Region 7-4A still has solid talent in 2021
Cedartown took Region 7-4A by storm in 2020. The Bulldogs went a perfect 4-0 in region play with their closest victory coming by 27 points over Central-Carroll on Senior Night.
After torching past the competition last year, all of Region 7-4A knows who the top dog is heading into this season. For the first time in a while, the Bulldogs have a huge target on their back in the preseason. Barring any COVID-related postponements or cancellations, like the one that occurred before CHS played Heritage-Catoosa in 2019, Cedartown will play a full region schedule in 2021.
Looking across the region, Cedartown is the only unanimous top-10 pick entering the season. However, some other programs in Region 7-4A have received some love from media outlets and regional analysts and are hoping to top the Bulldogs in 2021.
Northwest Whitfield finished 9-3 last year and went 3-2 in region play. The Bruins were a consensus topten pick entering the season and entered region play 4-0.
Unfortunately, blowout losses to Central-Carroll and Cedartown quickly showed the Bruins that they would have to step it up to qualify for the postseason. Northwest did just that, winning their last two region games against Heritage-Catoosa and Pickens (and taking a forfeit victory over Ridgeland) to finish as the two-seed. The Bruins hosted Stephenson in the first round of the playoffs, winning 28-24, before falling 42-17 at Riverdale in the Sweet 16.
Josh Robinson will enter his 11th season leading the Bruins in 2021. The Bruins return over half of their starters, including junior quarterback Owen Brooker (2,401 passing yards, 26 total touchdowns in 2020) and senior tailback Adrian Reyes (748 rushing yards, 11 touchdowns). Along with a solid defense anchored by lineman Junior Aguirre and Hayden Maynard and linebackers Jax Brooker and Jayden Santiago, the Bruins should once again be in the top half of Region 7-4A in 2021.
Heritage-Catoosa had a very up-and-down 2020 season. The Generals were 5-5 overall and 2-2 against Region 7-4A opponents. A COVID forfeiture did not allow for Heritage to take on the region-champion Bulldogs, but big victories over Central-Carroll and Pickens helped the Generals qualify for the playoffs as the No. 3 seed in the region.
Heritage-Catoosa lost its first-round playoff game at Hapeville Charter, failing to upset the Hornets in a 6-0 nail-biter.
2021 will mark the eighth season that E.K. Slaughter has led the Generals and many
looking across the region, Cedartown is the only unanimous top-10 pick entering the season. however, some other programs in region 7-4a have received some love from media outlets and regional analysts and are hoping to top the Bulldogs in 2021.
in Catoosa County feel that this could be his best team yet. Although Heritage lost several contributors on the defensive side of the ball, Slaughter returns much of his starting offense and one of the best kickers in the state in Anderson Britton.
Dual-threat Kaden Swope will take over at quarterback after seeing some snaps last year due to injury. Multiyear starter Paxton McCrary comes back after a strong sophomore campaign. His athleticism, paired with a strong offensive line and a three-headed receiving committee consisting of Ryan Heet, J.D. Black, and Max Owens, should make for a high-flying offense in year eight of the Slaughter era.
Central-Carroll received the short end of the stick last season due to forfeitures. The Lions were unable to play Pickens or Ridgeland — two teams they were favored to beat — late in the season due to COVID tracing. Therefore, Central had just a 1-2 record in region play and received the final playoff spot in Region 7-4A. Their prize? A trip to eventual state champion Marist, who ended the Lions’ 5-4 season with a 49-0 thumping in east Atlanta.
Head coach Darius Smiley faces an interesting predicament as he enters his fifth year leading CentralCarroll’s program. The Lions lost star running back Narada Levett in the offseason, as the 1,700-yard rusher graduated and is now playing at the University of the Cumberlands.
Central-Carroll does return numerous All-Region players including sophomore linebacker Ty Brewer, junior athlete Vicari Swain, and junior wide receiver/defensive back Kameron Edge who currently holds a scholarship from Georgia Tech. Central-Carroll might not be as experienced as other squads, but the Lions have as much star-power as any in Region 7-4A.
Pickens initially looked like a playoff team in 2020. Entering the season with a 17-6 combined record in the previous two years, the Dragons were expecting to be a force in Region 7-4A. After their blowout loss in the region opener at Cedartown and a COVID cancellation against Central-Carroll, Pickens picked up a 27-18 victory over Ridgeland.
However, back-to-back losses to Heritage-Catoosa and Northwest Whitfield gave the Dragons a 1-3 record in region play and forced them to miss the postseason for the first time since 2013.
Jeff Nelson stepped down after his second season in Jasper, and the Dragons decided to promote defensive coordinator Grant Myers to become their newest head coach.
The enthusiastic, focused Myers brings back a legitimate star in rising sophomore quarterback Sam Streicher, who passed for over 850 yards and four scores in 2020. Although Pickens lost tailback Jarod Whitmore, they return senior receiver Devon Hand and several talented linemen including Charlie Joe Fleming, Aiden Brown, and Kaleb Taylor.
The Dragon defense should be one of the best units in the region as they bring back senior lineman Jacob King, senior linebacker Conor Browning, and senior defensive back
Parker Rhodes. Pickens also returns All-Region secondteam kicker Jose Sanchez.
There’s a joke said in extreme-northwest Georgia that goes like this: “If Ridgeland or Heritage-Catoosa could win just one game, they’d want it to be against the other.” That is exactly what happened last season for the Panthers.
Winless Ridgeland shocked rival Heritage-Catoosa with a 21-14 win in Rossville for would be the only triumph of the season for the Panthers under second-year head coach Kip Klein, as Ridgeland limped to a 1-7 overall record.
Kip Klein enters year three in charge in Rossville. He led the Panthers to a 6-5 season in 2019 before winning just one contest a season ago.
His son, 6-foot-7, 310-pound Jacob Klein, will anchor one of the best offensive lines in the region along with fellow seniors Bishop Hayden, Chase Blevins, and Cade Dunn. Sophomore signal-caller Judd Anderson returns after a promising freshman campaign and will be joined in the backfield by senior running back Ashton Turner and junior rusher Chase Watkins.
Defensively, Ridgeland will rely on the senior linebacker trio of Curtis Wells, Jonathan Woodall, and Seth Wingo — along with junior defensive back Jakobe Turner — to keep opposing offenses at bay.