There are just 25 days remaining until the kickoff of the 2025 high school football season. But make no mistake, preparations for the upcoming campaign got underway months ago. And teams throughout northeast Georgia already are in full countdown mode.
With that in mind, we spent the last couple of weeks catching up with programs around our area to get a feel for how spring practice went, how the summer is going, and what coaches believe the fall will look like. Our "Two-a-Days" series honors those old-school grinding sessions that lead us out of summer and into fall, asking each area coach two key questions about the state of their respective programs.
Over the next two weeks, AccessWDUN's Friday Game Night will get you prepped for the start of gridiron action with responses from coaches throughout northeast Georgia.
(Teams run in alphabetical order)...
JACKSON COUNTY (8-3 in 2024; 1st round Class 5A playoffs)
The Panthers had one of the bigger turnarounds in the area in 2024, doubling their win total from the year before and finishing 2nd in Region 8-5A to secure their first-ever home playoff game. Coach Korey Mobbs, now in his third season in Hoschton, has interest in the program at an all-time high and is building the program for the long-haul. They return key players at quarterback and running back and across the line of scrimmage on offense.
We caught up with Mobbs and asked what is next for the program as they continue to try and get the Panthers to perennial playoff status.
QUESTION: Coach, y’all are coming off a nearly a record-setting season last year, tying the school record in wins and hosting the program’s first-ever playoff game. Y’all also return a very experienced group. What has been the attitude and focus coming into the summer and fall as y’all try to keep the program moving upward?
ANSWER: Each year is a new year and this team has big goals for itself. Although we return several contributors, there are some significant holes that must be replaced and our focus has been on finding those areas and then creating quality depth for all 22 that take the field. You can never have enough depth. We want to be ready for that moment and not miss a beat. Our guys have worked tirelessly since the loss to Coffee in the playoffs to have a chance to be back and make some noise once we get there. In a sense, hosting a team like Coffee allowed us to see what it's like to be in a game against a traditional powerhouse, a state championship type team. Now that we know what it looks like and what it takes, it's easy to motivate and realize that we still have a big climb in front of us. Our players are excited about the challenge. We have put to rest many of the "firsts" that took place last year and although those were fun to accomplish they were last year. Our goals are larger now and the work required doesn't have time to think about the past.
QUESTION: The one area you will be trying to remake after some key graduations is at receiver. Who are some guys who have begun to emerge during the summer?
ANSWER: We graduated two very productive seniors at that position but feel really good about those that will step in for their turn. Silas McDaniel is a senior who played both WR and CB for us last year. He had a great spring and a really productive summer and will be a leader for us. Robert Spry returns in the slot after a productive sophomore season and we are looking for him to take the next step with the experience gained last year. Landon Jones, a 6-foot-5, rangy athlete who can high point the football and cause fits for the DB, steps in on the outside for us and is poised to have a breakout year. Maddox Griswold, who played tight end for us last year as an undersized guy, has transitioned to WR as well. He made several plays for us in the passing game last year and that transition to WR has gone smoothly. We are looking for big things from him in 2025. We have two sophomores who are also in the mix at the position, Noah Norwood and Elyon Yeboah, and both have a bright future as dynamic skill guys and have been solid contributors in the spring and summer.
- Up Next in Two-a-Days: JEFFERSON
- Previous Two-a-Days: HABERSHAM CENTRAL
