Region 7-AAAA: Cedartown Bulldogs remain lead dog in the region chase
To say that the 2020 Region 7-AAAA season was disjointed was an understatement.
As many expected, Cedartown won the region by going 4-0 and winning all four games by an average of 34.5 points. However, the Bulldogs’ dominance, along with the fact that Southeast Whitfield chose not to play a region schedule, were the only two real absolutes of the season.
Of the six teams that played a region schedule, four only got in four scheduled games each due to COVID-19 quarantines and contact tracing, while Central-Carroll and Ridgeland only played three of their region games, meaning a doctorate in mathematics was nearly needed to determine playoff seeding.
When everything was finally sorted out after the final week of the regular season, Northwest Whitfield earned the No. 2 spot ahead of Heritage, who got the No. 3 spot over Pickens, while Central was declared the No. 4 seed over Ridgeland, despite the fact that both finished 1-2 in region play and never faced each other on the field.
But with the restrictions and problems of last year (hopefully) in the rear view mirror, it’s time to take a look at what 7-AAAA has to offer this season.
To no one’s surprise, Cedartown is once again the favorite to win the region championship. The Bulldogs have 14 starters back, including eight on offense, on a team that should be a top 10 Class AAAA preseason pick in everyone’s poll.
After that, things get a bit more uncertain.
Northwest has a little more than half its starters returning, but is thin at a few positions and an injury or two could derail their season. Same goes for Central, who have some solid players returning, but who also will have to replace one of the state’s top tailbacks from a year ago. Then there is Heritage, who will be turning things over to a new quarterback, though a good running game and a scrappy defense should keep the Generals in games.
Ridgeland and Pickens were young and on the inexperienced side a year ago, but both should have a chance to be better this season, depending on how much their teams have matured since last fall. Meanwhile, Southeast will once again forgo playing a region slate in order to build numbers and momentum for a possible return to region action in 2022.
With more in-depth previews of Heritage and Ridgeland found elsewhere in this edition, here’s a closer look at the four other squads that will be in the mix for state playoff berths later this fall, plus a preview of Southeast, who will still face a number of area teams this season.
CEDARTOWN BULLDOGS 2020 record:
8-3 overall, 4-0 region
Head coach: Jamie Abrams
(2nd season, 8-3 overall) The Bulldogs began the 2020 season with tough losses to a couple of local powers in Polk County rival Rockmart (21-10) and Class AAAAA stalwart Calhoun (14-7), but won their next six games by an average score of 43-10 and claimed the 7-AAAA championship.
Following a forfeit win over Arabia Mountain in the first round of the playoffs, they blasted North Oconee, 56-0, and gave Bainbridge a tussle in the quarterfinals before dropping a 21-10 decision. And with eight starters back on offense and six
returning on defense, big things are expected from the Bulldogs again this season, their second under Abrams.
Junior quarterback Reece Tanner is back after throwing for 513 yards and four touchdowns out of a run-heavy scheme. Cedartown will also have quite arguably the best backfield in the region with senior C.J. Washington (698 yards, 15 TD’s), junior Harlem Diamond (710 yards, 7 TD’s) and junior Patrick Gardner (350 yards, 3 TDs). Senior Jordan Johnson will be a top target in the passing game, while senior Jaylon Stephenson will anchor the trenches.
On defense, Washington — the University of Georgia commit and the 2020 Athlete of the Year in the region — is a disruptor at linebacker, while junior Eli Barrow led the team with 83 tackles a year ago. Up front, senior lineman Jai Barnes is a force and will pair with senior Demarieo Sims to form a tough tandem. In the secondary, the Bulldogs will be tough to throw on with Diamond, Johnson, junior Xavier Hargrove and senior Donald Knight, who led the team with three picks a season ago.
CENTRAL-CARROLL LIONS 2020 record:
6-4 overall, 1-2 region
Head coach: Darius Smiley (5th season, 13-26 overall)
The Lions joined the region last season and proved to be a tough out, earning the No. 4 seed for the state playoffs behind a powerful running game, anchored by one of the leading rushers in all of Georgia in any classification. Narada Levett ran for over 1,700 yards and found the endzone 16 times for the Maroon-and-White a year ago.
However, Levett is now in Williamsburg, Kentucky, getting set to tote the rock for the University of the Cumberlands, while Central will also be replacing graduated quarterback Beau Ivy, who complemented the running game with nearly 800 yards passing and seven TD tosses. In addition, the Lions will also have to fill three spots on the offensive line that were occupied by All-Region players in 2020.
While there are several question marks on offense and defense (with only five starters returning on each side of the ball), Central does return one of the best athletes in the region in junior Kameron Edge. The 6-foot2, 190-pounder runs a 4.56 40-yard dash and was first team All-Region in the secondary a year ago. He is already receiving Division I attention, including an offer from Georgia Tech.
Sophomore linebacker Ty Brewer was All-Region as a freshman, while junior athlete Vicari Swain also garnered postseason accolades in 7-AAAA a year ago. Up front, returning seniors Jaylon Stephenson and Jackson Burns will get help from 6-5, 315-pounder Tray Hodges and senior Tae Heath will also be a name to know along the front four on defense. The Lions are also excited about a pair of incoming freshman, running back Cam Bolton and linebacker Nate Horsley.
NORTHWEST WHITFIELD BRUINS 2020 record:
8-3 overall, 2-2 region
Head coach: Josh Robinson (11th season, 68-40 overall)
The Bruins have been getting some love as a possible preseason top 10 team in Class AAAA and they will begin the year with what many consider the top quarterback in the region in junior Owen Brooker. Brooker threw for 2,401 yards and 21 touchdowns as a sophomore, while adding another 311 yards and five TD’s on the ground. However, varsity experience at the position behind Brooker is virtually non-existent.
Northwest graduated two of its top four receivers from last year, but brings back a pair of seniors in Brayden Morrison (22 rec., 175 yards, 1 TD) and Ray Morrison (56 rec, 930 yards, 10 TD’s), the latter of whom led the team in yards and touchdowns a year ago. The Bruins also bring back senior running back Adrian Reyes (142 carries, 748 yards, 11 TD’s) and top offensive
linemen in seniors Alex Starks and Austin Duncan.
A senior-heavy defensive line will feature Junior Aguirre, Hayden Maynard and Reyes De LaPaz, while senior linebacker Jayden Santiago (87 tackles, eight for loss) and junior linebacker Jax Brooker (104 tackles, 17 for loss) are two formidable defenders in the middle. Junior Dominique Smith is a known commodity in the secondary, while some new names to know include sophomore defensive back Hudson Gray, who will also play some at receiver, and junior linebackers Ike Ralston and Conner Cummings.
Northwest will have to replace their main starters on special teams and head coach Josh Robinson said staying healthy is a major concern as the Bruins are thin at a few positions and even minor injuries could provide big stumbling blocks along the way.
PICKENS DRAGONS 2020 record: 3-6 overall, 1-3 region Grant Myers (1st season, 0-0 overall)
Head coach:
After claiming the program’s first-ever region championship as part of an 11-1 season in 2018, things have been trending downward for the Dragons. They went 6-5 in 2019, though they did make the playoffs, but last year saw them go just 3-6 in a COVIDhampered campaign. They missed the postseason, snapping a six-year streak, and scored the fewest points in a season since 2009, averaging just over 15 a game.
After two seasons at the
helm, Jeff Nelson stepped down and the school replaced him with Grant Myers, who has been the Dragons’ defensive coordinator since he arrived in Jasper in 2019. He previously coached linebackers and defensive backs at Spalding High from 20112019 and served for a time as Spalding’s strength coach and defensive coordinator.
Myers has a solid young quarterback to build around in sophomore Sam Streicher, who threw for 863 yards and four scores in seven games, but the offense will have to replace standout running back Jarod Whitmore, who had over 1,200 all-purpose yards and nine TD’s. However, the Dragons will bring back senior wideout Devon Hand, sophomore tight end Isaiah Williams and three upand-coming junior linemen in Charlie Joe Fleming, Aiden Brown and Kaleb Taylor.
Taylor will also play up front on defense, alongside senior Jacob King and junior Kaleb Nicholson. Senior Conor Browning and junior Kaydn Hampton will give Pickens two solid linebackers, while Hand and senior Parker Rhodes will provide leadership in the secondary. Pickens also returns stronglegged senior kicker Jose Sanchez, a second team pick in 7-AAAA in 2020.
SOUTHEAST WHITFIELD RAIDERS 2020 record:
1-8 overall, non-region schedule Head coach: Todd Murray (2nd season, 1-8 overall) The Raiders, who announced at the end of the 2019 season that they would play a non-region slate for the next two years, managed just one victory last fall, a 21-7 home win over Armuchee on October 2.
However, the first season under new head coach Todd Murray saw the team score at least 20 points on four different occasions, an improvement over their winless campaign in 2019 when they managed the feat only twice.
But if Southeast plans to take the next step in its rebuilding process, they will have to replace several key players from last fall, including starting quarterback Ethan Hill and receiver Bryson Lofton, both of whom have graduated. Senior Normand Allen is the likely candidate for the quarterback job, although he attempted just one pass a year ago. Meanwhile, of the 30 total catches made by the Raiders last fall, Lofton accounted for 23 of them, two of their three TD’s receptions and 291 of their 443 receiving yards.
Southeast’s running game will be built around seniors Jordan Trevino and Jose Herrera, along with junior Anthony Ramirez, who combined for just over 600 yards. That trio will also be counted on to provide leadership for a young defense. They will get help from senior defensive tackle Jordan Osorio, who had a team-high 85 tackles last year. Junior defensive end Jayden Calhoun, a Recruit Georgia All-State honorable mention pick, will also be counted on heavily, while senior Job Willis will anchor a secondary that is thin on experience.