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NORTHWEST WHITFIELD BRUINS
Head coach: Josh Robinson (68-40 here and overall)
Returning starters: 5 offensive; 5 defensive
Last year’s record: 9-3, lost in Class AAAA second round
Key players: Owen Brooker (6-1, 195) Jr. QB, Ray Morrison (6-2, 185) Sr. WR, Austin Duncan (6-1, 235) Sr. OL, Adrian Reyes (5-11, 190) Sr. RB, Jax Brooker (6-2, 195) Jr. LB, Junior Aguirre (6-1, 330) Sr. DL
Season outlook: Robinson begins his second decade as the head coach in Tunnel Hill with a lot of knowns and just as many unknowns. With the dynamic Brooker, big-play Ray Morrison and hard-running Reyes, the Bruins have the weapons to put up big numbers on offense.
On the other side of the ball, though, question marks abound in the secondary, where the inexperience showed up in a lopsided loss to Class AAAAA power Calhoun in a recent scrimmage.
“We have exactly one guy who has played a varsity snap in the secondary (Dominique Smith), and we’ve got seven guys competing for playing time,” Robinson said. “We made a lot of mistakes against a very good Calhoun team, and we have to grow up quickly back there in order for us to achieve the level of success we’re looking for.”
The good news is Northwest plays in Region 7-AAAA and has just five league games, giving the Bruins ample time to address any early concerns before the playoff chase begins. Robinson knows the offense is in capable hands with Brooker, who passed for 2,276 yards and tallied a combined 25 touchdowns as a sophomore.
“We felt really good about Owen’s offseason progression,” Robinson said. “Obviously, he’s going to be a big part of what we do and our success will depend on what he does.”
Finding a complementary receiver or two to pair with the aforementioned Morrison (54 receptions, 915 yards and nine touchdowns in 2020) is an early goal, with Brayden Morrison (no relation to Ray) and Hudson Gray getting the first shot.