Rusty Mansell, Peachtree Sports Network color commentator
Today’s interviewee is Rusty Mansell, Peachtree Sports Network color commentator, On3 recruiting analyst and owner/publisher of DawgsHQ. Mansell and DawgNation’s Brandon Adams will be broadcasting Friday night’s Class 7A quarterfinal between Walton and Carrollton on Peachtree Sports Network. It will air on WPCH station 17.2, Comcast and Spectrum cable channel 239 and the Atlanta News First app.
1. How do you assess Carrollton and Walton? What are you most interested in seeing Friday night? “I love the matchup, and quite honestly this may be the most anticipated game in the 7A bracket so far. Both teams are very well-coached, both teams are physical, and both teams have high-level players and unsung-hero types. I want to see how Carrollton holds up to the front of Walton. The addition of Daniel Calhoun [an offensive tackle committed to Georgia] made this Raider team different.”
2. Ju Ju Lewis, the Carrollton quarterback. Have to ask about him. How many times have you seen him now in person, and is there one thing that he might do better than any QB you've seen in Georgia all-time? If not, what would be his single most outstanding attribute? “I have seen him multiple times since his eighth-grade year and had him on TV versus Rome earlier this year. I would say he is still early in his career as far as best all-time in Georgia. I tell you what I like about him is his accuracy and his poise. He seems to stay even keel with a lot of chaos around him in the pocket. Honestly, I think Rome rattled him a little bit in the first half this year, but he came back with an elite second half, and that showed me a lot about him. He throws a great ball, he processes well, he is accurate, he checks all the boxes. I know he wants to add a state championship to his resume, and this will be another big game he will start in on Friday.”
3. Walton has its own outstanding QB, Jeremy Hecklinski, who leads 7A in passing yards with more than 3,000. What's your take on him and why is he not higher rated as a recruit [consensus No. 43 senior quarterback committed to Wake Forest]? “Most underrated player in Georgia, in my opinion, and no one in the 7A bracket wants to face him, I can guarantee you that if they had a choice. He makes plays, he has an arm, he has that ‘it’ about him, he just does. I have tried not to get on the table for him a few times in some meetings when he was younger. Forget that, he is a player, he will throw it in some tight windows that you have to as a QB. He is not the biggest guy in person [listed at 6 feet even], but he has a very live arm. This kid can play, and I am excited about seeing him Friday and on the next level. In my 13 years of sports media, no college coach has ever asked me what is a player's ranking. Always remember that part of my industry is for fans. College coaches couldn’t care less.”
4. What teams have you seen in Class 7A, and how do you see it playing out? What team has been the most impressive and why? “The hottest team left is Grayson. They were a hot mess in the Corky Kell, and Hecklinski carved them up [Walton won 49-27]. I give that staff all the credit in the world [under first-year coach Santavious Bryant]. They are playing their best football now, and they can line up with anyone.
“Until someone knocks them out, Mill Creek would be the favorite. They are a machine, and they do not beat themselves. These eight teams that are playing Friday night are well-coached. It is grown-man football in these games. I am not confident in who I would pick as a favorite, but I know these eight teams and staffs well, and this will be some of the hardest-hitting games you will see, I am very confident in that.”
