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Skilled receivers take Northwest Georgia prep football to new heights

Staff file photo by Matt Hamilton / Ridgeland's Ja'Darius Hinton, right, leads the area's receivers with 364 yards through three games and is part of what may be the most productive group of receivers local GHSA teams have ever had.
Staff file photo by Matt Hamilton / Ridgeland's Ja'Darius Hinton, right, leads the area's receivers with 364 yards through three games and is part of what may be the most productive group of receivers local GHSA teams have ever had. Staff file photo by Matt Hamilton / Ridgeland's Ja'Darius Hinton, right, leads the area's receivers with 364 yards through three games and is part of what may be the most productive group of receivers local GHSA teams have ever had.

By Lindsey Young 5 min read

Northwest Georgia’s prep football scene is in the midst of an offensive transformation.

In an area long known for its great ground games, several teams have used the early part of the season to post impressive passing numbers, and it’s being fueled in large part by what is arguably the deepest and most talented group of receivers local GHSA teams have ever produced.

This isn’t about teams spreading the field with five receivers and getting plays off every 20 seconds. Area coaches still stress offensive balance, but early results suggest a record receiving season is in the offing.

Consider that last year, when seven Georgia teams in the Times Free Press coverage area scored an average of 30 or more points per game, only three receivers (Heritage’s Cody Bryan, Christian Heritage’s Charlie Idom and Trion’s Ethan Willingham) finished with at least 700 yards in the regular season.

This year, with most teams nearly a third of the way through their regular-season schedule, 10 receivers are on pace to reach that mark, with at least a couple of others good bets to join them.