Peachtree Ridge coach: Game with North Gwinnett will be ‘won in the trenches’
Today’s Four Questions interviewee is Peachtree Ridge coach Matt Helmerich, whose team will play at home Friday against North Gwinnett in a Class 6A game that will decide first place in Region 7. Both teams are 5-1 overall and 3-0 in region play. Helmerich’s record is 27-14 in his four seasons at Peachtree Ridge. From 2017 to 2021, he was head coach at Johns Creek, where he won two region titles.
1. You’re in position to play for first place in the region. What’s the story of this year’s team?
“I think this team decided after the Roswell game (a 45-17 loss in the opener) to write their own story. It was a little bit of a roller coaster spring and summer. We lost some talent in the offseason, and honestly, we were not good at all at times during some 7-on-7s and OTAs (organized team activities). But our senior class has some big-time talent committed to ACC schools and several more with offers, and we’ve had some seniors step into leadership roles as well as some young guys really step up. We’re starting four sophomores. Last year, we lost four games where we had a significant lead in the game. It’s been fun watching this group come together and decide they could be a really good football team with some more buy-in. Our captains, linebackers Seyon Bedell and Kala Talakai, offensive lineman Theo Nyenkan and wide receiver Kobe Hokes, along with a few others, have really stepped it up in their roles, and that’s something that’s hard to teach and coach.”
Note: The ACC-committed players are running back Sedric Addison to Boston College, defensive back Tyson Sanford to Duke, defensive back Tristen Hill to N.C. State and wide receiver Kobe Adeleke to Wake Forest.
2. What will it take to beat North Gwinnett?
“North simply does not beat themselves. They are very well coached in all three phases. We will need to have our playmakers make plays. In our 2023 win, our best players stepped up and made some huge plays to win that game. In 2024, we actually outgained them in total yardage but also had five turnovers, including four INTs. Against those guys, we’ll have to take care of the football. I think the game will be won in the trenches. Their offensive line coach, Nick Johnson, always has his monsters ready to go, and their defense is as good as there is in the state.”
3. You’ve lost some prominent transfers since you’ve been there, notably Darnell Kelly (to Hughes) and Dorian Barney (to Carrollton), both major Division I prospects. As a coach, how do you deal with what we might call modern high school football, where a team’s fortunes might be heavily impacted by player movement? How do you take it in stride?
“The game has definitely changed over the last decade, with players and families moving all over the place. Football games are only 10-15 days out of the year for these kids. So, we’ve decided to give these kids an experience while playing here. We’ve gotten on a plane the last few years and traveled out of state for games. We go on campus bus tours every June and have gone as far as Indiana, Virginia and Mississippi. We do a bunch of 7-on-7s on college campuses, and we’ve had unbelievable experiences at the (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) camps. Plus, we’re winning games, and I don’t think anyone in the state does more for their kids than we do when it comes to exposure and getting kids offers. If a father thinks that’s not good enough for their son, then there’s not much we can do, and we’ve got no choice but to take it in stride. There’s movement all over the place. So, no one is going to feel sorry for the Lions. Looking at all the things the new rules require, I’d assume that’ll help cut down on some of the movement. But yeah, things can change quickly for a high school team when their ‘best’ players take off.”
Note: New rules in effect this academic year include making second-time transfer athletes ineligible and requiring schools to send the GHSA copies of driver’s licenses, utility bills and lease agreements from the families of transferring athletes to prove they have moved into their new school zones and relinquished previous residences.
4. Your new quarterback, also a transfer, is having a big year. RayShaun Parks has thrown for 1,365 yards and 16 touchdowns. Is this a surprise, and what are his talents that have allowed him to be successful?
“On the flip side, families do move in, and we were lucky to have RayShaun and his family move in (from Jackson) last spring. His two brothers, a running back (Sincere Stevens) and a linebacker (R.J. Parks), are also big-time contributors. He’s an extremely quiet kid who does well in the classroom, taking AP classes. We had to really pull it out of him. But he’s shown he can lead this team. And he’s shown extreme toughness in running the football as well as completing 70% of his passes. He’s leading 6A in total offense at 300-plus yards a game, and he has been extremely efficient. His quarterbacks coach, Quartell Wright, has done a great job getting him ready each week. And it helps to have six skill guys on offense with offers and an offensive line that’s really starting to gel.”
About the Author
Todd Holcomb has been a contributor to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution since 1985. He is currently co-founder and editor of Georgia High School Football Daily.
