Darlington looks to be the team to beat in Region 6-A ‘A’
Last season, the Mount Zion (Carroll) Eagles reeled off nine straight wins to begin the year, including a triple-overtime thriller against Darlington, to claim the Region 6-A ‘A’ title. The nine victories tied the school record, set back in 1996, and capped the best three-year run in the program’s history (25-8).
But the season came to a sudden and disappointing end. The Eagles lost 28-14 to 6-A ‘B’ champion Fellowship Christian in the region title game, and while FCS went on to finish as the Class A Private School state runner-up, Mt. Zion wasn’t able to shake the loss. They fell at home to Irwin County, 34-17, in the opening round of the Class A Public School playoffs after two straight seasons of advancing to the state quarterfinals.
However, a repeat as subregion champion seems unlikely for the Red-and-White. New head coach Brad Gordon is dealing with the graduation of 19 players, the majority of whom were two-way starters, meaning it could be a rebuilding year for the Eagles.
That would open the door for Darlington to reclaim their throne. Despite having to replace their quarterback, the Tigers appear to be the team to beat in 2017 with a handful of players with college offers and a head coach that has won nearly 70 percent of his games in 16 seasons at the helm.
If Darlington were to stumble, Bowdon and Trion look like the teams most likely to take advantage. Closer to home, Gordon Lee is hoping to use the talents of a solid collection of skill players to get back to the postseason for the first time since 2012.
Here’s a look at the other teams in the subregion. A more in-depth previews of Gordon Lee can be found elsewhere in this edition.
Bowdon Red Devils Head Coach: Robert Andrews (3rd season, 12-11) Last Year: 6-5 overall, 4-2 subregion Last Five Years: 39-19 (3-5 in state playoffs) Last State Playoff Appearance: 2016
After a second straight state playoff appearance in 2016, the Red Devils will have to find replacements for some of its top playmakers from a year ago as graduation claimed the likes of tailback Tay Sheppard, quarterback Cason Parmer, wide receiver and back-up signal caller Dylan Raymond and tight end/ linebacker Jake Gilley.
Bowdon will bring back junior running back Aaron Beasley, a load at 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds, who rushed for 1,157 yards and nine touchdowns last year. Beasley is also one of the region’s top defensive backs. Senior Nathan Hill will likely get the call to take over at quarterback, while big things are hoped for from 6-foot2, 235-pounder Zaylin Wood. A first team All-Region offensive lineman last season, Wood will remain at linebacker on defense, but will move into the backfield this fall as a fullback to help pave the way for Beasley.
Christian Heritage Lions Head Coach: Jay Poag (2nd season, 1-9) Last Year: 1-9 overall, 1-5 subregion Last Five Years: 25-29 (1-3 in state playoffs) Last State Playoff Appearance: 2015
The Lions went 6-6 in 2015, getting to the Class A Private School quarterfinals and putting a major scare into eventual state finalist Aquinas before losing by a single point. However, head coach Preston Poag left after that season to take over at Class AAA North Murray and the Lions saw a couple of key players transfer. The result was a tough 1-9 campaign last fall under first-year head coach Jay Poag.
Christian Heritage will be young again in 2017 as the Lions lost 13 seniors to graduation. Six-foot-three junior Matthew Neff, a transfer from Chattanooga (Tenn.) Christian, looks to be the new signalcaller, while he’ll have help in the form of 6-7 wideout Christian Koneman. The Lions will employ a stable of running backs and they appear to be solid in the trenches as Trent Cummings, Adrian Cruz and Mitchell Herndon will see action on both sides of the line of scrimmage. However, the defense allowed over 36 points a game in 2016 and must be shored up if the Lions plan to challenge for a postseason berth.
Darlington Tigers Head Coach: Tommy Atha (16th season, 124-48) Last Year: 8-4 overall, 5-1 subregion Last Five Years: 43-14 (2-5 in state playoffs) Last State Playoff Appearance: 2016
The Tigers have been a power in northwest Georgia the past 30 seasons. Jerry Sharp won 115 games in 16 seasons from 1986-2001 and his successor, Tommy Atha, has already surpassed that total. In 15 seasons at the Rome private school, Atha has amassed a sparkling 124-42 record with five region titles. However, state playoff success has been a thorny issue. Darlington, who did win a Class A state title in 1998, made the semifinals in 2009, but that remains the only time the Tigers have gotten past the second round in the past 15 seasons.
Darlington will go into this season with a battle at quarterback between sophomores Griffin Brewster and Brady Drummond, and while All-State athlete Elijah McKoy was another lost to graduation, the Tigers have a three-star senior prospect at running back in All-State first teamer Tijai Whatley and a two-star defensive end in senior Jacob Hunt. Up front, look for another two-star senior prospect, Elijah Ball, to help anchor the line, although sophomore Tate Ratledge is getting most of the attention.