WALESKA — While some of the area's top prep football players will gun for state glory on Friday in the GHSA championships, a number of northeast Georgia's recent high school stars will shoot for national honors on Saturday.
Reinhardt University will compete in the 62nd National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Football National Championship at 6 p.m. Saturday in Daytona Beach, Florida -- and the Eagles' run at history includes plenty of names familiar to northeast Georgia prep gridiron fans.
Standouts like Banks County's Trevae Cain serve as bedrock for a Reinhardt program exploding on to the NAIA scene in just its fifth season.
The Eagles are a combined 46-11 since 2013 and are looking to claim the program's first national crown after reaching the semifinal round last season. Standing in the way is a Saint Francis (Indiana) program that has proven Reinhardt's nemesis in its short existence.
Saint Francis (13-0) defeated the Eagles 42-24 in last year's NAIA semifinals and knocked Reinhardt out of the first round of the postseason in 2015, 37-26.
The Eagles are now looking for payback on the biggest of stages, and, following an impressive season that included a 12-0 record and an average margin of victory of 32.5 points, Reinhardt certainly carries plenty of momentum south.
Cain helped build that momentum, rushing for 103 yards and and two touchdowns -- including the sealing score in overtime -- as Reinhardt knocked off Southern Oregon, 37-34, on Dec. 2. The bruising freshman from Commerce leads the Eagles with 11 rushing touchdowns and has also supplied 342 yards rushing along with 3 receptions for 74 yards in 11 games played.
The former Leopard Cain is one of 14 northeast Georgia-based players on the Reinhardt roster, which also includes receivers Ethan Morris, a freshman from Apalachee (7 receptions, 70 yards), and Ace Williams, a freshman from Mill Creek (4 receptions, 27 yards).
Other area players on the Reinhardt roster include Herve Aklotsoe (freshman, defensive tackle, Gainesville), Michael Albini (redshirt freshman, linebacker, Flowery Branch), Cameron Evans (sophomore, linebacker, Jackson County), Austin Frady (freshman, defensive end, Habersham Central), Anthony Gates (sophomore, defensive tackle, Winder-Barrow), Carson Ivester (redshirt freshman, offensive line, Habersham Central), Andre Jackson (sophomore, tight end, Winder-Barrow), Andrew Pavao (freshman, linebacker, Fannin County), Anthony Presto (freshman, running back, Mill Creek), Sterling Sykes (sophomore, offensive line, Flowery Branch) and Gunnar Wright (freshman, safety, Apalachee).
Considering that most of the group consists of freshmen, the Eagles' future will be in part shaped by the abilities of northeast Georgia prep players. And with the continued successes witnessed on Fridays -- which could extend into this week, as North Gwinnett and Rabun County compete for their first state championships -- that may mean even bigger things for next-level teams like Reinhardt on Saturdays.
Reinhardt's NAIA Championship contest, set for 6 p.m. Saturday in Daytona, will be broadcast on ESPN3.
