The last image of Class 5A football in 2020 was that of Warner Robins enjoying a 62-28 win over Cartersville in the title game at Georgia State’s Center Parc Stadium. After finishing as state runner-up the previous three years, the Demons unloaded everything they had on that afternoon and earned the program’s fifth state championship and first since 2004.
The high school football season begins this week and the Demons should once again be in the hunt for the crown. It won’t be easy. There are title contenders scattered throughout the state, from Jesup and Waycross in the southeast, all the way to Calhoun and Cartersville in the northwest -- and dozens of stops in between.
Here is a glance at how each region looks as kickoff approaches.
Region 1: The toughest league in Class 5A begins with Warner Robins, the defending state champion. The Demons lost veteran quarterback Jalen Addie, but return a ton of talent, including four-star junior defensive lineman Vic Burley to lead an aggressive defense. Running back Malcom Brown (1,102 yards) was one of three Demons to rush for 1,000 yards in 2020 and receiver Daveon Walker (49 catches, 7 TDs) is a preseason all-state. … Ware County has the most exciting player in the league in quarterback Thomas Castellanos, who has committed to Central Florida. Castellanos threw for 2,881 yards and 23 TDs and ran for 939 and 24 TDs in 2020. Ware also has an excellent kicker in Henry Bates. … Coffee has one of the most versatile offensive players in Maurice Turner, who can play slotback or running back with equal effectiveness. The Trojans, who reached the semifinals a year ago, have key returning defensive pieces in linebackers Anthony Gaskin (113 tackles) and Brandon High (111 tackles).
Region 2: This league has belonged to Starr’s Mill, which has won five consecutive region championships. The Panthers return quarterback William Yarbrough and feature Macaiah Shaber, a 6-foot-7, 265-pound defensive tackle/tight end who has offers from five Ivy League teams. The defense looks particularly stout for coach Chad Phillips this season. … Griffin brought in former Bears’ defensive coach Rusty Easom to run the program after Kareem Reid left after two seasons to join the staff at Central Florida. Easom had spent the previous two seasons as head coach at Rutland. Griffin has a four-star linebacker in South Carolina commitment Donovan Westmoreland and has enough talent to win the region. … The surprise team may be Harris County, which is loaded with returners from last year’s playoff team, among them region player of the year WR/DB K.D. Hutchinson (619 yards rushing, 41 catches for 570 yards) and quarterback Cooper Corey (1,344 yards passing, 15 TDs).
Region 3: Creekside won its last six games of the regular season a year ago to win the region title. Defensive backs Roderick McCrary and Dainsus Miller are a pair of preseason all-state selections who bear watching. QB Nyqua Lett (956 yards passing, 596 rushing) and running back Kamauri Davis (1,036 yards) lead the attack. … Woodward Academy has one of the top running backs in the state in Auburn commitment Damari Alston, who ran for 1,507 yards and 24 touchdowns. The War Eagles return top linebacker Spencer Snipe, but must blend promising new QB Jalen Woods into the attack. … Jonesboro had a top-flight defense last season, never allowing more than three scores during the regular season. The Cardinals are bolstered by defensive lineman Kanye Varner and running back Chadrick Garner (1,698 yrds).
Region 4: Jones County coach Mike Chastain is known for developing quarterbacks; last year it was John Alan Richter, who stepped into the starting role as a junior and threw for 2,089 yards and 19 TDs. He and Zion Ragins (38 catches as a freshman) could spell lots of trouble for Jones County’s high-scoring attack -- one that put up 475 points in 2020. The Greyhounds have reached the semifinals for two consecutive seasons. … Ola set a school record with nine wins in 2020 and is loaded. The Mustangs, under new coach Ryan Angel, will try continue its run of success behind all-region quarterback Jake Hall (946 yards passing), running back Micah Bell (888 yards rushing, 13 TDs), wide receiver Jaden Barnes (37 catches) and defensive standouts Kendrick McDaniel and Joel Jones. … Dutchtown will again be the league’s model defensive team, where linebacker Dwight Johnson and defensive back Gregory Hamilton should bring the hammer. … Stockbridge hired Thomas Clark to reinvigorate the Tigers program that missed the playoffs last year after dominating the league for years. Keep an eye on all-region RB Jayden Scott.
Region 5: St. Pius won the league last year and has 27 seniors back, including versatile two-way playmaker Jack Tchienchou. The Golden Lions have a new man at the top; Chad Garrison, the longtime line coach, replaced Paul Standard, the school’s all-time winningest coach. returns to lead. … Decatur continued to make big strides under William Felton, who guided the team through the choppy pandemic waters. Harrison Hannah emerged at quarterback and running back Marcus Hood can do it all. … Southwest DeKalb is expected to bounce back after last year’s tumble to 4-4. The Panthers never really got their footing after two key offensive players abandoned ship just before the season began. Coach Damien Wimes said his team needs to find a kicker, but should otherwise be ready to compete for the region title.
Region 6: The most unpredictable league in the state. New Manchester rose up to beat Chapel Hill in the last week of the regular season to emerge with its first region championship. New Manchester returns all-region players in quarterback Rico Jones (1,417 yards passing) and defensive linemen Deandre Jones and Desean Travis. … Lithia Springs was extremely young in 2020, but still made the playoffs and developed QB Jai’Que Hart (1,456 yards passing) and a pair of talented receivers in Ayden Smith and Davion Leslie. … Chapel Hill will field another physical group led by Zachariah White, whose 123 tackles were among the tops in the state. … Any team in this region has a chance to make the playoffs, but a dark horse may be Villa Rica, where Tim Barron takes over. Barron won a state championship at Heard County in 2018 and went 153-71 in 19 seasons with the Braves. Barron should provide stability for a program that has gone through five head coaches in the last six seasons.
Region 7: The second-toughest league in the state includes Blessed Trinity, 2020 state runner-up Cartersville and Calhoun -- each ranked in the top 10. Blessed Trinity has a new head coach in Tom Hall, who has big shoes to fill with Tim McFarlin’s departure. Hall was on the BT staff for 11 years and most recently was the offensive coordinator at a private school in Florida. The Titans return one of the state’s most gifted running backs in Justice Haynes, a junior who rushed for 1,750 yards in 2020, and quarterback J.C. French. … Calhoun returns all-state wide receiver Cole Speer and quarterback Christian Lewis, one of the most prolific combinations in the state in 2020. Speer caught 59 passes and committed to Georgia and Lewis threw for more than 2,500 yards. Offensive lineman Kendrick Kirby and linebacker Christopher Lewis are all-state level players. … Cartersville graduated both its quarterbacks from last year; they were among 18 seniors who moved on. The Canes’ top player is tackle Shadre Hurst.
Region 8: Clarke Central remains the team to beat, but the Gladiators may be a step behind because a COVID outbreak that cost them a week of preparation time and caused postponement of the season opener against rival Cedar Shoals. That leaves a killer opening stretch that includes Class 6A champion Buford and two-time Class 3A runner-up Oconee County, another local rival. Coach David Perno’s team appears ready to return to its prominence on defense, where linebacker Khyle Cowan and lineman Dailen Howard were all-region in 2020. … The Gladiators will be challenged by Eastside, where new coach Jay Cawthon -- the offensive coordinator since 2005 -- returns talented running back Dallas Johnson, tight end Cole Shannon and all-state lineman Jalen Farmer. ... Greenbrier returns all-region quarterback Brooks Pangle, who threw for 2,858 yards, and receiver Malik Leverett, who led the team with 663 receiving yards.
