When area prep football fans in northeast Georgia last checked in November of last year, many were left wanting more as several high-profile teams were stunned in the early rounds of the playoffs. Even playoff stalwarts Buford, Rabun County, Commerce and Jefferson all were dismissed by the quarterfinals.
Several others did see some program firsts but for the most part, the 2018 campaign will go down in history as a year of missed opportunities and underachievement for area teams.
So, what does the 2019 campaign have to offer fans as teams kick off their seasons on Friday and Saturday around the state and area? It’s anybody’s guess, really. But we at AccessWDUN have listed more than a few things we were curious about, and would like to see and will be looking for this season.
We put together our Top 10 things of interest below. They are listed by area regions, largest to smallest.
-- A Gainesville resurgence? In 2018 the Red Elephants experienced their first coaching change at the top since 2002 as Heath Webb took over for Bruce Miller. Webb knew there were going to be some growing pains as Gainesville had slipped a notch suffering back-to-back losing seasons in 2016 and 2017 for the first time since 1999 and 2000. But the task of rebuilding was even more extensive than he and his staff had imagined as the Red Elephants went just 2-9 in 2018 -- their worst record since the 1999 squad went 2-8, which was also the last time Gainesville did not make the playoffs.
Gainesville did manage to slip into the postseason in 2018 but was summarily dismissed in the first round for a third consecutive season. But talk around City Park coming into the 2019 campaign is that Webb and staff have seen an acceleration of their rebuild as the younger players have bought into the new changes. And it doesn’t hurt that the Red Elephants have one of the best projected preseason offensive lines in the state.
Will the O-line be as good as advertised? Has returning quarterback Gionni Williams taken the next step? Can a young but talented defense hold its own in a tough Region 8-6A? We’ll be watching to find out the answers to all those questions...
-- Can Habersham Central make a repeat playoff appearance in 2019? The Raiders finally broke the playoff wall in 2018 for their first postseason appearance in a half-dozen years (2011). But Habersham Central graduated talented quarterback Tre Luttrell, his father and defensive coordinator, Stan Luttrell, is now the head coach at Johnson (see below), and several more key skilled players are also gone from a group that posted the most wins in a season (7-5) since the 2007 squad went 11-2 under now-Jefferson head coach Gene Cathcart.
Coach Benji Harrison has the program moving forward but faces some key personnel decisions in some key spots as they get ready for a tough road opener at Dawson County. Region 8-6A figures to be even tougher in 2019 with an improving Apalachee team looking to make a breakthrough and Gainesville expected to be back on the rise, not to mention a pair of Class 6A semifinalists in Lanier and Dacula, who also are expected to be even better.
Harrison said he thinks the Raiders are ready to show that 2018 was no fluke. However, they open region play at home on October 4 against Lanier with consecutive road games at Gainesville and Dacula to follow. We may know quickly once region play begins just where they stand -- and we’ll be watching...
-- Can Johnson compete for a playoff spot in Region 8-5A under new coach Stan Luttrell? The Knights snapped their program-worst 24-game losing streak and posted the most wins since 2012 with a 4-6 finish in 2018. However, they also suffered their third consecutive winless season in region play in 2019 and are 0-17 since joining Region 8-5A in 2016.
Luttrell worked wonders at Chestatee -- a similar program in terms of an under-manned team in a brutal region -- in his eight seasons for the War Eagles, posting four winning campaigns with three trips to the playoffs. He owns the school record in wins (46) and the War Eagles’ only postseason win.
Johnson is one of the more unique programs in the area, if not the state, with a constant change in demographics. But Luttrell knows how to develop talent and has shown he can win in a challenging environment. We’ll be watching to see what he can produce as he and his staff try to rekindle the Knights program...
-- Will Denmark be able to live up to the preseason hype in Region 7-4A? Denmark finished the program’s first-ever season .500 and just missed the playoffs in 2018. In 2019, expectations are high, especially with the offseason transfers of Division I prospects, Aaron McLaughlin (quarterback), Jordan Brunson (running back) and CJ Ford (linebacker). Adding those three to the mix of an already talented returning roster, the Danes have the pieces to make a serious run at the Region 7-4A title.
The Danes also return Auburn-commit Ze’Vian Capers at wide receiver (1,182, 11 TDs). But with the addition of McLaughlin, last year’s starter, Ben Whitlock, who passed for 2,713 yards and 26 TDs, transferred to Johns Creek. It closed the door on any competition for the former 6-foot-4 Buford quarterback and Auburn commit. Virginia Tech-commit, Jordan Brunson, who played at South Forsyth last season and led Region 5-7A in rushing with 933 yards, will give an added boost to the Danes’ backfield. Also transferring in from South Forsyth is linebacker CJ Ford, who racked up 95 tackles and 4.5 sacks in 2018. Ford should be a welcomed addition to a defense that gave up 32 points per game last season.
If the Danes are to live up to the preseason hype, all the new pieces will need to jell quickly. We’ll be watching to see what the Danes have to offer...
-- Can anyone break the BT stranglehold on 7-4A? Marist might have something to say about the so-called Blessed Trinity Region 7-4A stranglehold. After all, the Eagles are the only team to beat the Titans in the region. Although Flowery Branch was an overtime completion away from beating BT in 2018, the Titans have ruled the roost, winning two of the last three region titles and back-to-back Class 4A crowns over the last three seasons. Denmark (see above) and Marist surely will have a say. Flowery Branch was an early favorite to watch in 2019 with several key pieces back on offense. However, three-year starter Elijay Gainey at quarterback went down with a season-ending knee injury last week. The Falcons return most of a defensive unit that allowed just 14.5 ppg last season and if they can find a replacement for Gainey they could be in the hunt for a top-tier spot in the region. But the question still remains. Can anyone break Blessed Trinity’s stranglehold on Region 7-4A? We’ll definitely be watching...
-- Can anyone break Greater Atlanta Christian’s stranglehold on Region 7-3A? Since joining Region 7-3A in 2016, the Spartans have dominated the rest of the field going a perfect 18-0 with an average margin of victory of 36.11 points. However, teams like Dawson County and North Hall have inched closer in the last two seasons.
The Tigers lost a heartbreaker (23-20) in 2018 after leading part of the way. The Trojans trailed just 7-0 in the fourth quarter last year before falling 21-0 when a North Hall turnover and a big play late by GAC snuffed out a potential upset.
The Spartans may be coming back to the pack ever so slightly in 2019. But the real question will be who among the Trojans, Tigers, possibly a quickly-improving Fannin County, and even an unknown East Hall, can meet them halfway?
Dawson County is rebuilding its offense while North Hall also will be replacing some key offensive pieces. Reports out of Blue Ridge have Fannin County ready to make a push into the upper-tier. Some early-season non-region success by all or some of those teams could give us an idea of what to expect once region play begins in late September. We will definitely be watching this one...
-- Can Cherokee Bluff get its first program win in 2019? Much like Flowery Branch in 2002, which opened its initial varsity season 0-10, the Bears come into their second campaign still looking for their first-ever victory. The Bluff will not find the going much easier in 2019.
Six of their 10 opponents advanced to the playoffs last year and almost all are projected for better things in 2019. They will be big underdogs every time they take the field.
The Bears should be bigger, faster, stronger than a year ago. But with only a handful of upperclassmen, they are still a young bunch needing experience. Region 7-3A will be even more balanced in 2019 so most of their learning will still be on the job.
Perhaps their best chance early could be their season opener against Class A Private Whitfield Academy. We will be watching, and waiting, for the celebration to begin...
-- Can Union County take down Rabun County in 8-2A AND get out of the first round for the first time ever? Or will Rabun County run roughshod over the region for a sixth straight year even with a new head coach? Union County has been about as consistent a winner as there is in northeast Georgia with eight or more wins four of the past five seasons and four trips to the state playoffs in that span. But playing first in Region 7-3A and now 8-2A, where playoff behemoths Greater Atlanta Christian (7-3A) and Rabun County (8-2A) respectfully reside, they have found region titles nigh impossible to capture.
The Panthers return one of the best skilled offensive groups in Region 8-2A in senior quarterback Pierson Allison and senior wide receivers Sawyer Drake, Kyle Morlock and Cayden Rich, along with junior running back Jonah Daniel. They should be considered a contender in 8-2A once again.
The biggest problem the Panthers have is that Rabun County can match them man-to-man, and sports super sophomore quarterback Gunner Stockton to run their explosive offense. The Wildcats also are touting perhaps their best-receiving corp ever.
Last year’s region title came down to the two teams’ season finale showdown and the 2019 season may very well do the same. The question will be can the Panthers, who get the Wildcats at home this time around, find a way to take down the five-time defending region champs and build momentum as they try and claim their first-ever postseason win?
The annual showdown has become one of the best shootouts in northeast Georgia over the past half-dozen years. We wouldn’t expect anything less in 2019. Oh, and we’ll be watching for sure...
-- Can Commerce get its first 8-A title since 2003, which is a number that is hard to fathom? The Tigers are a perennial playoff team and a consistent force in Region 8-A and Class A Public after running their current playoff streak to 22 straight seasons in 2018. However, for all their success since the 1997 campaign -- nine quarterfinals appearances, two semifinals, one state championship (2000) in that span -- they have won just one region title since their state championship run (2003).
In their defense, Region 8-A has become one of the powerhouse regions in the entire state, regardless of classification, with six of the 10 teams making the playoffs each of the past three seasons. Athens Academy is the two-time defending region champ and finished as the state runner-up in Class A Private each of the past two seasons. The Spartans have knocked off the Tigers three of the past four seasons for the region crown. Commerce has finished as region runners-up four times since 2012.
In 2019, Commerce may be as poised as any of the past four seasons to make a serious run at the region title. They return 11 starters, including senior quarterback Nate Ray to run their vaunted triple-option attack, along with senior fullback Sam Roach and a pair of outstanding linemen in senior Conner Kyle and junior Peyton Freeman.
They dropped a tough 21-14 decision to the Spartans in last year’s crossover game for the title. This year, if the Tigers can win Subregion B, the Spartans will have to come to Tiger Stadium, assuming they win Subregion A. Commerce is 11-3 all-time at home against the Spartans, although Athens Academy won the last meeting in Commerce in 2017, 22-7. That game has become one of the must-see contests every season of late, and we’ll be watching just in case it materializes...
-- Can RMA continue its forward momentum in Region 8-A after losing arguably its best senior class in a dozen seasons? The Eagles certainly were flying high after the 2018 campaign. They advanced to the Class A Private playoffs for the first time since 2009, won their most games in a season since 2008 (6), and captured their first-ever GHSA postseason win knocking off George Walton in the first round.
But they graduated three of their top four players from last year in All-Region 8-A selections Isaac Teasley, Khalid Duke, and Wookdong Kim. They do return one of the area’s most dynamic players in junior Shad Dabney but the uniqueness of the Eagles program makes every season a challenge.
However, third-year coach Nicholas Garrett said he has already noticed a change in attitude and approach as the Eagles gathered for summer and fall practices. The 2018 season showed the younger guys they can compete in a rugged Region 8-A. The Eagles went 5-3 against the region last season after going a collective 4-26 in region play from 2014-2017.
The question is can they build off last season’s momentum with a group that is returning 11 starters while rebuilding in several key areas. We may know after a rough four-game road trip, including Class 5A Johnson and 2018 Class A Private semifinalist Prince Avenue. And you can bet we’ll be watching to find out...
