Region 6-A North could be balanced as ever in ’19
In previous years, you could pretty much count on the final standings in Region 6-A North to look pretty much the same year-in and year-out.
Darlington was a given, usually at the top, and then the rest of the teams would find their places in the pecking order as the season played out.
That’s not exactly the case anymore.
While Darlington is still a contender for the top spot in the subregion, many other teams have stepped up in recent years to challenge the Tigers and, in some cases, beaten them.
Mount Zion, a team that once struggled to win any games, is one of those teams that have stepped to the forefront in the past few years. The Eagles won 10 games for a second consecutive year in 2018, while the subregion’s other set of Eagles, North Cobb Christian, came out of nowhere last year to also pick up 10 victories and record their best season ever.
Trion and Christian Heritage are also coming off strong campaigns last fall, while Bowdon is out to prove that last year’s 1-9 mark was just an anomaly and that they will be back to their winning ways very soon.
With an extensive preview of Gordon Lee found elsewhere in this issue, let’s take a closer look at the other teams that will be gunning for the subregion title this fall. ils as five of their nine losses came by 10 points or less. The defense was solid for most of the year, but the offense struggled, scoring just 10 points a game and getting shut out twice.
However, don’t expect the Devils to stay down long. Senior running back Lane Ackles and sophomore running back Gage Stephens should give the offense a boost, while the offensive line returns All-Region first teamer Cooper Smith and All-Region second teamer Brandon Sheets. Smith was recently named preseason All-State by Recruit Georgia.
On the defensive side, Bowdon has a second Recruit Georgia All-State pick in senior defensive back Ben Fortson, who was also an All-Region selection a year ago. Upfront, Bowdon will have a solid anchor in senior Garret Gray, while junior Luke Rainwater will help out in the secondary.
The Lions took a big step last season by winning seven games and qualifying for the state playoffs following 1-9 and 2-8 seasons in the previous two years. However, they will have to find a way to overcome two huge graduation losses in All-Region first team quarterback Matthew Neff and Zach Gentry, the Region’s Athlete of the Year.
Christian Heritage will still have plenty of playmakers to go around, including senior running back Ethan Smith, sophomore running back Gage Leonard and junior wideout Evan Lester, who all had over 500 yards a season ago. All three are returning All-Region selections.
Standout defensive lineman Duane Jones is also graduated, but the Lions return senior Nathan Davis up front and two standout AllRegion linebackers in senior Mitchell Herndon (116 tackles in 2018) and junior Ben Williamson, who recorded over 150 tackles last year.
Senior Will Brumlow will anchor the secondary, while senior kicker Joe Dixon is getting looks from college scouts.
The Tigers have been turning out some big college prospects over the years, but perhaps none as big as senior offensive lineman Tate Ratledge. The 6-foot6, 325-pounder is a fourstar prospect according to 247Sports and committed to University of Georgia back in May. Ratledge was also a second team All-Region selection as a punter in 2018.
However, Ratledge will just be one obstacle for opposing defenses to deal with as Darlington will have one of their biggest offensive lines ever. The Tigers will also have senior Tysen Dougherty and senior Adyen Langford, while junior Davis Watson will also cut an imposing figure at tackle.
Senior quarterback Griffin Brewster will be handing the ball off to first team All-Region running back Kolin Rogers, but the Tigers will miss twoway standout athlete Demetrius Rogers, as the junior has reportedly transferred to Hebron Christian. Another senior, Frank Manning, can also play quarterback, as well as linebacker. The defense will get an additional boost from senior lineman Cade Brock.
The past few seasons have seen the Eagles suffer heavy graduation losses, but remarkably the team has continued to flourish. After years of struggling for victories, Mount Zion is a sparkling 45-15 in their last five seasons, including back-to-back 10-win campaigns the last two seasons under Gordon, the third-year head coach.
Mount Zion suffered more losses this offseason, including last year’s Region Player of the Year Iaan Cousin, six more All-Region first teamers and a pair of All-Region second teamers, but sleep on the Eagles at your own risk. Mount Zion still has its share of bona fide college prospects, including 6-foot-5 receiver Kendrick Brownlow, senior defensive end Chris Warner, senior defensive end Logan Buchanan and senior offensive lineman Ben May, who is already committed to Liberty University.