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Georgia: Tough test for teams in 6-AAA

By: Lindsey Young
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Mark Mariakis

On the surface, moving down a classification would appear to be just the tonic for what’s ailed several Northwest Georgia football programs.

After all, when the GHSA announced its latest re-classification, the burden of having to compete with annual powerhouses Dalton, Rome and Northwest Whitfield was lifted. Those three programs have dominated the area for the better part of two decades.

Meanwhile, new Region 6-AAA teams Ridgeland (zero playoff wins in school history), Ringgold (one playoff appearance in 20 years), Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe (three wins in the past three years), Southeast Whitfield (zero playoff appearances since 1986) and LaFayette (zero playoff apperances since 1996) would appear to have new life.

Appearances, however, can be deceiving. While it’s true those teams, along with first-year program Heritage, will be in 6-AAA together, the region has another, more powerful, side. The south sub-region, which includes Carrollton, Cartersville and Cedartown, has no such history of postseason problems. Per region rules, which includes a regular-season-ending seeding game, only the top spot in each sub-region is guaranteed a playoff berth.

“Some people say, since we don’t have to compete with Dalton, Rome and Northwest, that this is an easier region,” Ridgeland coach Mark Mariakis said. “Anyone who understands football knows we don’t have an easy region. You could go 8-1, lose in the last game to a team from the other sub-region and not make the playoffs.”

Mariakis’ Panthers, after back-to-back seven-win seasons which landed them in the playoffs as Region 7-AAAA’s fourth seed, are the prohibitive favorites in their sub-region. Only Carrollton, the solid favorite in the south sub-region, can rival the Panthers’ speed. With quarterback Carlen Bowman, running back Terryl Freeman and receiver Mike Bowman, Ridgeland returns over 4,000 yards of total offense.

Though the defense lost seven starters, two of the Panthers’ top players, linebacker DeVaughn Buchanan and lineman Cedric Weaver, return. Even Mariakis agrees his team stacks up well with anyone on paper.

“We have a lot of weapons, but we haven’t put it together consistently on the field yet for a full season,” he said. “At this level of football, it takes more than talent to win.”

After the Panthers, the north sub-region race is expected to be a tight one. Catoosa County rivals Ringgold (6-4 last year) and LFO (2-8) return top playmakers. LaFayette, moving up from Class AA after a 1-9 season, brings in highly-regarded coach Perry Swindall, while the new Heritage program has a solid, if not spectacular, core of freshmen and sophomores.

Ringgold second-year coach Robert Akins, who built a Tennessee state power at Boyd-Buchanan, believes his program is ready to compete in its new surroundings.

“We should do well, but I know there are a lot of good coaches coming into the league,” he said. “I think from top to bottom our region will be tough. We’re excited about dropping from 4A to 3A and getting Dalton, Rome and Northwest out of there. Those were three games we knew we had to play perfect games to compete with them. This is a region we feel we can be competitive and it’s given the kids some confidence.”

It doesn’t hurt Akins to have strong-armed senior quarterback Zac Fairchild triggering the Tigers’ new spread attack, which will also feature the power running of junior Martez Eastland. Filling a few key defensive positions and developing some line depth will be keys for the Tigers.

Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe is also abandoning the wing-T for the spread offense, a move which suits junior quarterback Cody Commons’ talents. LFO second-year coach Todd Windham hopes spreading opposing defenses out will allow more running room for a stable of backs — all juniors — which should be among the region’s best.

“After a year, there’s no doubt we’re further ahead as far as being able to compete,” Windham said. “We’re stronger and faster, and we’ve improved greatly on the intangibles. We played a lot of sophomores last year, and at the end of the year, they were all productive. Those same players will get a lot of touches this year.”

Leading rusher LaGreg Burns has bulked up to 215 pounds while maintaining his 4.5 speed, while fellow juniors Kenny Macon and Dominque Turner join him in the explosive backfield. Windham’s main camp focus is on building depth and replacing the team’s secondary.

No team has created as much preseason talk as LaFayette, where Swindall has infused a new attitude is making the most out of some returning talent and a few newcomers. The new coach, who had great success leading a pair of Alabama schools, believes the Ramblers have a bright future.

“I don’t know a whole lot about the region,” he said. “Not because the level of competition is down, but there are some folks out there in the region in the same boat as we are. I think four or five of those programs either have new coaching staffs or did last year. I think it’s going to be very competitive. We’ve got a great coaching staff in place that loves kids and is going to help lead these kids. If they will buy into it and follow us, we have a good chance to be competitive, and that’s the first step in being successful.”

LaFayette’s strength lies up front, where Swindall’s son, Evan, is a 6-3, 285-pound senior center ranked in the top 15 at his position in the country. If returning leading rusher Alric Adams returns to good health, the Ramblers should have a strong ground game.

Like Swindall, new Southeast Whitfield coach David Crane’s first priority is to change the culture of losing that has permeated the program in recent years. An upbeat camp, which began with a midnight first practice, and a fast-paced spread offense are just the beginnings.

“I really get the feeling the kids are excited about football again,” Crane said. “There’s a great atmosphere here and they’re willing to work hard to get better. That’s all you can ask of anyone.”

Tim James understands that sentiment very well. The man charged with building the Heritage program is tackling this immense challenge with patience and excitement.

“The first thing I noticed was what a great group of kids they are,” the ex-East Ridge coach said. “I feel real fortunate to be chosen to lead this program. It’s a great challenge. Everything is brand new and everyone is starting from a clean slate. No matter where they came from, everybody’s getting a fair shot at playing.”

James, like Akins, Windham, Swindall and Crane, will implement a spread offense this year, and finding a quarterback is the Generals’ biggest camp challenge.

In the south sub-region, Carrollton, led by ex-LaFayette coach Rayvan Teague, is the favorite. Teague, however, recently dismissed two of his top players, Octavious thomas and Craig Allen, two-way stars who will be hard to replace. However, a program which has won 38 of its past 40 regular season games has plenty of depth.

Cartersville, coming off a rare down season (4-5-1) has perhaps the region’s top player in quarterback Donovan Tate, the son of ex-Georgia Bulldog star Lars Tate. At 6-3, 205 pounds with 4.4 speed and a strong arm, Tate is listed as one of the top 20 prospects in the state.

Cedartown, coached by ex-Trion mentor Mark Loudermilk, went from 0-10 to 5-6 last year and return at least half a dozen college prospects, led by running back Darius Green. Haralson County isn’t mentioned with the region’s elite, but the Rebels were 8-3 a year ago and set school records for passing yards and total points scored in a season. However, the majority of the team’s offensive leaders graduated.

The final sub-region member, Central-Carrollton, is coming off an 0-10 season.

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