Justice Haynes, committed to Alabama, rushed for 4,879 yards and 72 touchdowns in three seasons at Blessed Trinity before transferring to Buford this year. (Photo courtesy of Rusty Mansell / 247Sports)
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Two RBs nearing 6,000 yards |
Twenty-five Georgia players have rushed for 6,000 yards in their high school careers.
Watch for two – South Atlanta’s Keyjuan Brown and Buford’s Justice Haynes – to join that list this season. They’re less than 1,250 yards away, well below their career averages.
And remember the name Ousmane Kromah. The Lee County back rushed for 1,709 yards as a freshman in Class 6A last year.
This is another in a series of articles that recognize the state’s best players by position. They are chosen based primarily on high school production, though college potential also is considered. These players are the members of GHSF Daily’s Georgia Power 100.
*Javious Bond, Jones County: Bond had 943 yards rushing and 555 receiving with 20 touchdowns while playing enough defense to compile 69 tackles on a 10-3 team last season. He ran for 207 yards and four touchdowns in the quarterfinals against Eastside. He’s a four-year starter at safety. Bond (5-9, 170) has more than 10 Division I offers.
*Dontavius “DJay” Braswell, Washington County: Braswell is the reigning Class 2A champion in the 100 (10.76 seconds) and 200 (22.17) meters. He's a consensus top-300 national prospect and highest-rated Washington County recruit this century. He rushed for 1,026 yards on just 80 carries in 2021. Braswell (5-11, 200) committed to South Carolina on July 4 weekend.
*Keyjuan Brown, South Atlanta: Brown led Georgia in rushing last season with 2,757 yards and was first-team all-state in Class 2A. He has run for 4,770 yards and 53 touchdowns for his career. South Atlanta had gone 25 seasons without a region title or playoff victory until Brown was a freshman. In Brown’s three varsity seasons, South Atlanta is 25-10 with two region titles and three playoff victories. Brown (5-9, 205) committed to Purdue in June.
*Malcolm Brown, Warner Robins: Brown has rushed for 1,102 and 1,332 yards and scored 30 touchdowns in his two varsity seasons, each ending in a Class 5A championship. Brown missed the playoffs last season or might’ve threatened 2,000 as he went for 209 against Archer, 171 against Lee County and 186 against Coffee. Brown (5-11, 180) has offers from N.C. State, Virginia and Georgia State.
*Justice Haynes, Buford: Haynes (5-10, 200) is the consensus No. 3 RB prospect nationally and No. 37 player overall and the highest of any Georgia running back. A two-time first-team all-state player, he’s rushed for 4,879 yards and 72 touchdowns in his career with at least 1,700 yards rushing each season. He transferred from Blessed Trinity to Buford this year. Haynes also is an outstanding baseball outfielder and left-handed pitcher. Haynes committed to Alabama on July 17.
*Jaylen Johnson, Appling County: Johnson (5-9, 190) rushed for 305 yard and four touchdowns in just three games last season as he was limited with an injury. He’s a consensus three-star recruit with more than 20 offers. He’s the highest-recruited Appling County running back since former Florida State and NFL player Dexter Carter in the 1980s.
*Ousmane Kromah, Lee County: There was no better Georgia freshman last season than Kromah, a powerful back who rushed for 1,709 yards and 22 touchdowns while averaging nine yards per carry for a Class 6A quarterfinalist. Kromah (5-11, 180) has multiple SEC, ACC and Big Ten offers, including one from Alabama this summer.
*Charlie Pace, Colquitt County: Pace rushed for 1,138 yards on an 8-3 team in 2021. He had 207 yards receiving. He’s 5-9, 185, a little bigger than former Colquitt star RB Sihiem King. Pace is committed to Georgia State.
*Duke Watson, Mary Persons: Watson rushed for 1,716 yards and 25 touchdowns as a sophomore for a 7-4 team. He’s 6-0, 185, and runs a 4.4-second 40-yard dash. He has a few offers, including one from Georgia Tech.
*Jamarion Wilcox, South Paulding: Wilcox rushed for 1,534 yards and 23 touchdowns and had another 235 yards receiving for an 8-3 team in 2021 and was first-team all-state in Class 6A. A consensus three-star recruit, Wilcox (5-9, 195) has 25 offers, mostly from mid-major schools. He’s the second-highest rated RB recruit this century from Paulding County behind East Paulding’s Justin Williams, who signed with Tennessee.
Coming Thursday: Wide receivers
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Class 5A
The Maxwell Ratings, compiled by mathematician and Georgia High School Football Historians Association founder Loren Maxwell, have projected the region finishes of all 412 football-playing schools in the GHSA. The projections are based on historical scores, with the most recent season weighing most heavily. Teams that did unusually well, or poorly, in 2021 are projected to regress toward the mean. The ratings do not consider changes in player personnel or coaching staff. Below are Maxwell’s projections and a brief look at how Class 5A shapes up in 2022.
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Coming Thursday: Class 4A |
Today’s interviewee is Marquis Westbrook, head coach of two-time defending Class 5A champion Warner Robins. Westbrook became the Demons’ coach in 2019. His record is 40-4 with two state titles and one runner-up finish. Warner Robins opens its season at home Aug. 19 against Lee County.
Marquis Westbrook,
Warner Robins head coach
1. With some months to reflect on the 2021 championship, what is the legacy of that team? What made it a little different than the teams that went before it? “I feel that the legacy of the 2021 team is rooted in our school's history, being the first team to win back-to-back championships. The team was driven and led by a majority of seniors who knew going into the season that expectations were high, but they performed to the level of those expectations weekly. The team was the first in five years not to win the region but was able to finish the season with a state championship. The path to the championship game was more challenging than in years past, having to playing on the road in very tough environments in Round 2 through the semifinals.” [The Demons were 6-0 and ranked No. 1, averaging 55 points per game, when they lost their region opener to Ware County 29-21 on Oct. 15. They bounced back to win their final eight games, including a 38-14 victory over Calhoun in the final. It was the school’s sixth state title overall.]
2. What's the scouting report on the 2022 team? Where do you feel this team will be strong, and what are the areas of concern? “The 2022 team for the most part is a collection of players who have game experience but will be in a leading role for the first time. On both sides of the ball, we are returning three starters and two players who played significant reps. On special teams, we are returning our punter, Jackson McCook, and kicker, Daniel Barber, both who performed at a high level. Defensively, our front will have the most experience going into the season having two returning linemen, Vic Burley and Chayce Smith, and one linebacker, Elijah Antonio, leading that unit.” [The new quarterback will be Isaiah Canion, who passed for 192 yards and rushed for 190 in limited action last season. Running back Malcolm Brown, a Georgia Power 100 player, is a two-time 1,000-yard rusher.]
3. You've had many outstanding players at Warner Robins, but as far as college prospects go, Vic Burley is the highest-rated Demons player this century. What are his talents and skill set that make him so good as a high school player and prospect? “Vic Burley has been blessed with the physical tools you don't see many high school players possess. His size, quickness and punch are unbelievable for his age, and what's more impressive is his ability to do it every day during practice. He continues to work every day regardless of the opponent; he is trying to perfect his craft. On top of that he is an awesome young man to be around and have in your building and locker room.”
4. Warner Robins has had great teams and runs over the years, but the five-year streak of making the finals is unprecedented. People forget that Warner Robins was 3-8 the season before this five-year run began. What set this streak into motion, and what has sustained it? “That 3-8 season was one of the seasons that we lost a few of the games by a close margin because we didn't capitalize on many of our opportunities throughout games from a lack of focus. The following season we were able to turn our mindset to being intentional in the weight room and meetings with focus, and it translated to the field, which brought success. We started to win the close-margin games, and that got our players believing and feeling like the work was paying off. Our players and coaches have bought in to not settling and making Monday through Thursday just as important as Friday. It helps greatly when you have dominant players and players who understand their role. We are fortunate to have several players to go on to play on the next level, including players of the year in our classification.” [Those players of the year were Burley in 2021, Jalen Addie and Ahmad Walker in 2020 and Dylan Fromm in 2018 and 2019.]
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Class 5A changes
Class 5A picked up 16 football teams and lost 21 during reclassification. Here are their comings and goings, with their previous or new classes in parentheses.
Coming
Arabia Mountain (4A)
Bradwell Institute (6A)
Cambridge (6A)
Centennial (6A)
Chattahoochee (6A)
Dalton (6A)
Flowery Branch (4A)
Greater Atlanta Christian (3A)
Heritage-Conyers (6A)
Jefferson (4A)
Jenkins (4A)
Kell (6A)
Mays (4A)
Statesboro (6A)
Tucker (6A)
Winder-Barrow (6A)
Going
Apalachee (6A)
Blessed Trinity (6A)
Clarkston (4A)
Forest Park (6A)
Griffin (4A)
Jackson County (6A)
Johnson-Gainesville (4A)
Jonesboro (6A)
Mundy's Mill (6A)
New Manchester (6A)
Southwest DeKalb (4A)
St. Pius (6A)
Starr's Mill (4A)
Stockbridge (4A)
Stone Mountain (4A)
Veterans (6A)
Walnut Grove (4A)
Wayne County (4A)
Whitewater (4A)
Woodland-Stockbridge (4A)
Woodward Academy (6A)
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Justice Haynes of Buford is the consensus No. 4 running back prospect nationally, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. Who is the only Georgia running back this century who was the consensus No. 1 RB nationally: Carver-Columbus’s Isaiah Crowell, Cedartown’s Nick Chubb, Stephenson’s Kregg Lumpkin or ECI’s Washaun Ealey? (Answer Thursday)
Answer to Tuesday’s question: Quincy Carter of Southwest DeKalb was the 1995 quarterback and AJC all-classification player of the year who signed with Georgia Tech but chose baseball after the Cubs drafted him in the second round. Carter played four seasons of minor-league baseball, then signed to play football at Georgia and later played in the NFL.
Kick off your game day with the best sports flooring and turf in the industry. Designed to take a beating.
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The preseason scrimmage schedule is compiled by GHSF Daily and not maintained by the GHSA or any other organization. Please click here to make additions or report errors. Games in red are those added since Tuesday’s edition. Listed below are this week’s games. To see a full schedule of scrimmages, including next week's games, visit our website.
Thursday’s games
Dooly Co. at Manchester
Bulloch Academy at Portal
Friday's games
Bremen at Rockmart
Bryan Co. at Jenkins Co.
Buford at Jones Co.
Calhoun at Northwest Whitfield
Carrollton at Spalding
Cartersville, North Murray at Pepperell (jamboree)
Cedar Grove at McEachern
Central (Carrollton) at Spalding
Chattahoochee Co. at Brooks Co.
Cherokee at Creekview
Claxton at Montgomery Co.
Clinch Co. at Pierce Co.
Colquitt Co. at Peach Co.
Commerce at Gilmer
Cook at Thomas Co. Central
Crisp Co. at Bainbridge
Denmark at Sequoyah
Discovery at Apalachee
Drew at Lithonia
Eagle’s Landing at ELCA
East Ridge, Tenn. at Lakeview-Ft. Ogle.
Elbert Co. at Stephens Co.
Fellowship Christian at Northview
Fitzgerald at Coffee
Flowery Branch at North Hall
Frederica Academy at Sav. Christian (P)
Glynn Academy at Wayne Co.
Gordon Central at Coahulla Creek
Griffin at Newnan
Habersham Central at East Hall
Hardaway at Redan (HS)
Heard Co. at Bowdon
Irwin Co. at Schley Co.
Jonesboro at Trinity Christian
Lamar Co. at Jasper Co.
Lambert at Walton
Laney at Burke Co.
Lanier at West Forsyth
Loganville at Cedar Shoals
Lowndes at Tift Co.
McIntosh Co. Academy at Long Co.
McNair at Temple
Meadowcreek at Chattahoochee
Morrow at KIPP Atlanta Collegiate
Mt. Paran Christian at Whitefield Acad.
Mount Vernon at Lovett
Mount Zion, Carroll at Temple
Mt. Zion, Jonesboro vs. Forest Park (T)
North Clayton at St. Mary’s Academy
North Cobb Christ. at Johnson, Gaines.
North Forsyth at Dawson Co.
North Oconee at Clarke Central
Parkview at M.L. King (GO)
Peach Co. at Colquitt Co.
Rome at Kell
Shaw at Early Co.
Soddy Daisy, Tenn. at Coosa
Sonoraville at Model
St. Pius at Tucker (A)
Stockbridge at Lovejoy
Stone Mountain at Seckinger
Trinity Christ. School at East Laurens
Thomson at Evans
Treutlen at Dublin
Turner Co. at Monroe
Twiggs Co. at Warren Co.
Vidalia at Calvary Day
Villa Rica at Troup
Warner Robins at Veterans
Wesleyan at Pace Academy
Westminster at North Atlanta
Wheeler Co. at Atkinson Co.
Whitefield Acad. at Mt. Paran Christian
Wilcox Co. at Johnson Co.
Woodstock at Cambridge
Woodland, Carters. at Adairsville
Saturday’s game
Cedar Grove at McEachern
Stadium abbreviations: (A) Adams; (GO) Godfrey; (HS) Hallford; (P) Pooler; (T) Tara.
Join both the GACA and GFCA for $55.00 per coach! JOIN TODAY!
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Georgia Elite Classic enters 10th year this December |
The Georgia Elite Classic, a Score Atlanta event, began in 2013 as one All-Star Game for juniors at McEachern High School. Since then, more than 1,400 Georgia high school players and Elite Alumni have gone on and played college football. For the third consecutive year, the Elite will be played in Rome at Barron Stadium. The dates of the 2022 Classic are Dec. 27-29, and all three All-Star games will be televised on Peachtree TV. The eighth-grade All-Star Game will begin on Thursday, Dec. 29, at 10 a.m., followed by the juniors against the seniors at 12:45 p.m. and the freshmen against the sophomores at 3:30 p.m. Players will report on Tuesday afternoon, Dec. 27, and stay two nights in a Rome hotel and practice three times, receiving a player pack which includes a jersey and 100-percent cotton hoodie. All meals will be provided. Players will be chosen by Rusty Mansell of 247Sports along with the coaches on the selection committee. Nominations can be made by clicking here.
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Class 5A
Number of hires: 15
Best hire: Mike Coe, Coffee
Hardest to replace: Robby Pruitt, Coffee
Best job: Jefferson
Toughest job: Cross Keys
Most interesting: Coffee’s Robby Pruitt and Jefferson’s Gene Cathcart left high-profile jobs for inconspicuous ones in their home states. Pruitt, whose 376 victories were second-most among active Georgia football coaches, went to Williston, which went 1-8 last season in Florida’s Class A. Pruitt needed more time in Florida to max out his retirement benefits. Cathcart is now at Batesburg-Leesville, which was 3-4 last season in South Carolina’s Class 2A.
Region 1
*Coffee hired Madison County (Fla.) head coach Mike Coe to replace Robby Pruitt, who became head coach at Williston in Florida. Coe led Madison County to state titles four of the past five seasons, including 2021. He’s a member of the Florida Athletic Coaches Athletic Hall of Fame, as was Pruitt. Coe’s record at Madison County was 136-27 over 12 seasons. Coffee was 8-3 last season.
Region 2
*Dutchtown hired Mays head coach Niketa Battle to replace Clifford Fedd, who became head coach at Sumter County. Battle led Mays to three 10-win seasons and three region titles in his six years, though the Raiders had fallen to 3-7 the past two years. He coached at Mays for 10 seasons overall and had stints at Miller Grove, Stone Mountain and Mount Zion (Jonesboro) as well as Dutchtown in 2006. Dutchtown was 43-16 in five seasons under Fedd and 7-4 in 2021.
*Locust Grove hired Drew defensive coordinator Garry Fisher to replace Mark Miller, who became defensive coordinator at Lake Oconee Academy. Fisher spent 17 seasons on college staffs, most recently as Tennessee State’s defensive coordinator (2017-19). He was a graduate assistant under Urban Meyer on Utah’s 2004 Fiesta Bowl champion. Locust Grove was 0-10 last season and last had a winning season in 2015.
*Ola hired Pelham (Ala.) coach Tom Causey to replace Ryan Angel, who rejoined Loganville’s staff. Causey’s coaching record is 146-104. He won an Alabama Class 5A title in 2009 with Demopolis. His Pelham team was 7-4 last season. Ola was 5-6 in Angel’s only season and has never won a playoff game.
Region 3
*Harris County hired Lambert head coach Tommy Watson to replace Jamie Fox, who retired from public schools and is not coaching this fall. Lambert was 5-5 and 7-4 in two seasons under Watson after finishing 0-10 the season before he was hired. The move puts Watson closer to home. He is a graduate of Upson-Lee and coached that school from 2008 to 2013. Harris County was 7-5 last season.
*McIntosh hired Viera (Fla.) head coach Derek Smith to replace Lee Belknap, who became Newnan's defensive coordinator. Smith’s record at Viera, a Class 7A school in central Florida, was 28-17 with three district championships in four seasons. Viera was 5-5 in 2021. McIntosh was 2-8 last season.
Region 4
*Cross Keys hired Riverdale linebackers/safeties assistant Jimmy Williams to replace John Bowen, who became Towers’ head coach. A Southern Miss graduate, Williams coached for eight seasons in his native Mississippi at Rosa Fort, Canton and Hattiesburg before coming to Riverdale in 2019. Cross Keys has won four games the past 10 seasons against non-region schedules.
*Tucker promoted defensive backs coach Wayne Jones to replace James Thomson, who became head coach at Winter Haven in Florida. Jones has been with Tucker’s staff for two seasons. He spent 30 seasons at North Carolina’s High Point Central, the final 13 as head coach before retiring in that state. High Point was 75-81 under Jones. Tucker’s victory total has declined each season since its Class 6A runner-up finish in 2016. The Tigers were 2-9 in 2021.
Region 5
*Mays promoted offensive coordinator and alumnus Tony Slaton to replace Niketa Battle, who became head coach at Dutchtown. Slaton has coached at Mays the past eight seasons, the last four as offensive coordinator. He was Banneker’s head coach for two seasons (2011-12) and also has worked at Westlake (2004-07), where he helped develop quarterback Cam Newton. Slaton is a former Morris Brown quarterback. Mays was 44-25 with three region titles in six seasons under Battle and 3-7 in 2021.
*Midtown hired Hampton co-offensive coordinator Darrell Howard to replace Kevin Clark, who remained at the school as a teacher. Howard was on Hampton’s staff for four seasons. He also has coached at Creekside and North Springs. He is a former lineman at Eastside in Covington and Middle Tennessee. Midtown, formerly known as Grady, played only one varsity game in 2021 but plans a full non-region schedule this season.
Region 6
*Kell hired Westlake head coach Bobby May to replace Brett Sloan, who became Collins Hill's offensive coordinator. May’s Westlake teams were 27-10 in three seasons and 10-3 in 2021. May had been Westlake’s offensive coordinator when promoted in 2019. May was head coach at Suncoast in Florida and led it to its best season in 13 years before coming to Georgia. May also has coached at Palm Beach Lakes and Palm Beach Gardens. Kell lost in the first round the past two seasons in Class 6A. The Longhorns are back in 5A, where they reached the semifinals in 2013 and 2016.
Region 7
*Woodland of Cartersville hired Rockmart co-offensive coordinator Brandon Haywood to replace Tony Plott, who became Gordon Central's offensive coordinator. Haywood is a former Rockmart and Carson-Newman quarterback who was the South Atlantic Conference’s co-offensive player of the year in 2012. He has coached at Cass, River Ridge and Rockmart. Woodland was 14-54 in seven seasons under Plott and last made the playoffs in 1999.
Region 8
*Flowery Branch promoted defensive coordinator Jason Tester to replace Ben Hall, who became head coach at Oconee County. Tester has been with Flowery Branch since 2018 except for 2020, when he was Brookwood’s defensive coordinator. He’s also coached at Grayson, Eastside and St. Pius along with three schools in his native Michigan. Flowery Branch was 41-20 in five seasons under Hall, 8-4 in 2021.
*Heritage of Conyers hired Griffin defensive coordinator Ryan Andrews to replace Eddie Snell, who retired. Andrews has been a head coach at alma mater Banneker (2013) and Shiloh (2015-18) and was on Griffin’s staff since 2019. Heritage was 1-9 last season.
*Jefferson hired Oconee County coach Travis Noland to replace Gene Cathcart, who became head coach at Batesville-Leesburg in South Carolina. Noland’s record at Oconee County was 70-27 with three region titles over eight years. The Warriors hadn’t had a winning season over the previous nine years prior to Noland. His career record is 189-89. That includes time at Stephens County and two North Carolina schools. Jefferson was 9-2 last season and 49-11 the past five seasons under Cathcart.
Coming Thursday: Class 4A
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Score Atlanta seeks Fall interns for high school football TV schedule
Televising 32 high school football games including the Corky Kell Classic, Score Atlanta has positions open for interns who will work Friday nights helping the TV crew broadcast the weekly matchups. TV interns will have an opportunity to learn on site, including Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Score also has positions available for writing interns, helping produce high school football scores and game summaries for ajc.com. If you are interested, contact Graham David via email by clicking here or call him at 513-600-6557.
GPSA helps students grow in athletics, education, and life skills
Georgia Storm Prep Academy, named for owner and head coach Storm Johnson (a former UCF standout and NFL running back), is a post-graduate football program. The program includes in-face NCAA-approved classes to increase GPAs, and competitions against other Prep programs and JUCOs to gain additional exposure. GSPA has a complete facility with on-site housing with meals, a weight room, a game room, and a home game field. For information, call 770-652-7711 or contact us via email by clicking here.
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GHSF Daily classified ads
Reach 23,000 readers per day in GHSF Daily’s classified ads. Rates are $50 per week. Ads must be a maximum of 75 words and include a headline and contact information. Click here to contact us.
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About Us
Georgia High School Football Daily is a free e-mail newsletter produced and owned by Todd Holcomb and Chip Saye. Holcomb is a former lead high school football writer for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and co-founder of the Georgia High School Football Historians Association. Saye is a 38-year veteran of the newspaper industry who has covered high school sports for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Athens Banner-Herald, Anderson (S.C.) Independent-Mail and Gwinnett Daily News.
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