The Georgia High School Association’s Region 7-AA was a top-heavy, thrill-a-minute football league in 2024 and is likely to be so again this season.
In what was supposed to be a rebuilding year of sorts, Rockmart went undefeated in region play and reached the semifinal round of the state playoffs last fall. The bad news for 7-AA teams is, despite losing quarterback Luke Parker and top receiver Tristan Anderson to graduation, the Yellow Jackets shape up to be even more physical.
The offensive line returns intact and averages 300-plus pounds, led by Jaiden Thompson (6-foot-4, 330) and Noah King (6-3, 306), while the team’s top four rushers are also back. One of them, Nate Davis (937 yards, 10 touchdowns in 2024), is also Rockmart’s leading returning tackler after making 117 stops.
If freshman quarterback Tucker Parson can make opposing defenses respect the pass, the Jackets will be lethal offensively.
“Rockmart is who everybody is shooting at, but there are a lot of us after that who are really close,” Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe coach Mac Bryan said. “There were a lot of close games last year, and I can’t see it being any different this season.”