Greater Atlanta Christian has been a powerhouse in Class AA and Class AAA football for the past four seasons, and it would be remiss to think the metro Atlanta program won't factor in 2018.
The Spartans have repeated as region champions each year since 2014. In the past 10 years, GAC has been to the championship game twice, the semifinals three times and the second round twice. Last season, the Spartan lost to Peach County in the semifinals, 28-23.
Looking ahead to the 2018 season, the run-heavy Spartans offense will have to fill a large hole left by the graduation of Clemson-bound Kyler McMichael. During his senior season, McMichael led the Spartans running attack, which compiled 53 rushing touchdowns. McMichael accounted for 24 of them on 128 carries. He totaled 1,483 yards while helping GAC compile 258.1 rushing yards per game.
GAC also lost Alex Boglin, who ran for 672 yards and seven touchdowns on 89 carries. Junior Montae Bailey, who rushed for 602 yards and seven touchdowns on 64 carries in 2017, returns. Tyler Bride's numbers (226 yards on 29 carries with four touchdowns) should also improve during the upcoming season.
The Spartans averaged 145.1 yards passing with 29 touchdowns last season. These numbers should improve in 2018 with the return of starting quarterback Josh Rose. During the 2017 semifinal season, Rose passed for 1,335 yards and 17 touchdowns with two interceptions. He was 93-of-167 passing for an average of 14.6 yards per pass. His backup, rising junior Jackson Hardy, coach Tim Hardy's son, was 43-of-64 passing for 676 yards and 12 touchdowns. Whether it's Hardy or Rose under center, the Spartans will have experience to take advantage of any defensive weaknesses.
The receiving unit lost two of its most productive assets to graduation. Max Burke (24 catches, 382 yards, seven touchdowns) and Trey Morrison (21 catches, 362 yards, five touchdowns) will leave a gap that will need to be filled. Rising senior Jake Floyd had 27 catches for 301 yards with two touchdowns in 2017 and will surely have more opportunities in the fall. The same can be said about Ty James, who had 12 catches for 196 yards and two touchdowns last year. Rising senior Jeffrey Blake was efficient through 2017 with 16 catches for 189 yards and six touchdowns.
On defense, GAC will plug holes across the line and into the secondary, but the Spartans have depth. It lost two leading tacklers to graduation -- Robby Fowler with 56 solo tackles, six assists, 62 total tackles and Kyle Ellis with 48 solo tackles, five assists, 53 total -- but rising senior Chris Hinton, a 6-foot-4, 265-pound defensive end, has the experience to lead. He has committed to Michigan.
If history holds true, we'll still be talking about GAC again in December.
This is the third installment that looks at the Class AAA programs that finished in the top four last season. Two week ago: Calhoun. Last week: Peach County. Next week: Cedar Grove.
About the Author
