Class 5A
*Best player: Jalen Addie has one reported offer, from Akron, which is not unusual for quarterbacks this early, but no returning Class 5A player had more impact on the game than the Warner Robins quarterback. He was 141-of-269 passing for 2,341 yards and 24 touchdowns as a junior for a 13-2 state runner-up. He also rushed for 593 yards. He's a load to defend at a mobile 6-3, 210 pounds.
*Best position: All five offensive linemen might end up in Power 5 conferences. Committed are Jordan Davis (South Carolina), Weston Franklin (Georgia Tech) and Ty Furnish (Virginia). Cameron Ball and Jalil Muhammad also have Power 5 offers. All made their all-region teams last year.
*Most highly recruited: Woodward Academy safety Khari Gee is the consensus No. 28 senior prospect in Georgia and No. 22 safety nationally. He committed to LSU in May.
*Underrated: Jerrian Hames’ size – 5-10, 180 pounds – isn’t what major Division I schools typically want, but the Calhoun running back rushed for 1,526 yards and 22 touchdowns in 12 games last season.
*That's interesting: Woodward Academy has moved up in class, and 5A should be forewarned. Four War Eagles made this team, and it easily could’ve been six as Alan “Taco” Wright, a cornerback committed to Vanderbilt who also might be the best return man in the class, and Damari Alston, a Division I running-back recruit who had more than 1,300 all-purpose yards, were left out.
*Snubbed? Like Woodward, Cartersville could’ve had more players, among them Devonte Ross, who had 53 receptions for 1,077 yards and 12 touchdowns last season, and Amarai Orr, who had six sacks and scored four touchdowns playing various roles. Also missing are some stout quarterbacks, such as Dutchtown’s Arendez Fedd and Ware County’s Thomas Castellanos.
*What else is new? Fourteen of the 26 players on this team played in other classifications last year. Their teams include Blessed Trinity, Calhoun, Cartersville and Creekside, schools that have won state titles in the past decade. They also include Greenbrier, Stone Mountain, Tri-Cities and Woodward. Coffee didn’t have a preseason all-state player but will be a force with which to be reckoned, too.
OFFENSE
QB - Jalen Addie, Warner Robins, Sr.
RB - Jerrian Hames, Calhoun, Sr.
RB - Justice Haynes, Blessed Trinity, So.
WR - Jairus Mack, Clarke Central, Sr.
WR - Maleek Wooten, Jones County, Sr.
TE - Jaden Miller, Wayne County, Sr.
OL - Cameron Ball, Tri-Cities, Sr.
OL - Jordan Davis, Creekside
OL - Weston Franklin, Wayne County, Sr.
OL - Ty Furnish, Blessed Trinity, Sr.
OL - Jalil Muhammad, Creekside, Sr.
ATH - Shahiem Bailey, Stone Mountain, Sr.
PK - Kriston Esnard, Decatur, Sr.
DEFENSE
DL - Ozzie Hoffler, Woodward Academy, Sr.
DL - Devin Lee, Ola, Sr.
DL - Neto Okpala, Loganville, Sr.
DL - Beau Shugarts, Greenbrier, Sr.
LB - Jackson Hamilton, Blessed Trinity, Sr.
LB - Michael Mincey, Ware County, Sr.
LB - Errington Truesdell, Woodward Academy, Sr.
LB - Ahmad Walker, Warner Robins, Sr.
DB - Cole Bishop, Starr's Mill, Sr.
DB - Jordan Favors, Griffin, Sr.
DB - Khari Gee, Woodward Academy, Sr.
DB - Evan Slocum, Cartersville, Sr.
P - Davis Golick, Woodward Academy, Sr.
Coming Thursday: Class 4A
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Corky Kell moves games to nine venues
The Corky Kell Classic abandoned plans for a four-venue event Tuesday and announced another schedule that retains all nine games, putting them at nine home stadiums.
The games still will be televised by CBS46 or Peachtree TV, and the new schedule reflects that, as games will be played on a doubleheader schedule, even when not played at the same venue.
Carver of Atlanta will open the event on Sept. 2 at Cherokee in a 5:30 p.m. game, with Mays at West Forsyth to follow 10 minutes after the first game ends.
Carrollton has replaced Tucker, whose school district, DeKalb County, canceled all September games. Carrollton will play Collins Hill.
Dates of some games also have changed.
The games were to be at West Forsyth, Dacula, Walton and Mill Creek.
Wednesday, Sept. 2
5:30 p.m. - Carver at Cherokee
10 minutes after first game - Mays at West Forsyth
Thursday, Sept. 3
5:30 p.m. - Brookwood at Dacula
10 minutes after first game - McEachern at North Gwinnett
Friday, Sept. 4
5:30 p.m. - Kell at Walton
10 minutes after first game - Parkview at Mill Creek
Saturday, Sept. 5
11 a.m. - Carrollton at Collins Hill
10 minutes after first game - Lowndes at Archer
10 minutes after second game - Denmark at GAC
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Trevor Lawrence of Cartersville and Deshaun Watson of Gainesville lost nine games in their high school careers, four to one school. Which school was that? (Answer Thursday)
Answer to Tuesday’s question: Harrison was the only first-time state champion in 2019.
Jostens is the leading provider of yearbooks, caps and gowns, class rings and championship rings and is the Official Championship Ring of the GHSA. Click here to learn more.
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Hurting for games
Southeast Bulloch might be the loneliest team in the state. Five of its Region 3-3A rivals, all from Savannah, are playing intra-district games only this fall, and the other region member, Liberty County, has suspended football indefinitely. With no region opponents guaranteed, Southeast Bulloch has only five games scheduled, none over the final seven weeks of the regular season. Among those starting on time, here are the teams with the fewest games scheduled after opponents who have suspended football indefinitely or delayed their seasons are taken off the books. Some of these might be slightly off, as the GHSA's schedules don't have every new game posted, but the list illustrates the scramble to find games that the pandemic has set in motion for coaches and athletic directors.
Five
Southeast Bulloch
Six
Baldwin
Benedictine
Brunswick
Colquitt County
Grayson
South Effingham
West Laurens
Seven
Americus-Sumter
Appling County
Buford
Effingham County
Evans
Grovetown
Lakeside (Evans)
Mary Persons
Perry
Richmond Hill
Spalding
Eight
ACE Charter
Baconton Charter
Bleckley County
Brookwood
Callaway
Dacula
Dodge County
Douglass
Duluth
Eagle's Landing Christian
Greater Atlanta Christian
Houston County
Jackson
KIPP Atlanta Collegiate
Lamar County
Lowndes
McDonough
Monticello
Pebblebrook
Pierce County
Rabun County
Randolph-Clay
South Forsyth
South Gwinnett
Statesboro
Stockbridge
Villa Rica
Walnut Grove
Washington County
Woodward Academy
Worth County
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Tift, Rome, Statesboro post quarterfinal upsets |
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Cartersville and Rome went for two. Cartersville made it; Rome didn’t. Imaginary tournaments can have imaginary scenarios. Feel welcome to imagine your own.
Cartersville’s 2016 team defeated 2018 Marist 22-21 in the Team of the Decade tournament’s Class 4A quarterfinals Tuesday. Let’s say Trevor Lawrence found Avery Showell on a two-point conversion pass with less than a minute to play.
Rome’s 2017 state championship team was not as fortunate, as unsuspecting Statesboro of 2010 stopped a two-point conversion for a 7-6 victory. Rome had an all-state kicker that year, so we know it wasn’t that, and coach John Reid would never play not to lose.
Statesboro has been one of the tournament’s bigger surprises. The Blue Devils beat Griffin’s 2013 state champion in the first round, then 2018 runner-up Warner Robins in the second. In 2010, Statesboro lost to eventual champion Chattahoochee 22-21 in the Class 4A semifinals.
Statesboro's coach then was Steve Pennington, who came out of retirement this year to coach Bulloch Acacdemy, a Georgia Independent School Association team in Statesboro.
Pennington was proud to see his 2010 team do well but remained troubled by the memory of that Chattahoochee game, which was won on a field goal as time expired. Pennington said one play, or decision, still haunted him.
‘’This is the gospel truth,’’ Pennington said. “We had scouted them, and on their punt return, their front line, all 10 of them, would turn and run back to their punt returner as soon as the ball was snapped. We practiced a fake punt to use given the opportunity. So we’re on about our 38-yard line line, and it’s fourth down, less than two minutes left in the game [Statesboro leading 21-19] and I was thinking, ‘Should I call the fake?’ But my mindset was, ‘I just can’t call that right now. They’re coming after it.’ We snapped the ball, and there goes their whole team running down the field. We could’ve run it from here to Atlanta and never got touched.’’
Chattahoochee got the ball back, and the rest is history, including the Cougars' 24-0 victory over Starr's Mill in the finals the next week in the Georgia Dome. Pennington believes his team would've won, too.
“That team of 2010 will always be noted for its character rather than its athletic prowess,'' Pennington said. "We had a successful year because we had quality people who cared. It was a team that coaches dream of coaching.''
Chattahoochee's 2010 team also remains alive in the Team of the Decade tournament, but in the 6A semifinals.The GHSA had five classifications in 2010 and 2011, so to make them fit into seven classes for this tournament, teams prior to 2016 were reclassified into the seven-class structure using their actual enrollment from those seasons. Statesboro was one of the smaller 4A schools in 2010 and thus ended up in 5A for this tournament while Chattahoochee was placed in 6A. Chattahoochee beat 2019 Harrison 28-20 in a 6A quarterfinal between 15-0 state champions.
The 7A playoffs had some great games, too. Colquitt County’s 2015 champion beat Norcross’ 2012 champion 30-28. Both teams were 15-0 those seasons and are rated among the 10 best teams of the century, according to the Maxwell Ratings, which are used to generate the scores for this tournament.
Two other 7A semifinals matched state champions. Grayson’s 2016 team beat North Gwinnett’s 2017 team 27-14 in an all-Gwinnett County tilt, and 2018 Milton upset 2019 Marietta 37-26. Maxwell rated Marietta as a four-point favorite.
Tift County’s 2017 team, a 22-20 victor over 2015 Archer, reached the semifinals unexpectedly. Tift was 11-2 that season and featured future Minnesota All-America wide receiver Rashod Bateman. Those Blue Devils beat four top-10 teams that year, including Colquitt County.
The computer model used for the tournament simulation was created by Maxwell, the Georgia High School Football Historians Association founder. It uses historical scores to simulate any matchup involving Georgia high school teams of the past 75 years.
In each game, the stronger team usually wins, but upsets and surprising scores occur as they do in real life.
Below are quarterfinal scores in the larger four classifications, with upsets noted in red.
Coming Thursday: Semifinals
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Class 7A
2015 Colquitt County 30, 2012 Norcross 28
2017 Tift County 22, 2015 Archer 20
2016 Grayson 27, 2017 North Gwinnett 14
2018 Milton 37, 2019 Marietta 26
Class 6A
2011 Northside (W.R.) 20, 2016 Tucker 0
2016 Valdosta 14, 2015 Glynn Academy 0
2018 Lee County 20, 2016 Mays 7
2010 Chattahoochee 28, 2019 Harrison 20
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Class 5A
2019 Buford 37, 2015 Ware County 0
2012 Gainesville 21, 2010 Starr's Mill 14
2010 Statesboro 7, 2017 Rome 6
2013 Creekside 35, 2017 Stockbridge 24
Class 4A
2012 Sandy Creek 38, 2015 Woodward Academy 0
2014 Buford 35, 2010 Carrollton 21
2016 Cartersville 22, 2018 Marist 21
2018 Blessed Trinity 41, 2011 Burke County 27
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Today’s interviewee is Steven Craft, the athletic director for Fulton County Schools. Craft also is one of 12 members of the Georgia High School Association’s board of trustees as the representative for Class 6A. He is a native of Dahlonega.
Steven Craft, Fulton County Schools AD
1. What went into the decision to delay sports competitions for Fulton County Schools until mid-September? “The number one priority for Fulton County Schools is ensuring the safety of our student-athletes and coaches. This decision to delay competitions was not made lightly. The district is working extremely hard to return our students to face-to-face instruction. The delay in athletic competitions lines up with our reopening matrix for instruction. Like all districts, we are constantly studying the data provided to us by the Fulton County Board of Health - positivity rate, 14-day trends, etc. We are also looking at our internal data from when we resumed workouts and practices on June 15. Fulton County Schools remains committed to providing a fall season for our student-athletes. This delay helps to ensure that we will be ready to move forward on Sept.14. As a district athletic director, I do not want to limit competitions, but I will gladly delay if it means we can have a season.”
2. What are the protocols that FCS has used to protect students and staff? “I am extremely proud of the job that our coaches, trainers and staff have done since we resumed workouts and practices on June 15. They have embraced a culture of cleaning, and they have done everything they could to provide the safest environment possible for our student-athletes. Since the return to athletics, Fulton County Schools has demonstrated a very measured and diligent approach. Overall, we moved slower than other districts and what the GHSA allowed. We kept our group sizes smaller, and we only allowed fall sports to return to conditioning. This week is the first week that we have allowed our entire teams to practice together. Other protocols we instituted include asking screening questions of our athletes and coaches prior to workouts and implementing temperature checks for all athletes, coaches and managers. We have also developed cleaning protocols for the weight room, practice facilities and other athletic areas. We use contact tracing for any athletes that have tested positive. The coordinator of student health services and her team have provided amazing support as we work through any positive cases. We are currently working on plans concerning stadium capacity and protocols for when we resume hosting athletic competitions.”
3. You believe that Fulton’s schools need more time to start the football season. As a member of the GHSA's board of trustees, do you feel that the state as a whole needs more time? What's your position on football games beginning the week of Sept. 4? “This is a difficult question to answer. The state of Georgia is a very large state with very different population densities. It is always important to remember that areas can and will be impacted very differently. COVID-19 has impacted the metro area harder than say areas in North Georgia, Coastal Georgia, Middle Georgia or in South Georgia. For example, Fulton County Schools was the first school district to report a positive case in March prior to the entire state shutting down. As a member of the board of trustees, I am always going to gather input from the other state executive members. I have a duty to represent all of the 6A schools and the other schools in the state of Georgia. I do believe that several areas of the state are ready to move forward with the season. The GHSA has left this decision up to the individual school districts. The staff at the GHSA office is currently working hard to help the schools impacted by delays or cancellations to make up the missing football games. I will be excited for the teams that can start their seasons on Sept. 4, and I will be extremely excited to see the Fulton County football teams start on the 17th and 18th.”
4. I'm sure you get a lot of questions about the football season – Do you think it will start on time? Do you think we can play a full season? Do you expect more school systems to delay their seasons like Fulton did? With attention to those questions, how do you see the season progressing? “I do think that the football season will start on time for the school districts that are ready to move forward. I hope that everyone will get the opportunity to play a full or close to full season. We know that the virus is not going away, and each school will have to be ready to deal with positive cases and potential quarantines. There will be some teams that miss games due to COVID-19, and they will need to work with their individual regions to try to make up these games if possible. Several districts have made the decision to delay or cancel their seasons. I would not be surprised if other districts make similar decisions. Each district must make the best decision in their eyes for their student-athletes and coaches. I definitely do not have a crystal ball, but I will remain confident and optimistic that we will have football games this fall.”
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Storm Johnson gives back to student-athletes
Former UCF standout and NFL running back Storm Johnson has joined The Learning Company in offering services to middle and high school students and student-athletes through a boys only academy with NCAA approved classes (in person one-to-one or virtual); final semester program for high school seniors; ACT/SAT prep; athletic training; and Camp Storm, a residential camp facility located in southeastern Georgia on 40 acres. For information, call 770-652-7542 or click here to email.
Mitchell County seeks two opponents for 2020 football schedule
Mitchell County High School is seeking two football games to complete its 2020 schedule. It has open dates on Oct. 16 and 23 and would like to play one of the games in Camilla. Click here to contact coach Deshon Brock.
Jackson County seeks assistant in boys basketball, baseball
Jackson County High School is accepting applications for an assistant boys basketball coach and assistant baseball coach that will include duties as a PE teacher. If interested, click here to contact athletic director Brad Hayes.
Sequoyah seeks boys basketball assistant coach
Sequoyah High School is accepting applications for a varsity boys basketball assistant coach for the 2020-21 school year. Teaching certificate needs to be in science or SPED Math. If you are interested, click here to contact head coach Allen Carden.
St. George’s Episcopal seeks assistants in volleyball, boys basketball
The assistant coaches in volleyball and boys basketball will assist in all matters concerning the varsity teams. We are looking for someone who wants to help build a competitive program in an elite academic environment. We are only in the fifth year of competing at the varsity level. St. George’s competes in GISA AA athletics. These are part-time jobs through the season with the possibility of expanding roles in the coming years. Click here to contact athletic director Britt Gaylor.
Rockdale Co. seeks assistant football, baseball, girls basketball coach
Rockdale County High School is looking for an assistant coach for baseball, girls basketball and football. Interested candidates should be certified in one of the following teaching vacancies – English, Spanish and/or SPED (Science and/or English). Click here to contact athletic director Chad Suddeth.
Manchester seeks head softball coach
Manchester High School is now accepting applications for our head softball coach. Also, there is a possibility of coaching an additional spring sport, with a SPED co-teacher opening as well. Interested applicants can send their resume and cover letter to assistant principal/athletic director Dr. Kelvin Smith by clicking here.
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GHSF Daily classified ads
Reach 22,000 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 35-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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