The Eagles Landing Christian Academy football team is once again marching with momentum this football season. The Chargers are on a 29 game winning streak, and having won back to back state titles have a chance along with the Purple Hurricanes of Cartersville to go for a three-peat this season.

“Yes, we have talked about winning three titles in a row only because at the beginning of the season you set your goals and one of ours is to win the state title.  So we talked about it before the season kicked off and then we have been going through the process of working hard each day, trying to improve each day, and if we win the battle of winning each day, we have a good shot at achieving our dreams at the end of the year,” says head coach Jonathan Gess.

This is Coach Gess' 11th season as head coach.  He has posted an impressive 111-26 record for an 81 % winning percentage.  Then tag on three state titles in 2012, 2015 and 2016. You can see the kind of juggernaut he has built at ELCA.

This year’s team is off, and running with a 7-0 record.  The Chargers kicked off the year with a 21-14 win over arch rival Eagles Landing High School and has marched on from there.

“We have an outstanding senior class.  We have 22 seniors this year and they have been together since 9th grade.  It’s a talented bunch with up to 9 players going on to play college football next year.  They work great together.  They are very selfless.  They put the team first.  They work hard, they do their job and its paying off”

The Chargers only lost 3 starters from last year’s state championship team and many of these guys have already played on two state championship clubs. 

Josh Mays is the top tail back, and while the offense spreads the ball around, Josh is averaging about 9 yards a carry.  Brayden Rush is the quarterback.  He is a junior, led the team to the title last season and the coach sees improvement this year

“ Brayden is doing a great job for us this year.  He runs it and passes it and is doing a great job of handling the ball.  He has thrown 14 touchdowns and zero interceptions.  But where he has made his biggest stride is in understanding the offense.  And he really takes care of the football which for us is key,” says the coach.

On defense three big bruisers lead the way linebacker George Shockley has 70 tackles, Johnathan Youngblood has 65 tackles and defensive end Harrison Taylor has 52 tackles and eight sacks.

“The starting defense has given up just 24 points this season, they play great together as a team, swarming to the ball,” says the coach.

I asked the coach about all the success he and his program have enjoyed over the last 11 seasons, including those 111 wins and three state championships

“We are in a great location, there are a lot of talented players in the area, and the school strives for excellence in academics, athletics and in the arts.  We have a process that we believe in and the players have bought into that and believe whole heartedly in it.  And the wins and titles have followed,” says the coach.

As I mentioned, Eagles Landing Christian Academy and Cartersville are the only schools with a chance to three-peat this year, and this season if either team gets the job done, they will hoist the trophy high inside the brand new Atlanta Falcons palace, the Mercedes Benz Dome, which will be a huge thrill all by itself.

“That, says the coach, “would be an amazing opportunity.  That was one of our preseason goals.  But right now it is all about practicing hard every day, getting better every day, winning every day."

Few programs in the state of Georgia have enjoyed the success over the last 11 seasons that Eagles Landing Christian Academy has had. They are currently ranked number one in the Class A Private School Poll, undefeated, on a roll and with a great shot at winning the ultimate trifecta: three state titles in a row.