Eight Greats Around the State Week-1: The Wait Is Over Part I

The GHSA Football season gets kicked off in earnest this week with a handful of games on Wednesday and Thrusday and a full slate on Friday night into Saturday. We had an apetizer last week as the Dave Hunter – Corky Kell Classic kicked off the season in the Benz. This is Part 1 of our feature, Eight Greats Around the state.

Rome vs Carrollton: Rome opens the Bill Stewart era Friday night with a challenging matchup against a loaded Carrollton team. The Wolves return enough talent to make some noise this season, led by playmakers on both sides of the ball, but they will have their hands full against a Trojans squad loaded with depth and talent. C.J. Cypher leads a Carrollton offense surrounded by weapons, while the Trojans also boast plenty of playmakers defensively.

Douglass vs Carver: Two of Georgia’s top Class 3A & 4A programs square off in what could be one of the most intriguing games of Week 1. Douglas is coming off a quarterfinal appearance and returns plenty of offensive firepower, while Carver enters the season as the defending 3A state champion. Both teams lost significant talent to graduation and transfers, but both appear capable of making another deep playoff run.

Trion vs Gordon-Lee: One of Georgia’s oldest high school football rivalries takes center stage Friday night as Trion and Gordon Lee renew a series that dates back to 1933. The Bulldogs have been a postseason fixture in recent years, while the Trojans are coming off the best season in program history. With both teams replacing significant production, this year’s rivalry could come down to which team adjusts the quickest.

Sandy Creek vs Grayson: The Patriots enter the matchup with plenty of returning talent, led by quarterback Caleb Hill, while Grayson will look to rebound after a disappointing opening week loss to North Gwinnett. With both teams looking to establish their identity early in the season, this one could come down to which team is able to control the line of scrimmage and avoid costly mistakes.

As always, thank you to the Georgia Helmet Project for the artwork. You can find them here: https://www.gahelmetproject.com/#google_vignette As well as the High School Football Historians Association for all of their historical data. You can find them here: https://hsfha.org/

The Bill Stewart era of Rome football begins Friday night as the Wolves face one of the state’s most talented teams in the Carrollton Trojans. Rome will be replacing several key pieces from a squad that made a run all the way to the state semifinals last season, but there is still plenty of talent returning to the field.

The defensive line should be a strength for the Wolves, with A’zyuis Adams and Jy’Quice McCrary anchoring the unit. Tylan Simpson will likely play both ways, providing experience at receiver and in the secondary alongside Greg Evans. Offensively, the Wolves will likely turn to Zayden Winston at quarterback. When Rome looks to go to the air, Winstonwill lean on Simpson and Kaiden Waters.

Meanwhile, the Carrollton Trojans may be as deep as they have ever been. They also have another highly touted young quarterback in C.J. Cypher. Cypher threw for 2,178 yards and 26 touchdowns while splitting time last season. Zach Watts will join Cypher in the backfield after putting up impressive numbers as a freshman at Carver-Columbus. Keaires Miller at tight end and Rontre Welch will provide Cypher with experienced targets in the passing game.

Defensively, the Trojans have playmakers all over the field. Junior Jamir Lee may be the best of the bunch along the line of scrimmage. Kamari Butler leads the linebacking corps, while Tyler Boyd patrols the secondary and looks to build on his first-team All-Region sophomore season.

Keys to the Game

Rome Wolves

Win the line of scrimmage: Adams, McCrary, and the Rome defensive front must find a way to disrupt Carrollton’s offensive rhythm.
Protect the football: Winston cannot give Carrollton extra possessions or short fields against a team with this much offensive firepower.
Create explosive plays: Rome will need Simpson, Waters, and its other skill players to take advantage of opportunities in the passing game.
Hang around early: Avoiding early mistakes and keeping the game close through halftime could give the Wolves confidence and put some pressure on the favored Trojans.

Carrollton Trojans

Establish the run: Watts and the ground game can help Carrollton create balance and keep Rome’s defense from focusing solely on Cypher.
Let Cypher settle in: A strong running game and quick, high-percentage throws could allow the young quarterback to find his rhythm early.
Control Rome’s playmakers: Carrollton must prevent Simpson, Waters, and the Wolves’ other skill players from creating explosive plays.
Use the depth advantage: The Trojans are loaded on both sides of the football and should look to wear Rome down as the game progresses.

This Rome team will be really good, and really soon. Teams may want to get the Wolves while they can. Rome is a proud program, and Stewart’s group will compete.

Carrollton, however, is built to compete for a state championship right now. The Trojans simply have too much talent and depth for Rome to keep this one close.

Prediction: Carrollton by 24

The Douglass Astros are coming off a season in which they advanced to the quarterfinals. Jahlil Roderique is poised to take over full time as the starting quarterback. As he continues to get settled into the position, Douglass welcomes back a pair of backs the offense can rely on. Jecori Anderson and Janarius Gooden combined for 1,266 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns last season. Zalen Green returns as the team’s leading receiver after catching 28 passes for 288 yards and three touchdowns. Defensively, John Amofah and Prince Cooper will lead the charge for the Astros.

The Carver Tigers enter the season as the defending Class 3A state champions. While the Panthers lose their leading running back to graduation and one of the state’s top young backs to a transfer, they do return a talented quarterback in Sebastian Heard. The sophomore threw for 1,715 yards, 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions last season. T.J. Woodson, who caught 14 passes for 335 yards and seven touchdowns, and Marte Sears, who had 15 receptions for 211 yards and two touchdowns, return as the team’s leading receivers.

Defensively, Jaedon Taylor returns as one of the top defenders in Class 3A. He spearheads a defense that allowed just 5.5 points per game and recorded eight shutouts last season. Daijon Daniels and Kingston Brown also return as two of the Panthers’ top defensive playmakers.

This may be one of the best matchups in the state, regardless of classification. It’s hard to believe that both of these teams lost so much talent to transfers this offseason and still appear capable of making deep playoff runs.

For Douglas, Roderique will have his hands full navigating the Carver defense. The Astros may be best served by leaning heavily on Anderson and Gooden and using their talented backfield to try to wear down the Panthers defense. That’s easier said than done against a unit that was one of the best in the state last season.

Keys to the Game

Douglass Astros

Lean on the running game: Anderson and Gooden give Douglas a proven combination in the backfield. Keeping the ball on the ground could take pressure off Roderique and help control the game.
Protect Roderique: The first-year full-time starter will face a major test against one of the state’s best defenses. Douglas needs to keep him out of obvious passing situations.
Create explosive plays: Green will need to make the most of his opportunities and give Douglas a way to stretch the Carver defense vertically.
Keep Carver off the scoreboard: The Astros cannot afford to get into a shootout with a Carver defense that allowed just 5.5 points per game last season.

Carver Tigers

Protect Heard: Heard returns with valuable experience, but Douglass will look to make the sophomore quarterback uncomfortable. Giving him time to work with Woodson and Sears will be critical.
Find a new identity in the running game: With significant production gone from the backfield, Carver will need to establish a reliable ground game to complement Heard.
Let the defense lead: Taylor, Daniels, and Brown are among the Panthers’ top defensive playmakers. If they can control the line of scrimmage, Carver will be in a strong position.
Avoid the big play: Douglas has enough offensive talent to change the game quickly. Carver’s defense must force the Astros to sustain long drives.

This is a game that could come down to the final few possessions. Douglass has enough talent to challenge the defending state champions, but Carver’s experience and defensive strength give the Panthers a slight advantage.

Prediction: Carver by 6

The Trion Bulldogs have not missed the postseason in consecutive seasons since 1989 and have now made the playoffs in each of the last five seasons. The Bulldogs return All-Region quarterback Linc Allen, who threw for 1,340 yards and 15 touchdowns with 13 interceptions last season. Most of his receiving corps from a year ago will need to be replaced, but Dawson Crane returns after catching 19 passes for 187 yards and a touchdown.

Versatile running back Landon Kimball will also be a key piece of the Trion offense. Kimball caught 11 passes for 231 yards and four touchdowns while adding 597 rushing yards and six touchdowns on the ground. Defensively, Hudson Thomas and linebacker Coleman Lee will be counted on to lead a unit that will need to improve if the Bulldogs hope to make a playoff run beyond the first round.

The Gordon Lee Trojans are coming off one of the best seasons in school history, advancing to the quarterfinals and collecting a program-record 12 victories. The Trojans will have to replace much of their offensive production from last season. Braxton Daniel is set to take over at quarterback, while Logan Price looks to build on a season in which he rushed 12 times for 80 yards.

Daniel will also be counted on defensively, as he is the team’s leading returning tackler. Sean Harms-Benafel returns along the defensive line after recording 37 tackles, including 10 tackles for loss and five sacks last season. The Trojans will need players like Daniel and Harms-Benafel to help carry a defense that will be tested by Trion’s experienced backfield.

There may be more intriguing matchups on the Week 1 schedule, but we wanted to make sure we covered one of the state’s oldest rivalries. These teams have been playing each other since 1933 and have only failed to meet during World War II.

Gordon Lee’s senior-laden team from a year ago was exactly what the doctor ordered to end the Trojans’ losing skid against Trion. This year, however, the Bulldogs appear to have the edge in the backfield and at receiver. We believe that will be enough to swing the momentum back in Trion’s direction.

Keys to the Game

Trion Bulldogs

Let Kimball carry the load: Landon Kimball gives Trion a proven threat both running and receiving. Getting him involved early could help the Bulldogs control the game.
Protect Allen: Linc Allen returns with valuable experience, but Trion needs to avoid turnovers and give him favorable situations as the Bulldogs replace several receivers.
Find new playmakers at receiver: Dawson Crane is the most experienced returning target, and Trion will need its new receivers to step up around him.
Improve defensively: Hudson Thomas and Coleman Lee will lead a defense that needs to make enough stops to allow the Bulldogs’ offensive talent to decide the game.

Gordon Lee Trojans

Find offensive production: With much of last year’s production gone, Braxton Daniel and Logan Price will need to help establish a new identity for the Trojans.
Make Daniel’s experience count: Daniel is the team’s leading returning tackler and will have to be a leader on both sides of the ball.
Pressure Allen: Sean Harms-Benafel and the Gordon Lee defensive front need to make Allen uncomfortable and prevent him from finding a rhythm.
Win the rivalry’s momentum: Gordon Lee ended Trion’s recent dominance last season. The Trojans will need to avoid allowing the Bulldogs to regain control of the rivalry.

This rivalry has produced plenty of memorable games over the years, and this year’s matchup should be another physical battle. Gordon Lee is coming off a historic season, but Trion appears to have more returning firepower at the skill positions.

The Bulldogs have the edge in the backfield and at receiver, and we believe that will be enough to put them back on top in one of Georgia’s oldest rivalries.

Prediction: Trion by 13

The Sandy Creek Patriots begin their 2026 campaign with perhaps one of the toughest two-game stretches for any team in Class 4A. The defending Class 3A state champions welcome back quarterback Caleb Hill, who passed for more than 2,600 yards a season ago. Hill will return two of his top receivers as Khaylin Stevenson and Rylan White begin their senior campaigns. The duo combined for 61 catches, 651 yards and three touchdowns last season.

Perhaps the biggest hole to fill is that of Amari Latimer, who is now taking reps in a West Virginia Mountaineers jersey. Omari Jackson will look to help fill the void left by Latimer’s departure.

Defensively, the Patriots return plenty of talent, including Corey Hadley and Nathan Holston in the secondary, along with J.T. Austin and Noah Reid along the defensive front. Sandy Creek’s defense recorded 33 sacks and forced 19 turnovers last season, and that unit will once again be a major strength for the Patriots.

The Grayson Rams will look to bounce back after getting ambushed by North Gwinnett in Week 1. Quarterback Deuce Smith put up big numbers despite the loss, throwing for 304 yards and three touchdowns. His primary target was Saif Bin-Wahad, who hauled in eight passes for 154 yards and a touchdown.

The Rams struggled to move the ball on the ground, managing just 26 total rushing yards. Statistically, the defense was not as bad as the final score might have indicated. Grayson held North Gwinnett to fewer than 100 rushing yards and 189 yards through the air. However, the defense was repeatedly put in difficult situations because of short fields, leaving the Rams’ defenders on their heels for much of the night.

We expect a bounce-back performance from Grayson this week. The biggest question is whether the Rams can get the ground game going. Sandy Creek, meanwhile, will have to continue developing its offensive identity without a proven back to pair with Hill.

We believe the Patriots will stay with the Rams for three quarters, but Grayson has enough offensive firepower to close out a tightly contested game in the fourth quarter.

Keys to the Game

Sandy Creek Patriots

Establish the passing game: Caleb Hill returns with plenty of experience, and getting Stevenson and Whiteinvolved early will be important.
Replace Latimer’s production: Omari Jackson and the rest of the Patriots’ running game must find a way to replace the production left behind by Amari Latimer.
Create turnovers: Sandy Creek’s defense was opportunistic last season, and Hadley, Holston, Austin, and Reidwill need to create problems for the Grayson offense.
Avoid giving Grayson short fields: The Patriots cannot afford to give the Rams extra possessions or easy scoring opportunities.

Grayson Rams

Get the ground game going: After managing only 26 rushing yards in Week 1, Grayson needs to establish some balance and take pressure off Deuce Smith.
Let Smith attack: Smith showed he can produce through the air. Getting him into a rhythm with Saif Bin-Wahadcould give the Rams a major advantage.
Finish drives: Grayson moved the ball through the air against North Gwinnett but struggled to consistently turn opportunities into points. The Rams need touchdowns instead of field goals or stalled drives.
Stay off the field defensively: The defense cannot continue defending short fields. If Grayson can force Sandy Creek to drive the length of the field, the Rams should have opportunities to make stops.

Sandy Creek has enough returning talent to make this a difficult game for Grayson, particularly with Hill leading the offense and a defense that has proven capable of creating turnovers.

Still, we expect Grayson to respond after its Week 1 setback. If the Rams can find some production on the ground and Smith continues to make plays through the air, they should have enough to pull away late.

Prediction: Grayson by 4