Resurgent Grayson takes center stage for this week’s GPB Football Fridays in Georgia as the Rams play host to the South Gwinnett Comets in GHSA Region 8-6A action. After slipping to 4-6 last season, Grayson’s first losing season since 2005, the Rams are 5-0 this year and are tied with Dacula for first in region play at 3-0. Last year’s 4-6 season followed a six-year stretch in which the Rams went 70-11, won a 2011 state championship, reached the state semifinals twice and the quarterfinals twice.

Grayson is led by Head Coach Mickey Conn, the only coach in program history and in his 15th season with a record of 119-45. In addition to a 2011 state title, Conn has led the Rams to three undefeated regular seasons and six double-digit win seasons, all in the last seven years.

Home to the top high school football recruit in the nation in the 2012 season when DE Robert NKemdiche signed with Ole Miss, Grayson is once again loaded with future college talent. Players to watch include 3-star DE Justin Young who is committed to Georgia, and the 247 Sports Composite rankings #18 ILB, 3-star Daniel Fennell whose 20 offers include Texas A&M, Michigan State and Wisconsin.

The Rams also boast Wisconsin commitment, 3-star OLB Mohamed Barry, and 3-star safety Jordan Hayes who is committed to Duke. Junior DE Mykelle McDaniel is rated as the #21 DE in the Class of 2016 by the 247 Sports Composite rankings and announced this month that Georgia is the favorite among his seven offers.

South Gwinnett enters Friday’s game coming off their first win of the season as the Comets defeated Brookwood 44-14 to improve to 1-4 overall and 1-2 in region play. Led by Coach John Small in his tenth season (55-48), South Gwinnett has advanced to the second round of the state playoffs three times in the last five seasons.

This will be the 13th all-time meeting between these two Gwinnett County programs, having played every season since 2002. Grayson leads the series 7-5 and has won six of the last eight meetings. The Comets were 28-21 winners last season in Snellville after the Rams won back-to-back games in the series at Grayson ('11 & '12) by a combined 81-0 score.

It will be another great GPB Football Friday in Georgia, live from Grayson Community Stadium. It all starts at 7:00 p.m. with our GPB All Access Pass show hosted by Mark Harmon and Claire Simms and then join me, Larry Smith, Jon Nelson and Grace Olson on the game call starting at 7:30 pm. It’ll be fun. Be sure to tune in.