Region 6-AAA: LFO, Ringgold among those still chasing Calhoun
There were a few interesting storylines coming out of Region 6-AAA last season.
Yes, the Calhoun Yellow Jackets continued to win. Calhoun has now won 19 consecutive region titles and virtually no current player on the roster had even been born the last time the Jackets dropped a game to a region opponent (it happened way back in 2001). However, two of the three other big stories from the 2018 season involved local teams.
Apart from Haralson County running back Treylon Sheppard’s assault on the Georgia state high school record books (the recent alum had 2,934 rushing yards in 11 games, the third-most alltime in state history), Catoosa County teams made headlines.
LFO, just three seasons removed from an 0-10 campaign, went 7-4, faced Calhoun for the region title on the final game of the regular season and hosted a state playoff game for the first time in nearly 15 years, while Ringgold grabbed the lone wild card berth in the state playoffs as they made their first postseason appearance since 2015.
And with the 2019 season just hours away, there are new questions surrounding the top contenders.
Can Calhoun maintain its streaks despite a new head coach for the first time in two decades? Can LFO keep it going despite the loss of another large senior class? Can some of Ringgold’s younger players take up the slack left by a number of graduated starters to make another postseason run? Who can possibly fill Sheppard’s shoes in Tallapoosa? How will North Murray fare without its record-setting signalcaller and could a perennial underdog, like Murray County or Coahulla Creek, shock the region and grab a state berth?
With extensive previews of LFO and Ringgold available elsewhere in this issue, let’s take a closer look at the other teams in 6-AAA.
Adairsville Tigers
Eric Bishop (6th season, 37-20)
6-5 overall, 3-3 region
After a 12-2 campaign in 2015, the Green-andGold have won just 13 total games in the past three seasons. Adairsville managed just four wins last fall and missed the postseason for the second time in the last three years. Once again, the Tigers will have some significant holes with the graduation of standouts, such as All-region athlete Mason Boswell and two top-grade linemen in Josh Brown and Jonah Cline.
However, there are tools to work with. All-region Savaun Henderson is back to anchor the secondary in his senior season, while returning players with Allregion credentials include senior receivers Malachi Gardner and Wade Condruff, senior linebacker Zach Ogle and junior athlete Courtney Slocum. Adairsville will also bring back senior athlete Derrick Simmons and junior athlete Connor Crunkleton and one of them could be the Tigers’ new quarterback.
For the first time in 20 years, a new head Jacket will patrol the sidelines at Phil Reeve Stadium as Hal Lamb stepped down in the offseason after over 230 wins and three state titles.
Clay Stephenson, a 12-year assistant with the Jackets, will get the unenviable task of trying to replace the legendary Lamb and Stephenson will have to do so after losing the region’s Athlete of the Year and the region’s Defensive Player of the Year, along with heavy graduation losses on both sides of the ball.
But it’s been a long time since Calhoun lacked for talent and the 2019 season should be no exception. Senior Jake Morrow appears to be the heir apparent to Gavin Gray at quarterback, and although new skill position players will have to step up, the Jackets have anchors in the trenches with senior offensive linemen Jaeden Curtis, Elijah Baldridge and Zeke Brown, senior defensive lineman Dawson Hamby, junior defensive lineman Carson Griffin and a first team All-region senior kicker in Eduardo Farjardo.
Coahulla Creek Colts
Caleb Bagley (3rd season, 1-19)
1-9 overall, 1-7 region
Although the Colts managed just one victory in 2018, on-field improvements were visible. Coahulla Creek upped its offense by nearly a touchdown per contest and shored up its defense by 20 points a game.
And while the Colts have no returning players that were named All-region a year ago, they have a number of solid building blocks with a good deal of varsity experience.
Senior quarterback Cade Bates is coming off a 1,000yard passing season last fall and look for senior Austin Hernandez and junior Titus Underwood to share the load out of the backfield with junior receiver Wright Nelson and sophomore athlete Tyler Locklear set to give the Colts speed on the outside. Defensively, junior end Adam Alexander will try and get to the quarterback, while a trio of senior linebackers – Andrew Painter, Boone Creswell and Hunter Lanier – will provide support in the middle.
Haralson County Rebels
Scott Peavey (6th season, 14-37)
8-3 overall, 6-2 region
One has to go back a long time to find a team as dependent on one player on offense as the Rebels were in 2018. Yet somehow, it worked as running back Treylon Sheppard would find the holes opened up by a massive front five. He got the call on an overwhelming majority of the plays and finished with 33 touchdowns and 2,934 yards rushing. Now Sheppard is gone and the question is, can the Rebels find another runner like Sheppard, will they use a stable of backs or will we see a new style of offense altogether?
With All-region blockers Beau Chaffin, Zach Owens and Daniel Hartley returning up front, and All-region H-back Caleb Hardeman set to return in the backfield, the odds are good that Haralson County will continue to pound the ball at opposing defenses in some form or fashion. The front seven on defense should continue to be serviceable with Allregion first teamer Trey Lovelace back to go with senior linebacker Kaegan William and juniors Richard Hyatt (All-region first team) and Antonio Crapp. Junior All-region selection Marc Harris will anchor the secondary.
Murray County Indians
Chad Brewer (7th season, 15-45)
0-10 overall, 0-8 region
After four consecutive years of an increased win total, the Indians have fallen back in the past two seasons, including a tough 2018 season. Save for a 21-16 loss at Southeast Whitfield early in the campaign, the Greenand-white lost every other game on its schedule by at least 21 points and went winless in region play by an average score of 47-10.
With just three returning players that made the Allregion honorable mention team, the Indians will need some new faces to step up quickly to avoid another year of struggles.
Those three players are all in the junior class. Brannon Nuckolls will line up at tight end, while athlete Cade Petty will likely see action at several different positions. On the defensive side, linebacker Carson Voiles is back after an 82-tackle season in 2018. Junior Kaleb Jones will likely be under center, while senior Adam Corral will line up with him in the backfield. Both players will also see time at linebacker, along with senior Gauge Stanley, while senior Tyler Hayes will anchor the secondary.
North Murray Mountaineers
Preston Poag (4th season, 21-13)
6-5 overall, 5-3 region
The 2019 season is certainly shaping up to be something of a transition year for the Mountaineers.
North Murray is bringing back a pair of receivers in seniors Landon Burrell and Ladd Mcconkey, both of whom were named to the Region 6-AAA first team a year ago. However, recordsetting trigger man Preston Poag, Jr. has graduated, meaning the Black-and-gold will need someone new to throw the ball.
Right now, that appears to be senior Logan Viars, who is the only quarterback listed on the Mountaineers’ roster. Senior tailback Dante Tidwell is also back for his senior season.
The offensive line will miss University of Missouri signee Luke Griffin, but will bring back second team All-region senior Aaron Mccurdy and fellow senior Will Mitchell, who will also start at defensive end. The linebacking corps will consist of a pair of returning All-region first team seniors in Chaisen Buckner and Dylan Flood, the secondary will feature Viars and Mcconkey and the special teams have a good young kicker in Owen Hannah, who made the 6-AAA honorable mention squad a year ago.
Sonoraville Phoenix
Denver Pate (3rd season, 8-12)
4-6 overall, 3-5 region
The Phoenix football program seems to be stuck in neutral. After going from one win to three wins to six wins to eight wins, all in a span of five years (20122016), the Red-and-black have endured back-to-back non-playoff seasons of 4-6. Offensive production was one of the biggest issues in 2018 as the Phoenix were held to 14 points or less six times, while it happened on just two occasions a year earlier. Junior quarterback Cole Godfrey will be back under center and will have a solid target in senior Ben Burns, a second team AllRegion receiver last season.
If the Firebirds can find a way to generate more points, the defense looks primed for a solid season. Sonoraville returns no fewer than four linebackers with All-region credentials. Senior Colton Richards was a second team selection in 2018, while fellow seniors Joe Lambert, Tyler Capps and Loren Hicks were all named honorable mention.
In the secondary, seniors Blade Bryant and Kobe Mcentyre will lead the way, while senior lineman Davin Buckner will provide leadership in the trenches.