View of 2024 season from Georgia’s media
GHSF Daily prides itself in its statewide coverage of Georgia high school football, but nobody knows local schools better than hometown newspapers and radio stations. GHSF Daily reached out to members of the Georgia media this week, most local but some with a statewide approach, to get their observations about the new season and some of the more interesting teams, players and coaches they're following. This is what they said.
Chris Beckham, Football Friday Night Radio Show
“While reclassification affected teams statewide, it absolutely stacked Region 2-5A with two defending state champions Thomas County Central and Coffee; powerhouse Lee County with the top running back in the state, Ousmane Kromah; and Houston County with one of the state's best quarterbacks, A.J. Hill. In Region 2-A Division II, Brooks County and Irwin County rejoin Clinch County and company, which should make that region the toughest in the class. But as always in south Georgia, the focus will be on what is now Region 1-6A, and it has more questions than the SAT. How will Jeff Herron's retirement affect Camden County? How will the loss of playmakers Neko Fann, Ny Carr and Zay Williams affect Colquitt County? Valdosta returns lots of skill players but lost some great linemen, Tift County moves up in class and made a significant offseason hire with Jeff Littleton from Bainbridge, and Lowndes is trying to rebound from missing the playoffs for the first time in a decade.”
John Bednarowski, Marietta Daily Journal
“For Cobb County it starts with Walton. The Raiders advanced to the Class 7A championship game a year ago by scoring a record 717 points. They were hit hard by graduation, but Walton has become one of those programs which reloads instead of rebuilds. Kaeden Gilstrap, who is committed to Wofford for both baseball and football, takes over at quarterback. Jude Cascone becomes a primary weapon at tight end, and the Ward brothers – Christian and Alex – moved in from Carrollton and offer a lot of speed at both wide receiver and defensive back. North Cobb is flying a little under the radar, which might bode well for them. Nick Grimstead is back for his third year at quarterback, and the lines are anchored by a pair of four-star recruits – Brandon Anderson on offense and Kam Cullins on defense. Other teams to keep an eye on in Class 6A are Osborne under new coach Derek Cook, Harrison with new coach Luqman Salam and McEachern, which seems poised to reaffirm itself as a premier program after a few off years. Sprayberry may be a dark horse to go on a long playoff run for really the first time in its program's history. Second-year QB Jaden Duckett paces what could be a high-scoring offense, while the defense is anchored by highly recruited defensive backs Mark Manfred and Jorden Edmonds and linebacker Everett Currie. One other team to keep an eye on is North Cobb Christian. The Eagles won nine games a year ago and brought everyone back, including sophomore QB Teddy Jarrard, who is getting a lot of looks from Power 4 schools.”
Brian Carter, BLITZ Sports GA
“The storylines in northeast Georgia are many. How does Jefferson handle life without Sammy Brown? The Dragons are still loaded with guys like Kelan Butler, and look out for Sammy's little brother, Max Brown, as an emerging superstar as the Dragons seek a third straight region title. Lumpkin County and three-star Cal Faulkner will look to prove last year is now the standard in trying to defend their region crown. Region 8-A Division I is going to be a dogfight with top-10 foes Commerce (led by the top RB duo in the state in Jaiden Daniels and Tysean Wiggins), Rabun County (led by D-I prospect Ty Truelove and stud RB Reid Giles) and Elbert County. All of those return a ton of talent, and the margin for error will be razor-thin. Elsewhere, Habersham Central's Zeke Whittington and White County's Tripp Nix will put the finishing touches on remarkable careers, Banks County begins a new era with higher expectations and a move to the triple option, and Dawson County aims to bounce back to being contenders. Union County (7-2A) aims to win as usual despite losing such a great class. Stephens County (8-2A) has one of the top RBs in the state, Javin Gordon (three-star, Duke), as the back-to-back region-title-winning Indians seek to navigate a region that now includes Prince Avenue Christian.”
Tucker Cole, Times-Georgian, Carrollton
“Bowdon is looking for a third consecutive state championship and has a new quarterback. Charles Maxell III transferred from Woodward Academy and has already showcased his potential. Maxell had a standout performance last Friday in a scrimmage against Callaway, going 14-for-19 and passing for 203 yards and three touchdowns, also adding a rushing touchdown. There is also a new coach in our coverage area, as Randy Crutchfield is taking over at Haralson County. With rebuild experience, Crutchfield will look to turn around a team that has gone a combined 5-15 the past two seasons. The first-year coach was most recently the defensive coordinator for Wayne County and helped the Yellow Jackets go from 0-9 in 2021 to 10-3 with a third-round playoff appearance in 2022. Carrollton is hoping to have a special year after falling short in the playoffs the past two seasons. The Trojans have added several high-profile transfers, including three four-plus-star defensive backs Shamar Arnoux, Dorian Barney, and Zelus Hicks. With most skill players returning on offense and this being quarterback Julian Lewis' senior year, it's state title or bust for the Trojans.”
David Friedlander, Gainesville Times
“Of course, a lot of eyes will be on Gainesville. Josh Niblett has another strong team, particularly on defense, where there are playmakers like Duke commit Julius Columbus (21 sacks last year) and Xavier Griffin (20 TFL), a junior committed to Southern Cal. The key might be how well new faces among the offensive skill players produce behind a strong offensive line led by North Carolina commit Alex Payne and Samford commit Wil Turner. The Red Elephants will have obstacles. In addition to playing in the same region as last year's 7A champ, Milton, plus Roswell, they will play their first four games on the road to accommodate renovations to City Park Stadium. Meanwhile, there are three of Hall County's Class 3A teams to keep an eye on. North Hall will have a two-headed QB monster (at least to start) of junior Gainesville transfer Smith McGarvey and sophomore Alex Schlieman and plenty of potential big-play weapons to be a contender in Region 6-3A. East Hall will feature what could be Hall County's top quarterback, junior Jamarcus Harrison, a dual threat. West Hall features Hall County's top returning running back, Elijah Hayes (almost 1,400 yards last year), an experienced quarterback, Brett Sturm, and good receivers.
Reginald Fuller, Decatur Champion
“With intriguing stories across DeKalb County, the most interesting story is how does Cedar Grove perform in the departure of their championship-winning head coach, John Adams (hired at Georgia State), who won two state titles in three years. Cedar Grove begins a new era under coach Roderick Moore. The Saints have some playmakers returning and will look to win their second straight title in 3A. Stephenson is coming off a 10-3 season as region champs and will look to advance further than the quarterfinals this year. But with the departure of Devin Ingram, who ran for over 2,200 yards last year, QB Marte Barton will look to lead the team back to region champs in Region 5-3A. Dunwoody is coming off their best season since 2008, going 8-3, and a first playoff appearance since 2009 in Region 4-6A. With Yale commit QB Matt Pearch at the helm, the Wildcats will look to go further than the first round out of Region 4-5A.”
Will Hammock, Gwinnett Daily Post
“Like most of the state, reclassification is the talk of the preseason for Gwinnett County. In the highest class, the move of Brookwood and Parkview from Region 4 (with Archer, Grayson and South Gwinnett) created a difficult Region 7. Five of the eight teams in Region 7 were state playoff teams last season. and a sixth, Brookwood, is typically in the postseason. Multiple state playoff-caliber teams won’t make it out of that region. The new private-school state playoffs will be interesting for Gwinnett teams that have excelled in the past like GAC, Wesleyan and Hebron Christian. At the 6A level, talent-laden Grayson and Buford figure to be among the state’s best. Don’t overlook North Gwinnett. I feel good about what the Bulldogs have. Skill players have gotten the most attention in Gwinnett the past few seasons, but this year’s senior class features highly recruited offensive linemen at the top, including two of our Super Six - Parkview center Cortez Smith (Georgia commit) and Duluth tackle Damola Ajidahun (Georgia Tech). While big OT Brayden Jacobs withdrew from Buford a few days before school started and ended up at Milton, Gwinnett added another top OT recruit in Nick Brooks, who transferred to Grayson. Brooks is in the 6-8, 350-pound range with finalists of Georgia, Texas and USC.”
Mike Haskey, Columbus Ledger-Enquirer
“Seven of the eight public programs in Columbus find themselves packed into Region 1-2A. The exception, Northside, competes in 4A. Three 1-2A teams have new coaches. Robert Peters, leading Columbus, has been at Columbus since 2010, serving in different roles including offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator. Aaron McDaniel takes the helm at Jordan. He's served as assistant coach at several schools. The third is Emmanuel Brown at Kendrick. He’s a Kendrick alum and played at Albany State. Hardaway and Shaw have coaches beginning their second seasons. Key Hardaway players are RB Makel Benton, OL Davarious Jessie, LB Demari Taylor and QB Bobby Gary. Shaw has listed OL Kristian Kimbrough and Elijah Salter as key components. Carver and Spencer enter with high expectations. Carver, led by coach Pierre Coffey, went 10-4 and reached the semifinals in 2023. Their key players are WR Braylon Jakes, LB A.J. Wilson, DE Tristian Givens and QB Matthew Mungin. Spencer is led by coach Joseph Kegler. It's his fourth year. He has twice led teams to region championships. WR Demarcus Horne and DB Ben Watson are two to keep an eye on. Northside is led by coach Andrew Oropeza, in his fifth season. The Patriots went 10-2 in 2022 and won the region championship. Look for QB Caden Clay, WR Kingston Rivers, RB Jai Jackson, and DL Kamal Christopher to be central to the Patriots' success.”
Scott Herpst,
Catoosa County News/Walker County Messenger
“Reclassification will bring about a season of change in Catoosa and Walker counties. Gordon Lee is back in Class A Division I after a respectable two-year run in Class 3A with one playoff appearance. A veteran team should have them vying for a region title. Ringgold and Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe are also returning lots of experience on offense, and both looked sharp in scrimmages. Rockmart and North Cobb Christian appear to be two of the favorites in Region 7-2A, but the Tigers and Warriors will be fighting to crash the party. As for the new Region 7-3A, it will be a tough road for Heritage, Ridgeland and LaFayette. State-ranked Calhoun is the odds-on favorite, but Adairsville and Gilmer have good clubs, and Northwest Whitfield is always steady. Heritage has weapons but will be breaking in a new quarterback. Ridgeland appears vastly improved from the last two tough seasons, and LaFayette is hoping to get back on track with new head coach Ethan Thompson, who previously served as the Ramblers' defensive coordinator.”
Jeff Hood, Friday Night Football on WMOQ 92.3 FM
“Our coverage area includes a pair of top-ranked teams in Jefferson (No. 1 in Class 3A) and Prince Avenue Christian (No. 1 in 3A-A private), along with Commerce (No. 2 in Class A Division I), North Oconee (No. 6 in 4A) and Greene County (No. 8 in Class A Division II). We kick off our 27th season of broadcasting high school football tonight as Oconee County hosts rival North Oconee in the 11th annual Hog Mountain Bowl. A standing-room-only crowd will fill Warrior Stadium in Watkinsville as two schools separated by four miles battle for local bragging rights. Coach Travis Noland's Jefferson Dragons face an early-season test this evening as they go on the road to take on coaching legend Alan Chadwick's Marist War Eagles (No. 3 in 4A). Though they will be forced to replace record-setting quarterback Aaron Philo, reigning state champion Prince Avenue still has enough firepower on both sides of the line to be favored to make a return trip to Atlanta in mid-December. Forward passes will be rare for the ground-oriented Commerce Tigers, who hope to ride running backs Jaiden Daniels, Tysean Wiggins and Jacari Huff to their first state championship since 2000. Greene County will field one of its most talented teams in several years, led by mammoth defensive tackle Kevin Wynn, who is committed to Florida State.”
Phil Jones, ITG Next
“In south Georgia, Region 1-6A (the former 1-7A) will be as balanced as it has been in a long time, with no real clear-cut favorite. Colquitt County lost the core of its high-octane offense. Gone are quarterback Neko Fann and AJC Super 11 standouts Ny Carr (WR) and Landon Thomas (TE). Colquitt will still be solid, but this isn’t the powerhouse Packer team that has finished undefeated in region play the past two seasons. Lowndes is still in rebuild as Adam Carter begins season two as coach. They finished 4-6 last year, but last year’s starting quarterback, Jacurri Fleming, is back. Carter has decided to use him at receiver as well this year, so expect to a two-QB system as the senior shares duties with freshman phenom Jayce Johnson. Tift County is trying to recover from finishing 1-9 and 2-8 under former coach Noel Dean. Jeff Littleton left Bainbridge to take over the Tift program, and the veteran south Georgia coach has already restored a winning attitude. Camden County also has a new coach, as Travis Roland takes over for Camden legend Jeff Herron. Roland will have starting QB Parks Riendeau back, along with the top tight end in the state, Elyiss Williams. Valdosta seems to have the talent to take charge. They’ll have three-year starter Todd Robinson returning at QB, and he is a dangerous cat. He has drastically improved his passing game, but it’s his breakaway speed that could give teams fits. He’ll have a supporting cast at the skill positions, including RB Deron Foster and WR Prince Jean. Richmond Hill could be the surprise team of them all. Matt LeZotte has almost every starter returning. That includes starting QB Kirk Scott as well as ATH Caleb Easterling.”
Adam Krohn, AJC Class 2A blogger
“The new Class 2A is one of the classes participating in the new public-private postseason split, and as a result 2A has two No. 1 teams in the AJC preseason polls because the rankings reflect the postseason alignments. Pierce County, defending champions of 2A, opens at No. 1 with AJC 2A offensive player of the year Caiden McGatha returning. Prince Avenue Christian joins 2A and is ranked No. 1 in 3A-A private after having won A Division I two years in a row. It's possible 2A is home to two state champions and for Pierce County to be the first school since Buford (2007-10) to repeat as 2A champions. Prince Avenue will try to three-peat and will turn to sophomore quarterback Ben Musser, who takes over for AJC A Division I POY Aaron Philo. Musser hopes to be the third consecutive quarterback to win a state championship for the Wolverines, with Brock Vandagriff winning in 2020. [Musser rushed for 192 yards and passed for 94 and two touchdowns in Prince Avenue's 35-28 victory over West Forsyth on Thursday.] The Wolverines compete in 8-2A with another private school, Hebron Christian, along with public school power Stephens County. In Region 1, Carver-Columbus reached the 3A semifinals with second-year coach Pierre Coffey. Region 2 has some heavy hitters in Callaway, Morgan County and Westside. Region 3 is four deep with Pierce County, Appling County, Cook and Crisp County. Hapeville Charter and Lovett return from 4A to again compete in the same region, this time 5-2A, along with Holy Innocents’ and Therrell. Columbia, which reached the semis last year, is the only team in Region 6 that finished with a winning record last year, and Region 7 has nine teams, with just one, North Cobb Christian, splitting off for the playoffs, while public schools Coahulla Creek, North Murray, Ringgold, Rockmart and Union County, among others, compete for four playoff spots.”
Michael A. Lough, Central Georgia Sports Report
“The panic after one year of the last reclassification as well as the death of 7A have led to some really interesting regions, and confusion. Defending 4A champ Perry is now with three other teams that have played recently for titles: Benedictine, Ware County and Warner Robins. The worst 2023 record of the six teams: 6-5. That – and loads of individual high-level talent throughout, like nine GHSF Daily 4A preseason all-staters – makes for brutal region, and maybe the best fifth-place team in the state in 4A. Westside dropped from 4A to 2A, increasing its chances for the program’s first region title since 2012. Region 2-A Division I will be quite the race, with perhaps six playoff-caliber teams: ACE Charter, Bleckley County, Dodge County, Dublin, Northeast and Washington County. But the problem with these absurdly large regions, especially with the new power rating system, is they have no chance with non-region games to boost themselves and survive an off-week in region against a good team. Perennial powers Northside and Peach County had historic not-in-a-good-way seasons in 2023, and there is more heat with the Eagles to make major strides, and do so in a brutal region. Peach County should be pretty close to normal, but 1-3A is pretty solid, too. Figuring out the state contenders in the lower classes is harder because of the power rankings. As for the GIAA Invitational – where almost everybody is invited to the playoffs – John Milledge’s huge run ended against Valwood in the 3A finale. First Presbyterian, in the same regular-season region as John Milledge, won the 4A title. The 3A field of contention remains a little lean and 4A a little full. Between the major change in regions – suddenly a few teams have longer road trips – and normal transition, it’s harder to get a bead on the GHSA group than usual, which usually means it’s time to be surprised. Remember, we didn’t see Perry having that magical season.”
Chris Mooneyham,
680 the Fan/GA High School Football Scoreboard Show
“I am looking forward to seeing how some of these really stacked schedules play out for a host of teams. As we have all mentioned throughout the last few years, one of the positive byproducts of more classifications, and smaller regions, is a bevy of top-flight out-of-region, early-season matchups. Even with a one-class reduction, this season is no different, especially in the highest two classes. Buford, for instance, will take on Milton, Benedictine, Roswell, Douglas County, Collins Hill and Mill Creek. Douglas County is very talented, and that’s good because they will face Cedar Grove, Newton, Hughes, Buford, Westlake and Carrollton. The defending champion Milton Eagles will battle Buford, American Heritage of Florida, Alpharetta, Blessed Trinity, Gainesville and Roswell. And this isn’t reserved for only the highest-class squads. Appling County will contend with Crisp, Cook and Pierce County in Region 3-2A while scheduling Ware County, Wayne County, Swainsboro and Fitzgerald out of region. Irwin County will face eight programs who fancy themselves as playoff teams. In Class A D-II, Bowdon could have nine playoff teams on their schedule. We get closer and closer to college football every year.”
Kevin Price, 912 Sports
“Here in southeast Georgia, coaching changes are one of the biggest storylines. The biggest came in Camden County, where Jeff Herron announced his retirement in late January after leading the Wildcats to the Class 7A semifinals in the third year of his second stint with the team. Herron won 334 games in 32 seasons and five state championships and is the only coach in state history to lead three different schools to state crowns. Camden hired Travis Roland who previously coached at Mainland out of Daytona Beach, Fla., which he led to a state championship last fall. Also around the area, Jaybo Shawn left Wayne County after only two seasons, and John Mohring stepped down at Savannah Country Day to take the Wayne job. In Homerville, Jim Dickerson, a familiar name, is back as the interim head coach at Clinch County. Also, David Shores, once a head coach in Alabama and previously a top assistant at Brunswick, is now head coach at Brantley County, where Geoff Cannon had been coach before taking the same position at Coosa in Rome, and DeMario Jones is the new coach at Charlton County. He was head coach at Godby (Fla.) for the last two seasons. Two teams in our southeast Georgia coverage area won state crowns last fall. Pierce County won its second state championship in four seasons and is ranked No. 1 in Class 2A to begin this season. Back to lead the way is senior QB Caden McGatha, who passed and ran for more than 2,000 yards while leading the Bears on the title run. Meantime, Coffee won its first state title last year with a perfect 15-0 record in Class 5A. This season, the Trojans are again in 5A, but it is now the state’s second-largest class with the abolishment of 7A, and they have been placed into rugged Region 2, also home to Lee County and Thomas County Central, last year’s Class 5A champion. Lee is ranked fourth in the preseason, TCC fifth and Coffee eighth at the start, and all three figure to have a say in who wins the big prize come December.”
Len Robbins, The Clinch County News
“Teams from Region 2 in Class A Division II have won six state championships out of the last nine years, and with Brooks County and Irwin County returning to the region after a two-year turn in Class A Division I, it is likely at least one team will be in the mix for the state title in 2024. Brooks County started the 2023 season 1-5 but ended with seven wins in their last eight games, advancing to the semifinals. The Trojans return a ton of young talent, but their longtime coach, Maurice Freeman, retired and is now coaching in Alabama. Clinch County went 11-2 last year and returns 14 starters. They, like five teams in the region, have a new coach. Jim Dickerson, the school’s all-time leader in wins, came out of retirement after the resignation of Don Tison. Dickerson won five state title in his prior stint. Lanier County also lured a legendary coach of our retirement, as former Valdosta State and West Georgia head coach David Dean was hired to helm the Bulldogs, who went 7-3 a year ago. Irwin County was 7-6 in D-II last year but return a talented nucleus and could figure in the playoff picture.”
Craig Sager, Score Atlanta
“I am really interested in what player is going to claim the first-ever Mr. Georgia Football, a new Score Atlanta award. As competitive as this state is, it is amazing to think of what it will take to win it. The other storylines I can’t help but think about are how loaded Class 4A is and then how exciting the Class 3A-A private brackets are going to be. In 4A, I have never had a more difficult time selecting a preseason No. 1 with our rankings [choosing defending champion Perry], and I think Region 1 is the deepest region in the state. The teams that impressed me most in the 7-on-7 was North Gwinnett because they won their division at the Corky Kell + Dave Hunter/Brent Key tournament with an undefeated record and were without starting quarterback Ryan Hall [committed to Georgia Tech as a baseball player]. I think North Gwinnett is a legit contender this year in Class 6A to take the whole thing.”
Matt Stewart, GPB Sports
“GPB starts Friday night with a game that has the potential to be the No. 1 GHSA regular-season game in the 2024 season. Class 6A No. 1 Buford plays at 5A No. 1 Milton. The Eagles are also ranked No. 6 in the nation by MaxPreps, and the Wolves are No. 21. It will be incredibly interesting with 19 total players committed to Power 4 Conference schools and another 21 who have offers from P4 schools. These high school teams have more college prospects than a lot of college teams! No joke! It might also be the first time in my career that I called a Buford game where they aren’t the No. 1 storyline. This Milton team makes no secret of their desire to be national champions. Uber competitive season with the contraction of classifications to six. There should be more great region games than we had with seven classifications. Quick thoughts on what I expect in 2024: Cass is set up for its greatest season ever. I’ve got the Colonels ranked No. 2 in 4A. Historically that’s a huge reach, but they’ve got the talent. Douglas County is loaded, not just this year, but next as well. I have them No. 2 in my 6A. Carrollton has reloaded for JuJu’s [Julian Lewis’] final run. Got a great chance to win the Trojans’ first state championship since 1998. The Class 3A-A private bracket should be outstanding. By the time you read this the games will have started. Let’s Go!”
Gabriel Stovall, Augusta Press
“By now, you don’t need anyone to tell you that Augusta is known by most of Georgia as a high school basketball town. But don’t let that distinction fool you. The high school football talent in the area has become deeper by the year, and this year’s no different. If you want to get a bead on what’s going to power the Augusta-area high school football scene, think tailbacks and trenches. Some of the state’s best offensive linemen prospects reside in metro Augusta. Of course there’s 4-star Georgia commit Mason Short (Evans), but don’t sleep on 6-foot-5, 305-pound Duke pledge Evan Scott from Lakeside-Evans. Junior OL Malcolm Gaston, Jr. out of North Augusta is another one getting solid attention. These trenchmen are going to share the spotlight with some of the state’s leading returning rushers in senior Jeanarion Kamga (Westside), who tallied more than 1,500 rushing yards last year. Kent State commits Anthony Jeffrey from Thomson isn’t far behind. When talking team success, keep an eye on Aquinas. They’ve moved up to Class AAA, have a stellar signal caller in 6-foot-4 senior and Davidson commit Jim Franklin, and sophomore DE Jaden Wuerth led the Fightin’ Irish in tackles (139), TFLs (36) and sacks (16) last year — as a freshman. In an area with several vastly improved football teams, Aquinas may be the Augusta area’s best shot at a state title in 2024.”
Nicholas Sullivan, Forsyth County News
“With Milton and Gainesville duking it out in Class 5A, the five largest Forsyth County schools will enter with Region 6-6A title aspirations. Lambert and West Forsyth appear to be best positioned to challenge county outsiders Alpharetta and North Atlanta in hopes of securing a home playoff game. However, Denmark, buoyed by a strong junior class, and North Forsyth, fresh off a successful run in the old 6A, fancy themselves as postseason contenders. Coming off tough 2023 seasons, Forsyth Central and South Forsyth will look to throw their hats into the ring, as well. Outside of the ‘Forsyth region,’ East Forsyth will be hoping to build off the program's first playoff berth achieved last fall during the debut season for Dustin Canon, the only new head coach at any of the county's public schools.”
Joe Whitfield, Albany Herald
“What we do know about Albany-area football is that Lee County should be among the best in the state. The Trojans face an incredibly tough region, with back-to-back matchups against state champions Thomas County Central and Coffee. Add in non-region games against Warner Robins and Colquitt County, and you’ve got a challenging schedule. That tough competition could pay off when playoff time rolls around. Ousmane Kromah and Weston Bryan will lead an offense they believe is the best in Georgia. No doubt, it has the potential to be explosive. Two other teams to watch are Westover and Worth County. Westover coach Corey Joyner will field one of the biggest offensive lines in high school football. Joyner has a knack for motivating players, so I expect Westover to show significant improvement. Traditional region powers Cairo, Bainbridge and Peach County are expected to lead the region, but Joyner said earlier this summer he wasn't out here working for fourth place. At Worth County, coach Jeff Hammond has assembled a strong, experienced team. With WR D'Ontar Fulton, RB Kaden Chester and QB Lyndon Worthy, the Rams are poised to score plenty of points. However, they’ll have their work cut out in a region that includes Fitzgerald and Thomasville.”