program. Our Lady of Mercy has had only one losing season
under the former Cartersville and Starr’s Mills coach.
Needless to say, someone who has won 200-plus games
as a coach since 1986 knows a thing or two about winning.
The veteran coach will lean on Lawrence J.B Tillman, who
lines up in a slew of spots for the Bobcats. Tripping up both
Eagle’s Landing Christian and Landmark might be asking
too much of Our Lady of Mercy, but getting to the playoffs
doesn’t seem out of reach.
STRONG ROCK CHRISTIAN PATRIOTS
2014 RECORD: 4-6
THE COACH: Tommy Webb
THE PLAYERS: Derek Albert (Sr., RB)
THE WORD: Coach Tommy Webb moved over from Fayette
County to Strong Rock Christian for the fall of 2014 to try
to get the program moving forward. The Patriots have never
finished a season with a winning record. Perhaps 2015 is
another story for Strong Rock. The schedule sets up with a
few wins possible at the start of the season. The Patriots
are going to have to lean on senior running back Derek
Albert if they are going to get to the six-win mark this fall.
Region 6
CHRISTIAN HERITAGE LIONS
2014 RECORD: 5-6
THE COACH: Preston Poag
THE PLAYERS: Tyson Cooper (Sr., QB), Ahmad Tanner (Jr., WR)
THE WORD: Preston Poag got the Lions to the playoffs for
the second season in a row - not bad for a program that’s
only three years old. Christian Heritage will try to continue
that momentum into 2015 with the help of two top players
on offense. If senior quarterback Tyson Cooper can connect
with junior receiver Ahmad Tanner a few more times this
fall, the Lions might find a playoff run in their future.
FELLOWSHIP HERITAGE PALADINS
2014 RECORD: 4-6
THE COACH: Al Morrell
THE PLAYERS:
THE WORD: Al Morrell needs a little more consistency
from his offense if the Paladins are going to get to the next
level. Even though Fellowship Heritage was a competitive
3-2 in region 6-A, offensive scores swung from as low as
seven points to as high as 47 in region games. That’s a lot
of mystery for a team that’s trying to crack the code of getting to the playoffs for the first time since the 2007 season.
KING’S RIDGE TIGERS
2014 RECORD: 1-9
THE COACH: Jeff Pickren
THE PLAYERS: Will Janofsky (Sr., P)
THE WORD: The Tigers suffered their worst season in
the history of the program in 2014. At 1-9, King’s Ridge
struggled on the defensive side of the ball. The Tigers
ended some games with huge tallies on the other side
of the scoreboard - 40, 47, 56, 56 and 64 points. If the
Alpharetta school is going to be competitive this season it
is going to have to figure out how to stop the other team.
MT. PARAN CHRISTIAN EAGLES
2014 RECORD: 14-0
THE COACH: Mitch Jordan
THE PLAYERS: John Allen Knox (Sr., TE), Garret Harris (Sr.,
LB), Allen Cater (Sr., DL), Taylor Trammell (Sr., ATH), Gunter
LaPrad (Sr., OL), Jack Lee (Sr., ATH), Silas Hicks (Sr., DL),
Carter Smith (Jr., OL)
THE WORD: Mitch Jordan has built a state champion from
scratch, and there’s not many people who can say that.
Starting with a 2-7 record in 2008 until the undefeated
state championship season of 2014, Jordan has been the
only coach of the Eagles in their history. The Kennesaw
school has players, too, like senior tight end John Allen
Knox and linebacker Garret Harris. Defending a state title
is never an easy thing to do, but last season only one team
(Mt. Pisgah) came within two touchdowns of the Eagles.
A run to the state title included a 20-point road beating
of defending state champs Aquinas. That’s dominance.
The Eagles have to replace 13 starters from a year ago,
including quarterback Jake Allen and running backs Dorian
Walker and Emoni Williams, but it appears Jordan has the
foundation in place for a long successful run.
MT. PISGAH CHRISTIAN PATRIOTS
2014 RECORD: 8-4
THE COACH: Mike Forester
THE PLAYERS: Patrick Ainsworth (Sr., OL), J.R. Cendoya (Sr., LB)
THE WORD: In 2013, the Patriots lost one game by one
point. In 2014, Mt. Pisgah was tripped up four times, but
still made it to the state quarterfinals. Needless to say the
Eagles are a team to watch in 2015. If senior offensive lineman Patrick Ainsworth and senior linebacker J.R. Cendoya
play as well as they did last season, teams in region 6-A
and beyond should be on the lookout for another deep
playoff run from Mt. Pisgah.
MT. ZION EAGLES
2014 RECORD: 8-4
THE COACH: Keith Holloway
THE PLAYERS:
THE WORD: 2014 was the most successful season on
the gridiron for Mt. Zion since 1996. A solid regular season
gave way to the Class A Public School quarterfinals. Coach
Keith Holloway has been at Mt. Zion for only three seasons,
but appears to have the Eagles pointed in the right direction for seasons to come.
NORTH COBB CHRISTIAN EAGLES
2014 RECORD: 5-5
THE COACH: Scott Ryle
THE PLAYERS:
THE WORD: A difficult start to the season didn’t slow down
North Cobb Christian. The Eagles turned a 1-4 start into a
4-1 finish to end the year .500 for the first time in school
history. Coach Scott Ryle and company will continue to play
a non-region schedule in 2015.
PINECREST ACADEMY PALADINS
2014 RECORD: 7-4
THE COACH: Todd Winter
THE PLAYERS: Ryan McCarthy (Jr., QB), Michelle Ojeda (Sr., RB)
THE WORD: Todd Winter and the Paladins had their best
year since 2009 - a 7-4 season that included an appearance in the playoffs. Pinecrest fell to Tattanall Square in the
first round of the playoffs, but the Paladins hope to use a
pair on the offensive side of the ball to get them a win this
fall in that do-or-die situation. Senior running back Michelle
Ojeda and junior quarterback Ryan McCarthy form one of
the top one-two punches in region 6-A.
ST. FRANCIS KNIGHTS
2014 RECORD: 7-4
THE COACH: Brennen Booth
THE PLAYERS: Avery Showell (Jr., RB)
THE WORD: If the girls and boys basketball teams can win
the state title at St. Francis, then the football program can,
too… right? That’s the plan for the Knights. The Alpharetta
school has been progressing nicely since coach Brennen
Booth arrived in 2012. Last season marked the first time
in school history the football program got to the playoffs.
Junior running back Avery Showell will get his chance to
shine this fall, and might be what the Knights need to get
back to the playoffs this fall.
TRION BULLDOGS
2014 RECORD: 5-5
THE COACH: Justin Brown
THE PLAYERS: Jake Daffron (Sr., DL), Malik Martin (Jr., LB)
THE WORD: Trion grad Justin Brown is trying to gain traction
for his beloved school by getting the Bulldogs back into the
playoffs. The last two seasons have seen Trion end with a 5-5
record and no playoff appearance. Scoring was a real problem
for the Bulldogs in 2014 as they were shut out in three region
games. But on defense, Trion returns two of its better players
from a group that was solid last fall - senior defensive lineman
Jake Daffron and junior linebacker Malik Martin.
WALKER WOLVERINES
2014 RECORD: 2-8
THE COACH: Matt Casper
THE PLAYERS: Lorenzo Hernandez (Jr., DL)
THE WORD: Three coaches in four years finally caught up
with the Wolverines. Walker ended the 2014 at 2-8, which
is the worst record for the Marietta school since 2008.
Walker’s offense was just plain bad much of 2014 - the
Wolvereins scored a touchdown or less in seven of ten
games. Now Walker will try to build around a defense that
features junior defensive lineman Lorenzo Hernandez.
WHITEFIELD ACADEMY WOLFPACK
2014 RECORD: 4-6
THE COACH: Quinn Gray
THE PLAYERS: Cameron Jenkins (Sr., LB)
THE WORD: After eight seasons with Jimmy Fields, the
Wolfpack moved in another direction. Quinn Gray, a six-year
quarterback in the NFL, has taken over the program in
Mableton. The Wolfpack have had only one winning season
in the last five years. Gray will have to lean on players like
senior linebacker Cameron Jenkins to improve on last
season’s 4-6 mark.
Region 7 Division A
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN VIKINGS
2014 RECORD: 7-4
THE COACH: Greg Moore
THE PLAYERS: Will McCormick (Sr., QB), Reggie Gantt (Sr., RB)
THE WORD: The Vikings got to the playoffs again in 2014,
but couldn’t get around a very good Prince Avenue Christian
team the week before Thanksgiving. Greg Moore, the longtime head coach at First Presbyterian, is looking forward
to hosting a playoff game at George Johnson Memorial
Stadium for the first time since 2009. If senior quarterback
Will McCormick and stellar running back Reggie Gantt play
well enough, the Vikings will do just that this fall.
MOUNT DE SALES ACADEMY CAVALIERS
2014 RECORD: 4-6
THE COACH: Keith Hatcher
THE PLAYERS:
THE WORD: It was a long time coming, but the Cavaliers’
jump to GHSA was rather successful considering everything. A new head coach, Keith Hatcher, guided Mount de
Sales to nearly as many wins as in the previous two years
combined. With a year of GHSA under their belt, Mount de
Sales Academy will try to end 2015 with a winning record.
STRATFORD ACADEMY EAGLES
2014 RECORD: 6-5
THE COACH: Mark Farriba
THE PLAYERS: O’Showen Williams (Sr., RB), Quintez
Cephus (Sr., DB)
THE WORD: A run in October was enough to push the
Eagles to the playoffs for another season. Now a pair of
FNF M A G A Z I N E . C O M /B U Y TEXAS |FLORIDA |GEORGIA |ALABAMA |CAROLINAS FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL ALABAMA FROMLEFTGREENVLLESMARLONDAVDSONMONTGOMERYCARVERSLYNDELLWLSONHOOVERSEREMAHMOONANDPHENXCTYCENTRALSOHNBROUSSARD TOP100SENIORSFUTUREWATCH TOPUNDERCLASSMEN#FNFAL BESTOFTHE YELLOWHAMMER STATE POWEREDBY TOP25TEAMS TOPTEAMS BYCLASS ALL-CLASS PRESEASON TEAMS TEAM ALABAMA RECRUITING ROUNDUP HOMETOWN EROES FACESOF ALABAMA FOOTBALL SWEEPSTAKES PG142015TEAM MOMS OFTHE YEARFOOTBALL HIGHSCHOOL 100% AL FNFMAGAZINE @FNFMAG#IAMFNF FNFMAGAZINECOM SIXTHANNUAL 424HIGHSCHOOLFOOTBALLTEAMPREVIEWS2015 FRIDAYNIGHTFOOTBALLALABAMA2015 DspaUnOcobe12015$895 FOOTBALL HIGHSCHOOL 100%NORTH &SOUTH CAROLINA FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL CAROLINAS FROMLEFTANTONOWLLAMSNORTHSTANLYNCAVONKNLAWGOOSECREEKSCCADECARNEYDAVDSONDAYNCNYLESPNCKNEYWHALEBRANCHSC TOPSENIORSFUTUREWATCH TOPUNDERCLASSMEN#FNFCS BESTOFNORTH& SOUTHCAROLINA LL-CLASS PRESEASON TEAMS TOPTEAMS BYCLASS TOP25 TEAMS HOMETOWN EROES RECRUITING ROUNDUP FACESOF CAROLINA FOOTBALL RUNNIN’ DOWNA DREAM POWEREDBY MOMS WEEPSTAKES PG14 2016 TEAM OFTHE YEAR ALL-STATE TEAMS NORTH &SOUTH CAROLINA FNFMAGAZINE @FNFMAG#IAMFNF FNFMAGAZINECOM FOURTHANNUAL 616HIGHSCHOOLFOOTBALLTEAMPREVIEWS2015 FRIDAYNIGHTFOOTBALLCAROLINAS2015 DspaUnOcobe12015$895 FOOTBALL HIGHSCHOOL 100% FL FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL FLORIDA NATECRAIG(TAMPACATHOLIC)SHAQUILLEQUARTERMAN(OAKLEAF)FELEIPEFRANKS(WAKULLA)NICKBOSA(STTHOMASAQUINAS) TOP100SENIORSFUTUREWATCH TOPUNDERCLASSMEN#FNFFL BESTOFTHE SUNSHINESTATE POWEREDBYTEAM FLORIDA FACESOF LORIDA FOOTBALL RECRUITING ROUNDUP MOMS WEEPSTAKES PG142016TEAM OF THE YEAR TOPTEAMSBYREGIONALL-REGIONPRESEASONTEAMSTOP25TEAMS HOMETOWN EROES FNFMAGAZINE @FNFMAG#IAMFNF FNFMAGAZINECOM SEVENTHANNUAL 550HIGHSCHOOLFOOTBALLTEAMPREVIEWS2015 FRIDAYNIGHTFOOTBALLFLORIDA2015 DspaUnOcobe12015$895 FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL GEORGIA FROMLEFTMARQUEZCALLAWAY(WARNERROBINS)ELIJAHHOLYFIELD(WOODWARDACADEMY)DERRICKBROWN(LANIER) TOP100SENIORSFUTUREWATCH TOPUNDERCLASSMEN#FNFGA BESTOFTHE PEACHSTATE POWEREDBY TOPTEAMS BYCLASS ALL-CLASS PRESEASON TEAMS TOP25TEAMS FACESOF GEORGIA FOOTBALL TEAM GEORGIA RECRUITING ROUNDUP HOMETOWN EROES SWEEPSTAKES PG142015TEAM MOMS OFTHE YEARFOOTBALL HIGHSCHOOL 100% GA FNFMAGAZINE @FNFMAG#IAMFNF FNFMAGAZINECOM SIXTHANNUAL 453HIGHSCHOOLFOOTBALLTEAMPREVIEWS2015 FRIDAYNIGHTFOOTBALLGEORGIA2015 DspaUnOcobe12015$895 100% TXFOOTBALL HIGHSCHOOL FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL TEXAS FROMLEFTJEANDELANCENORTHMESQUITEKENDELLJONESKILLEENSHOEMAKEREDOLIVERSPRINGWESTFIELDPATRICKHUDSONSILSBEE TOP100SENIORSFUTUREWATCH TOPUNDERCLASSMEN BESTOFTHE LONESTARSTATE POWEREDBY ALL-CLASS PRESEASON TEAMS TOP50TEAMS BYCLASS EXCLUSIVE CHAMPIONSHIP BRACKET PREDICTIONS HOMETOWN EROES HONORED COACHES OFTEXAS FACES OFTEXAS FOOTBALL RECRUITING ROUNDUP THEOLDCOACH.COM TEAMTEXAS BIG MENON CAMPUS FNFMAGAZINE @FNFMAG#FNFTX THEOLDCOACHCOM SIXTHANNUAL
1,065HIGHSCHOOLFOOTBALLTEAMPREVIEWS2015 FRIDAYNIGHTFOOTBALLTEXAS2015 DspaUnOcobe12015$895
THEOLDCOACH.COM OMS WEEPSTAKESPG142016TEAM OFTHE YEAR