East Forsyth looks for third-year successes

GAINESVILLE, Ga. — The Broncos were two close games from making the Class 4A playoffs for the first time in 2022. 

Back-to-back close losses to Madison County and Chestatee late in the season had the Broncos watching the playoffs from the cheap seats. 

The Broncos have several skill position players returning and an experienced offensive line and have several back on a defense that gave up 17 points per game last season. 

But will the third year be the charm for the 3-year-old program? Head coach Brian Allison hopes so.

"I feel like we can compete week in and week out with everybody we're playing," he said. "If we stay healthy and don't make mistakes and just play the way we're supposed to, I think we got a chance."

For East Forsyth to join the playoff club for the first time in 2023, the Broncos will lean heavily on their returning players, making the experience they have accumulated over the past two seasons huge for the 2023 version of Allison's team.

"A lot of the same guys are back, and in the positions, they should be comfortable," Allison said. "We have guys that have started 20 varsity games up to this point, so our experience should help us if we can continue to coach and teach them the way that we have up to this point."

The Bronco fan base caught a glimpse of the potential of this program in 2022 as they finished 6-4, just outside of the playoff picture in Class 4A. With the returners they have on the sidelines, and the consistent messaging of Allison and his staff, East Forsyth has a great chance of punching that ticket to the postseason for the first time.

On offense, Allison is excited about his offensive line. Alex Day and Mitchell Dunlap lead the unit, and Rick Wiggins and Austin Adams also return.  

"Our O-Line is a good, solid group of guys that we feel set the tone for how we want to play," said Allison. "We might be figuring things out elsewhere, but I know that our offensive line is strong and solid, and I'm really excited to have that group out there for us on Friday nights."

The backbone of the balanced offense for the Broncos will be in the backfield with the running back corps. According to Allison, an offense that piled on a ton of rushing yards, especially late in the year, will be key for East Forsyth.

"We've got some guys, like Troy Hoover, Tripp Morris, Gus Martin, and some others, that we feel like can play a little bit. Just getting them more game experience and getting them to stay healthy is imperative."

Junior quarterback Brock Szakacs, who passed for 1,241 yards and eight TDs last season, has improved over the summer. 

"Brock has had a really good summer," Allison said. "So, we feel comfortable about our quarterback position." 

The receiver position has some solid guys who are inexperienced. Cannon Hunter decided to play his senior season. Allison said he could have a big year. 

"I think we've got some guys at receiver that have a chance to be good, but they're a little bit inexperienced," he said. "Cannon played in the 9th grade and has the chance to be really good for us this year." 

Jackson Norman will play tight end, and Andrew Frank has been taking reps at wideout. 

Defensively, the Broncos will be aggressive, coming after the football out of multiple fronts, mostly out of the 3-4. But East Forsyth has a big question mark on the defensive side, despite all the returners coming back, and that's on the defensive front.

"Our biggest loss from last year was three defensive linemen," said Allison. "Cole Ferguson and Clarence Decillion at corner; Cameron Frady and Troy Hoover at inside linebacker; and Jeremiah Foote at outside linebacker are all back for us, but we have to find defensive linemen that can help us against the different offensive styles we see in 8-4A."

OFFENSE UNDER NEW DIRECTION
The offense will be under new direction this season as former Chestatee head coach Shaun Conley is now calling the plays for The Herd. It'll look similar to last year's multiple formation scheme but with a few tweaks and twists. The Broncos will have growing pains in the passing game early as they break in a bunch of inexperienced receivers, but as the season progresses, Conley's offense could be high flying.

FAST AND PHYSICAL ON DEFENSE
Allison expects his defense to play fast and physical. The Broncos only gave up 17 points per game last season and return several in the second and third levels of the defense. The defensive line is a concern right now, but that group has steadily improved over the summer. 

OFFENSIVE LINE, LINEBACKER, SECONDARY ARE STRONG
Allison speaks highly of his returning offensive line. He also says they have a lot of starts back at linebackers and three of the four starters are back in the secondary. 

BUT THERE ARE QUESTIONS
The Broncos will replace the entire defensive line. So far, he's had some guys step up. There are also questions about the inexperience at receiver. '

A COMPETITIVE SCHEDULE
The Broncos will open the season on Aug. 25 at Seckinger, followed by the region opener against Cedar Shoals at home. The schedule, however, gets very interesting in September. The Broncos go on the road to Walnut Grove, Cherokee Bluff, Madison County and North Hall. 
"It's a tough schedule for sure," Allison said. "If we can just find a way to stay healthy. It'll give us a chance. And it'll come down to those last couple of games like it did last year."

WHAT'S TRENDING
Will the third year be the charm for the Broncos to make the playoffs? All signs point to yes, but they are not a shoo-in just yet. It will depend on the development of the receiving corps and the defensive line as well as staying healthy. If those spots improve, the Broncos could be in the playoffs for the first time in school history.

Walker McCrary contributed to this story.