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Return to Mercedes-Benz, 100 coaching changes among top offseason stories
Mill Creek beat Carrollton 70-35 in the final Georgia high school football game of the 2022 season. In the 234 days since, nearly a quarter of the GHSA’s 413 teams have hired new head coaches. The next championship games will be played on a Monday in Mercedes-Benz Stadium under the scrutiny of video replay for the first time. Here are the 10 most significant stories of the offseason.
More than 75 teams expected at Football Media Day
More than 75 teams and one-third of the top 100 senior recruits in the state are expected Wednesday at the inaugural Georgia High School Football Media Day. The event starts at 10 a.m. at the IBEW Auditorium (153 Richardson Street SW, Atlanta) and is free to the public. Attending teams include defending state champions Hughes, Sandy Creek and Prince Avenue Christian.
Prep Super League plans to have Atlanta football team
Having heard the criticisms, the founder of a national high school football all-star league hoping to attract Georgia’s best players says his new Prep Super League will be safe and won’t interfere with their traditional high school teams. Brian Woods announced this month that Atlanta would have one of 12 teams playing a six-week season April 19-May 24.
Georgia recruit Raiola, nation’s No. 1 prospect, plans transfer to Buford
Dylan Raiola, the consensus No. 1 recruit for 2024, plans to play his senior season at Buford to be closer to the University of Georgia, where he is committed to play. Raiola played his junior season in Arizona and led Chandler High to a 9-3 record and a state semifinal.
22 UGA, eight Tech players make Georgia High School Football HOF
Twenty-two former Georgia players and eight from Georgia Tech made the 40-player 2023 induction class for the Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame. The class, released Friday morning by Hall of Fame founder Score Atlanta, will be inducted Oct. 21 at the College Football Hall of Fame in downtown Atlanta.
Jefferson’s Brown named MaxPreps male athlete of year
Jefferson junior Sammy Brown, a five-star linebacker who committed this week to play football at Clemson, is the MaxPreps national male athlete of the year. Brown is a rare junior to win the award, which has been presented since 2008, and the second Georgian to win in three years.
Five coaches to be inducted into GACA Hall of Fame
The Georgia Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame in Dalton this weekend will induct five coaches who won state championships in eight sports in careers spanning parts of six decades. The coaches are David Boyd (basketball), Karl Bostick (cross country, soccer), Jim Glasser (wrestling, track, tennis), Greg James (baseball) and Tommy Perdue (football).
Bobo, Henderson among 36 added to Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame ballot
Pepper Rodgers, Dan Reeves, Billy Henderson and Mike Bobo are best known as prominent football coaches in the state, but their playing exploits have earned them places on this year’s 100-player ballot released this week for the Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame.
GHSA releases schedules: New out-of-state opponents are most intriguing
New interstate games are the best new thing about Georgia’s 2023 football schedules, which the Georgia High School Association posted this week. Colquitt County, Buford and Creekside are playing consensus top-25 teams in the country from 2022, while Valdosta and Cedar Grove also are taking on powerful out-of-state opponents.
Fritts retires at Washington-Wilkes
Sid Fritts of Washington-Wilkes retired this week. He won region titles at four GHSA schools including Rome, Vidalia and Elbert County.
Five former Georgia high school players selected in NFL first round
Five former Georgia high school players were first-round NFL Draft picks last week and 25 went overall, both exceeding state averages, but the most remarkable story came out of Gwinnett County, which claimed nine picks by itself. That’s more than the totals of 42 states that include Ohio (eight), Pennsylvania (six), Alabama (four), Oklahoma (four) and Tennessee (two).
Six former Georgia high school players projected in NFL draft’s first round
With six former Georgia high school players projected to go in the first round, the NFL Draft could set records for the state this week. According to NFL Mock Draft Database, which produces composite rankings of draft projections, Georgia’s likely first-rounders are Dutchtown’s Will Anderson of Alabama, Calvary Day’s Nolan Smith of Georgia, Hillgrove’s Myles Murphy of Clemson, Lithonia’s Broderick Jones of Georgia, Sandy Creek’s Brian Branch of Alabama and Dalton’s Jahmyr Gibbs of Alabama.
GHSA staff undergoes change with hiring of Lane, Russell
The Georgia High School Association’s normally stable staff is taking on a new look with the recent hires of Jay Russell and Darrell Lane as associate directors, the retirement of Ernie Yarbrough and the resignation of Kevin Giddens effective in June. Things will stay the same at the top as executive director Robin Hines signed a three-year extension last month after six years in the position.
South Atlanta hires Franklin as head coach; eight jobs unfilled
South Atlanta hired Jeff Franklin as football coach this week, leaving only eight GHSA jobs unfilled in an offseason that has seen 94 openings. South Atlanta, a Class 2A school, was perhaps the top job on the board. The Hornets have won three consecutive region titles and gone 11-2 and 11-1 the past two seasons under Michael Woolridge, who left for Pebblebrook, a Class 7A school in Cobb County.
Falcons honor Cherokee Bluff’s Benjamin, Blessed Trinity’s Miller with top awards
The Atlanta Falcons honored Cherokee Bluff offensive lineman Jacob Benjamin as their High School Man of the Year and Blessed Trinity flag football player Joelle “JoJo” Miller with the Trailblazer Award on Thursday night during their awards show that recognized several coaches and athletes. Both won their awards, presented at the Georgia Aquarium, for their impact in the community and their schools.