MCNAIR MUSTANGS
2013 RECORD: 1-9
THE COACH: Shelton Carleton
THE PLAYERS: Christopher Christian (Sr., RB/DB), Justin Robertson (Sr., DB), Antonio Somerset (Sr., WR/DB), Quintrez
McDuffie (Sr., OL)
THE WORD: The glory days of 2001-2006 don’t seem that far
off for the McNair Mustangs, though the program is night
and day from where it once was at. The Mustangs have
fallen off considerably, capped with a 1-9 season in 2013.
Coach Shelton Carleton is in his second year of the rebuilding process, and it could take another year or two before
McNair starts seeing some truly positive results. There are
some talented skill position players on this year’s team,
though, with receiver Antonio Somerset standing out. It’s a
matter of coaching up the talent on this year’s roster and
bringing out the best in the players.
NORTH CLAYTON EAGLES
2013 RECORD: 1-9
THE COACH: James Soza
THE PLAYERS: Jacorey Smith (Sr., QB), Kindle Vildor (Sr.,
WR/DB)
THE WORD: Heading into his second season as North Clayton’s
head coach, James Soza appears to have his team moving in
the right direction. Though the Eagles ended 2013 1-9, they
finished the season playing better football than how they
started off. Scoring 28 total points in their first six games, the
Eagles were able to put up 73 offensive points over the final
four games. Senior quarterback Jacorey Smith will hope to continue that momentum into this coming year, which could be one
North Clayton enters with a chip on its shoulder. North Clayton
has fielded some solid teams in the past and this group may not
be too far off from returning to those days.
SOUTH ATLANTA HORNETS
2013 RECORD: 0-10
THE COACH: Jeremy Gainer
THE PLAYERS: Christian Grier (Jr., ATH), Dexter Swift (Sr., TE/
DL), Rashad McClendon (Sr., OL/LB)
THE WORD: Coach Jeremy Gainer enters his second year, hoping that this one is much better than the last. The Hornets
went without a win a year ago, marking the second time in
the past five years that has happened. South Atlanta hasn’t
had a winning season since 1995 and hasn’t advanced to
the playoffs since 1994. Both of those feats don’t appear
to be in the cards for South Atlanta this year, either, though
Gainer will try and get his team on the right track to achieve
those goals in future seasons. At quarterback, the Hornets
could turn to Christian Grier, an athlete that can play multiple positions on the football field.
THERRELL PANTHERS
2013 RECORD: 1-9
THE COACH: Dominic Callaway
THE PLAYERS: Chavis Jones (Jr., QB), Chauncey Payne (So.,
RB), Ricky Wolfe (Jr., WR), Dexter Brown (Sr., FB/LB)
THE WORD: The Panthers have been in a long slide for quite
some time, coming off another 1-9 season in 2013. Coach
Dominic Callaway fielded a fairly young team last year so
there will be a lot of returning players that could make an
impact and increase that win total. Quarterback Chavis
Jones will only be a junior, giving him two more years within
the offensive system. In addition to the youthful offense, returning leading rusher Chauncey Payne is just a sophomore
and will be looking to further grow within the gameplan. For
the Panthers to win more games, the defense will have to
improve. Look for senior Dexter Brown to rally this team on
that side of the ball.
TOWERS TITANS
2013 RECORD: 5-5
THE COACH: Michael Holloway
THE PLA YERS: George Bell (Sr., DT), Christien Poole (Sr., ATH)
THE WORD: The Titans started last season 4-0 thanks to some
stingy defensive play. However, the competition wasn’t as stiff,
which helped Towers rack up some early wins. The Titans came
back to reality from Weeks 5-9, when they gave up over 40
points in each contest. But the fact remains that the Titans’
defense has improved to the point where the team can win the
games it should based on talent. The next step is upgrading the
talent level through coaching and becoming more competitive
against the top of the region. But this is a good start for Holloway’s Titans. The five wins were t wo more than the school had
won in the previous three years.
WASHINGTON (ATLANTA)
BULLDOGS
2013 RECORD: 6-4
THE COACH: Rodney Hackney
THE PLAYERS: Tavorous Thomas (Sr., FB/LB), Marquis Thompson (Sr., RB/DB), Kentavious Johnson (Sr., K/P), Mantonio Huff
(Sr., OL), Christian Avery (Sr., OL), James Clark III (Sr., OL)
THE WORD: Under Rodney Hackney, the Bulldogs have been to
the playoffs once in the past three years. The Washington faithful are thinking that it’s time to get back to the postseason this
year. The running game should be strong behind big offensive
linemen Mantonio Huff, Christian Avery and James Clark III. If
the ground game gets going, look out. Not counting a game the
Bulldogs had to forfeit, they averaged 40. 8 points per game in
the remaining nine contests. If some kinks are worked out on
defense, this could be a great team this year.
WESTMINSTER WILDCATS
2013 RECORD: 5-6
THE COACH: Gerry Romberg
THE PLAYERS: Nygel Edmonds (Jr., WR/DB), Cole Haverty (Sr.,
RB/DB), Blake Gillikin (Jr., K/P), Collins Speed (Sr., TE/DL),
Quinton Bennett (Sr., LB)
THE WORD: After an 0-2 start, the Wildcats rebounded to
finish 5-5 in the regular season, which advanced them to
the playoffs. Now, it’s on Westminster to take its success
a step further to get back to the mid 2000s days when the
squad was among the region’s best. However, the Wildcats
are making the jump from Class 2A to 3A, which means they
should be facing stiffer competition. There’s a solid mix of
senior talent with some young players that could rise up and
contribute this year. A couple of juniors, Nygel Edmonds and
Blake Gillikin, could become bigger impact players this year.
Region Five
CALLAWAY CAVALIERS
2013 RECORD: 12-2
THE COACH: Michael Wiggins
THE PLAYERS: Terry Godwin (Sr., ATH), Eddie Culpepper (Sr.,
RB), Dre Martin (Jr., QB/DB), RaShawn Lovelace (Sr., LB)
THE WORD: Callaway has the opportunity to make another
deep run in the playoffs this season, with the possibility of
winning it all. Led by senior Terry Godwin, the Cavaliers are
strong both offensively and defensively. Callaway was one
of the few teams that played Buford tough, losing 24-14 in
the semifinals. Given the talent that’s coming back, Callaway
can easily be considered one of the top four teams in Class
3A heading into the year. Godwin will have plenty of help with
other offensive weapons, such as senior running back Eddie Culpepper. On defense, the Cavaliers are balanced with
plenty of playmakers that fly to the ball.
CEDARTOWN BULLDOGS
2013 RECORD: 9-2
THE COACH: Scott Hendrix
THE PLAYERS: Harrison Barnett (Sr., QB), Ben Truett (Sr., OL),
Freddie Moore (Sr., RB/LB), Shikahri Murphy (Sr., LB), Kalin
Glover (Sr., RB)
THE WORD: There will be a big void on offense to fill at running
back with Nick Chubb graduating and heading to Georgia to
continue his football career. But the Bulldogs have a stable
of running backs to help out in this department. Freddie
Moore and Kalin Glover look like the early candidates to take
over running back duties. At receiver, sophomore Michael
Helmes was second on the team in yards a year ago, giving
him a good shot at becoming Cedartown’s No. 1 receiver.
The Bulldogs will hope to lock their defense down more as
they gave up an average of 27 points per game in 2013.
CENTRAL (CARROLLTON) LIONS
2013 RECORD: 10-3
THE COACH: Rico Zackery
THE PLAYERS: Wesley Long (Sr., QB), Damarious Owensby (Jr.,
RB), Jacob Barnes (Sr., WR), Trace Musick (Jr., LB), Kirey Thompson (Sr., RB/LB), Ben Boykin (Sr., DL), Cole Glommen (Sr., OL)
THE WORD: Talk about a turnaround. Having gone seven seasons without a winning record, Central was able to advance to
the Class 3A quarterfinals a season ago, finishing with a 10-3
record in coach Rick Zackery’s first season. Even better news
for the Lions is that a lot of key players returned for the 2014
season. Quarterback Wesley Long is back after accounting for
18 total touchdowns last year. Junior running back Damarious
Owensby finished 2013 with 1,003 yards and eight touchdowns, and will certainly try and build upon that this year. The
defense should once again be stout, with Kirey Thompso, Trace
Musick and Ben Boykin leading the way.
HARALSON COUNTY REBELS
2013 RECORD: 3-7
THE COACH: Alan Lane
THE PLAYERS: Caleb May (Sr., RB), Hunter Finley (Jr., ATH),
Matt Harris (Jr., DL)
THE WORD: Haralson understands what it is — and the Rebels
plan plays to their strengths. The offensive plan is ground
and pound, looking for first downs to wear down opposing
defenses and keep the other team’s offense off the field.
The defense concentrates on making tackles and limiting
big plays. Consistency will be the key as the Rebels look to
improve their win total (three) from a year ago.
PEPPERELL DRAGONS
2013 RECORD: 4-7
THE COACH: Jeff Shiflett
THE PLAYERS: Qaiderus Morgan (Sr., RB), Devyn Collins (Jr.,
RB), Chris Chandler (Sr., LB), Deonte Morgan (Sr., FB/DL), Nate
Walters (Sr., OL), Jake Walters (Jr., OL), Kameron Wolfe (Jr., OL)
THE WORD: The Dragons should find it rather easy to run the
ball with the beefy offensive line they’ll have up front. Bet ween
Nate Walters, Jake Walters and Kameron Wolfe, the three
offensive linemen average 283 pounds each. Running backs
Qaiderus Morgan and Devyn Collins are surely happy about
their chances for some big statistical games this season. Before winning their last three regular season games to get into
the postseason, the Dragons had lost six of their first seven to
open 2013. That kind of poor start will have to change this year,
now that Pepperell has moved up to Class AAA.
ROCKMART YELLOW JACKETS
2013 RECORD: 3-7
THE COACH: Bin Turner
THE PLAYERS: J.C. Lovelace (Sr., RB/LB), Marlon Morales (Sr.,
RB/LB), Koty Smith (Sr., OL/LB), Gabe Clark (Jr., OL)
THE WORD: With former coach Dan Duff retiring from the football
coaching ranks, the Yellow Jackets turned to Bin Turner to lead
their program. The Yellow Jackets were in a rebuilding season a
year ago, contributing to their 3-7 campaign. Rockmart hasn’t
had double-digit wins in a single season since 1989 and will
hope to turn that around sometime soon. Perhaps Turner can
work his magic and wake up the sleeping giant that Rockmart
is. There are some good players on this year’s team, including
running back duo J.C. Lovelace and Marlon Morales.
Region Six
ADAIRSVILLE TIGERS
2013 RECORD: 7-4
THE COACH: Eric Bishop
THE PLAYERS: DeAndre Applin (Sr., WR), Blaine Bishop (Sr., RB/
LB), Marcus Childers (Sr., QB), Clay Duncan (Sr., RB), Devin Por-tis (Sr., WR), Colin Bearden (Sr., QB), Chance Bishop (Sr., WR),
Jesse Owen (Sr., WR/DB), Sean McDermott (Sr., TE/DL), Cody
Hightower (Sr., LB), Will Harris (OL/DL), Phoenix Brown (Sr., OL),
Jaylon Beasley (Sr., OL/DL), Trey Fredrick (Sr., OL), Dorian Pitt
(Sr., DL), Morgan Garrison (Sr., WR)
THE WORD: Coach Eric Bishop turned in a great performance in
his first season at the helm, guiding the Tigers to a 7-4 finish.
Getting to the playoffs has now become the norm. Winning a
playoff game, which hasn’t happened since 2011 is the goal.
Bishop has now had a full offseason to implement his weight
training regimen and further develop the culture. Look for
Adairsville to compete for a playoff victory this season.
CALHOUN YELLOW JACKETS
2013 RECORD: 11-2
THE COACH: Hal Lamb
THE PLAYERS: Thomas Lester (Sr., DB), Austin Bennett (Sr., RB),
Drew McCracken (Sr., WR), Matt McHan (Sr., QB/LB), Carson
Brown (Sr., WR/DB), Zachary Ruth (Sr., WR/DB), Will Conley (Sr.,
TE), Chaz Moss (Sr., WR/DB), David Prater (Sr., WR/DB), Romi
Shah (Sr., WR), Cole Jackson (Sr., RB), Thomas Haggard (Sr.,
WR), Tristen Fuller (Sr., RB), Nathan Petty (Sr., WR), JR McBrayer
(Sr., OL), Spencer Cross (Sr., OL), Tucker Foster (Sr., OL), Esteban Valladares (Sr., OL), Truett Moss (Sr., LB), Dustyn Harris (Sr.,
OL), Eddie Guerrero (Sr., OL), Grayson Tilley (Sr., OL/DL)
THE WORD: It’s simply astounding what the Yellow Jackets
have done under the direction of coach Hal Lamb. Calhoun
has now won 10 or more games in 13-straight seasons.
Astounding, and there’s no reason to believe the run will
slow down anytime soon. The regular season hash’t been
a problem in years and doesn’t figure to trip up the Yellow
Jackets in 2014. Another great stat — Calhoun has won a
region title in each of those 13 seasons, too. A state title in
2011 put Lamb at the highest of highs. It also set the bar.
Winning the ultimate trophy is goal every single season.
COAHULLA CREEK COLTS
2013 RECORD: 2-8
THE COACH: Chad Barger
THE PLAYERS: Luke Brock (Jr., QB), Aaron Croom (Jr., RB),
Baley Jones (Jr., RB/LB), Michael Cantrell (Sr., WR), Cody
McKinney (Jr., LB)
THE WORD: The Coahulla Creek athletic department did not give
Jared Hamlin any time to try and build up the football program,
firing him after two seasons. It’s certainly a gamble, considering it takes time to get a solid foundation for at the high school
level, given coaches don’t get to pick the players in their zoned
areas. But now it’s Chad Barger’s responsibility to get the Colts
up and going at the speed the athletic department apparently
wants. The top problem is that the Colts lose a lot of seniors
from last year’s 2-8 team so this year could once again be a
challenge. The junior class has some talented players though,
with Baley Jones and Aaron Croom figuring to get the majority of
the running back carries. Jones is also a top linebacker on the
Colts that will look to help improve their defense.
GORDON CENTRAL WARRIORS
2013 RECORD: 0-10
THE COACH: David Humphreys
THE PLAYERS: Montana Rogers (Jr., DB), Shy Williams (Jr.,
QB), Dakota Maddox (Sr., RB/DB)
THE WORD: A year ago was a bit of an anomaly for the Warriors,
which had made two straight playoff appearances in the previous years. In David Humphreys’ first year as Gordon Central’s
head coach, the Warriors went without a win and didn’t have
much success on either side of the ball. Then again, they lost a
lot of players to graduation and broke in a youthful bunch last
year. This season, junior quarterback Shy Williams is poised to
lead the offense and get things rolling in a much better direction. Otherwise, Humphreys could be in some trouble.
LAKEVIEW-FT. OGLETHORPE
WARRIORS
2013 RECORD: 3-7
THE COACH: Todd Windham
THE PLAYERS: Ryan Keefe (Sr., QB/DB), Sam Eaves (Sr., WR/
DB), Hadyn Griffin (Jr., RB/WR/DB), Frankie Pinkston (Sr.,
OL/DL), Kain Suttles (Sr., OL/DL)
THE WORD: The Warriors were in the midst of a rebuilding
year in 2013 but believe they have what it takes to get back
into winning-season form. Part of that is due to quarterback
Ryan Keefe having a better understanding of what to do as
Lakeview-Ft. Oglethorpe’s quarterback as a senior. Keefe will
