us to be grittier this year.”
While Class 7A may no longer exist, Buford is still locked into the Georgia High School Association’s highest classification (6A), so that will also not change in 2024. The ‘old’ 8-7A is now the ‘new’ Region 8-6A, with the entire region still intact, with the addition of Discovery thrown into the mix.
Another thing that won’t change is the Wolves’ brutal non-region slate. They open with Milton (the defending Class 7A state champ) on the road and play host to Benedictine, the Class 4A state champs in ‘21 and ‘22 and a semifinalist in 4A in 2023, the following week.
After an off week, Buford then travels to Roswell (6A Elite 8 in 2023) and Douglas County (a 6A semifinalist in ‘23) before opening its region schedule on the road at Discovery on Sept. 20. They’ll close out the regular season and region schedule with road games against Mountain View and now archrival Mill Creek.
“This might be the most challenging schedule we’ve ever put together,” Appling said, “at least in my time here. You’ve got to
play good (teams) early; you’ve got to play a lot of kids against these good (teams) early.
“Look, you’re not going to win every Friday night. But you really have to find out who you are and what you can be. The goal is to get a lot of kids in these high-pressure types of games, develop them, and get them ready for the playoffs. That’s the game that you want to win.”
Another thing that won’t change is they have the talent to turn the tide on the last two seasons. However, they return just four starters on offense and just four on defense.
On offense, junior Dayton Raiola, the younger brother of Dylan, now at Nebraska, and senior TJ Wilcox (a move-in from Collins Hill) are battling for the quarterback spot.
Senior Justin Baker returns in the backfield (471 yards, 4 TD) and should get some help from fellow senior Ethan Ervin, juniors Dylan McCoy and Ty’Riq Green, and sophomores Jameer Cantrell and Silas Knuckles.
Seniors Kyle Carpenter, Jordan Allen, and Sam Harkness, along with junior Jax Pope should give either Raiola or Wilcox some talented playmakers in the passing game.
The biggest concern going into the season will be upfront, where the Wolves have graduated four across the line. Seniors Preston
Kenyon Riveria, a 2024 First-team All-AcceessWDUN selection, returns to help lead the Buford linebackers.
Photo by Seth Chapman
Clark (G/C) and Brayden Jacobs (T) are both back, with juniors Graham Houston and Ben Mubenga and seniors Marcus Major and Braden Burton getting plenty of reps in the fall.
In 2023, Buford averaged more than 20 passes a game, a higher number than in previous seasons. Appling didn’t say they would throw less in 2024 but that they’ll do whatever gives them their best chance to win games.
“We did throw it a little more than usual, but that was the best way for that group to win games,” he said. “We have some different personnel this year, and we’ll see what gives them their best chance once we get into the season. We like both the guys we’re looking at at quarterback, and I think Justin is going to have a bigger year this season.
“Developing a consistent line is always a big key, so that’s a big area we are working on as well. We just want the kids to put themselves in positions to win every week.”
Defensively, Buford will be led by a hardhitting, athletic linebacking group led by AllAccessWDUN first-teamers in seniors Jaden Perlotte and Kenyon Riviera. They could rotate in as many as six others between the inside and outside spots.
Senior Benji Wyatt and junior CJ Sibley should fill the rest of the spots at OLB, while seniors Mantrez Walker, AJ Holloway, Damion DeFour and junior Deion Miller give them a talented ILB group.
On the defensive line, junior Bryce PerryWright and senior Nicco Maggio will be a load to handle. Junior James Morrow, who has multiple P5 offers, and junior Cameron
Simmons, who may be ready for a breakout season, could give the Wolves one of the better groups in Class 6A.
“I think we’ll be very good on defense,” Appling said. “I definitely would like to see us play a little more physical for sure. I really like our linebacking group, and I feel the guys up front are making a lot of progress.
“We know what (Perlotte) and Riviera can do. I think Deion is a guy you’ll be hearing a lot about, and Simmons is going to be really good as he gets more playing time. I’m excited to see how good this group can be.”
No program in the state has had more success over the past 23 years than the Wolves. However, despite winning championships in six different classifications, a state record, the detractors have come out since they failed to win it all in 7A, considered to be one of the premier leagues in the entire country, the past two seasons.
Appling said they hear it and that it is helping them to muster up some added motivation.
“All those years we were playing in smaller classifications, the talk was ‘you won’t be able to win it at the highest level,’” he said. “However, I definitely think we showed we could even though it didn’t work out for us. We beat Mill Creek (in 2022), and they went on to win the state title.
“We always feel like we have something to prove to ourselves – and to others. We still feel like we’re the underdogs in the highest classification. We’re just using that as motivation. We are definitely excited about getting out there again.”
COACH
Bryant Appling RECORD
Sixth season (63-6)
2023 RECORD
11-2, quarterfinals Class 7A playoffs
OFFENSIVE STYLE
Pro-style – The Wolves will continue to use the multiple formations they have become known for. But they will always look to run the football first. Bryant Appling, however, said they will do whatever is necessary to win games, regardless of personnel. They will have a slew of new faces in the passing attack but Justin Baker does return in the backfield.
ABOUT THE OFFENSE
“Last year, we threw the ball more because that’s what we felt like we needed to do to win. We say it every Friday night: it’s about doing what we need to do to win. But we didn’t finish games last year and that is an area we have been emphasizing this summer and fall.”
DEFENSIVE STYLE
3-4 – Their patented defense is always a tough unit to crack and is aggressive every chance they get. Led by Perlotte and Riviera, the linebackers will be a formidable group behind a line that features some good young talent. And as usual, they will be a speedy bunch that attacks the ball carrier.
ABOUT THE DEFENSE
“This can be a very good group. We’ll play physical like we always try to do. The focus is just on ourselves and just trying to get better. We know what Jaden (Perlotte) can do. I think Cameron (Simmons) and Deion (Miller) are a couple of the younger guys that y’all need to keep your eyes on. They have really worked hard and they could be ready for breakout seasons.”
STRENGTH
Linebacker, defensive line – The Wolves are deep at both positions led by talented guys like Perlotte, Riviera, Maggio, and Perry-Wright. The defense may have to carry the weight early while the offense finds the right pieces with a new quarterback and several new receivers.
KEY GAMES
Basically the entire schedule. It may be the toughest in the state. They will find out a lot about themselves in the first two weeks, opening on the road at Class 7A champion Milton and then playing host to Benedictine the following week. Their Region 8-6A schedule will look much the same as the last two years as the old 8-7A stayed intact with the addition of Discovery. The region title could come down to their season finale against Mill Creek in Hoschton on Nov. 1.
Linebacker Mantrez Walker is expected to be an up-and-coming force for the Wolves on defense in 2024.
Photo by Seth Chapman
CHEROKEE BLUFF BEARS
CONSISTENCY AT CHEROKEE BLUFF
BEARS LOOK TO LEAN ON EXPERIENCE AND FAMILIARITY
In Tommy Jones’ seventh season at Cherokee Bluff, there is much to be said about consistency. This is not just in terminology and coaches but also with players who have been together since middle school and even before that.
“We’ve got a group of guys that have grown up in our system,” Jones said. “And they’ve been a part of what we’ve been doing for a long time. They love each other, and they love playing with each other. I don’t think you can put a price tag on that.”
Story by Walker McCrary
Senior Jordan Justice will also help anchor the defensive backfield and will look to help lead the defense for the Bears.
Photo by Seth Chapman
2024 CHEROKEE BLUFF BEARS SCHEDULE
There are many names that Northeast Georgia high school football fans will recognize, as they have been mainstays for Jones recently.
Most notable is KT Thompson, who will be looking to make a big return after a year of working through injuries and only playing a handful of games for the Bears.
“We lost him for the bulk of our region play last year, so getting him back is good. He’s played a lot of football for us over the years and made a lot of big plays in some clutch moments for us,” Jones said.
In addition, the wide receiver room will be as full as it ever has been.
“We feel like we have a number of receivers with good experience,” Jones said. “Malcolm Millsap started for us last year while KT was out. Dylan Haley is a sophomore who is extremely athletic, and Colin Muyers is a senior we are counting on to get some significant reps out wide as well.”
The running back room will look to replace Connor Hulsey, a 1,200-yard rusher a year ago, but there is also a lot of experience in that room, highlighted by seniors Connor Griffin and Rylan Ackerman.
The only player that people outside of The Bluff may not know well will be the quarterback, Brooks Brien, but those inside the
program will know him well.
Brien played at Cherokee Bluff from his middle school days before transferring for a year to Bethlehem Christian, where he led the Knights to a 10-1 record and an appearance in the GIAA Class 4A playoffs. He threw for just under 1,000 yards and 13 touchdowns on the year.
The big upside to Brien coming back to Cherokee Bluff is that the terminology hasn’t changed.
“He has a great skill set and throws it well, and we are excited about him leading our offense for his senior year,” Jones said. “The cool thing is that it was kind of like he never left. He knows our system so well and all the players as well and has their respect. You won’t find a harder worker anywhere, so when he stepped back into our locker room, the team already knew who he was and how he goes about his business.”
Having that experience and respect will help the offensive line gel together. The front may not be the biggest or oldest Cherokee Bluff has had in the past, but Jones is proud of how strong and athletic they are and the work they have put in during the offseason.
“These guys have worked really hard to put themselves in a position to contribute and be
a part of something special,” Jones said. “Some of our young offensive linemen are in the top strongest kids on our football team in all of our weight room testing, so there’s a lot of respect earned there when their teammates see that work.”
Those strong linemen will be key in allowing the Bears to do what they want to do offensively: keep teams off balance by mixing things up.
“We want to be multiple offensively, but to do anything, we have to be able to block well and be really good in the box, and these guys have put the work in.”
That mirrors the defensive side, where the Bears will see young faces in the trenches, guys that Jones wants to see take the lead and assert themselves to make it happen upfront.
And if those young guys can get pressure in the backfield, it’s going to set up the linebackers and secondary for a lot of success.
Ackerman and Griffin will lead the linebacking core on the outside, while senior Caleb Cooper and newcomer Brett Pierce will man the inside linebackers of the 3-4 scheme.
The secondary will see consistent names in Thompson and Landon Camp at safety and Tyler Underwood and Millsap leading the corner position, even though the Bears will
Senior KT Thompson is looking to be a factor this season after missing much of the 2023 campaign with injury. He will start both ways for The Bluff.
Photo by Seth Chapman
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rotate a lot of names through.
That will make the consistency of the terminology over the past seven years even more important for the program.
However, there are still question marks for the Bears.
While there is a ton of consistency within the Cherokee Bluff program, the young guys are going to have to grow up quickly.
“Our young guys are going to have to develop at a pretty high rate, especially in our line positions. The speed of the game on Friday nights is much different than on Thursdays,” Jones said. “The quicker they can get adjusted to that, the better it will be for us. We know they have the ability to play, and they have really high ceilings, but we need them to acclimate to the Friday night lights quickly.”
Not only that, Cherokee Bluff will play one of the tougher schedules on paper, as they will participate in Region 8-3A, arguably one of the tougher regions in the state.
The Bears will face six teams that made the playoffs a year ago, including three in their non-region schedule: Lumpkin County in the opener, North Hall in week three, and Habersham Central in week four before jumping into Region 8-3A play.
But Jones isn’t worried about the opponents on the schedule and what that poses
coach speak
COACH
Tommy Jones RECORD
95-98, seventh season
2023 RECORD
2023 SEASON 4-6
REGION 8-3A
OFFENSIVE STYLE
Multiple — Brooks Brien will lead an offense that will look to be balanced but a downhill run first team.
ABOUT THE OFFENSE
“We want to have the ability to be multiple and to throw it not just when we need to but also when we want to. We want to be able to take advantage of what defenses are giving us and be as balanced as possible. We may look a little more spread this year, but at times last year, we looked pretty spread, too. So it just all depends on week-to-week and, you know, where we go as well.”
DEFENSIVE STYLE
for his team.
“It’s important for us to worry about ourselves and try to be the best we can in everything we do,” he said. “We can’t worry about whatever anyone else is doing. We have to be the best we can possibly be.”
For that to happen, Jones is going to lean on those players who have been around for a while to show the younger players what the consistent way of the program is, and their leadership style will be extremely beneficial to bring them along.
“We’ve been telling our older guys that the young players are going to need time to develop, but they will develop a lot quicker if they know you believe in them,” he said. “The biggest thing is just trying to make sure our upperclassmen know how to inspire and lead. There’s nothing more discouraging than when you miss an assignment, and you have a bunch of teammates telling you what you did wrong. We want our guys to build confidence in their teammates based on what they have seen them do over and over again in practice and other games.”
According to Jones, that encouragement adds credibility and earns respect from other teammates. Coupling that with the consistent messaging from the coaching staff, this Bears team has a chance to make a lot of noise this season.
3-4 — The Bears will be young in the trenches but have experience right behind them at linebacker and defensive backs to look to get turnovers and big plays.
ABOUT THE DEFENSE
“We’re going to try to play as much as we possibly can with two safeties, and we’re going to try to put pressure on offenses and see how they respond as well. That’s what our kids feel most comfortable with us being since a lot of these guys have been doing this since they were in middle school.”
STRENGTH
Experience and familiarity — These Bears have been running this system since they were in middle school. Now that they are playing on Friday nights, the play calling and execution should not be something that these players aren’t accustomed to seeing.
KEY GAMES
Jones considers non-region opponents Lumpkin County, Apalachee, North Hall and Habersham Central as really good tests for his team heading into Region 8-3A play. Three of those four made the playoffs last year, with Lumpkin advancing to the quarterfinals, so how the Bears fare in those four games could be a litmus test for the rest of the season.
Photo by Seth Chapman
Senior Tyler Underwood (15) will lead the defensive secondary group. He will also be a factor offensively out wide.
Photo by Seth Chapman
MAKING PROGRESS
WAR EAGLES
HOPE YEAR 2 BRINGS
It was a season of growing pains for the Chestatee War Eagles in 2023. Under new head coach Stuart Cunningham, the War Eagles underwent a total flip in coaching philosophy, a massive offensive change and new expectations. Cunningham was hired late in the spring of 2023 and immediately went to work transforming a program that had spent the previous seven years running the spread offense into a run-based wing-T attack.
Story by Bo Wilson
Sophomore Colton Steele (34) will see some time at quarterback. Caysen Goss (15) returns as the War Eagles second-leading rusher.
Photo by Robert Hernandez
2024 chestatee schedule
There also were changes inside the program; players that didn’t want to adhere to the new way of doing things left, and those that stayed sucked it up, hoping to learn more and get better.
It wasn’t an easy season. The War Eagles were 0-10, gave up 43 points per game, and had a hard time finding the endzone, averaging just 9.5 ppg.
As they say, though, a new year brings new beginnings, and that new beginning is a whole lot easier than it was last season over on Sardis Road.
“The changes have come because the kids know what we expect,” Cunningham said. “We have more time to add things and do more things because we’re more efficient in the way we do things in the weight room and on the field, which gives us extra time to do new things that we didn’t get the chance to do last year.”
The buy-in of the program’s players has also been a big help to Cunningham’s ultimate goal of leading the War Eagles to their first winning season in a decade.
He said the biggest thing is the players believe in the coaching staff.
“I don’t think they just believe that we know how to coach football,” he said. “I think they know now that we care about them as a person. We like being around them, and they
like being around us. We were on the field the other day doing deep ball drills, and the kids were begging to stay out there. So, that was a sign they’re committed to getting better and, hopefully, winning games, but they’re enjoying themselves.”
Through all the growth made in the offseason, the War Eagles hope that translates on both sides of the ball. They’ll run the wing-T offense again this season. It should be more efficient this season, as it only averaged 9.5 ppg in 2024.
The good news is that the War Eagles’ running back stable is full of horses, and both leading rushers are back. Cunningham said they have more than he can mention but feels pretty confident about the running back position and the improvement it has made in the wing-T system.
Cunningham is hopeful his offense can average four yards per carry, which should result in bigger plays.
“If our guys can be content with that, then we’ll have big pass plays,” he said. “If we’re content with that, then we can drive the ball, which forces people to pressure us more to stop the run. Then, that opens up more big plays in the passing game.
“There are so many things that if you don’t have the ball, you’ve got to do. Obviously, one of them is blocking, but so many fakes and things
you have to do when you don’t have the ball that they’ve gotten way better at. That has been really important in our progress.”
Junior Ben Plemons and senior Caysen Goss accounted for 85 percent of the War Eagles’ rushing production in 2023. Although the team compiled just 1,119 yards rushing, Plemons and Goss combined for 946 yards on the ground, a stat Cunningham hopes to grow this season.
The War Eagles only averaged three yards per carry last season, and to get to a more consistent four yards per game, he’ll count on both Goss and Plemons to produce more. He’s also leaning on Izayah Ledford, who had 45 yards all of last season, and newcomer Bryan Martinez will get some reps in the rushing game.
Cunningham also has been watching a fourway battle at quarterback this summer.
Senior Colton Steele and junior Gage Reese are two who return with some varsity experience at the position. Steele was 24 of 41 with 244 yards in eight games last season. He added another 37 yards on the ground. Reese played in four games in 2023.
Those two, along with Chase Nix and Isaiah Sanders, have been fighting for QB1 over the summer.
“These guys are getting better every day,” Cunningham said. “So, we have four guys that we feel pretty good about.”
Senior Ben Plemons led the team in rushing last season and was second in tackles. He’s expected to be a key contributor again this season.
Photo by Robert Hernandez
at tight end on offense and defensive end on defense.
Up front, the offensive line is anchored by junior center Blake Magala and junior Hayden Sullens and senior Brandon Carlson is at guard.
Senior Gabe Mejia is the tackle. The other tackle is a three-way battle.
Seniors Charlie Bradshaw, Isaiah Glez and Cameron Davidenko return at the X receiver post.
“We have some guys that can catch and run,” he said. “Our guys understand that they are the home run guys. They either make the last block for the guy to go for a touchdown, or they catch the ball for a touchdown. They relate to that really well. We’re proud of their progress.”
Senior Deacon Wilson returns at tight end for the War Eagles.
“He’s a smart kid,” Cunningham said. “Our offensive line coach is a tough guy and is very demanding, and when he makes a compliment to somebody, you can write it down. He has said this guy is going to be a good player for us, so that just means he is.”
Last season, the defense wasn’t much to write home about, giving up just over 43 points per game. Cunningham hopes that changes this season with his multiple-front defense.
“We understand now that this side of the ball is hard, and there are no shortcuts. I know it’s going to be better. How much better? I don’t know, but our guys are starting to be very territorial.”
Plemons and Goss are not only the team’s top two rushers but also the top two returning tacklers from a year ago. Cunningham is looking to those two to be leaders and form
another solid duo in the middle of the defense at linebacker.
On the defensive line, Magala, Ulisses Arellano and Carlson will be at tackle, Sullens and Wilson will play defensive end, and Joe Blaker will be a hybrid player, rotating from end and linebacker.
Izayah Ledford will play inside linebacker along with Plemons and Goss, and Bryan Martinez and Hector Espinosa at outside backer. Espinosa will sometimes spin-off to safety.
In the secondary, Charle Bradshaw returns as the leader at the corner. He’s joined by Isaiah Glez. Colton Steele, Landon Johnson and Blake Conner.
The War Eagles dropped from Class 4A to Class 3A this season and will play in Region 6-3A. They’ll get three non-region games (at Franklin County, West Hall, and at East Forsyth) to prep for the region opener at home against rival North Hall. It doesn’t get any easier for the War Eagles as they’ll travel to defending region champ and Class 3A quarterfinalist Lumpkin County the following week.
“It’s a tough way to open region play,” he said. “If you want to find out where you are, that’s how you do it … you play two really good guys to start with and find out. If nothing else, we’ll be a lot smarter after those two games. But we’re looking forward to playing two playoff teams and one quarterfinal team. It’ll help us define who we are a little better.”
coach speak
COACH
Stuart Cunningham RECORD
14-37, second season
2023 RECORD
0-10
REGION 6-3A
OFFENSIVE STYLE
Wing-T — The War Eagles will be in Year 2 of the Wing-T offense, which should be more efficient than last year’s 9.5 ppg offense. Cunningham says they’ll be under center most of the time and hopes to average four yards a play as well as control the clock.
ABOUT THE OFFENSE
“We’ve gotten smarter on offense. We can now check out of a play that we don’t need to run. That’s something we couldn’t do last year. We’ve gotten more efficient. So, we’ve been able to add some things to get ourselves in a good play, but we need to be content with four yards a play. If we’re content with that and able to drive the ball, it’ll open up big plays down the field.”
DEFENSIVE STYLE
Multiple — The War Eagles will rotate from a fourman to a three-man front this season. It’s similar to last season, but like the offense, the defense should be more efficient this season.
ABOUT THE DEFENSE
“We’re going to play technique. We’re going to line up correctly before the ball is snapped. Then, we’re going to be very aggressive. Hopefully, we can generate some mistakes by the offense by being aggressive.”
STRENGTH
Leadership/confidence —Cunningham said the team has better leadership throughout all classes on the team. He also said the team’s confidence is “way better.” He contributed confidence to the team’s work in the weight room, saying, “You know strength gives you confidence, and we are stronger.”
KEY GAMES
The War Eagles dropped from Class 4A to Class 3A and will play in a competitive Region 6-3A with Dawson County, GAC, Lumpkin County, Johnson, North Hall, Pickens and White County. The nonregion schedule (Franklin County, West Hall and East Forsyth) will give them a good tuneup for a tough start to the region. They’ll open region play against rival North Hall at home, then a road trip to Lumpkin County. Cunningham said those two opening region games will help them define themselves a little better.
Senior Deacon Wilson will play on both sides of the ball again this season
Photo by Robert Hernandez
EAST HALL VIKINGS
TURNING THE CORNER
VIKINGS’
EXPERIENCE COULD LEAD TO PLAYOFFS
Story by Bo Wilson
The Vikings have made progress in several statistical categories in three years under head coach Matt Turner. But the win column hasn’t moved much.
Last season, the Vikings won two games. They improved on defense, giving up four fewer points on average than the year before. Offense, however, has been the issue.
Junior Chasen Jones was the Vikings’ top receiver a year ago. He’s expected to be a bigger force this season.
Photo by Karson Clements
2024 EAST HALL schedule
In 2023, the Vikings averaged just 15.5 points per game. They were a balanced team, averaging 172 passing yards and 150 rushing yards, but they could not find the end zone enough to add to the win column.
Good news for the Vikings as they head into the 2024 campaign: they return a boatload of talent, including quarterback Jamarcus Harrison and leading receiver Chasen Jones. They also return three of the five offensive linemen and running back Lukas Pruitt.
On paper, the Vikings should be in good shape, but how that translates to the field is a different story.
Turner is using a slightly different philosophy this season, one of which he credits to East Hall boys’ basketball coach Joe Dix. He wants his team to play with reckless abandon, which creates organized chaos – on both sides of the ball.
Normally, those phrases are reserved for the defense, but this year, the Vikings are going all in on aggression.
“We’re going to be aggressive on both sides of the ball,” he said. “We’re going to play up-tempo on defense. I’ve got a lot of basketball-type players that play football, so it’s kind of that
same mentality, just organized chaos.”
Regardless of what kind of chaos or aggression the Vikings hope to create in 2024, the most important thing is the results on the field. First and foremost, the offense has to get it right to be productive.
The Vikings are no longer the young team they’ve been over the last two seasons. They have a boatload of veteran players returning on both sides of the ball, but if you’re looking up and down the roster, the skill players returning stick out.
Junior Jamarcus Harrison is back at quarterback. He piled up 2,101 total yards of offense last season, completed 114 of 229 passes for 1,486 yards and 10 touchdowns, and added another 615 on the ground.
Turner said Harrison brings in more leadership than he has the last couple of seasons, but the 6-foot-4 signal caller needs to improve in consistency and completion percentage.
“He’s a next-level athlete and has a big-time arm, it’s just consistency,” Turner said. “You know, it’s the little things. It’s getting the ball out on time, not forcing it, and taking the check down. The other is the completion percentage. Last year, I wanna say he was 51 or 52 percent,
but getting that over 60 percent or better is how we’re going to grow offensively.”
Along with Harrison’s top receiver back, Chasen Jones (55-730 yards receiving, 4 TDs), he’ll also have his little brother, Jevon Harrison, who was injured against North Hall last season, back in the lineup. Levi Kinney and Payton Llewallyn will add explosiveness to the offense as well.
“Chasen can be as good as Chasen wants to be,” Turner said. “He’s just a matchup problem. Jevon has the best hands on the team. He’s just a solid receiver, and Levi Kenny will be under the radar this year. He can be very explosive. And Payton, he’s been a problem for people at the 7-on-7’s we’ve been to. He’s so much better of an athlete than people realize. So, I feel very good about our receiving corps.”
Junior Lukas Pruitt (104-487 yards rushing, 5 TDs) returns as the top running back in a loaded backfield. They’ve also added senior Matt Hale and sophomore Elijah Buffington.
“We are loaded at running back,” Turner said. “Lukas is our No. 1 right now. But Matt and Elijah will see some time there as well. So, we’re blessed that we have several running backs that we feel really
banks county AT East Jackson Johnson AT west hall REGION
oconee county REGION
oglethorpe county
AT Monroe area REGION AT NORTH HALL
AT cherokee bluff REGION AT jefferson REGION
Junior Lukas Pruitt led the team in rushing last season and is part of a loaded backfield.
Photo by Karson Clements
CHRISTINA FLORES Regional Director
good about.”
Up front, the Vikings return seniors Aaron Brock and Azyon Morrison at guard, junior Conner Brooks is back at center, and seniors Bryson Free and Noah Lanford are at tackle. Senior Josh Jaramillo and sophomores Ever Osorio and Servando Sanchez also will see time on the O-Line.
“We have simplified things for them just so there’s very limited thinking, and hopefully, that will allow them to come off the ball aggressively,” Turner said. “They’ve made tremendous strides.”
The Vikings hope to be a more aggressive defense in 2024. Last season, the defense allowed 38.9 points per game, and although that number was an improvement from the 2022 season, Turner says it has to go down. A simple change in their approach to defense could be the answer to more improvement.
“We have to make things happen,” he said. “We have to throw caution to the wind and let these kids go play. We’ve got to do something different to give ourselves a chance, maybe get into zero coverage, send some extra guys. We want to use our speed and athleticism to give us a chance, create more havoc and turnovers, play with a little bit more reckless abandon, and be more aggressive on defense.”
The Vikings will rotate from an odd front to an even front at times and will count on Brock and Morrison to be the leaders of the defensive line at the defensive end. A rotation of Jaramillo, Landford, and Free at tackle will help clog up the middle.
Walt Jarrett, Buffington, Pruitt, and sophomore Koen Bryant should give the Vikings a solid second-level at linebacker. In the secondary, the Vikings want to showcase their speed and athleticism. They’ll
have plenty of that to choose from.
Junior Kani Williams returns at one corner, but the other is up for grabs. Jevon Harrison and senior Nehemiah Anderson are battling for that spot. Seniors Parker Worley and Jacob Christian will man the safety position. Junior Kymani Hester, Llewallyn and Jamarcus Harrison also will see some time at safety.
“I think changing our style a little bit to fit more of what we do on offense, the kids have really bought into that,” Turner said. “They liked knowing, ‘Hey, my number is gonna get called here in a minute to do something,’ whether it’s blitz or drop. It’s not really just standing around and playing my position. It’s very moving calls and havoc-type defense, and kids have seemed to really buy into that.”
After the reclassification cycle in November, the Vikings dropped from Class 4A to 3A and will be housed in the new Region 8-3A with Jefferson, Monroe Area, Oconee County, Cherokee Bluff, and West Hall
The Vikings will have five non-region games to tune up before a brutal start to the region slate. They’ll travel to Monroe Area on September 27 to begin, followed by a home game against Oconee County, then back on the road to Class 5A semifinalist Jefferson on Oct. 11. They’ll finish the season with a home game at West Hall on October 25 and a road game at Cherokee Bluff on November 1.
“I feel like the West Hall game is huge for us,” Turner said. “I think if you win that game, it becomes that last one (against Cherokee Bluff) because that could be for a playoff spot. I know our region schedule has three tough ones, but we focus a lot on Hall County. So, if we can beat North Hall, West Hall, and Cherokee Bluff, we feel like that gets us where we need to go.”
coach speak
COACH
Matt Turner
RECORD
5-25, fourth season
2023 RECORD
2-8
OFFENSIVE STYLE
Spread — The Vikings return a ton of talent to the offense that Turner wants to play with reckless abandon. The offense only averaged 15 ppg last season, but with the return of junior quarterback Jamarcus Harrison and several weapons around him, the Vikings offense could return to their high-flying ways.
ABOUT THE OFFENSE
“We want to be a little bit more run-oriented. We want to run the football more than we have and play to our strengths a little more with Jamarcus’s style of play. We haven’t changed much schemewise.”
DEFENSIVE STYLE
Multiple — The defense made improvements last year but not near as much as Turner wanted. This year, they return speed and athleticism to the secondary and a talented first and second level.
ABOUT THE DEFENSE
“We want to be proactive on defense, not reactive. You know, we’ve been a little too much sit and kind of adjust to what the offense is doing in the past. We want to flip that this year and make things happen on defense. We’re gonna be very aggressive on defense.”
STRENGTHS
Culture/Leadership/experience — The Vikings are no longer a young team, returning a lot of veteran leadership to both sides of the ball. Turner has worked for three seasons to change the program’s culture and says he’s seen tremendous progress. That culture change, along with the veteran leadership, has the Vikings riding high heading into the 2024 campaign.
KEY GAMES
The Vikings will have a little more time to tune up for a tough Region 6-3A schedule. Turner says the West Hall and Cherokee Bluff games are the two biggest on the schedule. If the Vikings want to break the seven-year playoff drought, wins against the Spartans and Bears will could just do that.
Photo by Karson Clements
Junior quarterback Jamarcus Harrison will be a huge contributor to the Vikings’ offense and defense this season.
Photo by Karson Clements
FLOWERY BRANCH FALCONS
FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH
FALCONS WILL CALL ON UNDERCLASSMEN FOR HELP
Jason Tester’s third season at the helm of the Falcons could be his toughest yet. The Falcons graduated key players, including losing the entire receiving corps, quarterback, and their top-two leading rushers.
It’s the same story on the defensive side of the ball, including a very productive linebacking corp that’ll have to be replaced.
Story by Bo Wilson
The Falcons will count on junior running back Griffin Harper this season. He is the top returning rusher from 2023.
Photo by Kevin Mumpower
2024 FLOWERY BRANCH S ch E du LE
However, Tester and his staff have taken a proactive approach to fill the gaps, making significant strides during spring and dedicating the summer to honing the skills of the new players.
“We go in with a mindset based upon who we see as the key contributors,” he said. “Who’s stood out in the weight room, what guys are coming back, and you know, who’s earned that right, in terms of the glorified depth chart, to get our best 11 on the field.”
Still, though, the Falcons will have their fair share of growing pains in 2024.
Only nine guys make up this year’s senior class, with only four of them having played varsity minutes and two of them playing for the first time in high school.
“We lost a ton,” he said. “We lost a great senior class. So, we are going to be young. There are a lot of juniors, sophomores, and a freshman that will likely see a lot of time on Fridays.”
The Falcons offense, under the direction of new offensive coordinator Kyle Hutchinson, will continue to base out of the spread formation, but this season, they’ll focus on running the ball more at the quarterback spot.
“We’re planning on running the quarterback more than we ever have,” Tester said. “So, we’ve got three good guys battling right now. “
They have a three-way battle to replace the graduated Josh Oliver. Juniors Riley Bourrie and Tristan Radford both have quarterback experience and sophomore Dominic Camacho hasn’t had much time in the position.
Tester said all three have shown good things at times.
“Riley played receiver and corner last year and expressed interest in playing quarterback, so with us wanting to run the quarterback more, he’s a perfect fit. He’s just a pure athlete,” Tester said. “Tristan is the true quarterback. He was the junior varsity quarterback last year and works hard. If there’s anybody that has the most training, it’s Tristan. Dominic is very similar to Riley. He’s a smart kid and a great teammate and knows what the team needs.”
With the graduation of leading rusher Malik Dryden and second-leading rusher Josh Elder, Tester said it’d be “running back by committee” this season.
“We’re gonna be young. There isn’t a single senior that’s in that group,” he said. “So, it will
most likely be a running back by committee. I think until we have one guy, and I don’t think that’s going to be the case, that just takes the spot like it was with Malik.”
Junior Griffin Harper, who returns as the Falcons’ fourth-leading rusher from a year ago, averaged 4.2 yards per carry. They’ll expect Harper to be one of the lead backs this year.
“He’s just a football player,” he said. “He’s a reserved type, hard-nosed player. When Malik went down last year, he didn’t hesitate to get in there and help. He’s not going to bust runs and break them for 80, but he’ll carry people a few extra yards. He’s going to do what needs to be done.”
Sophomore Dartavious Bledson and junior Tripp Morris will also see time in the backfield. Much like the running back room, the receiver position was decimated by either transfer or graduation. Leading receiver Jeremiah Ware is now wearing Gainesville red, and Seth Larson, Camo Campbell, Elijah Keip and tight end Ethan Fetterman graduated.
Sophomores Brooks Resinella, Tyler Robinson and Clay Canal have emerged as key receivers.
“There’s a lot of confidence that’s growing
Photo by Kevin Mumpower
Senior Josh Pacheco is one of three returning offensive line starters in 2024.
in this group,” Tester said. “They’re the type that when we get done, they’re staying after, and they’re working some extra routes, they’re working on timing. There’s a great deal of ownership of these kids that have bought into how we coach them.”
If there’s one spot that is not in question on the offense, it’s the offensive line.
“This time last year, they were a big question mark because of how young we were,” Tester said. “I really like our depth there.”
Seniors Josh Pacheco, Max Scott, and junior Adam Gwynn are returning starters up front. Juniors Prince Rose and Jacob Hoover also saw time on the offensive line, and sophomores Cage Loggins and Eli Poole are turning heads in practice.
Tester’s said he’ll use the two-platoon approach this season. He said guys are required to play a position on both offense and defense. He said they’ll try to maximize that approach as the season rolls on, but for now, guys are getting reps on both sides of the ball. With that, the defensive and offensive lines may look the same at times. Right now, Jason Clark is the only returning starter up front. Eli Poole will get some time. Then you’ll see Zamari Vaughn, Rose and Carson Peacock in the rotation.
“I would say it’s a healthy rotation,” Tester said about the D-Line. “We want to roll four to six at that spot to be able to keep our offensive line fresh because if we don’t move the ball, it’s not going to matter.”
At linebacker, they have the task of replacing two talented linebackers in Cam Haynes and Frank Perez.
Right now, Griffin Harper is the only linebacker with significant varsity experience returning. Sophomores Leland Temple, Drew Ledford, and Riland Garrison have been battling for playing time. Senior Buford transfer Jackson Prehar should also see some
action in the second level.
“It starts with Griffin Harper,” Tester said. “From there, we need to figure out who those other two are. If it ends up being where we like four of them, then that means we go to our odd front. That’s where our discussion schematically takes place. So again, at the end of the day, we want our best 11 on the field.”
In the defensive backfield, Tester will be replacing most of it as Ty Akins, Campbell and Kiep all graduated.
Tripp Morris, Brooks Resinella, Riley Bourrie, Tristan Mendoza, and Bledson will all be in the mix at the corner.
At safety, senior Tanner Renard and sophomore Parker Bourrie have emerged as the front runners for the position. Resinella and Tyler Robinson are listed as backups.
The Falcons ended the 2023 campaign in the playoffs and were just 13 points away from playing a playoff game at Falcons Field. They ended up finishing fourth in Region 8-5A and lost in the first round to state finalist Creekside.
After November’s Georgia High School Association reclassification, the Falcons, along with Eastside, dropped to Class 4A. Those two will be in the new Region 8-4A with North Oconee, East Forsyth, Cedar Shoals and Walnut Grove. The Falcons will open the season at home against Jackson County, followed by Habersham Central, Forsyth Central and Hart County before opening region play at Eastside.
“We have to continue to build and improve every single week in order to put ourselves in a position to be successful,” Tester said. “So, we really just take it one game at a time and understand that facing probably the favorite in our region, North Oconee, late in the season, or facing Eastside first will be a huge test for us. But just like last year, whether we win those games or lose them, every region game matters.”
COACH
Jason Tester
RECORD
8-13, third season
2023 RECORD
5-6, first round Class 5A playoffs
REGION
8-4A
OFFENSIVE STYLE
Spread — Kyle Hutchinson takes over as offensive coordinator, but the offense will continue to be based out of a spread formation. However, the Falcons plan to run the ball more with the quarterback this season. They’ll be replacing the entire wide receiver group and backfield and have a new quarterback at the helm of the offense.
ABOUT THE OFFENSE
“We are always going to look to play to our assets, who are our playmakers. Chewing up the clock is important to me, as it keeps our defense off the field. So, being able to establish the run game is always going to be a priority. So, we’re gonna look to be balanced and be able to take what defenses give us, move the chains, control the clock, and play great defense behind it.”
DEFENSIVE STYLE
Multiple fronts —Like the offense, the Falcons will be replacing several key spots on the defensive side of the ball, mainly at linebacker and in the secondary. Regardless of who’s in the game, Tester wants the defense to play fast and physical.
ABOUT THE DEFENSE
“We want to play fast and physical with confidence. We may not be the most athletic team on the field each week, so to compensate, we need to hone in on our technique and understand that we play good, sound, fundamental defense. We also have to swarm to the football. We want our opponents to look at our film and be able to say defensively that they play great defense, and every coach is going to be able to look and say, we’re going to try to exploit this, so that’s our job is to prepare them and just get them confident in being able to to work three and outs.”
STRENGTH
Branch built —“It’s our Branch-built approach, knowing who we are in how this place is special. It’s because of the people and the old-school football approach to building men,” Tester said.
KEY GAMES
The Falcons will use a tough non-region schedule to prepare for a brutal region schedule this season. They’ll open the season with back-to-back home games against Jackson County and Habersham Central, followed by two road games at Forsyth Central and Hart County before opening region play at home against Eastside. Tester described his schedule as a buzz saw but said they’ll take it one game at a time and hope to improve each week. If the Falcons want to make a trip to the playoffs, wins against East Forsyth, Walnut Grove and Cedar Shoals are a must.
Sophomore Parker Bourrie will see time in the Falcons’ secondary at safety.
Photo by Kevin Mumpower
GAINESVILLE RED ELEPHANTS
ROLLING WITH THE ...
CHANGES IN THE WORKS FOR BIG RED OFFENSE
Story by Jeff Hart
Changes have been in the works for Gainesville for nearly a year. And we’re not just talking about the renovation project at City Park Stadium. After a two-year run not seen since the days of Blake Sims and Cris Carpenter, the Red Elephants could be in for some early growing pains in 2024. The key phrase is “could be.”
Alex Payne is garnering plenty of next-level attention and is back to anchor what will be a big offensive line for the Red Elephants in 2024.
Photo by Seth Chapman
2024 GAINESVILLE schedule
They won 26 games in Josh Niblett’s first two seasons, matching two previous stints for most wins in back-to-back seasons in program history. Gainesville first did it with Carpenter and Company in 1982-83 with Bobby Gruhn as coach, and then a Blake Sims-led crew did it again in 2008-09 under Bruce Miller. But rosters and team personalities change every season. And an offense that averaged 38.6 points/game the past two seasons will undergo some major changes.
Gainesville lost its three-year starter at quarterback, its top two rushers, its top six receivers, and four starters along the offensive line. In all, more than 6,400 yards of offense moved on.
“No two teams are ever the same because kids leave and new kids come in,” Niblett said. “We’ve got several new players, and some guys are playing new positions, so getting everyone on the same page has been our main priority in the summer and fall. But our kids are learning and understanding the expectations and what level of execution we want to be at. They’re working hard at it every day, and that’s all you can ask for.”
Despite the production losses, the Red Elephants will have plenty of talent as they look to maintain their high-flying ways. The first key change will be at quarterback, where senior IMG transfer Jamar Malone, who started in the spring game, was expected
to take the reins. But he left the program during the summer, leaving sophomore Kharim Hughley to become QB1. Hughley got plenty of work with summer 7-on-7s, including a trip to Hoover, Ala. in a national tournament. The second biggest change is senior Carmelo Byrd (5-10, 190 pounds) moving from linebacker to running back. Two other seniors—Dacien Cohen and Zion Buffington — who had just 8 carries for 100 yards combined in 2023 are also expected to see action.
Three move-ins at receiver will try to make up for more than 2,250 yards lost to graduation.
Junior Phillip Williams and seniors Jeremiah Ware (Flowery Branch), Shane King (6-4, 210; Texas), and Taz Smith (Johns Creek) should give them a variety of options in the passing game. Sophomores Tre Diggs and Damauri Bailey should see action as well.
Juniors Landon Williamson and Blaine Trocheck could split time at tight end. However, the one key area that could be the early strength of the offense, despite big changes, is along the line. Senior tackles Alex Payne (6-5, 275) and Will Turner (6-2, 270) both return. Senior Tony Meja ( 5-11, 275) and junior Krew Moledor (6-3, 285), and sophomore Tyler Ford (6-6, 300) give the Red Elephants perhaps one of the biggest lines in Class 5A. Senior Roc-quay Finch, sophomore Carter Mathis, and junior Bryston Studivant
should rotate in.
“No. 1, just the potential of how good those kids can be as a unit,” Niblett said of his reassembled offensive line. “We’re big up front, and those guys are physical. I mean, we just might be able to do some other things a little bit better, you know, just because we’re bigger. “Kharim has been competing all spring and all summer and has been getting prepared for this. We’re excited to see what he can do. Carmelo just understands the game. He picks up stuff so quickly. I’m excited about him. He’s an everydown back.“I also like what I’ve seen early from the receivers. Ware is explosive; King is a mismatch for anyone; and Phillip is a Swiss Army knife. He can do it all.”
The only real changes for the defense, however, are that most of the seven returning starters—and there would have been eight with Byrd—are a year older, bigger, and faster. The defensive line may be among the state’s best at any classification.
Senior Julius Columbus, along with juniors Kadin Fossung and Xavier Griffin, return as starters. Junior Marshall Leonard is back, as is senior Brandon Bailey. Senior A’Naryon Dorsey and junior Tydrick Turner will provide even more depth.
“Julius is an issue for (teams). He had (20 sacks), and 18 tackles for losses. And he got double-teamed more than anybody up front for us last year, and he still had those numbers,”
Defensive end Kadin Fossung had a solid 2023 and is looking for another huge year in 2024 for a Gainesville defensive line that could be among the best in the state.
Photo by Seth Chapman
Danny Dunagan and his staff welcome you to Three D Cleaners
Serving Gainesville and Hall County for 45 years 1865 Thompson Bridge Road 1290 Thompson Bridge Road (next to Publix)
Niblett said. “But our entire line has the potential to create negative plays and turnovers. Should be a really good group.”
The linebacking group is deep as well, with seniors Cash O’Callaghan and Griffin back to lead the way. Sophomore Darryn Williams, seniors Roman Best, Tre Brown, and juniors Demari Cheeks and Malachi Russell all have been battling for spots.
And, they’re deep at secondary with junior Roger Holder, sophomore Marcus Sims, senior Trent Jones, and junior Syr Hunter all expected to see time at safety. Senior Judah Knight, juniors Elijah Watson and Wyatt Yandell, and sophomore Zach Ingram have all battled at the corner spots.
“We have a lot of length on defense, especially with the guys at linebacker,” Niblett said. “But we have a lot of guys that are still learning everything. There could be some inexperience early on. We have several guys in the secondary that have played a lot of football, so we feel pretty good with that group.”
But they’ll need everything they have to navigate what could be the most ambitious schedule the Red Elephants have ever undertaken. Seven playoff teams from 2023 highlight the schedule, with three Class 6A teams and a Class 5A quarterfinalist from Alabama – Carrollton (Class 7A quarters), Westlake (2nd round 7A), Marietta, and Moody (Ala.), who was 10-3 in 2023 – to open things up.
They have no home games until Week 6 (Sept. 20), when the City Park renovations are
expected to be complete. Their new home in Region 7-5A features defending Class 7A state champion Milton at City Park (Oct. 11) and Roswell (quarters 6A) on the road to close out the regular season.
“We want to be an elite program, playing at an elite level. So when you play elite teams, you give yourself that opportunity to figure out where you are, where you want to get to, and how you’re going to get there,” Niblett said. “We want to play the best competition we can. We want to push the envelope.
“When we go through the non-region schedule, and then through that region schedule, we’ll be battle-tested when the playoffs roll around. But our kids are physical and tough, and I think will be able to handle it. They’re looking forward to it. They’re excited about it.”
Niblett said the key will not be worrying about what name is on the opposing jersey for whatever week they’re on during the season.
“Sometimes you worry about your competition too much and not worry about what you have to do to get better on a dayto-day basis,” he said. “I’m not worried about everybody else we play. We respect them, and we know we have to get lined up and ready to play. But at the end of the day, it’s going to be our execution, the level of energy that we play with, and then how fast we can play.
“Our goals are to win the opener, win the region, and then win the last game of the season. If we do those things, it’ll be a successful season.”
COACH
Josh Niblett
RECORD
262-80, third season
2023 RECORD
12-1, Class 6A quarterfinals
REGION
7-5A
OFFENSIVE STYLE
Spread/Multiple — The Red Elephants’ style will not change. They will still employ their high-powered offense on Friday nights and look to distribute the ball around to as many different play-makers as possible. However, several new pieces will be introduced as they break in new starters at quarterback, RB, WR, and TE while replacing four starters on the line.
ABOUT THE OFFENSE
“Getting everybody on the same page is the biggest thing because when you have new players or players that don’t have a whole lot of experience, then they’re trying to learn what’s going on. So there’s a little bit of anxiety of just trying to learn what to do schematically.”
DEFENSIVE STYLE
Multiple — The Red Elephants always look to attack the ball by creating negative plays and forcing turnovers.
ABOUT THE DEFENSE
“Our biggest thing is that we have a lot of length on defense, and we have experience and the depth where we need it. Almost all the guys we have back played a lot of football as younger players. They could be a very disruptive and explosive group. They will be fun to watch.”
STRENGTH
Depth on both lines of scrimmage — The Red Elephants will be big and deep up front. The offensive line, whose projected starters average 281 pounds, is also athletic and will give a still-learning offense the ability to perhaps open things up quicker than expected. The defensive front could be the classification’s best behind Columbus and Griffin and should wreak havoc on opposing offenses.
KEY GAMES
They have four games before their home and Region 7-5A opener against Lanier (Sept. 20) to get the offense ready. However, there are no cupcakes in which to experiment with three Class 6A teams and a rising Alabama power scheduled in the first month. Look for the region title to come down to games against defending Class 7A champion Milton (Oct. 11 at home) and a road finish on Oct. 25 at Roswell.
Senior Julius Columbus (99) and Junior Marshall Leonard (93) are both back to help pace the Red Elephants’ defense.
Photo by Seth Chapman
NEW-LOOK DRAGONS?
After a disappointing finish to their 2022 campaign in Travis Noland’s first season, the Dragons rebounded in a huge way in 2023, rolling all the way to the Class 6A semifinals behind Sammy Brown and Company.
Brown piled up 2,289 yards and 36 touchdowns on the ground and was named the 2023 High School Butkus Award winner, given annually to the nation’s top linebacker. He added 153 tackles on defense.
Story by Jeff Hart
The Dragons will look to Dallas Russell to be among several that will take in the backfield for the graduated Sammy Brown.
Photo by Seth Chapman
p.m.
2024 jefferson schedule
But he is now at Clemson, and several other key players from that group also have moved on. Upon initial inspection, it appeared the Dragons might be in a slight reloading mode coming into the 2024 campaign.
Noland quickly put that to rest for anyone who was suggesting otherwise.
“A guy like Sammy, you don’t replace guys like that. He was as dynamic as they come on both sides of the ball. But we were a lot more than just Sammy last year,” he said. “We had a lot of really good players that played well as a team.”
A deeper dive into the Dragons’ roster definitely backs up Noland. Jefferson returns seven starters on offense and seven on defense. While they may not have another Sammy Brown waiting in the immediate wings, continuity with more than two dozen players that saw significant action in 2023 returning should more than makeup for his production. The offense has senior quarterback Gavin Markey returning to run it. It will remain more
run-based on the surface, but the Dragons always look to make plays in the passing game. Markey threw for 1,458 yards with 24 passing TDs and 8 INTs in 162 attempts.
These are not gaudy numbers compared to other quarterbacks in a spread attack. But Noland emphatically said it’s never about numbers for him.
“I think we have one of the better quarterbacks in the state, in my opinion,” he said of Markey. “You have to have balance, but balance does not always have to be 50-50. What’s more important is how effective the passing game is.
“Gavin’s stat, you realize one out of every five pass attempts for him last year was a touchdown. I think that’s where he gets overlooked. He’s pretty dang effective in what he’s been asked to do.”
In the passing game, Markey will have two of his top three receivers back from last season in seniors Talan Childers (10 rec., 255 yards,
5 TD) and RJ Hinton (8-223, 1 TD). Senior Cole Kemp (6-1, 270) is back at tight end, and look for juniors Jordan Robinson and Caleb Beusse to see some action as well.
But gone is Brown’s production out of the backfield that took pressure off of Markey and the passing attack. Jefferson will look to several younger players to see who can break through in 2024.
Juniors Rett Hemphill, Mickell Pittman, and sophomore Dallas Russell will all get most of the opportunities early on at tailback. Seniors Josh Causey and Li’randy Martin return at fullback.
“All of those guys will get chances, and we’ll see who breaks out of the pack as far as an every-down guy,” Noland said. “But we feel like we’ve got five or six tailbacks here that can contribute and help us win.”
Brian Senter, who is now at Troy University, was a big loss up front to graduation. But the Dragons return the other four across the line
AT marist AT north oconee
clarke central cherokee bluff
monroe area
jackson county
Hall
oconee county
Rett Hemphill had over 100 tackles, 14 TFLs, 3 sacks, 1 INT, and 4 fumble recoveries in 2023 for the Dragons.
Photo by Lee Heard
and have a crop of younger players that should be able to help protect Markey and pave the way in the run game.
Senior Ashley Eckert (6-5, 255), Ty Oglesby (6-2, 260), and John Morgan (5-10, 228) are all back, along with Childress at tight end, to lead the offensive line. Noland said several sophomores will be auditioning for a starting spot and key backup roles.
“We feel pretty good about the guys up front,” he said. “We have to be able to block guys and protect the quarterback. Those guys are working hard, and I think we’ll be fine by the time the season starts.”
The defense, which allowed just 11.93 points/ game in 2023, returns the bulk of the unit. Despite the loss of Brown’s 153 tackles, juniors Rett Hemphill and JD Yang combined for 251 tackles in 2023. Hemphill added 14 TFLs, 3 sacks, 1 INT, and 4 fumble recoveries as well. Sophomores Max Brown (6-1, 215; 43 tkls, 2 TFLs, 1 sack) and Russell will see plenty of action at linebacker.
Returning along the line is senior Kelan Butler (6-4, 230; 65 tkls, 9 TFL, 6 sacks), with senior Lex Belin (6-0, 275) and juniors Tripp Porter (6-1, 265), Tylek Rucker (6-0, 285), Darren Pinkard (6-3, 210) providing a stout group up front.
The secondary returns senior safeties Michael Roberts and Dashaun Keith and cornerback Avery Lynch (5-7, 155). That trio combined for 72 tackles in 2023, with Lynch often drawing the opposing team’s No. 1 receiver.
“We’ve got some guys that have played a lot of snaps, and then we got some new faces, but we’re excited about seeing how good this group can be,” Noland said. “Rhett and JD are as good a combo as there probably is anywhere. Kelan is very talented, and we like the guys who are upfront.
“Avery’s only like 5-7, 155 pounds, but he plays against guys like 6-2, 6-3, even taller, and holds those guys to one, maybe two catches. He’s a tremendous player for us.”
To get his group prepared for a new Region 8-3A schedule -- the Dragons moved down from Class 5A after the Georgia High School Association reclassification -- Noland has put together a tough and intriguing non-region slate. They open the season on the road at the always-tough Marist and then head to rival Jackson County the following week in the two programs’ first meeting since 2019.
After two home games against Clarke Central and Stephens County, they close out their nonregion schedule on the road at North Oconee.
“I don’t think last year turns out the way it did if not for our non-region schedule,” Noland said. “Marist is a huge challenge in itself. Jackson County is a huge local game that hasn’t been played here in a while. Those two weeks back-to-back in two tough environments are going to tell us a lot about who we are early. Then we turn around with Clark Central coming here the next week. We’re going to have to play at a real high level to be even competitive with those guys.”
With the new alignment, the Dragons will be housed with Cherokee Bluff, East Hall, Monroe Area, Oconee County, and West Hall.
After an off week following North Oconee, they will open their region schedule on Sept. 27 at Memorial Stadium against West Hall.
In their first two seasons, he and his staff have faced just one region team, splitting a pair of games with Oconee County. But Noland said the focus is on preparing his group for 2024. “I believe way more high school football games are lost than won. And so I feel like our job as coaches is to not put our players in a position to lose games and give them opportunities to have a chance to win games,” he said. “Where you start is not where you finish. We’re working toward the finish rather than where we start.”
“I think the beauty of high school football is our job as coaches is to give them the directions, but at the end of the day, the players drive the car.”
coach speak
COACH
Travis Noland RECORD
21-4, third season
2023 RECORD
13-1, Region 8-5A champion, Class 5A semifinals REGION
8-3A
OFFENSIVE STYLE
Pro-style — The Dragons always look for balance but will need several guys in the backfield to replace the 2,289 yards lost to the graduation of Sammy Brown. QB Gavin Markey is as efficient as they come and will have to lead the group early.
ABOUT THE OFFENSE
“Balance to me doesn’t always mean 50-50 on yardage. We look at games and what we need to do on a week-by-week basis. We have a lot of guys coming back that we think can be effective in the run game, and we have a lot of confidence in Markey and the passing game. We also think we have a good line up front that can make it all work.”
DEFENSIVE STYLE
3-4 —They will use multiple fronts depending on the matchup. But the unit gave up just 11.93 ppg in 2023 and returns seven starters. Don’t look for many changes for a hard-hitting group that likes to fly to the ball.
ABOUT THE DEFENSE
“I think this group can be just as good as last year. We’ve got experienced guys coming back at each level, and they have played a lot of football and have been in some really big games. A lot of those guys were young last year and really stepped up, but now they’re a year older. It should be a really hard-hitting group.”
STRENGTHS
Experience/brotherhood — With 14 total starters back on both sides of the ball, the Dragons definitely have experience at just about every position. Noland said this year’s group has already shown a high level of leadership and a sense of team unity that is among the best of any during his coaching career. “Everyone has been on the same page since before we even started spring. This has been a fun group already, and I’m excited to see what they can accomplish.”
KEY GAMES
Noland said his group will need some early challenges, and they’ll get it, beginning with Marist and Jackson County, both on the road to open the season. They also travel to North Oconee to close out the non-region schedule. However, the biggest games of the season will be two more road games at Monroe Area (Oct. 4) and Oconee County (Nov. 1), which will more than likely decide the region title.
Senior Gavin Markey could be ready for another breakout season after throwing 24 TD passes in 2023.
Photo by Lee Heard
johnson knights
Story by Jeff Hart
READY FOR THE PRESENT?
KNIGHTS JUMPING BACK INTO REGION PLAY IN 2024
Johnson finally had its breakout season under coach William Harrell. In 2023, the Knights broke their 35-game losing streak, posted four wins (their most since 2019), scored their most points (148) since 2019, and allowed the fewest points (289) since 2018.
It was just what Harrell, who is entering his fifth season in Oakwood, had envisioned when he decided to play a non-region schedule for two years beginning in 2022.
The Knights are looking for newcomers like Johan Arroyo to fill some positions as they jump back into region play in 2024.
Photo by Leilani Castillo
2024 johnson schedule
“That was needed to give us time to reset the program,” he said. “Last year showed that what we were trying to teach was getting through to the kids. We were competitive against common opponents from the year before. I definitely feel like we accomplished what we wanted to do with that.”
Johnson will jump back into region play as part of the ‘new’ Region 6-3A in 2024. The nine-team region includes fellow Hall County schools Chestatee and North Hall, Dawson County, Lumpkin County, White County, and private school Greater Atlanta Christian.
It was all part of the plan Harrell had for the program when he went to non-region and said it was now time to give the kids something to play for more than just a chance to play on Friday nights.
“We needed to step back and see what we needed to do to get back to being competitive and teaching and building and developing the kids we have who want to play,” he said. “Now, we want to get back into region play to help the program build to the next level. It also gives the kids something extra to play for.
“I think this group is hungry to get out there and play a full region schedule. For some,
including many of the seniors, it will be the first time they’ve been able to do that. I’m excited for them to have that opportunity.”
However, it could very well be back to the proverbial drawing board for Harrell and the Knights in 2024. They graduated the bulk of their offensive production and half of their defensive starters from a year ago. They will be young and/or inexperienced in several key skilled positions.
However, that doesn’t mean they will be without talent. The success of 2023 has helped drive continued interest in the program, as nearly 35 hit the fields in the summer and fall. The Knights had as few as 17 just three years ago at this same point.
The Knights will have to replace key spots at quarterback, running back, wide receiver, and across the line on the offense, returning just two starters overall. They will also be young at the skilled positions.
It is expected that sophomore Rye Kelly will get the start under center in their single-wing offensive attack. Another sophomore, Nate Couget, who saw limited action in 2023 behind 800-yard rusher Demetri Moore, will be looked upon to handle the bulk of the carries early on.
However, senior Joshua Young will see plenty of action as well.
While the Knights do not throw it much, they did lose their top two receivers to graduation as well. The receiving corps will have several upperclassmen, including seniors Joshua Young, Braylon Boyd, and Will Mbota, but none caught more than two passes in 2023.
If there is a silver lining on the offense, the offensive line, despite graduating three starters, will be the strength, with more than a halfdozen returning who saw significant action in 2023. Senior Armondo Garcia and junior Cristian Corona both return as starters, with seniors Bryan Rivas and Johan Arroyo getting the first opportunities to fill two of the other starting spots. Juniors Anthony Chastain and Vidal Lagaras, sophomore Isael Hermida, and senior Marcus Placencia will all rotate in.
“There’s no doubt we’re going to be young in many key spots, especially on offense,” Harrell said. “But there is some talent. They just need to get out there on Friday nights and get that experience.
“The good part is we have some numbers up front, and a lot of those guys have been in the program for two or three years. They
franklin county Chestatee
west hall AT north hall
AT EAst hall
dawson
white county
All kickoffs scheduled for 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted.
Will Mbota is among several talented players that could be ready to break out for the Knights in 2024.
Photo by Leilani Castillo
understand the terminology and what we’re trying to do on offense.”
On defense, they also return some key contributors across the line and at linebacker. However, the secondary will be a work in progress early on.
Across the defensive line, Garcia, Rivas, and Chastain all return as starters. Corona, Arroyo, Lagaras, Hermida, and Placencia will all see action. The depth could depend on who cracks the starting lineup on offense to give others a rest on defense.
At linebacker, senior Bryan Romero is the only returning starter. But sophomores Nate Couget and Syer Bryce give them a pair of young, talented guys, along with senior Noah Gonzalez. All three saw action last year and are expected to anchor a group that could be a solid corps by season’s end.
The issue will be on the back end of the defense. Senior safety Trae Couget is the only returning starter in the secondary. They have several upperclassmen in Mbota, Young, Boyd and Luis Dominguez. Junior Monty Young will also be looked upon to fill a spot, but that has been the summer and fall focus on defense.
“I like what we have up front on defense. There are several guys that had solid seasons last year, and I feel like they have improved since then,” Harrell said. “Romero has the most experience at linebacker, but the two sophomores (Nate Couget and Bryce) I think, have a chance to be real good with some time on the field on Fridays.
“But we’re short on depth in the secondary. That’s our biggest concern on defense. You can’t hide a lack of depth in the secondary. Trae (Couget) is the only one with any real
coach speak
COACH
William Harrell
RECORD
4-35, fifth season
2023 RECORD
4-6
REGION 6-3A
OFFENSIVE STYLE
Single-wing — The Knights will stick with the power run game but will be replacing the bulk of their production after graduating nine starters. They will have to rely on So. QB Rye Kelly to run the show and develop quickly. But they will have a half dozen on the line returning with experience.
ABOUT THE OFFENSE
experience back there.”
But as we have come to find out, Harrell and his staff always have a master plan. Teaching the game and developing players who are playing football for the first time has been at the forefront of their program-building model. Knowing they were going to be young and jumping back into region play, the Knights have a bye to open the season and their second open date a week before playing their first region game in three years on the road at GAC on Sept. 20.
“The one thing I have realized since being here, the longer we have before playing our (season) opener, the better it is for us,” Harrell said. “A bye at the beginning gives us one more week to teach, get some guys acclimated, and just be better prepared. It’s by design.”
Every game will be a challenge as they try to rebuild after key graduation losses. They open the season at Billy Ellis Memorial Stadium on Week 2 (Aug. 23) against Franklin County.
But Harrell may be more interested in finding a win somewhere in a tough Region 6-3A schedule.
“In the first three games, we want to show we can compete with this young group and hopefully put ourselves in a position to win some,” he said. “But for what we’re trying to do, getting back into region play, I do think it will be important for the program to get a region win somewhere. That will show the kids that they can compete and hopefully attract a few more guys who might want to play but weren’t sure.
“Continuing to build the program is our top priority. Wins, especially in the region, always helps.”
“We’re replacing a lot of skill guys, but there is some talent among the guys who are battling for spots. Rye is making a lot of progress in the offseason, so it’s going to be fun to see how he develops once he gets out on the field at the varsity level. We want to control the ball, and ball security is something we’re really focused on with the offense.”
DEFENSIVE STYLE
Multiple fronts —The Knights’ defense improved for a second straight year, down to 28.9 ppg, their best since the 2018 season. And they have 5 returning from last year, including three up front, and can go 8-deep across the line for depth.
ABOUT THE DEFENSE
“We played very well for most of last season, and we have several guys back who have experience. We really like the depth we have on the line. The key will be limiting the big plays and just giving ourselves a chance to win every week.”
STRENGTHS
Offensive line — The Knights return two starters and can go 8 or 9 deep with only a few playing both ways. But this group will have to stay healthy as the Knights will be breaking in new starters at QB, RB, and WR early in the season.
KEY GAMES
The Knights improved by four games from the same non-region schedule in 2022, but they will be jumping back into region play in 2024. They could use a win or two in their non-region slate against Franklin County, East Hall, and arch-rival West Hall to get ready for what will be a tough region slate. They open 6-3A on the road at GAC (Set. 20) and have their region home opener the following week against Chestatee.
Coach William Harrell is having the Knights jump back into region play after winning four games in 2023.
Photo by Leilani Castillo
KYARI BURCH = LEADER
JUNIOR QB READY TO LEAD YOUNG LAKEVIEW SQUAD
For head coach Lee Coleman at Lakeview Academy, the 2024 season might be a tough one solely due to the small roster size, but he is very happy with the leadership he has on the team.
At the forefront of that leadership is junior quarterback Kyari Burch, a kid who didn’t want to play quarterback a year ago if he couldn’t play on the defensive side of the ball as well.
Story by Walker McCrary
Junior Kyari Burch is set to take the reigns of the offense for the second year in a row. He will also start in the defensive backfield as well.
Photo by Ryan Davis
2024 lakeview schedule
“I told him that I can assure him that he will play defense for us,” said Coleman. “I had to tell him again this offseason that he’s going to be the quarterback, but he’s going to play a lot of defense for us as well.”
And for a kid with as much athleticism as he has, it’s no wonder that Coleman wants him on the field as much as possible.
The junior, who was named first-team AllRegion a year ago, not only has stood out on the football field, but he has shown out on the basketball court and the track in just one short year at Lakeview.
Among his accomplishments in his sophomore year, he qualified for state in the 300-meter hurdles after helping the basketball team win the GIAA Class 3A state championship.
Now that he is starting year two, Coleman sees many steps in the right direction to keep his trajectory moving forward.
“Kyari has made significant strides this offseason, and his experience is really going to help us. When you lose your top receiver in the third game of the season, who was on pace for over 1,000 receiving yards and still led us to
the playoffs and overcome those obstacles, that breathes confidence into him and our team. So, I think that’s going to help us tremendously.”
But out of all his accolades, accomplishments, and traits, Coleman most values his leadership.
“He is one of the most selfless kids I’ve ever coached,” said Coleman. “He’s not worried about the accolades or wanting to score touchdowns. Honestly, an interception to him is probably better than a touchdown pass or run. He’s also so willing to give it up for his team, and he thrives in that role.”
Coleman feels that with that type of leadership, he can help develop this young Lions team and get everyone around him to be better both on and off the field.
Burch will have that opportunity as this Lions team, which totals around 20 players, has half the team playing high school football for the first time as freshmen this season.
Coleman says, however, that while half the team are freshmen, he has a veteran team, including six seniors and five more that have seen a lot of playing time in the navy and orange.
That experience could prove very useful for these Lions as they embark to try and get back into the playoffs as they did a year ago.
To do so, they will have to rely on new faces who are still proving themselves in the offseason to try and work their way into the rotation. And they will need to work quickly, as the Lions will start three freshmen on the offensive line, putting more emphasis on players like Burch, Collin Waldrop, and Ricky Brown to take some pressure off a young front.
“I want my running backs’ focus to be to break tackles, and when you hit the open field, go score. We have to take care of the football and know we are going to have to beat one man and get in the endzone. That will alleviate us from having to line up over and over and over. And with the receivers, we just have to make plays when the ball is in the vicinity.”
Burch can get the ball out to anyone and has as good an arm as Coleman has seen, but he wants to see another aspect offensively from his playcaller.
“He needs to run the ball more,” said Coleman. “He has the speed to be able to use as a weapon,
AT Lanier Christian
george walton REGION
towns county
athens christian
AT bethlehem christian REGION
creekside christian
riverside REGION
AT piedmont academy
AT loganville christian REGION
AT kings academy
All kickoffs scheduled for 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted.
Ricky Brown will see time on both sides of the football for Lakeview, setting up in the backfield offensively while anchoring the linebackers on the defensive side.
Photo by Ryan Davis
and he will really help our line get used to the speed of the game tremendously if he can utilize his feet.”
Defensively, the Lions really started figuring out their mantra late in the year. They won three of their last four games to get into the playoffs in 2023, and it was due to the physicality that the Lions showcased after the games against Strong Rock Christian and Bethlehem Christian.
“After Strong Rock, where we weren’t prepared, it bled over into Bethlehem, and we got embarrassed. At that moment, we looked in the mirror and said we need to get more physical. At the time, we weren’t giving the effort needed to win, so we shifted our mentality and really saw a shift.”
The core of that shift was in the linebacker group. The entire linebacker group returns to keep that toughness going, and Burch will lead the secondary, which will look to fill two holes left in the safety positions. But Coleman really likes what he has coming in.
“I just think that we need time to develop and learn how to play at this level. We are really efficient up front, and we have talent. We just need to get the experience.”
According to Coleman, the big selling point for this young team is that everyone will see playing time on all sides of the football, including special teams. He likens the situation to that of the NFL 53-man roster, where many players play their primary position and special teams to earn spots on the field.
“Everybody has to contribute,” he said. “We
prepare our guys to learn to love that special teams role because even at the next level as a freshman, you will probably be on special teams, so for our kids to understand the importance of it, they are prepared for not just every Friday night, but at the next level if they choose to go there.”
The Lions will need to use all 20 guys at their best capacity if they want to make the trip back to the playoffs, and they will do so in a new eight-team region. Arguably, the biggest game of the season comes in week one against crosstown rival Lanier Christian Academy, a game that was a slugfest a year ago where the Lions came out on top, 14-7.
“That game last year sprung us to where we needed to be to make the playoffs,” said Coleman. “We will use it this year to hopefully get us ready for region play with it being early in the year. We need to know what a tough game is like so that when we go play George Walton or Bethlehem Christian, we need to have established that key confidence to go up against these guys and show we can play with anyone.”
And somehow, it feels like it all goes full circle with Burch. As the quarterback of a football team, you are called to build up your teammates, and given that’s one of his best traits, this Lakeview team could build on last year’s success, even with a young team.
“To see how these freshmen respond and how these seniors build up that younger group of guys, I think that’s what I’m most excited about, to see how that transpires this season.”
COACH
Lee Coleman RECORD
5-6, second season
2023 RECORD
5-6, GIAA Class 3A
first round
DISTRICT 4-3A GIAA
OFFENSIVE STYLE
Spread — Kyari Burch will lead the offense for a second straight year and look to spread the ball around to the likes of Collin Waldrop and Ricky Brown. Coleman feels that in his second season at the helm, with the experienced, skilled players, the offense is set to explode.
ABOUT THE OFFENSE
“We will continue to be fast-paced as we did last year, but with Kyari manning the show, I feel like we are strides ahead of where we were a year ago. We still need to learn how to take care of the football and break tackles and go score.”
DEFENSIVE STYLE
Multiple — Coleman wants to assert physicality while also getting off the field to get his offense back out there.
ABOUT THE DEFENSE
“We have our whole linebacking core back, and Kyari is going to man the safety position. We have a lot of young guys that will rotate through the other secondary positions. They are very talented, but they just don’t have the experience yet. Getting them in there and getting them used to the game as quickly as possible is crucial.”
STRENGTHS
Competitiveness — Coleman sees a stark difference from the point he entered the doors at Lakeview a year ago in how his guys perform both in the offseason and during games. This comes from the leadership instilled by his upperclassmen and the underclassmen pushing the older players to continue to be better.
KEY GAMES
As a fan, you have to love that the season opens with cross-town rival Lanier Christian Academy, but Coleman wants to utilize his non-region schedule to prepare for the likes of George Walton Academy and Bethlehem Christian, two teams that are sure to be high seeds in the GIAA playoffs.
Collin Waldrop will go both ways for the Lions and serve as one of the team leaders.
Photo by Ryan Davis
REBUILDING THE SPARK
LIGHTNING LOOK TO PUT ROUGH ‘23 BEHIND THEM
Story by Jeff Hart
If ever there has been anything someone wanted to know about the Lanier
Christian football program, Joel Lulinski has been the man to ask.
Lulinski has been with the Lightning for six years, even before they joined GAPPS and began playing in the 11-man football league.
Now, the long-time assistant is heading up the still-growing program.
Senior Ben Hargis is expected to play key roles on both offense and defense in 2024 for the Lightning.
Photo by Lanier Christian Academy
2024 lanier christian schedule
Lulinski was named head coach in March after Bruce Miller stepped down in February. He played an integral role in laying the foundation of the LCA football program, serving as defensive coordinator for the last five years and as assistant head coach under Miller for the last three years.
He said that despite the loss of the high-profile Miller, the program is on more than a solid footing.
“We had 30 players come out for the spring, which is a big number for us. I feel good about seeing 25 or more during summer and fall,” he said just as summer practices were getting underway. “This is my sixth year here now, and I feel very good about where we are as a program.” But running a program is more than drawing up plays on a whiteboard. Lulinski quickly discovered that.
“Coach Miller had a player follow him, which created a little bit of drama for us. I had a lot of experience as a coach, but I got a lot of experience quickly in some of the other aspects. Like putting out fires within the program,” he said. “But since then, once we got into the
football part, it’s been pretty good.”
And it’s no wonder Lulinski and his staff feel good coming into the 2024 campaign. Not only are the numbers up, but they return nine starters on offense and eight on defense.
For defense, that’s more than welcome news as the Lightning played remarkably well, considering the offense struggled over the last half of the season after being hit hard by injuries, including losing starting quarterback CJ Britt, who later transferred after the season.
The nine returning on offense were a young group in 2023. But Lulinski thinks some offseason changes and personnel moves will have the unit back to its 2022 numbers when they averaged 42.45 points/game on their way to the GAPPS semifinal round.
Last season, that dropped to 24.64 points/game overall. Over their first five games, they averaged 41.0 ppg. Over their last six, they averaged just 11.0 ppg and scored 14 or less, with one shutout loss in four of those.
“We didn’t respond well to CJ going down, and the team just never came together after that,” he said. “Sometimes it only takes one ripple
for things to fall apart, and that’s kind of what happened. We really had trouble scoring the ball after that. We had a lot of turnovers as well, and it just put our defense in a lot of short fields.
“But our focus has been on building back that culture and putting guys in the right spots. We’ve moved some guys around and think we’re headed in the right direction.”
Junior Drew Kalinauskas, who took over after Britt went down last season, returns but has been in a battle with freshman Rex Greene and junior Tres Criste for the starting job.
Juniors Noah Freeman (running back) and Isaiah Hrenic (fullback) will see the bulk of the work in the backfield. No matter who wins the quarterback spot, they will have three talented guys to throw to in juniors Ben Hargis, Andrew Batusic, and William Martin.
They will have a young group up front, led by senior Josh Waymack. Junior center Titus Lulinski is back, with freshman Isaac Fambrough and sophomores Asher Acton and James Haselden probably making up the early starting rotation.
“We put in a new offense, and just learning
AT skipstone academy REGION
AT riverside (THURSDAY)
AT creekside christian REGION
cherokee christian REGION
cross keys
AT ST. Francis dominion christian
All kickoffs scheduled for 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted.
Senior Joshua Waymack is among several key offensive linemen back for the Lightning in 2024.
Photo by Lanier Christian Academy
everything and getting that installed has been a big focus during the summer and fall,” Lulinski said. “It’s more of a ball control offense. No matter who wins that battle, they will have to learn to manage the game better.
“Besides quarterback, we kind of know where everybody else is gonna fit. We feel we have a good rotation of receivers and a couple of good running backs, and we are trying to develop a couple of others as well.”
Again, the defense held up well down the stretch, allowing just 29 points/game despite the offense scoring just 45 total points over its last five games.
Along the line, senior interior Josh Waymack and junior defensive ends Titus Lulinski and William Martin are back. Junior Isaiah Hrenic and Kalinauskas are back at linebacker. Sophomores Asher Acton and Kaden Sullards will see plenty of time but also will play in the secondary as a rover in certain situations. Freshman Isaac Fambrough and sophomore Davis Rowan will see action as well.
The secondary is in good shape with juniors Andrew Batusic (corner), Mac Greene (corner), and Emmitt Tracey (corner) all back, as is junior safety Ben Hargis.
“Over the past five seasons, our defense has been really good. And, a lot of these guys, especially the younger guys, all got a year under their belt,” Lulinski said. “Coming into this season, they’ve all gotten a little bigger and stronger, and they’re more comfortable in the defense. I’m very excited about this group and the kind of year they can have.”
The Lightning only have nine games on the schedule, but nearly half are against nonGAPPS teams. They open the season at home (Cabbell Field at Gainesville Middle School) against Lakeview Academy and King’s Ridge in the first two weeks. From there, they have three consecutive road games, each followed by a OFF, and will not play another home game until Oct. 11.
They’ll hit the road to Riverside Prep in Week 3, travel to The Kings Academy on Sept. 13, and then head to Skipstone Academy on Sept. 27 for their GAPPS region opener.
They do finish the season with three of four home games, beginning with Cross Keys on Oct. 11 and ending with Creekside Christian on Nov. 1 in their GAPPS region finale.
“It was a tough schedule to put together because in the offseason, several of the programs playing in the GAPPS 11-man left GAPPS. It definitely left us with some holes in the schedule,” Lulinski said. “We were fortunate to find some teams that had the same issue with the same open dates. But the schedule is what it is, and we’ll be ready for whoever is up that week.”
Along the same path, Lulinski said continuing to build the program while the school is also building a new campus may be the top priority.
“Our main focus in the school is building the culture, establishing our football team for what it is, and then for people to be excited about it,” he said. “I want to start programs that are going to help encourage our elementary kids to get involved in the football program. Hopefully, those kids will want to stay and come watch us on Friday nights.”
coach speak
COACH
Joel Lulinski
RECORD
First season
2023 RECORD
3-8, first round of GAPPS playoffs
REGION
1-2A (GAPPS)
OFFENSIVE STYLE
Hybrid spread — With new coach Lulinski and staff, the offense will change somewhat to a more ball control attack. Look for the Lightning to run more than in years past, but take shots downfield when the opportunity arises.
ABOUT THE OFFENSE
“We’ve been working hard just to get guys in the right spots and move some guys around if we need to. We have a pretty good quarterback battle going, which I think will help all three of them improve. We really struggled at the end of last year, so getting the offense going again is a huge priority for us.”
DEFENSIVE STYLE
3-3 stack — Despite some huge offensive numbers over the past three seasons, the defense has been the driving force. It will need to be again, especially early on, as the offense tries to rekindle the spark with several new pieces in place.
ABOUT THE DEFENSE
“They’ve definitely been solid every year. Our strong side with Isaiah Rennick and Titus Lulinski should be really good. You can only double one of them, so we feel like those guys are going to be a force on the strong side. But we’ll need to improve on our run defense.”
STRENGTH
Defensive line — The Lightning have the ability to put pressure on the quarterback from several different spots.
KEY GAMES
With several GAPPS schools either leaving the organization or dropping down to 8-man after the 2023 season, the 11-man league was left with just four teams, including the Lightning. Lanier Christian will open GAPPS AA play on Sept. 27 on the road against Skipstone Academy. They will travel to Cherokee Christian in Week 10 (Oct. 18) and close out GAPPS play at home on Nov. 1 against Creekside Christian.
Senior Joshua Waymack is among several key offensive linemen back for the Lightning in 2024.
Photo by Lanier Christian Academy
W TENACIOUS TROJANS
YOUNG TROJANS LOOK TO PROVE THEY BELONG
hen you look up the word “tenacious” in the MerriamWebster dictionary, you find a few different definitions, but for head coach Sean Pender, there is only one definition that he sees in his 2024 North Hall Trojan football team.
“Persistent in maintaining, adhering to, or seeking something valued or desired.” That “something valued or desired:” winning football games and getting back to the playoffs in 2024.
Story by Walker McCrary
Parker Carlton will rotate through the backfield as a running back as well as through the linebacker corps.
Photo by Lee Heard
we are with
2024 north hall schedule
And this offseason, the Trojans have shown Pender something he really likes about this group of guys: they are hard-nosed and are ready to work to show they belong on the field on Friday nights.
“We are going to be the type of team that is going to get after you and play very, very hard,” said Pender. “We may not wow anyone with excess talent, but this group is going to play with grit and are going to get after it every play.”
This young Trojan team will take the field in 2024 without standout players like Tate Ruth, Tanner Marsh and Ryals Puryear, so tenacity will be key for them as they look to fill those positions.
While there may not be excess talent or a standout player, a young group of players has shown plenty of persistence in trying to win playing time for the Trojans.
Arguably, the positions that need the most grit and tenacity are the guys in the trenches, and the offensive and defensive lines are the most experienced guys on this team, something Pender says is the biggest strength of this version of the Trojans solely due to the other guys not having proven themselves yet.
“Our entire offensive line is back. Mason McGill, Kade Hawthorne, Eli Hamm, Nick Sanders and Thomas Green are the five guys on the offensive line that we are expecting big things from this season,” Pender said.
That offensive line will be pivotal in helping a young offense find its footing in the season, starting with protecting the quarterback, a position that is up for grabs.
“Alex Schlieman and Smith McGarvey have been competing for the starting job,” Pender said.
“Schlieman is just a sophomore, but he has been around and knows the offense very well. He may not have experience on Friday nights, but he is a winner. He won in middle school and led our JV team to an undefeated season last year, so I’m expecting good things from him.
“McGarvey came to us this offseason and has really stepped in and is learning the offense. He’s a very athletic kid, he has a good arm, he’s smart, and he is starting to pick up the offense.”
While the two are in competition and only one can start each game, Pender is not ruling out the possibility of running a two-quarterback system.
“Both guys have been playing really well. They both bring something different to the table that
we could use to help us win ball games,” he said.
“I’m in a very good situation where I have not one good quarterback but two that we could use this season.”
Pender says that those two are capable of carrying the Trojans’ offense as smart, hardworking competitors. With their experience and the talent around them, the offense is just a few Friday night reps away from clicking.
Schlieman and McGarvey will work to get the ball out to sophomore wide receiver Cole Cable and sophomore tight end Dawson Gray, who Pender expects to have a big year in that position.
The offensive line will also need to open up gaps for the running backs in order for the offense to remain balanced in the spread. The running back group, led by senior Ronnie (R.J.) Dalton will see a few other younger guys.
“Parker Hall, Luke Jenkins and Jacob Adams are all guys we want to get involved,” Pender said. “I think we have a lot of kids on offense that can do well. They are just inexperienced at this point, so the more that they play, the better they are going to become.”
On the defensive side, the Trojans lost just as many familiar faces, most notably Zeke Harris,
Walker Davis is set to play a big part of the offensive retool as the Trojans will be replacing most of their offensive firepower from a year ago.
Photo by Lee Heard
Trey Patterson and Connor Free, all of which had over 100 tackles a year ago.
However, much like the offensive line, the defensive line is the most experienced group on that side of the football. The front four of the 4-2-5 defense will be just as important in getting to quarterbacks to help a young secondary.
“Our defensive line, led by Charlie House and Tanner White, will be a handful for opponents,” Pender said. “Those guys, along with Matthew Arceo, Hunter Robinson and Dawson Reed, all played varsity ball for us last year, so they have the experience we are looking for in the trenches.”
Robbie Lee is another name that Pender is very excited about having an opportunity to play on the defensive line on Friday nights.
“Robbie was a JV guy for us last year. He had a fantastic season and carried that into the spring as we moved him to the defensive side of the ball. I’m excited about watching him perform this season,” Pender said.
If the defensive front shows up, it will make the job of returning defensive backs Charlie Dyer and Walker Davis a lot easier. The Trojans will also call on Jay Jay Young, Wade Haynes and Jacob Adams to help in the coverage.
“I’m looking for us to compete and try and win the play or the moment we are in,” Pender said. “I want our team to be the best they can be in each and every moment. Our concentration is trying
to get better every single week.”
And to do that, Pender feels this young team, while tenacious, still has some growing up to do.
“Maturity is going to be big for our kids to develop,” Pender said. “So far this offseason, we haven’t shown that maturity that we need to show, so we need to get better there.”
Outside of maturity, he feels the Trojans need to figure out two things quickly this season.
“We need to learn how to become a playerled team,” he said. “We have a lot of good kids who do what we ask, but we are relying on underclassmen to lead our team since we don’t have many seniors in this class. And we have to understand how important focus is.”
Focus will most definitely be needed as the Trojans embark on a new region. They will take on four teams that made the 2023 playoffs, including two that advanced all the way to the quarterfinals: Wesleyan in their first game and Lumpkin County in game eight.
So, while this Trojan team may not have the mainstay names that fans have seen at The Brickyard for a few years, this young group will show the Trojan faithful that they are tenacious in proving they belong on the field.
“These younger guys are talented,” said Pender. “They just need the Friday night experience to really show how good they are, and I’m excited to see what they can do out on the field.”
COACH
Sean Pender
RECORD
138-103-1, third season
2023 RECORD
7-4, Class 4A first round
REGION 6-3A
OFFENSIVE STYLE
Spread — The Trojans will see the majority of the offensive line return for the third year of Pender’s offensive scheme, but a lot of pieces in skill positions will be filled in by younger faces.
ABOUT THE OFFENSE
“Our offensive line is going to have to take pressure off of our young quarterbacks and skill guys. We are going to heavily rely on that experience to help keep us balanced on that side of the ball.”
DEFENSIVE STYLE
4-2-5 —Sticking with the theme of new faces, the defense will be looking to find replacements for its leading three tacklers from a year ago, but the defensive line is riddled with experience.
ABOUT THE DEFENSE
“We lost three guys from last year’s team, each with over 100 tackles during the season, so it’s going to be big for us to see who steps up. We’ve been playing a lot of numbers on defense to try and fix those gaps this offseason.”
STRENGTHS
The trenches — If there is one position that the Trojans have figured out heading into the season, it’s the offensive and defensive lines. That experience, Pender believes, puts them in a good position to help his young players be successful.
KEY GAMES
Pender doesn’t look at the Trojan opponents until it’s time to prepare for that specific team. As a fan, the Cherokee Bluff rivalry on August 30 is one to be sure to keep an eye on, while every game in 6-3A is going to be crucial in determining if the Trojans can get back to the playoffs.
Matt Arceo will be key in the trenches defensively for the Trojans, who will be looking to replace their leading three tacklers.
Photo by Lee Heard
riverside eagles
REVIVING A PROGRAM
NEW COACH HOPES TO BREATHE LIFE INTO EAGLES PROGRAM
N
ew Riverside head coach Jeff Lee says, “You gotta start somewhere” when it comes to breathing life back into the Eagles football program.
The Eagles haven’t won a game since the 2019 season. Over that span, they’ve dropped 29 games in a row and lost the 2020 season to the pandemic. Lee, who was hired in January after Nick Garrett stepped down, understands the challenges he faces in rebuilding. So, as he says, “You gotta start somewhere.”
Story by Bo Wilson
Photo courtesy of Riverside Prep Riverside will run the triple-option offense this year.
Named Best All-Boys School in Georgia
2024 riverside schedule
Lee didn’t waste any time implementing his plan. Adding more “local” players is at the top of his list. He established a summer workout program for those players who could make it to Gainesville. The school has reinstated the middle school football program with a full schedule, and he’s working on recruiting more players.
The Eagles finished spring practice with 25. Lee said some will come back, and some won’t. He expects close to 20 to return when fall practice officially begins in August.
Over the summer, 10-12 “local” players have consistently attended workouts, which is a solid start to his overall vision. His definition of a “local” player is one that lives within a 30-mile radius of the school.
“Getting those local players in this program is what we’ve got to have to be competitive in our league,” he said. “We’ve had 10-12 kids all summer that have been coming in for workouts, and we’ve had some interest from other local guys. Some have submitted paperwork, so that will help us. We need those players to have a chance to have continuity and consistency in our program.
“And starting back the middle school program is going to be a big help in keeping those players here. Before I got here, all they had in middle school was basketball, so now it gives them more to do.”
Lee has never had to deal with these types of obstacles as a coach in his more than 30 years on the sidelines. He has spent most of his career coaching in Georgia in the public school system. When he retired as head coach at Dawson County over 10 years ago, he left for Florida, where he spent the last 10 years coaching.
The passing of his mom and his wife’s mom brought them back to Georgia for the memorials. That’s when he and his wife decided they wanted to come back to North Georgia for good. So, after doing his research and trying to find a job that wouldn’t hurt his Georgia retirement, they decided to leave the sandy beaches of the Sunshine State to return to the Peach State and become the next head coach at Riverside.
“When we were up here, we wanted to find a place called home, and we felt North Georgia was that place,” he said. “We knew a
lot of people up here, so I just started looking, putting feelers out. I started calling some of the privates and found out Mr. [Richard} Crumley was the athletic director there. I called him and asked about any openings, and he said why don’t you apply for the head coaching job we have open. So that’s how it started.”
Lee said that once he got to campus, he realized Riverside was different, but in a good way.
“We actually lived on campus for about three months while looking for a home,” he said.
“When we got to campus and lived there, and you see what these kids do, man, it’s different. It’s different in a good way. When you see these kids make their beds, it has to be perfect. The hangers have to be so far apart. They can’t have anything extra in their dorm rooms. Then, when you see the parade, you see what these kids are doing. I don’t know; all of that just drew me here, and I knew I wanted to coach these kids.”
Lee has been doing his research about the school, which has played football since 1908. Up until the canceled 2020 season, the program had played football for 111 straight
lanier chrisitian (THURSDAY)
georgia walton REGION loganville christian
Riverside will be under the leadership of Jeff Lee in 2024. Photo/Riverside Prep
years. In his quest to learn more about Riverside football’s history, he found several traditions tied to the program had gone by the wayside. But there was one he knew he would bring back when he got to campus: the firing of the cannon after a touchdown.
“I was coaching at Georgia Military, and we had a Saturday afternoon game at Riverside,” he said. “We were late getting there that day and barely had time to warm up. But Riverside scored on the second play of the game, and you knew the cannon was going to be fired. So, we’re looking at the cannon, and here it comes. It still startled me.
“The cannon hasn’t been used in years, so we’re bringing that back. It has a lot of the alumni base excited because it will involve a different group of kids that will have to go man the cannon, and it will get them involved.”
Lee said he continues to look for old traditions to revive, but he also wants to develop some gameday fun for the student body.
“We’re going to take some ideas from West Point and the Naval Academy because they’re in the same type of setup as we are,” he said. “Obviously, we can’t do everything they do, but we want to keep the student body, the cadets, engaged. We are going to make it as much of a Friday night experience as we can.”
So, what about the Xs and Os, and who will execute the game plan?
Lee brought the players back the last week of July to begin fall practice. That has given the Eagles three weeks of preparation before the season begins on Aug. 16.
“That week was crucial in getting us prepared for the season,” he said. “Our guys have been working hard to get better.”
Offensively, Lee plans to run the triple-option
based out of the pistol formation. He said it fits his personnel the best.
“We had a lot of success the last two to three years at Holmes running this,” he said. “You don’t have to be great upfront, but it does help if you get better up front, and that fits our bill.”
Sophomore JJ Blackwell has been showing promise at quarterback.
“He’s a quick learner,” he said. “He’s one of our local guys that gets in there every day that we’re open.”
Other guys Lee will count on offense are Jacques Chiller at running back, offensive linemen Blaise Ouvier and Isaiah Simpson, and tight ends Rafael Guevarra and Michael Omeh.
Defensively, the Eagles will play out of a 3-5 formation. Lee says it’s the best fit for them because they lack defensive linemen.
“We feel we have more stand-up guys, so that’s what we’re going to base out right now,” he said. “It seems to be an easier fit for them.”
Omeh (6-foot-3, 200 pounds) is expected to be a key player as a hybrid defensive player. He can rotate from the defensive end to the outside linebacker.
“He’s a very athletic guy,” Lee said. “He’s a good-looking kid physically and has a great football IQ. He’ll be one that should get looked at, especially after this year.”
The Eagles will open the season at home against Rock Springs, followed by a road trip to Towns County and a home game against Lanier Christian.
“The first three games are key for us and will tell us where we are as a program,” Lee said. “We’ve got to be ready, and hopefully, we can put to rest a lot of ghosts that are haunting us right now.”
coach speak
COACH Jeff Lee
RECORD
103-146 (Georgia), first season
2023 RECORD 0-10
REGION
GISA Division 4-AAAA
OFFENSIVE STYLE
Triple-Option — The Eagles will look to exploit weaknesses in opposing defenses by mixing up what they do week in and week out.
ABOUT THE OFFENSE
“In the triple option, you don’t have to block everybody. If you have a quarterback who can throw it, then the passing game is going to evolve more. It just fits who we are already with the lack of line-of-scrimmage play.”
DEFENSIVE STYLE
3-5 —Riverside will run a defensive scheme, like the offense, that fits its personnel the best. Lee says he feels like they have more stand-up type guys instead of true defensive linemen. Regardless of the formation, Lee wants his defense to play fast on Friday Nights.
ABOUT THE DEFENSE
“We’re fairly fast on defense, and I think once that snap takes place, the alignment will be the biggest thing, and we need to make sure we don’t get outflanked. Then we’re able to run to the football. ”
STRENGTH
Team speed — Lee says his team has plenty of speed, but there is some hesitation on the field. Lee said they’ve been working on taking that speed and turning it into game speed without hesitation. He says once they understand the scheme, they’ll be able to play at a high speed.”
KEY GAMES
You have to look at the two crosstown matchups against Lakeview and Lanier Christian. Lee has already circled those games on the calendar. But the Eagles have four non-region games before opening region play at home against region favorite Bethlehem Christian.
JJ Blackwell is expected to help the Eagles on both sides of the ball this season.
Photo courtesy of Riverside Prep
WEST HALL SPARTANS
EXPERIENCE PLUS EXECUTION
SPARTANS LOOK TO MIMIC 2014 SEASON
For West Hall head coach Krofton Montgomery, the time is now for the Spartans to make some noise, something that has been sparse since the last region championship a decade ago.
Story by Walker McCrary
Daniel Altamirano will be featured widely as one of the weapons that Sturm will use to spread the football.
Photo by West Hall Athletics
2024 west hall schedule
What are those goals and expectations? While winning ball games is the priority for the Spartans, execution, consistency, and playing without regrets are most important.
To do that, the Spartans are going to make sure their best players are on the field as much as possible, especially on the defensive side of the football.
Montgomery sees this team as a reflection of the team from 2014, the last time the Spartans won a region title.
“When we were at the top of the region, we made sure we put our best 11 on the field on defense, so that is what we are going to do this season. We are always going to have solid special teams and players on offense, but we want to make sure that other teams aren’t controlling the game when they are on offense.”
That’s something that plagued West Hall a year ago, as teams regularly went on long, methodical drives with the Spartan offense, full of playmakers, forced to sit on the sidelines. According to Montgomery, the biggest adjustment for the defense is they will play more aggressively and look for big momentum-
swinging plays in the backfield.
“Nothing is worse than when someone just runs the ball down your throat and throws quick screens, and you can’t stop them, so we feel like if we are more aggressive, we can affect that part of the game,” he said.
That aggressiveness will have to come from the front seven, starting with junior Shelton Maynard at defensive tackle, who will be called upon to cause havoc in the interior. Sophomore Messiah Hudson and senior Aiden Rainey will be on the defensive ends to showcase their speed, while Tytres Statham, last year’s center out of necessity, will move to the defensive side to be turned loose on opposing offenses. While the defense will be more aggressive than in years past, the offense, with many of the playmakers returning, will be called upon to execute and score points. It will be led by returning junior quarterback Brett Sturm and Hayes in the backfield.
Montgomery has seen Sturm really grow up over the course of this offseason, not only physically, gaining nearly 25 pounds of muscle in the offseason, but also in his maturity level.
“He’s making really good strides. He throws it well, which we have seen over his first two seasons, but now he is not afraid to pull the ball down and run it. That really opens up the offense for what we can do now that he is ready to do that.”
Having that skill set, coupled with his running back mate in the backfield, makes for opposing defenses to have their heads spinning trying to find the football.
Most of the time, it figures to be in the hands of Hayes, who had over 1,400 yards rushing a year ago. But Montgomery and Sturm will look to get the ball on the outside as much as possible so as not to be as one-dimensional.
Returning senior receivers Marcus Pugh, Nasser Aliou and Daniel Altamirano bring a lot of experience back outside the tackle box, something that has been missing from West Hall for quite some time. In fact, Montgomery says for the first time in nearly a decade, he has two graduating classes coming up with more than 20 players in each.
“That’s a big difference from early on,” he said. “We have had multiple small senior classes,
seckinger
franklin county
AT chestatee
east hall
cherokee bluff
northview AT jefferson
AT johnson monroe area
oconee county
All kickoffs scheduled for 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted.
Elijah Hayes is the key piece of the Spartan offense in the backfield, looking to build on his 1,400-yard season from a year ago.
Photo by Courtney Kidd
but this year, we have 25 seniors and over 20 juniors, so having that maturity level and the camaraderie between the players that have been together as long as they have been playing football, we feel like we are in a good spot this season.”
The one piece of the offense that has very little returning is the offensive line, which might be a work in progress early on with just two players returning. Montgomery has confidence that all the returning skill players can take some pressure off the trenches early in the year.
“We want to play fast, so the quicker Brett can get the ball out of his hands while being diverse, the quicker these new guys can catch the speed of the game,” Montgomery said. “Our goal is to get the three-step game going early where we don’t have to be the world’s best pass protectors and work towards that foursecond clean pocket.”
To do that, the Spartans will use a lot of motions in their screen game to take advantage of misdirection and allow for those young guys up front to grow up early in the season and slow down the defensive fronts they will face early.
And the special teams game has returners as well. Two-time first-team All-Region punter Junior Avila returns for his senior year to do all the kicking. Last season, he had a 94 percent touchback rate off the tee on kickoffs and averaged over 40 yards per punt. And this offseason, he has worked his craft in the field goal game, with Montgomery saying he is good enough to hit 45-yarders routinely.
So, where does this formula put the Spartans moving into the 2024 season? Montgomery has put a lot of emphasis on this season. The schedule that he has put together should prepare his guys for 8-3A play, arguably the hardest region in the classification.
Games against bigger schools in Seckinger and Northview, followed by wing-T heavy Chestatee and the Battle for Oakwood, will definitely test this Spartan team as they prepare for a gauntlet in region play.
“Obviously, our region has some giants in Jefferson, Oconee County, and Monroe Area. But we feel like if we utilize our speed the way we want to, we can be competitive each and every Friday night,” he said.
Montgomery feels like this team will gain confidence from the opening whistle of the season, which starts with a scrimmage against former region foe Lumpkin County. He says playing the Indians early on will help his guys understand what a good team looks like without the pressure of hitting the win-loss record.
“I think it will get our guys in the right frame of mind headed into the season,” he said. “We want to win them all, but we need to have the confidence headed into that region opener against Jefferson at the end of September.”
In high school football, the more confident team generally sees a lot of success, so if West Hall can build some confidence and combine it with experience on both sides of the football, this Spartan team could make The Hot Gates fired up once again, just like a decade ago.
coach speak
COACH
Krofton Montgomery
RECORD
13-47, seventh season
2023 RECORD 1-9
REGION 8-3A
OFFENSIVE STYLE
Multiple — With returning quarterback Brett Strum and running back Elijah Hayes, this version of the West Hall Spartan offense should be poised to put up big numbers.
ABOUT THE OFFENSE
“We have a lot of experience coming back this season. Brett has made great strides this offseason and continues to prove he can manage the offense. We will use a lot of 11 personnel, so having that experience behind center is a major advantage.”
DEFENSIVE STYLE:
4-2-5 — The Spartans will look to put their best players on the field when on defense to mimic what Montgomery recalls about the 2014 region champion team.
ABOUT THE DEFENSE
“We are going to be a lot more aggressive defensively. We might give up a big play here or there, but we won’t be a team that will have the ball run down our throats. I feel like we are going to have a lot more tackles for loss, sacks and turnovers with the way we are going to attack.”
STRENGTH
Experience — Despite the season a year ago, the Spartans return nearly all of their offensive weapons and have just as much returning defensively, putting them in a position to be able to showcase their depth.
KEY GAMES
The Battle for Oakwood will be the key nonregion game before the Spartans jump into a tough 8-3A region. Montgomery believes the way that the non-region games are set up will help prepare his team for the different things they are sure to face in one of the toughest 3A regions in the state.
Brett Sturm will call the plays once again for the Spartans and look to continue to grow as the quarterback of the Spartans.
Photo by Courtney Kidd
BANKS COUNTY LEOPARDS
CHANGING THEIR STRIPES
NEW COACH, NEW STYLE FOR LEOPARDS IN 2024
Story by Jeff Hart
There is no arguing about Todd Winter’s success since coming to Georgia. In his dozen years, he has guided non-traditional football schools Pinecrest Academy and Holy Innocents to 90 wins, four region titles, four quarterfinals, and one semifinal appearance.
Banks County is hoping he can do the same for a program that has been on the cusp for a decade but has yet to establish itself as a perennial playoff team. Banks County has five 5-win campaigns over the past 10 seasons but just one playoff win, a forfeit win over KIPP Atlanta Collegiate in 2016.
“For whatever reasons, they just weren’t able to get to that next step,” Winter said. “But these kids are hungry and want to be successful. Our job (as coaches) is to help them get there.
“This will be the seventh program I’ve taken over. I like rebuilding programs and teaching kids. This (area) is a great place to be, and this program is in a good position to get going once we get our system in place.”
Winter and seven new coaches are installing a new option-veer offense and a new 3-5 hybrid “junk” defense that Winter somewhat described as a “Syracuse basketball defense on a football field.”
Despite returning just two starters on offense and four on defense, Winter said with some shuffling of the personnel over the spring and summer, there is plenty of talent to work with.
For fans, the offense will not resemble recent Banks County attacks. The Leopards averaged
over 16 passes a game in 2023. Winter said his 2023 HEIS squad threw just 25 passes in THE ENTIRE SEASON.
“You will never see us in the gun,” he said. “The kids here are built for an option offense, but it takes time to install. That’s been our main focus in the summer and fall.”
It won’t hurt that they do return senior running back Aucy Jacobs (1,119 yards, 14 TDs in 2023), who could be poised for a huge season in the run-oriented option attack. The first big change will see junior Lane Morris take over the quarterback duties.
The offensive line, however, will be the key. The Leopards have just one returning up front in senior King John (6-2, 283 pounds). Senior guard Noah Williams (6-5, 336) will also give them some size. But they also will be young with sophomores Micah Ward (center, 5-10, 238) and guard Andrew Patton (5-11, 265), tackle Joshua Camp (5-10, 258) and junior tackle Ethan Brock (5-11, 243)
expected to get the majority of the playing time.
“We really like what we see from Aucy in this offense, and I think we could be very good once we get everyone understanding and on the same page,” Winter said.
The defensive line will be the key area in Winter’s hybrid defense and should be the anchor. Senior nose guard Levi Johnson (6-0, 256) is the only returning starter, but look for senior ends Ashton Camp (5-11, 255) and Jacob Mobley (6-1, 247) to give them a big line up front.
The linebackers will be led by seniors Cam Cooper, who led the team with 102 tackles and 5 TFL and Kaz Oliver, who both return as starters. Senior Garrett Spence and juniors Dayden Rogers and Davian Knox also saw action in 2023.
In the secondary, only junior Caden Watson returns as a starter. Seniors Aucy Jacobs, Antonio Gonzalez, Brady Hebb, Carson Todd, and junior Nathan Brown all will see action.
But the Leopards are in the ultra-tough and revamped Region 8-A Division 1 along with perennial powers Commerce, Rabun County, and Elbert County.
“This year is going to be a heck of a challenge just because of all the changes -- and we’re in a very tough region,” Winter said. “We’re not looking ahead at anything. We’re just focusing on ourselves, especially on offense.
“We have talent. They just need to believe in what we’re doing. We’ve liked what we’ve seen so far.”
COMMERCE TIGERS
SMASH MOUTH FOOTBALL
PHYSICAL TIGERS HAVE SIGHTS ON DEEP PLAYOFF RUN
ead coach Mark Hollars will never apologize for an identity he’s spent the last four years building at Commerce.
The Tigers are built on old-school principles. They run the ball most of the time and are not ashamed of it. They play a physical blitzing defense. As Hollars says, “It’s physical smashmouth football.”
That style of play helped them capture their first region championship since 2020 and a trip to the Class A D1 quarterfinals.
“That’s who we are, and we don’t apologize for it,” Hollars said. “We averaged 360 yards a game last year and only threw 24 times in 13 games. That’s our identity, and I liked that our kids know who we are.”
Although the power run game is a staple of the Tigers’ offense, Hollars wants to make it even more of a headache for opposing defenses with a consistent passing game. It would not change the identity of his offense, just enhance it.
“We are a downhill power run football team that is going to make you defend some option,” he said. “But we’ve got to get the play-action pass going this year. We have to be able to throw the ball better. I think that will make us really tough to stop.”
The Tigers’ two-headed monster of All-AccessWDUN first-team tailback Jaiden Daniels and fullback Tysean Wiggins has already proven too tough to stop. The elusive duo combined for over 3,000 yards rushing last season while helping lead the Tigers to the Class A Division 1 quarterfinals.
“The great thing about both of them is, first of all, the kids know that they’ve done it,” Hollars said. “They have proven it on the field and in a big game. They want to see us become the best version of ourselves, and they understand what that takes.”
But Hollars must find a new quarterback to successfully execute the play-action pass along with all the mechanics of running the Tiger offense. John Paul Allen, who ran the power
run offense to perfection last season, graduated. Now, it’s time to find the next QB1.
Junior Blake Spear, who is a physical running QB who is developing his passing game according to Hollars, and sophomore Mason Brown, who has what Hollars calls a unique touch and a crisp pass but is working on his run game, are battling for the starting spot.
“They’re both getting better every day,” Hollars said. “They have made a lot of improvements, and I like that they are competing. We’re not throwing it 25 times a game, but if we could throw 10, I think we’d be really tough to stop.”
Seniors Mack Mullis and Peyton Evans return at receiver, and those two are key ingredients if the passing game is going to be successful.
“What people don’t always realize is those guys are pretty important when you run the football,” Hollars said. “They’ve done a good job of blocking, and they’re very capable in the run game. We’d like to throw it a little more so those guys can go make plays.”
The Tigers also return all but one on the offensive line. Center Boston Brown, guards Michael Duncan and Logan Gunner and tackle Braxton Epps are back. Trace Hale will replace Joey Duncan at tight end.
Defensively, the Tigers are in great shape. They return eight of the 11 starters from last season to a unit that gave up 15.5 points per game in 2023.
”We like to attack,” he said. “We’re not sitting back and reading. We’re trying to get our guys to move, so we will blitz. We will blitz inside and outside. We like our linemen moving. It’s just
trying to put pressure on an offensive by being an attacking defense.”
The Tigers return their entire secondary: Jace Lyle, Max Mullis, Jacari Huff and Ty Sorrells. You might also see Daniels as well.
At linebacker, Bryson Fleeman is back at inside linebacker and Caden McWilliams at outside linebacker.
They’ll have to replace graduates Hoke Hogan and De’kan Williams in the second level, but Epps, Wiggins, Peyton Evans and Trace Hale will be in the linebacker rotation.
Upfront, they’ll only have to fill one spot. Otherwise, a solid rotation of Mintz, Michael Duncan, Gunner, Donte Smith and Jaden Torres will keep the D-line fresh.
“We got some bodies in there that we can rotate to keep them fresh,” Hollars said. “We like to keep attacking, so when those guys get in, they’ll be ready to go.”
Commerce will play in the new Region 8A Division 1. It does include familiar foes Rabun County, Elbert County and Providence Christian, but Athens Academy, Oglethorpe and Banks County joined the region during the latest GHSA reclassification in November. The region went from four teams to seven, so instead of finding seven non-region games, Hollars only had to find four, and he didn’t slouch about who he scheduled.
The Tigers will open with Wesleyan, East Jackson, Luella and Madison County before beginning region play at home against Athens Academy.
“I’m thankful we have a bigger region,” he said. ‘We have a lot of local region games, and those will be nice crowds. I’m a believer that we should be playing as many local teams as possible. It’s good for everybody. You know, you get people out in the community, and local rivalries are great. I think our region has that.
“We have two local rivals on our non-region schedule in East Jackson and Madison County, as well as Wesleyan and Luella. So those will be great opportunities for us. Our region schedule is tough, too. So, we’ve got to be buckled up and ready to go every week.”
Story by BO WILSON
dawson COUNTY tigers
COACH Sid Maxwell, 193-122 // 2023 SEASON 2-8
YOUTH AND INEXPERIENCE?
TIGERS WILL TRY TO OVERCOME BOTH IN 2024
Story by Jeff Hart
The Tigers would love to put the 2023 campaign behind them. They had never missed the playoffs in Sid Maxwell’s first eight seasons, averaging just under eight wins a season - a program-best for that stretch - and capturing the program’s only two region titles in that span.
But they tumbled to a rough 2-8 finish in 2023, their worst record since 2014, and a sixth-place finish in the old seven-team Region 7-3A. It was the first Sid Maxwell-coached team to miss the playoffs since 2012 (Lambert).
At least early on, the 2024 group will be known for its youth and experience. They have a lot of one and not enough of the other as they prepare for Maxwell’s 10th campaign in Dawsonville.
“We have a lot of new kids this year, and we’re also not very experienced,” Maxwell said. “We also may not be quite as athletic as the last couple of seasons, but this group comes in every day and works hard to get better. You can control your attitude. You can control your effort on each play. And that is what I have with this particular group. I always tell people, ‘Give me dependability over ability every day.’”
Like most teams in the state, the Tigers will be in a new region as most of 7-3A is in the reconfigured 6-3A after reclassification. Joining them is arch-rival Lumpkin County, White County and Pickens from the old 7-3A. North Hall, Chestatee, and Johnson dropped down from the old 8-4A while private school Greater Atlanta Christian is also part of the region.
Don’t look for the Tigers to be among any pre-season polls to make the playoffs. They return just one starter on offense and just four on defense. But that doesn’t mean they can’t be in the mix by season’s end.
The new Region 6-3A is balanced, with no clearcut favorite coming into 2024. Lumpkin County won the 7-3A title and advanced to the quarterfinals. But the Indians also graduated a dozen key
players, and North Hall, White County, and GAC all lost in the first round last season.
“I think it’s a strong region overall, but I also feel like, at least coming into the season, it’s pretty wide-open,” Maxwell said. “The key for us will just be to try and get better each week. But the good thing is these guys have a positive attitude and a very positive approach.”
Dawson County’s only returning starter on offense is senior quarterback Preston Bannister, who took over under center midway through the 2023 season. He led the Tigers in passing (875 yards, 53% completions, 8 TD, 3 INT) and was the team’s leading rusher as well with 522 yards and 2 TDs.
The main issue early will be along the line where they have no returning starters. Senior Elijah Odom, who missed 2023 with an injury, should be the starting center. After that, Maxwell said they will try to find the right combinations among seniors Colton Land, Walker Strickland, and Rayden Gober and juniors Josh Baggett, Nate Martin, Luke Herring and Hunter Stroup.
Sophomore Cody McBrayer is expected to be the primary running back, with fellow sophomore Aiden Bannister and junior Paxton Phillips also getting some action. McBrayer had 136 yards on 36 carries in five games last season.
The Tigers graduated their top two receivers. Senior Luke Smith is the leading returning receiver from 2023, with just 2 catches for 24 yards. Senior Chatham Burnett returns but is coming off an injury. Junior Dylan Edwards and seniors Jacson
Rickett and Eli Phillips also will rotate in.
“As I said, we’re very inexperienced,” Maxwell said. “We’re going to have to be very precise to have success with this. We can’t make mistakes and overcome them. But we also can’t play with any fear. We have to go out and attack and hold nothing back.”
The defense returns four and will be paced by a solid secondary with two returnees. Senior cornerback Luke Smith is the leading tackler back with 55 stops, along with safety Preston Bannister. Sophomore Gunnar Weaver will see time at safety, as will seniors Jacson Rickett and Eli Phillips. Senior Colin Rexroat and junior Zac Weston will battle for the other corner spot.
Junior Owen Wooten returns to lead what could be a good group of linebackers by season’s end. Seniors Zach Cruz, Davis Glass and Keith Daniel, juniors Jadyn Mattie, Jacob Felkai and Rhett Folsom, and sophomore Aiden Bannister are also expected to see action.
The biggest holes to fill will be along the defensive line, where the Tigers graduated four and return just one starter in junior Hunter Stroup. Fellow juniors Brody Eason and Paxton Phillips, as well as seniors Elijah Odom and Colton Land, will get plenty of opportunities.
Maxwell gave his Tigers an extra week to prepare for the season. They have a OFF before entertaining East Forsyth and East Jackson at Tiger Stadium in Weeks 2 and 3. They open region play at home against Pickens on Sept. 20 as part of seven straight games to finish the season.
For the first time in his career, Maxwell did not conduct a spring practice. He hopes that two scrimmages and the OFF week will prepare his team.
“Talent doesn’t win football games for you -preparation does. I think we got a little complacent last year, and complacency is what kills programs,” he said. “We just can’t have that happen again this year.
“I take my football team and build it towards their strengths. We’ll see what we do well and make sure those are the things that we focus on and try to master.”
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Up 400 & Around LAKE LANIER ®
east forsyth broncos
NEW COACH, SAME PHILOSOPHY
CANON LOOKS TO BUILD ON ALREADY SOLID FOUNDATION
Story by BO WILSON
ormer head coach Brian Allison made sure East Forsyth was in a good position before retiring after the 2023 season.
He built the program from scratch, guided them to back-toback winning seasons, posted the most wins in school history last season and led the Broncos to their first playoff berth.
Now, first-year head coach Dustin Canon gets the opportunity to put his stamp on the program. Canon isn’t going to change much about the program. He’s sticking with the same basic philosophy: win games with the rushing attack, score touchdowns with the passing game, and play physical on defense.
‘It’s been a big transition, obviously, just stepping into this role and learning every day,” Canon said. “But you know, Coach Allison did a great job of starting this place and laying a great foundation. We’re just trying to improve the foundation. It’s already been laid. So it’s been good.”
The Broncos return several key starters on both sides of the ball to make Canon’s first season a little less stressful. Quarterback Brock Szackacs, running back/safety Gus Martin, running back/linebacker Troy Hoover, receiver Andrew Frank and tight end Jackson Norman, offensive linemen Rick Wiggins and Ethan Mooneyham, linebacker Jeremiah Foote and defensive linemen Michael Acevedo and Roman Dickerson all return.
Offensively, Canon says the Broncos will look balanced but will have a run-first mentality. Hoover and Martin bring the most experience to the backfield, but Brooks Smallwood and
Parker Standridge will get some carries.
“We’ve got enough guys back there to roll in, so we’re going to be OK,” he said. “We’re probably not going to have a 1,000-yard rusher. It’s going to probably be split up between a few guys.”
To achieve balance, the passing game is just as important.
Senior signal-caller Brock Zsackacs has started the last two seasons and returns with extensive varsity experience.
“Brock has grown a lot in terms of leadership, and he’s getting better on the field, too,” Canon said. “We’re gonna need that on offense, especially with having to replace some of our offensive line.”
While Canon will be replacing three offensive linemen, he has two veterans back in seniors Rick Wiggins and Ethan Mooneyham. Caleb Harding and Jackson Mayo have also been working up front.
“We have some guys that rotated in last year that are back,” he said. “The two starters we have back have played a lot of snaps for us, but everybody else is pretty young. Overall, that unit is coming together.”
Frank and Norman are back at receiver/tight
end, and Tate Lamb and Trent Polk will rotate in at both positions. Sophomores DJ Haskell and Grant Barton will rotate at slot receiver.
“We’re going to try to play as much as we can with those guys on the field,” Canon said. “Whether we split them out or put their hand in the dirt.”
On defense, the Broncos will continue to base out of the 3-4 and return three of their top five tacklers and nine starters/rotators from last season.
Foote returns with the most experience at linebacker and posted 92 tackles, 11 for a loss in 2023.
“You can’t replicate that kind of experience,” Canon said about Foote. “He’s a four-year guy, so I’ll be counting on No. 2 to get it done this year.”
Linebacker Hoover amassed 77 tackles, and defensive lineman Michael Acevedo was fifth in tackles with 59–five for a loss.
“We’re going to live in an odd front, slant, bring pressure and spin, and try to affect the quarterback post-snap,” Canon said. “We’re lucky that we have a lot of our guys on defense that have played a lot of ball.”
After the GHSA reclassification, the Broncos stayed in Region 8-4A with North Oconee, Cedar Shoals, Madison County and Walnut Grove. They welcomed Flowery Branch and Eastside from Class 5A into the region.
“Every team is competitive and good,” Canon said. “You can circle every one of them. I think it’s going to come down to Game 10. I really believe that it’s going to come down to us playing Madison County, and one of those teams is in, and one of those is probably not.”
EAST JACKSON EAGLES
COACH Cameron Pettus, 18-32 // 2023 SEASON 6-4
Veteran Juniors
EAGLES LOOK TO BUILD ON LAST SEASON’S SUCCESSES
Story by Walker McCrary
When you think of a veteran football team, you think of a large senior class.
For East Jackson and head coach Cameron Pettus, that couldn’t be further from the truth in 2024.
There are some seniors on this Eagles football team, but the vast majority of the experience who will see the field on Friday nights are juniors. In fact, nearly fifty percent of the roster will be juniors this season.
“We pretty much returned everybody,” Pettus said. “I think that’s the strength of our team that we didn’t lose a lot, and the ones we did lose, we feel like the kids filling those gaps are as good if not better than what we had.”
For East Jackson, having that many returning this year who still have two years left in the navy blue uniform is something that opposing coaches will not be happy to see.
“I’m sure the opposing coaches feel like these guys have been here forever,” Pettus said. “It’s like when Hunter Renfroe played for Clemson. It felt like he was there for 80 years before he finally graduated. That’s what it feels like here with this junior class as much playing time as they have gotten on Friday nights.”
Highlighting those who are returning is junior quarterback Drew Richardson, who has been the guy behind center since stepping on the field at East Jackson.
According to Pettus, other coaches liken Richardson to Johnny Manziel in that he just makes things happen on the field.
“He’s lightning in a bottle. He’s super fast, has a great arm and really makes the offense go,” he said.”
And that’s caught the eyes of college coaches around the nation. The first-team All-Region honoree has already made a visit to Army after throwing for over 1,800 yards and 15 touchdowns a year ago.
Pettus says he’s never had a guy with the speed
and arm that Richardson possesses, adding he has coached someone with one or the other but never both.
“He can run a 4.4 40, and he can also make some unbelievable throws, but it doesn’t stop there. He has nearly a 4.0 GPA and works hard on and off the field,” Pettus said.
Add to that the consistency of the coaching staff and terminology since his freshman season, and you find a leader who has pulled in many of his teammates to really understand the scheme.
“Brooks, Brady Saunders, and BT Callahan are all going to be juniors on the outside, and they have built a connection with Drew,” Pettus said. “They’ve gotten to the point where they will make tweaks on the route combos that they run based on what they see live, and they all know where each other is going to be at any given point.”
Pettus goes on to say that he jokes with his offensive coaching staff about feeling like their offense can go out there and that, with the experience they have, they could let the players call the game.
“Having the ability to trust your offensive guys to do what they are taught to do and take ownership in it allows for our confidence to rise, giving our defense confidence they are never out of a game because of how dynamic our offense can be,” Pettus said.
The Eagles have focused a lot of attention on defense in the offseason, adding some key pieces to complement Aaronn Blackmon, whom Pettus believes is one of the best outside linebackers in the state.
The new pieces will help the defense play even faster than the Eagles have previously as they look to simplify things on that side of the football so that the players do not have to think as much and can just play.
“I think it just comes down to your discipline,” Pettus said. “If we can get lined up right, know what our assignments are, and execute the play that’s called, we can play really fast. We won’t do a lot of things defensively, but the things we will do, we will do really, really well.”
The Eagles have been doing one thing really well across its program, and Pettus feels that they have built this program the right way.
“We have told these guys from day one that they have to be consistent and work hard, and things will start to move in the right direction,” he said. “Now we have a lot of talent as well as hard-working, consistent players and for us to get everybody on the same page for all three of those elements is really fun for us as a staff.”
Those three elements will be key for East Jackson as they move into the new Region 8-2A, where heavy hitters such as Hebron Christian, Prince Avenue Christian, Hart County and Stephens County await.
But Pettus has built his non-region schedule to help his guys prepare for that gauntlet.
“I definitely feel like we stepped our schedule up,” he said. “We have bigger and better opponents than we have previously. I know it will be tough to take on those five teams (Winder-Barrow, Commerce, Dawson County, White County and East Hall), but I know that those tough games will prepare us for a tough and stringent region.”
What does he want to see from those tough games? He wants his team to match the physicality of their opponents.
“We want to tackle well and execute,” he said. “We also need to see ball security on offense and get takeaways on defense.”
The excitement around the East Jackson program is building. And as these juniors get more and more experience, the Eagles will make even more noise.
HABERSHAM COUNTY RAIDERS
Raiders show toughness
HAB SEEKS A RETURN TO THE PLAYOOFS FOR SECOND STRAIGHT YEAR
Story by Walker McCrary
For Habersham Central in 2023, the key was learning how to finish.
The Raiders did just that, winning their final two games of the regular season to advance to the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
Now, the Raiders look to build on the success of what they did last year, and they will do so with a lot of returning pieces.
“Offensively, we return everyone at our skill positions,” said head coach Benji Harrison. “On the flip side, we are replacing all five linemen, so we are really going to have to lean on our skill guys early to take some pressure off those younger guys.”
Key among those who will be asked a lot will be returning quarterback DJ Pass. He threw for 865 yards a year ago, splitting time behind center. Now, he will be the guy the Raiders look to almost exclusively on offense.
And according to Harrison, he has taken the leadership role in stride headed into the season.
“First of all, he knows that he’s got to be good every day because we have competition at that spot,” Harrison said. “There’s a lot to be said for experience, and I think he’s more mature this year, not only as a player but as a person.”
Pass has shown over the course of the latter half of 2023 and the offseason that he can distribute the ball around to his playmakers. And he has plenty of them.
The Raiders return Antonio Cantrell in the backfield to lead the rushing attack after running
for just shy of 700 yards last season. Out wide, leading receiver Zeke Whittington will be featured after scoring nine touchdowns through the air last year.
Defensively, Habersham Central will be tested early on as many of the 2023 starters graduated, but the guys stepping in had significant playing time last season as well.
“We’ve got a lot of guys that may not have been ready to start last year but are now,” Harrison said. “I feel like there were some guys who just hadn’t grown up quite enough last year and are ready to go now.”
One of the players who will be called upon to lead this new bunch of Raiders will be Sonny Satiphone, the leader of the secondary. Last season, he finished with 20 tackles and played nearly every snap for Habersham Central.
Harrison says one of the keys to his defense this year is that they have a lot of depth across the board.
“We feel like we can roll six or seven guys out on the defensive line to keep them fresh. That should help our young linebackers and secondary players since they can eat up more blocks and allow the others to flow and get cleaner reads in the run game.”
As Harrison looks ahead to the 2024 season, he and his players are excited about the new Region 8-5A, which will see Habersham play many familiar teams. Alcovy is the lone team he has never stood across the sideline from.
And he also believes that the region is totally up for grabs.
“I think our region could still have a lot of playoff spots up for grabs come late October,” he said. “That’s going to make it really interesting and exciting for teams and fans.”
The non-region schedule should prepare the Raiders for the competitive region slate, which will see them play rivals White County and Stephens County and Hall County foes Flowery Branch and Cherokee Bluff. Harrison believes this portion of the schedule will prepare his guys for the long region haul.
“Those four games early are going to show me how tough we are,” Harrison said. “I think that’s the biggest challenge now. We have to show we can compete to have a chance late in the season, so I challenge our guys every day to show me their toughness.”
That toughness they show might be the key to improving on last season’s playoff run and potentially bringing mid-November football back to Mount Airy.
jackson COUNTY panthers
COACH Korey Mobbs, 70-40 // 2023 SEASON 4-6
PANTHERS READY TO PROWL?
JACKSON COUNTY LOOKING FOR PLAYOFF RUN IN 2024
Story by Jeff Hart
orey Mobbs and his staff at Jackson County had one true goal in 2023 when they took over the Panthers program: be competitive.
Despite a 4-6 record and missing out on the playoffs by one game, they more than accomplished that. They lost three games in overtime, including a wild 34-27 loss to Habersham Central that essentially decided the final playoff spot in the old Region 8-6A.
Had all those games gone their way, a 7-3 regular-season finish would have been the program’s best since 1992. They were that close. But he said close doesn’t count. “Just being competitive and having the kids believe they could win was a huge part of last year,” he said. “We were right there. If a few things go our way, it’s a much different outcome for us. But you have to learn how to win games like that. That’s the goal coming into this season.”
Now, Mobbs said they are looking for more in 2024. “I already feel like this group is more competitive in our second year,” he said. “They are more familiar with our system, and I feel we have the right guys in the right places.”
The numbers are off the chart for the Panthers, who have had 140-plus dress in the summer and fall practices. They also return five starters on offense and six on defense.
Back to lead the Panthers’ spread attack, which doubled its output last year (33.6 points/game) over the first eight games, is junior quarterback RJ Knapp III, who took over in the middle of the season and finished with 840 yards, a 56.4% completion rate, with 5 TDs and 7 interceptions. He also ran for 217 yards.
They also return three starters up front, including three-year starting center junior Wren Kinner (6-foot-3, 250 pounds). Senior tackles Lance Holder and Cole Jackson return, but Jackson is battling an injury to start the season. Juniors Jake Lewis, Tripp Brown, and Alonso Ortiz also will
be in the rotation.
The question mark on the offense will be in finding playmakers after graduating their top two rushers and their top five receivers.
Sophomore Daylan Maxwell (5-9, 175 pounds) is expected to get the bulk of the duties at running back. Senior Luke Mobbs and junior Deacon Wiley will see action in the backfield.
Senior Jacob Combs (6 rec., 77 yards, 1 TD in 2023) is the top returning receiver, with fellow senior Caden Daniels and sophomore Robert Spry also mixed in.
“We really like RJ, and he has made a ton of improvements in the offseason,” Mobbs said. “He brings the combination of experience and having a full year in the offseason as the No. 1 guy. I think he can have a breakout year for us as well. We feel like we have some playmakers in the passing game; we just need them to keep working together.” Mobbs said. “We feel like we have some playmakers in the passing game; we just need them to keep working together.”
The defense allowed 27.6 ppg in 2023, but with three overtime shootouts, those numbers were somewhat misleading. But four of their top six tacklers, including Peyton Scott and Daniel Stites, who combined for 179 tackles and 15 TFLs last season, are gone.
Senior defensive end Josh Mendoza (6-0, 225; 53 tkls, 15 TFL, 4 sacks) returns to lead what could be a deep group up front by season’s end. Juniors Slade Swierczek (who missed the final seven games in 2023) and Alonso Ortiz, along
with seniors Jonathan Vente and Hagen Mcafee, are all back and should see significant action in 2024.
There have been plenty of summer battles at linebacker with seniors Luke Mobbs, a threeyear starter who missed four games in 2023, and Kane Berryman both expected to start. Juniors Deacon Wiley, Connor Holcombe, Evan Titley, and sophomore Maher Magness will all challenge for a starting spot.
Senior Cooper Galley returns to start at safety, with seniors Malachi Thomas and Jacob Vang fighting for the other spot. Sophomore Robert Spry and juniors Jaxston Mah and Houston Shaw are battling at the cornerback spots.
“Peyton left a hole for sure, but Josh is a real disrupter up front,” Mobbs said. “He can really get after the quarterback. Luke and Kane are the leaders at linebacker, and that is going to be a very tough group to deal with on the field. I see a lot of improvement on the defensive side already.”
And with the new realignment, the Panthers landed in what looks like a very balanced reconfigured Region 8-5A. It is also there for the taking for any team that jumps out to a quick start in region play.
Of the seven-team field, none had a winning record, and only two -- Habersham Central (5-6) and Loganville (5-6) -- even made the playoffs in 2023. Jackson County will play host to Clarke Central to open region play in Hoschton on Sept. 20 with a chance to make a quick statement.
It also could help dispel the perception that the Panthers will always be on the outside looking in. They have never beaten the Gladiators in eight previous meetings, all since 2002.
“I think it’s going to be a competitive and open region. That first game will be huge,” Mobbs said. “I said we’re looking for major improvement. To me, that means becoming a playoff team. We need to overcome what people think of Jackson County. We need to raise the bar. It’s time the program takes that next step.”
lumpkin COUNTY INDIANS
Play for 15 INDIANS LOOK
Story by Walker McCrary
TO ADD MORE HISTORY
he headline of this same story a year ago was “Hard Work Pays Off,” which also served as the mantra for the Lumpkin County Indian football team.
Boy, did it pay off.
The Indians went 12-1, winning their first-ever region title and state playoff game. They also hosted all three playoff matchups at home.
Head coach Heath Webb says that looking back on the season, while the wins are memorable, community engagement is the most rewarding part of the whole season.
“Coming out of the fieldhouse every night and walking toward the home sideline to look up at the bleachers and see no concrete,” said Webb. “This community wants to be good at football and to support a good football team. To see them come together and support the way they did, it is just really rewarding to see.”
So, what history is left for Lumpkin County football after such a historic season? Webb says this year’s goal is to play 15 football games.
“The message now is ‘Fight For 15’. Our goals since coming here were to make the playoffs in year one and win a region championship in year two, so the most natural next step is to play 15,” he said. “That’s been the message this offseason, and the guys have really bought into it and are ready to take that next step.”
For the Indians to be able to make that journey to Mercedes-Benz Stadium for game 15, they will lean on the experience of senior quarterback Cal Faulkner, who has committed to play at Georgia Tech, the first Power 5 position player
in program history and just the second Indian to play in the Power 5, joining former kicker Wesley Wells who kicked for the Yellow Jackets.
“Cal is the type of kid that is obviously a once-in-a-generation player for Lumpkin County, so we want to give him as many opportunities as possible to make plays,” Webb said. “Now that he has one year of quarterback under his belt, he has developed so much as a passer.”
He also has plenty of playmakers to spread the ball around to. Despite losing running back Mason Sullens to graduation, Nolan Matthews will lead a committee in the same position, while AJ Scott will return as wide receiver to lead the wide-out room.
The one spot on the offense that will be key to watch early in the season will be the offensive line. The Indians graduated three senior starters from last year’s squad, but Webb believes that Jacob Garmin and Matthew Reese, the remaining two from last year, will be able to lead the new
faces in getting that group going.
“We have a lot of competition for those spots on the offensive line, but we believe that Matthew and Jacob will lead that group, whoever is in there on Friday nights,” Webb said.
Defensively, the Indians will look to utilize their team speed to stifle offenses.
Lumpkin County returns a lot of faces on the defensive side, but what they lost was most of the linebacker core. But Webb feels good about who they have coming in to replace those crucial spots.
“Mike Nichols coming to the inside linebacker spot along with Jackson Bell and Wolf Harbin has been big for us this offseason,” he said. “And then throw Connor Bagley, a role player for us a year ago, into the mix. We feel like we can fill those gaps pretty quickly.”
The defensive line will be very familiar, with Gerald Walker and Cochran leading a group that will see at least six guys rotate through to keep legs fresh. This will help the Indians keep pressure in the backfield as they did a year ago.
With all the success the Indians have had over the past two seasons, it’s easy to think that the kids from the Gold City might believe they have made it, but one thing still hasn’t changed in the locker room. Webb says this team is still hungry for more and still feels that they have more to prove.
“This team still has a chip on their shoulder,” he said. “We’re not going to revert back to the old ways, but I feel that underdog mentality is something that will probably be around for a little while.”
north forsyth raiders
A STRONG DEFENSE
RAIDER DEFENSE COULD BE THE ANSWER TO A REGION TITLE
Story by BO WILSON
The Raiders will love the results if what’s on paper translates to the field in 2024.
North Forsyth has several key players returning to the lineup this year, and with seven starters back on defense, it could be an outright defensive year – in a good way – for the Raiders.
NoFo returns the entire secondary, which hauled in 16 interceptions a year ago. Although the top two tacklers have graduated, they have four guys back who had 50 or more tackles.
“My first couple of years here, we felt like we could kind of outscore people,” coach Robert Craft said. “Now, I really feel we play great defense and make people earn everything. It’s a tough defense to go against every day in practice as an offensive guy.”
Team captain and four-year starter at safety Colter Vela was third in tackles with 72 and had two picks. CJ Lenyszyn returns at safety as one of the interception leaders with four. He also had 57 tackles, and Parker Smaltz, who piled up 50 tackles and two interceptions, completes the trio of ballhawks.
Meanwhile, at corner, co-pick leader Colton Constable returns with four interceptions, including an average of 11.5 return yards per INT. He’s flanked by Zach Alvarez, who had three interceptions and averaged a second-best 8.3 return yards per INT.
“We have a lot of experience on the back end, and not just experience but some high-level players we feel really good about,” Craft said.
However, the defense has some holes, as a couple of linebackers and defensive linemen need to be replaced. Juniors Patrick Carnes (tackle) and defensive end Adrial Rojas are the only returning D-line starters. Jalen Williams is penciled in as a nose guard, and junior Ben Gardner will see some time at defensive end.
Juniors Hudson Wheeler and Cole Simpson, who saw limited varsity time last year, have taken over the starting inside linebacker roles.
The offense also has a lot of experience returning. Starting senior quarterback Eli Seaney has become a serious dual-threat quarterback for the Raiders. Last season, he set the school record for completion percentage at 60 percent, passed for 1,713 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions, and added another 233 yards and five touchdowns on the ground.
“Probably the most underrated thing about Eli is his running ability,” Craft said. “He has become a true dual-threat for us.”
Junior Darren Parry was a big surprise last season at running back, rushing for 850 yards
and five touchdowns. He returns as the No. 1 back for the Raiders in 2024.
“Last year, Darren showed right away how natural of a running back he is,” Craft said. “We’ve been really pleased with his work ethic on the field and in the weight room.”
Constable and Cole Simpson will also rotate in at running back.
The Raiders have a deep receiver room with three starters back: Brady Holbrook, Nate Gravitt, and Avery Adams. Last season, those three combined for 12 touchdowns and close to 1,000 yards. Zach Alvarez, Parker Smaltz and Brett Dally will split out when needed. Matthew Bray and Cam Smaltz will also play at tight end. Up front, the Raiders return four starters. Dylan Villarouel, who has 12 NCAA Division I offers, will anchor the line at tackle. Collin Kelly is back at center, and Jackson Coulter is at guard. Parker Aucoin, who didn’t start every game last season, will take over the other guard spot. Kaleb Foster, Gavin Mixon and Will Bales are in a battle to take the other tackle spot.
The Raiders return to the “Forsyth County” region with West Forsyth, Denmark, South Forsyth, Lambert, and Forsyth Central. In the new Region 6-6A, they’ll be joined by Alpharetta and North Atlanta.
“The last couple of years, we’ve missed a lot of great rivalries,” Craft said about the return to the region. “There’s not really a week you can take off in our new region. “There are a lot of well-coached teams, and so, it’ll be challenging for sure.”
rabun COUNTY wildcats
Running Wildcats
RABUN TO BECOME MORE RUN-FOCUSED
or years now, the Rabun County Wildcat football team has put up gaudy numbers offensively and held opposing offenses to very little, something that Wildcat fans have really grown accustomed to seeing.
While that’s still the plan in Tiger, head coach Michael Davis says one thing will change offensively this year.
“We have been known to throw the ball 40 or more times per game,” said Davis. “This year, we are going to transition even more away from the Rabun County of old and try to be a lot more balanced. We might run it 40 times in one game, and then, if we go into a game and know we need it, we will still be able to throw it just as much as in years past.”
And when you look to see what Rabun has coming back on that side of the football, opposing teams should be shaking in their boots as they have to prepare for both scenarios.
Of course, leading the way is junior quarterback and All-Access first-teamer Ty Truelove, to lead a group of seven returning starters from an offense that averaged more than 32 points per game a year ago. Truelove threw for over 2,300 yards and tallied 34 total touchdowns in 2023 and did so while playing through injury.
“His stats were a bit misleading because he played through a torn labrum from week five on to week 13. Most people don’t know that he was playing through that. I was super proud to see his toughness and resilience as a player and how much he loves the game of football.”
In front of Truelove, four of five returning offensive linemen, including Alex Yearwood, standing at 6-3 and 300 pounds, and Michael Johnson, towering at 6-6 and 280. Beside him is a returning Reid Giles, who accumulated over 1,100 rushing yards last season. Out wide, Truelove will look to returning receivers Jake Payne and Reed Burrell.
While the offense will most assuredly put up points as it has in the past, Davis really takes pride in the way his defense performs week in and week out.
“If people don’t score, our offense doesn’t have to score a lot of points, so we will make sure our best guys are on the field on defense, especially when you look at the new region. We know we have to play great defense to be successful this season,” he said.
Defensively, the Wildcats also had seven starters return from a year ago. Ethan Harper at nose guard, and linebackers Elvis Hunt and Noah English will lead the unit, while Tucker Buchanan and Ryan Yearwood will be at the defensive ends to anchor the defense.
In the kicking game, while Davis lost Marcus Remillard to graduation, Davis feels confident that brothers Brian and Christian Avila can fill the gap, with Cody Woodard helping on the kickoff duties.
The big thing for the Wildcats this season is to stay healthy. Along with Truelove playing through the labrum injury, returning corner Clayton Blalock broke his wrist in the opener a year ago and was sidelined for the full season because of it.
“We had some really key injuries last year that I thought hurt us in depth,” Davis said. “We’ve got to be smart in how we practice and how we prepare so we can get our horses to the race, especially with the schedule we have set up.”
While the schedule does not include nearly as much travel as in years past, it is loaded with competition as the Wildcats welcome three new teams to their region this season.
While the new region has a lot of familiarity for the Wildcats, there are some new faces at some of those familiar opponents while also taking on new opponents this year in Banks County, Oglethorpe County and Providence Christian. All of that, plus the new power ranking system, went into the strategy of making this season’s schedule for Davis.
“You want to play good competition while also finding teams around the area to make a great atmosphere for the kids,” he said. “We open up with White County and Fannin County, two very good football teams pretty close to us, so both fanbases can support.”
Then the Wildcats step up to take on Dalton, a 5A school, and Bremen before they jump into Region 8-A Division I play, a region that might be the toughest in the class.
“With the two private schools (Providence Christian and Athens Academy), Commerce, Elbert County, Banks County and Oglethorpe County, we know each Friday night will be a battle for our guys, so we know we have to be prepared each and every week.”
With that rough region schedule, while experienced, Davis knows he needs to see his team continue to grow together through the non-region slate to be ready for the push for the playoffs.
“We will have some kids out there that, while not young guys, it will be their first time playing on Friday nights, so the more experience they get under their belts, the better they will be,” he said. If the Wildcats can continue to perform offensively as they have over the past few years and couple that with a strong defensive effort, fans in Tiger will be very happy with the new-look Wildcats as they look to get back to playing late in the postseason.
Story by Walker McCrary
TOWNS COUNTY indians
COACH Jason Roquemore, 26-93 // 2023 SEASON 0-10
YOUTH MOVEMENT
INDIANS WILL HAVE TO RELY ON BIG FRESHMAN CLASS IN ‘24
fter two years of playoff near-misses by just one game for Towns County, 2023 was looked to as the year they could claim just their second-ever trip to the playoffs.
But injuries across the board, including seven starters for the season, decimated the Indians’ hopes, leading to a disappointing winless season. That’s not what Towns County coach Jason Roquemore had in mind.
“It may have been the most difficult season I’ve ever dealt with as a coach,” Roquemore said. “We were so close the two years before, and we had talent at several key spots, and we’ve been working on building that depth. But we were hit so hard so early, we were forced to play a ton of young guys that didn’t have any real varsity experience.”
That was the bad news. The good news is that those “young guys” got valuable experience, and the numbers and enthusiasm for the program, one of the smallest in the state for public schools, continues to be on the upswing.
The Indians have maintained a solid 39 players on the roster for the summer and fall, a bigger number than all of 2023. A big freshman class includes 15 newcomers. However, they also only have five seniors coming into the season.
For Roquemore, who is now in his sixth season, the goal since coming to Hiawassee has been to build a sustainable program year after year. It’s getting closer every year.
“We feel really good about how the building process has been going,” he said. “We’re starting to have enough kids come out that we can have some platoons, and for the first time ever, at least in my time here, we’re going to have separate platoons for both the offensive and defensive lines.”
The lines could be an early strength.
On the offensive side, senior Alex Henderson is the only returning starter up front, but juniors Tyler Wachacha, Logan Kerlin, and Cooper Floyd are expected to be in the starting mix. Look for freshmen Noah Davis and Tucker Wheeler to
also see plenty of action.
They will need to be a solid group up front while the Indians break in a new quarterback. Junior Hayesville (N.C.) move-in Payton McGaha and freshman Tucker Engert both got plenty of summer and fall reps as they battled for the starting spot.
Juniors Dustin Barrett (432 yards, 2 TDs in five games in 2023) and Morgan Walker (213 yards, 1 TD in 2023) saw significant action in 2023 and will be joined by freshman Alex Baert, all in the backfield.
Juniors Grayson Youngblood and Chandler Newberry, as well as sophomore Reed Adams, will lead the receiving corps. McGaha and Engert, whichever does not win the starting quarterback job, will see time at receiver.
“The guys are really working hard to pick everything up,” Roquemore said. “We have so many young players, but they also saw action last year. Just getting everyone on the same page is the key right now.”
The defense may be a little ahead of the offense coming into the fall with six returning starters.
Junior Hensel Martinez-Lobo (6-3, 280) and senior Seth Hurley (6-2, 255) both moved over from the offense, and junior Jacob Nicholson (510, 275) all started at times in 2023. Together, they give the Indians a stout group up front to anchor the defense.
At linebacker, senior Wyatt Woody, junior Morgan Walker and freshman Alex Baert should get the early starting nods. Juniors Daylen Sose-
bee and Payton McGaha have been battling for the final spot during the summer and fall.
Barrett, Youngblood, junior River Chauncey, and Engert are expected to start in the secondary.
“The fact that right now we don’t have to have our linemen play both ways is just a huge factor for us,” Roquemore said. “I feel like we’re pretty athletic on defense. But we have freshmen at so many positions; just getting them some experience will be huge.”
Which brings us to the schedule. In 2024, the Indians will return to a non-region schedule after a decade of playing in the rugged 8-A Public divisions.
Gone are behemoths Lincoln County, Washington-Wilkes, Greene County, Aquins, and Warren County, along with the ridiculous road trips. Now, the Indians have several more manageable games with Lakeview Academy, Riverside Prep, with closer and smaller South Carolina schools Ware Shoals (SC), Dixie (SC), Anderson Christian School, and Spartanburg Christian.
“We would rather play a region schedule, but at this point in the development of the program as a whole, it’s key that we give our kids a better chance to have some success,” Roquemore said. “We’re very isolated in this part of the state because there just aren’t any other schools our size.
“Playing a non-region schedule helps us cut down on the travel while also giving our freshman a chance to learn. The next step for our program is learning how to win games. We have the right people in place, I think, to be able to do both.”
Roquemore said the key number is not how many wins they can get but rather the 39 players that have committed to the program.
“The numbers and enthusiasm are way up from my first season,” he said. “That’s the best number for us right now. This year is about growth. How much can the sophomore and junior classes grow? And how quickly can we get the freshmen, and there are a lot of them, up to varsity speed?
“Those are the things that we’re focused on this year. If we get both of those things happening, I think the wins will begin to take care of themselves.”
Story by Jeff Hart
union COUNTY panthers
COACH
Perry, 40-35 //
RELOADING WITH YOUTH
PANTHERS COUNTING ON YOUNG ROSTER TO GET BACK TO PLAYOFFS
Story by BO WILSON
nion County will look a bit different than it did a year ago.
After a run to the second round of the Class 2A playoffs and an 8-4 season, the Panthers lost nearly all of their offensive production from a year ago, including All-Region quarterback Caden Tanner, All-Region leading rushing Braylen Rader, All-Region leading receiver Jensen Goble, second-leading receiver Tyler Grasty and third leading receiver McBride to graduation.
However, since Michael Perry has been at the helm of the program, he’s not afraid to try something new.
This year is no different. Perry has made it clear he’s shifting one of his leading receivers and defenders from last season, Cade Dockery, to quarterback.
“Yep, he was an All-Region safety as a sophomore, and now he’s our quarterback,” Perry said. “That’s the only position he will play. He will be our quarterback.”
Perry said Dockery has stepped up to the challenge and has shown improvement at the post over the summer.
“Each time we’ve had a 7-on-7, he’s done well, getting better each time, and he’s really good at the run game. He can run really well, so we’ll take advantage of that.
“Obviously, it’s been an adjustment for him, but he’s shown improvement every day. We were playing a North Carolina team the other day, and we called a postwill combination, and they covered it well. He didn’t force and check the ball down. I told him I was most proud of that out of the whole thing because he was taking what the defense gave him. So, as long as he continues to get better in that area, he’s going to be fine.”
Perry said the run game will be the key to their success.
“Our stat guy told me that when we rush the ball for 200 or more yards since I’ve been here, we’re 10-0,” Perry said. “Because we’ve lost so many skill guys, running the football will be
a priority, and we are not going to play lightning-fast tempo. We’re going to huddle and try to eat up as much clock as we can.”
The addition of Dockery at quarterback gives them a dual threat. With Connor Schuknecht returning as the second-leading rusher on the team and sophomore Bentley Rich turning heads in summer practice, the Panther rushing attack could become deadly for opposing defenses.
“Connor is really excited to be the guy now,” Perry said. “He was a defensive force for us last year as a linebacker, and over the years, he’s played a lot of running back. I know he’s excited about the opportunity to be the big dog in the backfield. He’s a strong, powerful runner.”
With the graduation of the Panthers’ top three receivers, Perry is looking to four young players to take over: Tyler Parker, Maddox Young, Braden Plott and Chetley Cox.
“Parker played some receiver last year, and he’s had a big summer for us. He’ll be a big play guy for us. Maddox, Braden and Cox have all improved over the summer and should do a really good job for us.”
The offensive line returns the most experience, and Perry said it’ll be the strength of the offense.
Senior Kaden Combs returns as the leader up front. Joining Combs will be returning starters sophomores Jaxon Totherow, Easton Shoemaker and senior Bo Webster.
“He’s a really good offensive lineman for us. He’s a nasty, mean guy on the field,” Perry said about Combs. “But, overall, the offensive line is the strength of our team.”
Defensively, the Panthers lost three of their top four tacklers, but they do return inside linebacker and leading tackler Ethan Lester (127 tkls). Lester tore his ACL in the final game of the season and has been rehabbing, but Perry says he’ll be ready to go.
“When the season starts, he should be 100 percent,” Perry said about Lester. “He’s been working out and doing what he can all summer.”
Schuknecht, Shoemaker, and Combs will also be in rotation at linebacker. In the secondary, junior Daniel McPhee and senior Peyton Legatt will play corner. Cox and Young will be in the mix at safety.
But, like the offense, the defensive line will be the strength of the unit. Dusty Aaron, Gunnar Franklin, and Totherow all return up front.
“We’ve got some young guys in the secondary, some guys that haven’t had to play before,” Perry said. “So, it’s been a progression. We’re nowhere near where we need to be, but we’ve been making strides each week. Our kids are learning, getting a lot better technique, and fundamentally more sound. If we continue to make strides there, we’ll be OK. But like our offense, the defensive line is the strength.”
With the new Georgia High School Association reclassification, the Panthers opted to play in Region 7-2A, which includes Murray County, Rockmart, North Murray, Lakeview-Ft. Oglethorpe, Ringgold, Coahulla Creek, Sonoraville and North Cobb Christian.
They’ll only get two non-region games, Gilmer and Fannin, to get ready for a tough region schedule, which will open at home against Murray County, followed by a road trip to Class 2A runner-up Rockmart. Rockmart eliminated the Panthers from the playoffs last season.
“We want to see some physical teams early to get us ready because we know that the region we’re going to be in is going to be a physical region that wants to run the ball,” Perry said. “So, we have to get ready for that. I think it’ll be really improved from last year. Then, we have Rockmart early, and I’d rather have them early. But they’re definitely the cream of the crop in our region.”
white county warriors
EXPERIENCE COUNTS
‘OLDER’ WARRIORS READY FOR BREAKOUT SEASON
fter a pair of up-and-down seasons in his first two years at the helm of the Warriors, White County coach Chad Bennett feels they are on the cusp of something pretty big.
And why not? The Warriors return 14 starters, including three-year senior starter Tripp Nix at quarterback to run the offense, and dynamic senior linebacker Jon Scott, the 2023 Region 7-3A Defensive Player of the Year, to anchor a defense that returns eight.
“We have experience at all levels,” Bennett said. “We have over 20 seniors that give us some really good leadership across the board. Our expectations are high.”
The Warriors will be part of the new Region 6-3A, with several old 7-3A teams—Dawson County, Lumpkin County, and Pickens—moving over and joining former Class 4A teams Chestatee, Johnson and North Hall. Private school, Greater Atlanta Christian, is also in the region.
Familiarity will not be an issue, as White County played all but GAC and Johnson in 2023. And with the GHSA’s new Playoff Rankings System (PRS) in place for Classes 3A and below, the Warriors are hoping for big things.
“There are some really good teams in this region when you look at Lumpkin County, North Hall, GAC. Chestatee will be much improved. Dawson always has guys,” Bennett said. “But what I like about the new playoff format is that every game – non-region included – counts for something. I think that will make it very interesting. It’s going
to be good, in my opinion.”
Nix, who broke J. Ben Haynes’ program record for combined touchdowns in a season (31; 16 TD passes, 15 rushing TDs), had his breakout year in 2023. He threw for 1,812 yards, ran for another 584, and tossed just 5 INTs, a massive improvement over his first two campaigns, where he had over two dozen.
The Warriors lost four across the offensive line but do return seniors Tyler Seymour and Tyler Autry and juniors Austin Garrett and Matt Turner, who all saw significant action last season. Sophomore JBo Kastner and juniors Colton Adam, Jackson Burford, Cobin Blank, and Branson Smith should give White County the depth to give Nix time to make plays.
But replacing Ryan Fowler (1,500 yards, 15 TD) at running back may be the key. Last year’s backup to Fowler, junior Noel Lammers (6-1, 185 pounds; 49 rushes, 241 yards, 2 TD), is someone Bennett feels may be ready to have his breakout year.
“Tripp, I think, is going to have an even big-
ger year. And Noel has a chance to be a punishing runner. He could be a three-down guy for us, and we have high expectations for him,” Bennett said
Sophomore Gaines Clark, who led the team in TD catches with 5 despite missing four games in 2023, returns to anchor what could be a deep receiving corps along with senior returning starter John Phillips.
The defense will be led by Scott (158 tackles, 4 TFL, 3 sacks) and fellow returning seniors Jason Rewis and Alex Johnson at linebacker.
Senior DE Noah Williams returns for his fourth year as a starter to anchor the defensive line. Senior Dade Anderson will start at the other end, with seniors JJ Deck, Jeremiah Jarrard (NG), and Gunner Young (DE) adding some experienced depth as well.
The only question mark will be in the secondary, where senior Braden Phelps and sophomore Sawyer Gailey take over the cornerback spots.
Senior Cade Dockery moves to safety and joins sophomore Zach Godfrey.
“The one area I think we need to continue building up is on the defensive side,” Bennett said. “We really like this group, and there is a lot of talent that has a chance of being really good. We have some depth at the line, and our linebackers, as a group, are as good as anyone in the area.”
White County will also try to break out of its streak of three consecutive losing seasons, the Warriors’ longest such streak since 2002-04. Bennett said it’s time for that to end.
“This team is hungry, especially the seniors,” he said. “A winning season and a playoff run are very doable.”
Story by Jeff Hart
COMPOSITE SCHEDULES
COMPOSITE SCHEDULES
All games are at 7:30 p.m. unless noted. Bold indicates home game. Asterisk (*) indicates a region game.
