Georgia High School Football Daily

Monday, Aug. 15, 2022

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AJC announces 2022 Super 11

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has released its 2022 Super 11. Click here to see interviews with the state’s top players and read more about them.

C.J. Allen, Lamar County
Keyjuan Brown, South Atlanta
Vic Burley, Warner Robins
Caleb Downs, Mill Creek
Justice Haynes, Buford
Bo Hughley, Hughes
Kayin Lee, Cedar Grove
Connor Lew, Kennesaw Mountain
Dylan Lonergan, Brookwood
Kayden McDonald, North Gwinnett
Malachi Singleton, North Cobb

SPOTLIGHT

Top 10 teams in classes 7A-4A

Here is a closer look at our top 10 teams in classes 7A to 4A. Classes 3A to A will be covered Tuesday. See the complete rankings in all classes in our right rail.

Class 7A

1. Buford (14-1)

AJC Super 11 RB Justice Haynes leads four preseason all-state Wolves as Buford chases its fourth consecutive state titles and first in the highest classification. Buford did graduate QB Ashton Daniels to Stanford, but his replacement, Dylan Wittke, has 13 career starts, 1,725 career passing yards and a pledge to Virginia Tech. Opener: Friday vs. Thompson, Ala.

2. Grayson (10-4)

The Rams won the 2020 title and reached the 2021 semifinals with a much younger team, losing to eventual champion Collins Hill. All-state LB Jalen Smith (committed to Tennessee) and Georgia Power 100 DB Michael Daugherty (LSU) are among eight returning defensive starters. Joseph Taylor is a returning 1,000-yard rusher. Opener: Saturday vs. Marietta (at Mercedes-Benz Stadium)

3. Colquitt County (8-3)

The Packers, under new coach Sean Calhoun, have one of the state’s best quartets of offensive weapons with junior QB Neko Fann (2,014 yards passing in 2021), WR Ny Carr (856 receiving yards, committed to Georgia), TE Landen Thomas (516 receiving yards, committed to Georgia) and RB Charlie Pace (1,138 rushing yards, committed to Georgia State). Opener: Saturday vs. Deerfield Beach, Fla. (at Lowndes)

4. North Cobb (10-2)

AJC Super 11 QB Malachi Singleton (2,348 yards passing, 1,037 rushing, 49 total touchdowns) is a leading player-of-the-year candidate. He’s committed to Arkansas. Other prominent players are Georgia Power 100 OL Robert Grigsby (committed to North Carolina), RB Ben Hall (Michigan) and DB Quintin Ajiero (Duke). Opener: Friday at Westlake

5. Mill Creek (11-2)

The Hawks have the state’s No. 1 prospect, Alabama-committed DB Caleb Downs, among seven returning defensive starters. They also bring back starting QB Hayden Clark (2,065 yards passing) and leading receiver Brendan Jenkins (525 yards receiving). Opener: Saturday vs. Walton (at Mercedes-Benz Stadium)

6. Collins Hill (15-1)

The defending champions graduated most starters, including all-class player of the year Travis Hunter and all-state quarterback Sam Horn. They return all-state LB Dion Crawford and TE Ethan Davis. Opener: Saturday vs. Life Christian, Va.

7. Brookwood (10-3)

The Broncos have the state’s highest-rated senior QB prospect, Dylan Lonergan, who is committed to Alabama. LB Malcolm McCain is committed to Miami of Ohio. Opener: Saturday vs. Norcross (at Mercedes-Benz Stadium)

8. Lowndes (10-3)

The Vikings will be rebuilding a bit after losing four-year starting QB Jacurri Brown to Miami, but four of the five leading tacklers are back, and they’ve won 10 games or more for six straight seasons. They have a new coach, Zach Grage from Thomasville. Opener: Saturday vs. American Heritage, Fla.

9. Walton (9-4)

The Raiders beat two region champions in the 2021 playoffs to reach the semifinals, where they lost to Milton. Junior QB Jeremy Hecklinski gets the job full-time with Zak Rozsman off to Georgia Southern. LB Ashton Woods, a brother of Georgia wide receiver Dominique Blaylock, led the team in tackles as a sophomore. Opener: Saturday vs. Mill Creek (at Mercedes-Benz Stadium)

10. Milton (13-2)

The Eagles promoted Ben Reaves to replace Adam Clack, who led them to a 2018 state title and 2021 runner-up finish. He’ll build around Georgia Power 100 DB Bryce Thornton. Sophomore Luke Nickel is a promising new quarterback. Opener: Friday vs. Lipscomb Academy, Tenn.

Class 6A

1. Hughes (13-2)

The Panthers are ranked No. 1 for the first time in their 14-season history. They lead the state in top-100 state senior prospects with six – OL Bo Hughley, TE Jelani Thurman, DB Terrance Love, WR Robert Lockhart III and DL Joshua Horton. Then there’s Georgia Power 100 QB Prentiss “Air” Noland, a junior. Hughes was the 2021 runner-up to Buford, which moved to Class 7A. Opener: Saturday vs. Spartanburg, S.C. (at Milton)

2. Lee County (11-2)

The Trojans have averaged 12.6 victories over the past five seasons with five region and two state championships (2017, 2018). They lost to eventual champion Buford in the 2021 quarterfinals. Their top players are WR Jevell Fugerson and RB Ousmane Kromah, both Georgia Power 100 picks. Opener: Friday at Warner Robins

3. Rome (8-3)

The Wolves have DL Stephaylin Green and WR/DB Martel Hight, both preseason all-state picks, and TE Martavious Collins, a Georgia Power 100 player. QB Reece Fountain passed for 2,312 yards and 19 touchdowns as a sophomore. Opener: Friday vs. Creekside

4. Roswell (10-3)

The Hornets are down from Class 7A, where they made the 2021 quarterfinals, and out of the highest class for the first time since 1985. DB/WR Ethan Nathan and LB Jayven Hall are preseason all-state players. Opener: Friday vs. Denmark

5. Woodward Academy (11-1)

Jelan Woods (1,294 yards passing, 13 touchdowns) is a Division I prospect who should have a big year. DE A.J. Hoffler, a Clemson commit, is a Georgia Power 100 player. LB Myles Graham, a four-star recruit, transferred from a Florida school. Woodward lost to Blessed Trinity in the second round last season. Opener: Friday at Trinity Christian.

6. Marist (10-2)

The War Eagles have won 10 or more games nine of the past 10 seasons and won Class 4A in 2020, but they are making a two-classification jump. Marist’s best all-around player is probably Luke Harpring, a wide receiver/defensive end. He’s the son of former Marist, Georgia Tech and NBA star Matt Harpring. Opener: Friday vs. Gainesville

7. Northside, Warner Robins (9-4)

Northside reached the quarterfinals last season but was not competitive with elite 6A teams. This year’s team has good linemen (Kyle Mixon, Quinton Lewis, Isiah Harvey) and a four-star DB, Ricardo Jones. Opener: Saturday vs. Jones County (at Mercer)

8. South Paulding (8-3)

The Spartans have only three playoff victories in their history, but they have three Georgia Power 100 players on their roster – QB Kasen Weisman, RB Jamrion Wilcox and OL Madden Sanker. Opener: Friday at Harrison

9. Douglas County (8-4)

The Tigers return their leading passer (Sire Hardaway), leading rusher (LaTrelle Murrelle) and leading receiver (Monte Gooden), a Wake Forest commit (Hilton Alexander), their region’s defensive player of the year (Shakai Woods) and a Georgia Tech-committed defensive end (Zachariah Keith). Opener: Saturday vs. Lithia Springs

10. Blessed Trinity (9-5)

The Titans try to reach the quarterfinals for the 10th consecutive season, but the challenge of Class 6A (up one from 2021) and replacing RB Justice Haynes will be difficult. LB Mavrick Torrico was a region defensive player of the year as a junior. Opener: Friday at Calhoun

Class 5A

1. Warner Robins (14-1)

AJC Super 11 defensive tackle Vic Burley, who is committed to Alabama, and three-time 1,000-yard rusher Malcolm Brown lead the Demons’ quest for a third straight state title. Opener: Friday vs. Lee County

2. Creekside (11-3)

The Seminoles lead 5A with four preseason all-state players (OL Caleb Holmes, LB Javeon Miller, DB Roderick McCrary, DB Daiquan White). They lost to Warner Robins in the 2021 semifinals. Opener: Friday at Rome

3. Cartersville (11-1)

The Purple Hurricanes have lost only 10 games over the past 10 seasons and were knocked out of the 2020 and 2021 playoffs by eventual champion Warner Robins. First-team all-region RB Malachi Jeffries should prosper behind a talented offensive line led by preseason all-state Johnathan Cline. Opener: Friday at Cherokee

4. Calhoun (12-3)

Running back Caden Williams rushed for 1,431 yards as a sophomore for the 2021 runner-up. Opener: Friday vs. Blessed Trinity

5. Jones County (10-3)

The Greyhounds, winners of three straight region titles, now share a region with Warner Robins. RB Javious Bond and WR Zion Ragins are Georgia Power 100 players, but the ’Hounds will miss 3,000-yard passer John Alan Richter. Opener: Saturday vs. Northside-Warner Robins (at Mercer)

6. Jefferson (9-2)

Jefferson spent 10 weeks at No. 1 last season before injuries to five-star prospects Malaki Starks (now at Georgia) and Sammy Brown stalled the Dragons’ momentum. Brown, a linebacker /running back, is back. Jefferson has a new coach, Travis Noland, hired from Oconee County. Opener: Friday at Alpharetta

7. Ware County (9-2)

The Gators were the only team to beat Warner Robins last season and won a region title by doing so, but four-year starting QB Thomas Castellanos is now at Central Florida. DL Demetrius Baldwin and LB Trey Hargrove are all-state quality. Opener: Friday at Appling County

8. Clarke Central (10-3)

The Gladiators, starring preseason all-state DL Jailen Howard and DB Malachi McNeill, are the defending Region 8 champions. QB Lucian Anderson III had 20 scholarship offers, one from Yale. Opener: Thursday vs. Cedar Shoals

9. Coffee (8-3)

The Robbie Pruitt coaching era is complete (2012-21) after the coach returned to his native Florida, replaced by Mike Coe, who led Madison County of Florida to four titles in the past five seasons. The team’s five leading tacklers graduated, so there’s some rebuilding in store. Opener: Friday at Tift County

10. Cambridge (9-2)

The Bears return eight defensive starters, leading rusher Christian Isibor and receiver Will Taylor. They must replace QB Zach Harris, who passed for 2,708 yards. Cambridge is down from 6A, where the team advanced a playoff round each of the past two seasons. Opener: Friday vs. Creekview

Class 4A

1. Benedictine (13-2)

The defending champions are out for their fourth state title in 10 seasons. QB Holden Geriner is off to Auburn but replaced by QB Luke Kromenhoek, who is committed to Florida. WR/CB Za’Quan Bryan and LB Cole Semien are preseason all-state. Opener: Friday vs. Jenkins (at Savannah Memorial)

2. North Oconee (10-4)

ATH Khalil Barnes, the 2021 Region 8 player of the year, joins DB Jack Fabris as preseason Georgia Power 100 players returning from the team that lost to Benedictine 42-32 in the 2021 semifinals. TE/HB K.J. Moon and DL Cole Davidson are also returning all-region players. Opener: Friday at Oconee County

3. Cedartown (11-2)

The Bulldogs return 1,000-yard rusher Harlem Diamond, region co-defensive player of the year Eli Barrow, a linebacker, and preseason all-state OL Peyton Nikopoulus. Cedartown lost to Carver of Columbus 22-21 in the 2021 quarterfinals. Opener: Friday at Rockmart

4. Perry (11-2)

QB Armar Gordon, who passed for 2,990 yards and 32 touchdowns in 2021, is a preseason all-state choice along with DB Cam Marshall. Four of the seven leading tacklers in 2021 were sophomores. So was WR Dakarai Anderson, who has a Texas A&M offer. Opener: Aug. 26 at Houston County

5. Trinity Christian (14-0)

The Lions won Class A Private last season and will play three classes higher this season without star QB David Dallas and several other key parts. Top players this season include DB/WR Aaron Gates (committed to Florida), DE Ethan McDowell (Miami of Ohio) and LB Ryan Earl (Furman). Opener: Friday vs. Woodward Academy

6. Whitewater (11-2)

LB Raul “Popo” Aguirre (committed to Miami) and DL Stephen Johnson (Arkansas) might be the best pair of defenders in the classification. The Wildcats are down from 5A, where they lost to Creekside 20-13 in the quarterfinals. Opener: Saturday at Northgate

7. Bainbridge (9-4)

JahMarion “Bo” Smith passed for 2,087 yards last season. WR/DB Antavious Murphy is an outstanding two-way player. DB Dontae Broadnax made GACA all-state last season. The Bearcats lost to North Oconee 29-24 in the 2021 quarterfinals. Opener: Friday vs. Cedar Grove

8. Troup (8-3)

LB Qua Birdsong and DB Noah Dixon are top-200 national prospects, and QB Taeo Todd (1,794 yards rushing, 1,127 passing in 15 career games) is a class player-of-the-year candidate if he can stay healthy. All are juniors. Opener: Friday at Harris County

9. Holy Innocents' (11-2)

DL Jacobi Murray and WR Zach Jackson, both juniors, are preseason all-state picks from a team moving up from Class A Private. QB William Wright is another of seven first-team all-region players who return. Opener: Saturday vs. Pace Academy

10. Starr’s Mill (8-4)

The Panthers are down in classification from 5A, where they won five region titles over the past six seasons. Players to watch are RB Greigh Joseph (committed to Army) and TE Josh Phifer (Liberty). Opener: Saturday vs. East Coweta

TOP PLAYERS BY POSITION

Specialists earning high marks

This is the last in a series of 10 feature 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 members of GHSF Daily’s Georgia Power 100.

*Carson Allen, Etowah: Allen committed to Mississippi State on Wednesday. He made 3-of-6 field-goal attempts with a long of 42 yards in 2021 while putting 96% of his kickoffs in the end zone. His 4.75 GPA puts him in the top 10 of his graduating class.

*Isaac Bonacci, Collins Hill: A four-year starter, Bonacci was 13-of-15 on field goals with a long of 37 for the Class 7A champions in 2021. He’s 24-of-34 on field goals in his career.

*Ryan Degyansky, Lambert: Degyansky, one of the top 40 senior place-kickers nationally according to Kohl’s Kicking, was first-team all-region and all-county in 2021, when he averaged 42 yards on 34 punts, made seven of 11 field goals with a long of 42 yards and put 76% of kickoffs into the end zone. He can be good from 50-plus yards.

*David Stanphill, Glynn Academy: Stanphill is the No. 4 senior long snapper in the country, according to Rubio Long Snapping. Stanphill committed to Navy in June. He has been selected to play in the Polynesian Bowl in January in Hawaii.

*T.J. Hartley, Whitewater: Hartley was 11-of-11 on field goals with a long of 40 in 2021. He’s also Whitewater’s punter and averaged 33.5 yards.

*Jacob Ulrich, Mill Creek: Ulrich averaged 40.3 yards per punt with only seven of 45 returned. Seventeen were downed inside the 20-yard line. Ulrich was first-team All-Gwinnett County in 2021.

Today’s featured inductee is former Pittsburgh Steeler, UGA alum and Forest Park High School graduate Hines Ward. Ward will be inducted into the Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame on Oct. 22 at the College Football Hall of Fame.

Hines Ward

Forest Park High School Graduate

Hines Ward was a player who dominated on every football field he ever played. A Forest Park legend, Ward was selected for the 1993 AJC first-team Class 4A All-State team after passing for 1,575 yards and 14 touchdowns and rushing for 1,111 yards and 14 touchdowns. In his sophomore and junior seasons, he combined for 3,246 total yards and 32 total touchdowns, and he was named to the first-team All-Clayton/Henry team as just a 10th-grader. Ward ended up committing to the University of Georgia, where he served a Swiss Army Knife role, taking snaps at quarterback, running back and wide receiver. He compiled 3,870 total yards, which is second to Herschel Walker in school history. He was a first-team SEC selection in 1997 and a second-team SEC choice in 1996. Ward was selected in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he became a permanent wide receiver. In his career, Ward had six 1,000-yard seasons, made four Pro Bowls, earned two All-Pro second teams and won two Super Bowls, including Super Bowl XL MVP. Ward holds the Steelers franchise records in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, proving his dominance on all three levels of football.

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LIST

10-year best in class

Among current Class 4A schools, Benedictine has the most victories over the past 10 seasons. Here are the schools in the top 20.

114 - Benedictine

98 - Stockbridge

91 - Griffin

83 - Burke County

81 - Bainbridge

80 - Lovett

78 - Cairo

78 - Stephenson

78 - Trinity Christian

75 - Starr's Mill

73 - Westminster

71 - Westside (Macon)

70 - Northwest Whitfield

69 - Hapeville Charter

67 - North Hall

66 - North Oconee

65 - Southeast Bulloch

64 - Cedartown

64 - West Laurens

62 - Pace Academy

62 - Southwest DeKalb

62 - Troup

62 - Whitewater

TRIVIA

Dougherty reached the quarterfinals in 2021 for the first time since it was the 2005 Class 3A runner-up to Peach County. Which current GHSA staff member was Dougherty’s 2005 coach: Robin Hines, Kevin Giddens, Carror Wright, Don Corr or Steve Figueroa? (Answer Tuesday)

Answer to Friday’s question: The seven former Georgia high school football players who have finished in the top 10 in Heisman Trophy voting twice are Billy Lothridge of Gainesville (1962-63), George Rogers of Duluth (1979-80), Herschel Walker of Johnson County (1980-82), Charlie Ward of Central Thomasville (1992-93), Deshaun Watson of Gainesville (2015-16), Trevor Lawrence of Cartersville (2019-20) and Justin Fields of Harrison (2019-20).

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RANKINGS

(2021 records in parentheses)

Class 7A

1. Buford (14-1)

2. Grayson (10-4)

3. Colquitt County (8-3)

4. North Cobb (10-2)

5. Mill Creek (11-2)

6. Collins Hill (15-1)

7. Brookwood (10-3)

8. Lowndes (10-3)

9. Walton (9-4)

10. Milton (13-2)

Class 6A

1. Hughes (13-2)

2. Lee County (11-2)

3. Rome (8-3)

4. Roswell (10-3)

5. Woodward Academy (11-1)

6. Marist (10-2)

7. Northside-War. Robins (9-4)

8. South Paulding (8-3)

9. Douglas County (8-4)

10. Blessed Trinity (9-5)

Class 5A

1. Warner Robins (14-1)

2. Creekside (11-3)

3. Cartersville (11-1)

4. Calhoun (12-3)

5. Jones County (10-3)

6. Jefferson (9-2)

7. Ware County (9-2)

8. Clarke Central (10-3)

9. Coffee (8-3)

10. Cambridge (9-2)

Class 4A

1. Benedictine (13-2)

2. North Oconee (10-4)

3. Cedartown (11-2)

4. Perry (11-2)

5. Trinity Christian (14-0)

6. Whitewater (11-2)

7. Bainbridge (9-4)

8. Troup (8-3)

9. Holy Innocents’ (11-2)

10. Starr’s Mill (8-4)

Class 3A

1. Cedar Grove (12-3)

2. Crisp County (9-3)

3. Carver-Columbus (13-2)

4. Carver-Atlanta (11-3)

5. Oconee County (10-2)

6. Calvary Day (12-1)

7. Sandy Creek (9-2)

8. Peach County (8-4)

9. Dougherty (10-3)

10. Monroe Area (11-1)

Class 2A

1. Eagle’s Landing Christ. (7-7)

2. Fitzgerald (13-2)

3. Appling County (12-2)

4. Pierce County (11-3)

5. Fellowship Christian (12-2)

6. Callaway (10-3)

7. Rockmart (9-2)

8. Putnam County (12-1)

9. South Atlanta (11-2)

10. Washington County (5-5)

Class A Division I

1. Prince Ave. Christian (13-2)

2. Brooks County (12-2)

3. Rabun County (11-2)

4. Irwin County (12-3)

5. Metter (13-1)

6. Swainsboro (11-3)

7. Bleckley County (11-1)

8. Whitefield Academy (6-5)

9. Darlington (11-2)

10. Lamar County (6-4)

Class A Division II

1. Schley County (10-2)

2. Macon County (11-1)

3. Wilcox County (10-4)

4. Turner County (6-7)

5. Bowdon (10-2)

6. Clinch County (3-7)

7. Charlton County (7-4)

8. Lincoln County (8-4)

9. GMC Prep (10-1)

10. Johnson County (7-4)

Join both the GACA and GFCA for $55.00 per coach! JOIN TODAY !

TD Club lunches begin on Aug. 24

Join the Touchdown Club of Atlanta for its 2022 awards luncheons, beginning on Aug. 24 with guest speaker Pat Dye, Jr. Speakers at future luncheons include Matt Luke (Sept. 27), Ivan Maisel (Oct. 11), David Cutcliffe (Nov. 1) and Sean Payton (Nov. 15). The Aug. 24 event will begin at 11:45 a.m. at the Piedmont Driving Club (1215 Piedmont Avenue, N.E.). For details on upcoming events or membership information, click here.

PRESEASON ALL-STATE

Class 2A

*Best player: South Atlanta’s Keyjuan Brown led the state with 2,757 rushing yards in 2021. Another season like that and he’ll finish among the top five Georgia rushers all-time and break Jamal Lewis’s Atlanta city record of 4,879 in the first game. Brown sits at 4,770.

*Best position: Running back. Appling County’s Jaylen Johnson and Washington County’s Dontavius "DJay" Braswell are more highly recruited than Brown, and the three represent 30% of the Georgia Power 100’s players at the position.

*Most highly recruited: ELCA’s tackles, Zechariah Owens and D.J. Chester, each are 6 feet, 5 inches, and 300-plus pounds. They’re the lone consensus top-200 national prospects in the class.

*That’s interesting: North Murray brings back the most prolific QB-WR duo in the class. Seth Griffin, a 6-foot-4 quarterback, threw for 2,785 yards and 32 touchdowns in 11 games last season. Wide receiver Jadyn Rice had 65 receptions for 1,210 yards and 12 touchdowns.

*Snubbed: ELCA QB Charlie Gilliam, who is committed to Houston, passed for 2,098 yards last season against a harsh schedule. Worth County QB Chip Cooper passed for 1,939 yards and rushed for 1,002 in 10 games in 2021.

*Underrated: Pierce County’s D.J. Bell is a running back who does Pierce County’s occasional passing. He was limited to nine games in 2021 but rushed for 1,870 yards and got healthy in time to lead the Bears to the Class 3A semifinals.

*What else is new: Eagle’s Landing Christian is playing against public schools again after winning six championships in Class A Private. The Chargers will enter with three preseason all-state players.

Offense

QB - Seth Griffin, North Murray, Sr.

QB - Caleb McMickle, Fellowship Christian, Sr.

RB - Dontavius Braswell, Washington County, Sr.

RB - Keyjuan Brown, South Atlanta, Sr.

RB - Jaylen Johnson, Appling County, Sr.

WR - Jadyn Rice, North Murray, Sr.

WR - Dennis Sims, Rockmart, Sr.

OL - D.J. Chester, Eagle's Landing Christian, Sr.

OL - Gabriel Fortson, North Cobb Christian, Sr.

OL - Zechariah Owens, ELCA, Sr.

OL - Xavier Walker, Fitzgerald, Sr.

OL - Johnny Williams IV, Northeast, Sr.

ATH - D.J. Bell, Pierce County, Sr.

PK - Sean Medcalfe, Westside (Augusta), Sr.

Defense

DL - Cevan Edwards, South Atlanta, Sr.

DL - Elijah Gunn, Callaway, Sr.

DL - Sam Williams, Callaway, Sr.

DL - Darion Smith, Appling County, Jr.

LB/DL - Colton Smith, Washington County, Sr.

LB - Jacob Cruz, North Cobb Christian, Sr.

LB - Daniel James, Fitzgerald, Sr.

LB - Taye Seymore, South Atlanta, Sr.

DB - Jadan Baugh, Columbia, Jr.

DB - Colton Hood, Eagle's Landing Christian, Sr.

DB - R.J. Johnson, Eagle's Landing Christian, Sr.

DB - Jalon Kilgore, Putnam County, Sr.

P - Hayden Futch, Berrien, Sr.

Coming Tuesday: Class A Division I

FOUR QUESTIONS

Today’s interviewee is Chris Parker of Parker Resources, a consulting company for coaches and athletic directors. Parker is a former football coach at Chapel Hill and Pickens. He works for 92.9 The Game’s “High School Football Scoreboard Show” on Friday nights and will be doing radio color commentating for the first time Saturday at the Corky Kell Classic for the Mill Creek-Walton and Grayson-Marietta games. Parker’s full-time job is director of human resources for Pickens County Schools.

Chris Parker, Parker Resources founder

1. It’s hard to give you a title because you have your hand in so many aspects of high school football after hanging up your coach’s whistle. How did you get your newest opportunity, that of color commentating games for the radio broadcasts of the Corky Kell Classic, and how are you preparing? “I got the opportunity from the work that Sam Crenshaw and I do on the “High School Scoreboard Show” from 7 p.m. to midnight each Friday night on 92.9 during the season. The show was a big hit last year. We have our crew at games all around the metro area while Sam and I are in the studio. The station manager, Mike Conti, has been great to us and really wants us to continue to grow, so he worked with Score Atlanta to get the radio broadcast. Since this is new for me, I have a lot to learn. I don't think I will have much problem talking about football, but I'm going to have to study more on the college prospects on each team, the depth charts and some of the backstories for all four of our teams. I'm really looking forward to the opportunity. I love to highlight the great things coaches are doing in Georgia high school football, and this will be a new way I can do that.”

2. Your part-time jobs include writing books and blogs, doing podcasts, and much more. What part of the career that you’ve made for yourself post-coaching is the most fun or gratifying? “The most gratifying aspect of doing the work I've done post-coaching has been to help coaches improve their programs. I have received literally hundreds of messages from coaches the past few years that they used some of the resources through my website, books or podcasts and it helped them. Some have gotten jobs while others have improved various aspects of their programs. I was not prepared for the great feeling you get when this happens. I never saw myself as a ‘coach to coaches,’ but doing this work has been very rewarding for me. I really do love it. I don't have any real hobbies, so when I am not working at my real job as director of human resources for the Pickens County School District, I do this. While the radio show is really fun, it's seeing the coaches use some of the resources I have provided to improve that really makes me feel good.”

3. I think you started Parker Resources with an open mind of what coaches might find most useful and adjusted based on the response. What have you learned that perhaps surprised you the most? “Anything I put out on how to get a head coaching job is pretty popular. This is not surprising, but I don’t think many of them realize the real work that goes into being the head football coach. It’s not all about getting Gatorade dumped on you and yelling. There is a lot of work that must be done. The best coaches spend more time working on organization, relationships, communication and innovative ways to improve. I try to adjust my resources now to more ‘tips to improve.’ I put out a ‘100 Football Situations’ book earlier this year and have another book coming out on ‘Tips to Win Games.’

“It has been interesting to see how different football is in various parts of the country. In Georgia, most of our coaches have been exposed to many of the organizational and structural things that I preach over and over. In some states, these ideas may give a team a big advantage. I have worked with coaches from all 50 states and some abroad. It has reinforced my belief that we have some amazing coaches in Georgia that may not always have great records because half the teams must lose each Friday night.”

4. If you could give one piece of advice that would make their jobs easier, what would it be? “The one piece of advice I would give any coach, young or veteran, is to avoid petty problems. Try to see things from others’ point of view and work with people. Think before you act when getting frustrated with a player, parent, coach, band, cheer, admin, etc. There are always battles to pick, but you cannot pick all the battles. I would encourage every coach to find their inner circle, get a mentor and find someone you can talk to. Coaching is a very difficult but rewarding job. That inner circle should probably include a great family support system, a former head coach and/or a successful coach at another school. You need an inner circle to help you pick the necessary battles to succeed.”

Dickey Broadcasting Company’s Sports Radio 680 The Fan and Southern Sports Today Network along with the GHSA and the Georgia News Network are partners for the Georgia High School Football Network Scoreboard Show. The program will feed live from the studios of 680 The Fan and Southern Sports Today in the Battery Atlanta on Friday nights from 10 p.m. to midnight during the GHSA football regular season. The show will be distributed in partnership with Georgia News Network and will be hosted online at southernsportstoday.com. The show will be hosted by 680 The Fan’s Friday Night Football staff consisting of Steve West, Chris Mooneyham and Brandon Joseph, with executive producer Derrick Thomas, and will include the latest scores and interviews with coaches and play-by-play announcers from metro Atlanta and across the state of Georgia. It can be heard locally in Atlanta on 680 The Fan and Xtra 106.3FM.

CLASSIFIEDS

Marist seeking varsity game for Aug. 26 or Oct. 7

Due to a last-minute cancellation, Marist is searching for a game on Aug. 26 or Oct. 7. Please contact head coach Alan Chadwick via email by clicking here.

High School Football Hall of Fame on a treasure hunt

The new Hall of Fame for high school football in Georgia is looking for artifacts such as jerseys and old newspaper clippings. The Hall’s historian, Todd Holcomb, has put together a strong oral history of high school football in Georgia through records at the Georgia High School Football Historians Association website, and now we are looking for memorabilia which will be used when the Hall decides on a place to house its plaques and artifacts. The Hall is especially looking for newspaper clippings from the all-Black high school league (Georgia Interscholastic Association). The GIA was in existence from 1948-70 before joining the GHSA in 1971. If you have something of interest, please email I.J. Rosenberg by clicking here or call him at 404-246-7819.

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.

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.

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.