This past season offered Class 4A a brand new collection of programs that entered the state’s middle classification following the offseason’s reclassification cycle. Several programs emerged as potential contenders, but ultimately Marist and the War Eagles’ outstanding defense and overall execution made them a wire-to-wire state champion that maintained their No. 1 ranking for the entirety of the season. When it comes to the upcoming 2021 season, I have gone with last year’s state runner-ups, the Jefferson Dragons as my favorite to win the title this year.
There are several reasons for giving the nod to Jefferson and the first major factor is the return of five-star Georgia-commit Malaki Starks. The nation’s No. 1 ranked athlete will be back to fuel Jefferson’s potent rushing attack and he will have a cast of weapons around him to make stopping this year’s Dragons a daunting task for opposing defenses. Additionally, sophomore Sammy Brown has joined the team after having a major impact at Commerce last year as a running back and linebacker. Brown’s physical running earned him several offers and he has a long future ahead of him as a top playmaker for Jefferson. The secondary is young, but head coach Gene Cathcart has arguably the classification’s most proven and talented linebacking corps returning to lead this year’s defense. In short, Jefferson’s ability to control the football offensively with a unit capable of racking up more than 300 rushing yards per game, is going to be complimented with a physical and seasoned defense that is capable of stacking against the top offenses of the classification.
Starks is one of the two Class 4A players represented in this year’s AJC Super 11. The second is Hardaway defensive tackle Mykel Williams. Last year, Williams led the Hawks with 19 tackles for loss, 69 total tackles and a team-high 17 sacks. The 6-foot-5 USC-commit was in attendance at Tuesday’s 10th annual Corky Kell Kickoff Luncheon and was complimented by 247sports Recruiting Analyst Rusty Mansell—who said that Williams was the first player he had seen that required a triple-team, referring to last year’s Georgia Elite Classic all-star game where Williams earned MVP.
Class 4A No. 1 Jefferson will host Class 2A No. 1 Rabun County to open its season on Friday. This matchup will be an incredible football matchup in terms of strategy as Jefferson’s ground game will go against UGA-commit Gunner Stockton and the Wildcats’ explosive passing game.
Also in Class 4A, Hardaway will be off this week until it opens its season at Americus-Sumter on Friday, Aug. 27. Defending state champion Marist will also wait until the 27th to start its season and the War Eagles will look to win their 14th-straight victory on the road against Class 5A No. 1 ranked Blessed Trinity.
About the Author
