Kickoff 2013 Cherokee Tribune

Kickoff 2013

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K

YEAR OF THE CHeROKEE Qb A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT OF THE CHEROKEE TRIBUNE SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

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2013 MARIETTA DAILY JOURNAL/CHEROKEE TRIBUNE ANNUAL FOOTBALL PREVIEW ISSUE KICKOFF 2013

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

TEAM PREVIEWS 8

ALLATOONA BUCCANEERS

52

NORTH COBB CHR. EAGLES

10

CAMPBELL SPARTANS

56

OSBORNE CARDINALS

16

CHEROKEE WARRIORS

58

PEBBLEBROOK FALCONS

18

CREEKVIEW GRIZZLIES

60

POPE GREYHOUNDS

20

ETOWAH EAGLES

64

RIVER RIDGE KNIGHTS

22

HARRISON HOYAS

66

SEQUOYAH CHIEFS

26

HILLGROVE HAWKS

68

SOUTH COBB EAGLES

28

KELL LONGHORNS

70

SPRAYBERRY YELLOW JACKETS

30

KMHS MUSTANGS

72

WALKER WOLVERINES

32

LASSITER TROJANS

78

WALTON RAIDERS

36

MARIETTA BLUE DEVILS

82

WHEELER WILDCATS

40

MCEACHERN INDIANS

84

WHITEFIELD WOLFPACK

42

MT. PARAN EAGLES

88

WOODSTOCK WOLVERINES

50

NORTH COBB WARRIORS

PAGE 3

FEATURES COBB CORNERBACKS 6 D.J. SMITH 7 CHEROKEE QUARTERBACKS 14 MDJ DYNAMITE DOZEN 45 CHEROKEE SUPER SIX 62 4 38 74 76 77

COMPOSITE SCHEDULE BEST GAMES TO WATCH IN 2013 REGION 6A/7AAAA PREVIEWS REGION 5AAAAA/7AAAAA PREVIEWS REGION 4AAAAAA/5AAAAAA PREVIEWS

2013 MARIETTA DAILY JOURNAL/CHEROKEE TRIBUNE ANNUAL FOOTBALL PREVIEW SECTION CREDITS EDITORS: JOHN BEDNAROWSKI, ELI BOORSTEIN, EMILY HOROS DESIGNERS: JOHN BEDNAROWSKI, ELI BOORSTEIN CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: JOHN BEDNAROWSKI, ADAM CARRINGTON, ZAC DIODATI, MICHAEL FOSTER, EMILY HOROS, ERIC SINGLE, CARLTON D. WHITE PHOTOGRAPHERS: KELLY J. HUFF, TODD HULL, SAMANTHA M. SHAL MDJ DYNAMITE DOZEN/CHEROKEE SUPER SIX PHOTOS: TODD HULL MARIETTA DAILY JOURNAL/CHEROKEE TRIBUNE STAFF: JOHN BEDNAROWSKI, SPORTS EDITOR; ELI BOORSTEIN, ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR; ADAM CARRINGTON, WRITER; EMILY HOROS, CHEROKEE TRIBUNE SPORTS EDITOR; CARLTON D. WHITE, WRITER

Staff / Todd Hull

Staff / Todd Hull

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2013 COBB/CHEROKEE MASTER SCHEDULE

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AUGUST 22 WOODSTOCK AT JOHNS CREEK AUGUST 23 CHAPEL HILL AT OSBORNE MARIETTA AT NEWNAN MORROW AT CAMPBELL WALKER AT TEMPLE WESTLAKE AT HILLGROVE WHEELER AT SPRAYBERRY

AUGUST 24 (ALL GAMES AT GEORGIA DOME) KELL VS. CHATTAHOOCHEE (9 A.M.) WALTON VS. PEACHTREE RIDGE (11:45 A.M.) MCEACHERN. VS BROOKWOOD (8:30 P.M.) AUGUST 30 CHEROKEE AT CREEKVIEW ETOWAH AT LAMBERT KENNESAW MOUNTAIN AT SPRAYBERRY LASSITER AT MCEACHERN (9 P.M.) MCNAIR AT OSBORNE NORTH COBB CHRISTIAN VS. TBA OUR LADY OF MERCY AT MOUNT PARAN PACE AT WHITEFIELD PEBBLEBROOK AT SOUTHWEST DEKALB POPE AT MARIETTA RIVER RIDGE AT SEQUOYAH SOUTH COBB AT WESTLAKE STARR’S MILL AT NORTH COBB WALTON VS. HILLGROVE (AT MCEACHERN) (6 P.M.) WOODLAND AT ALLATOONA WOODSTOCK AT HARRISON SEPTEMBER 6 BROOKSTONE AT MOUNT PARAN CAMPBELL AT OSBORNE CENTENNIAL AT ETOWAH CHEROKEE AT SEQUOYAH CREEKVIEW AT RIVER RIDGE DOUGLAS COUNTY AT SOUTH COBB HARRISON AT ALPHARETTA KELL AT WOODSTOCK MOUNTAINVIEW AT PEBBLEBROOK PAULDING COUNTY AT ALLATOONA RIVERSIDE MILITARY AT WHITEFIELD SPRAYBERRY AT LASSITER WALKER AT NORTH COBB CHRISTIAN WHEELER AT POPE SEPTEMBER 13 ALLATOONA AT ROME CAMPBELL AT HARRISON KENNESAW MOUNTAIN AT SOUTH COBB LANGSTON HUGHES AT WHEELER

KICKOFF 2013

LASSITER AT KELL MARIETTA AT HILLGROVE MOUNT PARAN AT LANDMARK MOUNT ZION-CAR. AT NORTH COBB CHRISTIAN NORTH COBB AT WALTON NORTH FORSYTH AT CHEROKEE PEBBLEBROOK AT MCEACHERN POPE AT ETOWAH RIDGELAND AT RIVER RIDGE TRION AT WALKER WHITEFIELD AT ST. FRANCIS

SEPTEMBER 20 CAMBRIDGE AT OSBORNE CHEROKEE AT LASSITER CREEKVIEW AT KELL ETOWAH AT WHEELER FORSYTH CENTRAL AT SPRAYBERRY HARRISON AT PEBBLEBROOK LITHIA SPRINGS AT ALLATOONA MCEACHERN AT MARIETTA MOUNT PARAN AT TRION NORTH COBB AT KENNESAW MOUNTAIN NORTHVIEW AT POPE RIVER RIDGE AT LAFAYETTE SEQUOYAH AT RIVERWOOD SOUTH COBB AT CAMPBELL WALKER AT MOUNT ZION-CARROLL WALTON AT WOODSTOCK SEPTEMBER 27 ALLATOONA AT SOUTH PAULDING CAMPBELL AT HILLGROVE KELL AT NORTH SPRINGS KENNESAW MOUNTAIN AT MCEACHERN LASSITER AT WOODSTOCK NORTH COBB AT HARRISON NORTH COBB CHRISTIAN AT CROSS KEYS OSBORNE AT CREEKVIEW PEBBLEBROOK AT MARIETTA POPE AT CAMBRIDGE RIVER RIDGE AT NORTHWEST WHITFIELD ROSWELL AT ETOWAH SPRAYBERRY AT SEQUOYAH WALTON AT CHEROKEE WHEELER AT MILTON WHITEFIELD AT GORDON LEE OCTOBER 4 ALLATOONA AT NEW MANCHESTER BACONTON AT NORTH COBB CHRISTIAN CREEKVIEW AT SEQUOYAH ETOWAH AT MILTON HARRISON AT KENNESAW MOUNTAIN HILLGROVE AT PEBBLEBROOK KING’S RIDGE AT MOUNT PARAN

LASSITER AT WALTON MCEACHERN AT CAMPBELL OSBORNE AT POPE RIVER RIDGE AT CEDARTOWN RIVERWOOD AT KELL ROSWELL AT WHEELER SOUTH COBB AT NORTH COBB WALKER AT MOUNT PISGAH CHRISTIAN WHITEFIELD AT FELLOWSHIP CHRISTIAN WOODSTOCK AT CHEROKEE

OCTOBER 11 FELLOWSHIP CHRISTIAN AT WALKER KELL AT OSBORNE KENNESAW MOUNTAIN AT MARIETTA MOUNT PARAN AT WHITEFIELD NORTH COBB AT HILLGROVE NORTH COBB CHRISTIAN AT PROVIDENCE NORTHVIEW AT CREEKVIEW PEBBLEBROOK AT CAMPBELL SEQUOYAH AT NORTH SPRINGS SPRAYBERRY AT RIVERWOOD SOUTH COBB AT MCEACHERN OCTOBER 18 ALLATOONA AT VILLA RICA CASS AT RIVER RIDGE CREEKVIEW AT CAMBRIDGE ETOWAH AT CHEROKEE HARRISON AT SOUTH COBB HILLGROVE AT KENNESAW MOUNTAIN KING’S RIDGE CHRISTIAN AT WALKER MARIETTA AT CAMPBELL MCEACHERN AT NORTH COBB MOUNT PARAN AT FELLOWSHIP MILTON AT LASSITER POPE AT SPRAYBERRY RIVERWOOD AT OSBORNE SEQUOYAH AT FORSYTH CENTRAL TOWNS COUNTY AT NORTH COBB CHRISTIAN WHEELER AT WALTON WHITEFIELD AT MOUNT PISGAH WOODSTOCK AT ROSWELL OCTOBER 25 ALLATOONA AT HIRAM CREEKVIEW AT FORSYTH CENTRAL HARRISON AT HILLGROVE KENNESAW MOUNTAIN AT CAMPBELL LAKEVIEW ACADEMY AT NORTH COBB CHRISTIAN LASSITER AT WHEELER MOUNT PISGAH AT MOUNT PARAN NORTH COBB AT PEBBLEBROOK NORTHVIEW AT SEQUOYAH RIVER RIDGE AT GILMER RIVERWOOD AT POPE

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

ROSWELL AT CHEROKEE SOUTH COBB AT MARIETTA SPRAYBERRY AT KELL WALKER AT WHITEFIELD WALTON AT MILTON WOODSTOCK AT ETOWAH

NOVEMBER 1 CHEROKEE AT MILTON HILLGROVE AT SOUTH COBB KELL AT POPE LASSITER AT ROSWELL MARIETTA AT NORTH COBB MCEACHERN AT HARRISON MOUNT PARAN AT WALKER NORTH COBB CHRISTIAN AT ST. FRANCIS NORTH PAULDING AT ALLATOONA NORTH SPRINGS AT CREEKVIEW OSBORNE AT SPRAYBERRY PEBBLEBROOK AT KENNESAW MOUNTAIN PICKENS AT RIVER RIDGE SEQUOYAH AT CAMBRIDGE WALTON AT ETOWAH WHEELER AT WOODSTOCK WHITEFIELD AT KING’S RIDGE NOVEMBER 8 CAMPBELL AT NORTH COBB CHEROKEE AT WHEELER CLARKSTON AT NORTH COBB CHRISTIAN EAST PAULDING AT ALLATOONA ETOWAH AT LASSITER MARIETTA AT HARRISON MCEACHERN AT HILLGROVE MILTON AT WOODSTOCK PEBBLEBROOK AT SOUTH COBB ROSWELL AT WALTON CREEKVIEW PLAY-IN GAME KELL PLAY-IN GAME KENNESAW MOUNTAIN CROSSOVER GAME MOUNT PARAN PLAY-IN GAME OSBORNE PLAY-IN GAME POPE PLAY-IN GAME RIVER RIDGE PLAY-IN GAME SEQUOYAH PLAY-IN GAME SPRAYBERRY PLAY-IN GAME WALKER PLAY-IN GAME WHITEFIELD PLAY-IN GAME ALL GAME TIMES 7:30 P.M. UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED

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KICKOFF 2013

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

Cobb County has six defensive backs that have combined to receive nearly 100 Division I scholarship offers. They include, from left, Lassiter’s Chris Murphy, Kell’s Taylor Henkle, Campbell’s Michael Rogers, North Cobb’s Cameron Albright, Wheeler’s Allen Artis, and Walton’s D.J. Smith (not pictured). Over the last five years, spread offenses have put more pressure on opposing defenses and put defensive backs at a premium. It has resulted in Cobb County becoming a hot bed for college recruiters.

Staff / Todd Hull

C obb ’s fi na l li ne o f de fe n se

Area defensive backs making a national name for themselves

By Adam Carrington acarrington@mdjonline.com

If a member of the secondary whiffs a tackle or allows a ball carrier to slip through, there’s no one left to bail them out.

That’s a steep price a cornerback or a safety might have to pay.

But the upside of the position is that they are the ones who usually make the big plays — interceptions, forced fumbles or that game-saving tackle to keep opposing teams out of the end zone.

Lately, it seems like the secondary is making more big plays than ever.

And the way the game has evolved, offenses are spreading out the defense to create space for their skill players. Quarterbacks are

getting their receivers the ball more often, and it is forcing defensive backs to make more plays than usual.

Cobb County’s defensive backs are making such plays to the point that the area has become a hot bed for college recruiters.

Of the 13 players selected for the Marietta Daily Journal’s 2013 Dynamite Dozen, six of them — Walton’s D.J. Smith, Campbell’s Michael Rogers, Lassiter’s Chris Murphy, Kell’s Taylor Henkle, North Cobb’s Cameron Albright and Wheeler’s Allen Artis — play in the secondary. Albright and Artis have committed to North Carolina, Murphy to Arkansas, Rogers to Central Florida and Henkle was the first Cobb County player to commit to Kennesaw State.

Combined, they have received nearly 100 Division I scholarship offers, and they will join former Cobb County standouts like Kell’s trio of Brian Randolph (Tennessee) along with Brendan Langley and Quincy Mauger, who are now at Georgia. Other area defensive backs playing on Saturday this fall include Walton’s Blaylock brothers — Zack and Daron — at Kentucky, Lassiter’s Niles Clark (N.C. State) and Kenny Orjioke (UCLA), and Hillgrove’s Tolando Cleveland (Mississippi State) among others.

“With four to five receivers and an athletic quarterback running, it’s changed the game,” McEachern coach Kyle Hockman said. “You’re now able to maneuver in wide open spaces and create one-on-one matchups a lot more. That forces you as a

coach to put better players in the secondary.”

Lassiter was one of the first teams in Cobb County to become an open passing offense behind former quarterback Hutson Mason (Georgia), who set the state record in passing with 4,560 yards and 54 touchdowns in 2009, and then Cobb County’s alltime leading passer in Eddie Printz, who is about to begin his freshman season at Missouri. And while Marietta, McEachern, North Cobb and South Cobb haven’t necessarily gone pass first, they have implemented the spread option that makes the safties’ jobs even harder.

“Good secondary players come with the territory with the types of offenses that are out there,” Lassiter coach Jep Irwin said.

See Defense, Page 12

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KICKOFF 2013

so many options

PAGE 7

Walton’s D.J. Smith enjoying his recruitment

By John Bednarowski sportseditor@mdjonline.com

Walton defensive back D.J. Smith is a man in demand.

After two successful seasons as a standout defensive back in the Raiders secondary, it seems like every college recruiter in the country wants to talk to him. It’s the kind of attention that makes many high-profile recruits make commitments prior to their senior season just to end the recruiting process.

Smith, however, seems to be relishing the moment. His laid back approach to the process comes from some advice he got from last year’s highly recruited trio from Walton — running back Tyren Jones and quarterback Parker McLeod who are now at Alabama, along with offensive lineman Brandon Kublanow, now at Georgia.

“They told me don’t try to answer to everyone,” Smith said. “And only commit when you are ready.”

If you accept what the 247, Rivals, Scout and ESPN recruiting sites say about Smith, then the 5-foot-11, 191 pound, four-star defensive back has 20 scholarship offers from Division I BCS schools, including the majority of the Southeastern and Atlantic Coast conference teams. As far as an actual number of offers? That is a mystery.

“Once I hit 20, (Walton coach Rocky Hidalgo) stopped counting,” Smith said.

One thing Smith does know is he has received mail from more than 50 schools and until he makes his decision, Smith will continue getting his daily workout of picking up piles of mail at school and at home. CurStaff / Todd Hull rently, he is receiving between 30 and 50 Walton’s D.J. Smith has been on the national recruiting radar since he was a sophomore. Now that letters a day at each location, and the attenhe is entering his senior season, there are many coaches that want to hear him say he is ready to tion is not only keeping Smith busy, but Hicommit. Smith, however, is in no hurry. He wants to take his time, make the right decision, and he dalgo, too.

See Smith, Page 12 is enjoying himself along the way.

THE SMITH FILE

cLASS: senior pOSITION: DB scholarship offers: Arkansas Clemson Florida State Georgia illinois indiana Kentucky Louisville Miami Michigan State Nebraska north carolina Ohio State Ole Miss South Carolina TCU Tennessee Vanderbilt West Virginia western kentucky from 247/Rivals/Scout/espn

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ALLATOONA BUCCANEERS

PAGE 8

KICKOFF 2013

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

Location: 3300 Dallas-Acworth Hwy., Acworth. Phone: 770-975-6503. Home Field: Buccaneer Stadium. Team Colors: Red, Black, Silver. Online: ahsbucs.com/football

2013 SCHEDULE

VS WOODLAND AUG. 30

VS PAULDING CO. SEPT. 6

AT ROME SEPT. 13

VS LITHIA SPRINGS SEPT. 20

AT S. PAULDING SEPT. 27

AT NEW MANCHESTER

OCT. 4

NAME KAMERON PENA JOSH BUCKSHAW RUSSELL HALIMON KAMERON BOWEN NICK JONES JOSH BETTISTEA ZACH NICHOLS BRYANT DALLAS JUSTIN WADE CODY WEBB D.J. EZELL ALLEN JOHNSON BRANDON RAINEY CHASE ALEXANDER CONOR LARSON JUANYEA TARVER MICHAEL PYNES COLLIN TURNER HUNTER ALLEN JAY SMITH LOGAN EDGE JOHN NJUGUNA BRIAN TAYLOR AUSTIN GOWIN COLE WAGONER ALEX MACHAN SCOTT ROEMBKE CALEB GIBBS RALEIGH WEBB DANIEL TESLER DJ RENDER PETE DERKAY FAIZON HARRIS CARSON SEABOLT TYLER HEATON KYLE GLENN KENNETH BLAIR WALKER DUNLAP RIGGINS LESMEZ JOSH PARKER WILL KEMP TYLER ADAMS DANIEL WEAVER DAESHON TRASK ANDERSON CARTER CHRIS RONEY DARION WADE BRADLEY VAN REIL BRETT BENTON CONOR BRUMFIELD WILL LASSITER SAM LEWIS

CL. 11 12 10 11 12 11 11 11 12 12 12 10 10 11 11 10 10 11 12 11 12 11 10 11 11 10 12 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 12 10 11 11 11 12 11 12 11 10 12 11 10 10 12 11 11 10

NO. 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 95 96 97 98 99

NAME BROOKS BURNS AMEER NADIR RYAN BENTON MICHAEL HAMMOND LANCE UZEE BRENDAN ZEHNDER JAKE TACKETT CAMDEN RHODES CHRIS JEFFERS DAVID PADTHA TREVOR PATRICK BRETT DUNCAN MATT SOTO TAYLOR KIDD AUSTIN MILES MASON HEATH HUNTER BRUCE CARTER CHAPMAN AMIR MOORE DAINE JOHNSON PATRICK MAFFE YOSHI NICHOLSON ALEX LOHORN PATRICK PRAHL KEVIN DIAZ JOSH KING ALEX LAWRENCE COLIN RILEY DOUG BRUNNER CHRISTIAN SOLOMON BRADY EELES TURNER COCKRELL TREAMON PERKINS DILLION TUTHEROW ANDREW CASCONE GRAYSON GARDENER CHANDLER WATSON ALEX SOFET JUSTIN FRANSON CASEY SMITH CHRISTIAN HERRERA AUSTIN GIBBS ALTONIO JOHNSON DARNELL JANEAU JOSEPH HUGHES GARRETT HALL DERRAND GARRETT JALEAN PARRISH TREVOR STUART ARTYOM WOLLSCHLAGER TYLER WOMACK DYLAN WOOD

VS EAST PAULDING NOV. 8

2013 SEASON OUTLOOK

2013 ROSTER NO. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52

VS N. PAULDING NOV. 1

AT HIRAM OCT. 25

AT VILLA RICA OCT. 18

CL. 10 12 12 11 11 10 10 11 10 11 11 11 10 12 11 12 12 10 12 10 10 11 10 10 12 10 10 10 12 11 10 10 10 11 10 11 11 11 11 10 11 10 10 10 10 12 10 10 10 12 10 10

Over the last five years, Allatoona’s football program has grown from infancy to arguably becoming the most consistently productive squad in the county.

The Bucaneers have already won a region title, had a perfect regular season, and had back-to-back state quarterfinal appearances — the first one in Class AAA, and last season at Class AAAAA. The only thing Allatoona really has left to do is advance to a state championship game and win it.

However, doing either of those in 2013 will be a tall task.

After having teams laden with upperclassmen the last couple of seasons, Allatoona will be a young team, which will be a continual work in progress because the Buccaneers have only three returning starters.

Two of those starters return on the offensive side of the ball. The biggest one may be

COACHING STAFF HEAD COACH: GARY VARNER YEAR: 6 RECORD: 38-15 CAREER: 38-15 VARSITY COACHING STAFF TROY PETERSON — DC DAVID CITRON — RECEIVERS BARRY COX — QB BRET HUBINGER — DEF. LINE MIKE DENNISON — LB CRAIG GASKINS — RB ANDY WILCOX — DEF. LINE JEREMY ANDERSON — REC. KEVIN PENA — DEF. BACKS ERIC FRIDBORG — KICKERS

running back Josh Bettistea. The junior burst onto the scene last year by rushing for 1,190 yards and nine touchdowns on only 149 carries, including a 344-yard performance against North Paulding late in the season.

This year, Bettistea will get the bulk of the carries.

“The difference between last year and this year is (Bettistea) can confidently say he is a varsity player,” Varner said. “Heading into the season, he knows he belongs.”

The other offensive starter returning is wide receiver D.J. Ezell. Ezell caught 27 passes for 346 yards and a touchdown in 2012 and will likely be a favorite target of new quarterback Connor Larson.

Larson won the starting job in summer workouts and Varner said he has a chance to be a solid contributor.

Of course, the success of Bettistea and

Larson will be mostly determined by a completely new offensive line, which Varner characterizes as small and young, but full of potential.

Defensively, the Bucs have only one starter returning, but they could do a lot worse than having it be Class AAAAA firstteam all-state linebacker Justin Wade.

The schedule works in Allatoona’s favor, which will allow young players to learn their roles before getting into the meat of the Region 5AAAAA schedule. By the end of the season, there may be as many as six teams — East Paulding, North Paulding, South Paulding, Rome and Hiram competing for the four playoffs spots, and the Buccaneers should be squarely in the mix.

— By John Bednarowski sportseditor@mdjonline.com

5-YEAR RECORD 38-15

2012 RESULTS 11-2

2012 LEADERS RUSHING T.J. HERRON JOSH BETTISTEA

1,322 YDS, 20 TD 1,190 YDS, 9 TD

PASSING JEREMY UZEE

1,714 YDS, 15 TD

RECEIVING TOMMY DAVIS C. SOLEBERRY

429 YDS, 3 TD 409 YDS, 6 TD

TACKLES JUSTIN WADE AUSTIN DANIELS

144 100

SACKS CHARLIE MAISON JUSTIN WADE

4 4

PAULDING CO. ROME LITHIA SPRINGS S. PAULDING

36-0 39-17 35-7 28-14 NEW MANCHESTER 41-13 VILLA RICA 38-7 HIRAM 20-17 N. PAULDING 56-27 EAST PAULDING 7-25 HERITAGE 24-21 M.L. KING 20-19 WHITEWATER 3-24

W W W W W W W W L W W L

Northstar Church exists to show God’s love in such a way that people exchange ordinary living for an extraordinary life through the transforming power of Jesus Christ.

SERVICE TIMES: SUNDAYS AT 9:30 A.M. & 11:00 A.M ••• 3413 Blue Springs Road Kennesaw, GA 30144

northstarchurch.org

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KICKOFF 2013

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

bettistea belongs in backfield Staff / Kelly J. Huff

Josh Bettistea rushed for 1,190 yards and nine touchdowns in 2012 as he split time with fellow running back T.J. Herron. Now, Bettistea will be the featured back and he has big plans for 2013.

Junior running back setting sights high for himself and Allatoona’s season

By John Bednarowski sportseditor@mdjonline.com

The last three years have been special for Allatoona. The Buccaneers have had three playoff appearances, won a region title, advanced to back-to-back state quarterfinals, and they have done it offensively by giving the ball to a quality running back.

That role will be filled this year by junior Josh Bettistea.

“I feel like it’s a lot of pressure,” he

said, “but, I can handle it.”

Handle it? To hear Bettistea talk about the upcoming season, it sounds like he plans on relishing in that pressure.

“I have so much confidence in my (team) that I refuse to feel the same way I did after the Whitewater (loss in the state quarterfinals) last year,” he said. “I don’t want our seniors to feel like that again. I want them to go out with a ring.”

To make that happen, Bettistea will need to do something special, and he has

something in mind.

“2,139,” he said.

Miles Jones, who is entering his second season at Jacksonville State, helped put Allatoona on the map and set the standard that all Buccaneer backs will be compared to for years to come. He rushed for more than 4,000 yards over a two-year period, which included 2,139 yards and 29 touchdowns in 2011.

Now, Bettistea has that number burned into his memory.

See Belongs, Page 13

THE BETTISTEA FILE

cLASS: junior pOSITION: Running back hEIGHT/WEIGHT: 5-FOOT-11, 180 lbS 2012: 1,190 yds., 9 td models his game after Adrian peterson and barry sanders

game

keeping you at the

top of your

Acworth 678.213.5717 Canton 770.345.5717 Austell 770.944.3303 Douglasville 770.949.8558 Brookstone 770.218.8800 East Cobb 770.579.8558

Marietta 770.427.5717 Paulding 770.445.5666 Woodstock 770.926.9112

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CAMPBELL SPARTANS

PAGE 10

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

KICKOFF 2013

LOCATION: 5265 WARD STREET, SMYRNA. PHONE: 678-842-6850. HOME FIELD: RICHARD MCDANIEL STADIUM. TEAM COLORS: ROYAL BLUE, SILVER. ONLINE: CAMPBELLHS.COM/ATHLETICS/

2013 SCHEDULE

VS MORROW AUG. 23

AT OSBORNE SEPT. 6

AT HARRISON SEPT. 13

VS SOUTH COBB SEPT. 20

AT HILLGROVE SEPT. 27

VS MCEACHERN OCT. 4

AT PEBBLEBROOK OCT. 11

NAME MARLON HORNE CAMERON ST. CYR CHAUNCEY WERAH KERHEEM DARRINGTON JEVIUS ALMON KIEVIAN MCGHEE RANDY MCCLURE MALCOLM PERDUE MICHAEL ROGERS CHANCE JACKSON PRINCE BUTLER JOSH MONYEI BJ JOHNSON DARRYL DENNIS MAKAI KING RICKY JAMES DAVID COLLINS FELIX ALINYOH DOMINIC KLEIN JEFF CHERICHEL BRYAN RHODEN ANTONIO GEE GREGORY CARTER TREMAIN WATSON JYSHON GILLIARD BRAXTON STEPHENS KAHJ HUITT GAIYON REAVISH DARIUS HALL MICHAEL LYONS KERRELL SUMMERHOUR BRANDON WIDE GUSTAVO DANIEL GEORGE MARSHALL MYLES JAMES CORTAVION HINTON

CL. 12 11 11 12 11 12 10 12 12 12 12 12 9 11 10 12 12 10 12 11 11 11 11 11 11 12 10 12 10 10 12 11 10 10 9 11

POS. WR WR WR DB LB LB QB/DB OLB/TE DB/RB DB DB WR RB WR WR QB OLB TE/K TE LB WR WR RB DB DL DL SLOT LB DB QB DL OLB LB WR LB DB

39 40 NO. 41 42 43 44 45 50 51 52 53 55 56 57 58 60 62 63 65 66 67 68 70 72 73 74 75 81 82 83 84 88 89 91 92 96

SALENTO SUMRALL KOBE PALMER NAME IRVAN DERAVINE GERARDO ESCOBEDO HASSAN GRAHAM MICKEY COOPER KEANTE MORGAN JALEN BATHEA AARIONTE SMITH BRODRICK WILLIAMS PASHTOON LODIN DEKEVION BYRD MONTAYO HOOD DEMETRIUS RHETT DARIONTE SMITH JAMES HOLLINGSHED DANIEL NOEL KEEGAN PERKINS AMONTE HAMPTON PRESTON FUSSELL TYRIQUE SMITH ANTHONY GAMBLE ANTOINE HUDSPETH ROBERT ADAMS MAKAI MCKINNEY NICHOLAS ANTHONY CARLTON MOORE DREJON BARBRA ARNEIAS ROBINSON JEFFERSON LOPEZ MONTY DANIEL LOGAN BERRY EMMANUEL MONYEI JELANI RADCLIFFE TERRELL CHEAVES SANCHEZ DILL

VS KENNESAW MTN. OCT. 25

AT NORTH COBB NOV. 8

2013 SEASON OUTLOOK

2013 ROSTER NO. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 32 33 34 35 36 37 38

VS MARIETTA OCT. 18

10 10 CL. 11 11 10 10 10 12 11 11 11 12 9 12 11 10 10 10 11 11 10 10 12 12 9 10 11 11 12 11 11 11 10 10 10 12

OLB LB POS. DL K WR DB WR OL DL OL OL OL/DL OL DL OL OL DL OL OL OL OL DL OL OL OL OL OL DL WR WR OLB TE/P WR DL DB DL

Coach Harris Rainbow has something working over at Campbell.

In just over two years, he has begun to build a program that is competitive, and he has the Spartans on the path toward their first winning season since 2007, and fourth since 1992.

Now, he has to teach his team the lesson it needs to breakthrough.

“We have to learn how to finish games,” said Rainbow, whose team was 3-7 a year ago. “We were in four other games in the fourth quarter and had the lead or a chance to take the lead (last year). We just need to find a way to finish.”

One thing Campbell will have on its side this season is experience. Ten starters from last year’s defensive unit will return and at least 12 returning players have started at least one game on offense. The key to both units may be the same player — Michael Rogers.

The 6-foot, 184-pound Rogers trans-

COACHING STAFF HEAD COACH: HARRIS RAINBOW YEAR: 3 RECORD: 4-16 CAREER: 30-68 VARSITY COACHING STAFF DAVID CARDOZA — ASST. HC NICK WILLIAMSON — DC BRAD HAWKINS — DEF. LINE WADE STEWART — LB SKYLA HUTCHINS — DB COLEMAN JOINER — TE JAMAL WILSON — RECEIVERS PHIL SANDIFER — OFF. LINE ISAIAH WILLIAMS — DEF. LINE BJ LOCK — OFFENSIVE LINE

ferred to Campbell just before the start of the season last year and flourished on defense at safety and linebacker to the point he has at least 13 Division I scholarship offers — including Arkansas, Cincinnati, Clemson, Mississippi State and Missouri.

“He’s the best tackler I’ve had in 17 years as a coach,” Rainbow said.

Rogers will likely be the No. 1 option in the backfield as well. Last year, he gained 330 yards and four touchdowns on only 38 carries, but did not have a grasp of the offense until late in the season.

This would make Rogers a 48-minute man, but when he needs a break, there are other offensive players who can make plays — starting with quarterback Ricky James.

The third-year starter has a full grasp of the offense, and with the threat of Rogers carrying the ball, James will likely improve on the passing numbers of 1,517 yards and 11

touchdowns that he posted last season. Rainbow said James had a great offseason and has grown into his role as a team leader.

James will also have Marlon Horne to throw to. Horne caught 25 passes for 405 yards and three touchdowns a year ago and will be a deep threat in the Spartans passing game.

If there is one glaring area of need, it may be on the offensive line. DeKevion Byrd, who also wrestles at the 285-pound weight class, will be a four-year starter, but Rainbow said the remaining members of the offensive line may average 175 pounds.

“We’re not the biggest guys,” Rainbow said. “We may have the smallest offensive and defensive lines in Region 4AAAAAA, but they play hard, and we’ve tried to identify their weaknesses and turn them into strengths.”

— By John Bednarowski sportseditor@mdjonline.com

5-YEAR RECORD 10-40

2012 RESULTS 3-7

2012 LEADERS RUSHING DARIUS HARRIS JOSH MILLER

908 YDS, 10 TD 361 YDS, TD

PASSING RICKY JAMES

1,517 YDS, 11 TD

RECEIVING ARMAND GAZDA JOSH MILLER

485 YDS, 4 TD 410 YDS, 2 TD

TACKLES JADE LOUISSANT

60

SACKS NICK MITCHELL MONTI DANIEL

9.5 8.5

MORROW OSBORNE HARRISON SOUTH COBB HILLGROVE MCEACHERN PEBBLEBROOK MARIETTA KMHS NORTH COBB

35-6 27-6 14-21 39-42 0-38 3-49 31-13 36-44 21-42 0-31

W W L L L L W L L L

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PAGE 11

Campbell’s Ricky James is entering his third season as the Spartans starting quarterback.

The senior’s main goal is to build a solid foundation that future Campbell teams can build on.

Staff / Todd Hull

Ricky James helping to make Campbell a successful program again THE JAMES FILE

cLASS: senior pOSITION: quarterback hEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6-FOOT-1, 177 lbS 2012: 1,517 yds., 11 td, 7 int Three-year starter

By John Bednarowski sportseditor@mdjonline.com

Campbell’s Ricky James loves to throw on the run. He also loves to throw the deep pass, something he does exceptionally well. But for the 2013 season, James wants to love being a quarterback — a complete quarterback.

“Ricky’s always been the best athlete on the field,” Campbell coach Harris Rainbow said. “He’s always had the ability to make things happen. But he’s going

to be a different kid this year than he was last year. It’s been fun to see his progress.”

For James, that progress has been about maturing, and learning one of the most important aspects of the game.

“I need to take more of what the defense gives me,” James said as he enters his third year as the Spartans starter. “I have to know where we are in the game and be more aware of down and distance.”

And to better take advantage, James, who threw for 1,517 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2012, spent the offseason work-

ing on his short and medium range throws. “(James) throws the deep ball really well and very accurate,” Rainbow said.

“He completed more than 50 percent of his passes on throws of 30 yards or more, but last year on his shorter throws there wasn’t a lot of touch. Now, he’s throwing the short pass better than the deep ball.”

It is something that college recruiters are beginning to take notice of, too.

See James, Page 13

Campbell High School

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Defense

Smith

Continued from Page 6

Continued from Page 7

In creating a checklist of what makes a good defensive back, Cobb County coaches and players agree that playing safety or cornerback requires great feet and flexible hips so they can change directions on the fly. Speed is also essential, along with the ability to be physical with receivers and tackle if their man catches the ball.

Wheeler safety Allen Artis, a Class AAAAAA firstteam all-state selection in 2012, said there are other skills secondary players must have in order to succeed.

“You have to be smart, and you have to take chances and know when to take chances,” he said. “Sometimes you’ve got to go up and make a play, even though you are going out of your way.”

Allatoona coach Gary Varner said safeties have to be agile and have to play like a linebacker and a cornerback, meaning they have to be quick enough to help cover speedy receivers and be physical if required.

Varner said he can cope with an inexperienced cornerback — cornerbacks may be known more for their speed than their physicality — but he can’t afford to have an inexperienced safety.

“You have to defend the alley and you have to defend the deep pass,” Varner said. “Today, when you’re going up against spread teams, they have to defend the pass quite a bit. What other position are you asking to cover up to 60 yards worth of field? You are asking them to cover deep, but you also need them to come up and tackle a running back at the line of scrimmage.”

“I’m like everyone’s best friend right now,” Hidalgo said. “Every coach that calls wants me to try and get (Smith) on the phone, or they want me to give him a message. They all want to make sure their school gets on his list.”

Hidalgo said some coaching staffs take the process to an extreme. “(Smith) may get 10 or 15 pieces of mail from a college in one day,” he said.

“Every coach on the staff may send him a letter.”

Smith is so popular because he is the rare combination of physical defender and shut down corner. In fact, he has been so good that opposing quarterbacks have stopped throwing in his direction. It is the main reason

Smith made only two interceptions in 2012.

His interception numbers are likely to go up this season as Walton coach Rocky Hidalgo is moving him to one of the safety positions to better take advantage of Smith’s skills.

Smith may also see a large amount of playing time on offense. A year ago, when Jones suffered season-ending knee injury, Smith filled in for him at tailback. Smith was also one of the team’s primary receivers. After rushing for 356 yards and four touchdowns along with catching 27 passes for 368 yards and four more scores, he may be reprising both roles this fall. It is something that Smith says both helps and hinders his recruiting.

“It’s nice to be recruited (for both), but I’d rather be recruited at the position I’m going to play in college,” he said.

“I’d rather be recruited for defense instead of an athlete (designation).

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

“Offense to me isn’t that big a deal.

But I’ll do whatever coach needs me to do for the team.”

And Hidalgo has said that Smith is treating his recruitment the same way.

“He knows how important 2013 is,” Hidalgo said. “We don’t hear him talk about recruiting much. He’s just focused on Walton football.”

Smith says he has no time table for making his decision. He told Rivals that South Carolina, Miami, Clemson and Tennessee were the schools recruiting him the hardest, and he recently took an unofficial visit to Knoxville.

But he also told them he had, “no favorites or a leader.”

While he didn’t give any specifics, that may have changed, because he said he may be ready to commit. He’s just not going to right now.

“I only get to do this once,” he said.

“I’m going to enjoy it.”

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Belongs Continued from Page 9

“That’s exactly what I want to do,” he said.

“I like to aim high.”

Bettistea is actually a year ahead of schedule, as he was supposed to be a backup in 2012.

Last year was supposed to be T.J. Herron’s turn, and he did not disappoint. He followed Jones with a 1,322 yard season with 20 touchdowns, but instead of having his own 2,000yard season, Bettistea forced his way into the lineup, and made the Buccaneers a better team because of it.

He saw action in all 16 games, but his role increased nearly every week. By the end of the season, Bettistea wasn’t Herron’s backup anymore, they were options No. 1 and No. 1A. “He came out of nowhere,” Allatoona coach Gary Varner said. “Really from Day 1.

Near the end of the season, we began using both in the backfield at the same time.”

While Herron was third among the Cobb County rushing leaders, Bettistea, who ran for 1,190 yards and nine touchdowns, finished fifth. That effort was highlighted by a game against North Paulding that Varner called the “perfect storm.”

Herron, who had been banged up for a couple of weeks leading up to the game against the Wolfpack, moved to fullback, which al-

Page 13

KICKOFF 2013

lowed Bettistea to start at tailback.

“It gave them matchup problems,” Varner said of North Paulding’s defense. “It made them conscious of T.J., and they had to protect the middle of the field.

“Josh is not as thick as Miles or T.J. was.

He’s going to get most of his yards thorough agility and elusiveness. It gives him big play ability.”

Bettistea proved he had those big plays against North Paulding. At the half, he had 209 yards. By the time the game was over, Bettistea had carried the ball 26 times for 344 yards and two touchdowns. It was the biggest singlegame rushing performance in Cobb County in 2012, but it wasn’t until long after the game did Bettistea realize what he had actually done.

“I thought I had run for 200,” he said. “But I didn’t know I went for more than 300.

“What I remember are those holes. My line gave me some big holes to run through.”

Despite his success from last season Varner said Bettistea, as an underclassman, still seemed a little unsure of his spot on the team heading into the offseason. Somewhere between December and May, he found his self-confidence.

“There was going to be a time for Josh,” Varner said. “When spring practice came around he came out as a varsity player, and he knew he was going to be a leader both on and off the field.”

That, and another deep playoff run, is all Allatoona can ask for.

James Continued from Page 11

Currently, James said he has no offers, but that he is seeing interest from Division I programs Troy, UAB, Middle Tennessee, Buffalo, Georgia Southern, and others.

“Heading into the spring I felt he could be a good Division I-AA quarterback,” Rainbow said. “Now I see him play and it’s like, who is this kid?”

If it all comes together, James may make playing defense against the Spartans a lot more difficult for opponents than in years past.

If he is able to make the short throws consistently, that may make the downfield throws easier.

In addition, Central Florida commit Mike Rogers will give Campbell a legitimate running threat too, which may give James the opportunity to do something he hasn’t done a lot of with the Spartans — win.

In his two years as a starter, James has been part of only four victories and the Spartans have won only a combined 10 games over the last five years.

PAGE 13

Posting victories is a high priority for James, and not just for this year’s team, but for all the Campbell teams that follow.

“I don’t want to win just for myself,” he said. “I want to win for the younger kids. I want to help set the foundation so we can build a program like Hillgrove and McEachern have already done.”

James has seen the kind of football that can be played at Campbell. As a lifetime Smyrna resident, James grew up in the Campbell youth program.

He started playing football when he was 7-years-old and around the time he was 11 or 12, James had the opportunity to see the Brian Sutherland-led Spartans team win nine games and go to the second round of the playoffs.

Unfortunately, the 2006 team was the last to make the postseason. That is something James would like to change.

“He’s a great leader,” Rainbow said. “He’s the kind of kid that if he threw for 40 yards and didn’t carry the ball, but we won, he’d be more excited than if he had a big game and we lost.

“He’s been our cornerstone in rebuilding the program.”

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KICKOFF 2013

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

Five of the six schools in Cherokee County have veteran quarterbacks returning in 2013. They include, clockwise from left, Sequoyah’s Lex Lauletta, River Ridge’s Steven Spears, Etowah’s John Oliver, Cherokee’s Spencer Ashley, and Woodstock duo Alex Motsinger and Justin Agner. The lone school that does not have a starter returning this season is Creekview, which is under new coach Terry Crowder.

Staff / Todd Hull

ex p e r i e n c e d a n d r e a d y t o g o t o w o r k

Six Cherokee County quarterbacks return to the field in 2013 with service time as a starter

By Emily Horos ehoros@cherokeetribune.com

Mahatma Gandhi certainly wasn’t talking about football when he said, “Knowledge gained through experience is far superior and many times more useful than bookish knowledge,” but if you ask any of Cherokee County’s six returning high school quarterbacks, he could have been.

Five of the six schools in the county will have their starting quarterback returning to lead their teams this fall. In fact, Woodstock will have two veterans at its disposal — Justin Agner and Alex Motsinger. Agner was the original starter but was injured midway

through the 2012 season.

Motsinger, who had started games during the 2011 season, replaced Agner in the lineup.

The other returning starters are Spencer Ashley (Cherokee), Lex Lauletta (Sequoyah), John Oliver (Etowah) and Steven Spears (River Ridge).

That leaves Creekview as the only team breaking in someone new under center.

First-year Grizzlies coach Terry Crowder said his team isn’t necessarily at a disadvantage because it doesn’t have a returning quarterback, but he will certainly be looking forward to next season when his squad has that veteran to turn to.

“It’s sort of a blessing in disguise this year,” Crowder said. “It won’t be easy for (Kyle Wilkie) this year, but it will make him a better player in the long run.”

To many of the quarterbacks, having a year or two of experience increases their confidence and composure.

“Basically, having that year gives you the feel of the game,” said Ashley, who started last season as a sophomore. “The first year, all of it is new, a little bit fast. Especially having my receivers coming back, we are all on the same page now.”

Seniors Oliver and Lauletta will each be starting their third seasons under center.

“You know how to handle the pressure on a Friday night,” said Oliver, who is looking at Air Force, Navy, Elon and Coastal Carolina as college options. “You have the experience to go and do what you need to do. You don’t have all the nerves that you do when you are an (underclassman). You aren’t out there anymore with kids two years older than you. It’s just nice to have the experience.”

Ashley said the best part about starting early is that he developed a chemistry with his teammates early on.

“It helps a lot having a lot of people around you that you played with,” Ashley said. “It helps being

comfortable with your teammates and having all the guys around you. It allows you to be able to grow and have two more years to play.”

Aside from the experience, each of the quarterbacks possess many of the same skills. They include handling and thriving under pressure, along with having the desire to lead.

“Handling the pressure is kind of what you live for on Friday nights,” Lauletta said.

Oliver said he enjoys leading, even when it comes with more responsibility.

“I like being the leader on the field,” he said. “Everybody looks See Starter, Page 24

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CHEROKEE WARRIORS

PAGE 16

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

KICKOFF 2013

LOCATION: 930 MARIETTA HWY, CANTON. PHONE: 770-479-4112. HOME FIELD: TOMMY BAKER FIELD. TEAM COLORS: RED, BLACK, WHITE. ONLINE: CHSWARRIORS.COM/MEN-S-SPORTS/FOOTBALL

2013 SCHEDULE

AT CREEKVIEW AUG. 30

AT SEQUOYAH SEPT. 6

VS N. FORSYTH SEPT. 13

AT LASSITER SEPT. 20

VS WALTON SEPT. 27

VS WOODSTOCK OCT. 4

VS ETOWAH OCT. 18

NAME LANDON MONROE NICK BRUNO GRIFFIN MOON SPENCER ASHLEY BLAKE JOHNSTON ANTHONY TRIMBLE BRANDON HROUDA BLACE BROWN ZACH BOGDAN ANDREW HARRIS DWAYNE TILLER RONNIE CHASTAIN EMETRI BRIDGES PRESTON WILLIAMS BRIT WILLIAMSON THOMAS BROWN DEVON MERCER JORDAN FREEMAN JACOB TUCKER GARY DUBIEL COLTON ROZANSKE TYVON WILLIAMS JESSE LEE DONTE BAKER VANCE TAYLOR BRITTAIN BROWN ASHER DAVIS OBIE BRANNON JOEY JACKSON ADAM MAYO MICHAEL BEAN TIM STOVER ERIC PATTERSON CHANDLER CYCHOSZ ZACH DAWSON BRYSON PERRY

CL. SR JR JR JR SR SR SR SR SR JR SO JR JR JR SO SO SR SR SO JR JR SR SR JR SO SO JR SO SO SO JR JR SO SR SR SO

POS. LB RB/DB DB QB RB DB LB WR/DB WR/DB WR/DB LB/RB WR RB WR QB WR/DB DB/WR WR/DB WR/DB K WR DB WR WR RB/DB RB/DB RB/DB K LB LB LB LB RB/DB DB K DB

NO. 41 43 44 45 46 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 60 62 63 64 65 66 67 69 70 71 72 74 75 76 77 78 79 81 84 86 88 90

NAME JAMORI FOX MACEN BAILEY ZACH WEAVER CONNER STEVENS JORDAN TOWNSEND CALVIN MAYO CHRIS MANCUSO NATHAN DENT STEVEN MORRISON JOSH CROWLEY TRAVIS HEAD ALEC RIGGINS PETE MILLEN DJ MORGAN JACOB HARVEY BEN FLUKE JOSH OBRYANT JAKE OBRYANT GARRETT SMITH DAVID CROTHERS MICHAEL ACKERMAN MATT BRUBAKER WYATT FISHER TY SIZEMORE ADAM REYNOLDS TREVOR SMITH STEPHEN BEASLEY LOGAN WITHEROW TOMMY JACKSON CHRISTIAN RIFFLE MICHAEL SCHOFIELD LUKE WADE COLE STAFFORD AUBREY SHARP JEROME BAILEY

AT MILTON NOV. 1

AT WHEELER NOV. 8

2013 SEASON OUTLOOK

2013 ROSTER NO. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 22 23 25 26 27 28 29 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39

VS ROSWELL OCT. 25

CL. JR JR SO SO JR SR SO JR SO SO JR SR SO SO JR SO JR JR JR SO SR SO SO SO SO SO SO SR SO SO SO JR SO SR JR

POS. DL LB LB RB DL OL/DL DL DL DL OL OL/DL OL DL OL OL/DL OL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL OL/DL OL OL DL DL DL DL OL OL OL WR WR WR DL DL

Coach Josh Shaw admits there is a lot of room for improvement after a 1-9 campaign in 2012.

More than that, the second-year coach for the Warriors is confident that the players are ready to prove they are better than a onewin team.

“Obviously, we want to be much improved, but we have spent a full year in the weight room, so we are a lot more physical and a lot stronger than we were at this point last year,” Shaw said. “Everyone has been in our system for a year, but really the key contributor is that everyone has been in the weight room for 14, 15 months since our staff got in there. That is the biggest difference.”

Cherokee started a lot of young players

COACHING STAFF HEAD COACH: JOSH SHAW YEAR: 2 RECORD: 1-9 CAREER: 1-9 VARSITY COACHING STAFF CLINT SHAW — DIR. OF FB OPS STEVEN JACKSON — OC MATT ELY — DEF. COOR. DURELL FUQUA — REC. ROB WILLIAMS — OFF. LINE ADAM JOHNSON — RB THOMAS STRINGFELLOW — REC. JASON MCDANIEL — DB JEFF ZMISTOWSKI — DEF. LINE

last season, so experience should also be on its side.

Returning players include junior quarterback Spencer Ashley, junior receiver Andrew Harris, junior linebacker Michael Bean, senior receiver Blace Brown, senior linebacker Brandon Hrouda, and sophomore running back Brittain Brown. The bulk of the line returns as well.

Add the strength and the experience together and the Warriors have more confidence.

“When you have been accustomed to losing for so long, really the only way to change that mentality is to be successful,” Shaw said. “To be honest, we are still trying to overcome that. We’ve had an excellent offseason, so we are moving in the right direction.”

Shaw came to the program from Etowah and was respected by the players at Cherokee when he arrived. Still, it was the younger players who bought into the new philosophy the quickest. Now, those young players are becoming some of the leaders on the team.

“Everyone is really on board now,” Shaw said. “We have dedicated a lot of our time to leadership and accountability, and they have bought into working hard.”

— By Emily Horos ehoros@cherokeetribune.com

5-YEAR RECORD 9-41

2012 RESULTS 1-9

2012 LEADERS RUSHING BLAKE JOHNSTON 369 YDS, 3 TD HUNTER WINGFIELD 335 YDS, 4 TD PASSING SPENCER ASHLEY

1,315 YDS, 6 TD

RECEIVING ARMONY PARKER

644 YDS, 2 TD

TACKLES MICHAEL BEAN

104

SACKS MICHAEL BEAN TALLEY REDMOND

2 2

CREEKVIEW SEQUOYAH NORTH FORSYTH LASSITER WALTON WOODSTOCK ETOWAH ROSWELL MILTON WHEELER

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ELECTRIFYING DEFENDER

PAGE 17

KICKOFF 2013

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

Cherokee’s Michael Bean THE BEAN FILE survived a lightning strike cLASS: jUNIOR pOSITION: LINEBACKER to shock county opponents hEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6-FOOT-2, 220 lbS

By Emily Horos ehoros@cherokeetribune.com

Michael Bean is arguably the top defensive player at Cherokee, but it wasn’t easy for him to get there.

In fact, he nearly didn’t get there at all.

During the summer of 2011, when Bean was 14 years old, a strong storm hit the Canton area. Bean, who was preparing for his freshman year at Cherokee, was holding onto the metal garage door when it was struck by lightning.

Bean’s mother, Yvette, who had just pulled her car into the garage, watched the scene unfold.

“When it first happened, I didn’t know what happened,” Yvette Bean said. “He just all of a sudden fell down in pain. I just kept asking him ‘What’s wrong?’ and he kept screaming, ‘It hurts, it hurts’. That was when I heard thunder and saw some more lightning in the sky and figured out what had happened.”

Bean, now a 6-foot-2, 220-pound linebacker, didn’t think that he was in danger as he stood by the garage door.

“It was barely raining at the time,” he said. “It was just sprinkling honestly. I was just standing

LED CHEROKEE WITH 104 TACKLES AND 2 SACKS IN 2012

there holding the garage door with both hands. My mom had just got in with my niece and nephew. I was just standing there hanging on to it.”

After the lightning strike, Bean remembers being in a lot of pain, but he doesn’t think that he ever blacked out.

“I thought I was paralyzed,” he said. “I couldn’t move my arms or anything. My mom was on the phone with the 9-1-1 operators.”

Within minutes Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services responded. Although he was able to walk around, Bean was taken to WellStar Kennestone Hospital for evaluation. He was sent home a few hours later and was even able to attend football practice the following morning.

“I told everyone at football practice and they were all freaking out about it,” said Bean, who led Cherokee with 104 tackles and two sacks in 2012. “(The police) said I’m lucky because most people See Bean, Page 24

Staff / Todd Hull

Cherokee linebacker Michael Bean was struck by lightning at his Canton home. Now, he makes a habit of wrapping up opposing ball carriers, as Bean led the Warriors with 104 tackles in 2012.

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CREEKVIEW GRIZZLIES

PAGE 18

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

KICKOFF 2013

LOCATION: 1550 OWENS STORE ROAD, CANTON. PHONE: 770-720-7600. HOME FIELD: THE GRIZZLY DEN. TEAM COLORS: BLUE, GREEN. ONLINE: GOGRIZZLY.NET.

2013 SCHEDULE TBA VS CHEROKEE AUG. 30

AT RIVER RIDGE SEPT. 6

AT KELL SEPT. 20

VS OSBORNE SEPT. 27

AT SEQUOYAH OCT. 4

VS NORTHVIEW OCT. 11

AT CAMBRIDGE OCT. 18

NAME HUNTER WINGFIELD KEVIN JONES WALTER GROGAN DAWSON EWERS CONNOR DULMAGE BRODY ROSS DOUG NULPH CHRIS REDDICK AJ SWEET JESS GRAHAM KYLE WILKIE CONNOR DOVE DYLAN CARL CASEY MARTIN NOLAN KNOC GARRETT LUSK GRANT SHEDD BEN O'DONNELL BRETT MELLO JACK O'DONNELL CHASE HAMBY CHANDLER WOLD STEPHEN SHUGART BRADEN JOHNSON BRIAN DAVIS AUSTIN MURPHY JOHN REED SAWYER SCOTT CALEB POTTER NICK FAHRNBAUER JOHN HOLMSEY ALEX WATKINS ISAIAH RODGERS CHASE BROOKS EVAN GIBSON PARKER GAILEY HUDSON CLOUD TERRY WILLIAMS BRETON WILLIAMS NOAH HAMRICK CAMERON CURRIE JOSH EVOLA ALEX ROMAN JOSEPH SORRENTINO LUKE BRENNER LOGAN RIDINGS JAKE AXON TAYLOR SHAW BJ SMITH

CL. 12 10 11 11 12 9 12 11 11 12 10 9 10 12 9 11 12 12 9 12 10 11 12 12 9 12 10 11 11 12 9 10 12 11 12 10 9 10 10 9 9 9 9 12 9 12 10 9 11

POS. QB RB/LB WR/LB QB/DB WR/LB WR/LB WR/DL WR/LB WR/DB WR/LB QB WR/LB RB/LB RB/LB RB/DB RB/LB QB/DB WR/DL QB/LB WR/DB WR/DB QB/DB WR/DB WR/LB WR/LB WR/LB WR/LB WR/DB WR/LB WR/DB RB/DB WR/LB RB/LB RB/LB WR/DB WR/DB RB/LB WR/DB WR/DB RB/LB RB/DL WR/LB WR/DB RB/LB WR/LB RB/LB WR/DB WR/LB RB/DB

NO. 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 55 55 56 57 58 59 60 60 61 63 64 65 66 66 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 77 78 79 80 81 81 82 84 85 86 87 88 89 91 92 93 94 95 99

NAME SEAN SAMFORD PARKER WEBB TREY PEPPERS WILL MICHAUD JACOB STEPHENS NOAH MIKAN ZACH CHESTER RODDY OVETSKY DAVID SWEET ANDREW DOVER REID BOWMAN SHANE BOYER MICHAEL SHAW ZACH BOYNTON HUNTER ROBINSON COLE KILLEN BRYCE NEAL JACOB WEBB DYLAN BIDDY CODY WATKINS NICK VISCOMI-SCHWAB DANIEL WISE JONATHAN JOHNSON DAVID SMITH GAINES SWANSON JOSH POTTER CAMERON KILE CARLOS LUGO ZACH HUGHLEY RYAN BOWMAN BRENNAN DUPREE LEVI BROWN JOSH HOROWITZ CONNOR THRELKELD CONNER MCCANN CADE SCOTT NICK LEFFERDO TYLER BROWN CARTER GEHL DALTON KAYLOR JIMMY SCHOPPY TRENTON CARRERE COLE WILBURN TREVOR KOLB BEN MCCLELLAN MARK GOODWIN CADE RUSHING CURTIS OSLIN MARTIN BRADFORD TROY MORALIS JORDON MOUW

VS NORTH SPRINGS NOV. 1

VS REGION PLAY-IN NOV. 8

2013 SEASON OUTLOOK

2013 ROSTER NO. 1 2 3 4 5 5 6 7 8 9 10 10 11 12 12 13 14 15 15 16 17 18 19 20 20 21 22 23 24 25 25 26 27 28 29 30 30 31 33 33 34 35 37 38 41 42 43 44 45

AT FORSYTH CEN. OCT. 25

CL. 9 9 11 9 10 11 11 11 10 9 10 12 12 10 10 9 11 9 11 12 12 9 11 11 12 9 11 11 10 11 10 9 9 12 9 9 12 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 12 9 9 9 9 9 9

POS. RB/LB WR/LB TE/LB RB/LB OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/LB OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL WR/DB WR/DB WR/DB WR/DL WR/DB WR/DB WR/DB WR/LB K OL/DL WR/LB WR/DB OL/DL WR/LB WR/DB

It’s never easy stepping into a new position, but first-year Creekview coach Terry Crowder said that he came into the best possible situation with the Grizzlies.

Crowder said that Al Morrell, the first and only coach Creekview had prior to Crowder, left the program in excellent shape.

“Because there wasn’t a whole lot to fix, the job was easier for me,” Crowder said. “There was just stuff that I could expand on. It certainly was a lot easier than if there had been somebody there that wasn’t good.”

That isn’t to say there won’t be changes.

Crowder put in place a new spread offense and a 3-3-5 defense.

Crowder feels there are enough skill guys to make both new systems work. He

COACHING STAFF HEAD COACH: TERRY CROWDER YEAR: 1 RECORD: 0-0 CAREER: 178-69 VARSITY COACHING STAFF MATT HOLLIS — ASST. RYAN CORBETT — ASST. SETH DEERING — ASST. FREDDIE FOSTER — ASST. TIM SMYRL — ASST. CHRIS JEFFREYS — ASST. JUSTIN WHEELER — ASST. CHIP WLUDYGA — ASST. SHAWN MCCLELLAN — ASST.

speaks highly of the receivers, running back and offensive line.

Sophomore Kyle Wilkie will be taking over at quarterback after senior Hunter Wingfield, who transferred in after playing at Cherokee last season, suffered a torn ACL during summer workouts.

Wilkie doesn’t have much varsity experience, but Crowder feels he has plenty of experience under pressure after starting as a freshman on the baseball team last spring.

As for the defense, Crowder said it will center around free safety Connor Dulmage — one of a few two-way players for the Grizzlies.

Logan Ridings (middle linebacker), Chandler Wold (receiver/corner) and

Michael Shaw (OL/DL) will be other key players.

“The kids have really bought into what we are doing and I’m hopeful that we have a chance to be a pretty good football team this year,” Crowder said.

Coming from Chattahoochee, the coach said he doesn’t know much about Region 7AAAAA other than Kell is a favorite and Sequoyah is much-improved. Still, he expects the Grizzlies to be competitive as they have been in the past.

“We are just going to take it one game at a time,” Crowder said.

— By Emily Horos ehoros@cherokeetribune.com

5-YEAR RECORD 32-21

2012 RESULTS 9-2

2012 LEADERS PASSING HAYDEN HALL

1,631 YDS. 17 TD

RECEIVING HUNTER UDALL

899 YDS. 6 TD

TACKLES ZACHARY HENDERSON TRENT GILLILAND AUSTIN WEAVER

98 91 90

SACKS AUSTIN WEAVER

13

CHEROKEE RIVER RIDGE KELL OSBORNE SEQUOYAH NORTHVIEW CAMBRIDGE FORSYTH CENT. NORTH SPRINGS RIVERWOOD TUCKER

21-13 34-14 29-33 31-0 21-6 56-42 41-0 47-14 44-0 36-28 25-42

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8/9/2013

11:38 AM

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

Page 19

KICKOFF 2013

not too green PAGE 19

Staff / Todd Hull

Creekview’s Kyle Wilkie will start for the Grizzlies as a sophomore, but he already has varsity experience to draw from. Wilkie is also the starting catcher on the Creekview baseball team.

THE WILKIE FILE

cLASS: sophomore pOSITION: quarterback hEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6-FOOT, 180 lbS catcher for the grizzlies’ baseball team in the spring

New Creekview QB already has plenty of varsity experience to help him adjust

By Emily Horos ehoros@cherokeetribune.com

Creekview’s new starting quarterback, Kyle Wilkie, may be just a sophomore, but he already has a season of varsity experience under his belt — in another sport.

Wilkie was the starting catcher for the baseball team as a freshman last spring and first-year Creekview football coach Terry Crowder feels the experience will be an asset.

“You always want kids who can compete,” Crowder said. “Being on a varsity

level as a competitor makes me feel a lot better. That’s usually the problem with a sophomore. They come into the season without any varsity time, but with him already competing at a high level is going to help him.”

Wilkie said he is excited about getting the quarterback job, but admits there are plenty of nerves as well.

“I just have to step up and take the responsibility,” said Wilkie, who plans to draw on that baseball experience. “You get on that stage. I was very nervous starting baseball, but once you get into that groove, it helps. It will be different, but I

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The 6-foot, 180-pound sophomore even drew comparisons between his two positions.

“Being a catcher helps with your feet a lot as a quarterback,” Wilkie said. “Quarterback and catcher are both leaders on the field so I think that will help with both football and baseball. Catching, you have to know everything that is going on, and quarterback is the same thing. You have to know everything from defenses to what they are running and what you should do in situations.”

See Green, Page 24

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ETOWAH EAGLES

PAGE 20

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

KICKOFF 2013

LOCATION: 6565 PUTNAM FORD ROAD, WOODSTOCK. PHONE: 770-926-4411. HOME FIELD: EAGLE STADIUM. TEAM COLORS: ROYAL BLUE, GOLD. ONLINE: ETOWAHEAGLESFOOTBALL.COM.

2013 SCHEDULE

AT LAMBERT AUG. 30

VS CENTENNIAL SEPT. 6

VS POPE SEPT. 13

AT WHEELER SEPT. 20

VS ROSWELL SEPT. 27

AT MILTON OCT. 4

AT CHEROKEE OCT. 18

CL. 11 10 12 11 10 10 11 11 10 10 10 10 12 10 10 10 10 11 10 10 12 10 10 10 11 10 11 10 11

POS. DB DB DB RB SE SE DB DB SE QB QB QB SE QB DB RB DB K RB RB RB DB DB TE K/P LB LB DL LB

NO. NAME 42 PHOENIX CAZEE 43 JAMES ARNOLD 44 HUMBERTO GONZALES 45 PRESTON WHITE 46 JOHN MAXWELL 47 TYKEE ATKINS 48 BRANDON REIBLY 50 BEN VISCZNESKY 51 ERIC WASHINGTON 52 KEITH GORDON 54 NICK SEARCY 56 ROBERT DURHAM 60 SCOTT MORGAN 60 RYAN KAIO 62 JAMES VARLEY 63 CHANDLER STEELE 64 BRAD MORGAN 66 NATHAN PARROTT 70 CARLOS GARCIA 71 CHARLES DAVIS 74 CHASE SAMMONS 75 CHANDLER WALKER 77 ALEX SMITH 79 FORREST KELLY 82 PATRICK OLIVER 83 JOHN PHARIS 85 OSCAR GARCIA 88 JAGGAR LAIRD

CL. 11 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 11 10 11 10 10 11 11 10 11 11 10 11 10 10 10 10 10 11 10

POS. LB LB DL LB LB DL LB DT OL LB OL DE DE DL DE DE OL OL OL OL OL DT OL OL TE RB TE SE

A 4-6 record wasn’t what Dave Svehla wanted after his first season at Etowah, but the coach sees plenty of room to improve.

First on his to-do list for the off-season was increasing the team speed, and as fall practice begins, Svehla feels he can check it off.

“Our team speed needed to improve in order to compete with the top teams in our region,” Svehla said. “I feel that our kids as a group did that really well this summer — our skill kids especially. John Oliver, Ben Rowell, Brandon Engle, Raishod Devezin, kids like that are going to be playmakers for us.”

One of the biggest challenges for the Eagles will be replacing players on the of-

COACHING STAFF HEAD COACH: DAVE SVEHLA YEAR: 2 RECORD: 4-6 CAREER: 88-52 VARSITY COACHING STAFF BRETT VAVRA — DEF. COOR. CHRIS PACK — ASST. ROBERT HOLMAN — ASST. CRAIG MCKINNEY — ASST. RODNEY HUNTER — ASST. CHARLIE HIGDON — ASST. BRIAN PIERSON — ASST.

game

keeping you at the

top of your

Acworth 678.213.5717 Canton 770.345.5717 Austell 770.944.3303 Douglasville 770.949.8558 Brookstone 770.218.8800 East Cobb 770.579.8558

VS WALTON NOV. 1

AT LASSITER NOV. 8

2013 SEASON OUTLOOK

2013 ROSTER NO. NAME 2 AYDEN BONILLA 3 RAISHOD WARD 4 CORY BURDETT 5 RAISHOD DEVEZIN 7 CAL SANDY 8 CONNOR JENSEN 9 COLTON MARSCHAL 10 BEN ROWELL 11 NOAH DYE 12 RYAN GRIGSBY 13 JOE ELLIS III 14 JOHN OLIVER 15 BLAKE BROWN 16 ROBBIE KNOX 17 TOMMY GRIFFIN 18 ALSTON DUNCAN 19 ADRIAN GRULLON 21 EDWIN ALFARO 22 MARSHALL STURDIVANT 23 BRANDON ENGLE 24 STANLEE LOGUE 25 BRONSON RECHSTEINER 28 ZACHARY BEALE 30 CASE LOOPER 32 GENTRY CROMWELL 33 CALEB BARDEN-STREET 34 LAMON DAWSON 35 CAMERON RENFER 41 ANTHONY BAUDO

VS WOODSTOCK OCT. 25

Marietta 770.427.5717 Paulding 770.445.5666 Woodstock 770.926.9112

fensive and defensive lines. Nearly a dozen players that played up front in 2012 graduated leaving both lines searching for numbers and experience.

“We need to find depth,” Svehla said.

“We are trying to develop that. We saw things that we liked in the spring, but we need more. We are hoping we can get kids to step up. If we can do that, we have a chance to be competitive with everyone on our schedule.”

The team returns six defensive starters and five offensive starters.

Among them are running backs Stanlee Logue, Engle and Devezin, Rowell at defensive back, center Nick Searcy and Oliver at quarterback.

One of the pieces of the Eagles will be

— By Emily Horos ehoros@cherokeetribune.com

5-YEAR RECORD 30-24

2012 RESULTS 4-6

2012 LEADERS RUSHING BRANDON ENGLE

missing this season after Division I recruit Ayden Bonilla suffered a torn ACL. Bonilla, a defensive back who recently committed to the University of North Carolina, will miss the entire season.

The Eagles, who are sporting new uniforms, also seem to have gained some confidence in the off-season.

“I think we are ready to play and ready to show some other teams what we can do,” Svehla said.

778 YDS, 4 TD

TACKLES MICHAEL MCCAULEY

99

SACKS MAVERIC RECHSTEINER

5.5

LAMBERT CENTENNIAL POPE WHEELER ROSWELL MILTON CHEROKEE WOODSTOCK WALTON LASSITER

7-14 34-0 17-20 31-27 26-14 27-59 26-9 7-14 16-21 6-34

L W L W W L W L L L

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friends and teammates

KICKOFF 2013

PAGE 21

Staff / Todd Hull

Part of the core of Etowah’s team — including, from left, Preston White, John Oliver, James Arnold and Ben Rowell — has been playing together since taking up the game through Cherokee Youth Football.

Four key members of Etowah’s team have been playing together since youth league

By Emily Horos ehoros@cherokeetribune.com

Lifelong friendships are often forged on the field and for a group of players at Etowah that has certainly been the case.

Seniors Preston White, James Arnold, John Oliver and Ben Rowell have been teammates since they were eight years old, playing for the Cherokee Youth Football 8U Etowah Gold.

Oliver, who has been the quarterback of the bunch since the beginning, couldn’t

imagine playing with anyone else or at any other position.

“It’s really just building on what you already know,” Oliver said. “You don’t have to relearn and start from the beginning.

You already have a grasp on what you are doing. Playing with these guys makes football a lot of fun. I get to go out and play the game that I love with the people that I love.”

Rowell says his friends keep the game interesting.

“You can trust them on every play,”

Rowell said. “You don’t have to worry about anything going wrong because you know they are going to do their job.”

Oliver has been throwing passes to Rowell since they were in the sixth grade.

“I always know that he is going to hit me,” Rowell said.

White, who started out as a running back and defensive end, no long plays on offense. These days he stands 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds. He lines up at defensive end or linebacker. He said it has been a fun experience playing with teammates that he con-

siders his best friends.

“These guys I can trust every single one of them because they are all my best friends,” White said. “We share a very strong connection.”

Arnold, a middle linebacker, said even when he isn’t on the field with the others, usually they are still together.

“We joke around and hang out,” Arnold said. “We trust each other. It makes us closer on the field. It’s a good thing. There is no one else I would rather be playing See Friends, Page 35

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HARRISON HOYAS

PAGE 22

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

KICKOFF 2013

LOCATION: 4500 DUE WEST ROAD, KENNESAW. PHONE: 678-594-8104. HOME FIELD: BRUCE COBLEIGH STADIUM. TEAM COLORS: NAVY BLUE, GREEN, WHITE. ONLINE: HARRISONHOYAFOOTBALL.COM.

2013 SCHEDULE

VS WOODSTOCK AUG. 30

AT ALPHARETTA SEPT. 6

VS CAMPBELL SEPT. 13

AT PEBBLEBROOK SEPT. 20

VS NORTH COBB SEPT. 27

AT KENNESAW MTN. OCT. 4

AT SOUTH COBB OCT. 18

2013 ROSTER NO. 1 2 3 4 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 24 25 26 27 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 40 41 43 44 45 47 50

NAME ORLANDO HESTER ALEX PORTWOOD WINSTON BOYKIN MICHAEL RYAN JUSTIN PALMER KEEGAN KARIM TAYVON BENJAMIN RODNEY CYRIAQUE ANDREW BROCK CARTER REED DERRICK OUTLEY ROSS NEELY BEN BROCK WYATT LOUCKS MITCHELL RICCARD CORBIN JOSEPH NOBLE WHITE LORENZO NUNEZ KYLE EUSTACE JONATHAN HUTSON SETH COWAN CAMERON SCOTT PARKER KELLEY JONATHAN KEASLER JAKE BLALOCK KAMERON JETT GRAYSON DELASHMIT BRYCE BROWN HAYDEN MESSINA MARK SKRADIS ALLEN FORD WILFREDO SAGASTUME KADERIS JOHNSON JONATHAN SMITH KENNET FOSUHENE JONATHAN FISHER JONATHAN GRIMES GREYSON ISZLER BRADLEY MELL JARVIS CARTER

CL. 11 11 11 12 12 12 12 11 12 12 12 11 10 12 10 11 12 11 11 11 11 10 12 11 10 12 10 10 11 11 11 11 10 10 12 12 11 10 11 11

POS. RB/LB RB/DB RB/DB RB/DB FB/LB WR/DB RB/DB WR/DB QB/FS FB/LB WR/DB TE/LB QB/FS WR/DB K WR/DB WR/DB QB/FS TE/LB K WR/FS RB/LB TE/LB WR/DB RB/LB WR/FS QB/FS RB/DB RB/LB RB/LB FB/LB FB/LB FB/LB FB/DE K FB/LB FB/LB FB/LB FB/LB OL/DL

NO. 52 53 54 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 80 81 82 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 95 96 98 99

NAME STEVEN NIXON CARLSON LYLES MICHAEL SMOAK ARIC LOGAN CJ KRAUSE JOEY CONNORS JALEN PENN JOSH ADAMS RYAN CAMPBELL BYRON GLASS JEREMY TILLMAN JULIAN COLE AUSTIN LOUDERMILK DOMINICK WORKMAN MITHCELL BENSON DAVID BERNER FRANCESCO ABBINANTI NICK MURRAY CHARLIE BARTON EVAN HUYNH RAYMOND PATTERSON JOE BARTON MICHAEL WENCLAWIAK DANNY CONNORS CHRIS KLUCK BRAEDEN LANGFORD MITCHELL GOODMAN MATT EIDSON ZACK CUNNINHAM AIDAN LOUCKS JAKE FRYE DREVON JONES MICHAEL O'REILLY LIAM MCGUIRE ETHAN RENSHAW NICHOLAS FANCHER RYAN PARKER PROMISE OLALEYE HOUSTON HUNT SETH SIMMER

AT HILLGROVE OCT. 25

VS MCEACHERN NOV. 1

VS MARIETTA NOV. 8

2013 SEASON OUTLOOK CL. 11 10 11 10 10 12 12 12 12 11 10 11 10 11 12 12 10 11 10 11 11 12 12 10 12 10 10 12 10 10 12 12 11 11 10 10 10 12 10 10

POS. C/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL C/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/LB OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL WR/DB TE/DL WR/DB WR/DB WR/DB WR/DB WR/DB WR/DB WR/DB WR/DB TE/DL OL/DL OL/DL TE/DL

Change is something Harrison football players have been forced to become familiar with.

Three coaches in two years could bring continuity problems, but Matt Dickmann, who was hired in December, has already put his stamp on the program.

“We’re talking a lot about sacrifice, commitment and dedication,” Dickmann said.

“I’ve seen nothing but improvement with attitudes and with work ethic.”

Dickmann was hired to replace Marty Galbraith, who resigned seven games into the 2012 season because of allegations of inappropriate conduct. The first football coach in the program’s history, Bruce Cobleigh, filled in for the final three contests on an interim basis as the Hoyas finished 4-6.

Dickmann, who built a 54-33 record at

COACHING STAFF HEAD COACH: MATT DICKMANN YEAR: 1 RECORD: 0-0 CAREER: 54-33 VARSITY COACHING STAFF JOSHUA CASSIDY — ASST. HC BOBBY THOMPSON — QB JEFF MEESE — RECEIVERS ED GEIGER — OFF. LINE MITCH HENGHOLD — DC JOHN LOUISO — DEF. LINE

Seminole Ridge High School in Loxahatchee, Fla., wants his team focused on building a foundation. He sees the strength of that foundation being an experienced offensive line, led by seniors Michael Wenclawiak, Josh Adams and Chris Kluck.

Lorenzo Nunez, who threw for 1,269 yards and 11 touchdowns last year, returns at quarterback. His most reliable weapon will be receiver Drevon Jones, who caught 40 passes for 668 yards and seven touchdowns. “(Nunez) and (Jones) are two of the most talented men I’ve had the opportunity to work with in 26 years,” Dickmann said. “Those two are a dangerous group.”

Dickmann also really likes his slot receiver, Michael Ryan, who returns to the field after missing last season with an illness.

“Ryan reminds me of a Wes Welker type of guy,” Dickmann said. “He’s going to be an important part of our passing game.”

Linebacker Jonathan Fisher and defensive lineman Joey Connors, who is committed to Central Florida, will lead an aggressive 3-4 defense. Fisher finished with 57 total tackles last season. Connors led the Hoyas with eight sacks.

“Fisher is the type of young man that, if you were going to war, you would want him in your foxhole,” Dickmann said. “He’s always at practice. He’s very relentless. He’ll even come to practice with a fever and wait until after to tell you he’s as sick as a dog.

“He’s a throwback.”

— By Michael Foster MDJ Sports Correspondent

5-YEAR RECORD 26-27

2012 RESULTS 4-6

2012 LEADERS RUSHING LORENZO NUNEZ

311 YDS, 3 TD

PASSING LORENZO NUNEZ

1,269 YDS, 11 TD

RECEIVING DREVON JONES

668 YDS, 7 TD

TACKLES BRADLEY MELL WILL HUFFSTETLER

66 65

SACKS JOEY CONNORS

8

INTERCEPTIONS DREVON JONES

2

WOODSTOCK ALPHARETTA CAMPBELL PEBBLEBROOK NORTH COBB KMHS SOUTH COBB HILLGROVE MCEACHERN MARIETTA

21-16 9-38 21-14 20-13 14-48 17-14 21-26 14-41 21-61 14-52

W L W W L W L L L L

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KICKOFF 2013

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

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Staff / Kelly J. Huff

chaos theory

While the Harrison football program had to deal with a lot of change over the last few years, one of the things that has stayed together has been the offensive line. Members include, from left, Matt Eidson, Michael Wenclawiak, Dominick Workman, Byron Glass, Chris Kluck and Josh Adams.

Harrison’s offensive line is proving stability can arrive out of disruption

By Michael Foster MDJ Sports Correspondent

Harrison’s starting offensive line for 2013 is expected to be composed of three seniors and two juniors.

The group has been through a lot. And now it will be asked to be a leading unit on the team.

“The offensive line doesn’t always get the most attention,” first-year coach Matt Dickmann said. “But, they really stood out to me.”

Led by seniors, Josh Adams (6-foot-3, 315 pounds), Chris Kluck (6-0, 215) and

game

Michael Wenclawiak (6-1, 255), along with juniors Byron Glass (6-1, 265) and Dominick Workman (6-1, 235), the line does just about everything together. They even share the same inside joke. When asked what the least glamorous part of being an offensive lineman is, four of them promptly provided the same answer.

“The sweat,” Wenclawiak said. “We sweat way more than those pretty boys in the backfield.”

Workman takes it a step further.

“We’re the smelliest kids on the team, no doubt,” he said.

That will happen when the line is facing

keeping you at the

top of your

Acworth 678.213.5717 Canton 770.345.5717 Austell 770.944.3303 Douglasville 770.949.8558 Brookstone 770.218.8800 East Cobb 770.579.8558

Marietta 770.427.5717 Paulding 770.445.5666 Woodstock 770.926.9112

the defensive fronts from McEachern, Hillgrove, Marietta and others while trying to open running lanes or give quarterback Lorenzo Nunez enough time to find his receivers down field.

But it is easy to make jokes about it when the players finally have the opportunity to find a comfort zone — something that hasn’t been around the Harrison program as much lately.

Over the previous two seasons, the Hoyas had three different head coaches. After David Hines was fired at the end of the 2011 season, former NFL and college coach Marty Galbraith was hired to return the team to the

playoffs. But, just seven games into his tenure at Harrison, Galbraith resigned among allegations of inappropriate conduct.

Bruce Cobleigh, the founder of the Harrison football program, assumed the position to finish out the year, but the turmoil was another part of an up and down 4-6 season.

Enter Dickmann, who built Seminole Ridge in Loxahatchee, Fla., from a struggling program into a legitimate contender.

Dickmann had a lot of pieces to pick up when he arrived at Harrison, but he said in See Chaos, Page 35

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Starter Continued from Page 14

to you to make the play and you’ve got the ball in your hands at all times. You have to make sure that everybody knows what they are doing at all times. If someone has a question about their position, you have to answer it.”

One of his counterparts at Woodstock agrees.

“I like having the responsibility on the field,” Motsinger said. “Just having the ball in your hand on every play and being able to make decisions to help your team. As long as you are able to handle the pressure, it’s not too bad.”

Motsinger, who also plays safety, said he enjoys being a quarterback, but he prefers defense because he can hit someone instead of being hit himself.

When Motsinger isn’t in the pocket, the duty falls to Agner.

Having two equally experienced quarterbacks is a unique

12:21 PM

Page 24

situation for the Wolverines, and coach Brent Budde hopes to make the most of it.

“We are excited about the direction our offense is heading,” Budde said. “We have two guys who can handle the job and we can do different things with that.”

Agner shares the sentiment.

“I think that it’s something that we can bring to the offense with two different types of personalities and how we play the game,” Agner said.

“We have different strengths and weaknesses.”

While none of the quarterbacks admitted their first year as a starter was difficult, each said it became easier with time.

“Last year, I played half the season and with that experience, it will really slow the game down for me this year,” Agner said. “I’ll be better because of what I went through last year.”

Some of them even had advice they would pass along to first-year starters like Wilkie.

“You just have to hang in there,” Oliver said. “It gets better.”

KICKOFF 2013

Green Continued from Page 19

Still, Crowder expects the first game to be a bit of a shock for Wilkie.

“Hopefully we can create some situations for him that will help him,” Crowder said. “We are going to have to do that in our scrimmage.

Fortunately, we are scrimmaging Centennial, who is going to be

Bean Continued from Page 17

don’t walk away from lightning strikes. It was very scary.”

Because it wasn’t a direct strike, Bean didn’t end up with any burn marks or any lasting damage — un-

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

good, so that will help (Wilkie) a lot.”

In addition to moving up to the varsity team from the freshman team, where he also played quarterback, Wilkie has had to adjust to a new coaching staff and playbook.

“It was very difficult,” he said.

“You get a whole new playbook and offense and everything. It was difficult, but I think it was a good change for the team, and we should do some great things this year.”

Wilkie was not expected to start

this season. Hunter Wingfield, who transferred from Cherokee, was expected to get the ball, but suffered a torn ACL during the summer. The job fell to Wilkie. And while Crowder does have a couple of backups in mind, he is hoping that he doesn’t have to resort to that.

“We absolutely have to have (a quarterback), so if something happens, we have a couple of kids that we think can play if they need to,” he said. “We are just hoping we don’t have that need.”

less you want to credit that for his defensive powers on the field. He was promoted to the varsity team before the end of his freshman year and started all last season as a sophomore.

“It didn’t slow me down at all,” Bean said. “It didn’t give me super powers, but I sure wish. My coaches still joke about it to this day.”

Bean said that he tries not to go

outside while there is lightning these days, and he certainly makes sure to stay clear of metal.

“I’m a little bit more cautious after that happened,” he said. “Still, it makes a good story to tell. People never believe me, but I still have the video from Fox 5 on my phone that I can show people if they think I’m joking about it.”

Marietta City Schools and Cobb County School District offer drivers education classes at different high schools throughout the county.

Classes are open to all high school students.

For class locations and to register go to:

www.mariettacommunityschool.com

• 30 hours of classroom / 6 hours behind the wheel • Low cost ($375) • Taught by Cobb County / Marietta certified school teachers • Meets the Joshua’s Law requirements

developing safe drivers since

1985

• Qualifies for the Teen Drivers Education Insurance Discount You may register online or by fax using Visa, MasterCard or Discover cards, or mail a check made payable to Marietta Community School with the completed registration form.

Marietta Community School 1171 Whitlock Ave. • Marietta, GA 30064 • Phone: 770-429-3170 • Fax: 770-429-3178

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HILLGROVE HAWKS

PAGE 26

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

KICKOFF 2013

LOCATION: 4165 LUTHER WARD ROAD, POWDER SPRINGS. PHONE: 678-594-8127. HOME FIELD: COBB ENERGY/HILLGROVE STADIUM. TEAM COLORS: CRIMSON, SILVER. ONLINE: HILLGROVEFOOTBALL.ORG.

2013 SCHEDULE

(AT MCEACHERN) WALTON AUG. 30

VS WESTLAKE AUG. 23

VS MARIETTA SEPT. 13

VS CAMBPELL SEPT. 27

AT PEBBLEBROOK OCT. 4

VS NORTH COBB OCT. 11

AT KENNESAW MTN. OCT. 18

NAME LEMARKUS BAILEY ELIJAH IRONSIDE ERIC JACKSON OMAR BLACK SAM GRIFFITH JUSTIN DENTON EMANUEL BEAL ZACH KATZ MATT WILSON RICHARD HALLMAN SONNY HARRIS JOHN DEVINE DEVIN KNIGHT GERARD MCGRUDER TREY BLOUNT CONNER BECK MARCUS BOWENS AUSTIN WOODS PHINEHAS HALL JALEN DAMPIER BINGO LONG ERIC MONTGOMERY RICHARDRE BAGLEY JALEN PHELPS BRADLEY CHUBB QUINCEY NELSON MARCUS BANKS DERRICK EVANS JAMAL SUTTON ANDREW GAUGHN RYAN MOORE PHIL DAVIS BOBBY BENJAMIN

CL. POS. 12 DB 12 QB 11 WR 12 WR 10 DB 12 WR 12 WR 12 WR 10 QB 11 WR 11 RB 10 WR 12 DB 12 DB 9 WR 12 QB 11 WR 10 DB 11 DB 10 DB 10 WR 11 RB 12 RB 10 DB 12 LB 12 WR 11 DB 12 RB 11 DB 12 K/P 11 RB 11 LB 11 DB JEREMIAH MIDDLETON 10 RB JOSH PRICE 11 DE

NO. 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70

NAME KENNY OWENS REED HALL RICKY POWELL RYAN CONNIFF RYAN BURNS VINNY ROSAMILIA ETHAN TULL JT JACKSON IKE UWADIE MILES RAILEY MONTRYLL WILLIS SPENCER METCALFE HECTOR SANCHEZ RJ SMITH ALEX MURPHY ROSS MATHIS MAX MURPHY JONATHAN WAGLEY ALEX GARLAND GRANT ELKINS KERRY STEEN TRENT PAUL BUDDY WILLIAMS KEVIN HEARD JUSTIN RODNEY

CL. POS. 10 S 11 K/P 12 LB 11 LB 10 LB 11 LB 10 WR 12 LB 10 WR 11 LB 11 DB 10 LB 10 LB 11 DB 10 LB 11 OL 10 DL 11 OL 12 OL 10 OL 11 OL 10 DL 11 LB 11 OL 10 DL CAMERON KOWALEWSKI 12 OL TAYLOR ABOUHAIF 10 DE JOHN LOEHR 10 OL KELLAND PRIEST 11 OL HAYES BARBER 10 OL CHRIS BLACKWELL 10 OL OMAR DABDOUB 10 DL ROBERT BROZ 10 OL MALCOLM CROWDER 10 DL TIM ROBERTS 10 OL

NO. NAME 71 JOHN BUTGERIT 72 MATT BREAUX 73 TREY SMITH 74 JOSH RYAN 75 JAYLAN REID 76 JOEL NIERLING 77 SHAWN PLUMMER 78 SAMUEL COUNTS 79 KYLE JONES 80 WALKER CHASTAIN 81 CHAREEF ALLEN 82 ERIC NEWMAN 83 RODERICK ABRAM 84 AVERY CLARK 85 JOSEPH WILLIAMS 86 CAM ROBERTS 87 DEANDRE BEAL 88 COBEY SMITH 89 TORRANCE SCOTT 90 TYLER YOUNG 91 PAUL BAIN 92 SHEKINAH SHAHEED 93 ZACH DORWEILER 94 CODY VICKERY 95 JONAH GADSDEN 96 JOSEPH BARKER 97 JASON HARRINGTON 98 SAM MOON 99 WARREN TERRY BRADY SCOTT JIMAREO WITHEROW BRYSON PARKS TAVION WALKER DAYTON GROVES

CL. POS. 10 OL 12 OL 12 OL 12 OL 12 DT 12 OL 11 DL 10 OL 10 OL 10 WR 10 WR 12 TE 12 WR 10 WR 11 WR 10 WR 10 WR 10 WR 11 WR 12 LB 12 DL 10 DB 10 LB 10 DE 12 TE 10 WR 10 WR 10 DB 12 DL 9 DE 9 DL 9 QB 9 RB 9 QB

Hillgrove qualified for its fifth straight playoff appearance last season, but there’s no doubt that after much success in the early years, that its 6-5 record — including an opening-round loss to vaunted Camden County — was somewhat underwhelming.

Injuries to key players on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball hampered the Hawks success last year, but the team’s most decorated playmakers return from the ailments that slowed them in 2012.

Tailback Richardre Bagley, returns after missing six weeks last year with a broken ankle. Defensive end/linebacker Bradley Chubb, who is committed to North Carolina State, returns after an ACL tear cost much of his junior season.

“We just had a lot of injuries pile up and catch up with us,” coach Phil Ironside said.

“When (Bagley) came back later in the year

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2013 SEASON OUTLOOK

2013 ROSTER NO. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35

VS HARRISON OCT. 25

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we were a much better offense and we expect things to keep clicking.”

Bagley carried only 36 times for 184 yards and three touchdowns last season.

He’s expected to make a much bigger impact.

“He’s probably the most dynamic player we’ve got,” Ironside said.

Bagley’s and Chubb’s return to health will be key for the Hawks to compete for a playoff spot in ultra-competitive Region 4AAAAAA. Quarterback Elijah Ironside, who threw for 519 yards and eight touchdowns, is primed to take over the starting role after splitting time with Troy Thompson in 2012, on the back end of an injury he suffered in fall camp.

“Elijah has really progressed a lot,” Ironside said. “He’s been there and done that.”

With the departure of Evan Engram,

Emanuel Beal, a transfer from Wheeler who caught 43 passes for 855 yards and seven touchdowns, becomes Elijah Ironside’s top receiving threat.

Offensive linemen Alex Garland, Cameron Kowaleski and Kelland Priest all have come along nicely during camps.

Defensively, the team will have to replace defensive backs Tolando Cleveland and Travon Simmons, linebacker Justin Haney and defensive end Peyton Hewitt.

Chubb should come back and make an immediate impact on an otherwise youthful defense.

“Getting (Chubb) back is huge,” Phil Ironside said.

— By Michael Foster MDJ Sports Correspondent

5-YEAR RECORD 42-16

2012 RESULTS 6-5

2012 LEADERS RUSHING TROY THOMPSON

389 YDS, 5 TD

PASSING TROY THOMPSON

1,400 YDS, 12 TD

RECEIVING EVAN ENGRAM

583 YDS, 5 TD

TACKLES TOLANDO CLEVELAND JUSTIN HANLEY

58 54

SACKS VICTOR SANZHEZ

5

INTERCEPTIONS TRAVON SIMMONS

3

WESTLAKE LASSITER MARIETTA CAMPBELL PEBBLEBROOK NORTH COBB KMHS HARRISON SOUTH COBB MCEACHERN CAMDEN COUNTY

31-15 29-37 13-27 38-0 37-0 14-41 34-12 41-14 37-14 30-33 17-52

W L L W W L W W W L L

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PAGE 27

KICKOFF 2013

PROGRAM BUILDING 101

Staff / Kelly J. Huff

Bradley Chubb, left, and Elijah Ironside have helped Hillgrove become one of Cobb’s premier programs. Now they want to lead the Hawks to a their first state championship.

In only seven years, Hillgrove has grown into one of Cobb’s best football teams

By Michael Foster MDJ Sports Correspondent

For decades, McEachern owned high school football in Powder Springs. However, that changed in 2006 when Hillgrove opened its doors and began its new football program.

Since then, the Hawks have made inroads, and they have turned the annual game against the Indians into the “Battle Down in Powder Town.” It goes down as one of the biggest games on the Cobb

County calendar each year.

“It’s not a bad reputation we’ve built here,” coach Phil Ironside said. “You know, it’s hard to compare to McEachern sometimes, but we’ve been very competitive with them and won a region title and played up with the big boys.”

Hillgrove’s campus is just 2 miles north of McEachern’s. However, if you compared the two programs side-by-side, you’d be hard pressed to tell the difference.

Seven years might not be much of a sample size, especially considering the

Hawks weren’t eligible for postseason play in their first two seasons, but last year’s 6-5 finish is already being viewed as a down year.

The bar was set high when the Hillgrove program began. The program has made the state playoffs four of five possible seasons, which has included a trip to the state quarterfinals in 2010 and an undefeated regular season and region title in 2011. In seven seasons, the team has won 70 percent of its games, going 50-21. In three games against its arch rival, the Hawks are 1-2, with their

victory coming at McEachern two seasons ago, when the Indians were ranked No. 1 in the state.

An expansion team’s resume it is not.

According to Ironside, who built the Hawks’ program from scratch after spending four years as the coach at Campbell, the immediate success came from many faces who made plays outside of the lines.

“Obviously you’ve got to have talent, but I’ve been a lot places where we had See Seven, Page 34

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KELL LONGHORNS

PAGE 28

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

KICKOFF 2013

LOCATION: 4700 LEE WATERS ROAD, MARIETTA. PHONE: 678-494-7844. HOME FIELD: COBB ENERGY/CORKY KELL STADIUM. TEAM COLORS: COPPER, WHITE, BLACK. ONLINE: KELLFOOTBALL.COM.

2013 SCHEDULE TBA

(GEORGIA DOME) CHATTAHOOCHEE

AUG. 24

AT WOODSTOCK SEPT. 6

VS LASSITER SEPT. 14

VS CREEKVIEW SEPT. 20

AT NORTH SPRINGS

SEPT. 27

VS RIVERWOOD OCT. 4

AT OSBORNE OCT. 11

NAME JULIAN BURRIS JAY MOXEY SHAVAUGHN HAMMOND DARIAN HARRIS ERROL BREAUX KEITH HAMPTON BRYSON ARMSTRONG EVAN CARNES JALEN WOOTEN CAMERON ROSENDAHL GRADY MILLER MATTHEW MCGUIGAN STONE HATFIELD NASIM GREENE MATTHEW KNIGHTEN NEWT OBENG JAWAN NOBLES DERRICK MESADIEU DEARTE PERNELL DERRICK WHITE DIVANTE LANGLEY ITABARI MASON CAMERON MASSUNG TAYLOR HENKLE COREY ROBINSON D'VONTE DENNIS JULIEN CHANG LYNEL DAVIS NOAH PATTON TAE MCCLURE IVAN WALLS DYLLEN REED AUSTIN MEAUT

CL. 12 12 12 12 12 12 10 10 12 11 11 12 10 11 12 11 10 10 11 11 11 11 12 12 11 10 10 11 11 11 10 12 12

POS. WR/DB RB/DB WR/DB RB/DB WR/DB WR/DB WR/LB TE/DE WR/DB QB WR QB QB TE/LB WR/DB WR/DB QB WR/DB RB/LB WR/DB RB/LB RB/LB K WR/DB WR/DB WR/DB K WR/DB RB/DE WR/DB WR/DB RB/LB RB/LB

NO. 36 39 41 42 43 44 45 46 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 66 67 68 69 72 74 76 80 81 84 86 88

NAME ALEX STONE SHAKEHEIM HAMMOND BRIAN LINK CRISTHIAN BAHENA LUKE WILSON LOGAN JOHNSON ELLIS LIDDELL MICHAEL MCCAIN CALVIN IRBY QUIENTIN SANDERS NATHAN WALLER NICHOLAS JOHNSON MASON KABCHEF ELIJAH OWENS JERMAINE SMITH ETHAN ELLIOTT TREY COWART KEVIN WENCES DONNELL GREENE JUSTIN ROCHEZ CORBETT MENDELSON JAMES DEMATTO JULIAN JOHNSON JOE SANTROCK QUINTON SIMS TEVIN STYLES BEN LAYNE ALEX CRANFORD RYAN WIGGS ANTHONY PORTER ANDREW BRAUN JAMES JOHNSON NICK WOGHIREN

AT POPE NOV. 1

VS REGION PLAY-IN NOV. 8

2013 SEASON OUTLOOK

2013 ROSTER NO. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35

VS SPRAYBERRY OCT. 25

CL. 12 10 12 10 10 10 10 10 12 10 12 10 11 10 10 12 12 12 12 12 12 10 12 9 12 10 11 11 10 10 10 10 10

POS. WR/DB RB/DB WR/LB WR/DB WR/DB WR/DB RB/LB RB/LB RB/LB WR/DB OL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL WR/DB WR/DB WR/DB WR/DB WR/LB

Kell has become one of Cobb County’s elite programs by being a consistent winner.

Over the last five years, the Longhorns own the county’s second-best record at 45-14, they have won two region titles in the last three years — including 2012 — and have gone to the state playoffs each season.

With that level of success, if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.

“We are who we are when it comes to being Kell football.” coach Derek Cook said.

“We’re tough and physical, we’re going to stop the run on defense. We’re going to run the ball down your throat on offense. If you slow that down, we’ll throw it around. Pick your poison.”

Kell fans shouldn’t expect any drastic changes in that philosophy in 2013.

On offense, it starts with winning the battle up front.

COACHING STAFF HEAD COACH: DEREK COOK YEAR: 6 RECORD: 45-14 CAREER: 54-26 VARSITY COACHING STAFF JOE TOUSIGNAUT — DC JONATHAN GORDON — OC RICHARD NORMAN — RB KIRK CROSS — OFF. LINE TONY DAYKIN — DEF. BACKS JAMES THIGPEN — DEF. LINE RUSTY GILLESPIE — KICKERS

“Our offensive line has to be the catalyst,” Cook said. “Donnell Greene, James DeMatto, Nathan Waller, Corbett Mendelson, Trey Cowart — those guys have to be big up front. We have a lot of guys who can run the ball, and we’re deep at receiver. But it’s really going to depend on those linemen.”

Defensively, Kell has one of Cobb County’s best football players patrolling the secondary in Kennesaw State commitment Taylor Henkle. Henkle will team with Jay Moxey and Julian Burris in what again will be one of the best defensive backfields in the state.

Kell’s toughness will be tested in its third game of the season against Lassiter, a game the entire team is looking forward to.

“That’s a big rivalry and they embarrassed us last year.” Cook said. “Lassiter has been good, and they let you know they’re

good. I’m sure they are looking to smash everyone again this season just like we are.

We don’t want to be 9-1, we want to be 10-0.”

After that, Kell could be in position for the one thing the program hasn’t had yet — a run toward a state championship. In years past, the Longhorns have run into Statesboro, Lovejoy and last year, eventual state champion Gainesville, all of whom kept Kell from possibly finishing the season at the Georgia Dome.

“We’ve gotten to the point in this program where the first round of the playoffs isn’t really good enough anymore, and the second round isn’t either,” Cook said. “We need to find a way to win those games in the playoffs.”

— By Zac Diodati MDJ Sports Correspondent

5-YEAR RECORD 45-14

2012 RESULTS 10-2

2012 LEADERS RUSHING JAMARI MOORE

877 YDS, 5 TD

PASSING MATT MCGUIGAN

1,820 YDS, 20 TD

RECEIVING BRENDAN LANGLEY 744 YDS, 12 TD TACKLES TAYLOR HENKLE MICHAEL VALERO

69 60

SACKS ETHAN ELLIOT

10

INTERCEPTIONS BRENDAN LANGLEY

6

CHATTAHOOCHEE WOODSTOCK LASSITER CREEKVIEW NORTH SPRINGS RIVERWOOD OSBORNE SPRAYBERRY POPE FORSYTH CENT. SW DEKALB GAINESVILLE

19-8 27-10 13-42 33-29 48-0 35-7 34-7 33-21 31-3 53-21 19-14 42-61

W W L W W W W W W W W L

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KICKOFF 2013

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

back for more

Staff / Kelly J. Huff

Kell’s Matthew McGuigan led the Longhorns to their second region championship in three years in 2012, and now he wants to take them to a Class AAAAA state championship.

Matthew McGuigan returns with hopes of leading Kell to a Class AAAAA title

By Zac Diodati MDJ Sports Correspondent

Heading into the 2012 season, Kell’s starting quarterback job was a competition. Heading into 2013, it is Matthew McGuigan’s to lose.

After last year’s 10-2 record and region championship, the senior signalcaller is excited about leading the Longhorns into their new campaign.

“The enthusiasm is very high” McGuigan said. “We graduated a few key players, but I think a lot of guys are going

to step up this year.”

Kell has traditionally been a “run-andplay defense” type of team, but McGuigan knows that a lot is still asked of the quarterback in this kind of system.

“A quarterback definitely has a role in this type of offense,” he said. “When it’s time to throw the ball, I have to be ready to throw it around when I’m called upon.

I’ve got my role and I have to be ready to play it. I do hope we throw the ball more this year though.”

The 6-foot, 205-pound McGuigan showed he could guide the offense

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through the air last year, and he gained more confidence as the season went on.

McGuigan completed 54 percent of his passes for 1,820 yards, 20 touchdowns and only nine interceptions. His real breakthrough game came in the playoffs against Gainesville when he threw for 333 yards and six touchdowns — 265 yards and five touchdowns of that came in the first half.

Kell coach Derek Cook said a conservative philosophy may actually overshadow McGuigan’s contributions to the See More, Page 34

THE MCGUIGAN FILE

cLASS: senior pOSITION: quarterback hEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6-FOOT, 205 lbS 2012: 1,820 yds., 20 TD, 9 INT Had 265 yards and 5 touchdowns in first half against Gainesville

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KENNESAW MOUNTAIN MUSTANGS

PAGE 30

KICKOFF 2013

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

LOCATION: 1898 KENNESAW DUE WEST ROAD, KENNESAW. PHONE: 770-594-8190. HOME FIELD: COBB ENERGY/MUSTANG STADIUM. TEAM COLORS: BLACK, GREEN, SILVER. ONLINE: KMHSMUSTANGFOOTBALL.COM

2013 SCHEDULE TBA

AT SPRAYBERRY AUG. 30

AT SOUTH COBB SEPT. 13

VS NORTH COBB SEPT. 20

AT MCEACHERN SEPT. 27

VS HARRISON OCT. 4

AT MARIETTA OCT. 11

VS HILLGROVE OCT. 18

NAME MACEO INMAN ZACH BISHOP JAMARI CARTER RASHAD JACKSON MARCUS MANION LUCAS CARMEAN DEVIN STEED JNIE WILLIAMS KHALEED CASE DENNIS BELL MYNOR URRUTIA JOSH RAWLINS ZACH WERNER KYLE WOOTEN NIGEL HAYES ZACH CHANDLER BRENT VANDERMEYDEN BRYSON COLON BRYAN BELL JORDAN SAUNDERS MATTHEW SKAGGS JESSE PHILLIPS ANDREAS SURI CLAYTON ETHRIDGE TYLER PECK GARLAND WOODRUFF RICHARD LEWIS TANNER JONES JASON JOHNSON NICHOLAS MOORE RYAN PETERSON TYLER PETERSON DANTOINE HARDEN ROBERT PATTERSON MASON RICH LOGAN CRAIG IOAN SOFIAN HUNTER HUTCHESON LUIS MEDIAN EVAN CLARK GREG CALHOUN ISAAC CARTER MAGALL MOHAMMED BRANDON MCCAIN FAHAD DIGANKAR

CL. 12 12 12 12 12 12 10 10 11 12 10 11 10 10 11 12 11 10 12 11 11 11 11 11 10 11 10 11 11 11 11 12 11 11 10 10 11 11 12 11 11 11 12 11 12

POS. DB RB RB RB RB DB RB RB DB RB LB QB DB QB QB WR TE DB LB WR DB DB K DB DB LB RB RB RB DB LB K RB LB DB LB RB LB LB DB DB DE DB LB OL

NO. 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 59 60 61 62 63 65 66 67 68 70 71 72 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99

game

NAME DAVID RICKETTS RUSS HIETT CARSON LAKE ZACH WINSTEAD RICHARD NQUYEN DYLAN URSY WILL LYONS PATRICK PICKETT BEN JAUREGUI DANIEL OYOLA JUSTIN PHILLIPS TOBY ONWUMBIKO DAVID WHITE CHANDLER CORSE DANIEL TURNER AUSTIN LYONS DONALD MARKE ZACK EDGAR JACOB MUNSON ZACK EUDALY KYLE SMITH ALEX LOPEZ AARON AGNANT ZISHAN BHATTI DANIEL DOLENSKY BRIAN PIEJAK ALAN TOLAR JUSTIN THOMAS CHRIS WINK OSAMA MURAAD JOHN ROMANO PARKER LEE CHRISTOPHER RUFLIN TAARIQ SHABAZZ JAMESON BUTLER ERIK DIXON CHRIS REYNOLDS KEVIN UJJIN JONATHON PAYTON CARSON HALL JJ BARRON JOEY COWN BLAKE OVERHOLT

CL. 11 10 10 11 12 10 10 11 11 12 10 11 11 11 10 10 11 10 10 10 11 10 11 12 10 11 11 11 10 10 11 11 12 12 10 10 10 10 11 12 12 12 10

POS. OL OL DL DL OL OL OL DL OL OL OL LB OL OL OL OL OL OL DL OL OL OL OL OL WR TE WR WR K WR TE WR WR DL DL DL DL DL DL DL DL DL DL

After the Mustangs won only one game between 2010 and ’11, coach Andy Scott was hired at Kennesaw Mountain to reverse the fortunes of the football program.

Scott led the team to a 4-6 record in 2012, and he along with his players are expecting further success in 2013.

“Any time you try to build a program, you try to create excitement” he said. “We finished the year 4-6, and even though that’s not a great mark, for a group of kids that had just gone 1-19, it was good. I think they’re looking forward to this year. We all are.”

Offensively, quarterback Nigel Hayes, who threw for 317 yards, five touchdowns and ran for 253 yards and five touchdowns after assuming the starting role at midseason, and the rest of the unit should have a better grasp on the triple-option attack Scott

COACHING STAFF HEAD COACH: ANDY SCOTT YEAR: 2 RECORD: 4-6 CAREER: 31-35 VARSITY COACHING STAFF DON BAKER — DIR. FB OPS. JEFF BETTIS — DEF. LINE MARCUS CARTER — LB SEAN THOM — DEF. COOR. MIKE PFIESTER — OFF. LINE CHIRS WALKER — RB KEN EALY — RECEIVERS

keeping you at the

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Acworth 678.213.5717 Canton 770.345.5717 Austell 770.944.3303 Douglasville 770.949.8558 Brookstone 770.218.8800 East Cobb 770.579.8558

VS PEBBLEBROOK NOV. 1

AT REGION 7AAAAA NOV. 8

2013 SEASON OUTLOOK

2013 ROSTER NO. 3 4 5 6 7 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50

AT CAMPBELL OCT. 25

Marietta 770.427.5717 Paulding 770.445.5666 Woodstock 770.926.9112

installed a year ago.

“From this type of offense, you really have to take what the defense gives you,” he said. “We’re going to try to get a lot of our players as many touches as possible. We’ll be really gifted at a lot of the skill positions, and it’s just a matter of how we mature as the year goes by.”

On the defensive side of the ball, Scott looks forward to seeing his players more familiar with a scheme that was new to them last year. And he has Duke commitment Taariq Shabazz, who had 59 tackles and 4.5 sacks last year, to lead the way.

“There’s more continuity now,” Scott said. “Our kids understand the blitz packages more now. We try to create as much confusion as possible for the offense by walking people around, moving our linebackers and

our DBs around, and I think that continuity is going to help us as we move forward.”

For the Mustangs, the 2013 season will be a telling look at not only the tactical changes that Scott has brought to the program, but a change in mentality as well. If Kennesaw Mountain can improve on its 2012 record, and even qualify for the postseason, it will mean one of Region 4AAAAAA’s perceived powerhouse teams will be staying home for the playoffs.

“There are no easy games in this region,” Scott said. “We’re not going to surprise anyone this year. Everyone will be gunning for us.”

— By Zac Diodati MDJ Sports Correspondent

5-YEAR RECORD 13-37

2012 RESULTS 4-6

2012 LEADERS RUSHING JAMARI CARTER MARCUS BROWN

565 YDS, 5 TD 481 YDS, TD

PASSING DALLIN FINLEY NIGEL HAYES

366 YDS, 2 TD 317 YDS, 5 TD

RECEIVING DENNIS BELL 268 YDS, 3 TD MAURICE PHILLIPS 206 YDS, TD TACKLES TYLER COOPER

68

SACKS TAARIQ SHABAZZ SIDNEY HAMMOND

4.5 4.5

SPRAYBERRY SOUTH COBB NORTH COBB MCEACHERN HARRISON MARIETTA HILLGROVE CAMPBELL PEBBLEBROOK NORTH SPRINGS

28-24 26-28 7-52 7-39 14-17 21-56 12-34 42-21 35-13 45-0

W L L L L L L W W W

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KICKOFF 2013

no more dumb jo c k s

Staff / Todd Hull

Kennesaw Mountain currently has 15 players in the math and science magnet program including, from left, Chris Ruflin, John Romano, Brian Piejak and Daniel Oyola.

Kennesaw Mountain has 15 players in the math and science magnet program

By Zac Diodati MDJ Sports Correspondent

A group of Kennesaw Mountain football players are taking full advantage of everything offered to them as high school students. In addition to representing their school on the field, they are leading the way in the classroom as well.

The Mustangs have 16 athletes who are part of Kennesaw Mountain’s Academy of Mathematics, Science & Technology. The Academy is a magnet program with an ad-

vanced curriculum, which puts its participants into accelerated courses. It begins freshman year with intensive research projects and presentations, and ends four years later with opportunities in the form of internships and field experience.

“There are more ways to be successful academically than there are athletically” coach Andy Scott said. “When they go off to college, they will be prepared for the pressure that they’re going to face.”

The program also provides a way to learn the valuable skill of budgeting time.

“It’s not easy to combine these two activities, it’s all about time management.” offensive lineman Daniel Oyola said. “But it’s possible for any kid who loves the game of football and wants to get a great education as well.”

Wide receiver Chris Ruflin agrees.

“I think it helps us set an example for other magnet students,” he said. “The other students have the same workload as we do, and they see us working hard on the field as well, so I think it shows them how much time they have to dedicate to classes.”

Despite their academic aspirations, the magnet athletes are passionate about furthering their team’s success on the football field.

“Our whole team wants to make the playoffs,” defensive lineman John Romano said. “We are going to make the playoffs.”

That may be a difficult path to maneuver considering Region 4AAAAAA has McEachern, Marietta, Hillgrove and South Cobb to work through — in addition to a See Jocks, Page 34

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12:39 AM

Page 32

LASSITER TROJANS

PAGE 32

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

KICKOFF 2013

LOCATION: 2601 SHALLOWFORD ROAD, MARIETTA. PHONE: 678-494-7863. HOME FIELD: FRANK FILLMANN STADIUM. TEAM COLORS: MAROON, GOLD. ONLINE: LASSITERFOOTBALL.NET.

2013 SCHEDULE

AT MCEACHERN

AUG. 30

VS SPRAYBERRY SEPT. 6

AT KELL SEPT. 13

VS CHEROKEE SEPT. 20

AT WOODSTOCK SEPT. 27

AT WALTON OCT. 4

VS MILTON OCT. 18

NAME CL.POS. PETER BRIGNAC 12 DL BRENT PENTER 10 WR CHRIS MURPHY 12 DB GRANT DANIELS 11 RB DUBY NWAUBI 12 WR ALEC ADAMS 10 DB MORGAN MCDANIEL 12 WR BLAKE WILSON 12 WR BRYCE WASHINGTON 10 WR BLAKE RICHARDSON 12 DB CAMRON LLOYD 10 WR WILL ANDERSON 12 QB DERRICK LLOYD 12 DB COLE TAYLOR 10 WR PARKER STYLES 12 DB TYLER KAY 10 WR BLAKE PENTER 12 WR QUINCY PERDUE 12 WR SAM KELLER 11 DB RUSSELL AARONS 11 QB MARTIN LISS 11 DB DEANGELO KING 11 WR ANTONIO GALLANTE 11 DB WILL MCALLISTER 10 QB TYLER BRANCH 11 WR LUKE HARDIN 12 K MITCHELL WASSON 10 K/P ALLANTE COLLINS 12 WR DAVIS HEITZMAN 10 DB TOM BARRE 12 DB COOPER CROSS 10 QB ZACH WITTES 11 QB COREY JOHN 12 DL MASON WATERS 9 RB DERION CANNON 12 RB MICHAEL CURRAN 10 DB NITIN JAIN 11 DB A.J. PELLETIER 11 LB TANNER PLEMMONS 11 DB

NO. 25 25* 26 27 27* 28 29 30 31 32 33 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 65 68 70

NAME CL.POS. CLAY ROELLE 12 DB OZI ORJIOKE 10 RB ORIS LAWHORN 11 WR MICHAEL BRIDGERS 11 DB BEN MOSTELLAR 10 DB DANIEL FABINIAK 12 DB JAHAT ORAMAS 12 DB MATT MCALLISTER 11 WR ZACK LETTS 11 K/P EM. NWAKAEZE 12 LB LANE JACKMAN 12 RB BEAR BROWN 11 DB BRETT HORTON 11 LB COLE BAILEY 10 LB TOMMY HENEGHAN 11 WR JOE PICCIONE 10 DB DYLANBASS 11 K/P BENEDICT LOUIS 12 LB JACK MARCHAND 12 LB CONNOR BELL 11 LB DAVID LONG-DANIELS 11 LB ZACH SPIES 12 LB AVEUS ANDERSON 12 DL CALEB MAULDIN 12 LB KORY GILDEA 11 LB BRIAN MACDONALD 12 LB MARCO BRAMLETT 11 LB AUSTIN CHEATUM 12 OL STEPHEN CURRAN 12 OL PHILIP MURRAY 11 OL GREGG WENTZ 11 OL RAUL AGUIRRE 12 DL JAKE CHAMBERS 11 DL SAM WOOD 12 OL MICHAEL FREEMAN 12 OL LUKE SMITHWICK 11 OL MATT MERRIMAN 10 OL MICHAEL DAVIS 11 OL CHASE BISHOP 10 DL

AT ROSWELL NOV. 1

VS ETOWAH NOV. 8

2013 SEASON OUTLOOK

2013 ROSTER NO. 1 1* 2 2* 3 3* 4 5 5* 6 6* 7 8 8* 9 9* 10 11 11* 12 13 13* 14 14* 15 16 16* 17 17* 18 18* 19 20 20* 21 21* 22 23 24

AT WHEELER OCT. 25

NO. 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 99

NAME CL.POS. JACK DROOK 10 LB LUAN PEREIRA 12 OL DANIEL CHOW 12 OL CONNOR WOLFE 10 OL HAMPTON SANFORD 10 OL HAYES RYAN 10 OL NOAH PRINCE 10 OL ISAAC WEAVER 10 OL ZARAN SMITH 11 WR TYLER MONTOUR 11 WR ZACH BEAVERSON 12 WR TOM CANTRELL 11 DB LINDEN RIEDLINGER 11 WR STEVEN BEASLEY 11 WR HUNTER ROWLEY 11 WR PEARSON VANHORN 11 WR JOHN BRANKS 12 DL JACK WILSON 10 WR MATTHEW NORTON 11 WR CONNOR SHIELDS 11 DL C.J. AMANN 12 DL ZAC ALLEN 12 DL HAYDEN COYNE 10 DL AHMAD ALEXANDER 12 DL PATRICK CARTER 10 DL MICHAEL BALLARD 11 DL JORDAN AINSLIE 10 K MAX GOLDBERG 10 DL DEVANTE ARNOLD 10 RB IZAIAH GONZALEZ 10 DB FLETCHER HARPER 10 WR CHRISTIAN HOLDEN 11 DB MARCUS MCKINLEY 10 RB KYLE MUNSEY 10 DB LORENZO STEPHENS 10 WR NICK WASHINGTON 10 DB CARTER REID 10 WR COLIN COOPER 10 WR

* DUPLICATE NUMBER

The success of Lassiter’s undefeated campaign in 2012 was a double-edged sword.

The Trojans won their 10 regular-season games by an average of 22 points, which allowed plenty of time for backups and underclassmen to receive valuable reps in game situations, but the team’s limited experience with late-game dramatics came back to haunt it in a 24-21 overtime loss to Brookwood in the first round of the state playoffs.

This fall, coach Jep Irwin will expect his former backups to step in right away and keep the Trojans’ high-powered spread offense humming despite the departure of quarterback Eddie Printz, and many of his top targets for the Division I ranks.

It may take senior transfer Will Anderson a game or two to get settled as the new quarterback, but the Trojans expect senior running back Lane Jackman, who ran for 727 yards and eight touchdowns last season, to

COACHING STAFF HEAD COACH: JEP IRWIN YEAR: 4 RECORD: 25-11 CAREER: 49-31 VARSITY COACHING STAFF BUTCH BURDEN — ASST. HC JIM ROWELL — DEF. COOR. JOSH HERRING — OFF. COOR. SEAN GAINES — RB CEDRIC DICKERSON — DB MICHAEL FRAKER — DEF. LINE TOMMY CARROLL — REC. CHAD HICKS — OFF. LINE

take the load off with the help of an offensive line that will boast four three-year starters.

“It really starts there for us offensively,” Irwin said. “If we can run the ball effectively, that’ll give time for our receivers to gel and mesh with (Anderson), so being able to run the ball is a big deal for us. Even though we’re a spread offense and we love to throw it, at the end of the day, you have to be able to run it when you have to.”

All-state first-teamer Sam Wood, Luan Pereira, Stephen Curran and Austin Cheatum were thrown into the fray against defending state champion Brookwood as sophomores making their first starts in 2011. By getting that early experience, the linemen have grown into the solid foundation that allows the Trojans to effectively run their offense.

Replacing wideouts Juwan Dickey, Ryan Jenkins and Willie Police is no small task, but seniors Duby Nwaubi, Quincy Perdue and Blake

— By Eric Single MDJ Sports Correspondent

5-YEAR RECORD 46-15

2012 RESULTS 10-1

2012 LEADERS RUSHING LANE JACKMAN HAKIM SHAHID

Wilson have seen plenty of game action and will be asked to step into more involved roles.

Like the offensive line, Lassiter’s defensive front seven is filled with seniors, and although the team will be breaking in new starters at all three linebacker spots, the trio of Zach Spies, Benedict Louis and Jack Marchand saw plenty of snaps in 2012.

If the Trojans have their way, their three returning starters in the secondary — including Arkansas commit Chris Murphy — will be tested often as opponents are given little choice but to engage them in an offensive shootout — a style the defending region champs are more than comfortable with.

727 YDS, 8 TD 441 YDS, 7 TD

PASSING EDDIE PRINTZ

2,959 YDS, 26 TD

RECEIVING WILLIE POLICE

1,029 YDS, 15 TD

TACKLES JOSH DANFORTH

124

SACKS JOSH DANFORTH

14

INTERCEPTIONS PATRICK LEVANDOSKI

5

HILLGROVE SPRAYBERRY KELL CHEROKEE WOODSTOCK WALTON MILTON WHEELER ROSWELL ETOWAH BROOKWOOD

37-29 49-10 42-13 41-6 30-7 21-9 47-30 38-23 28-14 34-6 21-24

W W W W W W W W W W L

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PAGE 33

KICKOFF 2013

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

ready to atone

Staff / Kelly J. Huff

Lassiter’s Blake Wilson got hurt during the Trojans first-round playoff loss last season.

Now, he’s back and ready to right the wrong of last year’s disappointment.

Blake Wilson set to help Lassiter make amends for 2012 playoff loss

By Eric Single MDJ Sports Correspondent

Last fall, wide receiver Blake Wilson was just one guy on a Lassiter offense with an embarrassment of riches at the skill positions.

Lassiter surged to a perfect 10-0 regular season and No. 1 ranking thanks in no small part to the accomplishments of senior receivers Juwan Dickey, Ryan Jenkins and Willie Police, but in the first round of the playoffs, it was Wilson’s early exit

game

that loomed large.

Wilson had pulled in the second-most receptions on the team thanks to a steady diet of passes over the middle, and with Lassiter protecting a lead in the third quarter, quarterback Eddie Printz looked his way again.

“It was a crossing route over the middle, and there was a linebacker over on the left side,” Wilson remembered. “Eddie threw the ball, and I dove for it, and a guy just decked me. Then, after that, it was kind of like, ‘Wow, that (really) hurt.’ I was in excruciating pain after that, basically.”

keeping you at the

top of your

Acworth 678.213.5717 Canton 770.345.5717 Austell 770.944.3303 Douglasville 770.949.8558 Brookstone 770.218.8800 East Cobb 770.579.8558

Marietta 770.427.5717 Paulding 770.445.5666 Woodstock 770.926.9112

Wilson, who finished the season with 39 catches for 500 yards and a touchdown, left the game with a torn labrum in his right hip, an area that had been nagging him all season until that final hit did critical damage. He watched from the sidelines as the Trojans’ offense was held off the board the rest of the night, and Brookwood pulled off a stunning comeback win to end the high school careers of Printz, Police, Jenkins and Dickey in an upset.

“That was the turning point because See Wilson, Page 35

THE WILSON FILE

cLASS: senior pOSITION: wide receiver hEIGHT/WEIGHT: 5-FOOT-11, 182 lbS 2012: 39 rec., 500 yds., td defenseman on the trojans’ lacrosse team

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Seven Continued from Page 27

that,” Ironside said. “But, if you don’t have community support and some people who are in the battle with you, it makes things tough.”

The booster club is a few years away from paying off the remainder of its debt. It has spent millions of dollars on team funding, including a fieldhouse, lights for the practice fields, equipment and stadium improvements.

Another key component has been continuity from the youth program, up to the high school team, and beyond.

Senior defensive end and North Carolina State commitment Bradley Chubb, who was heavily recruited despite tearing the ACL in his knee halfway into last season, said the familiarity has been huge.

12:37 AM

Page 34

“You only get so many years to achieve,” Chubb said.

“As a player, you want that type of stability.”

Mike Garrett of the middle school program has been implementing the same offensive system, helping with player preparation when his players become freshmen.

“Knowing the system helps a lot,” quarterback Elijah Ironside said. “The freshmen now — I don’t even have to tell them what to do.

They know the system and the reads to make. It makes my life easier.”

For the players, the winning tradition knows no seniority.

“Since we’re a new school, we feel like we’ve got something to prove a lot,” Chubb said. “Some other schools might have looked down on us because of that.

“This season I want to break records here. The whole team wants to raise the bar and go deep into the state playoffs.”

KICKOFF 2013

More Continued from Page 29

offense.

“Our system is deceptive” he said. “Austin Petrik threw for 1,800 yards in three straight seasons in this system. We may run the ball a lot, but I’ll let (Matt) run play action on first down if we want to. He came in last year and did a good job of running the offense.”

Jocks Continued from Page 31

certain state semifinal team that the Mustangs have no love-loss for. In fact, that game against North Cobb — known as the Civil War Classic — means so much to both teams, they are taking it to an upscale neutral site.

“We’re going to get to play them at Kennesaw State,” Oyola said.

“It’s a neighborhood rivalry.”

North Cobb defeated Kennesaw Mountain 52-7 in 2012, but the two

Despite a region championship, 2012 came to an end in the second round of the playoffs with the loss to Gainesville.

It’s a game McGuigan has not forgotten.

Kell held the lead over the eventual Class AAAAA state champions for much of the first half, and the game was tied heading to the final quarter, but eventually it came down to having to face too much of Clemson-bound quarterback Deshaun Watson.

“We really ran out of gas in the schools will face each other this season, and every year for the forseeable future, on Sept. 20 at KSU’s Fifth Third Bank Stadium.

It is the kind of game, that if the Mustangs win, they can jumpstart a program for years to come.

“I want to be able to come back here in 10 years and look at a football dynasty.” Oyola said. “I want to be able to say I helped start that.”

“This is one of the things that makes Kennesaw Mountain unique” Scott said. “These guys have a tremendous future.”

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

second half of the game” McGuigan said. “Our offense couldn’t really get on the move. That’s really motivated me as a player to broaden my game, be able to run the ball more.

But also as a whole team, we’ve all been motivated by that loss.”

McGuigan said he isn’t holding anything back in 2013.

“We want to go for it all, we want to win a state championship,” he said. “We’ve been close the past few years, and I really think this is our year to get that state championship.”

KMHS MAGNET PLAYERS

Zach Chandler, Senior, Wide Receiver Daniel Dolensky, Sophomore, Wide Receiver Zack Edgar, Sophomore, Offensive Line Alex Lopez, Sophomore, Offensive Line Magall Mohammed, Senior, Defensive Back David Oyola, Freshman, Defensive Line Daniel Oyola, Senior, Offensive Line Jack Ozmer, Freshman, Wide Receiver Brian Biejak, Junior, Tight End Chris Reynolds, Sophomore, Defensive Line Chris Ruflin, Senior, Wide Receiver David Setzler, Freshman, Tight End Kyle Smith, Junior, Offensive Line Alan Tolar, Junior, Offensive Line Daniel Turner, Sophomore, Offensive Line

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Wilson Continued from Page 33

(Wilson) was really a big part of our team,” said senior wide receiver Duby Nwaubi. “The offense just wasn’t clicking as much.”

This summer, Lassiter has been working on breaking in a new set of targets within its passing attack.

With fellow seniors Nuabi (20 rec., 213 yds., 2 TD) and Quincy Perdue on the outside, Wilson could see the ball on his bread-and-butter routes over the middle more often.

“We’re nothing like them,” the 5-foot-11, 182 pound Wilson said of this year’s receiving corps. “It’s going to be hard to come back from how great they were. We’ve changed so much stuff. We’ve changed all of our plays to fit how we as a receiving corps work. There’s not as many deep routes, there’s a lot of

12:47 PM

Page 35

short stuff, get the yards, get the first down, move on from there.

“Quincy and Duby definitely are going to be great outside receivers, and they’re going to go up for some balls.”

After undergoing surgery in early April, Wilson is hoping to be back at 100 percent by the season opener, gradually stepping up his involvement in the team’s 7-on-7 tournament schedule and once again getting used to making the tight-angle cuts he specializes in.

“We’ve been pushing hard literally since that game we lost,” Wilson said. “We said, ‘We’re not losing another game. We’re not losing at all this year, ever. We’re going to go through and dominate everybody.’ For me to go out like that, I want to come back stronger, better, faster and just hope we get through the playoffs like we should have last year, get to that state game and win it.”

KICKOFF 2013

Friends Continued from Page 21

with.”

Rowell, who started out as a linebacker and running back, has seen the biggest shift in position.

Unlike the other three, he hasn’t had a growth spurt. He now plays defensive back and wide receiver.

Chaos Continued from Page 23

his mind the offensive line wasn’t as downtrodden as the program, itself.

In fact, despite the groans of instability within the lockeroom, the close-knit group of offensive line-

PAGE 35

“I didn’t really grow as much as the other guys,” said Rowell (5-10, 190). “I had to grow into a different position.”

White hopes they can leave a mark at Etowah before they graduate.

“I feel like we can make something happen,” he said. “I feel good about it. We want to be the best that we have ever been.”

All of them say that their last season together will be a little bit-

ter-sweet. Each is excited about his senior season, but none of them want their time as teammates to end.

“It’s supposed to be the best year playing football,” Oliver said.

“Then you have to leave at the end of the year. Everyone is going on to play at different colleges and we will be parting ways. It’s going to be sad at the end, but it will be fun while it lasts.”

men stood out. Now the linemen are beginning to see what made Dickmann a success in Florida.

“He just changed the whole program,” Workman said. “We weren’t that serious before, and he just took a stronger approach and it’s changing the program for the better.”

Building a football team that can share that type of familiarity is the

ultimate goal, and it helps that the offensive line is proactively ahead of the schedule. The game starts with the offensive line, and it helps that, despite the chaos, the group is fully in tact.

“We’ve been playing together for a long time now, and it’s our last season together, so we want to do the best job we can,” Adams said.

A Game Plan for the

Future The Marietta Youth Football League (MYFL) is a community athletic program offering football (tackle, flag, and padded flag) and cheerleading for the children of Greater Marietta. Under the guidance of Marietta High School Head Coach, Scott Burton, and backed by the Marietta Touchdown Club, MYFL serves as the cornerstone for the Marietta Blue Devils football program which begins at age five with the MYFL and includes teams at Marietta Sixth Grade Academy, Marietta Middle School, and Marietta High School. Through quality coaching and dedicated volunteers, MYFL is helping build the next generation of sportsmanship and athleticism known as the Blue Devils.

Join in the game today…and help plan the future!

YOUTH FOOTBALL LEAGUE

For more information on MYFL season, Blue Devil varsity season tickets, player sponsorship or the Marietta True Blue club, visit www.myflfootball.com or call 770-429-3154

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MARIETTA BLUE DEVILS

PAGE 36

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

KICKOFF 2013

LOCATION: 1171 WHITLOCK AVE. SW, MARIETTA. PHONE: 770-428-2631. HOME FIELD: NORTHCUTT STADIUM. TEAM COLORS: BLUE, WHITE. ONLINE: BLUEDEVIL-FOOTBALL.COM.

2013 SCHEDULE

AT NEWNAN AUG. 23

VS POPE AUG. 30

AT HILLGROVE SEPT. 13

VS MCEACHERN SEPT. 20

VS PEBBLEBROOK SEPT. 27

VS KENNESAW MTN.

OCT. 11

AT CAMPBELL OCT. 18

NAME TYRELL TOMLIN BRENTON MARTIN KADEEM WALLINGTON RAYMOND LESTER MARLON GOBER KORBIN MILLER MARCUS BENNETT SIMEYON BOBBETT DEVON HENDERSON JORDAN MATHIS KEITH COOPER TJ BULOCK JAMES BALDWIN ONTERRIO LAY JORDAN THOMAS KIRVONTE' BENSON LAWTON WARD ANDREW THOMAS KALEP COOK JASON CALDWELL CALAB BROWN CHRIS GRIFFIN TYLER JONES MAURICE BENNETT RASHAD DAVIS TREVOR JAMES NAKIA BERNIARD CALVIN GRANT MICHAEL ZAPETA CHAD LIPPOLD COURAGE HIGDON IAN SHANNON PHILLIP COLBURN

CL. 12 11 12 11 11 10 12 12 10 12 11 12 10 12 10 11 12 12 12 10 10 10 10 10 12 10 11 12 10 11 11 11 11

POS. LB QB DB DB TE LB WR DB DB WR WR DB QB LB QB RB LB DL WR DB DB LB LB TB DB DB RB RB WR LB DB K/P DE

NO. 42 45 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 57 58 59 62 63 64 65 66 68 71 72 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 83 84 85 87 88

AT NORTH COBB NOV. 7

AT HARRISON NOV. 8

2013 SEASON OUTLOOK

2013 ROSTER NO. 1 2 3 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 13 14 16 18 19 20 21 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 37 38 40

VS SOUTH COBB OCT. 25

NAME RICHARD JAMES RICK ASSINZO JASAI EASLEY TREVOR KRIER ANDRES MCCLESH ADAM WILLIAMS JONATHAN GOLDWIRE ISAIAH BORNE JAYCE JACKSON ROSS FRIZZELL CHAS FALLAW CHRIS FLOOD ADAM HOEY TIM SULLIVAN BRANDON HILL JERON HOLSEY CHUKS MADUBUIKE JEROME BOATENG MATTHIAS WINSOR MUNA ANIEMEKA PHILLIP CHENEY WILL BAILEY SALOUM NJIE MATTHEW EFREMOV MIGUEL ROMERO BRIAN MARSHALL BRIAN JORDON JORDAN DUKES JAQUAN BENNETT MALIK MARSHALL AYMAR WHITSETT ALEX LEWIS LIAM TURNER

CL. 12 11 11 10 11 10 10 12 10 12 10 12 10 11 12 11 11 11 10 12 12 11 11 12 12 10 10 10 10 11 10 11 11

POS. LB DL DB LB OL DL OL OL DL OL OL DL OL OL OL OL DL OL OL DL OL OL DL DL DL OL OL WR WR WR DB WR WR

For the first time at Marietta, fourth-year coach Scott Burton will be working with players who have only heard his message — all players from the long and illustrious career of former coach James “Friday” Richards have now graduated.

Last season’s upset of Lowndes in the first round of the state playoffs offered a glimpse at the level Burton believes his team should be playing every year, and with a stockpile of senior leadership returning, the Blue Devils are primed to keep that momentum going.

“The expectation now needs to be that we reach this level,” Burton said. “It doesn’t need to be pats on the back and ‘atta-boys’, it shouldn’t be a surprise. The sustainability factor is going to be the tough part. The climb is fun, and certainly, we still have climbing to go because our best record here has been 8-4 and I’m accustomed to that being a down year.”

Replacing quarterback Anthony Jen-

Nita Burge

Broker Owner 770-713-6194

7 8 A t l a n t a St re e t | M a r i e t t a , G A 3 0 0 6 0 | 7 7 0 - 2 2 2 - 9 8 0 9

COACHING STAFF HEAD COACH: SCOTT BURTON YEAR: 4 RECORD: 16-18 CAREER: 88-44 VARSITY COACHING STAFF JASON MEADE — DEF. COORD. CHARLIE CRITTENDEN — OC NICK HOUSTOULAKIS — DB LABRONE MITCHELL — REC. DAVID YARBOROUGH — RB BRANDON SCARBROUGH — DL RIC PONDER — LINEBACKERS KEVIN HORNE — DEF. BACKS

nings, who left for LSU as the leading passer in school history, is a tall order, but junior Brenton Martin has been learning on the job.

He will have a pair of dynamic weapons in receivers Jordan Mathis and Marcus Bennett to ease his transition.

After a breakout season with 897 yards and nine touchdowns in 2012, junior running back KirVonte’ Benson returns to the field with heightened expectations and a Class AAAAAA state title in the 100-meter dash from last spring.

Senior center Isaiah Borne is the lone returner on an offensive line that will need to come together quickly to provide Benson and bruising back Tyrell Tomlin enough space to operate.

Tomlin’s primary value to the Blue Devils will be on defense, where the Class AAAAAA all-state honoree returns as the team’s statistical leader in nearly every defensive category — 128 tackles, 4.5 sacks and two interceptions. From both a production and leadership

RUSHING KIRVONTE BENSON 897 YDS, 9 TD

RECEIVING TYREE HARRIS

— By Eric Single MDJ Sports Correspondent

5-YEAR RECORD 25-30

2012 RESULTS 8-4

2012 LEADERS

PASSING A. JENNINGS

standpoint, the North Carolina-bound Tomlin and fellow linebackers Lawton Ward and Onterrio Lay will be relied upon as the anchors of the defense.

The Blue Devils will be replacing three of four starters on the defensive line and in the secondary. Seniors T.J. Bulock and Kadeem Wallington will be expected to hold down the safety spots and bolster the strength up the middle that will be critical to the unit’s success.

The defensive line will go as versatile senior Chris Flood goes. Flood, one of the team’s vocal leaders, will be joined by senior Andrew Thomas and a host of budding underclassmen working to keep the Blue Devils out of holes their offense could struggle to escape.

2,338 YDS, 25 TD

856 YDS, 10 TD

TACKLES TYRELL TOMLIN LAWTON WARD

128 104

SACKS TREY WARREN

9.5

INTERCEPTIONS TYRELL TOMLIN

2

NEWNAN POPE HILLGROVE MCEACHERN PEBBLEBROOK KMHS CAMPBELL SOUTH COBB NORTH COBB HARRISON LOWNDES LOVEJOY

29-38 27-7 27-13 28-29 38-14 56-21 44-36 43-13 32-45 52-14 30-27 15-36

L W W L W W W W L W W L

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BLUE DEVILS IN HIS BLOOD

Page 37

PAGE 37

KICKOFF 2013

Jordan Mathis begins final year as third-generation Marietta High student

By Eric Single MDJ Sports Correspondent

Staff / Kelly J. Huff

Marietta’s Jordan Mathis followed in his father’s footsteps as a Blue Devils football player, and he will likely follow his entire family as an MHS graduate. Mathis is seen here with his pictures, press clippings and awards his father — Mark Mathis — won, but Jordan has a chance to up the ante during the dinner conversations by leading Marietta to a Class AAAAAA state championship in 2013.

If there was ever any doubt Jordan Mathis would follow his father’s footsteps in starring for a successful Marietta football team, his first visit to Northcutt Stadium as a 6-year-old ensured he would grow up dreaming of being a Blue Devil.

That first Friday night over a decade ago, he was shepherded to the stadium by his father, Mark, a defensive back who played college ball for Liberty after an illustrious Marietta career and played in the NFL for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1987.

With the Blue Devils still near the height of their powers under longtime coach James “Friday” Richards, the atmosphere was comparable to that of a primetime college game.

“The crowd was crazy, the players were hyped and everything,” Jordan Mathis recalled. “I remember I just wanted to be a Blue Devil. I didn’t want to go anywhere else.”

The 5-foot-10, 175-pound Mathis is a third-generation Marietta student. His grandfather, grandmother, father, mother,

THE MATHIS FILE

cLASS: senior pOSITION: wide receiver hT/WT: 5-FOOT-10, 175 lbS 2012: 40 rec., 514 yds., 9 td Infielder and leadoff hitter for the Marietta baseball team

aunt, uncle and two of his cousins are all MHS graduates. This fall, he will be an important member of a senior class that has seen fourth-year coach Scott Burton build back the lofty standards held by the program at the height of Richards’ tenure.

“He was new to Marietta, so he had to get everybody’s attention and show everybody what he was capable of,” Jordan said of Burton’s first year. “Senior class had it kind of rough my freshman year because he was new, but every other class after that, he See Mathis, Page 39

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GAMES WORTH CIRCLING ON THE CALENDaR FOR 2013

PAGE 38

By Carlton D. White

cwhite@mdjonline.com

The 2012 season saw Georgia usher in six different classifications, as well as a Class A power ranking to determine playoff teams and seeding for both private and public schools. Reclassification also brought new regions and new rivalries, but many games remained intense.

Expect more of the same this season.

Three games from the Corky Kell Classic should hold significant meaning once again as Cobb County is pitted against some of the Atlanta-metro’s best. The two Cobb-Gwinnett matchups usually have emotions running deep because they typically face each other again in the postseason.

Digging deeper into the schedules of all 27 Cobb and Cherokee county schools, there are several contests worthy of being considered as the most anticipated games of the year:

KICKOFF 2013

Marietta’s first four games vs. playoff teams: There may be no season-opening schedule in the state tougher than that of Marietta, which faces 2012 playoff teams in its first four games of the year.

The Blue Devils visit Newnan (Aug. 23), host Pope (Aug. 30), are at Hillgrove (Sept. 13) and finish by hosting rival McEachern (Sept. 20) — and they have to do this with a new starting quarterback at the helm. Marietta has made the postseason the last two years, and even a potential 0-4 start like it had in 2011, may not doom the Blue Devils.

The Battle of I-75, Aug. 30: The East-West rivalry takes on a new meaning with the second installment of this event at Walter Cantrell Stadium. Walton and Hillgrove open the festivities, region champions Lassiter and McEachern facing off in the nightcap. If the games are anything like last year’s contests, which were not decided until the final possession, it will be an-

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

other special night in Powder Springs.

North Cobb at Walton, Sept.

13: North Cobb gets its first true test of the season following its fantastic playoff run to the semifinals last year. Walton will already be battle tested after facing Peachtree Ridge and Hillgrove in its first two weeks, and the Raiders will be amped for some payback at home after running into the Warriors’ buzzsaw at Emory Sewell Stadium in 2012.

Creekview at Kell, Sept. 20: The winner of this game will likely have the edge on determining the Region 7AAAAA championship. Kell trailed last year’s game 29-26 with 6 minutes remaining but came back to win 33-29. The Grizzlies had a chance to take the lead in the final minute, but the Longhorns defense came up with an interception at the 2-yard line.

Staff / File Kell won seven straight games D.J. Smith and Walton faced McEachern in the first ‘Battle of I-75’ last following the victory, while season. This year, the Raiders will play Hillgrove in the first game while the See Games, Page 54 Indians host Lassiter in the nightcap at Walter Cantrell Stadium on Aug. 30.

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Mathis Continued from Page 37

put in effort to get us where we needed to be at the top.”

Mathis, who caught 40 passes for 514 yards and nine touchdowns last season, enters his senior year as one of the team’s most reliable weapons, having proven his worth as a veritable Swiss army knife of game-changing plays. Observe the litany of roles in which he’s touched the ball in his high school career — quarterback, kick returner, punt returner, running back, punter, holder for field goals and, above all, wide receiver.

He showcased that versatility early on in his sophomore year, when an injury to current LSU Tiger Anthony Jennings left him holding down the position for a pair of starts at quarterback.

After Jennings returned to action, Mathis returned to wideout, where he remained one of the team’s most valuable playmakers alongside

12:43 PM

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Tyree Harris, who now plays for Wake Forest.

“Last year, we had Anthony, we had Tyree (Harris), and when our kids voted for player of the year on offense last year, Jordan was one vote behind Anthony,” Burton said.

After a breakout campaign last season, thanks to the offense’s more high-profile threats in Jennings and Harris, Mathis is ready to step into the spotlight for a school that was a constant presence in his upbringing. He knows his team has his back, too.

Mathis is one of several football players that also play for the baseball team, and when the team made the second round of the playoffs last spring, Burton had his players skip a spring practice to travel to East Coweta and cheer on their teammates.

“The big thing about Marietta is no matter what happens, they’re still going to come and support you no matter what,” Mathis said. “We’re just a big, old family around here.”

KICKOFF 2013

PAGE 39

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MCEACHERN INDIANS

PAGE 40

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

KICKOFF 2013

LOCATION: 2400 NEW MACLAND ROAD, POWDER SPRINGS. PHONE: 770-222-3710. HOME FIELD: WALTER CANTRELL STADIUM. TEAM COLORS: BLUE, GOLD. ONLINE: MCEACHERNHIGH.ORG/FOOTBALL.HTML.

2013 SCHEDULE

VS WALTON AUG. 30

(GEORGIA DOME) BROOKWOOD AUG. 24

VS PEBBLEBROOK SEPT. 13

AT MARIETTA SEPT. 20

VS KENNESAW MTN.

SEPT. 27

AT CAMPBELL OCT. 4

VS SOUTH COBB OCT. 11

CL 12 12 12 12 11 12 12 9 9 12 9 12 12 11 12 12 11 10 11 12 10 11 12 11 9 12 12 11 12 11 11 12 11 12 12 10 11

POS WR QB RB LB RB DB TE QB WR DB WR DE PK WR WR DB WR LB DB LB LB RB LB LB DB DE DB DB RB RB RB DB DB LB DB WR WR

NO. NAME 42 KEI-YON JOHNSON 43 MICHAEL NWAGBARA 45 DORIAN MCNEAL 46 COURTNEY JOHNSON 47 BRYAN OKEH 48 ANFERNEE LIVAS 49 CJ WINDHAM 50 NICK DAMASSIMO 51 CAMERON MAGEE 52 TAVON JOHNSON 53 CHRISTIAN WADE 54 ALLEN COOPER 55 RANDY TRUESDALE 56 ZACH SMITH 57 GREG AUSTIN 58 JORDAN HALL 59 ELIJAH CROSS 60 ANTHONY VALENTINE 61 JEZER RODAS 62 LORENZO FORTIN 63 TONY VERA 64 DAQUAN OWENS 65 TREY ALLEN 66 DARIUS THOMAS JR. 67 JOSH OHANU 68 STERLING BOYD 69 OLIVER GALLEGOS 70 KAHYNANE AKERS 71 UCHE NKADI 72 CHANDLER JONES 73 DEVON WOLF 74 KAISHAWN HIXON 75 KEVIN RUIZ 76 TREMAYNE ANCHRUM 77 CHUMA EDOGA 78 THOMAS FAULK

game

CL 12 10 10 9 10 12 10 11 11 11 12 10 12 12 11 11 10 12 11 12 11 12 12 10 11 12 10 10 12 11 10 11 10 10 11 10

AT HARRISON NOV. 1

VS HILLGROVE NOV. 8

2013 SEASON OUTLOOK

2013 ROSTER NO. NAME 1 ELIJAH VAN DORN 2 TY CLEMONS 3 RYAN SHERMAN 4 GLENN FRAZIER 7 TAJ GRIFFIN 8 DARYUS THOMPSON 9 TREY SCOTT 10 BAILEY HOCKMAN 12 BRANDON SMITH 13 CHRISTIAN FORD 14 TYLER SMITH 15 HENRY FAMUREWA 16 DENNIS DOMINGUEZ 18 ANDREW HEYWARD 19 MALIK WILLIAMS 20 JAYLYN WHITE 21 TJ RAHMING 22 XIQEWAYNE MILLER 23 TYLER WOODLY 24 JUSTIN PENDLETON 25 MICHAEL LIBRONE 26 SAQUAN DANIELS 27 JERRY NWANKWOH 28 FITZ WATTLEY 29 JUSTIN RILEY 30 DEMORIE HILL 31 RAHMOI PARSONS 32 MALIK CHEVRY 33 ALIZEE CHUBBS 34 TYRI BROWN 35 KYLE ANDRY 36 MICHAEL WILLIAMS 37 ANTHONY DANIELS 38 DEQUAN VEREEN 39 DAVID PHILLIPS 40 GRIFFEN WATTLEY 41 DYLAN HAMILTON

AT NORTH COBB OCT. 18

POS LB RB RB LB DB LB WR LB LB DT LB LB DT LS OL OL OL OL OL OL OL DE DE DT DE LB DT OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL DT

NO. NAME CL 79 CJ NORRELL 12 80 ANDY CADLEY 12 81 JUSTIN ANDERSON 12 11 82 JEREMIAH SHAW 11 83 DAVONNE BOYCE 84 NATHANIAL MADDOX 11 85 CHARLES THOMPSON 12 87 NICHOLAS KEMP 11 88 CHRIS HERNANDEZ 11 89 ARTISE CLARK 12 90 LUCKY DANIELS 12 91 XAVIER REDDICK 9 92 CESAR DOMINGUEZ 10 10 93 ANDREW TARVER 11 94 TUNDE ASHAKA 95 CHRISTIAN ROBERSON 10 96 CHASE JONES 12 97 AKEEM MCLETCHIE 10 98 MCKENZIE BILLINGSLEA 12 99 JULIAN ROCHESTER 10 12 CEDRICK LEE 10 21 OMARIAN TAYLOR 10 29 JAWAUN HOLT 12 31 MALCOM HERRINGTON 11 36 COREY BATTS 10 38 MALIK JORDAN 10 40 DEION HICKS 12 41 BRIAN SUGGS 10 48 DARMAINE DAVID 10 56 AMOS AMOSUN 10 80 KIHIEM ELLERBE 10 82 ERIC GRAHAM 10 83 PEYTON KEENE 10 87 RASHAUN RANDOLPH 10 91 BRYCE SIMS 10 97 BRIAN SMITH 10

POS OL WR WR WR TE TE TE WR DE WR DT TE PK DT RB TE P LB DE DT QB DB DB WR QB WR WR WR QB DL WR TE DB RB DB LB

Over the last few years, McEachern has had the talent to make a deep run in the state playoffs, but for one reason or another the Indians haven’t gotten it done.

An injury at the wrong time, running into a hot quarterback or getting a bad draw — like having to face Colquitt County last season in the first round — has seemed to hold them back.

However, heading into the 2013 season, this McEachern team has the potential to overcome anything its opponents may throw at it.

The Indians return nine starters on a defense that is loaded with college-bound talent. Henry Famurewa, a 6-foot-2, 240-pound commitment to the University of Louisville, anchors the defensive line along with 6-2, 240-pound McKenzie Billingslea. Each tied for the team lead with seven sacks in 2012.

Glenn Frazier, at 5-10, 210 pounds, roams the middle at linebacker and was among the county leaders in tackles last sea-

COACHING STAFF HEAD COACH: KYLE HOCKMAN YEAR: 6 RECORD: 43-13 CAREER: 83-37 VARSITY COACHING STAFF PHIL HOSKINS — ASST. HC, DB VAN SPENCE — OFF. COORD. KEN HOCKMAN — DEF. COORD. JON OSNOWITZ — RUNNING BACKS BRENT HAYGOOD — OFF. LINE SHEDRICK WILSON — RECEIVERS RICH FOSTER — TIGHT ENDS JOSH COLE — LINEBACKERS STEVE ADLEY — LINEBACKERS JASON HOLLINGSWORTH — DL CHRIS CODY — DEF. BACKS DAVE SHULER — DEF. BACKS

keeping you at the

top of your

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son with 120, and the secondary is led by University of Miami (Ohio) commitment Daryus Thompson.

“I’m excited to see them play,” McEachern coach Kyle Hockman said. “We have our sights set high.”

In fact, there may only be one thing the Indians defense may take a back seat to this season, and that is the offense.

If speed kills, there better be some firstaid kits on the opponents’ sidelines.

Running back Taj Griffin enters his junior season with more than 20 Division I scholarship offers after posting 644 yards and seven touchdowns in 2012. On the surface, those numbers may seem pedestrian, but Griffin was part of a backfield last season that had four legitimate 1,000-yard rushers sharing the ball.

That won’t be the case this season as Griffin will get the bulk of the carries as the 5-10, 170pounder gets to show off his 4.3 second speed.

— By John Bednarowski sportseditor@mdjonline.com

5-YEAR RECORD 43-13

2012 RESULTS 8-3

2012 LEADERS RUSHING TY GRIFFIN

What may be hard to imagine is Griffin is not the fastest player on the Indians offense.

That distinction goes to junior wide receiver T.J. Rahming, who led the team in receiving with an average of 20.9 yards per catch.

“They’ve probably raced 10 times this summer,” Hockman said of Rahming and Griffin. “(Rahming) beats him by a half-step each time.”

Running the offense this year will by quarterback Ty Clemons, who has offers from Kentucky, Louisville, Middle Tennessee State and others. Clemons threw for 786 yards and seven touchdowns, and ran for 827 yards and nine touchdowns while splitting time with Ty Griffin, who is now at Georgia Tech, last season.

1,149 YDS, 19 TD

PASSING TY CLEMONS

786 YDS, 7 TD

RECEIVING T.J. RAHMING

335 YDS, 3 TD

TACKLES GLENN FRAZIER

120

SACKS MCKENZIE BILLINGSLEA HENRY FAMUREWA

7 7

INTERCEPTIONS RAHMOI PARSONS

3

GRAYSON WALTON PEBBLEBROOK MARIETTA KMHS CAMPBELL SOUTH COBB NORTH COBB HARRISON HILLGROVE COLQUITT CO.

12-31 35-37 30-23 29-28 39-7 49-3 42-28 49-27 61-21 33-30 28-30

L L W W W W W W W W L

the next big thing

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McEachern’s Chuma Edoga becoming Cobb’s next great offensive lineman

By John Bednarowski sportseditor@mdjonline.com

McEachern’s Chuma Edoga first realized he had real potential for playing the game of football during the first game of the 2012 season.

Playing in the Georgia Dome against defending state champion Grayson, Edoga, a sophomore right tackle, lined up against the nation’s No. 1 rated prospect, Robert Nkemdiche, and held his own.

“It was my first time lining up against a really good team,” Edoga said. “(Nkemdiche) was trying to overpower me, but I was able to stand my ground.”

If college recruiters weren’t on Edoga as soon as that game was over, they were by the end of the year. As he prepares to start his second season as a starter, the 6-foot-4, 285-pound junior, who also runs a sub-4.8 40-yard dash and has a grade point average of 3.5, has already racked up scholarship offers from Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Arkansas and Auburn in the Southeastern Conference, along with Clemson, Miami, Georgia Tech,

THE EDOGA FILE

cLASS: junior pOSITION: offensive line hT/WT: 6-FOOT-4, 285 lbS runs 4.75 sec. 40-yard dash has 14 SEC/ACC scholarship offers as of Aug. 1

Florida State, Virginia and North Carolina of the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Edoga said he grew up a Georgia fan, and when he attended the Dawg Night camp in July, he quickly made a fan out of the Bulldogs’ head coach.

“I ran a 4.75 40 at Dawg Night,” he said.

“Coach (Mark) Richt called me a freak.”

That is a high compliment, considering Edoga didn’t start playing football until the sixth grade. He grew up playing soccer, and it may be that training, especially the See Big, Page 44

Staff / Todd Hull

McEachern’s Chuma Edoga will only be a junior this season, but he already has nearly 20 Division I scholarship offers. He also has the knowledge that he kept the nation’s top player in last year’s recruiting class — Grayson’s Robert Nkemdiche — in check. Now he has his sights set on becoming the next great offensive lineman to come out of Cobb County.

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MOUNT PARAN CHRISTIAN EAGLES

PAGE 42

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

KICKOFF 2013

LOCATION: 1275 STANLEY ROAD, KENNESAW. PHONE: 770-578-0182. HOME FIELD: MOUNT PARAN STADIUM. TEAM COLORS: ROYAL BLUE, WHITE. ONLINE: MTPARANSCHOOL.COM/ATHLETICS/SPORTS/FOOTBALL

2013 SCHEDULE TBA

VS OUR LADY AUG. 30

VS BROOKSTONE SEPT. 6

AT LANDMARK SEPT. 13

AT TRION SEPT. 20

VS KING’S RIDGE OCT. 4

AT WHITEFIELD ACAD.

OCT. 11

AT FELLOWSHIP OCT. 18

NAME MICHAEL ADAMS DORIAN WALKER ALAN CATER TREY TINNON TAYLOR TRAMMELL ANDY CRAIN JAKE ALLEN RYAN MORAN JARED KNOX DALLAS KEPLER JACK ROWAN EMMETT TALIAFERRO HUDSON DROEGE REED MASSEY CHANCE HOGAN MATTHEW NORTON GRAHAM MASSEY MIKEY GUELFO JACKSON MCLARTY JACK LEE

CL 11 11 10 10 10 9 11 11 9 10 11 9 9 11 12 10 11 9 9 10

POS. RB/CB RB/CB TE/LB RB/DB RB/DB WR/CB QB/DB RB/CB QB/DB PK/P TE/LB RB/LB RB/LB RB/DB WR/CB QB/LB RB/DB RB/LB WR/CB RB/DB

NO. 22 23 25 26 27 34 35 43 45 52 53 54 55 56 58 63 64 65 75

NAME NOLAN SULLIVAN MICHAEL FLOAM GARRET HARRIS LUKE HUGHES COLLIN COX NICK SBRAVATI JOHN ALLEN KNOX ETHAN PUGH DRYDEN LEWIS PATRICK LEE MATTHEW RAMSEY PHILIP ADDISON ZACH STRONG GUNTER LAPRAD JACOB RAMSEY WILLIAM MOORE SILAS HICKS JOSHUA BENNETT CARTER SMITH

AT WALKER NOV. 1

AT REGION PLAY-IN NOV. 8

2013 SEASON OUTLOOK

2013 ROSTER NO. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

VS MOUNT PISGAH OCT. 25

CL 11 9 10 12 9 11 10 10 9 11 9 11 11 10 12 9 10 9 9

POS. TE/LB WR/CB RB/LB TE/LB WR/CB RB/LB TE/LB RB/LB RB/LB OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/LB OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL

Mount Paran Christian enters a season of change.

The Eagles started last season 0-4, and struggled to a 3-7 finish. Now in 2013, a new offensive scheme and new faces in the lineup hope to propel Mount Paran toward another playoff berth after a one-year absence.

“From a personnel standpoint, I’m not one of those guys that’s going to limit an offense by trying to fit different players into the same system every year,” coach Mitch Jordan said. “I’m more along the lines of fitting the offense to what my personnel can do. I think if you spend enough time practicing and build around your skill players, you’ll be better off in the long run. I think, it’s going to be better to open up the offense a little bit more.”

After using a triple-option attack in

COACHING STAFF HEAD COACH: MITCH JORDAN YEAR: 6 RECORD: 26-25 CAREER: 26-25 VARSITY COACHING STAFF TAB GRIFFIN — OFF. COOR. TRAVIS MOZINGO — DEF. COOR. KENNY PALMER — OFF. LINE JACK LAPRAD — OFF. LINE JOHN LEWIS — DEF. LINE DAVID LOWERY — LB GREG PHILLIPS — QB TYLER JONES — KICKERS JOEL HAZARD — RECEIVERS LOGAN BEER — DIR. FB OPS

2012, the Eagles will use mostly shotgun formations, with a mix of pistol and spread sets.

There will also be defensive changes, but Jordan maintains his confidence.

“We’re replacing everybody in the secondary,” he said. “We had an outstanding outside linebacker in Keith Johnson who is going on to play at Wheaton College. We had two big interior defensive linemen that we lost as well. We’ve got some holes to fill, but we’ve got some great young players coming in. I think we have a lot of athleticism in the secondary with Taylor Trammell and Dorian Walker getting a lot of reps.

“We’ve got another Moran coming through — Ryan Moran. I expect big things from him.”

Ryan Moran is the younger brother of

Nolan Moran, who played one season at Mount Paran, shredding defenses as a tailback in 2009.

“We’ve got a linebacker named Nick Sbravati, and if we can get him back from an offseason surgery, we expect him to be the leader of the defense.” Jordan said.

The success of this season will depend on Mount Paran executing the fundamentals.

“We have to stay healthy and limit our turnovers,” Jordan said. “We lost the turnover battle in almost every game last year, and we had some injuries that killed us.”

— By Zac Diodati MDJ Sports Correspondent

5-YEAR RECORD 26-25

2012 RESULTS 3-7

2012 LEADERS RUSHING KYLE TRAMMELL

1,194 YDS, 7 TD

PASSING JAKE ALLEN

505 YDS, 4 TD

RECEIVING MATT MCKENZIE

314 YDS, 3 TD

TACKLES KEITH JOHNSON MATT MCKENZIE

95 90

SACKS KEITH JOHNSON

4

INTERCEPTIONS TAYLOR TRAMMELL

4

OUR LADY BROOKSTONE LANDMARK TRION KINGS RIDGE WHITEFIELD ACAD. FELLOWSHIP MOUNT PISGAH WALKER MOUNT ZION

7-38 6-24 10-28 0-10 28-13 3-14 49-13 28-42 3-20 35-14

L L L L W L W L L W

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KICKOFF 2013

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

PAGE 43

ready for a challenge

Staff / Kelly J. Huff

Mount Paran Christian quarterback Jake Allen will get to see how good his arm is this season as the Eagles switch from the triple-option offense to a shotgun spread. Allen and Mount Paran hope it takes them back to the playoffs.

THE ALLEN FILE

cLASS: junior pOSITION: Quarterback hEIGHT/WEIGHT: 5-FOOT-11, 182 lbS 2012: 505 yds. 4 td, 0 int hopes to be a role model for all Mount Paran students K-12.

game

Mount Paran’s Jake Allen hopes to bring Eagles back to Class A playoffs

By Zac Diodati MDJ Sports Correspondent

Mount Paran Christian quarterback Jake Allen will have an increased responsibility during the 2013 season. That’s because unlike last season, he will be the starter from Day 1, and he will be in command of a new offensive scheme.

“We got off to a rough start last year at 0-4,” Allen said. “We struggled with a lot of things and had a down year, which is rare here. We made the playoffs the last three years so we’re used to success. I finally got to start against Fellowship, it went well, and from then on, I just ac-

keeping you

Allen, who threw for 505 yards and four touchdowns last year, said there should be an expectation of success for every Eagles football season.

“I think we need to be shooting for a region championship every year here,” he said. “That’s what we want and that’s why we’re playing the games. You can win here and we expect to win.”

To do that this season, the Eagles may have to go through defending Region 6A champion Walker again.

Allen is ripe for the challenge.

“They went undefeated last year in the regular season,” he said. “(Cobb County’s See Allen, Page 44

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cepted the leadership role.”

The 6-foot-1, 180-pound Allen knows that role is not just a matter of attitude, but a matter of expected performance in a new offensive system that will ask more of him as a passer.

“We were running a triple-option last year and now we’re running mostly shotgun,” he said. “Clearly, I have a bigger role, I have to throw it, so it’s a little bit more pressure. But we have a lot of speed on this team. We have Dorian Walker at running back, who had to sit out last year because he transferred from North Cobb, and we’ve got Taylor Trammell at wide receiver, so I think we’re going to be set.”

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BIG Continued from Page 41

footwork, that has Edoga on the verge of advancing to play at the next level.

“He’s able to do things athletically to get in front of people,” McEachern coach Kyle Hockman said. “He can be aggressive without lunging and getting into a bad position. His footwork is very special.”

Hockman said he realized Edoga was going to be something out of the ordinary early last season. He said an opposing lineman hit Edoga and made an inside move against him. At first, it looked like that opponent would win the matchup, but Edoga reacted and beat him to the spot.

“He pancaked him and put him on his back,” Hockman said. “(With his footwork), he has something that a lot of 12th-graders don’t have.”

One thing Edoga doesn’t have this year is a senior to look up to, or to ask questions. This year, he is the veteran on the line and Edoga said he is slowly adjusting to the leadership role.

“When I first started (last year), I was the only sophomore on a line of

12:31 PM

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KICKOFF 2013

seniors,” he said. “Now I’m the one answering the questions.”

Coaches would like to hear more vocal leadership from Edoga, but that hasn’t always been his style. It is something he is still trying to grow into.

“I’ve always let my play do the talking,” Edoga said. “But I’m always willing to give advice. And I can show moves to the younger guys.”

While some players may try to get by on talent, Edoga has not quit working on his game, and he has modest goals he wants to meet in 2013.

He wants to grade out better in all his games, make the all-state team, earn All-America status, and in doing so, lead the Indians to that elusive state title. He can take a step toward that by cutting down on what he calls the “silly penalties.”

“I want to improve on discipline,” Edoga said. “The false starts. And I’m working on keeping my hands inside, because if I get a holding penalty I always hear coach in my head.”

And Hockman knows if Edoga gets better, it’s likely the team will, too.

“He’s got poise, academics and he’s a tough kid,” Hockman said. “He doesn’t miss a rep, and doesn’t want to.”

Allen Continued from Page 43

leading rusher Evan Kasian) ran all over us right here on our home field in our homecoming game. Also, I went to Walker from Pre-K to fifth grade, so it’s extra special for me.”

Championship aspirations aside, Allen said there is more to life as a Mount Paran stu-

dent-athlete than just winning games.

“At Mount Paran, you have a higher expectation to be a role model on and off the field.” he said. “It’s Pre-K through high school on this campus. There are kids here and we have to set an example. Also as the quarterback, everyone is watching you.

There’s no time to slip up.

Coach Jordan expects us to win, but he expects us to have a good attitude as well, even if

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

we don’t win.”

Said Jordan, “We try to build the mission of this school into everything we do.

We’re going to have meaningful prayer before every practice, our faith walk is going to be part of everything we do.

With that being said, football is still a tough game, and winning is still important to us.

There’s a lot of value in winning but there’s a lot of lessons to be learned when we lose.”

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2013 mdj dynamite dozen KICKOFF 2013

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

PAGE 45

Cobb County continues to develop an abundance of college caliber talent and the 2013 MDJ Dynamite Dozen class is no exception. This year’s group has a definite defensive flavor to it as six of the members are defensive backs — D.J. Smith, Chris Murphy, Michael Rogers, Cameron Albright, Taylor Henkle and Allen Artis. Combined that group has more than 100 of the Dynamite Dozen’s approximate 160 Division I scholarship offers.

— By John Bednarowski sportseditor@mdjonline.com Michael Rogers, Campbell Position: DB HT: 6-1 WT: 184 40: 4.4

After moving into the Campbell district last year, it didn’t take long for Rogers to make an impression.

The senior is the defensive stopper at safety and this year he will also be the Spartans primary running back. In early August, Rogers ended his recruitment by committing to Central Florida.

Cameron Albright, North Cobb Position: DB HT: 6-1 WT: 205 40: 4.7

Albright showed off his play-making ability last season on both sides of the ball for North Cobb. This year he will start at both safety and wide receiver, and will likely see time on special teams, too. This summer, the senior committed to the University of North Carolina.

D.J. Smith, Walton Position: DB HT: 5-11 WT: 191 40: 4.5

Smith is a shutdown corner, but this year he will be a hard-hitting safety for the Raiders. The seniors’ versatility is one of the main reasons he has more than 20 Division I scholarship offers to schools such as Georgia, South Carolina, Clemson, Ohio State, Florida, Nebraska, Miami, Arkansas, Ole Miss and plenty of others.

Tyler Queen, North Cobb: QB HT: 6-2 WT: 225

Queen burst onto the scene in 2012 leading the Warriors to the Class AAAAAA state semifinals. His running and throwing combined for 43 touchdowns and helped him become the Class AAAAAA all-state first team quarterback.

Only entering his junior season, Queen took all the drama out of his recruitment by committing to Auburn.

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Justin Wade, Allatoona Position: LB HT: 5-11 WT: 203 40: 4.6

Wade was a Class AAAAA all-state first team selection after finishing third in Cobb County with 144 tackles. He was recently selected to the Preseason Georgia all-state first team by Athlon magazine. He currently has offers from U.T. Martin, Tennessee State, Carson Newman and others.

Taylor Henkle, Kell Position: DB HT: 5-11 WT: 185 40: 4.6

Henkle has experienced only six losses on the football field since grade school. Henkle was a Class AAAAA all-state second team performer a year ago and became the first Cobb County player to commit to Kennesaw State’s new football program.

2013 mDJ dyna

dynamite dozen Project2:Layout 1

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Taj Griffin, McEachern Position: RB HT: 5-10 WT: 170 40: 4.39

After sharing duties with three other backs last season, Griffin will be the primary ball carrier for the Indians in 2013. Heading into his junior year, he already has college offers from Georgia, Clemson, Ohio State, Miami, Florida State, Tennessee and others.

Sam Wood, Lassiter Position: OL HT: 6-3 WT: 245 40: 5.0

Wood was a Class AAAAAA all-state first team selection in 2012 who helped the Trojans to a perfect regular season and a Region 5AAAAAA title. He is currently being recruited by Western Carolina, Jacksonville State, Chattanooga, Furman and Middle Tennessee.

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2013 mdj dynamite dozen

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

KICKOFF 2013

Allen Artis, Wheeler Position: DB HT: 6-1 WT: 198 40: 4.5

Elijah Staley, Wheeler Position: QB HT: 6-7 WT: 230 40: 4.6

Staley was one of the main reasons Wheeler ended its 6-year playoff drought in 2012. But the tall, lanky senior doesn’t just star on the football field, he also has plenty of game on the hardwood. Staley wants to play both football and basketball in college and he will try to do it in the SEC after committing to Mississippi State.

Artis helped lead Wheeler back to the playoffs last season for the first time since 2006. He finished fourth in Cobb County in tackles with 140 — 109 of those solo, and he was named to the Class AAAAAA All State First Team for his efforts. The senior, who had more than 20 Division I scholarship offers made the decision this summer to play for North Carolina.

Chris Murphy, Lassiter Position: DB HT: 5-11 WT: 180 40: 4.4

Murphy was the Trojans defensive back opponents knew not to test in 2012, and that will be the case again this season.

It is one of the big reasons that Murphy only had two interceptions a year ago. However, what he did catch was more than 20 Division I scholarship offers before deciding to head west to play for Arkansas.

Tyrell Tomlin, Marietta Position: LB HT: 6-0 WT: 225 40: 4.6

Tomlin wreaked havoc on opponents in 2012, and the senior can be expected to do the same this season. His play helped Marietta advance to the second round of the Class AAAAAA playoffs, and in turn he was named to the all-state firstteam after recording 128 tackles.

After receiving a number of SEC and ACC scholarship offers, Tomlin committed to North Carolina.

Max Kemper, Pope Position: OL HT: 6-4 WT: 305 40: 5.4

Kemper has become the anchor of the Greyhounds’ offensive line, and he is only a junior. The Class AAAAA all-state firstteam selection has already garnered early interest from schools like Clemson, Miami, North Carolina, Vanderbilt, Central Florida, Wake Forest and others.

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NORTH COBB WARRIORS

PAGE 50

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

KICKOFF 2013

LOCATION: 3400 HIGHWAY 293 N, KENNESAW. PHONE: 770-975-6685. HOME FIELD: EMORY SEWELL STADIUM. TEAM COLORS: ORANGE, BLUE, WHITE. ONLINE: NORTHCOBB-FOOTBALL.COM.

2013 SCHEDULE

VS STARRS MILL AUG. 30

AT WALTON SEPT. 13

AT KENNESAW MTN.

SEPT. 20

AT HARRISON SEPT. 27

VS SOUTH COBB OCT. 4

AT HILLGROVE OCT. 11

VS MCEACHERN OCT. 18

CL. 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 11 12 11 10 11 11 12 12 11 12 12 12 12 11 11 12 11 9 12 12 12 12 11 11 10 10 11 10 10 11 10 9 11 10 10 11 10

POS. WR/DB RB/LB WR/DB LB WR/QB RB WR/DB WR LB LB WR DB WR DB QB WR WR/LB WR K LB DB LB WR DB LB LB DB RB/LB WR/DB DL DB DL LB LB DL LB RB/LB LB RB LB RB LB LB WR LB RB/LB DB

NO. NAME 48 MANOAH JOHNSON 49 HUNTER LAMARRE 50 SHAREEF SCOTT 51 DAMIAN ADDISON 52 BYRON ALEXANDER 53 ANDRAKO SMITH 54 MAC ANDINO 55 KEENAN KELLY 56 NICK MARTIN 57 ANDREW BUNN 58 JASON EGBUFOAMA 59 STEPHEN OVERLAY 60 JOSH WRIGHT 61 CALE REID 62 SEAN SOMERS 63 TIM GRIFFIN 64 SAM OKUDUA 66 MICKEY HUGGINS 68 AJ HAIRSTON 69 MICHAEL REYES 70 MORGAN WELCH 71 JORDAN SMITH 72 CHRISTIAN ALBRIGHT 74 CHRISTIAN MORGAN 75 CODY ANDERSON 76 JEAN JOSEPH 78 CHASE KOSAR 79 DARIUS DAVIS 80 JARROD HART 81 ADONIS SMITH 82 LLOYD JONES 83 DASHAWN PRESSLEY 84 RANDY ANNAFACT 85 ANDREW LUBBERS 86 KENNEDY WESTFIELD 87 TAYLOR POWERS 88 GILBERT BLOW 89 ANDREW EISWORTH 90 JACKSON HORTON 91 AMARU HOLLOWAY 92 ADDISON GRAY 93 STERLING ANDREWS 94 GERALD HARGROVE 96 JUSTIN LAWRENCE 97 XAVIER PATTON 99 ELIJAH COURTLAND

VS MARIETTA NOV. 1

VS CAMPBELL NOV. 8

2013 SEASON OUTLOOK

2013 ROSTER NO. NAME 1 LATRELL GIBBS 2 JALIL KUKU 3 CAMERON ALBRIGHT 4 ELIJAH VALENTIN 5 TORRANCE MCGEE 6 J'VONTE HERROD 7 BRANDON SCOTT 8 DEVIN JACKSON 9 MYLES PRICE 10 CHAD MCCLANNAHAN 11 BILLY NICHOLS 12 JEREMY KIRK 13 DEON DODD 14 TORRIAN ST. ROMAIN 15 TYLER QUEEN 16 DEVIN GRANVILLE 17 TONY PERKINS 18 JEREMY BELL 19 ZACH CONNALLY 20 JORDAN JOHNSON-BAILEY 21 TOBI ADALEJA 22 TRACE RUSS 23 DEMETRIUS BROWN 24 TYMEEK FOLK 25 DEVAUGHN HARRIS 26 JUSTIN EGBUFOAMA 27 AVIAN PROFFITT 28 CEDRIC COLE 29 TREVON SMITH 30 DEQUAN JEUNE 31 FRED WATKINS 32 DOMINIC JACKSON 33 SHAUN LINEAR 34 JAY BARRINO 35 SCOTTIE CARTLEDGE 36 KEANO AITKENS 37 JAI-BISHOP GRAY 38 BRANDON BECK 39 BRANDON ARCHIBALD 40 KHALIL BLUE 41 MICHAEL MCCLENDON 42 CHANDLER WOOTEN 43 RASHAWN DECASTRO 44 SHANE DESHOTEL 45 JUSTICE LAW 46 TIJHAE BRAWNER 47 JAYDEN HARRIGAN

AT PEBBLEBROOK OCT. 25

CL. 10 10 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 11 11 11 10 10 10 12 10 12 10 10 12 10 9 10 10 10 11 10 10 10 11 10 11 10 10 11 10 10 10 10 10 10 11 10 11 11

POS. WR/DB WR/DB OL DL DL OL OL OL OL OL OL/DL OL OL LB OL/DS OL OL OL OL/DL OL OL OL/DL OL/DL OL OL OL/DL DL DL DB DB WR/DB DB WR WR WR WR WR/DB WR K DL LB WR/DB DL WR WR/DB DL

North Cobb is entering the 2013 season in stride.

While the Warriors fell to Lovejoy in the state semifinals last year, they cemented a signature win by defeating a storied Valdosta program to end a playoff-win drought that spanned five decades. Before the 42-14 victory, North Cobb had not won a state playoff game since the Warriors last trip to the state semifinals — way back in 1959.

It wasn’t hard for the team to see success under the leadership of quarterback Tyler Queen. The junior, who recently committed to Auburn, put together a 2012 season in which he had 2,607 yards passing, 925 yards rushing and 43 total touchdowns, and was named Class AAAAAA all-state first team as a sophomore.

Coach Shane Queen said to have a player like Tyler Queen return is vital to the team’s success.

COACHING STAFF HEAD COACH: SHANE QUEEN YEAR: 8 RECORD: 45-32 CAREER: 82-59 VARSITY COACHING STAFF TOM CLARK — OFF. COOR. T.K. DODD — RUNNING BACKS STEVE GATES — OFF. LINE CHAD MCGEHEE — DEF. COOR. MATT TENER — LINEBACKERS GLENN PANNELL — KICKERS

“It’s huge,” Shane Queen said. “He’s a 25 game starter. The game is slowing down for him obviously with the more reps he gets.

He’s really a coach on the field, and you can’t replace that.”

Tyler Queen will combine with receiver Cameron Albright and tailback J’Vonte Herrod to form a true “Big 3” nucleus to the offense. “(Herrod) is a big, physical back and he can make the offensive line look very good at times,” Shane Queen said. “We’re expecting him to have a breakout season.”

Herrod had 157 carries last season for 974 yards and 15 touchdowns. A big season for Herrod could be the difference in having another long postseason run.

In the air, the Warriors will need to replace the production of First Team All-State receiver Xavier Borishade and Nick Miller, who both graduated. Albright, who caught 21 passes for 295 yards and four touch-

PASSING TYLER QUEEN

— By Michael Foster MDJ Sports Correspondent

5-YEAR RECORD 30-25

2012 RESULTS 11-3

2012 LEADERS RUSHING JVONTE HERROD TYLER QUEEN

downs last season, will likely become a bigger receiving threat in addition to his defensive duties.

“He’s a two-way starter who played 90 percent of the snaps,” Queen said. “He’s one of our best receivers and one of our best defensive players.”

Albright will highlight a new-look defense as well. All-state linebacker Shaun Daniels, Hakeem Sawyer and all-state end Eghosa Agbonghae, along with other key contributors have departed from the front-seven.

Sawyer and Daniels were the top-two tacklers in Cobb County last year.

Linebacker Jalil Kuku is the top returning tackler. As a junior, Kuku recorded 67 total stops on defense.

974 YDS, 15 TD 925 YDS, 20 TD

2,607 YDS, 23 TD

RECEIVING XAVIER BORISHADE 1,108 YDS, 13 TD TACKLES SHAUN DANIELS

162

SACKS EGHOSA AGBONGHAE

11

INTERCEPTIONS CAMERON ALBRIGHT

4

STARRS MILL WALTON KMHS HARRISON SOUTH COBB HILLGROVE MCEACHERN PEBBLEBROOK MARIETTA CAMPBELL VALDOSTA LANG. HUGHES MILL CREEK LOVEJOY

42-3 49-17 52-7 48-14 26-27 41-14 27-49 45-0 45-32 31-0 42-14 42-14 42-35 42-63

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ULTIMATE VERSATILE WARRIOR

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KICKOFF 2013

Staff / Kelly J. Huff

North Cobb’s Cameron Albright will be the defensive leader from his safety position, a key receiver on offense, and he will likely play on special teams, too.

And Albright wouldn’t have it any other way.

Cameron Albright is North Cobb’s playmaker on both sides of the ball

By Michael Foster MDJ Sports Correspondent

While many wide receivers may earn the moniker of diva, North Cobb’s Cameron Albright goes in the opposite direction. In fact, he may even seem shy at first glance.

However, Albright doesn’t see himself as shy as much as he does focused, confident and willing. In his years as a Warrior, he’s obsessed over becoming a complete football player — whether at re-

ceiver or defensive back — in the most literal sense possible.

“I’ve always been able to make plays and always have been that kid you could go to in a big situation or if you needed a big play or stop,” Albright said. “If it’s a big touchdown, or third down conversation, or a defensive play, whatever it may be, I can be that guy.”

As a junior, Albright had 43 tackles, four interceptions — including a touchdown return against Valdosta in the opening round of the Class AAAAAA state

T A

playoffs — as well as 21 catches for 295 HE LBRIGHT FILE yards and four touchdowns.

According to coach Shane Queen, he was probably on the field about 90-percent of the snaps last year.

The 6-foot, 207-pound Albright, who has committed to the University of North Carolina, had no quarrels with being “Big Shanty produces called upon to be a regular playmaker, but some of the best barbecue he knew that with the territoryI’ve would seen come out of Georgia.” come a heightened level of work ethic - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 11-19-2010 and commitment.

See Warrior, Page 55

cLASS: senior pOSITION: WR/Def. Back hEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6-FOOT, 207 lbS 2012: 21 rec., 295 yds., 4 td, 43 tackles, 4 int committed to north carolina

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NORTH COBB CHRISTIAN EAGLES

PAGE 52

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

KICKOFF 2013

LOCATION: 4500 LAKEVIEW DRIVE, KENNESAW. PHONE: 770-975-0252. HOME FIELD: JACOB DENNIS FIELD. TEAM COLORS: NAVY BLUE, WHITE. ONLINE: NCCHRISTIAN.ORG/ATHLETICS/VARSITY-ATHLETICS/VARSITY-FOOTBALL

2013 SCHEDULE TBD

AUG. 30

VS WALKER SEPT. 6

VS MT. ZION-CARROLL

SEPT. 13

AT CROSS KEYS SEPT. 27

VS BACONTON OCT. 4

AT PROVIDENCE CHR.

OCT. 11

VS TOWNS COUNTY OCT. 18

CL. 10 12 9 12 9 9 10 9 9 11 10 9 10 12 9 12 12 11 11 12 12 11 11

POS. RB/LB WR/CB/K WR/CB QB/DB WR/CB WR/LB RB/LB RB/LB RB/LB OL/DL OL/LB OL/LB OL/DL OL/DL OL/LB RB/OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL RB/WR/DB WR/CB TE/LB

OCT. 25

AT ST. FRANCIS NOV. 1

VS CLARKSTON NOV. 8

2013 SEASON OUTLOOK

2013 ROSTER NO.NAME 5 DAVID BRITTINGHAM 6 TREVOR HOURIGAN 7 JASON DAVIS 8 ZACH BOLLINGER 10 LEE CUNNINGHAM 12 CHRIS SANDERS 22 CHANDLER MOELLER 24 HUNTER TITUS 25 MARK WATSON 53 ZAC BROWN 52 BRYANT BELL 55 WILL MCKENZIE 60 LOGAN WILBANKS 63 ZAC PRUITT 64 REESE PARK 65 JAMES LUSK 66 TREVOR WOODSTOCK 70 CONNER KAILEY 72 CLARK MYERS 77 TREVOR MARTIN 81 JOHN TOWNE 82 ISAIAH WALKER 87 THOMAS YOUNG

VS LAKEVIEW ACAD.

North Cobb Christian hasn’t had the easiest time getting its football program off the ground.

The Eagles are 6-40 since launching five seasons ago. Their primary struggle has been getting players to come out to play, and this season is no exception. The roster numbers were in the twenties during fall practice.

First-year coach Scott Ryle is focusing on laying a solid foundation. One goal he has is to see his team get better every day, and one way to do that is getting everyone fully acquainted with the weight room.

He said another key to building a program is the willingness to put enjoyment ahead of results.

“I want us to have a lot of fun,” Ryle said.

“We play the game for that reason. It

COACHING STAFF HEAD COACH: SCOTT RYLE YEAR: 0 RECORD: 0-0 CAREER: 0-0 VARSITY COACHING STAFF BILL PARKER — DEF. COOR. MIKE MORRIS — REC./DB HUNTER POPLIN — OL/DL NICK STEINICHEN — RB/LB

shouldn’t be a job yet. I want it to be fun as we continue to build.”

North Cobb Christian’s projected starting quarterback is a senior who hasn’t played football since breaking both arms in a bicycle accident in the eighth grade. But the coaches and players don’t seem concerned about Zach Bollinger picking things up in time for the 2013 season.

Because of the low number of players, nearly every player will be playing on both sides of the ball.

On offense, senior John Towne will split time running the football and catching it. Last year he did most of his damage as a receiver, catching 20 passes for 483 yards and six touchdowns.

Sophomore David Brittingham will also

share time at tailback, and Junior Isaiah Williams will line up at receiver.

Senior Zac Pruitt will anchor the offensive and defensive lines for North Cobb Christian, and Ryle is expecting big things from him this season.

“He’s the coach on the field and his work ethic encourages that,” Ryle said. “You don’t have to get on Zac.” Sophomore Chandler Moeller is showing promise at linebacker while other positions are still being sorted out.

— By Adam Carrington acarrington@mdjonline.com

5-YEAR RECORD 6-40

2012 RESULTS 3-7

2012 LEADERS RUSHING KENDALL CRUTE

404 YDS, 4 TD

PASSING ALEX HO-ON

743 YDS, 7 TD

RECEIVING JOHN TOWNE KENDALL CRUTE

483 YDS, 6 TD 380 YDS, 3 TD

TACKLES ELIJAH WEEMS

85

SACKS STEPHON JELKS

4

INTERCEPTIONS ELIJAH WEEMS

2

SACA WALKER MOUNT ZION CROSS KEYS BACONTON PROVIDENCE CHR. TOWNS COUNTY LAKEVIEW ACAD. ST. FRANCIS CLARKSTON * FORFEIT

1-0* 14-54 7-40 47-7 21-45 49-21 6-38 28-63 25-34 14-54

W L L W L W L L L L

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no rust showing here

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KICKOFF 2013

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

North Cobb Christian’s Zach Bollinger gets one more chance to play football

By Adam Carrington acarrington@mdjonline.com

It was a normal morning at the beginning of the school year when eighth grader Zach Bollinger rode his bicycle downhill on his way to school at McKinney Christian Academy in McKinney, Texas.

Little did he know his bike ride that morning would lead to the suspension of his football career.

Now, Bollinger is giving it one more try at North Cobb Christian.

The rising senior, who hasn’t suited up since the eighth grade, hit a speed bump a little too fast, and he flew over his handle bars.

At first, Bollinger thought he was just fine. But when he attempted to use his arms to help himself up and felt more pain than he could endure, he knew something was terribly wrong.

He called home and asked to be taken to the emergency room. He expected one of his arms to be broken and the other to be severly bruised. The X-rays produced a different outcome. Bollinger broke both arms.

Most of his eighth grade football season was shot. He had to navigate through the

THE BOLLINGER FILE

cLASS: senior pOSITION: quarterback Has not played football since 8th grade Plays on Eagles baseball team

halls of the school, and sit on the bench during games wearing slings that made it appear as if Bollinger was wearing a straight jacket.

“It was a rough eighth-grade year right there,” Bollinger said.

Bollinger did make a full recovery, and he was able to return for the last three games of the season. Everything was on track for his freshman year of high school to be back on the field, but that changed during that summer while playing basketball.

He stumbled while dribbling downcourt and broke his left arm again while trying to stop his fall.

Staff / Kelly J. Huff

After not playing football since his eighth grade year in Texas, Zach Bollinger will line up under center for North Cobb Christian during the 2013 season. New Eagles coach Scott Ryle saw Bollinger throw the ball during P.E. class, was impressed, and convinced the See Rust, Page 55 rising senior to give football one more try.

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Games Continued from Page 38

Creekview won seven following the loss.

They’ll be a lot riding on this one.

Etowah at Wheeler, Sept. 20: Etowah tied Wheeler and Woodstock with identical 3-4 Region 5AAAAAA records last year, but the Wildcats earned the playoff spot because of tiebreakers. Etowah won last year’s meeting 31-27, but didn’t do enough the rest of the season to secure its playoff future. With Walton, Lassiter and likely Milton securing the top three region playoff seeds, this game becomes very important in the playoff race.

Lassiter at Walton, Oct. 4: Lassiter and Walton have won the last two region championships, and it’s likely the teams will be battling for it again this year. A lot can be learned from this midseason matchup as the winner should be in the driver’s seat towards the title, while the loser will have to be sure not to fall too far back.

Creekview at Sequoyah, Oct. 4: Last year, Sequoyah made the playoffs for the first time since 2008, but had to play its opening round game on the road. The Chiefs traveled because of their subregion loss to Creekview. A victory in this game

Page 54

KICKOFF 2013

likely means hosting in the first round of the state playoffs.

North Cobb in October: North Cobb hasn’t won a region championship since 2007, when the Warriors finished with a 10-0 regular season mark. Following its run to the state semifinals, North Cobb has high expectations to perform well this year and its biggest threats to another region title could be in these three games — vs.

South Cobb (Oct. 4), at Hillgrove (Oct. 11) and vs. McEachern (Oct. 18).

Pope at Sprayberry, Oct. 18: Region 7AAAAA implications will be on the line for these rivals.

River Ridge at Gilmer, Oct. 25 and vs.

Pickens, Nov. 1: River Ridge’s playoff destiny last season came down to five points after a 3-point victory against Gilmer and a 2-point win at Pickens. If the Knights can pull out wins again, it likely means hosting another first round playoff game.

Sprayberry at Kell, Oct. 25: These two teams are not very far apart from one another, yet it will only mark the sixth time they’ve met in their history. Their games have been exciting now that they’re both in Region 7AAAAA, and playoff ramifications will ensue for both teams meeting this late in the season.

Woodstock at Etowah, Oct. 25: This Towne Lake rivalry is one of the biggest in

Cherokee County and usually has playoff implications associated with it. This season should be no different, especially with the two teams meeting so late in the year.

Walker at Whitefield Academy, Oct. 25: John East led Walker to an undefeated regular season and the first playoff victory in school history in his first season as coach last year. Besides the season-ending loss, only two teams on the schedule gave the Wolverines a tough game and one of them was Whitefield.

Allatoona in November: The Buccaneers start the month with their arch rival North Paulding and will face East Paulding the following week. All three teams made at least the second round of the playoffs last year and will be challenging for the top spot in Reigon 5AAAAA. Two victories by Allatoona would go a long way to winning the program’s second region title.

McEachern at Hillgrove, Nov. 8: One thing is certain, you never know what to expect when these two Powder Springs teams meet. The 2010 game was an offensive 64-48 McEachern win, but in 2011, the Hawks won 12-10 behind their defense. Last season was a 33-30 slugfest in the Indians favor. Bragging rights in the annual “Battle Down in Powder Town,” and region implications will factor into this matchup.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

Staff / Ted Mayer

Creekview linebacker Zach Henson hits Sequoyah quarterback Lex Lauletta during last year’s matchup. While Henson is gone, Lauletta will be back to try to avenge the Chiefs only subregion loss of 2012 when the teams meet at Sequoyah on Oct. 5.

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Warrior Continued from Page 51

“I can say that for almost every game, I was pretty exhausted,” Albright laughed. “I know that the team needed me to be there on both sides of the ball though, so I was willing to make that sacrifice.

“As far as conditioning is concerned, you’ve got to be in great shape to be fueled for four quarters.

Everything starts with conditioning.

You’ve also got to be more focused to know assignments for offense and defense.”

Albright’s 2012 numbers might make him appear as a classic utility player, with his big-play ability outweighing consistency and specialization from position to position, but Albright knows within himself there is a focus on perfecting each aspect of the game.

“No matter what position, I want to do all of them the best it needs to be done,” he said. “When I’m at that position in practice I try as hard as I can to perfect it.”

Albright hasn’t been a guy who’s explicitly asked for the ball. Instead,

12:32 PM

Page 55

he’s been willing to mold and fit with the team’s needs. Heading into this season, the addition of two transfer receivers, Tony Perkins from Allatoona, and Torrance McGee from Carver-Columbus, have ensure a level of stability for a receiving corps that lost its two leading pass catchers from last season in Class AAAAAA all-state first team player Xavier Borishade, and Nick Miller.

North Cobb also lost much of its defense from a year ago, which means Albright will be counted on to be a leader at safety, the position he will play in college.

“Playing both ways is fun in high school, but when college comes around I’ll be fine playing defensive back,” Albright said.

“Our defense is going to have to step up this year and I’m excited to be part of that.”

Nevertheless, he still sees himself as a pure playmaker.

“I can throw it a little too,” Albright said. “Actually, last year in the playoffs we did a reverse with me at receiver and I ended up throwing a touchdown, so yeah, I can throw it a little bit.”

KICKOFF 2013

Rust Continued from Page 53

That’s when serious doubt about playing football again entered his mind.

“When I broke my arm (playing basketball), I thought I was just going to get injured again, so I just kind of focused on basketball (my freshman year),” Bollinger said. “The next year, I thought it was too late for me to try and play, and when I moved here (my junior year), the program was pretty new.”

All that changed when Scott Ryle was named head coach and there was a vacancy at the quarterback position. The new coach happened to see Bollinger throw the football around during P.E. and was impressed. He encouraged Bollinger to come out to spring

practice and give it another shot.

It turns out he hasn’t really lost a step since last suiting up four years ago.

Having grown up an avid football fan with Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning being his favorite player, Bollinger said it didn’t take long for him to relearn the basics. The right-handed quarterback, who is more comfortable throwing the ball in the pocket, worked all summer learning Ryle’s offense.

He has one-on-one meetings with Ryle learning coverages and reads. He had an impressive spring practice and didn’t take him long to get comfortable throwing the ball.

“We’re talking about a kid who hasn’t been around the game in a long time,” Ryle said.

“I would talk about coverages and am amazed how fast he’s

PAGE 55

grasping it. I would be like ‘Here’s what you need to do’ and he can make the adjustment. If he makes a mistake, he knows immediately what he did.”

Bollinger and his North Cobb Christian teammates took part in 7-on-7 tournaments and said he held his own against some of the bigger public schools in terms of finding receivers.

But he also understands it’s a different game with opposing defensive lineman trying to put him on his back.

“Yes, the nerves will be there,” Bollinger said. “That’s a part of it. Once you get over that first game, you have the rest of the season to look forward to.”

And there’s also a side of him that doesn’t want to be in a cast again. Bollinger takes precautions by icing his right arm every day after practice, and he drinks milk like it’s water.

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OSBORNE CARDINALS

PAGE 56

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

KICKOFF 2013

LOCATION: 2451 FAVOR ROAD, MARIETTA. PHONE: 770-437-5900. HOME FIELD: CARDINAL STADIUM. TEAM COLORS: RED, WHITE. ONLINE: OSBORNEFOOTBALL.COM.

2013 SCHEDULE TBA

VS AT CHAPEL HILL AUG. 23

VS MCNAIR AUG. 30

NAME CRAIG ROBINSON TAVARES NATT ANTHONY STASIK DARNELL LINDSEY AYO ASHI TRA WYNN CHI ACHIBUEM DEMETRIS DAVIS LEMAJ SHAND NIGEL WILLIAMS ANTHONY WILLIAMS BRIAN AMMONS KESHAY COWVINS DAVID SHELTON DARNELL LINDSEY JAMES PRICE LARRY WHITE TIANTE KNIGHT RASHAUN TAFT KYLE DAVIS JAMARI MILES CLIFTON CHILDS DE’MARCO RUFFIN KAVON SMYTHE CARY LEWIS

CL. 11 11 11 11 10 11 12 12 11 11 12 11 10 12 11 10 10 11 10 11 10 10 10 12 10

VS CAMPBELL SEPT. 6

VS CAMBRIDGE SEPT. 20

AT CREEKVIEW SEPT. 27

AT POPE OCT. 4

VS KELL OCT. 11

POS. QB RB DB SE QB RB LB LB DB DB SE SE DB DB DB SE RB SE DB DB DB DE DE LB LB

N0.

37 40 41 42 43 44 48 51 52 56 57 58 59 64 69 72 75 76 77 78 79 87 88 99

NAME JOSHUA ALVIN JAUAN EASON DESIRE MADZIVA JAQUNTON ALSTON-THOMPSON KAMAAJ KING DESHAWN JENKINS NAUDICA FLAGG STEVEN WYNN VICENTE GUTIERREZ JASON HAROLD CHRIS GAUTHIER BRANDON FINKLEA BLAKE NANJE ALLEN HUMPHRIES MICHAEL TOWERY TONY CASTILLO GREENE JUWAN ARNOLD GALVIS TAMIR MOORE TIM CRAWFORD GILES CHILLIS WILSON ANTHONY OMARI NEAL ALONTAE DILLARD

AT SPRAYBERRY NOV. 1

AT REGION PLAY-IN NOV. 8

2013 SEASON OUTLOOK

2013 ROSTER N0.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 11 14 15 17 20 21 22 22 23 24 25 26 30 31 32 33 34

VS RIVERWOOD OCT. 18

CL. POS. 12 TE 12 DE 12 FB 12 DE 10 LB 10 OL 10 LB 10 LB 11 K 11 OL 12 DL 11 DL 10 DL 12 OL 10 OL 12 OL 11 OL 11 TE 10 OL 12 OL 10 OL 12 SE 10 SE 9 DL

After back-to-back 2-8 seasons, Osborne coach Xarvia Smith is trying something new.

The third-year mentor will change his offensive system from the run-based Wing-T formation to the type of spread offense used

by Oregon.

The desired effect should generate open space for players to make plays and provide the offense with more opportunities to score.

Over the past two seasons — 20 games — Osborne has been shutout five times, scored in single digits seven times, and eclipsed 10 or more points only eight times.

Smith hopes the offensive inconsistencies can be changed with the new philosophy.

“Most of our skill guys are sophomores, so we have a lot to work with,” Smith said.

“We have two to three kids who run the ball well and we have six to seven kids who can catch pretty well. The spread offense opens up the field for more running and passing

COACHING STAFF HEAD COACH: XARVIA SMITH YEAR: 3 RECORD: 4-16 CAREER: 21-51 VARSITY COACHING STAFF DEREK RUSSELL — DC MATT ANDERSON — OC MIKE HEWETT — DEF. LINE CHRIS BRYCE — QB MICHAEL SAWYER — REC. ADRIAN BILLINGSLEA — DB

lanes and we get to have more athletes on the field.”

Smith acknowledged that opposing teams would crowd the box in the Wing-T, forcing the Cardinals to defend too many players. The spread helps get those extra defenders away from the line of scrimmage.

“We looked at North Cobb and Walton and McEachern and saw how they got their athletes on the field,” Smith said. “I learned the offense from coach Tripp (Allen) over at Walton and coach (Shane Queen) at North Cobb and that really helped us a lot.

“I learned from (former McEachern) coach (Jimmy) Dorsey when I was a part of his staff that in order to make it all go, you have to have a trigger man, and I think we have that.”

The Cardinals’ offense lost six starters, but they’re returning a strong offensive line anchored by Tim Crawford and Toni Castillo.

2012 LEADERS RUSHING ROBERT COOKS TIM HARRIS

1,023 YDS, 4 TD 411 YDS, 3 TD

PASSING XAVIER EVANS 242 YDS, 1 TD KENDALL WALKER 217 YDS

Osborne’s two rising sophomore quarterbacks — Craig Robinson and Ayo Ashi — have been competing for the starting job during the offseason, but Robinson holds the lead going into fall practice. Smith said both players have adjusted well to the new system.

“Robinson’s a move-in from Ohio and between him and Ashi, I feel like we have a chance to compete under this new offense.”

Defensively, Chi Achibuem returns at linebacker along with Jauan Eason.

— By Carlton D. White cwhite@mdjonline.com

5-YEAR RECORD 9-41

2012 RESULTS 2-8 CHAPEL HILL MCNAIR CAMPBELL CAMBRIDGE CREEKVIEW POPE KELL RIVERWOOD SPRAYBERRY CAMBRIDGE

0-28 14-15 6-27 20-0 0-31 0-21 7-34 7-49 17-23 20-7

L L L W L L L L L W

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KICKOFF 2013

Staff / Kelly J. Huff

Osborne’s offensive linemen, from left, anchored by Tim Crawford, Blake Nanje, Josh Alvin, Vicente Gutierrez, Tony Castillo and JaQuinton Alston-Thompson, are leading the charge in helping the team switch offensive systems for 2013. The Cardinals have shelved their run-based Wing-T and implemented the spread.

taking ownership

Osborne’s offensive line leading the way as team changes from Wing-T to a spread-style attack

By Carlton D. White cwhite@mdjonline.com

Osborne’s switch to a spread offense in 2013 will require several adjustments from the quarterback, receivers and running backs.

Routes will have to be crisp, the quarterback’s accuracy and decision-making will have to be above average and the running game will have to be effective in order to balance out the Cardinals’ passing attack.

Another notable adjustment will have to come from the offensive line. The sevenman unit, which includes center Vicente

Gutierrez, guards Tim Crawford and Tamir Moore, tackles Blake Nanje and Tony Castillo and tight ends JaQuinton AlstonThompson and Josh Alvin, has taken upon itself to be the anchor of change this season for an Osborne team looking to improve on back-to-back 2-8 seasons.

“It started in January,” Osborne coach Xarvia Smith said. “These are the guys that have worked harder than everyone else.

These young men have just been great in the weight room and hard workers in everything they do. They’ve led us with everything we’ve done.”

Crawford’s been at the forefront of it all.

A 6-foot-2, 325-pound guard, he’s entering

his third year on the varsity squad and second as a starter. Crawford enjoys being in a leadership role and hopes that his energy rubs off on his teammates.

“For me, leadership is something that you earn, it’s not given to you,” he said.

“It’s having people look to you for guidance and ideas and as an example of how to carry yourself. I lead by trying to excel at what I do and perform at the highest capability. If everyone else can do that, we’ll have a successful season.”

One key to that success will be how well the offensive line performs in the spread. So far, Smith has been excited about the results.

“Guys love the offensive change,” he said. “It fits them. The Wing-T was difficult to learn. This is easier for the kids, allows for more space and they defend the field more. We’re spreading people out and doing more than we need to do.”

Crawford is also in favor of the switch.

“It’s brought the offensive line together,” he said. “The Wing-T was more individualized, but with the spread we’ve come together and evolved to become more of a family.

“We’ve all basically been together since freshman year, but we’re feeding off and working better with each other in the See Line, Page 80

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PEBBLEBROOK FALCONS

PAGE 58

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

KICKOFF 2013

LOCATION: 991 OLD ALABAMA ROAD, MABLETON. PHONE: 770-819-2521. HOME FIELD: FALCON STADIUM. TEAM COLORS: MAROON, BLUE, WHITE. ONLINE: PEBBLEBROOKFOOTBALL.COM

2013 SCHEDULE

AT SW DEKALB AUG. 30

VS MOUNTAIN VIEW

SEPT. 6

AT MCEACHERN SEPT. 13

VS HARRISON SEPT. 20

AT MARIETTA SEPT. 27

VS HILLGROVE OCT. 4

VS CAMPBELL OCT. 11

CL. 12 12 12 12 10 12 12 11 12 11 12 11 10 9 10 10 10 12 10 10 12 10 10 10 11 10

POS. QB TE DL RB/DB WR/DB WR/DB WR RB/DB WR CB CB K WR QB/DB WR WR DB LB WR WR RB RB DB DB WR/DB DB

NO. NAME 34 CHRISTOPHER WOMBLE 35 CHRISTIAN SWANN 36 OSMAN PEREZ 37 VICTOR EDWARDS 40 JAVONTE BAILEY 41 QUANTAVIOUS ARNOLD 44 RICO MCMULLEN 45 AMAHD SALIAM 50 JAKOBE SCOTT 51 MARCUS MONSANTO 52 WHITTIE HALL 54 TREY BENJAMIN 55 MARK MONSANTO 56 JESUS IZAQUIRE 58 ANTHONY RIGGINS 59 GARRY DOBSON 61 RAHSIIM SIMMONS 62 CHANCE BENTON 64 KONNER LONGINO 70 MAURICE COUCH 71 DWAYNE HOLMES 75 DEONTE PETTAWAY 77 LOUIS GRANDISON 80 JUSTIS MULLINS 81 BRIAN MILLER 83 CORTNEY WHITMORE

AT KENNESAW MTN.

NOV. 1

AT SOUTH COBB NOV. 8

2013 SEASON OUTLOOK

2013 ROSTER NO. NAME 1 DEZMON HUNTLEY 2 ALTON STEWART 3 JARVIS RUFF 4 PERRY SELDON 5 ANTHONY MITCHELL 6 JARRETT SHARP 7 COURTAZ KING 8 JAVION LAWSON 9 JUSTIN SIMMS 10 HAKEEM BAILEY 11 ROMELLO STAFFORD 12 EDDIE CASTENADA 13 JACOBE BURKKE 14 DREW TEJCHMAN 16 JAI NUNN-LIDDELL 17 YUSSUFU OSLUSOGA 18 JASON KNOTEN 19 EDWARD MCCOLLEY 20 K’SHAWN MEDLOCK 22 TYREEK KING-EL 23 KENNETH BURKE 25 SAMUEL WRIGHT 26 MALIK MATTHEWS 27 MARCUS STANTON 30 KENDALL QUARLES 31 JUAN WEARY

VS NORTH COBB OCT. 25

CL. 11 9 12 10 12 11 11 10 12 10 12 12 12 10 10 11 12 12 10 12 11 10 10 12 11 10

POS. LB DB K LB DB TE/LB RB DB OL OL/DL LB OL LB OL DL OL DL DL DL OL OL OL OL TE DL WR

Pebblebrook’s winless 2012 season under Tommy Macon was not what the then first-year coach had planned.

After ditching the Wing-T offense run under former coach Randall Smith, Macon replaced it with the spread. Unfortunately, the Falcons weren’t able to pick up on the new offense quick enough to make the team competitive.

Miscues and turnovers were also a factor, as were injuries late in the season. At its worst, Pebblebrook had five defensive starters missing five games apiece because of injuries, and they were all out at the same time.

“Our defense started well, but injuries started to take their toll,” Macon said. “If we can stay away from that, this year, I think we’ll be Ok.” The reason for the optimism is the Falcons expect to have developed offensively

COACHING STAFF HEAD COACH: TOMMY MACON YEAR: 2 RECORD: 0-10 CAREER : 65-148-2 VARSITY COACHING STAFF WILLIAM RICHARDSON — OC ROBERT JENKINS — OFF. LINE JAMES WILLIAMS — DEF. LINE ALBERT HUNTLEY — RB PETE FRALEY — RECEIVERS WILLIAM JONES — LB

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after learning and competing for the past year under the new system.

Though Pebblebrook only returns three starters on defense and four on offense, the offseason has helped the young players get acclimated to their assignments.

“We have to improve on offense,” Macon said. “We got off to some slow starts last year and couldn’t score in the red zone. We weren’t technically sound on the offensive line, and our quarterback is an athlete but he needs support.”

Quarterback Dezmon Huntley, who threw for 1,318 yards and four touchdowns and ran for 549 yards and three scores in 2012, is expected to lead the team after having productive spring practices. A dual-threat, Huntley can pass and run the football well.

Receiver Justin Simms will be counted on to convert big plays for the Falcons.

Perry Seldon, a three-year starter who

PASSING D. HUNTLEY RECEIVING JUSTIN SIMMS

— By Carlton D. White cwhite@mdjonline.com

5-YEAR RECORD 17-33

2012 RESULTS 0-10

2012 LEADERS RUSHING D. HUNTLEY PERRY SELDON

ran for 390 yards and a touchdown, is expected to return at running back and defensive back and take the rushing load off Huntley.

Marcus Monsanto returns at linebacker after totaling 72 tackles last season.

“We’re much more comfortable with the offense now,” Macon said. “We’re still going to establish our running game, but we’re also going to throw the ball more often than before.”

549 YDS, 3 TD 390 YDS, TD

1,318 YDS, 4 TD

543 YDS, 2 TD

TACKLES CARL BEXLEY

84

SACKS A.J. QUARLES

6

INTERCEPTIONS CARL BEXLEY

2

SW DEKALB MOUNTAIN VIEW MCEACHERN HARRISON MARIETTA HILLGROVE CAMPBELL NORTH COBB KMHS SOUTH COBB

0-23 3-14 23-30 13-20 14-38 0-37 13-31 0-45 14-35 14-42

L L L L L L L L L L

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all he needs is a chance

KICKOFF 2013

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

PAGE 59

Pebblebrook’s Justin Simms hopes to prove he has big game for college

By Carlton D. White cwhite@mdjonline.com

Justin Simms just wants an opportunity.

Much like the opportunities afforded to his favorite NFL players — the Carolina Panthers’ Steve Smith, the St. Louis Rams’ Tavon Austin, and the Indianapolis Colts’ T.Y. Hilton. Simms wants to be one of the guys “who made it.”

A 5-foot-7, 160-pound wide receiver at Pebblebrook, Simms doesn’t have the kind of size that a prototype 6-2 receiver would have. Typically, those are the players college scouts find, and quickly offer scholarships.

Like Smith, Austin and Hilton, Simms must continue to prove his worth on the field because that’s the only way he’ll get that attention.

“Justin is the ‘X’ receiver in our formation,” Pebblebrook coach Tommy Macon said. “We try to get him in one-on-one situations because he makes some great catches if he’s open. He has excellent hands, and I think if he were taller, he’d be (a Southeastern Conference) receiver.”

Simms believes that too. He’s been playing

THE SIMMS FILE

cLASS: senior pOSITION: wide receiver hT/WT: 5-FOOT-7, 160 lbS 2012: 35 rec., 543 yds., 2 td runs a 4.4 40-yard dash

football since the sixth grade and he’s always been either a wide receiver or a defensive back. He’s expected to begin his third varsity season as a starter for the Falcons and is looking forward to a productive season.

Last year, Simms, who runs a 4.4 40-yard dash, caught 35 passes for 543 yards and two touchdowns. His total receiving yards ranked ninth among Cobb County leaders.

“I do feel like my height is limiting me as a top college prospect, but I feel like if you can play football, then you can play football,” Simms said. “My route running is See Simms, Page 80

Staff / Todd Hull

Pebblebrook’s Justin Simms may be small in stature at 5-foot-7 and 160 pounds, but he thinks he can play Division I football. All he needs is one school to give him a chance to become the next Tavon Austin, who was an NFL first-round draft choice of the St. Louis Rams last April.

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POPE GREYHOUNDS

PAGE 60

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

KICKOFF 2013

LOCATION: 13001 HEMBREE ROAD, MARIETTA. PHONE: 770-578-7900. HOME FIELD: POPE MULTI-SPORT COMPLEX. TEAM COLORS: BLUE, GREY. ONLINE: POPEFOOTBALL.COM.

2013 SCHEDULE TBA

AT MARIETTA AUG. 30

VS WHEELER SEPT. 6

AT ETOWAH SEPT. 13

VS NORTHVIEW SEPT. 20

AT CAMBRIDGE SEPT. 27

VS OSBORNE OCT. 4

AT SPRAYBERRY OCT. 18

NAME BRADEN ZARBNISKY CARSON DAY KENDRICK BRUCE PATRICK BURKE COLE CHILDERS TAYLOR WOLF BEN DORAN JACOB CULBERSON KALEB DAVODPOUR JACK BURROWS JOSHUA LOWE MASON SHIFLETT JOHN DARWICKI KENNETH HAYES BRYAN TERRY BRYAN BERGER DAVIS GLOVER LOGAN COOPERMAN KEEGAN PHIPPS DREW COOPER MICKEY BUECHNER LOGAN CARR MICHAEL SKRUCK RYAN SCULLEY SEAN HAYDEN BLAYNE BURGETT ALEC DINO KYLER KLINE MICHAEL LOCEY JACK ZEGERS PHILLIP NEAL CODY POLIFKA TAYLOR WADDILOVE TRAVIS PARKER DAVIS BURSON HAYDEN MILLER MIKE KEMPER

CL. 11 11 12 10 11 11 12 12 12 10 10 12 11 11 10 10 11 11 11 12 10 12 11 11 12 12 11 10 10 12 12 12 11 11 11 10 11

POS. DB/RB DB/WR DB/RB DB/WR DB/WR DB/RB DB/WR DB/WR DB/WR LB/WR DB/RB DB/WR DB/WR DB/WR DB/RB DB/WR DB/WR DB/WR DB/WR DB/WR DB/WR DB/WR LB/WR DB/WR LB/RB DB/WR LB/OL LB/RB LB/RB LB/RB LB/RB DL/RB DB/WR LB/RB LB/RB LB/OL LB/RB

NO. 46 47 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 67 68 70 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 90 98

NAME KYLE WOYCE HARRISON HOLMES LUIS VELA AUSTIN NIELSEN BEN COTTINGHAM ALEX HENRY SAM AKIN ANDRE PALENCIA WILLIAM MORRISON KELLER BOWLING COLIN EDMONDS D’ANDRE MCCALLUM DUBOSE BEAN DESMON MCDONALD PAUL DAHLHAUSER JOEY FREEMAN ALEC AMMONS JOSHUA HILL ERIC ASHER ZACH HODGE QUINTIN BANGE MATTHEW JONES HOUSTON HARRIS JOSAPHAT GAUBERT MATTHEW PITTARELLI MAX KEMPER ALEX WELLS MATTHEW JOHNSON IKE LIKINS MARSHALL HANSEN TEVIN PITCHES LIAM MCCURRY LUCAS O’REILLY CONAL MCCURRY BRENDON JOHNSON HUNTER CUTCLIFFE

VS KELL NOV. 1

AT REGION PLAY-IN NOV. 8

2013 SEASON OUTLOOK

2013 ROSTER NO. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 11 12 13 15 17 18 19 20 21 25 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 42 43 44 45

VS RIVERWOOD OCT. 25

CL. 11 12 11 10 11 11 12 11 11 11 11 12 10 12 12 11 11 11 10 11 12 11 11 11 11 11 11 10 12 12 12 11 11 10 11 11

POS. LB/OL LB/RB LB/RB DL/OL DL/OL DL/OL LB/OL DL/OL DL/OL DL/OL DL/OL DL/OL DL/OL DL/OL DL/OL DL/OL DL/OL DL/OL DL/OL DL/OL DL/OL DL/OL DL/OL DL/OL DL/OL DL/OL P/K DB/WR DB/WR P/K DB/WR LB/OL DB/WR P/K P/K

Coach Matt Kemper has turned Pope into a winner since taking over five years ago, leading the Greyhounds into the playoffs the last three seasons, including winning a region title in 2011.

The Greyhounds, who finished 7-4 last season, have a stout offensive line behind juniors Joey Freeman and Ben Cottingham and it is led by 6-foot-4, 305 pound Class AAAAA all-state first team performer Max Kemper. The line will be key as Pope breaks in a new quarterback and a new set of running backs.

They will also have to address a few defensive positions, especially the front seven, after the graduation of linebackers Sean Hatcher, Brooks Climmons and defensive lineman Alex Parker.

Last year’s quarterback Stephen Skruck decided to play baseball fulltime, which makes junior Taylor Wolf the primary candi-

COACHING STAFF HEAD COACH: MATT KEMPER YEAR: 6 RECORD: 34-20 CAREER: 61-30 VARSITY COACHING STAFF GERALD CLIMMONS — DEF. BACKS TOM FLUGUM — LINEBACKERS MATT FOX — QUARTERBACKS HEATH GREEN — RUNNING BACKS JERAD JOHNSON — RECEIVERS MATT JONES — DEFENSIVE LINE MIKE KENNEDY — RECEIVERS CHRIS LAFEVE — DEFENSIVE BACKS JOSH MARTIN — OFFENSIVE LINE KYLE ROBERTS — OFFENSIVE LINE DARYL ZARBNISKY — LINEBACKERS NICK ANDERSON — OFFENSIVE LINE

date to line up under center. Braden Zarbinsky and Josh Lowe will also compete for playing time.

Wolf has similar qualities of former Greyhounds’ quarterback, and current Georgia Tech defensive back Holland Frost, as he can both throw, and run the ball on the option.

As a team, Pope rushed for nearly 2,000 yards last season, but it will have new faces in the backfield with Itabari Mason departing for Kell and Ronald Woods sitting out the season to concentrate on academics.

Senior Kendrick Bruce, who transfered from Kell, has shown promise along with juniors Taylor Waddilove, Davis Burson and sophomore Brian Perry.

“We’re working on those kids and giving them a lot of looks,” Matt Kemper said.

“Hopefully, this is good place to be for a running back with a good bunch of guys up front.”

— By Adam Carrington acarrington@mdjonline.com

5-YEAR RECORD 34-20

2012 RESULTS 7-4

2012 LEADERS RUSHING RONALD WOODS 1,059 YDS, 11 TD ITABARI MASON 678 YDS, 7 TD PASSING STEPHEN SKRUCK 729 YDS, 2 TD RECEIVING LOGAN CARR

The Greyhounds will have familiar faces at receiver behind junior Carson Day and seniors Ben Doran, Mason Shiflett, and leading receiver Logan Carr, who had 368 yards and two touchdowns in 2012.

On the defensive side, there could be as many as seven players rotating to play four spots on the defensive line, but the secondary is loaded with experience that includes juniors Cole Childers and Logan Cooperman and sophomores Patrick Burke and Hayden Miller.

Pope bounced back from an 0-2 start last season to make the state playoffs. This season may be a similar story.

368 YDS, 2 TD

TACKLES JOEY TABACHINO

78

SACKS SEAN HATCHER

5

INTERCEPTIONS MURPHY DAVIS

3

MARIETTA WHEELER ETOWAH NORTHVIEW CAMBRIDGE OSBORNE SPRAYBERRY RIVERWOOD KELL NORTHVIEW STEPHENSON

7-24 0-33 20-17 45-27 49-7 21-0 14-12 13-10 3-31 31-28 11-31

L L W W W W W W L W L

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KICKOFF 2013

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

Staff / Kelly J. Huff

big ’ol hungry ’hounds

Pope’s offensive linemen eat together nearly every day after summer workouts, and when they get together, the group, from left, Mike Kemper, Max Kemper, Benjamin Cottingham, Quintin Bange, defensive lineman Josaphat Gaubert, Matthew Pittarelli and D'andre McCallum, eats a lot.

Pope’s offensive linemen like to eat — a lot — and in very large quantities

By Adam Carrington acarrington@mdjonline.com

Pope senior offensive lineman Quintin Bange isn’t much of a breakfast eater.

The 6-foot-7, 320-pounder said he settles for just three pancakes and six eggs.

Then, after snacking on trailmix and cashews throughout the day, dinner is what he looks forward to.

LongHorn Steakhouse is one of Bange’s favorite places to graze, and he usually gets

game

a half-pound Steakhouse cheeseburger, a loaded baked potato, a side salad and a basket of onion rings for appetizers. He also loves Taco Mac cheeseburgers and 12-inch Italian subs at Jersey Mike’s.

Bange is the largest of Pope’s offensive front that’s an average height of 6-foot-4 and weighs an average of 265 pounds. Because linemen burn off excessive calories at practice and during their daily visits to the weight room, average offensive linemen may consume greater than 5,000 calories

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daily — more than twice as much as an average sized person — to maintain their size and strength.

Following summer morning workouts, the members of the Greyhounds’ offensive line often bond at Biscuits and More off Johnson’s Ferry Road where they can load up on chicken biscuits, sausage and gravy biscuits, and cheese grits.

“Eating has always been a way of fellowship for thousands of years,” junior offensive lineman Joey Freeman said. “We

can talk about anything while we eat, especially when we’re with people who eat like we do so it wouldn’t feel so weird.”

Two of Pope’s offensive linemen belong to coach Matt Kemper. In order to feed juniors Max and Mike Kemper, the family grocery bill averages $350 a week. And the grocery bill doesn’t include the free half cow that is supplied annually by Matt Kemper’s parents, who reside on a farmhouse in Gallipolis, Ohio.

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2013 cherokee super six KICKOFF 2013

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

The players selected for the Cherokee Super Six are living up to their billing.

From 2010 through 2012, there were 17 different players named to the seasonopening list, as Cherokee product Tunde Ayinla was recognized prior to both his junior and senior seasons. In each of those seasons a player named to the Super Six was honored as the county’s top offensive player and twice the list produced the top defensive player.

The 17 players have earned a total of nine scholarships in football and one in track and field — and that doesn’t include River Ridge’s E.J. Ellis, who made the 2012 squad as a junior.

This year Cherokee’s Spencer Ashley and Michael Bean, Creekview’s Michael Shaw, Etowah’s Ben Rowell, Sequoyah’s Peter Rohan, Woodstock’s Tyler Baggett and Ellis will try to live up to the reputation as one of the Super Six.

— By Emily Horos ehoros@cherokeetribune.com

Staff / Todd Hull

Cherokee County has plenty of football talent heading into the 2013 season. Some of the top players — the Cherokee Super Six — include, from left, Cherokee’s Michael Bean, Sequoyah’s Peter Rohan, River Ridge’s E.J. Ellis, Etowah’s Ben Rowell and Woodstock’s Tyler Baggett. Not pictured are Creekview’s Michael Shaw and Cherokee’s Spencer Ashley.

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2013 cherokee super six

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

E.J. Ellis, River Ridge Position: RB HT: 5-9 WT: 189

After three seasons at River Ridge, the senior is prepared to leave his final mark and hopes to finish the season as the Knights all-time leading scorer. A running back and safety, he says his favorite part of the game is scoring touchdowns.

KICKOFF 2013

PAGE 63

Michael Shaw, Creekview Position: OL/DL HT: 6-2 WT: 230 40: 4.7

As a junior he was a key part of the team’s defense and the lineman should be an even bigger factor this year under first-year coach Terry Crowder. Shaw has already committed to the Air Force Academy.

Tyler Baggett, Woodstock Position: Def. Line HT: 5-11 WT: 270 40: 5.1

Baggett’s strength on the field is his IQ. He prides himself on being one of the smartest players on the field and using that to his advantage whenever he can. Being recruited

by Elon, Kentucky Wesleyan and Rhodes.

Spencer Ashley, Cherokee Position: Quarterback HT: 6-1 WT: 205

Starting at quarterback as a sophomore last year, Ashley learned to lead the Warriors offense. Returning for his second season under center, he is ready to take that offense to the next level.

Peter Rohan, Sequoyah Position: Linebacker HT: 6-1 WT: 197 40: 4.6

Michael Bean, Cherokee Position: LB HT: 6-2 WT: 225 40: 4.7

Bean may just be a junior, but the outside linebacker is already a veteran at his position. Called the team’s best defensive player by coach Josh Shaw, he led the team with 104 total tackles, including 52 solos, during 10 games in 2012.

The outside linebacker recorded 97 tackles during his junior campaign. He says being physical and being a part of a brotherhood are his favorite parts of the game.

Ben Rowell, Etowah Position: DB/WR HT: 5-10 WT: 190 40: 4.5

One of a handful of two-way starters for the Eagles, Rowell is valuable on every down. He had 29 tackles, and one interception last season. Has offers from Harvard and Davidson.

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RIVER RIDGE KNIGHTS

PAGE 64

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

KICKOFF 2013

LOCATION: 400 ARNOLD MILL ROAD, WOODSTOCK. PHONE: 770-591-8450. HOME FIELD: RIVER RIDGE STADIUM. TEAM COLORS: NAVY, GOLD. ONLINE: ETEAMZ.COM/RRHSKNIGHTSFOOTBALL

2012 SCHEDULE TBA

AT SEQUOYAH AUG. 30

VS CREEKVIEW SEPT. 6

VS RIDGELAND SEPT. 13

AT LAFAYETTE SEPT. 20

AT N.W. WHITFIELD SEPT. 27

AT CEDARTOWN OCT. 4

VS CASS OCT. 18

NO. NAME 41 CODY GREGORY 42 JAMES OVERHOLSER 44 JAMES SMITH 45 DALTON RICHARDS 47 TEODOR SIMEONOV 49 ALEX ALFORD 50 JACK NEUBERT 51 ANTHONY TALPAS 53 JAYLIN MCCRAY 55 KYLE HOLLIS 56 DYLAN STEELE 57 BEN MUSIC 58 JUSTIN PORTER 59 BRANDON STEPHENSON 60 WILL GEE 61 UCAL WILLIAMS 62 TYLER GOWAN 63 JAY GILL 68 JACK CORDER 70 JOE MONTELEONE 71 JD SMITH 72 BRANDON DOLLAR 75 JACOB SAMUELS 76 CAMERON JOHNSON 82 MILL ESTEEP 89 JAMES EGAN

VS PICKENS NOV. 1

AT REGION PLAY-IN NOV. 8

2013 SEASON OUTLOOK

2013 ROSTER NO. NAME 2 EJ ELLIS 3 STEVEN SPEARS 4 BROCK HARRIS 5 PARRIS COLLINS 7 COLE KRONAUGE 8 OMARI REEVES-MILLER 9 TANNER HICKS 10 TYLER KEENEY 11 MARCUS SPEARS 12 JAROD FLETCHER 14 WESLEY TERRY 15 SETH NAMA 17 ANDREW FOWLER 18 LENARD JONES 19 PIERCE LIVESAY 20 MICHAEL LEWIS 21 DESHAWN FRANKLIN 22 AUSTIN HOUNSCHELL 23 CHRIS TURNER 24 JAMES WRIGHT 25 DEVANTAE MCINTOSH 27 GABRIEL LOPEZ 28 JACK COLLINS 31 WILLIAM MATELLO 32 LIAM MCGUINNESS 36 TREMAIN CARR 38 JAKE LAFSER

AT GILMER OCT. 25

The Knights are going to look different this season and it’s not because they got new uniforms or coach Robert Braucht installed a new offense.

River Ridge graduated its first class in 2012 — bidding farewell to the first group of players to enter the program and led the Knights to a state playoff berth. However, if fans are concerned about a major talent loss, Braucht says they shouldn’t be. It is the current class of seniors who have the most varsity experience.

In 2009, the first year the school existed, the football team played just five nonvarsity games. It wasn’t until a year later, when the current seniors joined the program, which varsity football truly began.

“They definitely have an upper hand from

COACHING STAFF HEAD COACH ROBERT BRAUCHT YEAR: 5 RECORD: 15-15 CAREER: 57-32 VARSITY COACHING STAFF TYLER WYNN — OFF. COOR. JOEL ROTH — QUARTERBACKS BLAKE DAVIS — RECEIVERS KEITH MANUS — DEF. COOR. GRAG FOWLER — LINEBACKERS BEN FARIST — LINEBACKERS BARRY LAKES — DEF. LINE

that aspect because they are going into their fourth year playing in varsity atmosphere,” Braucht said. “But our competition level has gone up every year and that kind of creates a different flavor than they were faced with last year. So on one hand it is an advantage, but then again it isn’t really.”

That isn’t to make light of the four 2012 Cherokee Tribune All-County Football Team members — Shaun Smith, Austin Bennett, Chris Robinson and Ray Stephenson — who graduated.

“We aren’t just missing all those seniors, who were with us for four years,” Braucht said. “We are missing their parents. We expect that our young kids and the new group of seniors will step up this year and work hard for us.”

2012 LEADERS RUSHING AUSTIN TERRELL E.J. ELLIS

776 YDS., 6 TD 715 YDS., 6 TD

PASSING STEVEN SPEARS

567 YDS, 8 TD

RECEIVING AUSTIN TERRELL

230 YDS, 3 TD

Among the key senior players returning for the Knights are running back E.J. Ellis, quarterback Steven Spears, Seth Nama, James Smith and Omari Reeves-Miller.

“We just hope that we come back and we are bigger, faster, stronger,” Braucht said.

The coach said moving the ball on the ground will continue to be the team’s strength and that might be easier behind a much-improved line, which bulked up in the offseason.

— By Emily Horos ehoros@cherokeetribune.com

5-YEAR RECORD 15-15

2012 RESULTS 5-6 SEQUOYAH CREEKVIEW RIDGELAND LAFAYETTE NW WHITFIELD CEDARTOWN CASS GILMER PICKENS RIDGELAND GRADY

14-41 14-34 8-42 46-14 21-35 35-27 35-14 24-21 28-26 14-48 17-27

L L L W L W W W W L L

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Staff / Todd Hull

bigger, stronger, faster

River Ridge’ s offensive line has grown up and grown stronger together. This year’s line of, from left, Brandon Stephenson, James Egan, Ian Schumacher, J.D. Smith and James Smith is one that E.J. Ellis and the rest of the Knights’ running backs will enjoy running behind.

By Emily Horos ehoros@cherokeetribune.com

Attentive fans may notice the River Ridge football team is bigger this season than it has been in years past.

It’s not that the Knights have more players out for the team. The players who are out for the team — particularly the starting offensive and defensive linemen — are packing more pounds.

Coach Robert Braucht said the change is

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a combination of having players, who were already in the system, growing up and adding muscle through weight training, and adding a transfer student.

“We have added between 50 and 100 pounds to some spots on the line,” Braucht said. “Part of it is we had a young man move in. That was one way we increased right there. The other thing is our kids are just getting older and putting on weight in the weight room and by doing things that we are asking them to do nutritionally.”

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River Ridge’s offensive line has grown into unit running backs love to run behind

Anchoring the line this year are seniors James Smith (6-foot-4, 204 pounds.), Brandon Stephenson (5-9, 260), James Egan (6-1, 260), J.D. Smith (6-2, 300), and junior Ian Schumacher (6-3, 300), who transferred from Henry County.

Weight training has been a focus for the program since Braucht started the program four years ago. At first things were simple — some weights in an empty classroom during the summer — but with each passing year, there have been improvements.

game

“Coming to River Ridge and it being a new school, we didn’t have a weight room,” Braucht said. “We had to beg, borrow and plead to get into a weight room. The county gave us an empty classroom at Mill Creek (Middle School) at first and we did our best to work with that. At that point we were a yearand-a-half behind, but we are finally starting to catch up to where we should have been.”

Most of the linemen are two-way players.

James Smith plays tight end and linebacker.

See Bigger, Page 80

keeping you at the

top of your

Acworth 678.213.5717 Canton 770.345.5717 Austell 770.944.3303 Douglasville 770.949.8558 Brookstone 770.218.8800 East Cobb 770.579.8558

Marietta 770.427.5717 Paulding 770.445.5666 Woodstock 770.926.9112

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SEQUOYAH CHIEFS

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KICKOFF 2013

LOCATION: 4485 HICKORY ROAD, CANTON. PHONE: 770-345-1474. HOME FIELD: SKIP POPE STADIUM. TEAM COLORS: BLACK, GOLF. ONLINE: SEQUOYAHFOOTBALL.COM.

2013 SCHEDULE TBA

VS RIVER RIDGE AUG. 30

VS CHEROKEE SEPT. 6

AT RIVERWOOD SEPT. 20

VS SPRAYBERRY SEPT. 27

VS CREEKVIEW OCT. 4

AT NORTH SPRINGS OCT. 11

AT FORSYTH CEN. OCT. 18

CL. 10 10 12 12 10 11 11 11 10 12 11 12 11 10 12 12 12 12 11 12 11 9 10 10 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 10 11

POS. RB/DB WR/DB WR/DB RB/LB RB/DB RB/DB RB/DB QB/DB QB WR/K RB/DB QB QB/DB RB/DB WR/DB RB/DB RB/DB RB/DL RB/LB TE/LB RB/DB RB/LB RB/LB RB/DB RB/DB RB/DB RB/DB RB/LB RB/LB RB/DB RB/LB TE/LB RB/DB

NO. NAME 48 GILBERTO TERRIENTES 49 NICK DOWNIE 51 A.J. BROWN 52 COREY SOUTHERLAND 53 COLEMAN PECHT 54 C.J. COLLINS 55 NICK CHENEY 57 PAYTON MORGAN 58 NOAH BLACKWELL 62 JORDAN RIDDLE 63 WALKER MCFARLAND 64 CHRIS RIDDLE 66 JOSH HASTY 67 DANIEL MCKUNE 68 BLAKE VINCENT 69 JONATHAN TAMAYO 70 KIRKLAND EDWARDS 71 AUSTIN RICHARDSON 72 NOAH POPE 73 WYATT JACOBS 74 DAVID PIERRE 75 BRANDEN JOHNSON 76 DAKOTA PICKELSIMER 77 JUSTIN BROOKSHIRE 79 ELI WARE 81 WHEELER CROWE 82 MCKENZIE PRESUME 83 MASON TUCKER 84 JAKE THOMASON 86 ASHTON GRIFFITH 87 CHANDLER MORGAN 88 KYLE WISNIEWSKI 89 WOODY PIERRE

AT CAMBRIDGE NOV. 1

AT REGION PLAY-IN NOV. 8

2013 SEASON OUTLOOK

2013 ROSTER NO. NAME 2 EVAN SCHAMBERGER 3 DERRION RAKESTRAW 4 MATT WEIER 5 PETER ROHAN 6 DALE MOSS 8 JAKE JENSEN 9 JAKE KEY 10 BILLY LUMMUS 11 AUSTIN TRACY 12 JAMES HARRIS 13 ADAM PATTERSON 14 LEX LAULETTA 15 AUSTIN WILLIAMS 16 ETHAN BRUCE 17 BRIAN EXLEY 19 SAM ROGERS 20 DJ AUSTIN 21 JAKE GARNER 22 BLAKE MILLER 23 NICK FALCO 24 STEPHEN ANDERSON 25 MAC WELLS 26 VINNIE DODENHOFF 27 GRAYSON VAN DYKE 28 KYLE STANFIELD 29 DERRICK HOUFF 30 PEYTON MITCHELL 32 JACKSON COOK 36 TREY MITCHELL 38 CHANDLER BRAGG 42 VANYA GREEN 44 ETHAN WILEY 47 NATE MCCORMICK

VS NORTHVIEW OCT. 25

CL. 12 11 12 12 10 12 10 10 10 11 12 12 10 12 12 12 10 10 12 12 10 11 12 11 12 11 12 11 10 10 10 12 12

POS. TE/DL TE/LB OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/LB OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/LB OL/LB OL/DL OL/DL RB/K OL/DL OL/LB OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL WR/DB TE/DL TE/LB WR/DB WR/DB TE/LB WR/DL

James Teter admits things are pretty boring for the Sequoyah football team.

The Chiefs aren’t switching to a spread offense, like so many other programs, and Lex Lauletta will be under center for his third and final season.

“Our hope is that we’ve done it for so many years, the players kind of understand it,” Teter said. “It gets put in a little faster because we don’t have to spend as much time teaching it.”

Lauletta won’t be the only one reprising his role. The entire offensive line returns, while eight players return on the defense.

All-Region 7AAAAA players C.J. Collins (offensive line) and Nick Falco (outside linebacker) will return to their positions, while sophomore Derrion Rakestraw is poised for a

COACHING STAFF HEAD COACH JAMES TETER YEAR: 5 RECORD: 21-20 CAREER: 62-53 VARSITY COACHING STAFF LUKE COLEMAN — DEF. COOR. JEFF NELSON — DEF. BACKS TRAVIS SHEFFIELD — DEF. LINE GREG KEY — LINEBACKERS JEREMY LAW — RECEIVERS JEFF BEINKE — OFF. LINE TOM SHEEHAN — RB JAMIE NELSON — QB

breakout year.

That still leaves holes to fill, particularly the ones left by Blake Ingleton, who rushed for 2,193 yards and 32 touchdowns, and Stuart Glassic in the backfield. Senior Jake Garner and junior Blake Miller are competing for the fullback spot, while junior Adam Patterson, senior Peter Rohan, junior Jake Jenson and seniors D.J. Austin and Sam Rogers are competing for the wing back position.

“We are going to have quite a few guys battling for spots,” Teter said. “It will be interesting what happens.”

With the majority of the players lining up on both sides of the ball, Teter expects several players to share the duties.

“We’ll do it by committee,” he said.

“Whatever helps us move the ball. We don’t

have the luxury of having a team that can platoon. All of our kids have to play both ways, so they all have to play some time to keep them fresh.”

In 2012, Teter led the Chiefs to their best finish at 7-3 in his four seasons with the program. The team reached the state playoffs for the first time since 2008 before losing to M.L. King in the first round.

Teter said the loss taught the team a valuable lesson.

“They make them a lot faster in DeKalb County,” he said.

— By Emily Horos ehoros@cherokeetribune.com

5-YEAR RECORD 31-22

2012 RESULTS 7-4

2012 LEADERS RUSHING BLAKE INGLETON STUART GLASSIC

2,139 YDS., 32 TD 912 YDS., 7 TD

PASSING LEX LAULETTA

822 YDS., 7 TD

TACKLES CHRIS RIDDLE PETER ROHAN

113 97

SACKS NICK FALCO

6

INTERCEPTONS D.J. AUSTIN

4

RIVER RIDGE CHEROKEE RIVERWOOD SPRAYBERRY CREEKVIEW NORTH SPRINGS FORSYTH CEN. NORTHVIEW CAMBRIDGE SPRAYBERRY M.L. KING

41-14 28-38 14-20 41-34 6-21 50-8 38-13 58-48 42-0 42-14 14-34

W L L W L W W W W W L

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KICKOFF 2013

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

sequoyah’s net gains Staff / Todd Hull

Sequoyah’s Matt Weier and Austin Brown will line up and play football for the Chiefs this fall, but when spring rolls around they will suit up for the school’s new club lacrosse team. It is something the pair have been looking forward to, as both play for local club lacrosse teams during the offseason.

By Emily Horos ehoros@cherokeetribune.com

When it comes to football, Austin “A.J.” Brown and Matt Weier will do whatever they can to help Sequoyah, however, the two players might contribute even more this spring when they get to suit up for the Chiefs’ lacrosse team for the first time.

Brown and Weier, who are both seniors, will be playing football this fall, but as standout lacrosse players, they are looking forward to finally wearing another Sequoyah jersey.

Weier is a midfielder in lacrosse, and he says that corresponds well with his position

as a wide receiver on the football team.

Both positions require speed, agility and good hand-eye coordination.

“Plus you need a good IQ to remember plays,” Weier said. “You watch film and learn about other players. Being good at football helps with lacrosse mostly due to the strength factor. Being in shape for lacrosse helps a ton. The kids who don’t play in the fall really aren’t in shape.”

For Brown, who took up lacrosse in the sixth grade and football in the third grade, there aren’t as many similarities between his positions.

On the football team he plays center and long snapper. On the lacrosse field he is a

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Seniors Austin Brown and Matt Weier anxious to suit up for Chiefs new lacrosse program in the spring

defender. Still he finds that he benefits from playing the two sports.

“Playing defense in lacrosse helps me with my football,” Brown said. “I can transfer that to the football field with my steps on every play and the agility helps.

On the football field I’m told to go block a person. On the lacrosse field I cover a person the whole game, so that transfers over.”

Weier began playing lacrosse in seventh grade and football a year later. He plays for LB3-South this past spring.

Of the two sports, Weier prefers lacrosse.

“It’s like a combination of a bunch of sports,” he said. “It’s like hockey, football, there is contact.”

Brown, who played for the Cherokee Copperheads, prefers football.

“You get to hit someone on every single play,” he said. “It’s about the contact. I just like it more.”

Weier, who is regarded as one of the top players at his position in the state, was named a Brine All-American and was invited to compete in the Brine National Lacrosse Classic in Maryland in early July.

He is also looking to play college lacrosse.

Currently on his list are Young Harris and Cortland state (N.Y).

Brown is hoping to earn a scholarship as a long snapper. Several schools including Kennesaw State University, the University See Gains, Page 81

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SOUTH COBB EAGLES

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SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

KICKOFF 2013

LOCATION: 1920 CLAY ROAD, AUSTELL. PHONE: 770-819-2611. HOME FIELD: CLAY STADIUM. TEAM COLORS: BLUE, WHITE. ONLINE: LEAGUELINEUP.COM/WELCOME.ASP?URL=SCH

2013 SCHEDULE

AT WESTLAKE AUG. 30

VS DOUGLAS CO. SEPT. 6

VS KENNESAW MTN.

SEPT. 13

AT CAMPBELL SEPT. 20

AT NORTH COBB OCT. 4

AT MCEACHERN OCT. 11

VS HARRISON OCT. 18

CL. 10 10 10 9 10 12 11 12 11 11 11 12 12 11 10 9 12 10 11 11 10 12 12 11 10 9 9 9 9 10 11 9 9

POS. DB/RB RB DB/WR QB DB/WR DB/RB DB DB WR QB DB/WR WR WR DB/RB DB/QB DB/WR WR DB/QB WR DB LB/RB WR DB/WR LB/RB DB/WR DB/WR DB/WR DB/RB DB/WR DB DB RB/DB DB/RB

36 DONTRA HALL 40 NATE JONES 41 RHOSHII CHAMBERS 43 JASON EMENALO 44 ALLEN HAWTHORNE NO. NAME 47 MONQUIZE WALKER 48 DARRIUS MCCAULEY 50 CEAVEON TRAYLOR 51 CHARLES MARSHALL 53 AMHAD JOHNSON 54 GERRICK DELAY 55 JAY JOHNSON 56 NNACHETA NNYAGU 57 SHELBY RORIE 58 JUSTIN EMEAFOR 59 AMIR EDWARDS 60 WARRICK ROCHEL 61 CHRIS HALL 62 MICHAEL EJIKE 64 COREY WILLAMS 65 JORDAN ROBINSON 68 JUAN BARRAGAN 70 ZAVIAN MCDANIEL 72 HENRY WHITE 73 TYLER KENDALL 77 CHEVIN KENNEDY 78 JALEN HENRY 80 TEVIN TICHENOR 81 TARIS FELO 88 JUSTIN JONES 90 OLADELE OSISAMI 91 CARLOS SALDONA

VS HILLGROVE NOV. 1

VS PEBBLEBROOK NOV. 8

2013 SEASON OUTLOOK

2013 ROSTER NO. NAME 1 SAM JACKSON 2 TYREIK FITZPATRICK 3 DORQUINCY JORDAN 4 TROY HILL 5 JERRY JACOBS 6 JOHN BROWN 7 TREVION ANDERSON 8 KYNNETH BAKER 9 EMMANUEL DENNIS 10 KYLIL CARTER 11 KHALEEL SHAW 12 TREVION HUGGINS 13 MICHAEL BOWDEN 14 JONATHAN PRATHER 15 JAVARIS HARRELL 16 JOSHUA DEGOURNEY 17 JOHNNY RICHARD 18 MICHAEL LAPEYROLERIE 19 JOSEPH LAW 20 CHRIS STEWART 21 WILLIE PLEASANT 22 LEVI TURNER 23 JARRELL PINKNEY 24 SAMUEL LINDSAY 25 REON PERSAUD 26 RENO HARRIS 27 SIDNEY ARD 28 CINCERE MASON 29 JOHN HAYES 30 AARON LEWIS 32 ANTONIO DAVIS 33 EDDIE JONES 34 JEVON ROBINSON

AT MARIETTA OCT. 25

12 9 9 11 12 CL. 12 12 10 11 10 11 11 12 12 12 10 9 11 12 12 9 10 11 11 11 9 9 12 11 12 12 11

LB/RB LB/TE LB/TE LB/RB LB/RB POS. LB/OL LB/TE LB/OL OL LB/OL LB/OL LB/OL OL DL/OL DL/OL LB/OL LB/OL DL/OL OL DL/OL DL/OL OL OL DL/OL OL DL/OL OL DL/TE DB DL/TE LB/TE K

New South Cobb football coach Michael Youngblood takes over an Eagles program which he believes “has always been at the door. It just hasn’t been able to step in.”

So, that’s what he’s come to do.

Youngblood won two national championships as a player at Georgia Southern and had previous success as an assistant coach at Tucker and Burke County high schools, winning state titles with those programs in 2008 and 2011, respectively.

Youngblood hopes that those kinds of accomplishments can translate to the South Cobb program.

“We’re heading in the right direction,” he said. “We just need to be more mentally tough. I want the kids to play faster in the spread offense and be more physical on defense.

COACHING STAFF HEAD COACH MICHAELYOUNGBLOOD

YEAR: 1 RECORD: 0-0 CAREER : 7-5 VARSITY COACHING STAFF TERRY JONES, JR. — OC SHERROD RAINGE — OFF. LINE MICHAEL JOHNSTON — DEF. LINE CHRIS VAN METER — QB CHRIS BRIGHT — RB COREY ROBINSON — DC JOHN MURCHIE — LB

“The offense is ahead of schedule, but the defense has some catching up to do. It’s my belief you have to play great defense to be successful.”

According to Youngblood, South Cobb will utilize a 3-3-5 defense and bring pressure from all over the field. The Eagles are expected to play fast and physical, cause havoc, and keep teams guessing where they’re coming from.

The offense is expected to have more balance out of the spread.

“I want our team to have the ability to run the ball better,” Youngblood said. “We have to get to that point to make our attacking spread more effective.”

Kylil Carter takes over for Stephon Masha at quarterback, while Tyreik Fitzpatrick, John Brown and Dontra Hall will

— By Carlton D. White cwhite@mdjonline.com

5-YEAR RECORD 26-27

2012 RESULTS 7-3

2012 LEADERS RUSHING CHAUNCEY INGRAM 1,022 YDS, 13 TD PASSING STEPHON MASHA 1,906 YDS, 8 TD RECEIVING J.T. ALPHABET

handle the rushing duties left by Chauncey Ingram.

Graduation decimated the receiving corps and South Cobb’s offensive line is also still a work in progress.

“We need to get the offensive line to jell for us to be successful,” Youngblood added.

Defensively, Justin Jones, the 6-foot-2, 260 pound North Carolina State commitment will anchor the defensive line, while Darrius McCauley, Allen Hawthorne and Oladele Osisami solidify the linebacking corps.

Kynneth Baker, Chris Stewart and Jarrell Pinkney will shore up the staff in the secondary.

497 YDS, 3 TD

TACKLES GRABEN HIGGINS

73

SACKS BRICE CONNER

4

INTERCEPTIONS JORDAN HARTON CHRIS SIMON

3 3

WESTLAKE DOUGLAS CO. KMHS CAMPBELL NORTH COBB MCEACHERN HARRISON MARIETTA HILLGROVE PEBBLEBROOK

29-22 35-19 28-26 42-39 27-26 28-42 26-21 13-43 14-37 42-14

W W W W W L W L L W

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calling doctor osisami

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

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KICKOFF 2013

Staff / Kelly J. Huff

South Cobb’s Oladele Osisami will monitor the edges this season as an outside linebacker for the Eagles. But when he’s not on the field, Osisami is dedicated to his school work and has plans to become a doctor.

South Cobb linebacker has one eye on field, and one on med school

By Carlton D. White cwhite@mdjonline.com

When Oladele Osisami tried out for the South Cobb football team, the Eagles coaching staff knew immediately what he could and couldn’t do well.

“We started him out at wide receiver and found out really quickly that he can’t catch,” South Cobb offensive line coach Sherrod Rainge said. “He’s been more of a soccer player his whole life, so he wasn’t use to using his hands that way.”

game

Osisami quickly caught on in other ways. He played football for the first time as a sophomore on the junior varsity team before making varsity as a junior where he was used on occasion.

Entering his final season with the program, the 6-foot-2, 210-pound senior is firmly entrenched as one of the Eagles starting outside linebackers.

“We used him at offensive tackle when he was on J.V.,” Rainge said. “He was undersized, raw, but coachable. He was a reliable player and as a coach you knew

keeping you at the

top of your

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he would give everything he had.”

The coaching staff moved Osisami to defensive end during his junior season.

He was serviceable in the role and made some plays, but was still a little undersized for the position. He’s developed into more of a physical presence this season, and the coaches elected to “stand him up, so he can run into people.”

Although football was foreign to Osisami in the beginning, he applied the same resolve he has in his academic See Doctor, Page 81

THE OSISAMI FILE

cLASS: senior pOSITION: linebacker hEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6-FOOT-2, 210 lbS 4.417 Grade point average Born in england

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SPRAYBERRY YELLOW JACKETS

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SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

KICKOFF 2013

LOCATION: 2525 SANDY PLAINS ROAD, MARIETTA. PHONE: 770-578-3200. HOME FIELD: JIM FRAZIER STADIUM. TEAM COLORS: BLACK, GOLD. ONLINE: SPRAYBERRYFOOTBALL.COM

2013 SCHEDULE TBA VS WHEELER AUG. 23

VS KENNESAW MTN.

AUG. 30

AT LASSITER SEPT. 6

VS FORSYTH CEN. SEPT. 20

AT SEQUOYAH SEPT. 27

AT RIVERWOOD OCT. 11

VS POPE OCT. 17

NAME JONATHAN PALMER KADEEM BRATHWAITE JONTAE WILLIAMS JOHNSON JR. DERRICK SHANE KING SIDNEY LINDLEY JORDAN EARLY SHANE YOUNG ANDERW PIERRA RAKEEM MYRICKS JABARI ZUNIGA J'SON WESTBY-BROWN JALYN JENKINS CHRIS USERY TY'KHEEM RICHARDSON ZANE QUILLEN ERIC WELLS ERIC TEMPLE MAYNARD KRAKUE DECEDRE WARD GEORGE SABOURA COREY ATKINS LEE ALLEN SHAWN KEMP NYJEL GREEN RICKY DOVER DRE TRAYLOR RODRIGO BLANKENSHIP DARIUS GREEN GRIFFIN DOMINO AKIN DONALDSON KAI WEAVER ZAIRE WOLFREY JOSH BAILEY BRYAN WILLIAMS KELSEY DOVER

CL. 11 11 11 12 12 12 12 11 11 11 11 11 10 11 11 10 12 12 12 11 12 10 12 11 10 12 10 11 10 12 12 11 10 10 10 10

POS. WR/DB LB/DB WR/QB LB LB/RB DB/WR DB QB QB/DB RB DL RB RB WR WR WR DB LB/DB LB DB DB DB WR WR RB DB DB K DB DL LB LB WR LB DB LB

NO. 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 50 51 52 54 55 56 58 61 65 66 67 68 70 71 72 77 78 79 80 81 83 85 88

NAME CHARLES COOK TREY SERMON JARIUS JACKSON MADDIE MCGHEE DJ SOLIDAY LONDON ROBERSON JACE DOVER JASON SIMMONS BRANDON FELIX ROBERT CLARKE JACOB BURGESS TAMERON KING KEVIN RICHARDSON BRANDON WOOD PEREZ SCOTT DARIUS BURTON JOSE BARRERA TAHJ HILL COLIN RAMEY ZAYNE CHEEMA DALTON KESLER TROY HATCH BAILEY SHARP HERVIS GONZALEZ, KHALIB WILLIAMS BRAILON WOODS JUSTIN HOGAN HAYDEN LANGSTON CHASE POPHAM DANNY RIERA MALIK BLACKMAN BRYCE PERRYMAN DRE MILLER TERRELL RICHARDSON-BATTLE TYSON ROUTLIFFE

VS OSBORNE NOV. 1

AT REGION PLAY-IN NOV. 8

2013 SEASON OUTLOOK

2013 ROSTER NO. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36

AT KELL OCT. 25

CL. POS. 12 WR/LB 9 RB 9 9 10 DB 9 QB 9 11 DL/LB 9 LB 9 9 9 LB 9 OL 11 LB 12 DL 12 OL 12 OL 9 12 DL 12 DL 12 OL 11 OL 11 OL 11 OL 11 OL 9 OL 10 DL 11 DL 11 OL 12 OL 9 WR 11 WR 10 WR 12 WR 11 DL

Sprayberry has enough talent at its skill positions to engineer a turnaround from a disappointing 3-7 campaign in 2012, but lingering questions about the Yellow Jackets’ depth will come to the forefront the first time they are in the final minutes of a close game this season.

Seven of Sprayberry’s games last fall were decided by one possession, but the 2012 team ended up on the wrong side of those late-game dramatics more often than not.

In his second year under center, junior Shane Young will look to build on his 1,000yard efforts on the ground and through the air. Young will be pushed by Andrew Pierra, an advanced sophomore who gives the Yellow Jackets a second dual-threat quarterback capable of directing the offense.

Coach Billy Shackelford will expect production out of a crop of wide receivers he be-

COACHING STAFF HEAD COACH BILLY SHACKELFORD

YEAR: 7 RECORD: 34-31 CAREER: 34-31 VARSITY COACHING STAFF BILLY BLIZZARD — DEF. COOR. EMERY WILLIAMS — LB HAL GRESHAM — DEF. LINE JULIAN HICKS — LINEBACKERS ANTWAN TOOMER — REC. CHRIS DAVIS — OFF. LINE BRENT FULLWOOD — RB JOSH FOSTER — KICKERS CHESTER RANSOM — REC.

lieves to be the best he has ever had — juniors Jonathan Palmer, Jontae Williams and sophomore Dre Miller.

Senior Charles Cook can line up at wideout or tight end and create mismatches for opposing defenses.

Sprayberry’s offensive line will dictate how much time Young will have to get the ball to the team’s other playmakers. Darius Burton returns at center, and the team has high hopes that 6-foot-5, 285-pound Bailey Sharp can blossom into an excellent left tackle, but there was little depth entering camp. Shackelford’s challenge will be getting his line ready for the first Friday, or else running backs Shane King and Rakeem Myricks won’t have many holes to run through.

“Where I have to make smart, calculated gambles is there’s a fine line between grinding them and being too soft,” Shackleford said. “If you’re too soft on them, then they’re

not going to be ready for the games, but if you’re too tough, you ultimately run them through the opportunity of being beat up and injured.”

The Yellow Jackets face similar depth issues on the defensive line — juniors Jabari Zuniga, Nick Bickford, Hayden Langston and Tyson Routliffe have all shown promise but will have little room for error. Colin Ramey is a physical, versatile senior that will split time at defensive end and linebacker, where the Yellow Jackets also return Derrick Johnson and King.

Hybrid defensive backs Ricky Dover and Patrick Kenney could rack up the tackles as part of a secondary filled with seniors stepping into greater responsibility for a defense looking to slow down the rest of Region 7AAAAA. — By Eric Single MDJ Sports Correspondent

5-YEAR RECORD 26-27

2012 RESULTS 3-7

2012 LEADERS RUSHING T. RICHARDSON COREY COOPER

405 YDS, 7 TD 285 YDS, TD

PASSING SHANE YOUNG

830 YDS, 7 TD

RECEIVING MILES WALLACE

504 YDS, 4 TD

TACKLES DERRICK JOHNSON

100

SACKS DERRICK JOHNSON

4

INTERCEPTIONS TORREY RICHARDSON

2

WHEELER KMHS LASSITER FORSYTH CEN. SEQUOYAH RIVERWOOD POPE KELL OSBORNE SEQUOYAH

7-10 24-28 10-49 31-28 34-41 24-21 12-14 21-33 23-17 14-42

L L L W L W L L W L

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up and good Staff / Kelly J. Huff

Sprayberry’s Rodrigo Blankenship is the No. 5 ranked high school kicker in the country, and No 2 in the Class of 2015. His ability to kick from long distance — greater than 60 yards — can give the Yellow Jackets a big advantage.

THE BLANKENSHIP FILE

cLASS: junior pOSITION: kicker hEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6-FOOT, 175 lbS fifth ranked high school kicker in the country by prokicker.com career long 51-yard field goal made 68-yard field goal in practice

Rodrigo Blankenship gives Sprayberry a long-range weapon

By Eric Single MDJ Sports Correspondent

Rodrigo Blankenship was drawn to kicking almost by accident. Blankenship had grown up around soccer, but one day toward the end of fourth grade, he and his father Ken came across a kicking tee left behind on Walton’s football field and hatched an idea.

“We had an old plastic or rubber football, and we said, ‘Why don’t you try to kick a football?’” said Ken Blankenship, formerly a long-time teacher and assistant soccer coach at Walton. “And the very first time he tried to kick a football, it went over the crossbar, and it just went

from there.”

Rodrigo’s kicks splitting the uprights would soon become a common sight. Entering his junior year, Blankenship is now the Yellow Jackets’ kicker, punter and kick-off specialist, with two more seasons left to improve on his already impressive personal bests. His longest field goal made in a game is 51 yards (a mark he set as a ninth-grader), and this summer, he made a 68-yarder in practice, 5 yards clear of the National Football League record.

After that first successful kick, Blankenship and his father put in countless practice sessions together and made weekend trips to kicking camps to de-

velop the consistency and range that have outpaced the competition at every level.

He has spent the first half of 2013 racking up the recognition as one of the top all-around specialists in the state and one of the best kickers in the country. He strengthened those claims with a summer schedule filled with trips to camps at South Carolina, LSU, Florida, Ohio State and Georgia, among others.

In Athens, Rodrigo won the camp’s field goal competition and caught the attention of Georgia head coach Mark Richt by hitting 10 consecutive kicks, capped by a 60-yarder against the wind with Richt looking on from the See Good, Page 90

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WALKER WOLVERINES

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SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

KICKOFF 2013

LOCATION: 700 COBB PARKWAY N, MARIETTA. PHONE: 770-427-2689. HOME FIELD: ROBERTSON FIELD. TEAM COLORS: MAROON, GOLD. ONLINE: THEWALKERSCHOOL.ORG/ATHLETICS

2013 SCHEDULE TBA

AT TEMPLE AUG. 23

AT NORTH COBB CHR.

SEPT. 6

VS TRION SEPT. 13

AT MT. ZION-CARROLL

SEPT. 20

AT MOUNT PISGAH OCT. 4

VS FELLOWSHIP OCT. 11

VS KINGS RIDGE OCT. 18

CL. 11 10 11 12 12 11 11 10 9 9 10 12 11 9 12 11 11 11 9 9 12 9 12

POS. WR/DB WR/DB WR/DB QB/DB WR/DB RB/LB WR/DB QB/DB WR/DB WR/DB WR/LB WR/LB QB/LB WR/DB RB/DL RB/LB WR/DB WR/DB RB/LB WR/DB TE/LB WR/DB K/P

NO. NAME 31 JACK KEAPPLER 32 BRADLEY MOORE 33 BEN SNAVELY 34 CHARLIE MAXWELL 35 LAWSON ASHBY 40 GAINES LAHUE 44 MICHAEL KNAUTZ 50 JAMES GRINDSTAFF 51 SAMMY SMITH 53 BEN KRAIESKI 55 KESON PAUL 61 CLARK MILLER 62 CHANDLER CANNON 66 MICHAEL BERK 67 KEL TIMBROOK 71 LORENZO HERNANDEZ 75 JOSH REINI 77 AVERY EIKOST 79 NICK WRIGHT 80 JT REICHENBACH 81 RYAN LOUIS 84 JACOB HATHAWAY 88 ALEC BAKER

VS MOUNT PARAN CHR.

OCT. 25

NOV. 1

AT REGION PLAY-IN NOV. 8

2013 SEASON OUTLOOK

2013 ROSTER NO. NAME 1 CONNOR SUDDERTH 2 GRAHM KNOX 3 GLENN STROTHER 5 CAMERON BLOEBAUM 6 YANIK DESAI 7 J T WOOD 8 JOE REICH 9 DAVID BABB 10 MATT RIDGEWAY 11 XANDER MELNICK 12 MITCHELL CARMACK 14 KEVIN BRAY 16 JAMES PITTINGER 18 BRIGHAM STROTHER 20 PATICK LEAVELL 21 JAKE REINI 22 MATT WHEELER 23 ALEX REICHENBACH 24 MATT JOHNSON 25 COLE POULSEN 26 JUSTIN DELBROOK 28 CONNER COOLBROTH 30 JACK JOHNSON

AT WHITEFIELD ACAD.

CL. 10 12 10 10 9 12 11 10 11 10 9 10 9 12 10 9 12 10 11 9 9 12 9

POS. RB/LB RB/LB TE/DL WR/LB RB/LB RB/LB RB/LB OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL WR/DB WR/DB WR/DB WR/DB

yards and 27 touchdowns.

The Wolverines have a selection of running backs coming up from the JV team who may earn the starting nod, and many are expected to contribute at linebacker as well.

Bradley Moore, who played fullback last year, is penciled in as the primary running back going into the regular season with Gaines Lehue, Justin Delbrook and J.T. Wood.

For Walker to match last season’s expectations, it will need productive leadership from returning quarterback Cameron Bloebaum.

The Wolverines were primarily a running team with Kasian in the backfield, but now that Kasian’s gone, Bloebaum, who threw for 506 yards and five touchdowns last season, is expected to have an expanded role at quarterback.

The bad news for Walker is that it graduated 19 seniors from last year’s 11-1 season.

The good news for the Wolverines is that they are returning 10 seniors who have experience starting in games during their first undefeated regular season in school history.

“We’re getting close to the 50 mark which is good, and that gives us a lot of depth.” Walker coach John East said. “We do have a lot of returning players who are a year older. My goal is always the same thing — win the next game. Everyone wants to win a state championship but our goal is to win the next game.”

Walker will have to make due without arguably the best football player, and best athlete, that ever attended the school.

Evan Kasian graduated last May after leading Cobb County in rushing with 2,080

COACHING STAFF HEAD COACH: JOHN EAST YEAR: 2 RECORD: 11-1 CAREER: 56-46 VARSITY COACHING STAFF PAT HALL — DEF. COOR. JOHN CALKINS — REC./DB JIM JANCIK — REC./DB RIHEEN JOHNSON — RB

— By Adam Carrington acarrington@mdjonline.com

5-YEAR RECORD 22-30

2012 RESULTS 11-1

2012 LEADERS RUSHING EVAN KASIAN

East said one of Walker’s goals this season is to be quicker in the box and tweak its multiple offense to get the passing game more involved behind Bloebaum.

It also helps that Bloebaum has many returning receivers that include juniors Matt Wheeler, Glenn Strother and seniors Yanik Desai and leading receiver Kevin Bray, who caught 22 passes for 265 yards and two touchdowns.

Senior center Michael Burke (6-0, 325) has progressed from last season and is getting college interest and fellow senior Josh Rainey returns at tackle. Both are expected to play on both sides of the line.

2,080 YDS, 27 TD

PASSING CAM. BLOEBAUM

502 YDS, 5 TD

RECEIVING KEVIN BRAY

265 YDS, 2 TD

TACKLES MITCHELL BOYLAN

83

SACKS COLIN MITCHELL

7.5

INTERCEPTIONS AUSTIN WALKER CHRIS COLEMAN

5 4

TEMPLE N. COBB CHR. SACA MOUNT ZION MOUNT PISGAH FELLOWSHIP KINGS RIDGE WHITEFIELD ACAD. MOUNT PARAN GORDON LEE ATHENS CHR.

30-14 54-14 56-6 21-14 35-6 54-7 24-6 21-14 20-3 21-0 28-7 GEO. WALTON ACAD. 37-7

W W W W W W W W W W W L

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armed and ready to throw

Staff / Kelly J. Huff

Walker’s Cameron Bloebaum spent Friday night’s last season turning around and handing the ball off to 2,000-yard rusher Evan Kasian. In 2013, Bloebaum will be expected to throw the ball more as the Wolverines open up the offense.

THE BLOEBAUM FILE

cLASS: senior pOSITION: Quarterback hEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6-FOOT-1, 180 lbS 2012: 506 yds., 5 td, 6 int.

Pitcher and outfielder for the Wolverines baseball team

Cameron Bloebaum takes reins of Walker’s open, expanded offensive attack

By Adam Carrington acarrington@mdjonline.com

Cameron Bloebaum is expected to have more responsibility this season, and he’s ready for it.

It’s not that he wasn’t asked to make plays as Walker’s first-year starting quarterback in 2012. The Wolverines just happened to have one of Class A’s best running backs ready to take a handoff in Evan Kasian, who finished with a Cobb County best 2,090 yards on 252 carries and 27 touchdowns.

Once Kasian was done running there

wasn’t much for a quarterback to do.

That may explain why Bloebaum had just 506 yards passing and five touchdowns.

Kasian’s performance played a major role in Walker having a perfect regular season record and winning its first Class A state playoff game. Now, Bloebaum will have to run the Wolverines offense without him.

Now that second year coach John East installed the entire package of his spread offense this season after inserting about 80 percent of it last year, Bloebaum will be throwing a lot more in the pocket.

Walker has plenty of experienced players coming back on offense who have already logged varsity minutes.

While the 6-foot-1, 165 pound Bloebaum is comfortable with his teammates, he will have to be a little more creative in his playcalling.

“It’s nothing to fret about,” Bloebaum said. “Even though we are returning a lot of starters, we have a lot of kids who have had reps and it will help us this season. Our offensive game plan this year is to sort of spread it out and play backyard football. I’ll just go out and see whose See Throw, Page 86

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Will 2013 be a Walker River Ridge out to build repeat in Region 6A? on first playoff season

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By Carlton D. White

cwhite@mdjonline.com

Is there another surprise team lurking in Region 6A? Walker’s football history included only two winning seasons in 11 years and one playoff appearance in 2005. The Wolverines had never won more than six games in a season and the team was coming off three-straight three-win campaigns.

Yet, Walker made history in 2012 under firstyear coach John East.

The Wolverines (11-1) went undefeated in the John East regular season, surpassed 10 wins, and reached the second round of the state playoffs for the first time in program history.

With several players returning, including quarterback Cameron Bloebaum, and others who are a year older Jimmy Fields with more experience, Walker is expected to once again challenge for the Region 6A title.

“Our goal is to win the next game,” Walker coach John East said. “I learned to take that approach 26 years ago and that’s what I focus on.”

East’s next game focus is a wise and prudent move on his part as each region game is expected to be tough.

“I think we’ll have a stronger region this year with a lot of teams having a lot of good returning players,” East said. “It should be highly competitive.”

Whitefield Academy should be one of those competitive teams. The Wolfpack (6-4) went 4-1 in subregion 6A (B), but missed out on the playoffs by a few points in the GHSA power ratings. Hopes remain high for Whitefield to return to the postseason for the first time since 2009, but in order to do that, the Wolfpack will have to get solid production out of returning quarterback Everett Pollard.

“We have six seniors this year that we’re counting on to lead us,” Whitefield coach Jimmy Fields said. “They have the ability to do a tremendous job for us on the field and in the locker room.

“One of the big keys to our success this year will be for us to stay healthy. We

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

KICKOFF 2013

REGION 6A BREAKDOWN

Best player: Dillon Dixon, Mount Pisgah Chr. Ol/dl, 5-foot-11, 215 pounds best Team: Walker predictions: Subregion A 1. Trion 2. Gordon Lee 3. Darlington 4. Mount Zion-Carrol 5. Christian Heritage Subregion B 1. Walker 2. King’s Ridge 3. Whitefield Academy 4. Mount Pisgah christian 5. Mount Paran Christian 6. Fellowship Christian

have number of guys who can play well, but staying healthy will give us a chance to improve when we get on the field.”

Mount Paran Christian took a surprise turn last season. After going 7-4 in 2011 and making the state playoffs for the second year in a row, the Eagles faltered to a 3-7 record and saw the offense score fewer than 10 points six times, but also roll up 25 or more points four times. Quarterback Jake Allen and wide receiver Taylor Trammell will anchor the offense.

North Cobb Christian continues to focus on rebuilding after going 3-7 last season.

The Eagles’ three wins are the most for the team in school history, giving new head coach Scott Ryle a good springboard heading into this season. North Cobb Christian, which won’t play a full region schedule, returns running back John Towne.

North Fulton teams King’s Ridge Christian, Mount Pisgah Christian and Fellowship Christian are expected to battle for state playoffs spots in subregion B along with the Cobb County teams. The Tigers and the Patriots are expected to challenge for the region crown. St. Francis will also play a non-region schedule.

By Emily Horos ehoros@cherokeetribune.com

Playing in Region 7AAAA is a challenge for River Ridge — and not just in the usual ways.

Sure, the region features the Class AAAA state runner up, Ridgeland, but what provides the most challenge is the unfamiliarity that comes with distance.

The region stretches approximately 90 miles, with River Ridge sitting at the southern edge.

“Really it creates a different type of challenge for us,” Knight’s coach Robert Braucht said. “Kids around here know each other. They brag, talk and you get to know what everybody in the county is doing, for example, we knew Woodstock was going to the spread. But for us, all of our (region) opponents are so far away that unless it’s at a sporting event during the school year, we don’t see those kids.”

Braucht knows there have been a few coaching changes within the region and probably teams that will be trying out a new offense or defense.

“Of course teams graduated kids and those schools know what they have coming up, but we never see their JV teams,” Braucht said.

“Those are just some of the challenges with the Staff / Samantha M. Shal distance.”

River Ridge running back E.J. Ellis and the rest Region 7AAAA features subregions with of the Knights will try to earn a second straight River Ridge playing in Subregion A, along trip to the Class AAAA playoffs in 2013. with Cedartown, Gilmer, Cass and Pickens.

However, the Knight’s region schedule isn’t EGION BREAKDOWN limited to those teams. They will also face Class AAAA runner-up Ridgeland, Lafayette and Northwest Whitfield.

Best player: After playing non-region games with SeNick Chubb, Cedartown quoyah and Creekview to open the season, River rb, 5-foot-11, 216 pounds Ridge will be tested by Ridgeland in Week 3.

“With the way things have unfolded this last best Team: ridgeland year, I think Ridgeland has to be the team to predictions: beat,” Braucht said. “Any team that goes as far as them, all the way to the state championship, Subregion A you have to give them credit where credit is due 1. River Ridge and say they are definitely the top team.”

2. Cedartown Cedartown will be another solid opponent as it returns a 2,700-yard rusher in senior Nick Chubb.

3. gilmer The Georgia commit recently was awarded 4. pickens his fifth star from the recruiting services, but the Knights found a way to bottle him up last 5. cass season, holding him to 254 yards — 20 yards Subregion B under his season average — in River Ridge’s 1. ridgeland 35-27 victory.

“Our half of the sub-region was the weak 2. dalton link last year,” Braucht said. “But this year 3. northwest Whitfield could be completely different. We fall into one 4. laFayette of the question marks. We lost a lot of kids and we have some good ones coming on. We’ll just 5. southeast whitfield have to wait and see.”

R

7AAAA

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Bucs have work to do Region 7AAAAA is still to win Region 5AAAAA about kell and Creekview

PAGE 76

By John Bednarowski sportseditor@mdjonline.com

What was expected to be a two-team race last season in Region 5AAAAA, ended up being a five-way shootout for the four playoff spots between East Paulding, Allatoona, North Paulding, Rome and South Paulding.

Fans of that region can expect that to happen again in 2013. Add to that Villa Rica, a potential rebound from Hiram, and a quickly improving New Manchester, the final region playoff berths will likely not be decided until the final week of the season.

Gary Varner That kind of scenario is exactly what Buccaneers coach Gary Varner expects.

“What North Paulding did last year was the talk of the region,” he said about the late season surge by the Wolfpack that included a Ed Koester 63-43 win over Flowery Branch in the opening round of the playoffs. “North, East, South Paulding, they are all going to be improved.

Varner also said that the region championship game may come in Week 1 when North Paulding, who returns senior quarterback Chase Noonan along with wide receiver Kayden Bishop and running back Cornelius Collins, plays at East Paulding, with quarterback Mitchell Webb and running back Malik Bruce.

New South Paulding coach Ed Koester said Varner is forgetting one of the key players in the group.

“Allatoona’s always going to be ‘Steady Eddie,’ Koester said. “They are always going to be there in the end.”

While that may be true in the end, at the beginning there are going to have to be a lot of pieces that fall into place. The Buccaneers only returning starter on defense is Class AAAAA all-state first-team linebacker Justin Wade, and the only two back on offense are receiver D.J. Ezell and 1,000-yard running back Josh Bettistea, who ran for a county-high 344 yards against North Paulding last year.

However, Koester may have the team

KICKOFF 2013

REGION 5AAAAA BREAKDOWN

Best player: khalia hackett, South Paulding lb, 6-foot-3, 205 pounds best Team: east paulding predictions: 1. east paulding 2. north paulding 3. allatoona 4. south paulding 5. rome 6. hiram 7. Villa Rica 8. new manchester 9. woodland-bartow 10. paulding county 11. lithia springs

this season that everyone in the region should keep their eye on.

South Paulding has a number of players returning including University of Arkansas commit Khalia Hackett at linebacker, running back Jae Bowen and quarterback Chandler Burks, who was the first commitment to Kennesaw State’s new football program.

Varner said with a little luck, South Paulding would have won the region a year ago as it pushed East Paulding, Allatoona and North Paulding to the limit.

“They were in every game in the fourth quarter,” said Varner about the Spartans 14-point loss to the Buccaneers, four-point defeat to the Raiders and their one-point overtime setback to the Wolfpack.

Rome returns quarterback Bo Tucker and is senior heavy following last year’s 8-3 season. If there is one team that can grab control of the region early it might be the Wolves who get North, East and South Paulding all at home.

After falling to a 5-5 record a year ago, former Hiram coach Andy Dorsey stepped down to become the full-time athletic director. Chris Brown will take over as the new coach, and he has plenty of upperclassmen leadership to work with including quarterback Jacob Lester, running backs Jamal Hinds, Otis Askew and Chris Miller and wide receiver Eli Saucier.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

By Adam Carrington acarrington@mdjonline.com

The Kell football team has established itself as the team to beat in Region 7AAAAA. The Longhorns like to be physical. They enjoy hitting people, and their primary strength is running and stopping the run while producing one of the best secondaries in the state year-after-year.

Until a team stops the Longhorns, there isn’t much they need to do to change things up.

Everyone knows it, which is the reason coaches in the region have penciled them as the superior team.

“Kell is always Kell,” Sequoyah coach James Teter said.

The Longhorns have won region championships two of the three years since leaving the state’s highest classification. They return quarterback Matt McGuigan, who threw for 1,820 yards last season and 20 touchdowns, but coach Derek Cook said he still has to earn the position a second straight year.

McGuigan would be playing behind one of the biggest offensive lines in Cook’s 6-year tenure led by center Nathan Waller. The Longhorns will also have a strong defensive backfield behind Taylor Henkle, the first Cobb County player to commit to Kennesaw State’s new football program, along with Jay Moxey and Julian Burris.

“I think we put ourselves in a position to be in a position to compete for it,” Cook said. “There are so many factors that can get in the way of that and you never know what can happen.”

Creekview is expected to be the frontrunner in the other subregion after winning it last year.

First-year coach Terry Crowder, who led Chattahoochee to a state title in 2010, is installing a spread offense behind sophomore quarterback Kyle Wilkie and a 3-3-5 defense that will be headed by cornerback Connor Dulmage and linebacker Logan Ridings.

Sequoyah’s entire offensive line will return, but will have to find a replacement for running back Blake Ingleton, who rushed for 2,193 yards, and will have to replace most of its secondary.

Kell will have to contend with an all-Cobb County subregion with the exception of Riverwood. That all-Cobb subregion includes east Cobb rivals Pope and Sprayberry.

Pope was a playoff team a year ago, despite being young, but is having to make due with its starting quarterback, both running backs and its top linebacker not returning to the team this season. With a stout offensive line, the Greyhounds are still in the mix.

Sprayberry finished 3-7 last season but was a

Staff / File

Creekview and Kell played a 33-29 classic to determine the eventual Region 7AAAAA champion last year. Their matchup on Sept. 20 may again decide who wins the title in 2013.

REGION 7AAAAA BREAKDOWN Best player: TAYLOR HENKLE, KELL Db, 5-foot-11, 185 pounds best Team: KELL predictions: Subregion A 1. CREEKVIEW 2. NORTHVIEW 3. SEQUOYAH 4. FORSYTH CENTRAL 5. CAMBRIDGE 6. NORTH SPRINGS Subregion B 1. KELL 2. POPE 3. SPRAYBERRY 4. RIVERWOOD 5. OSBORNE

few plays away from being 7-3, with four of its losses decided by eight points or less. And the Yellow Jackets are returning many of their skilled players on offense who helped turn some of last year’s close losses into wins.

Osborne, coming off a 2-8 season last year, is switching from a Wing-T offense to a spread and is expecting to score more points this season.

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teams need to bring ‘a’ Walton looks to return game in Region 4AAAAAA to top of Region 5AAAAAA

By Carlton D. White

cwhite@mdjonline.com

Region 4AAAAAA certainly lived up to its billing as one of the best regions in the state last season as four teams were separated by one game in a battle for the final three state playoff seeds.

Expect more of the same this season as Campbell, Harrison, Hillgrove, Kennesaw Mountain, Marietta, McEachern, North Cobb, Pebblebrook and South Cobb battle once again for the region crown and bids to this year’s postseason event.

Seven coaches return to helm their programs for another season, while Kyle Hockman two new coaches — Matt Dickmann at Harrison and Michael Youngblood at South Cobb — work to get their teams into fighting shape to compete for one of the four playoff spots.

The camaraderie between coaches works Shane Queen well throughout the week except on Friday nights when teams go head-to-head and attempt to exploit weaknesses.

One team that doesn’t seem to have a weakness is McEachern, which went undefeated last year in capturing the region championship for the third time in four seasons. The Indians return several starters on both sides of the ball, including playmakers in quarterback Ty Clemons and running back Taj Griffin.

“I think this whole region will be better,” McEachern coach Kyle Hockman said. “The new coaches that have come in at Harrison and South Cobb are outstanding guys who will help those programs, and (Pebblebrook coach Tommy Macon) is going into his second year so they will be much improved. Our region is going to be as well-coached and as good across the board than we’ve ever been.”

If there’s one team expected to challenge McEachern for the region title it’s North Cobb. The Warriors won their last region championship in 2007. But after going 11-3 last year and reaching the Class AAAAAA state semifinals, North Cobb is looking for an even better season this year.

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KICKOFF 2013

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

REGION 4AAAAAA BREAKDOWN Best player: Chuma Edoga, McEachern Ol/dl, 6-foot-4, 285 pounds best Team: mceachern predictions: 1. McEachern 2. North Cobb 3. Hillgrove 4. Marietta 5. Harrison 6. South Cobb 7. Campbell 8. Kennesaw Mountain 9. Pebblebrook

Quarterback Tyler Queen and running back J’Vonte Herrod return to an offense that averaged 41.0 points per game.

“As a region, we’re getting better and better every year,” North Cobb coach Shane Queen said. “We matched up with Region 1 in the playoffs last year and held our own, so I’m excited to see how we shape up this season.”

Hillgrove won its only region championship in 2011 after going undefeated in the regular season. The Hawks made the playoffs last year and finished with a 6-5 mark. They return quarterback Elijah Ironside and running back Richardre Bagley.

After a few years away, Marietta quickly established itself as a threat to the region title, finishing the year 8-4 and reaching the second round of the state playoffs. The Blue Devils lost quarterback Anthony Jennings to graduation, but they return linebackers Tyrell Tomlin and Lawton Ward and running back KirVonte’ Benson.

“There’s a lot of talent and the schemes are diverse in this region,” Marietta coach Scott Burton said. “You see a lot of different things on both sides, which makes this region a challenge on many levels.”

South Cobb (7-3), which was the only other team to post a winning record, will be under new leadership this year as will Harrison (4-6). Kennesaw Mountain (4-6), Campbell (3-7) and Pebblebrook (0-10) will all look to improve.

By Adam Carrington acarrington@mdjonline.com

If Walton players can stay away from the doctors, the Raiders chances of winning Region 5AAAAAA are good.

Most of Walton’s returning players already have significant varsity experience as a result of numerous starters getting injured and missing substantial playing time.

But if the Raiders keep the medical staff just as busy as they did last season, the region is up for grabs.

“Don’t count Walton out,” Lassiter coach Jep Irwin said. “They have lots of returning players and lots of playmakers on offense. But I don’t know if Jep Irwin you could pick a runaway.”

Defending region champion Lassiter isn’t to be counted out either following a perfect regular season.

At the same time, the Trojans lost most of their offensive firepower including quarterback Eddie Printz (Missouri) and his three top Brent Budde go-to receivers in Juwan Dickey, Ryan Jenkins and Willie Police.

Lassiter still has defensive back Chris Murphy and offensive lineman Sam Wood coming back but its season will hinge on how well new quarterback Will Anderson performs in the spread offense and how fast he can develop chemistry with his new group of receivers.

Walton will have new faces as well but they have playing time to their advantage.

Starting quarterback Price Wilson had five starts last season, filling in for the injured Parker McLeod, and D.J. Smith shined in the backfield when Tyren Jones got hurt.

Smith will also see time lining up at wide receiver and will start at his main position — safety in the Raiders secondary.

A Walton defense that was younger last season has matured over the last year with Dreyon Williams and Kyle Whitaker both returning at defensive end and Jordan Vorster and Ridge Gibson back at linebacker.

Wheeler, which made the playoffs for the first time since 2006 last season, is returning a future SEC quarterback Elijah Staley (Mississippi State) and a Class AAAAAA all-state safety in North Carolina commit Allen Artis.

But Wheeler will be in trouble if it loses key players to injury because of the

REGION 5AAAAAA BREAKDOWN Best player: D.j. Smith, Walton db, 5-foot-11, 191 pounds best Team: Walton predictions: 1. Walton 2. Lassiter 3. Etowah 4. Wheeler 5. Milton 6. Cherokee 7. Woodstock 8. Roswell

lack of depth.

Milton will attempt another playoff run behind running back Treyvon Paulk, who signed with Tennessee.

The trio of Cherokee County teams in the region won’t allow themselves to be counted out of the hunt.

Etowah has a shot of cracking the region’s top four with a crop of players, including quarterback John Oliver, who know the system and have played together since they were in elementary school. The Etowah defense will have to overcome the unexpected loss of North Carolina commitment Ayden Bonilla, who tore his ACL over the summer.

Under second-year coach Josh Shaw Cherokee could surprise this season. Junior quarterback Spencer Ashley, arguably Cherokee County’s most talented passer, returns to the huddle and hopes to improve upon a dismall 1-9 finish in 2012.

Woodstock, which will be the first team in the region to hit the field this season when it faces Johns Creek on Aug. 22, is boasting an experienced defense but is learning a spread offense. Coach Brent Budde said the new offense suits the team’s personnel better and that is what gives the team the best opportunity to win.

“Top to bottom this is a tough region,” Budde said. “There aren’t any easy wins.

Wheeler was a playoff team last year.

Roswell is making changes. Cherokee is getting better with coach Shaw and of course there are Lassiter and Walton. You don’t get a Friday night off around here.”

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WALTON RAIDERS

PAGE 78

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

KICKOFF 2013

LOCATION: 1590 BILL MURDOCK ROAD, MARIETTA. PHONE: 770-578-3226. HOME FIELD: RAIDER VALLEY. TEAM COLORS: RED, WHITE, BLUE. ONLINE: RAIDERSFB.ORG

2013 SCHEDULE

(GEORGIA DOME) P’TREE RIDGE AUG. 25

(AT MCEACHERN) HILLGROVE AUG. 31

VS NORTH COBB SEPT. 13

AT WOODSTOCK SEPT. 20

AT CHEROKEE SEPT. 27

VS LASSITER OCT. 4

VS WHEELER OCT. 18

CL. 11 11 10 10 12 11 12 11 12 10 10 11 12 12 12 11 10 11 10 12 12 10 10 10 12 10 11 10 12 10 10 11 12 10 11 12 10 10 12 12 12 10 11

POS. RB/LB RB/DB QB WR/DB WR RB/DB WR/DB WR/DB RB RB QB WR QB QB DB QB RB/DB QB DB/WR DB RB/DB LB WR/DB WR/DB LB/RB WR/DB DB WR/DB RB DB RB/LB RB/LB DB/WR DB RB/LB DB DB/WR RB/DL DL LB/RB LB/RB RB/LB RB/DL

NO. NAME 46 COLIN FANT 47 JORDAN DAVOUDPOUR 48 RYAN BELL 49 CLAYTON ARNOLD 50 JACK SHOEMAKER 51 CALEB CARSWELL 52 BENNETT WILSON 53 EDDIE DENNETT-SMITH 54 ALEX ROEGGE 55 CLARK PRICE 57 CHRIS WEBB 58 MICHAEL KRAEMER 60 EVAN NAKOS 61 ERIC SMITH 62 TIM MATTUS 64 JON FRANCE 68 DAVID DAVIS 70 JESUS GONZALEZ 71 BARRETT HESS 72 GEORGE HUMPHREYS 73 EVAN BERNARD 75 JACK HENRY 76 BLAKE GOERKE 77 ZACK ORR 78 FOREST EVANS 79 PATRICK FARLEY 80 NICK ORRELL-JONES 81 DAVIS PIGEON 82 FOSTER KUPBENS 83 BRANDON MCBRYDE 84 DYLAN WELCH 85 ALEX FERNANDEZ 86 BRITTON ODY 87 ASHTON BEST 88 SETH-PATRICK HOLMAN 89 CHRISTIAN LUCAS 90 AJ COLEY 91 ZAC HOBSON 92 SIERRA WILLIAMS 95 CLIFTON SHEPHERD 96 BILAL HEFNER 97 DILLON HEPP 98 LORENZO ABUGHAZALEH

AT ETOWAH NOV. 1

VS ROSWELL NOV. 8

2013 SEASON OUTLOOK

2013 ROSTER NO. NAME 1 BRE'YON THOMAS 2 BEN HOOD 3 JOSH WHITE 4 CHAD CLAY 5 JACKSON DONNELL 6 TAQUAR STEWART 7 MAURICE GIBSON 8 BAILEY WOLFF 9 ZACH WILLIAMS 10 KK BROOKS 11 FUZZY FURR 12 JORDAN MCCRAY 13 HUTTON SPITLER 14 PRICE WILSON 15 JACK WHITTAKER 16 JORDAN CLAYTON 17 GARRETT ELDRED 18 BENTON POORE 19 NOAH RAINBOW 20 JACOB MURPHY 21 DJ SMITH 22 JOEY GOODMAN 23 TAJI STEWART 24 AUSTIN DONNELL 26 JORDAN VORSTER 27 BRYCE WASHINGTON 28 MCKAY MADSEN 29 JACKSON HOSKYN 30 HENRY ROWLING 31 RYAN ROEGGE 32 MILLAR MORGAN 33 IMANI PARKER 34 DAVID SEWELL 36 JOHN LEE 37 ZAC STARNS 38 RYAN LABAN 39 CHRISTIAN SULLIVAN 40 CHRISTIAN BLACKSTOCK 41 KYLE WHITAKER 42 DREYON WILLIAMS 43 RIDGE GIBSON 44 RUSSELL BROWN 45 BRANDON LIN

AT MILTON OCT. 25

CL. 12 12 12 11 12 10 10 11 10 10 12 12 10 11 12 11 11 12 10 11 11 11 10 10 10 10 10 11 10 10 12 10 11 10 12 12 11 10 10 10 10 10 12

POS. WR LB/TE LB LB OL DL OL/DL OL/DL OL OL/LB OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/LB OL OL/DL OL/DL OL OL OL/DL OL/DL OL OL OL/DL OL OL/DL TE/DL TE/DL K WR/DB WR WR K WR/DB TE K LB WR/DB WR/DB WR/DB WR/DB DL/TE WR

The Raiders are reloading with experienced players waiting in the wings.

Now, if the 2013 Walton squad can stay healthy, something that didn’t happen last season, the 2011 state finalists have potential for another deep Class AAAAAA playoff run. Walton had to deal with more than 30 injuries last year — including four players who may be future SEC players.

Quarterback Price Wilson, who has committed to Louisiana Tech, becomes the fulltime starter after gaining experience filling in for an injured Parker McLeod last season. He was graded in the top seven out of more than 70 quarterbacks at the Atlanta Elite 11 quarterback camp. He was also MVP of the Hearland Elite 7-on-7 Shootout.

“He’s done really well,” Walton coach Rocky Hidalgo said. “He’s got a lot of stuff to work on but we feel he has a chance to come around and will be a special player at quarterback.”

COACHING STAFF HEAD COACH: ROCKY HIDALGO YEAR: 5 RECORD: 34-13 CAREER: 34-13 VARSITY COACHING STAFF TRIPP ALLEN — ASST. HC/OC CHRIS STEWART — DEF. COORD. SHANE AMOS — LINEBACKERS JOE GOYDISH — RECEIVERS CHRIS WARNAT — RECEIVERS JOHN EVANS — OFF. LINE JEFF IMPERIAL — DEF. LINE MIKE DAVIDSON — QB/TE BILL BELLUS — RUNNING BACKS ROB NICHOLS – DEFENSIVE BACKS PATRICK KAY — LINEBACKERS PETE MURPHY — UTILITY

Defensive back D.J. Smith, who is also experienced in the offensive backfield, had five starts last season and is the frontrunner to replace 2,000-yard runner Tyren Jones, who is also going to Alabama with McLeod.

Smith is coming off early summer knee surgery, but is expected to be ready in time for the regular season.

Smith has more than 20 offers from Division I schools that include Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, South Carolina, Ohio State and Clemson. He rushed for 356 yards and four touchdowns, over the last three games after Jones was lost for the season with a knee injury.

Other tailback competing for playing time are brothers Thomas and Karekin Brooks.

Walton will likely have four juniors starting on the offensive line — Jack Henry, Eric Smith, David Davis and John France — with each getting playing time last season be-

cause of the injuries. However, Hidalgo said heading into fall camp that the line was still a work in progress.

A young defense that had ample playing time last season has grown into its roles this season.

The Raiders continue to produce solid defensive ends with Dreyon Williams and Kyle Whitaker both coming back. Williams finished with 45 tackles and four sacks last season.

Senior linebackers Jordan Vorster and Ridge Gibson also return. Vorster had 40 tackles, with 12 of them for loss, and Gibson finished with 35.

In the secondary, Smith and senior Taquar Stewart have moved from cornerback to safety, and Walton will break in a new set of cornerbacks.

— By Adam Carrington acarrington@mdjonline.com

5-YEAR RECORD 44-15

2012 RESULTS 7-4

2012 LEADERS RUSHING TYREN JONES

1,672 YDS, 16 TD

PASSING PRICE WILSON

598 YDS, 4 TD

RECEIVING STONE ROMBERG RYAN CRAIG

195 YDS 175 YDS, TD

TACKLES JUSTICE BAILEY

58

SACKS DREYON WILLIAMS

7

INTERCEPTIONS COLBY BILLINGS

2

BROOKWOOD MCEACHERN NORTH COBB WOODSTOCK CHEROKEE LASSITER WHEELER MILTON ETOWAH ROSWELL PARKVIEW

35-24 37-35 17-49 24-7 21-7 9-21 24-23 27-7 21-16 24-28 17-20

W W L W W L W W W L L

pass rushers on parade

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Kyle Whitaker and Dreyon Williams are next set of premier Walton defensive linemen

By Adam Carrington acarrington@mdjonline.com

Walton has a knack for producing defensive ends.

Chase Thomas was All-Pac 12, and now he plays for the New Orleans Saints.

David Paulsen just wrapped up his career at Oklahoma State and Brandon Burroughs is at Georgia.

Based on that, seniors Kyle Whitaker and Dreyon Williams have some big shoes to fill this season.

“It tells me that I’m doing something right,” the 6-foot-2, 215 pound Whitaker said about being mentioned with the former Raiders standouts.

Whitaker, who is getting college interest from Missouri, Louisville and UNC Charlotte, considers himself to be a speed rusher with the quickness to get through large offensive lines and

pressure the quarterback.

After bouncing back from a leg injury his sophomore year, Whitaker came on strong his junior year and finished with 46 tackles, 3.5 sacks and two fumble recoveries.

Whitaker credits the coaches of the Junior Raider program for his development, the same coaches where the previous successful defensive ends have also played under. He’s been in the program since he was 10.

While a member of the Junior Raiders, Whitaker had the luxury of practicing against former teammate Brandon Kublanow, a 6-3, 290-pound offensive line who is about to enter his freshman year at Georgia. And he had to go against Kublanow throughout his junior season.

Whitaker remembers Kublanow as being a very difficult player to maneuver and said his speed and aggressive play

are the result of many years of finding ways to beat Kublanow.

“He’s heavy and strong and I couldn’t go half-(speed) against him,” Whitaker said of Kublanow. “He always gave me his best and I just had to keep going.”

However, Williams didn’t come up through the Junior Raider program.

The 5-9, 210 pound Williams was a linebacker at Marietta High School before transferring to Walton after his sophomore campaign. When projected starting defensive end Nick Randolph tore his ACL last summer, coaches asked Williams to take his place, and Williams took an immediate liking to the new position.

But even if Randolph didn’t get hurt, Williams might have still changed positions.

“We already had depth at See Pass, Page 90

Staff / Todd Hull

Kyle Whitaker, back, and Dreyon Williams will be expected to fill the shoes of the big-time defensive linemen — Chase Thomas, David Paulsen and Brandon Burroughs — who played for the Raiders before them when they take the field this season.

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Line

Simms

Continued from Page 57

Continued from Page 59

spread.”

Being able to work better together is a good thing for Osborne’s offensive line, which comes in different shapes and sizes.

Gutierrez, who doubles as the kicker, is a 5-8, 180-pound junior, while Moore is a 6-1, 225-pound sophomore. Seniors Alvin (6-0, 190), Alston-Thompson (6-3, 210), Castillo (6-1, 290) and sophomore Nanje (5-10, 290) round out the group. “(Alvin) is raw, but he has great speed,” Smith said. “(Gutierrez) is fast, strong and one of the smartest guys on the team. We knew Moore would be good, he just needed to get stronger. And (Alston-Thompson) could go to the next level if he continues to improve.”

Castillo also sees the value in the offensive line taking a leadership role on the team.

“It’s important to the season for us to lead because without the offensive line, you can’t move the ball north and put points on the board,” he said.”

one of my best abilities, and I think I’ve done a good job of improving on that in the offseason.

“Taller defensive backs use speed and quickness to cover me, but I use my mind to get spacing and get to my spots. It’s been tough being my size. I just have to continue

Bigger Continued from Page 65

linebacker. Schumacher is a center and nose tackle. Stephenson plays guard and tackle.

Egan is a tackle and J.D. Smith plays guard and defensive tackle.

The advantages to having a large line are obvious and Braucht said it will be nice to see

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

working and stay dedicated and believe it will all come through in the end.”

Pebblebrook’s 4-16 mark over the past two seasons hasn’t helped Simms spread his message.

While he wants the opportunity to showcase his talents at the bigger schools like Austin’s West Virginia, Smith’s Utah or Hilton’s Florida International, he’s making strides to end up somewhere where his talents will be utilized.

“I’ve attended Georgia State camps and a

Clark-Atlanta camp to get exposure,” Simms said. “I also attended the Nike Combine in March. I just want to get out and get noticed.”

Macon has certainly enjoyed what he’s seen from Simms, and hopes that those results can continue. “(Simms) doesn’t know he’s 5-7 on the field,” Macon said. “He just plays with heart.

He’s hitting the weights and trying to get bigger. Ability-wise, if people overlook his size, he can get to that level if he gets on the field and people just look at him.”

what running backs like E.J. Ellis can do with the extra protection.

The line doesn’t just have size, it has experience.

“Really, four of them have played together the last couple of years,” Braucht said. “So not only are they bigger, they have experience and know what we are trying to do here on offense. That should help us because we can execute even faster. That in itself is a blessing.”

Like any high school coach, Braucht would love to have a line that averages 6-5, 320, but he understands that isn’t realistic for the Knights.

“I’m happy that we are going in the right direction,” Braucht said. “We have even more size coming up through. If you are a running back, you love our offense because I attract those strong offensive linemen here. The running backs have to love that. It’s a great situation for us.”

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Hounds Continued from Page 61

Ohio offensive lineman makes yearly trips to his parents and loads up 500 pounds worth of beef that’s packed tightly in large coolers.

It usually takes between six to seven months for the Kempers to devour it.

“Dad grills burgers and brats all throughout the day and he grills out about three to four times a week,” said Max Kemper (6-4, 305), a Class AAAAA all-state first-team performer who already has offers from Georgia, Georgia Tech, Alabama and North Carolina. “He makes a whole bunch of it and we’ll have pasta with it.”

Kemper’s wife, Victoria, has to make three trips to Walmart every week just to keep the kitchen full because there isn’t enough pantry or refrigerator space to buy $350 worth of groceries in one trip.

“It’s a workout hauling those groceries,” she said.

Victoria Kemper said she’s not much of a cook, but she still makes lunch every morning for both sons and keeps them full by making all the spaghetti and BBQ sandwiches they can eat.

She is also in charge of the fruit smoothies in the mornings, and has protein shakes waiting on them in the evening when they

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KICKOFF 2013

get home from practice.

Mike Kemper (6-3, 230), who is actually a blocking tight end, is trying put on weight before the regular season begins. When he’s not eating breakfast, lunch or dinner, he goes through a loaf of bread a day — usually by eating four peanut butter and jelly sandwiches between meals – and he also drinks five protein shakes.

“Bread goes like potato chips around here.” Matt Kemper said.

The remaining linemen are on the same page when it comes to stocking up on massive quantities of bread, steaks, burgers, pasta, eggs and protein shakes. They can also share stories on the amount they eat in one sitting.

When junior Matthew Pittarelli (6-6, 265) was 8, he polished off a 48-ounce porterhouse steak at Shula’s Steakhouse. To this day, he says that’s his “biggest accomplishment.”

Fast forward to present day, Pittarelli inhaled a four-pound Monster Burrito loaded with beef, cheese, beans, rice, lettuce and tomatoes recently at Chepes Mexican Grill.

Junior Benjamin Cottingham (6-0, 275) said he gobbled up a 9-patty burger – nine layers of beef and cheese – a few weeks ago while visiting his grandparents in Centersville, Ala. And Freeman was there to witness it.

“I can vouch for him,” Freeman said. “He didn’t barf.”

Gains Continued from Page 67

of Kentucky and The Citadel, have shown interest.

“You have to be focused on every

Doctor Continued from Page 69

pursuits to his desire to get better on the gridiron.

A 4.417 grade-point average student at South Cobb and a member of its Magnet program, Osisami will be counted on by an Eagles team hoping to get back to the state playoffs after failing to play in the postseason last year.

“My friends were saying how much fun it was and I wanted to see how it felt,” said Osisami on why he decided to try out for the football team. “It was always interesting to me and I wanted to give it a try. I wanted to be a part of a team.”

Up until that time, Osisami had been a part of several other teams. Born in England to Nigerian parents, his family moved to Cobb County in 1999 where Osisami has thrived academically. Since entering South Cobb, he’s become a member of

PAGE 81

play,” Brown said of being a long snapper. “No one knows me until I screw up.”

In the meantime, both will be proud to suit up this spring for Sequoyah.

“After three years of going to Sequoyah, I finally get to play with Sequoyah on my chest,” Brown said. “It will feel real good.”

HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America), the Eagles’ Scholars STEM Enrichment and Mentorship Program, the National Honor Society, National Beta Club and the Magnet Student Advisory Council.

An aspiring doctor, some of Osisami’s college choices include Stanford, Yale, Columbia, Cornell, Pennsylvania and Georgia. He also volunteers at Kids Start Pediactrics, while the Beta and Eagles’ Scholars clubs are service-oriented groups.

“Being a part of the football team in addition to the community service, you get an even better sense of family,” he said. “They both also teach me how to put something bigger than me in front of myself. They teach me about hard work because I’ll need that to be a doctor.”

Rainge has seen, over time, how Osisami has influenced the team.

“The kids make fun of him because of the good grades,” Rainge said. “But they respect him. He’s a good person to have on any team.”

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WHEELER WILDCATS

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SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

KICKOFF 2013

LOCATION: 375 HOLT ROAD, MARIETTA. PHONE: 770-578-3266. HOME FIELD: CORKY KELL STADIUM. TEAM COLORS: NAVY BLUE, GOLD. ONLINE: WHEELERFOOTBALL.COM.

2013 SCHEDULE

AT SPRAYBERRY AUG. 23

AT POPE AUG. 30

NAME JACOBI GREEN ALLEN ARTIS JEVAN SAMPLER NATHAN MCCRARY ELIJAH BROWN QUINCYE PRICE DEVONTAE JACKSON BILLY POLAKOWSKI LUCAS MENDONCA DAZ BREWER HARLAND HOWELL STEFON SAMPSON ANTONEO WEST ELIJAH STALEY RYLES KIRKLAND GABE MAGERKURTH BRYCE MURRAY TABIUS PADGETT DEVON JENKINS BRINTELL COTHRAN MALEEK CATCHINGS JONAH RAUS JAMIL COLEMAN XAVIER WOMACK MARCUS PRATT XAVIER MORTON COREY STOVALL JAQUAN ADAMS MOHAMMED YOONIS TYLEN NOEL BINAI FRANKLIN

CL. 11 12 12 12 11 12 12 12 12 11 11 12 12 12 10 9 11 11 10 12 12 12 12 12 11 10 9 12 12 10 10

VS LANGSTON HUGHES

SEPT. 6

VS ETOWAH SEPT. 20

AT MILTON SEPT. 27

VS AT ROSWELL OCT. 4

AT WALTON OCT. 18

POS. ATH DB LB DB DB LB RB WR DL DB WR RB DB QB QB QB ATH ATH WR RB LB DB DB LB LB LB DB LB TE RB ATH

NO. 32 33 34 35 42 43 44 45 47 48 49 50 51 52 54 55 56 59 60 71 72 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 84

NAME BRIAN MAGEE REGGIE JAMES JESSE KEARSE TRE HUNTER JAHLIN GORDON VICTOR ALVES SETH SANCHEZ STACEY LOVE DAVID BRASHEAR DEMARIO CHAPPELL ROMAI KING KJ RAWLES SAAGE LEE CJ BLACK CHRIS HALL JAMES COLEY CHANCE CROSS-WOODS MICHAEL PINERO JACOB LAVAN DARRYL PRICE JULIUS TOLIVER CAMERON GEORGE BEAU FIELDS VAL MARTIN DAVON HARRIS JAQUAN HODGES FELIPE SILVA DJ BREEDLOVE BRIAN GRANISON AARON ROBINSON GIOVANNI CHESTNUT

CL. 11 11 12 12 10 12 12 11 10 10 12 12 10 10 10 10 10 12 12 11 11 10 10 10 11 10 10 10 12 12 10

POS. DB WR TE DL WR K/P DB LB LB DL DL OL OL OL DL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL WR WR WR WR

Managing expectations is still a key component of Wheeler’s growth entering the 2013 season. Now that the Wildcats have turned things around from back-to-back winless seasons in 2008 and 2009, the question becomes how, and if, Wheeler can maintain postseason aspirations on a consistent basis.

The 2012 campaign yielded a 6-5 overall record and a state playoff appearance — the first for the program since 2006. However, with six starters expected to return on offense and six back on defense, can Wheeler reach another postseason or at least win enough games to not make last season look like an aberration?

“We have quite a few skill players back on offense and we have at least one guy back at each level of the defense, so they’ll need some time to jell,” coach Mike Collins said.

COACHING STAFF HEAD COACH: MIKE COLLINS YEAR: 4 RECORD: 11-20 CAREER: 44-45 VARSITY COACHING STAFF DAVIS HARVEY — DC SHAKORR BRYANT — DEF. LINE EDMUND COLEY — RB CHRIS JONES — OFF. LINE JERRY MAHAN — DEF. BACKS GARY ROACH — LB MICHAEL COLLINS, SR. — RB FITZ JOHNSON — RECEIVERS ROY CLAYTON — OFF LINE BRANDON CHESTER — LB

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2013 SEASON OUTLOOK

2013 ROSTER NO. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

VS LASSITER OCT. 25

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“I like our team, and I like our approach to working on getting better. Hopefully, this can manifest itself throughout the season.”

Elijah Staley, the Wildcats’ 6-foot-7 senior quarterback, returns for his third season to lead the offense.

Many of his offensive weapons in receivers Harland Howell, Billy Polakowski and Jacobi Green return along with running back Devontae Jackson. However, the Wildcats’ offensive line, which was a source of strength last season, will need to replace three starters.

Staley may need to work harder to make plays until the offensive linemen develop their chemistry.

Defensively, outside linebackers Jevan Sampler and Maleek Catchings return along with Class AAAAAA all-state defensive back Allen Artis. Linemen Lucas

— By Carlton D. White cwhite@mdjonline.com

5-YEAR RECORD 11-40

2012 RESULTS 6-5

2012 LEADERS RUSHING KAHLEM LOONEY

Mendonca and Darryl Price also return.

Special teams ace, kicker and punter, J.D. Barron, will also need to be replaced.

With just as many questions as there are answers, especially on defense, Wheeler will have to rely on its offensive playmakers early until the defense can catch up. Fortunately, everyone returning was involved in the process last year, which should make the team’s attempt to transition in new starters easier.

“We don’t have any changes in our system on offense or on defense,” Collins said.

“We’re going to look like the same team we did last year and just get better at what we do.”

540 YDS, 4 TD

PASSING ELIJAH STALEY

1,801 YDS, 12 TD

RECEIVING EMANUEL BEAL

885 YDS, 7 TD

TACKLES DEMETRIUS WEBB

122

SACKS RODERICK RILEY MALIK CATCHINGS

13 11

INTERCEPTIONS ALLEN ARTIS

3

SPRAYBERRY POPE LANG. HUGHES ETOWAH MILTON ROSWELL WALTON LASSITER WOODSTOCK CHEROKEE GRAYSON

10-7 33-0 17-12 27-31 13-34 17-14 23-24 23-38 31-9 21-10 9-49

W W W L L W L L W W L

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Basketball player by trade, Wheeler’s Maleek Catchings earns scholarship offer after one season of football

By Carlton D. White cwhite@mdjonline.com

Wheeler football coach Mike Collins knows talent when he sees it.

Collins met then-freshman Maleek Catchings during school one day, and much like any coach, thought about recruiting him to the football team. However, he knew Catchings was set to play basketball for the Wildcats, and didn’t pursue the matter further.

“I didn’t go after him, but I knew if we could get him out, he’d be a good football player,” Collins said.

His philosophy changed, however, after Catchings’ sophomore season.

“After basketball season, coach Collins coaxed me into playing football and I fell in love with it all over again,” Catchings said.

The result for Catchings, following a four-year absence from football, was a scholarship offer from Kennesaw State University to play linebacker.

“I was a little surprised to get the (June) offer,” Catchings said. “I thought I’d get a basketball one first before football.”

A basketball scholarship offer would not have been a surprise for Catchings. His aunt, Tamika, a graduate of Tennessee, won three Olympic gold medals for the United States and was the third overall pick to the Indiana Fever as part of the

THE CATCHINGS FILE

cLASS: senior pOSITION: linebacker hT/WT: 6-FOOT-2, 220 lbS 2012: 61 tackles, 11 sacks Aunt is three-time Olympic basketball gold medalist tamika catchings

2001 WNBA Draft. His dad, Kenyon, played at Northern Illinois, and his grandfather, Harvey, played in the NBA from 1974 to 1985.

“I grew up with basketball,” Catchings said. “It was in my blood, so that’s why I played it so long because I went to games and watched it all the time and got involved.”

Catchings started playing basketball when he was three years old. He played football sparingly beginning in the second grade, but didn’t get serious about it until the sixth grade.

By the time Catchings reached seventh grade, he was 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds and See Dunk, Page 86

Staff / Todd Hull

Wheeler’s Maleek Catchings is a standout player on the Wildcats basketball team, but after just one season of high school football, he earned a scholarship offer to Kennesaw State.

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WHITEFIELD ACADEMY WOLFPACK

PAGE 84

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

KICKOFF 2013

LOCATION: 1 WHITEFIELD DRIVE, MABLETON. PHONE: 678-305-3000. HOME FIELD: WHITEFIELD STADIUM. TEAM COLORS: NAVY BLUE, GOLD. ONLINE: WHITEFIELDACADEMY.COM.

2013 SCHEDULE TBA VS PACE ACADEMY AUG. 30

VS RIVERSIDE MIL. SEPT. 6

AT ST. FRANCIS SEPT. 13

AT GORDON LEE SEPT. 27

AT FELLOWSHIP OCT. 4

VS MOUNT PARAN OCT. 13

AT MOUNT PISGAH OCT. 18

NAME LAWRENCE WATERS BRAELEN PHILLIPS SKY DUPREE CAMERON JENKINS DAVID LEMASTERS ALEX MANNING JAY DESHONG MATT OLSON WILL SCHULTZ JORDAN EDGE CARSON BROWN MICHAEL CATO J.T. MORRIS EVERETT POLLARD ADONIS COLE NILE BALL RYAN WESLEY BRADLEY DAVIDSON KALEN TAVOSSOLI SID BRENDEL

CL. 12 12 11 10 12 12 11 11 10 10 9 9 10 12 10 11 10 10 10 9

POS. RB/LB RB/DB QB/LB WB/LB WR/DB TE/DB WR/LB WR/DE WR/DB RB/LB QB/DB QB/DB RB/DB QB/DE WR/DB RB/LB RB/LB TE/LB WR/LB RB/LB

NO. 35 40 42 44 50 54 55 56 57 58 60 61 64 66 70 71 72 77 80

NAME AJANI KERR WILL FULKS COBY GREGORY WILL BROGAN CONNOR CAFFREY BRENNER MCCUTCHEON MICHAEL HEBERT CARTER DIXON TERRELL CARTER MICHAEL BALDWIN AUSTIN JOSEPH CONNOR CALLAN ETHAN POWELL BRETT FRANQUI KJ JOSHUA COLTON JAMES JAYLEN HUDSON TY MCLEMORE JAKE GILBERT

AT KING’S RIDGE NOV. 1

AT REGION PLAY-IN NOV. 8

2013 SEASON OUTLOOK

2013 ROSTER NO. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 14 15 16 18 21 22 25 32

VS WALKER OCT. 25

CL. 10 9 9 10 10 9 11 9 10 9 12 9 9 11 9 9 12 10 10

POS. RB/DB RB/LB RB/DB TE/DE OL/DL OL/DL OL/LB OL/DE OL/DL OL/DL OL/DE OL/DL OL/DL OL/DE OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL TE/DE

Whitefield Academy rebounded from its 4-6 record in 2011 with a winning season in 2012, unfortunately, the Wolfpack finished second in their subregion of Region 6A. And they just missed out on a Class A private school postseason berth after going 6-4 overall.

This year’s squad will be noticeably different after Whitefield graduated 18 seniors.

Coach Jimmy Fields is prepared to see the shift in leadership take place and is confident the team will prosper once again.

“A few hundredths of a point kept us out of the postseason last year,” Fields said.

“Those 18 seniors that are gone helped right the ship after our two losing seasons. So, I can’t blame the points guys. We just need to win.

“We’ll be young after going from 18 seniors to six, but these seniors are of a good

COACHING STAFF

quality. We’ll move forward and they’ll lead us in a different way and meet the challenges set in front of them by last year’s leaders.

Quarterback Everett Pollard will be one of those guys counted on to be a leader. In his second season as the starting quarterback for Whitefield, Pollard’s presence in the offense is important to keep the winning momentum going.

“Pollard played with those other guys who had experience,” Fields said. “He gives us a guy with the qualities we’ll need out on the field.”

The Wolfpack have several skill players returning on offense — Braelen Phillips, Jaylen Hudson, Sky Dupree, Alex Manning and Lawrence Waters — which should translate well on the scoreboard.

“If we have a strength, it’s that a lot of our skill players are back,” Fields said.

943 YDS, 11 TD

PASSING EVERETT POLLARD 432 YDS, 4 TD

VARSITY COACHING STAFF JOHN HUNTER — DEF. COOR. TROY PRUETT — OFF. COOR. LESLIE SIMPSON — REC. ALEX LIVINGSTON — ASST.

RECEIVING MAX KEMETHER

— By Carlton White cwhite@mdjonline.com

5-YEAR RECORD 28-25

2012 RESULTS 6-4

2012 LEADERS RUSHING ROC SHERRELL

HEAD COACH: JIMMY FIELDS YEAR: 7 RECORD: 35-30 CAREER: 67-82

Waters is slated to play a prominent role at running back this year, while also playing some linebacker during games.

Phillips returns as a defensive back and wide receiver, while Hudson is slated to play defensive end and come off the bench as an offensive linemen.

Dupree will play linebacker, where he had 94 tackles a year ago, and see some time at running back. Manning will be an outside linebacker.

146 YDS

TACKLES MAX RIEVES SKY DUPREE

109 94

SACKS HUNTER HOLLIDAY

2

INTERCEPTIONS MAX KEMETHER

2

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home is where the team is

PAGE 85

Staff / Kelly J. Huff

Whitefield Academy’s Everett Pollard moved around the south as a child, but now he has found a home as the Wolfpack’s starting quarterback.

THE POLLARD FILE

Whitefield Academy’s Everett Pollard has moved into the quarterback position

cLASS: senior pOSITION: Quarterback hEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6-FOOT-4, 210 lbS 2012: 432 yds., 4 td, 5 int., 409 yds. rushing, 6 td forward on Wolfpack Basketball team

By Carlton D. White cwhite@mdjonline.com

Everett Pollard grew up around football, and played quarterback until he reached the eighth grade. Although he kept that little secret from the staff at Whitefield Academy, the truth eventually came out, and the Wolfpack became a better team because of it.

Pollard’s dad, Ben, is the assistant athletic director for speed, strength and conditioning at Georgia State and works primarily with the Panthers’ football team. Prior to his current position, he

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spent time on the staffs at Sam Houston State, TCU, Alabama, Texas A&M and Mississippi State, working with coaches Dennis Franchione and Sylvester Croom among others.

“Dad was always (at the schools) as the strength coach and my mom would drop me off with him,” Pollard said.

“When I was younger, I’d hang around with the players and play catch with them. They’d pick me up and play with me. It was fun.

“Being around football so much, I knew playing quarterback was something I wanted to do. At the time, I understood

that they have the most control and I believed they were usually the coolest guy on the field.”

So, Pollard trained to be a quarterback and played the position on his seventh grade team. When his family moved, his new team wanted him to play on the line.

He decided not to play as an eighth grader that year, but a growth spurt from 5-foot-10 to 6-2 put him back on the field as a lineman in ninth grade.

Pollard’s family moved to Georgia for his sophomore season, where he enrolled at Whitefield Academy and played offensive See Pollard, Page 86

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Dunk

Throw

Continued from Page 83

Continued from Page 73

had to give up the sport.

“I was told that I was too big to play in the football league that I wanted to play for, so I focused my attention on basketball.”

Catchings stuck with basketball until Collins recruited him for the 2012 season. Fortunately, he hadn’t lost his enthusiasm for the game.

“I’m not surprised (Catchings) was able to slip right back into football,” Collins said. “He’s raw, but his best football is still ahead of him. He’s still trying to figure his game out.”

That didn’t stop Collins from giving the 6-2, 220pound Catchings the starting job at outside linebacker.

As a basketball player, Collins expected Catchings to play tight end because he figured the then-rising junior had good hands and could play in space. But Catchings preferred playing defense.

“I know defense wins games,” said Catchings, who started every game, had 11 sacks and 61 tackles last season. “So, that’s why I asked coach if I could play defense. He put me at outside linebacker. I like to compete and be physical. Basketball isn’t as physical as football, and I love that part of the game.”

Collins is happy Catchings likes to compete, too.

“We gave him a shot and the rest is history,” Collins said. “He got a college scholarship offer after one year of football. I may still put him at tight end some to make him more versatile in the eyes of college coaches. He’s a really solid player.”

open and get it to him.”

Even though baseball has consumed much of his summer, Bloebaum was conditioning and doing drills on the side to enhance his skills.

Footwork is his primary focus,

Pollard Continued from Page 85

tackle on the junior varsity squad.

“He was a big, tall kid when he came to us,” Wolfpack coach Jimmy Fields said. “We put him on the offensive and defensive lines. We didn’t know he played quarterback.”

That changed midseason when injuries to the team began to take their toll. “(The starter) got hurt, and assistant coach (Alex) Livingston saw me throwing in the gym,” the 6-4, 210 pound Pollard said. “The next game,

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

and he is doing agility ladder drills and jumping rope for better throwing accuracy and tightening his spiral.

He’s also learning the details of East’s Power I offense, which will give opposing defenses different looks.

Bloebaum is expected to run plays with either a loaded backfield or an empty backfield with the receivers spread out.

Plays will also be designed where he would have to run the ball on his own.

“I don’t see him as having a particular strength. He’s strong overall,” East said. “He’s not going to throw it so we can throw. He’s going to throw it so we can run and he’s going to run it so we can throw. We’re capable of doing more offensively based on what we are seeing.”

they threw me in there on the fly at quarterback and gave me a basic offense to run since I hadn’t learned the playbook.

“I played pretty well, had three JV games at quarterback and was groomed to compete for the job my junior year.”

Pollard, who ran for 409 yards and six touchdowns and passed for 432 yards and four more scores last season, won that competition, edging out 2011 starter Max Kemether for the varsity quarterback role.

Whitefield’s fortunes changed as well as the team went 6-4 last season and fell just short of qualifying for the state playoffs for the first time

since 2009.

“The key teammate that helped (Pollard) was Kemether,” Fields said. “He was unselfish and willing to win. He helped make us a better team.”

Entering his senior season, Pollard is looking forward to what lies ahead and is happy for the opportunity take the Wolfpack to the playoffs.

“I’m really excited for my senior year,” he said. “I got my feet wet under me playing JV and going through spring camp. Before, I never felt confident and successful going into a season because my family was always moving. Now, with our stability, I feel like this is my team.”

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WOODSTOCK WOLVERINES

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SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2013

KICKOFF 2013

LOCATION: 2012 TOWN LAKE HILLS DRIVE, WOODSTOCK. PHONE: 770-592-3500. HOME FIELD: WOLVERINE DEN. TEAM COLORS: NAVY BLUE, CARDINAL RED, WHITE. ONLINE: ETEAMZ.COM/WOODSTOCKWOLVERINES.COM.

2013 SCHEDULE

AT JOHNS CREEK AUG. 22

AT HARRISON AUG. 30

VS KELL SEPT. 6

VS WALTON SEPT. 20

VS LASSITER SEPT. 27

AT CHEROKEE OCT. 4

AT ROSWELL OCT. 18

CL. 11 12 11 12 12 12 10 10 11 11 11 10 11 12 9 11 10 12 10 11 12 11 11 12 9 10 11 9 9 9 10 11 11 10 9 10 9 12 10

POS. DB DB QB LB/RB WR DB/QB WR/DB WR DB WR RB WR/DB RB/DB DB/WR QB DB DB/WR LB WR RB LB DB WR/DB TE WR/LB DB/WR RB/DB WR/DB QB DB/WR DB/WR DB/RB WR/DB DB/RB TE/LB LB RB DB LB

NO. NAME 40 JACOB SCHOEB 42 ERIC VERNET 43 JOSEPH ARCURI 45 BEN CARROLL 46 HUNTER JENSEN 48 JACKSON MOSS 50 MATTHEW ROTENSTEIN 52 TONY RICCI 53 KYLE TUNNER 54 LONDON DEMETRIO 55 DANIEL BENETEZ 56 ANTHONY VOSILLA 57 DUNCAN MORRIS 58 ALEX NANI 59 SEAN-MICHAEL BRAGG 60 GARRET KIEFER 61 CODY MOORE 62 BLAKE JACOBS 63 CHAZ DUNN 64 AUSTIN BIGGERS 65 JACOB GRAVES 66 DEVIN GILMARTIN 67 NASH REED 68 DAVID BALDERAS 69 TYLER BAGGETT 70 ANDREW WOODYARD 72 TREY LAWRENCE 73 TRIPP STEPHENS 74 ALEX MANTEROLA 78 JUSTIN GORDON 79 NOAH MANZELLA 80 JAKE HOOPER 81 MILES DICKEY 82 COLIN TAYLOR 84 GARRET ATKINSON 85 COLE MCBAY 86 WILL STUMPF 87 KYLE MECKLEY 89 NICK CUTHBERT

VS WHEELER NOV. 1

VS MILTON NOV. 8

2013 SEASON OUTLOOK

2013 ROSTER NO. NAME 1 GREGG VERNET 2 CHRIS MOWERY 3 JUSTIN AGNER 4 JEAN BOEREAU 5 BRENDAN CARROLL 6 ALEX MOTSINGER 7 JERRAIL MCMICKENS 8 RAHSHAUN SIMS 9 ZACH NANI 10 JOSH LOUD 11 DEANTE ROBINSON 12 DANNY ARENAS 13 REAGAN AMOS 14 JONATHAN CHELENA 15 LIAM BYRNE 16 JELANI REGAN 17 BRANDON HITCHCOCK 18 ETHAN WHEELER 19 LUKE EIFERT 20 DONAVON BRAND 21 ANDREW LENHART 22 ERIC MONROE 23 REAGAN AMOS 24 NICK CABLE 25 JAI ERWIN 26 RAHSHAUN SIMS 27 SHARRONE GATES 28 PETER ZACHOS 29 BRANDON MUMY 30 MATEO MINO 31 DANNY ARENAS 32 JELANI REGAN 33 SPENCER REED 34 COREY RODRIGUEZ 35 CORY LONG 36 PEYTON ELLINGTON 37 TYRONE GOULD 38 CHRISTIAN BARNES 39 ELIAS MCCALL

AT ETOWAH OCT. 25

CL. 11 10 12 10 10 9 9 11 9 11 11 10 12 9 10 12 9 12 11 12 9 10 9 9 12 11 9 11 9 10 12 10 11 11 11 9 12 10 9

POS. LB/RB LB DL LB LB OL/DL OL/DL LB LB DL/OL DL/OL OL/DL LB OL LB/OL OL OL/DL OL OL OL OL/DL OL OL OL/DL DL/OL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL WR/DB WR WR WR WR/LB LB/TE WR WR/DB

After a 3-7 campaign in 2012, it isn’t surprising to hear Woodstock coach Brent Budde say that he is excited to start a new season with new opportunities.

Aside from Budde’s first season as head coach in 2010 when the Wolverines went 7-4 and reached the state playoffs, the team has struggled.

Injuries plagued the team in 2011. Last season, the team started slow and fell to 0-5 before winning three of its final five games.

The Wolverines are ready for a different ending to the 2013 season. To that end, Budde is making some changes.

The Wolverines will be spreading the ball out on offense. Along with several of his coaches, Budde made a trip to the University of Arizona to learn the spread offense from Wildcats’ coach Rich Rodriguez, and then

COACHING STAFF HEAD COACH: BRENT BUDDE YEAR: 4 RECORD: 14-17 CAREER : 14-17 VARSITY COACHING STAFF ROY CLAYTON — OFF. LINE BRIAN DAMERON — DB CORY NIX — DEF. LINE OZ PRICE — DC SAM YOUNG — DEF. LINE/ LB

added some coaches with spread experience to the Woodstock staff.

“That seems to fit our kids and what they can do with their skill level,” Budde said.

“For us, it was really about what fits our kids.”

The Wolverines have two returning quarterbacks that have starting experience in Justin Agner and Alex Motsinger.

Agner started the 2012 season under center, but went down with an injury, giving way to Motsinger. However, because of the system change, both players are having to study quickly.

“It’s a totally different system, but we know they can do it,” Budde said. “They are two of the reasons we made the change.

They can throw the ball accurately. It’s more about managing the game, but they can run it

when needed.”

Defensively the team will stick with a 3-4, and Budde expects that to be the backbone of the team.

Senior tackle Tyler Baggett, junior linebacker Jacob Schoeb, junior lineman Daniel Benetez, and senior safeties Chris Mowery and Motsinger will be key players.

Senior linebacker Duncan Morris is another one of the seven starters who return on defense.

“We are pretty senior-laden on the defensive side of the ball,” Budde said. “I think they are going to be able to hold their own and perform out there.”

— By Emily Horos ehoros@cherokeetribune.com

5-YEAR RECORD 32-24

2012 RESULTS 3-7

2012 LEADERS RUSHING JEAN BOEREAU

533 YDS.

PASSING ALEX MOTSINGER

648 YDS. 5 TD

RECEIVING MAX KEETON

327 YDS. 2 TD

TACKLES TREY ALEXANDER

98

SACKS TYLER BAGGETT

5

INTERCEPTIONS CHRIS MOWERY

2

JOHNS CREEK HARRISON KELL WALTON LASSITER CHEROKEE ROSWELL ETOWAH WHEELER MILTON

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taking his last chance

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After years on the sideline, Woodstock’s Brendan Carroll tries his hand at football

By Emily Horos ehoros@cherokeetribune.com

Brendan Carroll has always been a football fan.

Sitting in the stands at Woodstock last season, he watched the players on the field and thought “I could do that.”

So when the spring rolled around, Carroll went out for the team. He worked hard during the off-season and caught coach Brent Budde’s attention during 7-on-7 passing camps. Eventually he earned himself a starting position.

The story might not sound unique, but it is.

Carroll, a senior, had never played organized football before.

“Sitting in the stands last season, knowing that I could have played was tough,” he said. “I’ve been a football fan all my life.

That was when I decided that I would play this season.”

Carroll said he didn’t go out for football sooner because he knew he wasn’t going to start. He even went to a couple a practices one season before quitting. That won’t be

THE CARROLL FILE

cLASS: senior pOSITION: wide receiver hT/WT: 5-FOOT-11, 165 lbS first year playing football

the case this year. Carroll isn’t giving up.

He found his niche on the field. As a wide receiver, he has stood out.

“You have the chance to make a play when you get the ball,” Carroll said. “I have worked hard and I think that I have earned my spot.”

Budde said it’s the first time that he can remember a senior coming out for the team and making an impact.

“It’s pretty unusual,” Budde said. “Usually if a kid hasn’t come out before then he isn’t going to dedicate the time that is needed to get himself on the field.”

One thing that may be working in Carroll’s

Staff / Todd Hull

Woodstock’s Brendan Carroll, a senior, has not played organized football until this See Carroll, Page 90 season, but after going out for the team, he will be one of the Wolverines’ wide receivers.

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Good Continued from Page 71 stands. The stakes have certainly been raised from the days when Sprayberry coach Billy Shackelford would drop in on 11-year-old Rodrigo’s practice sessions on the high school’s field, but then again, pressure comes with the territory for any kicker.

“People don’t realize what a weapon a great kicker is,” Shackelford said. “One thing that’s neat about Rod is a lot of guys rely on athleticism, just that God’s gift of talent. Rod is obviously talented, but there’s nobody that outworks him, and that’s the truth. Here’s a kid that had four kicking sessions during the Fourth of July week on his own.”

While early success may have jump-started his interest in kick-

Pass Continued from Page 79 linebacker and were in need of a defensive lineman,” Walton coach Rocky Hidalgo said. “He just has an exceptional ability on the defensive line. He does things that you can’t coach kids to do.”

As a smaller player in stature, Williams, who is getting looks from UNC Charlotte, UAB, Mem-

Carroll Continued from Page 89 favor is that he isn’t a stranger to sports. He also plays baseball and said that speed is his greatest asset in both sports. At first he said that it was hard to learn all the plays in football, but then it all started to click.

“After a while you get used to it,” he said. “We are running a fast offense, so it’s mostly wide receivers doing the work and I like that.”

Looking toward the season, Carroll said he thinks about what it will be like to take the field for the first time in front of a home crowd.

“I think about running out (of

ing, it is failure that has pushed Rodrigo to improve heading into this fall.

Trailing 14-12 to Pope last October, Shackelford sent in Blankenship to attempt a do-or-die 57-yarder with less than 2 minutes to play.

The kick bounced off the front of the crossbar, a near-miss that has motivated him to keep his next game-winner from being left to chance.

“It was one of my better hits all season, and even though it didn’t make it, I feel like I gained so many supporters,” said Blankenship, who made 4 of 10 field goals and 21 of 23 extra points in 2012. “The system at Sprayberry was just incredible, and I think I gained more support and friends from missing. I guess really that kick was to show that I still have room to improve. Even though I didn’t convert on it, I’m still going to remember that.” phis and Tennessee State, can use bursts of power and speed to get into the backfield.

He finished with 45 tackles and four sacks in his first year on the defensive line.

And when he and Whitaker are practicing, they always challenge each other to outperform the other.

“We’re always yelling at each other to get to the quarterback,” Williams said. “Sometimes we might switch sides.” the Woodshed) every day,” he said. “I will be nervous. I know for sure.”

He parents have been supportive thus far. He has used his mother’s doubt that he could earn a starting spot as motivation.

“They are excited for me,” he said. “They will definitely be there for me.”

With the Wolverines’ newly installed spread offense, Carroll should see plenty of time on the field. Budde said Carroll is a good fit in the offense.

“He’s quick,” Budde said.

“That is a good thing in this offense. I remember my coaches saying ‘Do you see this kid?’ at a 7-on-7. He got our attention and continued to play at a high level.”

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PROUDLY SERVING THE SPORTS MEDICINE AND GENERAL ORTHOPAEDIC NEEDS OF COBB COUNTY AND METRO ATLANTA.