There are spoilers every year in every sport. That is one of the things that makes sports so compelling from season to season.
The 2018 high school football season in northeast Georgia was no exception with the likes of Riverside Military Academy in Region 8-A, Fannin County in Region 7-3A, Habersham Central in Region 8-6A. All three of those teams made the playoffs for the first time in years.
So, who will fill that role in 2019? No one really knows for sure, and of course, it may depend on who you ask as to who is mentioned. However, AccessWDUN and Friday Game Night has looked at some numbers, some rosters and added some of our own ingredients to try and figure out just who can, and will, upset the apple cart in 2019.
Region 8-6A
Dacula and Lanier, both semifinalists in 2018, once again look to be the teams to beat in a region that is quickly becoming stout from top to bottom. Habersham Central made the playoffs for the first time in a half-dozen seasons in 2018 and Gainesville, which is poised for massive improvement in 2019, also kept its long playoff run alive despite a 2-9 campaign. But perhaps the team to keep an eye out for is Apalachee.
The Wildcats posted their most wins since 2012 (3-7) under new coach Tony Lotti, formerly of West Hall, and narrowly missed out on their first playoff appearance since 2009 on a pair of one-possession losses to Gainesville (7-6) and Habersham Central (28-21) to end the season. Apalachee is expected to be bigger, faster, stronger and plays three of its five region games at home in 2019.
Meanwhile, the Red Elephants are expected to also be much-improved and should boast one of the state’s best offensive lines. They are still considered a playoff-caliber team but with continued improvement, they could make a run for an upper-tier finish in the region for the first time since 2015.
Region 8-5A
Cedar Shoals has been the surprise team on the rise in 8-5A the last few seasons making back-to-back playoff appearances for the first time 2003-04. But the Jaguars graduated a strong senior class and may be moving back to the pack in 2019. Buford, Clark Central, and Loganville were the other three playoff teams in 2018 and each has some questions coming into the 2019 campaign.
Could Johnson, under new coach Stan Luttrell, be ready to step in and perhaps fill any possible void left if any of those teams fall back? History and conventional wisdom say no. They have yet to win a single region contest (0-17) since joining 8-5A in 2016. They also have not advanced to the playoffs of any kind since 2004.
However, Luttrell is a master of building wayward programs and they are coming off their best campaign (4-6) since 2012. Two region wins got No. 4 seed Loganville into the playoffs in 2018. Johnson played Walnut Grove and the Red Devils close last season. If Luttrell has the Knights progressing by the time region play opens, do not go to sleep on them.
Region 7-4A
The only surprise in this region in 2018 was the fact that both Blessed Trinity and Marist did NOT once again play for the state title. The Titans did capture their second straight Class 4A crown while the War Eagles fell in the semifinals.
Flowery Branch crashed the playoff party in 2018 and looked poised for a deep run until midseason injuries took their toll. White County also got its second straight playoff appearance despite a dropoff from the 2017 campaign winning a three-way tie with Denmark and West Hall. All four of those teams are expected to be in the playoff hunt again so who among the remaining three -- Chestatee, Denmark, West Hall -- are ready to step forward? Actually, all three could fall into the spoiler role.
The Falcons are a team with a stout enough defense to be in the hunt once again. The issue will be on offense where starting quarterback Elijah Gainey was lost for the season in their scrimmage against Dacula. Can they find enough offense through the air to keep defenses honest? If they do, they could play spoiler for a top-tier finish.
The Danes, in just their second season, already are being touted as a preseason favorite to not only make the playoffs but to perhaps win the region title. They have Class 6A classification numbers and are intermingled with several high-profile, Division I prospects. They are loaded and will be a force.
West Hall had its program-best five consecutive playoff appearances snapped in 2018 and second-year coach Krofton Montgomery said they are changing some things to fit personnel. Early reports say the Spartans will be competitive once again and improved. If the defense, which gave up 35.3 points a game in 2018, improves, they should be in the thick of things again.
Chestatee has shown it can score behind dynamic playmakers Christian Charles and Seth Pressley. Defense was the issue for Chestatee in 2018 as well as yielding the most points (561) in Class 4A. However, heightened focus, and athleticism, on that side of the ball during the summer and fall could make the War Eagles an X-factor.
Region 7-3A
Any spoilers coming out of this region may have more to do with who, if anyone, can take down Greater Atlanta Christian, which is a perfect 18-0 in region play since joining in 2016. Dawson County nearly knocked off the Spartans in 2018 in a close 23-20 loss they led in the second half. North Hall trailed 7-0 in the fourth quarter before eventually falling 21-0 as well.
The Trojans will their shot at the Spartans traveling to Norcross on Oct. 4 while the Tigers get GAC at home the following week. The Spartans open region play on the road Sept. 27 against East Hall and the Vikings also could be an X-factor in the region with offensive guru Michael Perry now running the show in Valhalla.
There is a lot of buzz coming out of Blue Ridge that the Rebels of Fannin County may be poised to make a run. They are coming off their first playoff appearance since 2010 and return a slew of key underclassmen.
Junior quarterback Luke Holloway (871 yards passing, 220 yards rushing, 13 combined TDs), senior running back Trelyn Owensby (1,081 yards rushing, 8 TDs) and two of their top three receivers return from 2018. On defense, the Rebels return four of their top six tacklers from a unit that posted a plus-5 turnover ratio in 2018.
If the Rebels are as good as some project, they could get a chance at the region title when they close out the season at home against GAC on Nov. 11.
A certain unknown lives in Dahlonega. Caleb Sorrells took over as head coach in late spring at Lumpkin County. Needless to say, the summer has been spent rushing around to get his power spread offense and defense installed. The Indians open region play against Dawson County which will reveal if they've improved enough to play the spoiler.
Region 8-2A
Rabun County has ruled the roost in this region with five consecutive region titles. The Wildcats return sophomore quarterback phenom in Gunner Stockton and a ton of playmakers at the skilled positions in a high-powered offense and are the odds-on favorite to win a sixth straight title.
But Union County also possesses a juggernaut on offense with senior quarterback Pierson Allison and a bevy of talented receivers returning. The Panthers and Wildcats battled at season’s end in 2018 for the region title and have the two most talented rosters in the region once again. Conventional wisdom has the two playing on Nov. 11 for the title again.
But Banks County, which missed out on the playoffs in 2018, is expected to be much improved with a more potent Wing-T offense and Elbert County and Monticello, the other two playoff teams in 2018, also are expected to be in the running.
Injuries could be the key to any potential upsets. No team can afford to lose their top playmakers and stay competitive in a region full of talent. A run to Cosco for bubble wrap to protect key players could be a wise investment.
Region 8-A
Athens Academy has been the top dog with back-to-back region titles in a region that saw six of its 10 teams qualify for the playoffs in 2018. Five advanced to the second round, three to the quarterfinals, two to the semifinals, with Athens Academy losing in the Class A Private championship game for a second consecutive season.
The big surprise in 2018 was Riverside Military Academy making its first postseason appearance since 2009 and snagging its first-ever GHSA playoff win. The Eagles still have super-junior Shad Dabney but lost a ton of production from the 2018 squad. Coach Nicholas Garrett has the Eagles on the rise but another “surprise” year will depend on finding quality replacements for 11 seniors that all played significant roles in 2018.
Commerce is never a surprise in challenging for region titles. The Tigers lost a close region championship game to Athens Academy (21-14) for a second straight season in 2018 and return Nate Ray and Sam Roach in their potent wishbone attack. They have the talent to win the region title but they will have to find a way to get past the big rosters of the Spartans and possibly Prince Avenue.
The Wolverines advanced to the Class A Private semifinals and will be led by one of the nation’s top quarterbacks in junior Brock Vandargriff. They lost a 31-27 decision to Athens Academy in 2018 and are considered a state title contender once again.
If there is a real dark horse, it could be Towns County. The Indians sport a new coach in former Johnson coach Jason Roquemore, who steadily improved the rebuilding Knights in his seven seasons in Oakwood.
The Indians, who finished 3-7 in 2018, have nearly double the roster from 2018 and Roquemore knows how to build a program. They dropped a one-point decision to Lakeview Academy in 2018 and could reverse that. They do have a tough schedule with six playoff teams but with some early success, and maybe one more region win, they could be poised to climb the power rankings by season’s end.
