Sixth-ranked Greater Atlanta Christian begins the 2020 season with a prime-time Saturday game in the Corky Kell Classic when the Spartans host Class 7A Denmark, a two-year old program that recently moved from 4A to the state’s highest class.
The season opened Wednesday in the Kell with Cherokee beating Carver-Atlanta and West Forsyth defeating Mays. On Saturday, it will be GAC coach Tim Hardy’s turn to test his team’s mettle.
“There are so many things in this time that are almost like anti-coach,” said Hardy on the “Georgia Prep Sports: From a Distance” podcast. “I mean, you spend all this time trying to bring your team together. You want them to celebrate after a play, slap high-fives and all of those things. And so now we are spending time coaching things out of young men that you have coached them to do for so many years.”
The Spartans lost all but three offensive starters to graduation, and GAC will have to lean on its two returning offensive linemen, Bobby Kincade and Addison Nichols. Nichols, a 6-foot-5, 305-pound offensive tackle, is one of the top juniors in the nation. The four-star recruit is rated as the No. 6 offensive tackle in the nation and the No. 8 recruit for the junior class in the state.
On defense, GAC’s linebacker group features 6-3, 200-pound senior Hudson Higgins, 5-11, 200-pound senior Aidan Bailey and 6-4, 215-pound senior Thomas Lowman. Tre Henry and Joseph Rose return in the defensive backfield.
Senior Deymon Fleming Jr. will take over at quarterback after playing behind Jackson Hardy last season. Last season, Fleming was 12-of-22 passing for 131 yards and one touchdown.
The game, starting around 5 p.m., will be streamed on the NFHS Network and CBS-46 and broadcast on Peachtree TV in Atlanta.
Other top games include:
No. 5 Oconee County vs. Class 4A No. 10 North Oconee: This is the only meeting that the classification has between two ranked in-state opponents on the opening weekend. Oconee County used to share a region (8-4A) with the Titans and defeated North Oconee 35-7 for a region title last season. In 2018, North Oconee won 23-8. The teams have met six times, each winning three.
No. 2 Crisp County vs. Tift County: Crisp defeated Tift, a 7A program, 27-14 last season, and the state runner-up Cougars return most of their players. Crisp will play Class 6A Houston County next week before facing Class A Private No. 1 ELCA in Week 3.
No. 4 Sandy Creek at Northgate: Sandy Creek, a former 4A program, will begin its trek in 3A on the road at Northgate, a Class 5A team. Sandy Creek advanced to the semifinals last season before losing to eventual 4A champion Oconee County.
Class 3A Schedule: Week 1
1. Cedar Grove: Oct. 2 at Milton
2. Crisp County: Friday vs. Tift County
3. Peach County: Friday at No. 9 Phenix City, Ala.
4. Sandy Creek: Thursday at Northgate
5. Oconee County: Friday vs. Class 4A No. 10 North Oconee
6. Greater Atlanta Christian: Saturday vs. Denmark (Corky Kell Classic)
7. Hart County: Friday at North Hall
8. Pierce County: Friday vs. Brunswick
9. Burke County: Friday vs. Benedictine
10. Dawson County: Friday at Cass
