Last season: This is the school's inaugural season.
Two you know: As a first-year team, the Eagles don't have any returning starters, but Johnathon Chamblee is being counted to possibly be the first starting QB in program history. He helped lead Savannah Christian to three consecutive state title games, winning the 2011 championship as a senior. Christian Hill was a star RB at Lovejoy, which lost to Tucker in the Class AAAA title game in 2011, but he'll likely be used as a DB at Reinhardt.
Two you'll hear about: Ryan Thompson, a QB out of Fort Walton Beach (Fla.) will see plenty of action. He and Chamblee took turns with the first-team offense in the spring. LB Jarred Johnson (M.L. King) is the only junior on the roster. He played two seasons at Benedict, where he had 33 tackles in nine games as a sophomore.
Two for the future: Shane McCleskey (Woodstock), is a 6-foot-4, 230-pound TE who transferred from Murray State. Alvarez (A.J.) Thomas played RB and LB at Monticello High, but likely will play defense for the Eagles. He had 137 tackles as a senior in 2011.
They'll have a winning season if: It's illogical to think Reinhardt will have a winning season, but the coaches will mark this season a success if the Eagles improve throughout and manage to win a couple of games along the way.
They'll come up short if: There is destined to be a lot of growing pains in the program's first season.
Chatter: Coach Danny Cronic is a long-time Georgia high school coach who has led programs at Cherokee, LaGrange, Forsyth Central, East Coweta and The Heritage School. Reinhardt hired Cronic in May 2011 to start its program. … Being a first-year program, the roster consists almost entirely of freshmen and sophomores. … The coaching staff expected nearly 150 players when practice began, including about 75 players who redshirted last season. … Reinhardt will join the Mid-South Conference for football. … There's a UGA feel to the coaching staff. Assistants Quentin Moses (defensive ends), Rex Robinson (special teams), Tony Taylor (defensive tackles) and Drew Cronic (offensive coordinator) all played for the Bulldogs.
Must-see games: The first game in school history is at Mercer, another first-year program, Aug. 31. It will be interesting to see which program has progressed more in a short time. The first home game in Reinhardt history is scheduled for the following Saturday, against Lindsey Wilson College at noon Sept. 7.
Best Twitter handle: @RU_Eagles
About the Author
