Gainesville football coach Josh Niblett joined the Week 5 Thursday Night QB show to discuss his team's matchup against Class 6A top-ranked Carrollton.
The third-ranked Red Elephants travel to Carrollton on Friday. The game can be heard live on 94.5 FM The Lake.
GAINESVILLE at CARROLLTON
Records: Red Elephants (3-0, Region 7-5A), ranked No. 2 in Class 5A; Trojans (4-0, Region 2-6A), ranked No. 1 in Class 6A
Last week: Gainesville was off; Carrollton beat Lithia Springs, 63-0
Where: Grisham Stadium, Carrollton
Radio: 94.5 FM The Lake
Time: 7:30 p.m.
The Statisticals: Carrollton leads series 2-0. The Trojans won a pair of playoff matchups in 2004 and 2006, both at Grisham Stadium. They won 41-6 in 2006. Both teams have been as dominant as you can get in the first third of the 2024 season. The Trojans have outscored their opponents 166-43. Big Red has outscored its opponents 113-17. The star-studded matchups are endless with both featuring a trio of 3-star recruits or better. The Carrollton offense is led by Sr. 4-star QB Julian Lewis (USC commit) and Sr. 3-star ATH Kai Callen (James Madison commit). Sr. 3-star DE Zion Cooley (East Carolina commit) leads a tough Trojans defense. Big Red’s defense is led by Sr. 3-star DE Julius Columbus (Duke commit) and 4-star Jr. LB Xavier Griffin (USC commit). The GHS offense has Sr. 4-star OT Alex Payne (UNC commit) and Sr. 3-star WR Shane King (Troy commit).
What to watch for: Basically everything, everywhere, all at once. But the key could be Gainesville So. QB Kharim Hughley, who will face his toughest challenge yet against one of the state’s best defensive units in a hostile environment that is one of the toughest places to win on the road. According to 247Sports Composite, Carrollton FS Zelus Hicks and CB Dorian Barney are the highest-rated pair of defensive backs in Georgia from the same team and recruiting class this century. The Trojans are 26-2 at home since Lewis arrived at the HS level, with their two losses coming vs. state champ Hughes and Walton in 2023.
