The Times Football Kickoff 2023

FOOTBALL KICKOFF 2023

From left, North Hall’s Tanner Marsh, Flowery Branch’s Cam Haynes, Cherokee Bluff’s Ryan Graves and Gainesville’s Baxter Wright are four of Hall County’s top talents going into this season.

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Every football season comes with a new sense of optimism.

In Hall County, that is especially true in 2023 after a down year for most of the programs in our 11-school coverage area last season.

With the exception of Gainesville (14-1 in 2022), which went to the Class 6A state finals, no one else in Hall County who plays in the GHSA made the postseason last year.

However, don’t expect the local programs to stay down for long.

Hall County has some of the best high school football in the state.

And while the Red Elephants have a great chance to claim their first state championship since 2012, the rest of the schools in Hall County should also see significant improvement on the gridiron.

The most significant improvement should come from the programs in Region 8-4A.

North Hall and Cherokee Bluff were both 3-7 last season, however each looks to be drastically better for this fall.

The Trojans are going to throw it around with the spread offense of second-year coach Sean Pender, who has ample talent at quarterback, wide receiver and a massive tight end in Breckan Kirby.

Cherokee Bluff is expecting a resurgence after an uncharacteristically down season following back-toback region championships (2020 and 2021).

At Flowery Branch, second-year coach Jason Tester has talent all across the board as it looks to hang with the top dogs in Region 8-5A.

For the Falcons (3-7 in 2022), their main showcase pieces are big-play wide receiver Seth Larson, talented middle linebacker Cam Haynes, tight end Ethan Fetterman and running back Malik Dryden, among others.

In 2023, we also get to see what two new head coaches in Hall County will be able to do their returning

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FOOTBALL KICKOFF 2023

talent, including Stuart Cunningham (Chestatee) and Lee Coleman (Lakeview Academy).

No question, the program with the deepest roster in Hall County resides at Gainesville.

The Red Elephants return a prolific nucleus on offense with senior quarterback Baxter Wright, who threw for more than 3,000 yards in 2022, along with his two top targets: senior wide receiver Travien Watson and senior tight end Sky Niblett.

In addition, Gainesville picked up running back Gavin Hall during the offseason, a 4,000-yard quarterback who was an All-State selection from Hebron Christian in 2022.

On defense, the Red Elephants are just as loaded.

They have a handful of future Division-I prospects on the defensive line, including move-in Champ Thompson, who is committed to Clemson. Meanwhile, returning junior linebacker Carmelo Byrd is primed for a big season.

In the secondary, Gainesville has added senior cornerback Zion Ferguson (a North Carolina commit) and safety Nick Taylor (Appalachian State commit).

With its collection of talent, it would be a disappointment for Gainesville not to be playing in the championship for Class 6A.

In this season’s preview edition, we have the traditional stories about the 11 programs in Hall County. However, we’ve taken a little different approach. The first segment for each school is a space for the head coach of each program to give a big-picture assessment of what the 2023 season looks like at his school.

As always, go out and support these hard-working athletes during the season. That gate money goes a long way to funding athletic departments.

And, during the season, we’ll be here to write the stories about players and topics that matter most to readers in Hall County.

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NORTH HALL

HIGH-POWERED OFFENSE, DEFENSE

GIVE TROJANS CHANCE IN REGION

BY DAVID FRIEDLANDER dfriedlander@gainesvilletimes.com

Coach: Sean Pender

Record last season: 3-5, 3-7 in Region 8-4A

Coach’s corner: “The No. 1 thing is, the kids understand the expectations. (In) Year 1, they really didn’t understand what the expectations were of how we want to play. The team now, the boys, they have a good grasp of what we expect out of them and a better understanding. So, expectations and understanding is already a big improvement over a year ago.

“Another big improvement is in our amount of depth on the defensive line. We were very weak there last year. We didn’t have very much depth. That was a big focal point for us for (the coaching staff) this summer seeing how we were still struggling in the spring game. So we worked hard on added depth there, and I feel we’re going to be more much improved there.

Five key players: QB Tanner Marsh (6-3, 190, Sr.), TE Breckan Kirby (6-4, 220, Sr.), WR/FS Ryals Puryear (5-10, 190, Sr.); LB Trey Patterson (5-10, 170, Sr.); LB Zeke Harris (6-2, 185, Sr.).

Quick facts: The 2022 season was a tough debut for Pender as head coach, with the program’s string of seven straight state playoff appearances being snapped, and the Trojans posting a sub-.500 record for only the third time in the last 21 seasons. … The good news is that the Trojans haven’t posted back-to-back losing seasons since the 2000 and 2001 seasons. … As has been pointed out throughout spring practice and into summer, Pender has had a knack for building depth by convincing athletes from other North Hall sports to come out for football since arriving at the school in early 2022. This year should be no different from a year ago with no fewer than a half-dozen athletes from other Trojan teams in their first or second seasons of playing football who figure to make important contributions for the Trojans. Among the players to watch are Korbyn Sosebee at receiver, Zeke Ortiz on the offensive and defensive line, Charlie Wright in the secondary and Kirby at tight end.

Overview: As was pointed out throughout the above items, a big mission Pender has set for the Trojans this fall is to move past the growing pains they experienced during his inaugural season on the sidelines at The Brickyard.

Those improvements have been targeted across the board on both sides of the line of scrimmage, though they will likely be more starkly seen on the offensive side.

SCHEDULE

Aug. 18: WHITE CO.

Sept. 1: at Dawson Co.

Sept. 8: at Walnut Grove*

Sept. 15: EAST HALL*

Sept. 22: at Cherokee Bluff*

Sept. 29: NORTH OCONEE*

Oct. 6: at Madison Co.*

Oct. 13: CHESTATEE*

Oct. 26: at Cedar Shoals*

Nov. 3: EAST FORSYTH*

ALL CAPS: home games *region games

The untimely fractured throwing hand to quarterback Tanner Marsh, who had accumulated around 1,000 yards of total offense in just over half a season was too much an adjustment for the North Hall offense to make.

However, with Marsh returned to full health and a large collections of weapons at his disposal — such as emerging standouts like Puryear and Kirby, as well as last year’s leading rusher (Tate Ruth) and receiver (Ajay Jones) — the Trojans appear poised to put up a lot more production from the 224 points (the fewest for the program since 2015) they were limited to a year ago.

It should also make them a lot more comfortable running Pender’s wide-open attack and air the ball out considerably more in 2023.

“We’re going to be a balanced team,” Peneder said. “That is the goal. Honestly, at the end of the season, we’ll be close to 50-50 (pass and run). We’re going to throw the football a lot more this year. And we’ll see an increase in throwing the ball downfield. I’d say it’s the same system, (but)

just a year (more) advanced from where we were last year.”

Pender also mentioned increased depth in the along the defensive line, but the key to the defensive unit making as big an improvement as the offense could equally be seen further away from the line of scrimmage.

Returning senior linebackers Patterson and Harris have made big strides, and should be very impactful if they can stay healthy, while the secondary appears to have improved its depth almost as much as the line.

“The linebacker spot, we have a lot of experience back, but I’m nervous,” Pender said. “If we have an injury, we’re in trouble. With the defensive backs, we have three guys returning that played a lot of football last year in the secondary. We also moved Walker Davis, who played quarterback for us when Tanner went down, back there. He’s doing a really good job there. Even though he’s only a sophomore, he’s playing very well.

“And Connor Free wasn’t able to play in the spring game. Now he’s back, and he’s looking good back there. Charlie Dyer and Mason Kerrick are back and both of them were contributors for us, as well. So, we’ve got some experience there, and I’m expecting big improvement.”

Best-case scenario: Given the increased development, depth and health across the board already documented, particularly in that third element, there is every reason to believe the Trojans can experience a bounce-back season and challenge for a state playoff berth.

Realistic outlook: Even with a few setbacks, getting back to the .500 mark, or better, seems like a reasonable goal, at the very least.

North Hall quarterback Tanner Marsh looks to pitch during practice July 10 in Gainesville.

BILL MURPHY The Times

CHEROKEE BLUFF

ANOTHER YEAR OF EXPERIENCE HAS BLUFF POSITIONED AS REGION CONTENDER

BY DAVID FRIEDLANDER dfriedlander@gainesvilletimes.com

Coach: Tommy Jones

Record last year: 3-7, 3-5 in Region 8-4A

Coach’s corner: “That’s what we keep telling our kids, that the margin of difference in high school football, especially against good football teams, is razor thin. The differences in a football game, which (add up to) a football season, are just so minute that every play matters. Everything you do matters. Staying healthy, your work habits, how you go about things in the offseason, details, all those things are ultra important.

“We talk a lot about intangibles. We talk about attitude and effort and work ethic, our togetherness as a team. We talked a lot this offseason about little things — coachability, the weight room has been a big piece of that for us this offseason. Trying to find a way to find 15 more points is a big deal.

“Unapologetically, we have high expectations (each) year. We have a great coaching staff. We’ve got a great community. There are a lot of great ingredients here that are necessary to have a top-tier program. We also know that growth is not always linear. There are roadblocks as you build a program. Right now, we’ve got to find a way to take the next step in this program.”

Five key players: TE Ryan Graves (6-3, 235, Sr.); QB Asher Wilson (6-1, 210, Sr.), SS/ WR KT Thompson (6-1, 190, Jr.), LB Connor Griffin (5-10, 185, Jr.); OL/DL Caleb Williford (6-6, 280, Sr.).

Quick facts: The Bears are looking to bounce back after missing the postseason for the first time since 2019. … It will take a pretty big season, but head coach Tommy Jones could reach an important milestone this year. Currently, the 17-year veteran – who has head coaching stops at Lumpkin County and Dacula before coming to Cherokee Bluff – needs only nine more wins to reach 100 for his career. … For the second straight year, the Bears will open the season a day earlier than every other Hall County team by participating in the 2023 Corky Kell Classic, this time with a road game at West Forsyth on Aug. 17 in Cumming. … One of the things Jones says has helped build relative stability in a program entering its sixth season of varsity play is that “upwards of 95 percent of our football team were guys who

Cherokee Bluff head coach Tommy Jones watches his players Thursday, July 13, during practice as the Bears prepare for the upcoming season.

played in our middle school (program).”

Overview: In the Coaches Corner, Jones made reference to “Trying to find a way to find 15 more points.”

That’s because of the Bears’ seven losses last season, four of them came by a combined eight points — all by a field goal or less.

Throw in a fifth loss by a mere touchdown and it’s easy to see that while last season was clearly a step back following two straight region championships, the Bears aren’t that far away from being a title contender and state playoff qualifier again.

And Jones is confident he has enough returning talent that now has a year of experience under its collective belt to take a step forward after experiencing some growing pains in 2022

on both sides of the ball.

On offense, much of the cornerstone is built from the line of scrimmage on back, with Division-I prospect Williford leading an experienced offensive line, and Wilson back under center after gaining seasoning in his first year as a starter in 2022.

And while three of the top four receivers from last season lost to graduation, Jones has confidence that the Bears will have more than enough playmakers to have an impact, particularly Thompson, who figures to see his role expand after making 20 catches last year, and Graves, who returns healthy after missing last season with a knee injury.

“Two big pieces on any offense are going to be your offensive line and your quarterback,”

SCOTT ROGERS | The Times

The Cherokee Bluff football team works out Thursday, July 13, as the Bears prepare for the upcoming season.

Jones said. “It gives us a level of comfort knowing that those two positions (have) guys returning who have gotten a lot of quality reps. Most of those guys will be stepping into Year 2 as starters for us. They have experience, so we understand that those are the foundational blocks of our offense right now.

“At the same time, we have what we believe are guys that have the ability to be significant playmakers for us offensively that might not have the same amount of reps, (but) they do have is some quality playing time. Guys like KT Thompson at receiver and Conner Hulsey at running back and some other guys we feel like we’re excited about getting on the field and watching them produce in a big way for us.”

Meanwhile on defense, the Bears experience will likely flow in the opposite direction from

SCHEDULE

Aug. 17: at West Forsyth (Corky Kell Classic)

Aug. 25: ADAIRSVILLE

Sept. 8: MADISON CO.*

Sept. 15: at Chestatee*

Sept. 22: NORTH HALL*

Sept. 29: at Cedar Shoals*

Oct. 6: EAST FORSYTH*

Oct. 13: at Walnut Grove*

Oct. 20: EAST HALL*

Nov. 3: at North Oconee*

ALL CAPS: home games *region games

the back forward, with Thompson returning at safety after posting a team-best five inter-

ceptions a year ago, while Griffin leads the linebacking corps after leading the team with 83 tackles last season, and Nathan Richardson back on the defensive front after contributing 70 tackles and a team-best four sacks.

“From a defensive perspective, we have a handful of guys returning at key positions,” Jones said. “Defensive-line wise, Nathan Richardson and Jack Hamilton absorbed a lot of reps last year. … At the same time, we look at our second-level guys.”

Best-case scenario: Given all the close calls from last year, Cherokee Bluff could make a run for the region championship if it can win the close ones in 8-4A.

Realistic outlook: The Bears will certainly be in the running for one of the four playoff spots to state in a very competitive league.

SCOTT ROGERS | The Times

CHESTATEE

NEW LEADERSHIP, RETURNING TALENT HAVE CHESTATEE READY

TO IMPROVE

BY DAVID FRIEDLANDER dfriedlander@gainesvilletimes.com

Coach: Stuart Cunningham

Record last season: 2-8, 2-6 in Region 8-4A

Coach’s corner: “I think right now, our football team gets along with one another. They seem to like each other. That’s not always the case, especially when you put people under a lot of stress. I’ve been pleased with that, for sure.

“That’s the key, in my opinion — the coaching staff and how well they work together. That’s been great. We’ve got a variety of coaches age-wise and with experience. That’s been good, too. We’ve got some young, some very experienced and some kind of in the middle. I think that helps.

“We really haven’t set expectations yet. I know we will, just because we’re such a work in progress still. We think we’ve come a long way, but you have one bad day of practice and you rethink it.

“I think it’s exactly what it is: a work in progress. It’s hard for us to gauge how we are until we really play a real game. Then it will be much clearer for us. Right now, the message is to work extremely hard every day and just don’t have any regrets.”

Five key players: QB Josh Kermode (6-2, 180, Jr.); DE/RB Sazo Dollyhigh (6-1, 250, Sr.); OL/DL Nate Brazier (6-2, 230, Sr.); LB/RB Ben Clements (5-8, 180, Soph.); CB/WR Edwin Rodriguez (6-1, 170, Jr.)

Quick facts: Cunningham’s new coaching staff will feature a family reunion, with former North Hall head coach Bob Christmas returning to Hall County to serve as a part-time consultant with his son Kevin, who is the War Eagles’ new offensive coordinator. Both have worked before with Cunningham. ... The new offensive staff inherits a unit looking to carry over some momentum from last season. The War Eagles averaged just 16.7 points over their first four games in 2022, skewed somewhat by a 44-point outburst in a win over East Hall, but rallied to average 25.5 points over their final four games. … The War Eagles have gotten a boost with an off-the-field aspect that is every bit as important as the work they put in on the field. The school’s weight room has received some needed renovation, including a new floor and brand new equipment that Cunningham is convinced will help his players grow stronger and better conditioned.

Overview: Cunningham’s assessment about his team being “a work in progress” is probably about as apt as any coach can make, given his circum-

SCHEDULE

Aug. 18: at Hebron Christian

Sept. 1: WHITE CO.

Sept. 8: at East Hall*

Sept. 15: CHEROKEE BLUFF*

Sept. 22: at North Oconee*

Sept. 29: MADISON CO.*

Oct. 13: at North Hall*

Oct. 20: CEDAR SHOALS*

Oct. 27: at East Forsyth*

Nov. 3: WALNUT GROVE*

ALL CAPS: home games *region games

stances.

With a new coaching staff that is still getting to know the players, and vice versa, there are quite a few moving parts that all parties involved have been working hard to negotiate throughout the spring and summer.

That said, the more Cunningham sees of his War Eagles, the more he is starting to like in all the team’s units.

The return of starting quarterback Josh Kermode after a solid sophomore season a year ago provides the offense with a good building block, particularly as the unit as a whole works to learn the new system of Cunningham and his offensive staff.

“He’s been very receptive to (the system),” Cunningham said of his junior signal caller. “I think they all have, but having somebody that’s played varsity ball before, no matter what you’re running, it’s going to help your offense. And he’s done that for us.”

Other individuals have done a lot for the War Eagles’ offense, especially across the line, which should be led by veterans like the senior Brazier, and has made enough significant strides to help the offense play catch up with the defense.

Chestatee practices July 10 in Gainesville.

“I think (the offense and defense) are pretty even. I feel like the offense, I think (may be) a little behind the defense, and that’s only because we’re trying to do so many (different) things on offense. We’re not trying to do a lot of things on defense right now.

“I think that our offensive line has come a long way since we started back in the spring. The unit is really important to our success.”

There are also plenty of players who are impor tant to success for Chestatee on both sides of the line of scrimmage, such as Brazier, Clements and Rodriguez.

Perhaps the most intriguing two-way talent that could be a major catalyst for the War Eagles this fall is Dollyhigh, who at 6-1, 250, possesses not only impressive size and strength, but also enough speed and athleticism to be a force both on defense as an edge rusher and on offense in a far less expected position.

“He’s a big kid and a strong kid,” Cunningham said. “He plays defensive end and running back. That’s a combination you don’t see a lot. We want the best people out there all we can get, all the time.

“He’s obviously bigger than the average high school running back in our classification. You don’t usually see them that big. If you do, then ev erybody else is big, too. (But) he still has to prove himself like everybody else does.”

Best-case scenario: Given the amount of unknowns, it’s hard to pinpoint an exact ceiling for the War Eagles in 8-4A. But in a region in which reversing one or two losses from the previous seasons can change a lot, a significant rise in the standings isn’t out of the question.

Realistic outlook: Given the presence of some of the best football minds over the past two generations that are now on the coaching staff, improving on last year’s two-win season seems like a very attainable goal.

BILL MURPHY The Times

EAST HALL

East Hall coach Matt Turner talks with players during practice July 10 in Gainesville.

EXPERIENCE ACROSS THE BOARD MAKES

EAST HALL MORE COMPETITIVE IN REGION

BY DAVID FRIEDLANDER dfriedlander@gainesvilletimes.com

Coach: Matt Turner

Record last season: 2-8, 0-8 Region 8-4A

Coach’s corner: “I will say this. Overall for the program, I couldn’t be happier where we are right now. The state of the program, everything is moving in the right direction — offense, defense, special teams, and in the weight room. We were, in my opinion, a year or two behind where we needed to be in the weight room to really compete. And we’re still growing there. But we’ve seen tremendous gains in the weight room that are going to pay off for us.

“It’s what I tell (the players) all the time. We’re not young anymore. We’ve been young. Last year, we were really young. Now truth be told, are we still young? Yes, but I’m not making excuses. ... We’ve got to be successful,

and we talk about that all the time. We expect to compete. We expect to be successful, and at some point, we want the kids to experience the fruits of their labor. Our kids work their tails off. They work hard. They do everything we ask of them, and at some point, they need to be rewarded for that. The moment that happens, we can go out and win some ball games.

“So we expect to be successful. We don’t talk about being young anymore. I feel like if you talk like that as a coach, ... you’re giving them an out a little bit. We don’t do that. ... All our priority guys on offense and defense, they’ve been through the fire. They’ve played in this region. They’ve played against the North Oconees of the world, ... so they know what it’s like. Now it’s time to grow from that and have some success.

“Most of our key positions, and it’s more

BILL MURPHY | The Times

on the skill-position side, ... they’re all back. And beyond just being young (as an example), (senior receiver/defensive back) Javon Harrison, Jamarcus’ brother, was a first-year football player (last season). So not only was he young in age, he was very green and inexperienced. ... Caden Daniels has been playing for us since he was a freshman, and he had no business being out there as a freshman. He’s a junior now, but he’s got two years (of) varsity experience. So, we really expect him to take that next step. Same thing with our quarterbacks.”

Five key players: QB/ATH Jamarcus Harrison (6-4, 173, Soph.); QB Peyton Llewallyn (6-0, 145, Jr.), OL/DL Jake Jones (6-4, 260, Sr.), WR/DE Chasen Jones (6-3, 200, Soph.); OL/DL Delsin Grindle (5-10, 265, Sr.).

Quick facts: Last year’s 14-13 win over Johnson gave the Vikings their first 2-0 start to a season since 2011. If they can duplicate those wins in their first two games this year, it will give them a chance for the program’s first 3-0 start since 1990. The Vikings went 11-2 and advanced to the state quarterfinals that year.

Overview: Turner’s assessment about the state of the East Hall program heading into the 2023 campaign is well taken.

The Vikings’ youth versus its experience level represents something of a paradox, yet also an opportunity, particularly on offense.

With both Jamarcus Harrison and Llewallyn having seen significant playing time at quarterback and fully healthy, Turner and the offensive coaches should have significantly more flexibility in coming up with new ways to put points on the

board. And Vikings fans can be very sure that when it’s Llewallyn under center, Harrison will be somewhere else on the field, looking to make something good happen.

Throw in a few more youngish skill players like Chasen Jones and junior receiver Caden Daniels, and whichever quarterback is throwing the ball, will have plenty of weapons to choose from.

“I like where we are,” Turner said. “We played so many sophomores back there last year, and

SCHEDULE

Aug. 18: WEST HALL

Sept. 1: at Johnson

Sept. 8: CHESTATEE*

Sept. 15: at North Hall*

Sept. 22: CEDAR SHOALS*

Sept. 29: at East Forsyth*

Oct. 6: WALNUT GROVE*

Oct. 20: at Cherokee Bluff*

Oct. 27: NORTH OCONEE*

Nov. 3: at Madison Co.*

ALL CAPS: home games *region games

those kids are now going to be juniors. And a couple of freshmen that played have some experience there.”

Of course, giving those young, athletic skill players room to maneuver will be a big task, one made even larger with the graduation of two important seniors — Caleb Pruitt (The Times 2023 Boys Athlete of the Year) and Jake Evans — from last year’s offensive line.

So, the Vikings will look to veterans like rising seniors Jake Jones and Delsin Grindle to provide the leadership to help build cohesion up front.

“The biggest question mark will be the offensive line,” Turner said. “Replacing guys like Pruitt and Evans isn’t so easy. We’ve got some good players individually, but as a unit, we’re still trying to put everything together.”

Turner is likewise concerned about the trenches on the defensive side, though he has hope that players like Jake Jones and Grindle in the middle and Chasen Jones coming off the edge can help fill that void, and give other players further off the line like Daniels a chance to make some plays.

“The experience (in the secondary), I’ve seen the development there,” Turner said. “Same thing with the linebacker positions. A lot of our linebackers are now two-year starters. So, they’re ready to play.

“A big question mark for us on the defensive side is the defensive line. We like what we have, but there’s just not a ton of depth there, nor is there a ton of size. Caleb was a first-team AllRegion (8-4A) player. … He did a lot of good things for us on the defensive line and was kind of the nucleus for us there.”

Best-case scenario: If they get another quick start, stay healthy and everything falls right, the Vikings could post the program’s first winning season since 2015, and perhaps even challenge for one of the region’s lower state-playoff seeds.

Realistic outlook: Despite how unkind the region schedule was last year, it will only take a slight improvement for the Vikings to find their way back to .500 for the second time in four years.

BILL MURPHY | The Times East Hall quarterback Jamarcus Harrison throws during practice July 10 in Gainesville.

FLOWERY BRANCH

RETURNING TALENT AT SKILL POSITIONS HAS FALCONS IN HUNT FOR POSTSEASON

BY DAVID FRIEDLANDER dfriedlander@gainesvilletimes.com

Coach: Jason Tester

Record last season: 3-7, 1-5 in Region 8-5A

Coach’s corner: “Taking over the program (last year) and knowing this community, knowing this school, these players and parents, there’s an awful lot about this community that is phenomenal. I know the areas that I’ve targeted as weaknesses (for the team) are things that we can work on.

“The beauty of this year, and I’m not putting any silver lining (on last year’s) 3-7 season because that obviously was not the plan, is that our kids battled every single game and fought to the very end. They didn’t give up, and that really set the tone, and for us to focus on the offseason and building on that – not just physically, though a lot depends on getting bigger and stronger — (is) the mental approach for us.

“So, there’s a lot of optimism, and that was kind of the goal. … There’s a lot of buzz, a lot of positivity. That’s a testament to these kids responding to what we channeled to them at the end of the season last year. It’s this senior group, and their leadership and their willingness to be all in.

“Our motto this year is, ‘Branch Built.’ That’s really what we’ve stressed, and we’re in control of the things we can control and put ourselves in a position to be successful.

“Our eighth graders (from the middle school program) are up working with us every day. By the time they’re seniors, that’ll be that be their fifth year with us. We’ve streamlined our Junior Falcons (program). We’ve got our kids camp (that ran in July). We (had) our Junior Falcons’ coaching clinic. So, really top to bottom, we are about as much as possible (involving them) with the high school program. … It is a K-12 experience. At the end of the day, that’s the biggest thing we’re keying on with parents and players — that player development is priority one for us.”

Five key players: WR/DB Seth Larson (5-10, 160, Sr.); LB/TE Cam Haynes (6-0, 215, Sr.); QB Josh Oliver (6-1, 175, Sr.); RB/LB Malik Dryden (5-10, 205, Sr.); TE/DE Ethan Fetterman (6-2, 225, Sr.)

Quick facts: As Tester noted, there has been no attempt to sugarcoat last year’s 3-7 season. However, there is historical precedent to indicate that a bounce back season is very possible for the Falcons this fall. Flowery Branch has only had five losing seasons since the program began

BILL MURPHY | The Times

Flowery Branch’s Jeremiah Ware (4) comes down with the catch against White County in the spring scrimmage May 18 in Flowery Branch.

SCHEDULE

Aug. 18: DECATUR

Aug. 25: at St. Pius X

Sept. 1: STEPHENS CO.

Sept. 15: at Lambert

Sept. 22: EASTSIDE*

Sept. 29: at Clarke Central*

Oct. 6: WINDER-BARROW*

Oct. 13: at Jefferson*

Oct. 27: LOGANVILLE*

Nov. 2: at Heritage-Conyers*

ALL CAPS: home games

*region games

in 2002. Three of those came during the first three seasons of the program, and the season following that third season (2004) and the most recent one prior to last year (2016) were both followed by winning seasons and multiple-round playoff appearances. … The Falcons coaching staff will feature a new look for 2023 with two new coordinators. Micheil Hill comes in to take over the offense after last year’s coordinator, Aaron Nance, moved on to take a head coaching job in Tennessee. Hill served as passing-game coordinator with Cherokee Bluff last season. He also has offensive

coordinator experience at Archer in Gwinnett County. Tester has also looked to the county next door to lead the Falcons’ defense after Scott Jackson was shifted over to coach the offensive line. Jarrod Rickman has come in after coaching the secondary for defending Class 7A state champion Mill Creek in 2022.

Overview: There are a lot of similarities between the strengths Tester and his staff will have and the challenges they face on both offense and defense for the 2023 campaign.

Offensively, the Falcons will have plenty of experience returning at the skill positions.

Though he only started the final two games a year ago, Oliver also saw other action throughout the season and should feel comfortable under center, especially given some of the weapons he will have to work with.

In addition, Flowery Branch added former Buford backup Tristan Gabrels to compete for the starting quarterback position.

With Dryden back at running back and Larson and junior Jeremiah Ware returning at receivers, the senior signal caller should have plenty of options to utilize.

The biggest concern is how well Jackson can help develop the line that will help create space for those skill players to operate.

So far, the early reviews from Tester are positive.

“There are a couple guys that saw action (last year),” Tester said. “(Junior) Tony Mejia is one. Garrett Harper will be a senior and saw some action. … Alfredo Rubio is going to be a senior and played a little last year, so we expect him to have a good year.

“Our philosophy is, we’re going to look to stress (opposing) defenses horizontally and vertically and make them defend all areas of the field. We’ll have a variety of different formations and a balanced attack and just playing to our kids’ assets.”

Likewise, the Falcons’ defense for 2023 looks like it will be built from the back and middle on in.

Haynes has shown plenty of potential at the middle linebacker spot, and will be flanked by fellow senior Frank Perez at one o f the outside linebacker positions, while seniors Jordan Elder, Elijah Kiep, Jalen Augustine and Ty Akins are expected to lead the secondary.

The big challenge will be to find depth to work alongside Fetterman up front to help control the line of scrimmage.

“The defensive line graduated a ton (from last season),” Tester said. “So, we may have some guys going on both sides of the (line). But just being able to get those guys in and focus on controlling the line of scrimmage and having our best 11 on the field and play good sound physical defense (is the big key).”

Best-case scenario: Given the rebuilding job faced by three of the playoff teams from Region 8-5A a year ago, it’s not out of the question for the Falcons to be able to contend for the region’s top spot if everything falls into place.

Realistic outlook: With so much experience coming back in key positions, the Falcons should be able to bounce back and return to the state playoffs, if they can stay healthy and if the offensive and defensive lines develop as the coaching staff expects they can.

GAINESVILLE

RESTOCKED WITH TALENT, GAINESVILLE HAS GREAT CHANCE AT STATE TITLE

BY DAVID FRIEDLANDER dfriedlander@gainesvilletimes.com

Coach: Josh Niblett

Record last season: 14-1, 6-0 in Region 8-6A, Class 6A state runner-up

Coach’s corner: “We’ve got some new players. We’ve got some young kids who are now going to be freshmen that are with us, so that’ll be a little bit of inexperience. But then, you’ve got a nucleus of guys back that understand our standard. I think that’s the key.

“Of course, I’m always going to try to lead our players, but great teams, the elite teams, are the ones that lead themselves. I think that’s one thing I’ve seen from Year 1 to Year 2.

“This is the elephant in the room, of course, is you get to the state championship game (and) you don’t win it, everybody expects you to make it back and have another shot at it. But it doesn’t work like that. Everybody’s working to get back to that.

“Now, I don’t want to say we snuck up on anybody because I don’t think that gives us much respect (from) last year. We had a good football team with a lot of tough kids who knew how to play the game and got better and better at what we were doing and knew how to finish. Then, they knew how to play big in big situations, which was huge.

“My biggest thing is (that) last year, we had to prove everybody wrong. This year, we’ve got to prove everybody right. I think that’s a different mindset.

Five key players: QB Baxter Wright (6-2, 185, Sr.); WR Travien Watson (5-11, 175, Sr.), DL Champ Thompson (6-4, 275, Sr.), CB Zion Ferguson (6-0, 173, Sr.), RB/ATH Gavin Hall (5-9, 185, Sr.).

Quick facts: The Red Elephants currently rank as the third-winningest program in Georgia history with 772 all-time wins, according to the Georgia High School Football Historians website, trailing only Valdosta (944) and LaGrange (791). … Gainesville will open the 2023 season against the fourth-winningest program, Marist (757). … When Florida’s Coconut Creek travels to City Park Stadium on Sept. 1, it will mark just the fifth game Gainesville has ever played against an opponent from outside Georgia. ... The Red Elephants enter this season with no fewer than 18 Division-I college prospects, with recent additions Thompson (Clemson commit) and Ferguson (North Carolina) as the highest-

goes through spring practice May 15

profile individuals.

Overview: Both the offensive and defensive lost some key pieces from last year, but return plenty of others.

And with the infusion of some impressive new talent via transfers and ascension from the junior varsity and middle school programs, the Red Elephants should have plenty of talent on both sides to get another shot at the Class 6A state title that barely eluded them last year.

“(With) the progression which we’re (currently) making, there are some things that I really, really feel good about, and there are some things we’ve got to get better at,” Niblett said. “I think we’ve got to continue to grow depth at

some spots, for sure. I think if we’re able to do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance to be where we want to be at the end.”

On offense, returning Wright for his fourth season as starting quarterback is a big step in the right direction after throwing for 3,343 yards and 40 TDs and running for 563 yards and nine more scores (in 2022), while the addition of Hebron Christian transfer Gavin Hall and incoming freshman Mikel Stephen should be a big building block at running back.

And the return of seniors Noe Covarrubias, Jamel Jones and Christian Green and junior Alex Payne should help make the offensive line one of the deepest subsets of the unit.

Photo by Gainesville High football Gainesville

at the Bruce Miller Field.

Where Niblett is looking to build depth on offense is at receiver and tight end, where two important pieces return in his son Sky Niblett and fellow senior Watson, but there is still plenty of competition going on to see who will join them.

“We’ve got to continue to work on our depth at receiver,” Niblett said. “I think that’s (an important) spot for us. … “We’re probably pretty good in a couple of spots, and we’ve still got (some) guys trying to grow and learn and get some experience.”

From a defensive standpoint, the addition of North Carolina-committed Ferguson to a group that returns a few key players like junior Cash O’Callaghan should give a big boost to the secondary.

Similarly, the addition of Clemson-commit Thompson to an impressive young group that

SCHEDULE

Aug. 18: MARIST

Aug. 25: at Mountain View

Sept. 1: COCONUT CREEK (FLA.)

Sept. 8: at Clarke Central

Sept. 15: APALACHEE*

Sept. 29: LANIER*

Oct. 13: at Habersham Central*

Oct. 20: SHILOH*

Oct. 27: at North Forsyth*

Nov. 3: at Jackson Co.*

ALL CAPS: home games *region games

includes juniors Julius Columbus and Brandon Bailey and sophomores Kadin Fossung and Marshall Leonard should help make the line one of the strengths of the defense.

Gainesville center Noe Covarrubius (61) takes pregame snaps with quarterback Baxter Wright during warmups of the Red Elephants’ spring scrimmage at Alpharetta on May 17.

But Byrd being one of the few returners at linebacker make that unit a similar situation as the receivers on offense.

“What we’ve got to do is create some depth at linebacker,” Niblett said. “Carmelo’s a heck of a player and made some great plays for us last year, and has had a good spring and good summer. But then, you’ve got to find the other guys. … We’ve got plenty of bodies, but we’ve got to get some continuity.”

Best-case scenario: Whether Niblett’s ‘elephant in the room’ pun was intended or not, it is an apt assessment. After finishing as state runner up a year ago, there’s only one best-case scenario possible this season: the state championship.

Realistic outlook: Given the talent level of the returning players from last year’s state runner-up team and several newcomers, the bestcase scenario seems very realistic.

Photo by Gainesville High football

JOHNSON

JOHNSON LOOKING TO GET INTO WIN

COLUMN WITH A LOT OF EXPERIENCE

BY DAVID FRIEDLANDER dfriedlander@gainesvilletimes.com

Coach: William Harrell

Record last season: 0-10 (non-region)

Coach’s corner: “We’re just making sure we’re taking care of stuff that is necessary to get to that point (of getting a win).

“These seniors, yes (they understand what goes into getting better), and we’ve got some juniors like that, as well. Our biggest struggle right now has been our sophomore group. We have a lot of kids that played last year as freshman that just haven’t been out this summer for different reasons. The bottom line is that’s made it very difficult for us from a depth standpoint. … We’re just trying make sure we’re squared away there.

“We have had a good freshman class, but that freshman group is exactly what I’m talking about. Bless their hearts, a lot of their first times playing football is eighth grade, and in some cases, they’re now starting with us for the first time playing. When those kids don’t have to be relied on (immediately), it’s one thing. It’s another thing when (some of) those kids are having to start or having to contribute right away. It’s not an ideal situation, but it’s a situation that’s reality, and we have to make the most of it.

“The biggest thing is going to be early in the season. That’s what hurt us last year. Our first five games were tougher than our second five games, but our guys had lost confidence after losing a couple of tough games there. The second half of the season, … it’s just one of those things like, if we played (in second half) like we played in the first half against those teams, those are different ball games.

“So, the first three or four games are going to be huge for us going into the rest of the season, not so much from a physical standpoint, but from a psychological standpoint.”

Five key players: RB/SS Demetri Moon (5-11, 190, Sr.); WR/CB Linus Griffith (6-3, 165, Sr.); FB/ LB Cristian Lemos, (5-7, 180, Sr.); OL/DL Guillermo Rosales (6-1, 265, Sr.); LB/FB Julian Gomez (5-11, 185, Sr.)

Quick facts: It’s no big surprise that the Knights’ primary goal is to end their current winless streak, which has reached 32 games dating back to their last win Oct. 11, 2019 (24-22 over Walnut Grove at Billy Ellis Memorial Stadium). … The Knights nearly broke the streak three different times last season, with road losses at East Hall, Lakeside-DeKalb and Clarkston coming by

SCHEDULE

Aug. 18: BANKS CO.

Aug. 25: at West Hall

Sept. 1: EAST HALL

Sept. 15: at East Forsyth

Sept. 22: EAST JACKSON

Sept. 29: LAKESIDE-DEKALB

Oct. 13: at Towns Co.

Oct. 20: Druid Hills (at Hallford Stadium)

Oct. 27: CLARKSTON

Nov. 3: at Midtown (at Eddie S. Henderson Stadium)

ALL CAPS: home games *region games

a combined four points. Johnson will get all three of those opponents at home this fall. … For the first time since Harrell became head coach in 2020, the Knights’ JV team will play a full seven-game schedule, which should help with the development of younger players. … The Johnson coaching staff will feature a different look in 2023 with Mack McCord coming over from Forsyth Central to take over as quarterbacks coach, while Donovan Odom, who served as offensive line and linebackers coach a year ago, takes over as defensive coordinator.

Overview: After a rough 2021 season in which it scored only 52 total points, the Johnson offense made some strides last year by more than doubling that total to 112 a year ago.

Many of the contributors to that improvement are back to try and take another, bigger step forward this fall, including Moon, who ran for 790 yards and three touchdowns as a junior, and fellow seniors Griffith at receiver, Greyson Higgins at quarterback and Rosales and Justin Yanez on the line.

That said, Harrell is looking for more individuals to take a major step forward to allow the unit to continue progressing in the right direction.

“Moon’s best season is ahead,” Harrell said. “Last year was the first year he was really able to stay healthy. That was huge for us and huge for our team. … “We’ve got a situation where we’ve got a

Johnson players go through practice

July 11 at Billy Ellis Memorial Stadium in Oakwood.

quarterback with a year under his belt. … So, that’s going to be a bonus for us.

“We’re expecting either Linus or (junior) Nehemiah Anderson to step up as far as being a receiver for us. We haven’t had a standout receiver since I’ve been here, and we need one of those guys. I don’t know which one it’s going to be, but we need one of those guys to take that next step because when we have that, then it really puts pressure on the defensive side. We like to be able to threaten with both the run and the pass, but we’ve got to make sure that we have guys who, when they get open, are able to execute.”

Defensively, Harrell is actually hoping for a little less production from one of the unit’s returning leaders from a year ago, though for a very good reason.

“I hope that (Griffith) is not (the team’s leading tackler again this season) because he was at strong safety (last year),” Harrell said of his two-way senior, who posted team bests with 76 tackles and three interceptions in 2022. “I would hope it’s going to be a linebacker doing that. We return two of our linebackers from last year. Both of them were starting. I’m hoping that they’re leading the charge – Julian Gomez and Cristian Lemos. I’m really looking for Julian to take a step up. This needs to be big year for him for us to be successful.

“Defensive line, we have numbers, but we just don’t have anybody who has really demanded extra attention. It’s going to come down to those guys to make that happen.”

The secondary will be less experienced, but the Knights are hopeful Anderson and fellow junior Trae Couget can step in to help provide help for Griffith.

Best-case scenario: Given a year of experience and the same non-region schedule from a year ago, the Knights should have a chance to win as many as 3-5 games this season if they can stay healthy and continue to make progress.

Realistic outlook: There’s no reason to believe the Knights can’t win at least one of their most winnable games and be considerably more competitive in every other game.

BILL MURPHY The Times

LAKEVIEW ACADEMY

LIONS USHER IN THE LEE COLEMAN ERA AS HEAD COACH WITH HIGH EXPECTATIONS

BY DAVID FRIEDLANDER dfriedlander@gainesvilletimes.com

Coach: Lee Coleman

Record last year: 6-5, 2-2 in GIAA District 4-4A/3A

Coach’s corner: “I feel like I got a decent read (on how his first team is progressing) just by (watching) 7-on-7s and throughout summer workouts and some of the workouts we started in February. We started in March. The biggest thing is, I want to see our guys compete.

“In the past (three) years, we’ve been in the (state) playoffs twice. We’re coming off a playoff season (last year). There’s a lot of (roster) turnover. However, I still feel like we’ve got a lot (going) for us.

“I think this year is critical with some of the experienced guys, just having a unit knowing that we have enough (experience). I think it would be a huge momentum (boost) for us if we could be successful this year.

“It’s interesting. We had five (or) six guys from the team last year that all transferred to different schools. So, it’s almost like, ‘I wish we still had some of those guys.’ … However, … we are comfortable at a spot that we are. We’ll always take more players, but like I always tell my guys (about) the numbers, ‘They only put 11 (on the field at a time). Eleven guys (have) got to play.”

Five key players: RB/S Tristan Buffington (6-0, 175, Sr.); WR/SS T.J. Blackwell (6-0, 175, Sr.); CB Armond Long Jr. (5-10, 165, Jr.); QB/ CB Kyari Burch (6-0, 165, Soph.); OT/DT D.J. Whitcomb (6-2, 300, Jr.)

Quick facts: The Lions are coming off just the third winning season and the second state playoff berth since their program began in 2007. Two of those three winning seasons and both playoff berths have come during the past three seasons under former coach Lee Shaw, who has moved on to south Georgia to take over the program at Metter. … Last year’s six wins tied a single-season program record, matching Lakeview Academy’s 2012 season that ended at 6-2 under then-head coach Matthew Gruhn. … Coleman comes to Lakeview Academy with a similar recent record of success while coaching Georgia Military Prep School in Milledgeville, where he guided the Bulldogs to the GHSA state playoffs the past three seasons.

Overview: The Lakeview Academy offense will have to rely on some new faces at some key positions, perhaps most notably at running back, where last year’s leading rusher Antonio Cantrell

SCHEDULE

Aug. 18: at King’s Ridge Christian

Aug. 25: ATHENS CHRISTIAN

Sept. 1: ST. ANNE-PACELLI

Sept. 8: at Creekside Christian

Sept. 22: at Strong Rock Christian

Sept. 29: BETHLEHEM CHRISTIAN*

Oct. 13: NORTH GEORGIA CHRISTIAN

Oct. 20: at Riverside Prep*

Oct. 27: at George Walton Academy*

Nov. 3: LOGANVILLE CHRISTIAN*

ALL CAPS: home games *region games

has transferred to Habersham Central, and at quarterback where last year’s starter Logan Stanley graduated.

However, the Lions do have some capable athletes to help fill those vacancies,

The quarterback spot will be filled by Burch, who enrolled from Cherokee Bluff, and brings plenty of athleticism with him.

Meanwhile, the transition for the other skill positions is still a work in progress, with Coleman expecting there to be plenty of mixing and matching among the receivers and running backs, with Buffington and Junior Thompson being among those who will likely be relied upon to contribute at either position.

“The biggest piece was to try and find a quarterback, since we had to replace (Stanley),” Coleman said. “We’ve moved some people around. We’ve seen some guys who can help us. … Junior Thompson is a sure-handed receiver. I think he has a chance to have a peak year this year.

“Running backs will be by committee. Armand Long played a little bit at running back last year. So, him, Tristan and Ricky Brown — those three will carry the load for us to give us all breathers.

Lakeview Academy football players work out Wednesday, July 13, at the school’s practice field.

SCOTT ROGERS The Times

… We’ll try to see out of that rotation who will stand out to be the guy.”

There will also be a lot of scrutiny on the offensive line, which should be anchored by Whitcomb.

However, what Coleman is looking for most from his offense is some quick cohesion and chemistry to develop.

“To be successful this year, the biggest thing is, I want us to blend,” Coleman said. “Honestly, I just want us to play hard for one another. I think once we start playing for one another, we’ll be really embracing what this (program) can be. I think we can do some great things.”

Defensively, the Lions look to be in pretty good shape in the secondary, where Buffington, Long and Blackwell are all back, and Burch could be able to add depth when he’s needed.

Therefore, a lot of the focus will be on the front seven, where Whitcomb will again be a key.

“D.J. will be a run technique for us, (a) threetechnique that I think can have a really good season,” Coleman said. “He’s had a really good summer. He’s a big, strong kid who’s athletic (and) can move some people around. We’ve moved some people around who used to be linebackers last year that we think can help us with their speed and size.

“My linebackers – we’re losing the one linebacker we had last year who was pretty special, Landon Hanes. So, we’re trying to replace him with three or four guys. So, we’re figuring out who’s going to step up, compete and take over.”

Best-case scenario: With so many moving parts, the Lions will likely be a bit of an enigma, at least to start. But given the athleticism they have, there’s no reason they can’t return to the playoffs this fall.

Realistic outlook: Despite the fairly challenging nature of their schedule, a .500 record or slightly better seems attainable.

LANIER CHRISTIAN

WITH BIG O-LINE AND TALENTED QB, LANIER CHRISTIAN HOPES TO

CONTEND

BY DAVID FRIEDLANDER dfriedlander@gainesvilletimes.com

Coach: Bruce Miller

Record last year: 8-4, 2-2 in GAPPS Region 1-2A

Coach’s corner: “The biggest thing for us, since we have such small numbers, is to get the kids in the right positions. If an injury occurs, they end up having to play two or three positions. We just try to shuffle it each week to try to get the best players on the field.

“For a small school, we do have some kids that are playmakers. They’ve got a great attitude, and they just play so hard. Our kids believe in what we do, and they line up each week and just give you the best effort they can give you.

“It’s never easy, but our kids have bought into what we’re doing. We’re just trying to get better and better.”

Five key players: QB C.J. Britt (6-0, 170, Soph.); OL/DL Quinn Winfrey (6-2, 240, Sr.); WR/LB Shepard Acton (6-2, 190, Sr.); WR Bryson Pitts (6-0, 160, Sr.); OL/DL Josh Waymack (6-4, 330, Jr.)

Quick facts: Having only started playing varsity football in 2016, the Lightning have enjoyed their most success in the past two seasons with 17 combined wins and a berth in the GAPPS state semifinals both years. … Britt was only the second freshman Bruce Miller has ever started at quarterback in 2022. The only other one was a player most fans around Hall County have undoubtedly heard of — former Gainesville star, and current NFL quarterback, Deshaun Watson … The Lightning will continue to play their home games at Gainesville Middle School this fall. However, with ground being broken for a new school campus, Miller is optimistic that the team will have its own home stadium sometime in the foreseeable future, perhaps as soon as sometime in the next two years.

Overview: Looking to build on last year’s breakout season, Miller squad may be small in overall numbers, but appear to have plenty of talent and experience to continue the momentum this fall.

In particular, the offense appears to be loaded with firepower, led by sophomore quarterback Britt, who completed 66 percent of his passes (124 of 188) and threw for 1,880 yards and 25 touchdowns.

At wide receiver, the Lightning are led by senior Shepard Acton, who caught 24 passes for

SCHEDULE

Aug. 18: SKIPSTONE ACADEMY

Aug. 25: at North Georgia

Sept. 8: at Rock Springs Christian Sept. 15: at Calvary Christian

Sept. 22: at Pinecrest Academy*

Oct. 6: THE KING’S ACADEMY*

Oct. 13: MOUNT BETHEL CHRISTIAN

Oct. 20: at King’s Ridge Christian

Oct. 27: at Walker*

Nov. 3: CHEROKEE CHRISTIAN*

(All home games played at Gainesville Middle School)

ALL CAPS: home games *region games

327 and nine touchdowns in 2022. He accounted for 18 total touchdowns, the other half running the ball.

And with a large and experienced line led by Waymack (31 pancake blocks last year), Winfrey (25 pancake blocks), Jordan Smith (19 pancake blocks) and Titus Lulinski (17 pancake blocks) more than capable of clearing the way, the Lightning appear in good position to strike enough to match last year’s pace of 42.5 points per game.

But as Miller points out, there is one very big caveat.

“Our skill people, for a (small) private school, are very good,” Miller said. “We have about seven offensive linemen that have to play. We’ve just got kids that are willing to step up and do what they have to do.

“The biggest thing, when you’ve got small numbers, like we do, you’ve got to stay healthy. You can’t beat each other up (in practice). You’ve got to hope that you can extend the game to be able to play a lot of people, so people don’t have to play 80 plays a game.”

The outlook for the Lanier Christian defense

Lanier Christian Academy practices

July 13 at World Language Academy in Flowery Branch.

for 2023 is a little trickier, according to Miller.

The Lightning lost a lot of experience from a unit that allowed only 15.5 points per game a year ago, including three of their four leading tacklers.

“We graduated six kids from over there,” Miller said of last year’s defense. “(So), early in the season, the offense might have to carry the defense for a little bit.”

Perhaps, but there does appear to be a good core in place that may allow the defense to catch up to the offense sooner, rather than later.

Acton (65 tackles, 1 sack, 2 interceptions) and sophomores Ben Hargis (44 tackles, 3 INTs) and Andrew Batusic bring a lot of speed and athleticism to the secondary, while sophomore William Martin will provide energy from the linebacker spot and Winfrey (17 tackles, 1 sack) will help clog up the middle up front.

“Shepard Acton has to have a good year for us to be good on D,” Miller said. “Quinn Winfrey, William Martin, Ben Hargis, if they can contribute, they’re kind of the nucleus we’re building off of.”

The Lightning may also have a solid weapon on special teams in the form of junior kicker Bowen Shirley, who connected on 54 of 58 PATs and a field goal a year ago, and has extended his range up to around 40 yards, according to Miller.

“He had some big-time kicks for us last year,” Miller said of Shirley.

Best-case scenario: Given the depth issues, the Lightning will have to have a little good health and good fortune, but the bar is set high. Matching or exceeding last year’s win total and playoff performance is clearly what the team is shooting for.

Realistic outlook: At the very least, the Lightning should be able to pose a serious challenge to Cherokee Christian for the region title and qualify for the state playoffs.

BILL MURPHY The Times

RIVERSIDE PREP

GARRETT EAGER TO LEAD EAGLES AGAINST A TOUGH SET OF OPPONENTS

BY DAVID FRIEDLANDER dfriedlander@gainesvilletimes.com

Coach: Nick Garrett

Record last year: 0-10, 0-4 in GIAA District 4-4A/3A

Coach’s corner: “It’s obviously not easy (to conduct summer workouts solo), but I’ve been here for a while. So, I’ve got a pretty regimented routine.

“I don’t really know how to define normalcy in private-school sports. With (administration) dropping athletics during COVID (for the 2020 season) at a place like ours, I don’t think you can really recover from that (quickly). The only thing you can do is be optimistic about who shows up and work to get guys game ready and life ready, just like anywhere else.

“Obviously, you want to be overly talented, but the few pieces we do have, I feel really good about because they’re good people, good academic young men, they’re good leaders, and they can play a little football. That’s always helpful.

“Those four guys, they’ll help grow and acclimate our guys as fast as possible because we are a little over two months behind everybody else. So, we literally have to hit the ground running and play a little bit of catch up.

“So, it’s unique, it’s challenging, it’s fun, it’s exciting. We’re looking forward to it.”

Four key players: QB Joelan Brown (5-10, 160, Jr.); FS/WR Jalen Freeman (6-2, 185, Sr.); OL/DL Nathan Mwangi (6-0, 275, Sr.); OL Brady Kriegal (6-0, 260, Sr.)

Quick facts: As Garrett mentioned, the nature of Riverside Prep as a military-based private school, having to retool his coaching staff and coming back slowly from the pandemic shutdown three years ago all have combined to provide obstacle after obstacle for the Eagles’ program in recent years. … The Eagles hope to welcome as many as 25 varsity players to campus for the 2023 season this fall.

Overview: In addition to the above mentioned obstacles, Riverside Prep has another one to overcome in they are to break a 16-game winless streak dating back to the beginning of the 2021 campaign.

The non-GIAA District 4-4A/3A portion of the Eagles’ schedule is brutal, with four of their first six games coming against playoff teams from a year ago, three of which still play in the GHSA.

SCHEDULE

Aug. 18: LUMPKIN CO.

Aug. 25: at Walker

Sept. 1: STRATFORD ACADEMY

Sept. 8: at Providence Christian

Sept. 15: GEORGIA MILITARY

Sept. 22: at Oglethorpe Co.

Oct. 6: GEORGE WALTON ACADEMY*

Oct. 13: at Bethlehem Christian*

Oct. 20: LAKEVIEW ACADEMY*

Oct. 27: at Loganville Christian*

ALL CAPS: home games

*region games

And the district schedule doesn’t make matters any easier, with three of those four foes also qualifying for the postseason last year.

That all said, Garrett says there are a handful of players for the team to build around, starting with Brown, who enrolled at Riverside Prep for the winter/spring semester.

“He did some really good things in the spring, which I felt can really help our team from a leadership perspective,” Garrett said of the junior signal caller. “When the locker room is in order, your field is going to be in order, and the guy you want steering that ship is your quarterback.

“He is going to have to shoulder a lot (of responsibility), which is OK because he can handle it. He’s very dynamic, so he’s definitely tough to defend. He’s very smart, has a live arm and can do a lot of things well. So with that, and with a couple guys up front, I think

anybody technically, should be able to be competitive.”

Those two players up front that Garrett referred to are seniors Mwangi and Kriegel, who bring a lot more than just their size and strength along the line of scrimmage both on offense and defense.

“Nathan Mwangi’s first year of playing football was last year,” Garrett said. “So, he had to learn the physicality of the game and the techniques of the game. Then he wrestled, and he had a great deal of success wrestling, which got him in shape. So, he’s going to be ready to roll, and he’s been in our offense and defense for at least a year.

“Brady was injured last year, but was with us the year before. And he’s a ranked officer in our campus, so he’s a great leader. So, those guys can really help solidify some things because ultimately like everywhere else, it all starts up front.”

Meanwhile, Freeman made a bit of a splash for the Eagles’ defense a year ago with his speed, and Garrett is hoping to utilize him more on offense, as well, this season.

Best-case scenario: If the Eagles can stay healthy to keep an already-thin roster from being overtaxed, they might be able to make some headway into finally getting into the win column at least once this season.

Realistic outlook: With the early schedule not doing them any favors, the Eagles will have to be patient and measure success incrementally by being progressively more competitive each week until they get to those handful of games they can realistically have a shot to win.

BILL MURPHY | The Times

Riverside Prep football coach Nick Garrett addresses the Rotary Club of Gainesville during its meeting July 24 at First Baptist Church in Gainesville.

RETURNING TALENT HAS SPARTANS THINKING ABOUT PLAYOFF CONTENTION

BY DAVID FRIEDLANDER dfriedlander@gainesvilletimes.com

Coach: Krofton Montgomery

Last year’s record: 1-9, 0-6 in Region 7-3A Coaches corner: “We played so many freshmen and sophomores last year that we were probably one of the youngest teams in the state, probably in any classification. Some of that had to do with not having a huge senior class. Some of that had to do with transfers. … That, of course, always hurts. So the next thing you know, we’re playing a freshman quarterback, a freshman running back, a freshman (middle) linebacker, a freshman safety.

“We’re still going to be a junior-heavy team (this season). I think we’ll probably (have) seven starters defensively that are underclassmen and offensively, we’ll have six guys who are still underclassmen. So, it won’t be a senior-heavy team, but weight room numbers, we had 10 kids last year who could power clean 225 (pounds). Now we’ve got 31 kids who can clean 225. So, that gives us a boost. A lot of that has to do with (the difference) between being 14 and being 15, hitting the weights for a year, having that maturity an extra year. That really helps a lot in terms of our strength.

“Our main thing is how we continue to evolve through the (rest of the) summer, continue to get better. One of the big things is just making sure we can stay healthy. We’re not overly deep, but I feel like … this is probably the first time in a long time that I can actually say that, besides maybe one spot on the field, I feel like we have either the same kid coming back or have upgraded that spot, just because of the growth and some of the changes in terms of some stuff.

“We’ve had a good summer so far, but … I definitely see us (as) a different team. It’s led by different kids. It’s different culture, different accountability. I know a lot of head coaches like to take all the credit for that, but the reality is that (it’s) sometimes the kids you’re coaching and how they take what you’re giving them and are able to execute it are the ones doing it.

“I feel like we have a chance to actually compete in most games that we’re playing this year. I mean, I don’t look at the schedule (as being impossible).”

Five key players: LB/RB Maliek Richardson (5-9, 195, Sr.); QB Brett Sturm (6-0, 180, Soph.); DE/TE Riley Packard (6-2, 235, Sr.); OL/DL Bryce Reed (6-2, 247, Sr.); ILB/RB/HB Zac

West Hall goes through practice July 11 in Oakwood.

SCHEDULE

Aug. 18: at East Hall

Aug. 25: JOHNSON

Sept. 1: at East Jackson

Sept. 15: UNION CO.

Sept. 22: DAWSON CO.*

Sept. 29: at Gilmer*

Oct. 13: at White Co.*

Oct. 20: at Pickens*

Oct. 27: WESLEYAN

Nov. 3: LUMPKIN CO.*

ALL CAPS: home games *region games

Wagner (5-11, 200, Soph.)

Quick facts: To illustrate the point Montgomery made about the Spartans’ youth a year ago is

that of the 15 returning starters from 2022, 1/3 of those (five) will be sophomores after starting as freshmen. … Montgomery says the Spartans will implement a new offensive scheme that he expects will bring more balance between the ground and air attacks for 2023.

Overview: After seeing his young squad experience a lot of growing pains and take some lumps on both sides of the ball a year ago, Montgomery is quite confident his Spartans will make major strides this fall, especially on the offensive side.

Besides returning last year’s starting quarterback, Sturm, after he threw for 1,040 yards as a freshman, getting Richardson back for his senior season fully healthy after being limited by injury in 2022 should make for a solid foundation around which to build.

BILL MURPHY | The Times

West Hall goes through practice July 11 in Oakwood.

Add in the versatility of Wagner, another sophomore who gained valuable experience at multiple positions last season, and the offense looks to be far more productive this season after averaging just 8.2 points per game in 2022.

However, Montgomery believes his team’s biggest asset, both literally and figuratively, will be on the offensive line.

Seniors Reed and Jay Nero (6-4, 325) and junior Tytres Statham are all back to anchor a line that should create openings for the skill players to operate, something that was on display when the Spartans put up six touchdowns and about 400 yards during their spring scrimmage against North Hall.

“We have six (linemen) I feel comfortable being on that field,” Montgomery said. “We’ve just got to stay healthy. (And) everything we do

this year will come off with that combination (of Sturm and Richardson).

“(And) I think we’ve got two, three, four running backs that I really feel comfortable about giving the ball to, and they all bring something a little bit different. So, if the offensive line can jell … I think we have a chance to do some good things.”

Meanwhile, the West Hall defense also figures to be built from the line of scrimmage on out for 2023.

With Packard, a first-team All-Region 7-3A selection and Reed providing strength up front and with Richardson and Wagner leading the linebacker corps, the defense should benefit from their experience to help a younger secondary have a chance to catch up.

After the latter struggled during the spring scrimmage, Montgomery is excited to see how

far that entire unit has come since, and is eager to see how it stacks up during the fall.

“In the spring, we were pretty vanilla,” Montgomery said. “And (North Hall head coach Sean) Pender knows how to dial up a pass play. I know you want to dominate, you want to be great. But for the kids we have there, I thought it was really good. I told them, ‘You might’ve seen one of the best passing attacks in (Class 4A). … So, that may end up being a good thing for us.”

Best-case scenario: If all the young players thrown into the fire last year progress as expected and everyone remains relatively healthy, the Spartans could mount a serious challenge for a state playoff berth.

Realistic outlook: The bar is minimally set at tripling last season’s win total, and a .500 season seems a reasonable goal.

BILL MURPHY

The Times

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