Joey King, Carrollton head coach
Today’s interviewee is Carrollton coach Joey King, whose team defeated No. 2 Colquitt County 35-27 last week to reach Saturday's Class 7A championship game against Mill Creek. King led Cartersville to state titles in 2015 and 2016 and took the Carrollton job in 2021 after two years on college coaching staffs.
1. What was the difference in the Colquitt County game? “Both teams that played in that game definitely deserved to be there. The game was very physical, and both teams fought extremely hard. I thought our guys played hard and made plays when they needed to. We had a goal-line stand in the first quarter and then went on a 99-yard scoring drive after that defensive stop. I think that was a defining moment on both sides of the ball.” [With no score, Colquitt County had a first-and-goal at the 5-yard line with 4:37 left in the first quarter. After an incomplete pass, Carrollton’s Brodie Bradburn and Zykie Helton each made tackles at the 1-yard line, and Helton and Mules Butler made a third stop at the 1. Carrollton went 99 yards on nine plays, one a 33-yard run by Bryce Hicks on fourth-and-1 from the Carrollton 20.]
2. You have a freshman quarterback, Julian Lewis, who has major Division I offers and thrown for more than 3,000 yards. What's the skill set that allows him to be this successful? “Julian has been great for us all year. From a skill-set perspective, he has great accuracy and anticipation. His feet are good in the pocket, and he can throw with different arm angles. He's also a very cerebral quarterback and understands what we are trying to do offensively. He's still a freshman but is growing into a leadership role on this team. We are excited to see his development continue in all of those phases.”
3. Hicks is having a great postseason, too. [He rushed for 205 yards against Colquitt.] What's his skill set? “Bryce is a great player. He works hard and understands the game well. Bryce is the type of player that can play any position. He's explosive, has great vision, catches the ball really well and loves the game. Many people don't know how strong he is. He may be considered small to some, but he's a very strong player.” [Hicks, a 5-foot-9, 165-pound junior running back, has 663 yards from scrimmage and 11 touchdowns in four playoff games.]
4. Carrollton is in the highest classification for the first time, something you probably didn't anticipate when you took the job. When you found out about reclassification, what would you have thought if someone had told you that your team would be in the finals this year? And when and how did it dawn on you that, 'Hey, we've got a shot here’? “If someone would have told me before the season that we would be in the finals in 7A, I would have told them that they must be a Trojan! Everyone outside of this program counted us out when we moved up. We weren't even mentioned in the top 15 before the season started. Buford beat us in the 6A semifinals last year 21-6 and moved up a classification to be the preseason No. 1, and we weren't even thought of. We had a lot of young guys that played on that team that took that personal. We do a pretty good job of tuning out the outside noise, but we used that as a little fuel to the fire this year. I'm not the type of coach that ever ‘feels’ like we've got a shot. We work hard week in and week out and try to be the best team that we can be each week. Our players love each other, and the chemistry of this bunch is what makes them special.”