Welcome to the Class 2A blog, and welcome to the 2021 season. It’s good to be back. Here’s to a healthy and complete season in Year 2 of the pandemic, though the coronavirus is already rearing its ugly head. Putnam County coach Shaun Pope confirmed he’s tested positive for covid-19.
The season starts Wednesday with the Corky Kell Classic, and the first of the Class 2A teams kickoff Friday.
The AJC has released its preseason all-state teams for most classifications, however the 2A preseason all-state team will be released Tuesday. The state rankings will be released at a later date.
In the meantime, you can get some great insight on the 2A season in Episode 25 of The Class 2A Blogcast. A different guest came on to discuss each region: South Georgia-based radio host Chris Beckham (Region 1), Radio voice of Vidalia football John Koon (Region 2), Dodge County News contributor Joey Marchant (Region 3), Eatonton Messenger editor Matthew Brown (Region 4), Gradick Sports director Matt Skinner (Region 5), Lovett defensive coordinator Brent Greer (Region 6), Radio voice of Fannin County football and host of the Friday Night Pressbox podcast Tim Towe (Region 7), and Blitz founder Brian Carter (Region 8). Sideline Pass magazine publisher Kevin Eckleberry, formerly of the LaGrange Daily News, comes on to discuss the Callaway Cavaliers, champions of the 2020 season.
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And while we’re waiting for the AJC/GHSF Daily rankings — state’s leading authority on football rankings — I will go ahead and release the official preseason top five of The Class 2A Blogcast:
1) Rabun County: This is blue-chip recruit and Georgia commit Gunner Stockton’s final season quarterbacking the Wildcats. After reaching the semifinals last year and the quarterfinals the two seasons prior, it’s now or never for him and the rest of the seniors. He’ll have plenty of help, including third-year coach Jaybo Shaw and nearly 20 returning starters. A four-year starter, Stockton has a realistic shot at a number of state records. The lone AJC Super 11 selection in 2A, a shoo-in for the yet-to-be-released 2A preseason all-state team, and owner of a consensus 4-star rating among recruiting services, Stockton has just about every accolade one could earn during a prep career. All that’s missing is a state championship, which would be the first in a Wildcats history that began in 1949.
2) Lovett: The Lions are a model of consistency in 2A. They won’t be the team loaded with blue-chip recruits dazzling fans with home run plays on offense, but they also won’t be the team to make mistakes or be the most penalized. Ball control and defense have been the staples of the Mike Muschamp era at Lovett, which began in 2005. Last season, the Lions nearly beat eventual champions Callaway in the second round, holding the Cavaliers to a season-low in points in a 16-9 loss. In their season opener they held 3A powerhouse GAC — which, like Callaway, averaged 30 points a game last season — to a season-low 10 points in a 10-3 loss. The Lions’ 3-5 defense is expected to return strong, and if the offense can do its part, they could push for their best season since 2013, when they won Region 6 and the 2A championship.
3) Callaway: The defending state champion Cavaliers lost most of their playmakers from last season, including quarterback Demetrius Coleman, running back Charlie Dixon and defensive back Jalin Shephard, among others — but this is Callaway. Year in and year out, no 2A team consistently restocks the cupboard with D-I recruits the way the Cavs do. Under coach Pete Wiggins, who’s been there since 2005, the Cavs have churned out a plethora of next-level talent, including recent Power 5 impact players Terry Godwin (UGA; now in the NFL), Braylon Sanders (Ole Miss), and, at Auburn, Keiondre Jones, Tate Johnson and 2020 SEC Freshman of the Year Tank Bigsby. When Bigsby, a 5-star running back, left in 2019, Dixon stepped in to fill the void and ran for a 69-yard touchdown run late in the title game in what turned out to be the decisive score. It appears Coleman — a three-year starter — will be replaced by his younger brother, DeShun Coleman, a sophomore who could start another three years as the Cavs’ signal caller. Now that the Cavs have their first title after so many seasons coming close, will they turn the corner and build a dynasty?
4a) Fitzgerald, and 4b) Thomasville: It’s nearly impossible to predict which of these teams has the upper hand atop Region 1 heading into the season, and that’s the way it is most years in Region 1 — especially with Brooks County reclassifying to 3A ahead of 2020. In fact, Cook is the last team not named Thomasville or Fitzgerald that’s currently in 1-2A that has won 1-2A, claiming the title in 2010.
For the runner-up Purple Hurricane, they move forward without quarterback/running back/receiver/defensive back/punter Chance Gamble, whom coach Tucker Pruitt used in a multitude of ways the past four seasons. He’s one of nine offensive starters gone, but three-year starting running back Jakorrian Paulk returns and figures to carry the load offensively — at least early on. They have the luxury of a deep and experienced defense led by 3-star linebacker EJ Lightsey, who holds 22 offers, including Auburn, Florida, Georgia and LSU.
For Thomasville, gone is quarterback and 1-2A player of the year Ronnie Baker, and his replacement has yet to be announced. However, they’re deep at running back, led Ricky Fulton, who rushed for a team-high 13 touchdowns as a sophomore in 2020. The defense is led by all-region linebacker and Bulldogs leading tackler Ty Anderson, who holds offers from Georgia Tech, Indiana and Wake Forest among others.
Others to keep an eye on: Region 1 — Early County, Worth County; Region 2 — Jeff Davis, Swainsboro, Vidalia; Region 3 — Bleckley County, Dodge County, Northeast, Washington County; Region 4 — Jefferson County, Putnam County; Region 5 — Bremen, Haralson County, Heard County; Region 6 — Pace Academy; Region 7 — Chattooga, Fannin County, Model, Pepperell.
Closing bullets:
- Tragedy strikes Southwest: In late-July, 15-year-old Patriots player Joshua Ivory collapsed at the team’s first mandatory practice of the summer, and died later at a nearby hospital emergency room. The Patriots, who compete in Region 3, finished 1-5 last season and are coached by Joe Dupree, who has reached the playoffs twice since taking over in 2013.
- Riverside Military returns: The Eagles took all of 2020 off, becoming the first GHSA team to cancel its season due to the pandemic. They’ll compete in five-team Region 8 for a spot in the playoffs, where they last appeared in 2018, when they won their first playoff game in program history.
- Leaving history in the past at Monticello: Moving forward, Monticello will be referred to as Jasper County in the AJC high school sports section, GHSF Daily and on GHSFHA.org. The school, officially named Jasper County, will continue to use its former name, Monticello, for its sports teams.
Check back later in the week for more content. Speaking of, if you haven’t been following the story down in Valdosta, I did a deep-dive in Episode 24, with guests including Nub Nelson among others. Give it a listen if you want to fill the football void between now and kickoff.
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly listed Thomasville running back Ricky Fulton as a freshman in 2020.
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