*Best player: Caleb Downs, Mill Creek. The five-star safety (left) has intercepted 14 passes in his career, returning five for touchdowns. He's also scored touchdowns rushing, receiving and returning kickoffs. He’s a great student, too, with a 3.95 GPA.
*Best position: Lineman. It’s what separates the highest class. The bigger the school, the greater the odds of athletic, larger people walking the halls. This year, it comes out to 15 trench men rated as top-75 Georgia senior or junior prospects with all-state room for only nine. With one exception (see Underrated below), all are at least 6 feet, 3 inches, or weigh at least 275 pounds, and each projects to sign with a Power 5 Conference team.
*Most highly recruited: Downs is Georgia’s consensus No. 1 senior prospect and the nation’s No. 1 safety. He’s committed to Alabama.
*That’s interesting: Brookwood’s Dylan Lonergan, the state’s highest-rated senior QB prospect, is noted for his strong arm, which also makes him an elite baseball pitching prospect. He plans to play baseball and football at Alabama. He’s thrown for 6,239 yards in his high school career and could finish third all-time in the highest class behind Marietta’s Harrison Bailey and Collins Hill’s Sam Horn.
*Snubbed: In a fast game of musical chairs among five four-star linebackers, North Gwinnett’s Grant Godfrey won the motivating prize of not being seated on this team. He’s merely the consensus No. 322 senior prospect in the country, a first-team all-county player last season with the Gwinnett TD Club and the son of former All-Pro linebacker Randall Godfrey. Also not included is Georgia-committed defensive lineman Gabriel Harris, whom the GHSA has declared ineligible at Valdosta pending an Aug. 16 appeal regarding his transfer from Thomas County Central.
*Underrated: The only non-specialists on the team not certain to sign with a Power 5 school are Colquitt County running back Charlie Pace (5-10, 185), who is committed to Georgia State, and Valdosta defensive lineman Eric Brantley (6-1, 250), who has more than 20 offers, about half what he’d get if he were a little taller. Pace had 1,345 yards from scrimmage and 13 touchdowns in 10 games last season. Brantley was Region 1-6A’s defensive player of the year in 2021.
*What else is new: Buford is making its debut in the highest class with four preseason all-state players – running back Justice Haynes, left tackle Paul Mubenga, defensive tackle Eddrick Houston and safety/wide receiver K.J. Bolden. And it could’ve been more.
Offense
Dual QB – Malachi Singleton, North Cobb, Sr.
Pro QB - Dylan Lonergan, Brookwood, Sr.
RB - Justice Haynes, Buford, Sr.
RB - Charlie Pace, Colquitt County, Sr.
WR - Craig "C.J." Adams Jr., Pebblebrook, Sr.
WR - Cayden Lee, Kennesaw Mountain, Sr.
TE - Ethan Davis, Collins Hill, Sr.
OL - Nathan Efobi, South Forsyth, Sr.
OL - R.J. Grigsby, North Cobb, Sr.
OL - Connor Lew, Kennesaw Mountain, Sr.
OL - Paul Mubenga, Buford, Sr.
OL - Shamurad Umarov, Denmark, Sr.
ATH - K.J. Bolden, Buford, Jr.
PK - Ryan Degyansky, Lambert, Sr.
Defense
DL – Eric Brantley, Valdosta, Jr.
DL - Eddrick Houston, Buford, Jr.
DL - Kayden McDonald, North Gwinnett, Sr.
DL - Tyler Walton, North Gwinnett, Sr.
LB - Jamal Anderson, Mill Creek, Sr.
LB - Dee Crayton, Denmark, Sr.
LB - Dion Crawford, Collins Hill, Sr.
LB - Jalen Smith, Grayson, Sr.
DB - Caleb Downs, Mill Creek, Sr.
DB - Mike Matthews, Parkview, Jr.
DB - Avieon "A.V." Terrell, Westlake, Sr.
DB - Bryce Thornton, Milton, Sr.
P - Jacob Ulrich, Mill Creek, Sr.
Coming Tuesday: Class 6A
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Bo Hughley of Hughes is a two-time first-team all-state selection and the highest-rated recruit in school history. The 6-foot-7, 290-pound lineman committed to Georgia. (Photos by Rusty Mansell / 247Sports)
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OL filled with Division I talent |
Size doesn’t define a quality offensive lineman, but extraordinary height and weight doesn’t hurt. These 10 Georgia Power 100 pancake chefs average 6 feet, 5 inches and 312 pounds. They top out at 6-7 Bo Hughley and 365-pound Zechariah Owens. All are major Division I prospects who have proven themselves as high school players.
This is one in a series of feature articles that recognize the state’s best players by position. They are chosen primarily on high school production, though college potential also is considered. They are the members of GHSF Daily’s Georgia Power 100.
*Daniel Calhoun, Centennial: Calhoun (6-6, 350) is the consensus No. 1 tackle prospect nationally among juniors and Centennial’s highest-rated recruit in history, beating out former NFL offensive lineman, David Yankey, who was a two-time consensus All-American at Stanford. He has started every game since he was a ninth grader. He didn’t allow a sack last season as a sophomore.
*D.J. Chester, Eagle’s Landing Christian: Chester was ELCA’s left tackle last season, and he finishes blocks like scenes from “The Blind Side.” Chester is a former state champion and runner-up in the shot put and discus. Chester (6-5, 300) is a consensus four-star recruit whose reported favorites include Auburn, LSU and Florida State.
*R.J. Grigsby, North Cobb: Grigsby (6-3, 310) was the best offensive lineman on a 10-2 Class 7A team that averaged 38.4 points per game last season, when was first-team all-Cobb County. He’s North Cobb’s most heavily recruited offensive lineman since Mike Fredenburg in 1990. His nickname is “Big Grizz.” Grigsby committed to North Carolina in July.
*Bo Hughley, Hughes: Hughley (6-7, 290) is the only Georgia offensive lineman who has been first-team all-state the past two seasons. He is the highest-rated Hughes recruit in history, a little ahead of former Georgia star and NFL player D’Andre Walker. He conditioned this offseason with running backs and linebackers instead of the linemen to improve speed and agility. Hughley committed to Georgia during his junior season.
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*Connor Lew, Kennesaw Mountain: Lew (left) is a center and a four-year starter who made first-team Class 6A all-state last season. He’s a two-time first-team all-region player. He has a personal best clean of 355 pounds and a 4.4 GPA. Lew (6-3, 280) is the third-highest recruit in school history behind current Georgia tight end Ryland Goede and teammate Cayden Lee, a wide receiver. Lew committed to Miami on Friday.
*Paul Mubenga, Buford: Mubenga, the left tackle on Buford’s Class 6A championship team, was credited with 87 pancake blocks and a 94% blocking grade. A consensus three-star recruit, Mubenga (6-4, 280) committed to LSU last month.
*Zechariah Owens, Eagle’s Landing Christian: A consensus top-200 national recruit, Owens is the highest-rated prospect in ELCA history. He was first-team all-state and all-Southern Crescent last season. He's exceptionally mobile for a player his size (6-5, 365). He played right tackle last season opposite D.J. Chester, another top-200 national recruit, making them the state’s best pair of tackles. Owens committed to Clemson on July 4.
*Madden Sanker, South Paulding: Sanker was an AJC honorable mention all-state and Recruit Georgia first-team pick. He had 50 pancake blocks and a 90% grade for the season at left tackle. Sanker is a top-125 national recruit and the top-rated lineman prospect in county history. Sanker (6-4, 305) committed to Louisville in July.
*Kelton Smith, Carver (Columbus): Smith played right tackle last season for Carver’s Class 4A runner-up team and was a bit overshadowed by teammate Elijah Pritchett, who signed with Alabama. Smith is a former state runner-up in the shot put. Smith (6-5, 300) is a consensus top-300 national recruit. He committed to Georgia in July.
*Shamurad Umarov, Denmark: Umarov was the starting left tackle on Denmark’s first team to win a playoff game as a sophomore and first to win a region title as a junior. He allowed only two sacks in 2021 and was first-team Northern Crescent and all-region. With NFL size, Umarov (6-6, 335) is a consensus top-400 recruit who committed to Tennessee last month.
Coming Tuesday: Defensive linemen
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Class 2A
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 2A shapes up in 2022.
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Coming Tuesday: Class A Division I |
TD Club luncheons 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.
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Class 2A changes
Class 2A picked up 27 teams and lost 21 during reclassification. Here are their comings and goings, with their previous or new classes in parentheses.
Coming
ACE Charter (A Public)
Appling County (3A)
Athens Academy (A Private)
B.E.S.T. Academy (A Public)
Brantley County (3A)
Central-Macon (3A)
Eagle's Landing Christ. (A Private)
East Jackson (3A)
Fellowship Christian (A Private)
Jordan (4A)
Kendrick (4A)
Landmark Christian (A Private)
Mount Paran Christian (A Private)
Murray County (3A)
North Cobb Christian (A Private)
North Murray (3A)
Pierce County (3A)
Providence Christian (A Private)
Redan (3A)
Rockmart (3A)
Rutland (4A)
Spencer (4A)
Sumter County (3A)
Tattnall County (3A)
Thomson (3A)
Walker (A Private)
Windsor Forest (3A)
Going
Bacon County (A Div. I)
Bleckley County (A Div. I)
Bremen (3A)
Chattooga (A Div. I)
Coosa (A Div. I)
Dade County (A Div. I)
Early County (A Div. II)
East Laurens (A Div. I)
Elbert County (A Div. I)
Heard County (A Div. I)
Jasper County (A Div. I)
Jefferson County (A Div. I)
Lamar County (A Div. I)
Lovett (4A)
Oglethorpe County (A Div. I)
Pace Academy (4A)
Pepperell (A Div. I)
Rabun County (A Div. I)
Swainsboro (A Div. I)
Temple (A Div. I)
Thomasville (3A)
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Who is Georgia’s highest-rated safety prospect this century: Eric Berry, Reshad Jones, Richard LeCounte, Vonn Bell or Caleb Downs? (Answer Tuesday)
Answer to Friday’s question: Returning this season are the state’s 2021 leading rusher (South Atlanta’s Keyjuan Brown with 2,757 yards), passer (Prince Avenue Christian’s Aaron Philo with 4,540 yards) and receiver (Rabun County’s Jaden Gibson with 1,878 yards).
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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. Listed below are this week’s games. To see a full schedule, including last week's games, visit our website.
Today’s game
Ridge Spring-Monetta, S.C. at Josey
Tuesday’s game
Morgan Co. at Cherokee Bluff
Cherokee at Creekview
Wednesday’s games
Cambridge at Johns Creek
Pope at Forsyth Central
Thursday’s games
Bremen at Mount Zion (Carroll)
Carver (Atlanta) at Brookwood
Cedartown at Cass
Central Gwinnett at Duluth
Clarkston vs. McNair (HS)
East Jackson at Jackson Co.
Eastside at Monroe Area
Islands at Savannah Country Day
Johnson Co., Tattnall Co. at Bryan Co. (jamboree)
Milton at Hughes
Mitchell Co. at Westover
New Hampstead at Calvary Day
Norcross at Dacula
North Gwinnett at Mill Creek
Pacelli at Southland
Peachtree Ridge at Archer
Ringgold at Chattanooga Central, Tenn.
Roswell at Westlake
Starr’s Mill at Union Grove
Telfair Co. at Bryan Co.
Walnut Grove at Wesleyan
Whitewater at McIntosh
Friday’s games
Alcovy at T.L. Hanna, S.C.
Alpharetta at Creekside
Arabia Mountain at Dunwoody
Benedictine at Toombs Co.
Berkmar at Osborne
Berrien at Charlton Co.
Blessed Trinity at Oconee Co.
Bowdon at Rabun Co.
Brookstone at Chattahoochee Co.
Brunswick, Long Co. at McIntosh Co. Academy (jamboree)
Cairo at Ware Co.
Camden Co. at West Ashley, S.C.
Campbell at Marietta
Carrollton at Alexander
Carver (Columbus) at Lee Co.
Cedartown at Cass
Centennial at Banneker
Central (Carrollton) at Heard Co.
Chamblee vs. Miller Grove (ND)
Chattahoochee at Riverwood
Collins Hill at North Cobb
Columbus at Marion Co.
Cross Creek at Lincoln Co.
Dade Co. at Lakeview-Ft. Oglethorpe
Deerfield-Windsor at Miller Co.
East Forsyth at White Co.
East Paulding at Harrison
Effingham Co. at Screven Co.
Fayette Co. at Northgate
Fitzgerald at ECI
Frederica Academy at Brantley Co.
Glenn Hills at Groves (GC)
Grayson at Paulding Co.
GAC at Woodward Academy
Grovetown at Harlem
Hapeville Charter at North Springs
Hephzibah at Aquinas
Hillgrove at Douglas Co.
Holy Innocents’ at Commerce
Irwin Co. at Appling Co.
Jeff Davis at Wilcox Co.
Jefferson at Marist
Jenkins Co. at Glascock Co.
Johnson (Gainesville) at Seckinger
Johnson (Savannah) at Swainsboro
Kendrick at Seminole Co.
Kennesaw Mountain at Allatoona
LaGrange at Harris Co.
Lakeside (Atlanta) at Rockdale Co.
Lakeview-Ft. Oglethorpe at Dade Co.
Lambert at Walton
Lanier Christian at Bethlehem Christian
Lassiter at Woodland, Carters.
Lithia Springs at Sandy Creek
Loganville Christian at Hebron Christian
Lumpkin Co. at Banks Co.
Mary Persons at Houston Co.
May River, S.C. at New Hampstead
McDonough at Ola
Model at LaFayette
Montgomery Co. at GMC Prep
Mt. Paran Christ. at George Walton Acad.
New Hampstead at Calvary Day
New Manchester at Pebblebrook
Norcross at Dacula
North Paulding at East Coweta
Northside (W.R.) at Perry
Northview at Tri-Cities
Oglethorpe Co. at West Hall
Peachtree Ridge at Archer
Pepperell at Dalton
Portal at Claxton
Prince Avenue Christian at Mount Vernon
Putnam Co. at Greene Co.
Richmond Academy at Lakeside (Evans)
Richmond Hill at Glynn Academy
Rockmart at Pickens
Schley Co. at Sumter Co.
Shaw at Seminole Co.
South Atlanta vs. Mays (L)
South Cobb at Heritage (Conyers)
South Effingham at Southeast Bulloch
South Forsyth at Shiloh
South Gwinnett at Mountain View
South Paulding at Hiram
Southeast Whitfield at Murray Co.
Southwest DeKalb at Salem
Southwest Georgia Academy at Tiftarea
Sprayberry at Etowah
Statesboro at Metter
Stephens Co. at Fannin Co.
Stephenson at Decatur
Tattnall Square at Social Circle
Temple at Armuchee
Thomasville at Valdosta
Three-team jamboree at Jasper Co.
Trion at Cherokee Co., Ala.
Union Co. at Chestatee
Warren Co. at Telfair Co.
Westminster at Athens Academy
Westside (Augusta) at Greenbrier
Whitewater, Upson-Lee at McIntosh (jamboree)
Winder-Barrow at Gainesville
Windsor Forest at Bradwell Institute
Worth Co. at Pelham
Stadium abbreviations: (GC) Garden City; (HS) Hallford; (L) Lakewood; (ND) North DeKalb
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Class 2A
Number of hires: 15
Best hire: Robert Edwards, Washington County
Hardest to replace: Jonathan Gess, Eagle’s Landing Christian
Best job: Eagle’s Landing Christian
Toughest job: Jordan
Most interesting: Washington County had a good coach. Joel Ingram had a 131-58-1 record in 16 seasons with four region titles and a state runner-up finish. What it lacked was the magic of the 1990s, when the Golden Hawks won three state titles. So Washington County made a bold move and tapped into its glory days with the hire of local legend Robert Edwards, whose 1992 senior class took WaCo to the state finals and sparked a dynasty. The program would win three state championships with Edwards’ brother, Terrence, guiding the final two as quarterback. Robert and Terrence went on to star at Georgia.
Region 1
*Cook hired Colquitt County defensive line coach Byron Slack to replace Jamie Rodgers, who became head coach at Bradford in Florida. Slack was Hillgrove’s coach in 2020, Lowndes’ defensive coordinator from 2017 to 2019 and a Camden County assistant from 2005 to 2016. Cook was 14-19 in Rodgers’ three seasons, 5-6 in 2021.
*Sumter County hired Dutchtown head coach Clifford Fedd to replace Ross Couch, who is now Marion County’s offensive coordinator. Fedd’s Dutchtown teams were 43-16 in five seasons. His top player there was current Alabama All-American Will Anderson. Fedd has been on staffs at Brooks County (2001-07, 2011-17) and Berrien (2008-10). Sumter County has gone 1-7 and 1-8 the past two seasons.
*Worth County hired Coffee offensive coordinator Jeff Hammond to replace Philip Ironside, the former Hillgrove coach who returned to Cobb County and joined Osborne’s staff. Hammond was Spalding’s coach in 2019. He was on Colquitt’s staff twice (2008-12 and 2016-18) and also worked at Foley in Alabama (2013-15). Worth County was 4-6 in each of Ironside’s two seasons.
Region 2
*ACE Charter hired Mount de Sales head coach Keith Hatcher to replace Sam Zanders, who became interim coach one game into the 2021 season and is now Georgia Southern’s assistant strength-and-conditioning coach. Hatcher’s Mount de Sales teams were 46-39 in eight seasons with a 2019 region title. Hatcher, a Mount de Sales alumnus, has coached at Valdosta State, Georgia Southern and Murray State under cousin Chris Hatcher and worked at UAB under Watson Brown. ACE, a Macon charter school, was 4-5 in 2021, its fourth varsity season.
*Jordan hired Richards Middle School head coach Kadale Jenkins to replace Dale Overton, who remained a teacher in the Muscogee County school system. Jenkins has assisted at Kendrick and Shaw and coached at four Columbus-area middle schools in a 12-year coaching career. Jordan played and lost three games in 2021 and forfeited the rest of its season because of declining participation and other factors.
*Kendrick hired Griffin co-defensive coordinator Robert Martin to replace Andre Slappey, who joined Lee County's staff as the defensive line coach. Martin, a Douglass High and Morehouse graduate, was on staffs at Banneker, Grady, South Atlanta and B.E.S.T. Academy before joining Griffin in 2019. Kendrick has won only four games over the past six seasons.
Region 3
None
Region 4
*Washington County hired Riverwood coach Robert Edwards to replace Joel Ingram. Edwards, a former Washington County, Georgia and NFL standout, led Riverwood to its best four-year record in history, going 32-11 and winning region titles in 2019 and 2021. Edwards was head coach at Greene County for six seasons before moving to metro Atlanta. Washington County was 131-58-1 in 16 seasons under Ingram and 5-5 last season, with all losses against ranked teams. Ingram is now Dublin’s assistant head coach in charge of the interior offensive line.
Region 5
*Towers hired Cross Keys coach John Bowen to replace Michael Johnson, who is now Mary Persons’ receivers coach and recruiting coordinator. Towers was 3-7 in Johnson’s only season, the Titans’ best finish since 2017. Bowen, known for taking extra challenging jobs, has been a Georgia head coach for 26 seasons at Cross Keys, Montgomery County, Hephzibah, Glascock County and John Hancock Academy.
*Eagle's Landing Christian promoted defensive coordinator and alumnus Tanner Rogers to replace Jonathan Gess, who became head coach at Hebron Christian. Rogers played at Charleston Southern and began his coaching career there as a graduate assistant in 2015-16. He was on Habersham Central’s staff for three seasons before coming to ELCA in 2020. Rogers was a key starter on ELCA’s 2010 team that was the school’s first to win a GHSA region title, setting the stage for a dominant decade.
Region 6
*B.E.S.T. Academy hired Jones County defensive backs coach Bernard Goodrum to replace Joshua Moore, who remained as athletic director. Goodrum was defensive coordinator at Faulkner University in 2019 and 2020. He worked three years at Copiah-Lincoln Community College. He’s a Spalding High alumnus and former all-conference player at Fort Valley State. B.E.S.T. was 36-67 with five playoff appearances in 10 seasons under Moore.
*KIPP Atlanta Collegiate hired James Briscoe as interim coach to replace Coy Brown, who remained as athletic director. Briscoe has coached at KIPP since 2017 and was the team’s head coach in 2019. KIPP has posted one winning season (7-4 in 2016) since it began football in 2013. KIPP was 1-8 in 2021.
*Mount Paran Christian promoted defensive coordinator Matt Ely to replace Mitch Jordan, who remained as athletic director. Ely has been at Mount Paran since 2016. He was Cherokee’s defensive coordinator and strength coach from 2012 to 2016. He’s also worked at Chapel Hill. Mount Paran was 101-55 in 11 seasons under Jordan, who started the program and led it to a Class A title in 2014.
*Walker promoted defensive coordinator Tom Evangelista to replace Tom Evans, who became Pace Academy’s offensive coordinator. Evangelista has been at Walker since 2019. He’d previously coached at Holy Innocents’. Most of his coaching has been spent at the college level with stops at West Georgia, West Alabama, South Carolina State, Furman and Presbyterian. He was a Clemson graduate assistant. Walker has finished 1-9 the past two seasons and will play a non-region schedule in 2022.
Region 7
*Murray County hired Gladden Middle School head coach Kurt Napier to replace Chadwick Brewer, who is now Coahulla Creek’s assistant head coach. Napier is the son of Bill Napier, Murray’s head coach from 1991 to 2006, and is a former Murray County quarterback. He’s also the younger brother of Billy Napier, Florida’s head coach. Kurt has been at Murray County the past five seasons, serving as co-defensive coordinator before taking over the middle school team. He’s also coached at Callaway and Thomas County Central. Murray County was 26-65 in nine seasons under Brewer.
Region 8
*Providence Christian hired Rabun Gap head coach Joe Sturdivant to replace Jonathan Beverly, who became the offensive line/run game coordinator at Flowery Branch. Sturdivant was a star player on Parkview’s 2000 and 2001 state championship teams. Rabun Gap, a Northeast Georgia boarding school that was runner-up the past two seasons in a North Carolina independent school league, had five players sign with Power 5-conference programs in December. Sturdivant previously coached for four years in Germany and Belgium. He was IMG Academy’s defensive coordinator in 2013 and 2014. He began his coaching career as a student assistant at SMU, where he played. Providence Christian hasn’t had a winning season in program history, which dates to 2012.
Coming Tuesday: Class A Division I
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Today’s interviewee is Tucker Pruitt, coach of defending Class 2A champion Fitzgerald. Pruitt is in his sixth season as the Purple Hurricane’s head coach. His record is 48-18. Pruitt was Fitzgerald’s quarterback in 2001 and 2002 under his father, Robby Pruitt. Fitzgerald’s 2021 state title was the school’s first since 1948.
Tucker Pruitt, Fitzgerald head coach
1. Looking back on 2021 one more time, what was the story of that team, and what did it mean to the school and community given the history? “The story of last year's team was perseverance. We were not very good at the beginning of the year. We got shut out by Pierce 17-0 in game five and didn't even win our region. But our players and coaches kept working hard and kept getting better and kept believing in each other. We started playing a little better down the stretch and were able to defeat three region champs on the road [Fannin County, Putnam County, Swainsboro] before finishing it off beating our region champ [Thomasville] in Atlanta. The championship was obviously really special for our community because it had been 73 years and we had been so close on numerous occasions. For me personally, it was a dream come true. This is a championship that I chased as a player and came up short. When I got the job at Fitzgerald, they were coming off back-to-back state runner-up seasons, and there was only one thing left to do. Last year we were so close and lost in the championship game by five [to Callaway]. I am really glad that we were able to knock the door down, and I am very thankful for all the people that helped make it happen.”
2. How does the 2022 team look? How many starters are back, and what do you expect to be your team's strengths and question marks? “We have eight of 11 back on offense, so we are hoping to play well on that side of the ball right out of the gate. On defense we have three or four back, so there are a lot of holes to fill, and we are going to have to have some kids step up and grow up fast.”
3. You had a couple of high-profile players who graduated in DeNorris Goodwin and E.J. Lightsey. Godwin got 30 carries in the state championship game. Lightsey got 11 and was the leading tackler. Are there are a couple of players that might try to fill the roles of go-to player on offense and ringleader on defense? “On offense, Sylon Davis is back at fullback. He is a strong runner and a good blocker. Sultan Cooper, our quarterback, is back and ready to have a good season. The halfback spot will be more of a committee-type deal. We have a bunch of backs that we will roll in and out, and hopefully somebody will step up. On defense, Daniel James is a guy that we feel like can have that same E.J. Lightsey type of production. He was an all-state player last year, and he is really quick and strong. We are expecting big things from him this year.”
4. Class 2A will be much different this season. There will be six private schools coming up from Class A, including Eagle’s Landing Christian and Fellowship Christian. How do you feel about how the dust settled in reclassification? “In addition to the private schools, half of the AAA final four has moved down in Pierce and Appling and two other AAA region champions as well in Thomson and Rockmart. It is sure to be a competitive class, and we understand that if we want to be around in the end, we have to focus on us and make sure that we are the best team that we can be and then we will see where that stacks up. Whoever wins the championship on Dec. 9 will have definitely earned it.”
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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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