Get your popcorn ready because football is back
After nine months of anticipation, high school football returns to northwest Georgia this Friday night with four season-opening games involving teams from Catoosa and Walker County, including two highly-anticipated rivalry games.
Here’s a brief look at the four games on the docket for Friday:
HERITAGE AT RINGGOLD
It may not be the oldest rivalry in northwest Georgia, but it has become one of the fiercest.
This year’s Catoosa County clash will take on a little extra meaning as COVID and scheduling issues prevented the two teams from their annual meeting in 2021. Don Patterson Field should be absolutely rocking as another enormous crowd is expected.
Heritage will rely on the strength of 18 seniors, many of whom have started for at least two seasons, if not more. Senior quarterback Kaden Swope (970 yards passing, 737 yards rushing, 18 total TD’S in 2021) will run the offense, which should have a nice mix of running and passing.
On the flip side, Ringgold graduated 21 seniors, 12 of whom went on to sign college scholarships. However, the cupboard is far from bare in Tigertown. Senior Peyton Williams (640 rushing yards, 330 receiving yards, 11 total TD’S in 2021) is arguably the top returning running back in all of Region 6-AAA and could put up big numbers as a very good offensive line is set to block for him.
Get there early if you want a good seat for this one. Really early.
GILMER AT LFO
Catoosa County’s other team is also set to make an anticipated season debut as it will be the first game for the Red-and-white under new head coach Mac Bryan.
Bryan has promised an exciting brand of football for fans of the Warriors and the duo of senior quarterback Dylan Blankenship and senior receiver Trevon Gott could put up big numbers this fall, while the secondary, which features Gott and fellow seniors Ladarius Bunch and Gabe Helton, will be a team strength on defense.
That defense will draw a tough assignment right out of the gate as the hard-nosed Bobcats are in their second year under head coach Paul Standard. Standard spent 20 years turning St. Pius into a perennial Atlanta-area power and his troops should have his run-heavy offensive system firing on all cylinders with a year already under their belts.
The Bobcats will have a new quarterback under center, but have two solid backs returning in seniors Will Kiker and Brock Titus.
LAFAYETTE AT CHATTOOGA
The first of two Walker County versus Chattooga County matchups will take place in Summerville as the two neighbors get set to clash for the first time in the regular season since a 2120 Indians victory back in 2011.
Chattooga is now in Class A, Division I, but will have a solid squad ready for the Ramblers. Standout receiver Nic Hester transferred to Rome in the offseason, but the Indians still have plenty of talent in reserve, including quarterback Brady Groce and tailback Zaden Perry, and will be a factor in their region playoff chase.
As for Lafayette, the Orange-andBlack will be looking to get back to the postseason for the second time in three years. Senior Austin Tucker is one of the emotional leaders on both sides of the ball, while another senior, Jaden Morris, is one of Rambler’s top athletes and will also be a
featured two-way player.
TRION AT GORDON LEE
The other Walker-chattooga battle will be the 87th version of the annual grudge
match between the Bulldogs and the Trojans, the longest continuously played rivalry game in the state of Georgia.
Trion suffered significant graduation losses, including All-state running back Rob Brown and most of their offensive line. However, players like senior quarterback Logan Eller and junior running back Toby Maddux have some prognosticators saying the Bulldogs could challenge for their
region title in Class A, Division I.
Gordon Lee, on the other hand, has a sizable senior class that includes several players with two and even three years’ varsity experience as starters. Senior quarterback Connor Whitman and senior tailback Nate Dunfee, along with senior fullback Holt Roberts, will give the Trojans’ WingT offense some power and speed, while senior standout Kade Cowan will help lead a
veteran secondary.
This will be just the third time in the history of the rivalry that the game will be played to start the season (2014, 2015), so both teams should be at full strength for their annual donnybrook.
The Ridgeland Panthers do not play on Friday. They will play their first game under new head coach Craig Pritchett next Friday night at North Cobb Christian.