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Georgia HS Football HOF adds 40 players to ballot
Former Georgia football stars David Greene, Alec Ogletree and Thomas Davis, Georgia Tech legends Kim King and Demaryius Thomas and Atlanta Falcons greats Jessie Tuggle and Alfred Jenkins are among the 40 newest Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame ballot members released Wednesday..
Davis returns to Spalding to help heal program
Faced with an unimaginable offseason tragedy with its football coach, Spalding High in Griffin has turned to an old friend to lead the program again. Nick Davis, a Griffin native with 24 years of head coaching experience, was approved by the Griffin-Spalding Schools board Friday afternoon to return to the job he held from 2011 to 2018.
Q&A with new GHSA executive director Tim Scott
Tim Scott was approved Monday to become the Georgia High School Association’s new executive director starting July 1. Scott will succeed Robin Hines, who has held the position since 2017. Scott spoke with Todd Holcomb this week on topics ranging from his football-playing days to the challenges ahead running the GHSA.
Scott approved as seventh executive director in GHSA history
Tim Scott, approved unanimously Monday as the Georgia High School Association’s executive director effective July 1, says he will make communication and openness his priorities when he takes the job, succeeding the retiring Robin Hines. Scott will be the GHSA’s seventh to fill the role and the second behind Hines to join the association from outside of it.
GHSA set to approve new executive director Monday
The Georgia High School Association will meet Monday in Macon with a light agenda that peaks with the expected approval of Tim Scott as the retiring Robin Hines’ replacement as executive director. Scott, the superintendent of Dalton Public Schools since 2018, was announced as the sole finalist March 18 by the GHSA’s board of trustees, which served as the interview committee for the position.
Savannah Country Day hires coach; Spalding closing in
Savannah Country Day hired a football coach Monday while Spalding is expected to approve one Tuesday, which would add up to 67 offseason hires with four jobs still open in Georgia. Savannah Country Day settled on Roc Batten, a former Vanderbilt player who has been a head coach for 13 seasons in the Nashville area.
Brooks County’s Freeman resigns, takes job at Daleville, Ala.
Maurice Freeman, a 250-game winner who led alma mater Brooks County to state titles in 1994 and 2021, resigned Friday and is expected to take an out-of-state job. Brooks County Schools announced the news and said that Josh McFather would be promoted to head coach on an interim basis.
Starr’s Mill promotes Cooper to head coach
Starr’s Mill promoted defensive backs coach David Cooper to head football coach on Monday. Cooper will replace retiring coach Chad Phillips. Cooper has been on the Starr’s Mill staff since 2015. He coached at Sandy Creek from 2005 to 2014 and was part of three state-championship teams.
GHSA trustees name Scott as sole finalist for executive director
Dalton Public Schools superintendent Tim Scott is the GHSA board of trustees’ choice to become the association’s next executive director, succeeding Robin Hines, the GHSA announced Monday. The GHSA’s 75-member executive committee will vote to approve Scott’s hire at its spring meeting April 15 in Macon.
Championship teams earn 54% less despite record attendance at finals
Football teams playing in the state championship games earned 54% less on average despite record attendance in the return to the more expensive Mercedes-Benz Stadium in December, GHSA records show. The 16 finalists’ average disbursement was $9,795 compared to $21,068 in 2022.
Camden County hires championship coach from Florida
Travis Roland, who led Mainland of Daytona Beach, Fla., to a state championship last season, will succeed Jeff Herron at Camden County. Roland’s Mainland teams were 30-10 over three seasons. He is 58-22 overall with four previous seasons at Palm Coast in Flagler.
25 former Georgia high school players among invitees at NFL Scouting Combine
Twenty-five former Georgia high school players are among the 321 invitees to the NFL Scouting Combine, which begins Monday and runs through March 4 in Indianapolis. The 25 Georgians include only one former five-star recruit, Bleckley County’s Amarius Mims, but all 25 were outstanding high school players.
Spalding coach Kearney charged with murder in Maryland
Spalding football coach Carl Kearney Jr. has been charged with first- and second-degree murder for the strangulation death of his girlfriend in Maryland, Prince George’s County police reported late Sunday evening. Kearney, 43, entered a Clinton, Md., police station Saturday morning and confessed to strangling Patrina Best, 38, during an argument in her Accokeek, Md., home, the police report said.
Tift County approves Bainbridge’s Littleton as new head coach
Tift County approved Jeff Littleton as its football coach at a called board meeting Friday afternoon. Littleton led Bainbridge to a 2018 Class 5A championship and has won region titles the past four seasons. His record is 91-46 over 11 seasons, all at Bainbridge. Tift County has not won a playoff game since its 2018 Class 7A quarterfinal run..
Former Stockbridge coach Whitley takes job at Northgate
Kevin Whitley, who built Stockbridge into a state power before moving into college coaching at Georgia Southern, is the new football coach at Northgate in Coweta County. Whitley’s Stockbridge record was 99-28 in 10 seasons with five region titles at a school that had never won a playoff game until after his arrival in 2009.
Salam takes Harrison job; Cook fills vacancy at Osborne
Two Cobb County football teams have new coaches as Osborne’s Luqman Salam has taken the Harrison job while Derek Cook has filled Osborne’s vacancy. Salam is the coach behind the remarkable turnaround at Osborne, which had been Cobb County’s most moribund program. Salam’s teams were 1-8, 5-5 and 7-4 at a program that had gone 2-47 the previous five seasons.
Nine winners receive Hudl awards at GACA Falcons Coaches Luncheon
Nine Georgia football coaches received GHSF Daily’s Hudl awards Tuesday in Macon at the annual GACA Falcons Coaches Luncheon. The Hudl awards go to coaches of the “most improved winning teams” in each GHSA classification and the GIAA.
Eight former Georgia high school players on active Super Bowl rosters
Harrison Butker and Mecole Hardman of the Kansas City Chiefs, each poised to participate in their fourth Super Bowls, are among eight active former Georgia high school football players whose teams won their conference championship games Sunday. The Super Bowl will be played Feb. 11 in Las Vegas.
Camden County’s Herron, winner of five state titles, announces retirement
Jeff Herron, a 300-game winner and the only Georgia football coach to win state championships at three schools, announced his retirement Friday. Herron’s Camden teams won state titles in the highest classification in 2003, 2008 and 2009. Herron also won state championships at Oconee County in 1999 and Grayson in 2016.
Former Georgia star Terrence Edwards named Mount Vernon head coach
Former Georgia football star Terrence Edwards was announced Thursday as Mount Vernon’s football coach. Mount Vernon is a Class A school in Atlanta. The football team reached the playoffs each of the past eight seasons, though never advancing past the second round, under coach Wayne Dabbs. The team was 8-4 in 2023.