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)...
JEFFERSON (12-2 in 2024; lost in Class 3A championship game)
The Dragons played in their second finals in five seasons in 2024 but will come into the 2025 campaign having to rework an offense that lost 93 percent of its production to graduation, including quarterback Gavin Markey, and return just three starters on that side of the ball. But they also have some quality underclassmen that could be ready to step and fill the void at several key positions.
We caught up with Jefferson coach Travis Noland to see how the QB spot sorting out who is ready to step at along the offensive line as well.
QUESTION: Coach, finding a replacement for Markey at QB is a huge priority I’m sure. Senior Colton Grant (5-of-10, 63 yards 1 TD; 16-63 yards rushing), the backup in 2024, is the projected starter coming into the season. How is his progression coming along?
ANSWER: Gavin was a great player for us last year. We feel really good about our QB position. Colton has worked extremely hard this off season and continues to improve every week. He has added weight and gotten stronger. Boone Horn is a JR QB that gives us great depth at the position and they both have different skills that will allow our team to be successful. Colton and Boone are both leaders in our program.
QUESTION: However, an even bigger task may be up front where senior tackles Michael Pauley and Clifton Williamson are the only returning starters. Who are some guys that are starting to emerge along the offensive line during the summer?
ANSWER: Vince Ledbetter is another returning starter up front for us on the offensive line. We also have two returning starters at TE that are both very good players, Caleb Beusse and Jordan Robinson, who will be a vital part of our success this season. We feel good about our offensive line. Gavin Simmons, Cortland Tillery and Britton Stephenson will be a part of that group, along with a group of (several) others.
- Up Next in Two-a-Days: JOHNSON
- Previous Two-a-Days: JACKSON COUNTY
