Chattooga is 2-0 and on course for its first winning season since 2009 (9-2). Chattooga has beaten Ridgeland 21-13 and North Murray 32-16. The Indians lost to both opponents by 20 points or more last season.
"The biggest difference for us is that we are one year older," said coach Charles Hammon, who is in his second season in Summerville. "The players have now been in our schemes for another year, and the gains in the weight room have all contributed to a 2-0 start."
The team also is boosted by the star power of junior twins Isaac Foster and Isaiah Foster. Together, they rushed for 275 yards and four touchdowns in only one half against North Murray. They have an older brother, Darion, a senior who plays Mike linebacker.
Hammon had been the middle school coach before getting the Chattooga job. He previously was head coach at Valley Head High in Alabama.
There are several 2-0 teams that were winless this time a year ago. Here is a look at more of them.
Starr's Mill is a year older, two wins better
In 2014, Starr's Mill had only two seniors on offense and two on defense. The best two running backs were freshmen.
"We were a JV team for the first few weeks," Starr's Mill coach Chad Phillips said. "Whitewater and Fayette County were both solid playoff teams, so we were pretty outmatched."
That was then - the 0-2 start.
In 2015, Starr's Mill is 2-0 with victories over Whitewater 21-7 (allowing fewer than 100 total yards) and Fayette 31-14 (three touchdowns by WR Dion Munerlyn). That's with 20 returning Starr's Mill starters from a team that finished strong, going 6-5.
"This senior class is very passionate and has provided great leadership in the locker room and on the practice field," Phillips said. "Our summer participation was excellent. We have gone back to the jet Wing-T on offense and are still learning run tracks, blocking angles, odd/even assignments, etc., about the offense. It's a better fit for the kids here. ... We are hoping we can really start executing the offense soon so we will have a chance to play meaningful games later this fall."
Hapeville Charter turns a corner
Hapeville Charter is another of the 0-2-to-2-0 teams in Georgia. Opened in 2011 as a Fulton County charter career academy, Hapeville has not had a winning season in football and was 4-6 last season. Hapeville (2-0) has avenged losses to Bremen (48-14) and George Walton Academy (41-7) in routs.
William Poole III, a junior, is rated a five-star cornerback recruit by Rivals. Quarterback Mack Green (34-of-43 passing, 713 yard, six touchdowns in two games) and Kawaan Baker (nine catches, 310 yards, five touchdowns) are Atlanta's hottest passing combination. Green is a transfer from Woodward Academy.
"It starts up front; my offensive line are all seniors and juniors," Hapeville coach Winston Gordon said. "We have had several key additions this year, such as Green. Our primary receiving core now all seniors - Kawaan Baker, Jaquez Ezzard, and Chavis Merritt - who are all Division I prospects."
Gordon pointed out that the team played 7-on-7 events throughout the East Coast, playing at several ACC schools. He also credited an innovative offensive coordinator, Willie Truitt.
Hapeville is heavily favored to beat Riverside Military this week before opening the Region 6-AA schedule against third-ranked Greater Atlanta Christian.
The Sack Pack: Redan has 13 in two games
It's probably safe to say that Redan leads the state in run defense. Opponents have minus-60 yards rushing, and Redan defenders have recorded 13 sacks, four by linebacker Nicholas Howard.
Redan was 2-8 last season but is now 2-0 with shutout victories over Lakeside-Atlanta (28-0) and McNair (43-0), teams that beat the Raiders last season. RB Rondell McCree has rushed for 293 yards and three touchdowns.
Second-year coach Roderick Moore previously was head coach at McNair, leading that program to playoff appears from 2005 through 2008, but he was forced out just days before the 2009 season over differences with the principal. After that, Moore was defensive coordinator at Southwest DeKalb, Columbia and Creekside Christian and spent a season at Savannah State before getting another head-coaching shot.
It's the relationships: Jackson County is 2-0
Jackson County is 2-0 under new coach Brandon Worley, who last season was the offensive coordinator for Dacula. The Panthers have reversed 2014 losses to Madison County (winning 48-23) and White County (17-0).
The shutout was Jackson County's first since 2010, also the last time the team was 2-0. White County had only 22 yards of total offense, according to Main Street News.
"I think our success thus far has been a direct result of the positive relationships built within the program," Worley said. "The players believe in one another, and the coaching staff believes in the players."
Worley went on to explain his game plan for building a program as a first-time head coach.
"I believe it is about building men of substance and impact who leave the program and become great husbands, fathers, and friends," he said. "I think if you teach these things, everything else will fall into place. They'll win because they believe in one another."
Gwinnett pedigree helps Athens Academy
Jackson County's Worley is one of nine Gwinnett County assistant coaches that became head coaches in 2015. Another that is having an immediate winning impact is Josh Alexander at Athens Academy. The Spartans are 2-0 after a 4-5 finish in 2014. They've avenged a loss to key rival Athens Christian. Alexander was a coordinator last season at Archer.
Burke County QB makes dad proud on sideline
Burke County QB/SS/P Keenan Parker should've made our Top Performances this week. The senior and son of Burke County coach Eric Parker rushed for 110 yards and two touchdowns, made seven tackles and returned an interception for a touchdown. He averaged 40 yards per punt. And he scored the winning touchdown on a 1-yard QB sneak in the final minute to beat Griffin 28-27. "He grew up throwing, catching and punting, stacking the dummies up on the practice field and busting through them on the goal line ... all the good stuff that coaches' kids do," Eric Parker told ajc.com's Class AAAA blogger David Purdum.
Valdosta QB playing like player of the year
One of the state's most prolific quarterbacks is Valdosta's Seth Shuman. The junior nearly made GHSF Daily's Player of the Year Watch. Had Valdosta beaten Norcross in the opener and stood 3-0, Shuman probably would've made it. Don't blame him, though. Shuman was 16-of-33 passing for 234 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions in a 34-31 loss to a team that has allowed only 16 points in two games since. Last week, Shuman was 15-of-20 passing for 310 yards and four touchdowns in a 35-6 victory over Swainsboro. For the season, Shuman is 52-of-83 passing for 893 yards and 10 touchdowns without an interception.
Scottish Rebels give Groves a unique name
Groves athletics director Tim Brown educated GHSF Daily this week on the Savannah-area school's nickname - the Scottish Rebels. Our Daily List on Thursday did not include the Scottish Rebels as one of the 50 unique nicknames among Georgia's football teams, as the Georgia High School Association lists the school's nickname as simply Rebels. "The Robert W. Groves family donated the land [for the school], and we use their family black-and-gold pattern," Brown said. "Our official logo has a Scottish warrior holding a shield with the G." A nickname as good as the Scottish Rebels rivals some of the best in Georgia, including cross-town Johnson's famous moniker, the Atom Smashers.
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