Clay Stephenson and his No. 3 Calhoun team will play Class AAAA Ridgeland in the first game of the season in the Corky Kell Classic at Rome's Barron Stadium on Thursday at 5:30 p.m., and Stephenson knows he just might have the toughest task in the state of Georgia.
He's replacing a legend. For the first time since the 1998 season, Hal Lamb won't be on the sidelines at Calhoun. Lamb stepped down during the offseason with 18 consecutive region titles and three state championships.
How do you follow that?
"It's one of those things that I have never taken lightly," Stephenson said. "There are just a lot of good things (Lamb) has done with the program he built here. It's an honor for us and the rest of the coaches to kind of keep it going. It is a challenge, but it is a good year for these seniors."
The game marks a rematch from last year's Corky Kell game, which Calhoun won 45-21.
Calhoun lost more than a handful of major contributors to graduation from last year's team that reached the Class AAA semifinals. Four all-state players graduated, including the three-year starting quarterback Gavin Gray, offensive lineman Ben King, wide receiver Brannon Spector and linebacker Davis Allen (both at Clemson). The Jackets return five starters overall – two on offense and three on defense – which undoubtedly will test Calhoun's depth.
"It will add a whole other element of excitement to the game," Stephenson said about the coaching change and player turnover. "There's a little bit of unknown, and that's storyline that we haven't had in the past. There will be a lot of new faces. Obviously the pillars of our program will stay the same -- faith, family, academics and football -- and that's what we are going to preach to make sure there are high-character kids on the field first. But as far as Xs and Os, we are going to be hard-nosed and block and tackle and do things outside of the program to change the program, without changing it."
Fans outside the metro Atlanta area can watch the games live online at peachtreetv.com as well as ScoreATL.com, CorkyKell.com and NFHSNetwork.com. The game will be aired on Peachtree TV (WPCH) and called by Matt Stewart and 247Sports recruiting analyst Rusty Mansell. Click here for the full TV breakdown of all Corky Kell games.
"It's going to be interesting with two new head coaches; you really don't know what to expect," said Mansell, who attended the Corky Kell Luncheon in Rome on Tuesday. "The first half will be very interesting. Last year, it was a game for the first half and then Calhoun blew it out. So I'm looking forward to the first half to see how things will go."
Here are a few other AAA games to monitor in Week 1:
-- No. 4 Westminster at Class AAAA No. 10 Woodward Academy: Westminster, a perennial playoff power from Region 5, enters this season on the road against a Woodward program that advanced to the second round of the playoffs last year before losing to Mary Persons. Westminster prevailed 56-31 against Woodward and ended a five-game losing streak. Woodward owns a 26-20 edge in the series that began in 1955.
-- No. 6 Greater Atlanta Christian at Lovett: Since 1999, there have been 16 meetings between GAC and Lovett with the Spartans holding a 10-6 margin. Since 2013, GAC has won each game, including two in 2017. Lovett returns quarterback Bline McAllister, a Princeton commitment and three-star recruit. Jackson Hardy will run the Spartans' offense, after sharing duties with Josh Rose last season.
-- No. 2 Cedar Grove vs. Class AA No. 2 Hapeville Charter: The defending AAA state champions begin the season with a stout test in Miguel Patrick's first game as head coach of the Saints. This is the first meeting between the programs. Last year, Hapeville Charter lost to Callaway in the second round of the AA playoffs.
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