Class AAAAAAA blog: Region 3 football preview

McEachern, a program averaging 10 victories over the past decade, was moved over to Region 2, but Harrison should be a worthy replacement.

Also moving out was Kennesaw Mountain, which has never made the playoffs. In its place comes Walton from Region 4. Walton was 6-6 in 2019 but was 10-2 and 11-1 the previous two seasons and won a region title in 2017.

Here’s a look at each of the six teams:

-Harrison (15-0 overall, 8-0 in region play last season): The Hoyas must replace quarterback Gavin Hall (Toledo), linebacker Ryan Smith (Duke) and running back David Roberts (Marshall). But the Hoyas had a good junior class. Those making all-Region 6-AAAAAA last season were wide receiver Marques Owens, defensive lineman Bryce Stanfield, middle linebacker and leading tackler Marcus Bleazard and place-kicker Christian Lowery. They'll be all-state candidates in 2020. Harrison is probably the team to beat this fall.

-Hillgrove (7-4, 2-3): Phillip Ironside, the coach who started the program some 14 years ago and won 109 games, took a job at Class AA Worth County in south Georgia, an unusual move that to do with a calling and a hankering for small-town Georgia. The new coach is Byron Slack, a prominent defensive coordinator at stops that include Lowndes and Camden County. Hillgrove graduated all six of its all-region players. That includes defensive end Myles Murphy, now at Clemson, and underrated quarterback Mathew McCravey.

-Marietta (14-2, 4-1): Marietta lost as wealthy a senior class as imaginable, a group that included quarterback Harrison Bailey (signed with Tennessee), tight end Arik Gilbert (LSU), wide receiver Ricky White (Michigan State), defensive end B.J. Ojulari (LSU), defensive back Rashad Torrence (Florida) and offensive lineman Jake Wray (Colorado). Daniel Martin, a four-star recruit as a rising junior cornerback, is the only blue-chip prospect showing up on recruiting sites. Martin and another sophomore, linebacker Carlos Cervantes, were the only non-seniors among Marietta's defensive leaders last season. In fact, Marietta is counting on its sophomore class as 2019 backup quarterback Tyler Hughes and running back Milon Jones, both in the class of 2022, figure to be some of the team's top weapons this fall. Hughes is more mobile than Bailey. He threw two TD passes last season in the GEICO Bowl in Las Vegas against Eastside Catholic.

-North Cobb (7-4, 3-2): The Warriors have the most proven skill players returning as Trevor Lovett and Cam Cunningham each got all-region recognition as juniors. Lovett is getting mid-major Division I looks. Malachi Singleton also produced as a freshman quarterback last season. Cunningham rushed for more than 1,000 yards last season.  Receivers Montrel Jenkins and Nasir Howell are two-way players who are getting college attention. Defensive end Josh Josephs is outstanding, but North Cobb will be young an inexperienced on the lines of scrimmage.

-North Paulding (6-5, 1-4): North Paulding hired Seminole (Fla.) head coach Don Stark to replace Jim Bob Bryant, who became head coach at North Augusta (S.C.). Stark's record in four seasons at Seminole was 40-6. North Paulding will return all-region quarterback Kyle Bird, who threw for 1,529 yards and rushed for a team-leading 452 in eight games, and linebacker Jacob Amos. Both earned 2019 all-region honors. Three of the four leading tacklers in 2019 were juniors.

-Walton (6-6, 3-2): Walton fell off last season in the absence of Dominique Blaylock, now at Georgia, but should bounce back. It's a program known for good offensive lines. Junior Pat O'Connell and sophomore Jared Jones return up front after making the all-Region 4-AAAAAAA team last season. They'll be an asset for returning starter Zak Rozsman, a rising junior quarterback. He threw for 1,308 yards in 10 games last season. Defensive back Austin Eldred, who made first-team all-region, intercepted six passes last season. A.J. Brown, another defensive back, was second in the team in tackles as a sophomore.