Hughes quarterback Prentiss "Air" Noland passed for 4,095 yards and 55 touchdowns last season in leading the Panthers to a 15-0 record and a state-record 792 points. (Photo courtesy on On3).
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Georgia rich in elite QB talent |
Georgia has never been so rich in elite quarterback prospects in one season. Of the 20 highest-rated players at the position this century, six will be returning Georgia starters in 2023.
Two are five-star recruits. Buford’s Dylan Raiola and Hughes’ Prentiss “Air” Noland are the first five-star QB senior pair in Georgia since Cartersville’s Trevor Lawrence and Harrison’s Justin Fields. The latter two became Heisman Trophy finalists and first-round NFL Draft picks.
Calvary Day’s Jake Merklinger and Benedictine’s Luke Kromenhoek are four-star seniors. Both are from Savannah.
A third four-star is Antwann “A.J.” Hill, a Houston County junior.
The sixth player isn’t officially rated, as 247Sports doesn’t issue its composite for sophomores until the spring, but Carrollton’s Julian “Ju Ju” Lewis is an almost certain future five-star. ESPN recently rated him the nation's No. 1 college prospect regardless of year in school.
This is the first 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 the first official members of GHSF Daily’s Georgia Power 100.
*Reece Fountain, Rome, Sr.: Fountain (6-0, 185) passed for 3,028 yards, completing 75% of his passes (218 of 292), and 28 touchdowns for a 12-2 Class 6A semifinal team. He passed for 2,312 yards and 19 touchdowns as a sophomore. He’s 27-5 as a starter. Fountain has seven offers and Ivy League attention.
*Jeremy Hecklinski, Walton, Sr.: Hecklinski (6-1, 175) passed for 3,520 yards and 37 touchdowns while leading Walton to a 10-3 record and Class 7A quarterfinal finish in 2022. He threw a TD pass in every game. He passed for 315 yards and three touchdowns in a 42-35 victory over No. 1 Buford. He has 5,572 yards passing and 55 TD passes for his career. Hecklinski is a top-50 QB prospect nationally and Walton’s top QB prospect in history. He committed to Wake Forest in December.
*Antwann “A.J.” Hill Jr., Houston County, Jr.: Hill (6-5, 215) passed for 3,663 yards and 40 touchdowns as a sophomore while leading the Bears to a 10-3 quarterfinal finish in Class 5A. He is the consensus No. 4 quarterback among juniors, according to 247Sports. Hill is a cousin of former Georgia player and current Cincinnati Bengals center Trey Hill.
*Jake Merklinger, Calvary Day, Sr.: Merklinger (6-3, 195) is a three-year starter with 6,607 yards passing and 75 TD passes. Calvary Day is 32-7 (11-1 last season) with two quarterfinal and one semifinal finish in those three seasons. Merklinger plays varsity basketball and lacrosse. He’s the consensus No. 7 quarterback nationally. Rivals.com ranks him No. 5. Merklinger committed to Tennessee in March.
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*Luke Kromenhoek, Benedictine, Sr.: Kromenhoek (6-4, 185) committed to Florida State in the spring of his sophomore season before becoming Benedictine’s starter. He had played behind current Auburn redshirt freshman Holden Geriner. In his first season behind center, Kromenhoek led the Cadets to the Class 4A title and a 13-2 record and earned first-team all-state. He was 171-of-263 passing for 2,576 yards and 24 touchdowns and rushed for 453 yards. Kromenhoek is the consensus No. 8 QB prospect nationally and rated No. 3 nationally by 247Sports.
*Julian “Ju Ju” Lewis, Carrollton, So.: Lewis’ 2022 season was the best for a freshman quarterback in state history. He was 283-of-432 passing for 4,118 yards and 48 touchdowns and led the Trojans to the Class 7A championship game. He began getting major Division I offers in the fall of his eighth-grade year. Lewis (6-1, 185) is a candidate to become the No. 1 recruit for the class of 2026. He has more than 30 offers, including those from Alabama, Georgia and Ohio State.
*Luke Nickel, Milton, Jr.: As a first-year starter as a sophomore last year, Nickel (6-2, 205) was 197-of-337 passing for 2,507 yards and 24 touchdowns on a 10-4 Class 7A team. He’s the consensus No. 26 QB prospect nationally among juniors. His brother is Jack Nickel, a former all-state tight end who is a redshirt freshman at Michigan State. Luke’s reported favorites are Florida State, Pittsburgh and Penn State.
*Prentiss "Air" Noland, Hughes, Sr.: The left-handed Noland, the consensus No. 4 QB prospect nationally, directed the highest-scoring offense in state history last season. Hughes, the first team to score at least 35 points in every game, scored 792 points over a 15-0 season. Noland threw 55 TD passes, one short of K’hari Lane’s state record, and passed for 4,095 yards, completing 73% of his throws (236 of 323). He has thrown for 8,024 yards and 104 touchdowns in his career. If his senior season is similar to his junior campaign, he’ll finish in the top seven all-time in yards and top five in TD passes. Noland (6-3, 195) committed to Ohio State in June.
*Aaron Philo, Prince Avenue Christian, Sr.: Philo (6-2, 195) became the first quarterback in state history to pass for 4,000 yards in consecutive seasons (4,540 as a sophomore, 4,598 as a junior) last year while leading the Wolverines to the Class A Division I championship. He threw 54 TD passes, two short of the state record, after throwing for 47 as a sophomore. His six TD passes in a 52-34 victory over Swainsboro is the all-class state finals record. He ranks 12th in career passing yards with 9,326, which is 4,576 short of Trevor Lawrence’s record. He rushed for 361 yards last season. Philo is a consensus three-star recruit. He committed to Georgia Tech in May.
*Dylan Raiola, Buford, Sr.: Raiola (6-2, 220) is the consensus No. 1 recruit in the country. He transferred to Buford from an Arizona school in June just weeks after committing to Georgia. Raiola passed for 2,435 yards as a junior and 3,341 as a sophomore, each time in 12 games. His father is Dominic Raiola, a former Detroit Lions center.
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Class 6A
The Maxwell Ratings, compiled by mathematician and Georgia High School Football Historians Association founder Loren Maxwell, have projected the region finishes of all 413 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 2022 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 6A shapes up in 2023.
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Coming Thursday: Class 5A |
Class 6A
Number of hires: 14
Best hire: Sean O’Sullivan, Pope
Hardest to replace: Gary Varner, Allatoona
Best job: Blessed Trinity
Toughest job: Rockdale County
Most interesting: Two Class 6A head coaches in Region 5 made lateral moves in their own school systems and will face their former teams this season. In Douglas County, New Manchester hired Olten Downs from Alexander. In Paulding County, Paulding hired Eric “Sumo” Robinson from South Paulding. In both cases, the coach’s former team beat his new team in 2022. GHSF Daily last season researched and reported the 44 times this century that a coach had faced his former team in his first year at his new job. One was Jefferson’s Travis Noland facing Oconee County in 2022. So it’s not especially uncommon but has happened only 12 times in the same school system since 2000. The most memorable was probably Shane Queen leaving his alma mater, South Cobb, for North Cobb in 2006.
Region 1
*Northside (Warner Robins) hired Peach County offensive coordinator Ben Bailey to replace Chad Alligood, who is now Jones County's athletic director. Bailey was Houston County’s offensive coordinator from 2019 to 2021 and in 2016, which was Jake Fromm’s senior season. Bailey coached on Lee County’s 2018 team that beat Northside for the Class 6A title. He started his coaching career at alma mater Dooly County. Northside was 21-15 in three seasons under Alligood and 7-5 in 2022.
Region 2
*South Effingham hired Morgan County offensive coordinator Loren Purvis to replace Nathan Clark, who is back on Lee County's staff as special teams coordinator and tight ends coach. Purvis was South Effingham’s offensive coordinator in 2019 and 2020. He also has coached at Prince Avenue Christian and Dacula. He’s a former Irwin County quarterback. South Effingham was 13-27 in Clark’s four seasons and 4-5 in 2022.
Region 3
*Rockdale County hired Johnson of Savannah coach Kenderrick Bonner to replace Lee Hannah, who is now Douglas County’s defensive coordinator. Bonner took over Johnson when it was on a 23-game losing streak and improved it each season, peaking last year at 5-5, the Atom Smashers’ first non-losing season since 2009. Bonner is a former standout player at Burke County, where he began his coaching career. Rockdale County has won two games in the past three seasons.
Region 4
None
Region 5
*Alexander hired Grayson offensive coordinator Cody Neal to replace Olten Downs, who became head coach at New Manchester. Neal is a former Harrison and LaGrange College player who was on South Paulding’s staff for eight seasons, finishing up as offensive coordinator, before going to Grayson in 2022. He worked as a community coach at Harrison for five years and at Kennesaw Mountain for one. Alexander was 8-11 in Downs’ two seasons and 3-7 in 2022.
*New Manchester hired Alexander coach Olten Downs to replace Cedric Jackson, who is now assistant head coach and defensive line coach at Newnan. Downs’ Alexander teams were 8-11 in two seasons and 12-14 the three seasons prior at Westover. He’s best known as the coach who led Creekside to a state title in 2013. New Manchester was winless in 2022, two seasons after winning its only region title in history, and lost to Downs’ Alexander team 48-14.
*Paulding County hired South Paulding coach Eric “Sumo” Robinson to replace Umbrah Brown, who became head coach at Central in Carroll County. South Paulding was 8-4 in Robinson’s only full season and 7-2 after he took over after two games in 2021. Robinson was at South Paulding for three seasons. Robinson has been on staffs at Mundy’s Mill, Hughes, Douglas County and alma mater Creekside. Paulding County was 6-5 in Brown’s only season and reached the playoffs for the first time since 2017.
*South Paulding hired Pebblebrook offensive coordinator Maurice Allen to replace Eric “Sumo” Robinson, who became head coach at Paulding County. Allen, an Army veteran, has assisted at West Orange and Freedom in his native Florida, Elgin in Texas and Ware County. South Paulding was 8-4 last season.
Region 6
*Allatoona hired Loganville coach Brad Smith to replace Gary Varner, who retired. Smith has been Loganville’s coach the past three seasons and led the Red Devils to a 9-2 finish last year, their best record since 2016. Smith had been Calhoun’s running backs coach for one season when Loganville hired him. He’s been on staffs at North Murray, Dalton, Flowery Branch, Chestatee and Sonoraville. Smith will be Allatoona’s second head coach. Varner started the program in 2008 and won four region titles and the Class 5A championship in 2015. Allatoona was 6-6 last season.
*Woodstock hired West Forsyth defensive coordinator Dan Devine to replace Troy Hoff, who returned to Eastside as offensive line coach. Devine, a New York native, has been a head coach at Hickory Grove and Catawba Christian in North Carolina and North Springs in Georgia over his 20-year career. He’s assisted at Alpharetta, Etowah and Hopeville, N.C. At North Springs for one season, 2016, his team was 6-5, the program’s first winning season in 18 years. Woodstock has lost 22 consecutive games.
Region 7
*Blessed Trinity hired Winder-Barrow coach Ed Dudley to replace Tom Hall, who retired. Dudley’s coaching record is 214-120, and his victory total ranks eighth among active GHSA coaches. He has led programs at Buford (1992-94), Walton (1995-2008), Ware County (2009-13) and Winder-Barrow (2018-22). He won five region titles at Walton and led Ware County to two region titles, four 10-win seasons and a 2012 Class 5A runner-up finish. Blessed Trinity was 7-4 last season, Hall’s second. The Titans won Class 4A titles in 2017, 2018 and 2019.
*Johns Creek hired Cambridge defensive coordinator Jim Rowell to replace Drew Connell, who is now Milton's defensive line coach. Rowell started his coaching career in 1997 and has been a defensive coordinator at Alpharetta, Lassiter, Kell, Pope and Chattahoochee and co-coordinator at Roswell. This is his first head-coaching job. Johns Creek was 2-8 last season following a Class 6A quarterfinal finish in 2021.
*Pope hired Centennial coach Sean O'Sullivan, an alumnus, to replace Tab Griffin, who is now Lassiter’s associate head coach and receivers coach. O’Sullivan’s five-year record is only 18-32, but he’s never failed to improve a team from the previous season after inheriting winless Centennial in 2020 and struggling North Atlanta in 2017, breaking playoff droughts in his final seasons at each. O'Sullivan was Pope's defensive coordinator in 2017 and was on the staff of Westminster's 2015 Class 3A champion. O’Sullivan also has coached at Mount Vernon and in college at Southeastern Louisiana, Delta State and alma mater Mars Hill. Pope was 26-35 in six seasons under Griffin.
Region 8
*Apalachee promoted defensive coordinator and assistant head coach Mike Hancock to replace Tony Lotti, who became head coach at Seckinger. An Athens Christian and Georgia graduate, Hancock has been at Apalachee since 2018 and coached previously at Walnut Grove (2010-17), West Hall (2008), Monroe Area (2008-09), Chestatee (2003-07) and Loganville (1997-2003). Apalachee broke a 12-year playoff drought in 2022 but fell to 0-10 last season.
*Jackson County hired Knoxville Catholic coach Korey Mobbs to replace Rich McWhorter. Mobbs was Lanier’s coach from 2014 to 2020 before heading to Knoxville. His Lanier teams were 58-22 with two region championships. Jackson County most recently had a winning season in 2012. McWhorter’s teams were 15-26 in four seasons, during which the school moved to Class 6A from 3A. McWhorter, who has 303 career wins, says he wants to take a year off and return to head coaching next season.
Coming Thursday: Class 5A
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Longest-tenured: 6A
Marist’s Alan Chadwick is entering his 39th season at Marist, his only employer as a head coach. The 39 GHSA seasons tie him with Wayman Creel, Rodney Walker and Dan Pitts. Luther Welsh holds the GHSA record with 43 seasons. Larry Campbell is next with 42. Until retiring this offseason, Allatoona’s Gary Varner had been Class 6A’s second-longest tenured coach. He started the Buccaneers’ program in 2008.
39 - Alan Chadwick, Marist
15 - Timothy Floyd, Jonesboro
15 - Dean Fabrizio, Lee County
15 - James Teter, Sequoyah
13 - John Hunt, Woodward Academy
10 - Rocky Hidalgo, Glynn Academy
10 - Steve Hibbitts, Lakeside (Evans)
10 - Edgar Carson, Lovejoy
9 - Michael Nash, Dunwoody
9 - Benji Harrison, Habersham Central
9 - John Reid, Rome
8 - Johnny White, Douglas County
8 - Jerome Weaks, Morrow
8 - Robert Craft, North Forsyth
7 - Chip Walker, Newnan
7 - Brett Vavra, Sprayberry
5 - Trevor Williams, Creekview
5 - Daniel Williams, Hughes
5 - Morris Starr, Lakeside (Atlanta)
5 - Sean Thom, Lassiter
5 - Mike Collins, River Ridge
5 - Tino Ierulli, Shiloh
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100 Greatest
GHSA Finals
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Two football programs have won 40 games since 2020. Which are they? (Answer Thursday)
Answer to Tuesday’s question: Luther Welsh and Barney Hester hold the record for most seasons as a Georgia head football coach with 43. Welsh, best known for his time at Thomson, began as Warrenton’s coach in 1955. He was a head coach in South Carolina for six years, giving him 49 total seasons. Hester retired after the 2017 season at Howard. He spent 38 seasons in the GISA and won 11 state titles at Macon’s Tattnall Square.
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TD Club lunches
begin on Aug. 24
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Football season is right around the corner, which means it’s time to renew your membership in the Touchdown Club of Atlanta. The lineup of speakers this fall will include Matt Stinchcomb (Aug. 24), Takeo Spikes (Sept. 26), Laura Rutledge (Oct. 10), Brian Jordan (Oct. 31) and Tom Rinaldi (Nov. 14). The Aug. 24 event will be held at the Piedmont Driving Club while the others will take place at Maggiano’s Buckhead. All begin at 11:45 a.m. For more information about the club, click here. Additional information on membership can be found by clicking here.
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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.
Friday’s games
Apalachee at Discovery
Appling Co. at Bacon Co.
Armuchee at Christian Heritage
Atkinson Co. at Wheeler Co.
Bowdon at Heard Co.
Brooks Co. at Hardaway (K)
Cambridge at Woodstock
Cedar Shoals at Loganville
Clarke Central at North Oconee
Coffee at Fitzgerald
Coosa at Ringgold
Copper Basin, Tenn. at Towns Co.
Crawford at Macon Co.
Crisp Co. at Bainbridge
Drew at Forest Park (SC)
ELCA at Eagle’s Landing
Early Co. at Pelham
East Hall at Habersham Central
East Laurens at GMC Prep
Emanuel Co. Institute at Vidalia
Evans at Thomson
Gilmer at Commerce
Hancock Central at Greenbrier
Hawkinsville at Bleckley Co.
Jenkins at Bryan Co.
Johnson Co. at Wilcox Co.
Johnson, Gaines. at North Cobb Christ.
Jonesboro at Trinity Christian
Josey at Cross Creek
Kell at Walton
Lakeview-FO at East Ridge, Tenn.
Lanier Christian at Lakeview Academy
Laney at Burke Co.
Locust Grove at Luella
Long Co. at McIntosh Co. Academy
Lovejoy at Stockbridge
Marion Co. at Deerfield-Windsor
Metter at Wayne Co.
Miller Grove vs. Chamblee (ND)
M.L. King at Morrow
Model at Sonoraville
Monroe at Turner Co.
Mount Paran Christ. at Whitefield Acad.
Mount Vernon at Lovett
Mount Zion, Carroll at Temple
Mount Zion, Jonesboro at Callaway
Newnan at Griffin
Norcross at Parkview
North Clayton at Berkmar
North Forsyth at Dawson Co.
North Hall at Flowery Branch
Northwest Whitfield at Calhoun
Pace Academy at Wesleyan
Peach Co. at Colquitt Co.
Pebblebrook at McEachern
Pepperell and Cartersville at North Murray (jamboree)
Rockmart at Bremen
Schley Co. at Irwin Co.
Sequoyah at Denmark
Spencer vs. Columbus (OS)
Stephens Co. at Elbert Co.
Stephenson vs. Cedar Grove (GO)
Thomas Co. Central at Cook
Tri-Cities at Northview
Tucker at St. Pius
Veterans at Warner Robins
West Forsyth at Lanier
Westover at Mitchell Co.
Winder-Barrow at Washington-Wilkes
Saturday’s game
Jordan School at Walker
Aug. 9
Southwest DeKalb at Dacula
Aug. 10
Archer at Peachtree Ridge
Bryan Co. at Tattnall Co.
Cherokee Bluff at Morgan Co.
Coahulla Creek at Gordon Central
Creekside at Westlake
Eastside at Monroe Area
Gainesville at Milton
Groves at Glenn Hills (GHM)
Heritage, Ringgold at Dalton
Jackson Co. at East Jackson
Meadowcreek at Alpharetta
Northeast at Swainsboro
Redan at Salem
Ringgold vs. Soddy Daisy, Tenn. (TC)
Rockmart at Rome
Wesleyan at Walnut Grove
Westfield at Wilcox Co.
Aug. 11
Ashley Ridge, S.C. at Camden Co.
Adairsville at Trion
Allatoona at Kennesaw Mountain
Arabia Mountain at Alcovy
Athens Academy at Westminster
Baconton at Terrell Academy
Banks Co. at Lumpkin Co.
Blessed Trinity at Oconee Co.
Butler at Hephzibah
Carver, Atlanta at Decatur
Carver, Columbus at Lee Co.
Central Gwinnett at Seckinger
Chattahoochee Co. at Brookstone
Chattooga at Ridgeland
Claxton at Portal
Clinch Co. at Pierce Co.
Columbus at Marion Co.
Commerce at Holy Innocents’
Community Christian at Walker
Creekview at Cherokee
Cross Creek at Lincoln Co.
Dade Co. at Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe
Daniel, S.C. and Wren, S.C. vs. Washington-Wilkes (at Hart Co. jamboree)
Darlington at Sumter Co.
Dooly Co. at Dougherty
Duluth at Osborne
ECI at Fitzgerald
Etowah at Sprayberry
Flint River Academy at Jordan (OS)
GMC Prep at Montgomery Co.
Harrison at East Paulding
Hiram at East Paulding
North Cobb at Collins Hill
Forsyth Central at Pope
George Walton at Mount Paran Christian
Glascock Co. at Jenkins Co.
Gordon Lee at Coosa
Greene Co. at Putnam Co.
Hapeville Charter at Chattahoochee
Hardaway at Manchester
Hughes at North Gwinnett
Jeff Davis at Atkinson Co.
Jenkins at Liberty Co.
Johnson, Savannah at Lakeside, Evans
Jones Co. at Buford
KIPP Atlanta at New Manchester
Lafayette at Model
Lakeview Acad. at Lake Oconee Acad.
Landmark Christ. at Mt. Pisgah Christian
Macon Co. at Lanier
Marietta at Campbell
McIntosh Co. Academy and Savannah Christian at Brunswick (jamboree)
McNair vs. Clarkston (HS)
Miller Co. at Deerfield-Windsor
Mount Bethel at Cherokee Christian
Mt. Pisgah Christ. at Providence Christ.
Mount Vernon at Prince Avenue Christian
Mountain View at South Gwinnett
Murray Co. at Southeast Whitfield
Newton at North Springs
Northgate at Fayette Co.
Pelham at Worth Co.
Perry at Northside, W.R.
Pickens at Pepperell
Pike at Hampton
Powdersville, S.C. and T.L. Hanna, S.C. at Hart Co. (jamboree)
River Ridge at Wheeler
Rockdale Co. at Banneker
Roswell at Lambert
Seminole Co. at Shaw (K)
Shiloh at South Forsyth
Southwest at Laney
St. Anne-Pacelli at Southland Academy
St. Francis at King’s Ridge Christian
Statesboro at Long Co.
Stone Mountain at Johnson, Gainesville
Tift Co. at Lowndes
Tiftarea Acad. at SW Georgia Academy
Union Co. at Chestatee
Valdosta at Lowndes
Valwood at Hawkinsville
Villa Rica at Haralson Co.
Ware Co. at Cairo
Warren Co. at Telfair Co.
Washington Co. at Jefferson Co.
West Hall at Oglethorpe Co.
Westside, Augusta at Greenbrier
Westside, Macon at Bleckley Co.
White Co. at East Forsyth
Windsor Forest at Bradwell Institute
Woodland, Cartersville at Lassiter
Woodland, Stockbridge at Chapel Hill
Woodward Academy at GAC
Stadium abbreviations: (GHM) Glenn Hills Middle School; (GO) Godfrey; (HS) Hallford; (K) Kinnett; (ND) North DeKalb; (OS) Odis Spencer; (SC) Southern Crescent; (TC) University of Tennessee-Chattanooga
Join both the GACA and GFCA for $55.00 per coach! JOIN TODAY!
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Sponsored Content
Inaugural Media Day attracts more than 1,700 players
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Score Atlanta’s Georgia High School Football Media Day, sponsored by high school sports video giant HUDL, pushed through more than 1,700 Georgia players last Wednesday at the IBEW building in downtown Atlanta. Most of the schools brought their senior classes and spent 45 minutes with the media, including a head coach and two-player interview on the digital broadcast, which was shown live on the Atlanta News First app, the NFHS Network and Score’s YouTube page. More than 75 media attended, and the day lasted from 10 a.m. to almost 6 p.m. The event was done in partnership with Georgia High School Football Daily, as founders Todd Holcomb and Chip Saye spent time with players and coaches as well as doing an interview on the broadcast. “I think the key for us was coming out of the shoot with a company like HUDL as the title sponsor and having the use of the historic IBEW building,” Score Atlanta president I.J. Rosenberg said. “The Score staff worked hard to pull it off, as did Ted Langford, who handles the business side of GHSF Daily. I know Todd, Chip, Ted and myself want to do our best to promote the high school game in Georgia. I am not going to mention names because I don’t want to leave anyone out, but while it was great having some of the best players in the state there, it was better seeing all the seniors that will be playing their last season of football this year.” Rusty Mansell of DawgsHQ was also very involved. “Rusty moves the dial when it comes to high school sports and helping these players get to the next level,” Rosenberg said. “This was a great opportunity for these seniors, who want to take the next step and play in college but don’t have many opportunities yet, to meet Rusty and get a feel of what he feels about their college chances.” Rosenberg added that he would like to expand the event to three days next year, with one of them in south Georgia and another north of the metro Atlanta area.” |
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Today’s interviewee is Hughes coach Daniel Williams, whose team finished 15-0 and won Class 6A last season for the school’s first state championship. Williams is in his fifth season. His record is 41-12.
Daniel Williams, Hughes head coach
1. Looking back on the 2022 season one more time, what was the legacy of that team or season? What will be most memorable to you? “The most memorable thing was the fact that we were able to win the first state championship in school history and second in south Fulton County history [following Creekside in 2013]. That was big for the school and community. We broke the scoring record, and some say it was one of the greatest teams in state history. I often tell my team before the season what will your legacy be, and one of my coaching colleagues said it was one of the greatest teams in history. We also were the only team to win 15 games in the state of Georgia last year. So the legacy of that team was one that went 1-0 15 times.” [Hughes scored 792 points, breaking the state record of 758 set by Rome in 2017. Hughes was the only 15-0 team, although fellow GHSA champions Ware County and Prince Avenue Christian were 14-0. When Williams said Hughes was the second south Fulton team to win state, he meant among those that still exist. Palmetto High, which closed in 1990, won a couple of Class A titles in the 1980s.]
2. What's the scouting report on this year's team? “The scouting report in this is a team with a lot of experience playing at a high level. My junior class has lost only two games in high school, so they played and won in a lot of games. So this team, if we put it all together, can be just what the last two teams were [state runner-up in 2021, champion in 2022]. They’re buying into what we’re asking them to do. As far as strengths, the defensive line is pretty good, and of course the quarterback [five-star recruit and Ohio State pledge Air Noland]. We’ve got a lot of skill guys that can compete on offense and defense. D’Marcus Brown, Ameir Glenn and Jordan Thompson come back to give us leadership on the defensive side. Worries? How physical we are at the point of attack. We’ve got some new guys on the offensive line. And we have to try not to get bit by the complacency bug.”
3. Noland is your best-known player. How would you describe his skill set and what separates him from other quarterbacks? “He understands defenses. He does a good job anticipating throws. He has different arm slots to get the ball out defending the pocket. He’s able to identify our key guys versus their key guys. He can change protections. He has the autonomy to audible. He’s going on 45-plus games, so Air is at the point now where he’s seen every coverage known to man, every stunt. He has touch. He has pop. He has accuracy. He can put the ball down field. He understands the concept of taking what they give you.” [A four-year starter, Noland has thrown for 8,024 yards and 104 touchdowns in his career.]
4. Hughes is close to Creekside and Westlake, two other perennially strong programs. What makes football in south Fulton County so strong? “I believe we are a community among ourselves, if that makes sense. Going against each other, it’s a rivalry, but when it comes to going outside [the county], we’re in three classifications, which is a unique situation. We pull for each other. We don’t have the resources others have, but what we do have is quality coaching staffs, and we all do a great job with what we have. We don’t complain about it. We understand where we are and keep going. We get hard-nosed players and a lot of kids with untapped potential that we’re tapping into.” [Williams grew up in south Fulton and is a former Creekside player and coach.]
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GHSF Daily classified ads
Reach 24,000 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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