During high school football season Fridays are my favorite day of the week. The anticipation building during the day toward GPB Sports Football Fridays in Georgia and then at night the celebration of the unbridled competition. It is special.

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Tonight, will be a little different. It will be difficult to view the game the same considering the horrific, tragic murders this week at Apalachee High School. One of the four victims being Wildcats Defensive Coordinator Ricky Aspinwall, who probably felt the same about Friday nights as I and many of you do.

He will never get another. But worse than that his wife and two young daughters will never see him walk through the door of their home again. So tonight, with somber hearts we will celebrate another Football Friday in Georgia knowing how blessed we are to do so and knowing how fleeting this life can be.

The game we have for you this evening promises to have all the ingredients that you would want in your GPB Sports Football Friday in Georgia. Rivalry. Coaches who are good friends and one-time work colleagues. Players who “don’t like each other” very much and remember the scores of the last two years. Plus, two teams that are legitimate state championship contenders in their respective classifications and loaded with big-time college football talent and potential future NFL talent.

Let’s introduce you to the Hughes Panthers and the Douglas County Tigers. They will meet tonight in Douglasville and you can watch it starting at 7:30 p.m. on GPB-TV Georgia Public Broadcasting.

The Panthers put together one of the greatest seasons in GHSA history two years ago setting the state scoring record in route to winning the 2022 Class 6A title under Coach Daniel “Boone” Williams. Hughes obliterated Douglas County 48-3 that season.

The Tigers entered the state championship contender scene in 2023. Finishing 13-1 including a 30-27 “payback” win over the Panthers. Douglas County’s season ended in a 24-21 semifinal loss to Woodward Academy, a game in which the Tigers let a big lead get away.  Coach Johnny White has that “24-21 score” illuminated on the scoreboard every day at practice.

These two coaches worked together at Creekside High School and affectionately refer to this as “The Kevin Whitley Bowl.”  He’s the head coach they worked for more than a decade ago back in the Seminoles “Eric Berry” days. When Whitley left for Stockbridge turning those Tigers into state championship contenders, White was promoted to head coach and hired 23-year-old assistant Williams to be his defensive coordinator.  They still talk to each other 2-3 times a week and pull for the success of the other every week except the one in which they play each other.

In a deep GHSA 5A here in 2024 the Panthers might be slightly overlooked. Hughes is ranked fifth in this week’s GPB Sports Top 10 and at 2-0 have destroyed their first two opponents Westlake and Mays by a combined 104-37.  They boast a roster with four 4-Stars (including both starting offensive tackles!), four 3-Stars and 27 total players with college scholarship offers.

Douglas County is off to a 3-0 start having blasted its first three opponents Cedar Grove, Jonesboro and Newton by a combined 125-30. They are currently ranked third in the GPB Sports 6A Top 10 and are a serious contender to win the school’s first football state championship and just second ever since 1964.  The Tigers roster boasts five 4-Stars, three 3-Stars and 22 total players with college scholarship offers. Douglas County has five players ranked in the Top 10 in the country at their position and the scary thing for the rest of the state is that the strength of their team is in its junior class.  Get used to the Tigers being in the headlines.

So that’s the game story. Here’s the many top prospects to watch tonight on GPB.

Douglas County Tigers

Seniors

James Johnson, Douglas County

James Johnson, Douglas County

Credit: 247 Sports

James Johnson – 5-11, 180, Senior – Committed to USC August 30th over 50 other offers including Georgia and Georgia Tech – Highest Rating:  ESPN 4-Star WR

Mike Hastie – 6-3, 225, Senior – Committed to West Virginia June 24th over 29 other offers including Georgia State and UAB – Consensus 3-Star LB

Laderion Williams – 6-4, 305, Senior – Highest Rating:  On3 Recruiting 3-Star DL – 38 Offers including Georgia, Florida State and Florida

Braxtin McLester – 6-3, 185, Senior DB – 11 offers including Georgia State, Middle Tennessee, and Western Kentucky

Mike Thomas – 5-11, 175, Senior CB – Offered by Army and Clark Atlanta

Brandon Ellison – 5-7, 170, Senior WR – Offered by Gardner-Webb and Miles

Karson Kindred – 5-10, 165, Senior CB – Six offers including Reinhardt, Berry, and Point

Jaylen Ray – 6-2, 245, Senior DE – Offered by Reinhardt and Morehouse

Juniors

Jordan Carter – 6-4, 250, Junior – Consensus 4-Star - Highest Rating:  No. 2 Edge in the country 2026 - 47 Offers including Georgia, Auburn, Clemson, and Georgia Tech

Aaron Gregory – 6-3, 175, Junior – Consensus 4-Star – Highest Rating:  On3 Recruiting No. 2 WR in the country 2026 - 55 offers including Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, and Georgia Tech

Devin Carter – 6-2, 170, Junior – Consensus 4-Star – Highest Rating:  Rivals No. 2 WR in the country 2026 – 38 Offers including Florida State, Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, and Georgia Tech

D.J. Bordeaux – 6-2, 190, Junior – Highest Rating:  Rivals 3-Star and No. 8 Dual-Threat QB in the country 2026 – 26 Offers including Auburn, Ole Miss and Georgia Tech

Marcus Adam Carter – 6-2, 175, Junior WR – 22 offers including Georgia Tech, Louisville, and Memphis. Unfortunately, he’s out for the season with knee injury suffered during the summer.

Robert Tyson – 6-2, 170, Junior CB – Seven offers including Ole Miss, Georgia Tech, and Georgia State

Zamarcus Lindley – 5-10, 200, Junior – Seven offers including Boston College, Georgia Southern and Ball State

Julius Dumas – 6-3, 300, Junior OL – Seven offers including Georgia State, App State and USF

Rah’Keith Kelly – 5-9, 170, Junior RB/WR – Offered by Maryland, East Carolina, and Coastal Carolina

Eddie Alford – 6-4, 310, Junior OL – Offered by Duke and Arkansas State

Chase Mideau – 6-4, 305, Junior OL – Offered by Georgia State and Coastal Carolina

Soloman Fabian – 6-1, 235, Junior Edge (DE) – Offered by Marshall

Joshua Vaughn – 6-1, 290, Junior Center – Offered by Weber State

Sophomores

Joshua Sam-Epelle – 6-8, 310, Sophomore – Highest Rating:  247 Sports 4-Star and No. 6 OT in the country 2027 – 13 offers including Georgia, Auburn, and Pitt

Hughes Prospects

Seniors

Tavaris Dice, Hughes

Tavaris Dice, Hughes

Credit: 247 Sports

Tavaris Dice – 6-4, 295, Senior – Committed to Auburn March 14th over 21 other offers including Florida and Georgia – Consensus 4-Star – Highest Rating:  On3 Industry No. 15 OT

Dontrell Glover – 6-3, 310, Senior – Committed to Georgia June 24 over 18 other offers including Florida State and Georgia Tech – Highest Ranking: Rivals 4-Star and No. 6 Interior OL in the country 2025

Canaan Edwards – 6-5, 240, Senior – Committed to Rutgers June 17th over 3 other offers including Middle Tennessee and UCF – Consensus 3-Star Edge

Maurice Gleaton – 5-10, 180, Senior – 3-Star WR – 12 Offers including Georgia Tech, Georgia and UAB

Jabari Jones – 5-9, 185, Senior – 3-Star WR – 11 offers including Purdue, Boston College and Georgia Southern

Christian Langford – 6-1, 200, Senior – 3-Star QB – Offered by Troy, Liberty, UCF, and James Madison

Keyawn Spencer – 6-0, 180, Senior CB – 11 offers including Syracuse, Georgia Southern and USF

Jamal Gowans – 6-3, 300, Senior Center – Offered by Georgia State, UAB and Army

Alonzo Jackson – 6-2, 225, Senior LB/DE – Five offers including Georgia Southern, Marshall and UMass

Javon Beckford – 6-2, 235, Senior DL – Offered by Georgia State, UAB and Jackson State

Jovanni McGee – 5-9, 150, Senior WR – 5 offers including Middle Tennessee, UAB and Liberty

Bo Jacobs – 6-0, 185, Senior ATH (CB) – 4 offers including Toledo, UAB and Old Dominion

Bryce Barner – 6-2, 190, Senior DB – Offered by Georgia State and Marshall

Cam Williams – 6-3, 305, Senior OL – Offered by Western Kentucky and Army

Quavion Pitts – 6-1, 230, Senior Edge (DE) – Four offers including Georgia State, Jackson State and North Alabama

Chry’Shawn Sellers – 5-11, 165, Senior WR - Offered by UAB, Gardner-Webb and North Carolina A&T

Samuel Adeyemo – 6-3, 210, Senior LB/DE – Committed to Clark Atlanta

Keith Bass – 5-10, 207, Senior LB – Offered by Clark Atlanta, Carson-Newman, and Kentucky State

Khalil Allen – 6-1, 170, Senior WR – Offered by Clark Atlanta and Kentucky State

Santonio “Poppi” Jones – 6-0, 188, Senior SAF – Offered by Shaw University and Peru State  

Jeffery Taylor – 5-10, 168, Senior CB – Offered by Peru State

Juniors

Xavier Tiller – 6-5, 205, Junior – Consensus 4-Star - Highest Ranking:  ESPN No. 2 TE in the country 2026 – 26 Offers including Auburn, Georgia, and Georgia Tech

Carsyn Baker – 6-0, 195, Junior – Highest Ranking:  On3 Industry Ranking 4-Star and No. 20 RB in the country 2026 – 19 offers including South Carolina, Auburn, Alabama, and Georgia Tech

Qwantavious Wiggins – 5-11, 195, Junior RB – Six offers including Georgia State, Miami of Ohio, and UMass

Aji Griggs – 6-1, 195, Junior LB – Offered by Arizona

Kijohn Braxton – 6-2, 213, Junior LB – Offered by Arkansas State

Cannon Kirksey – 6-4, 182, Junior WR – Offered by Miami of Ohio

So, join Wayne Gandy, Jon Nelson, Hannah Goodin and me for our Emmy Award-winning Football Fridays in Georgia Game of the Week as the 5A No. 5 Langston Hughes Panthers play at 6A No. 3 Douglas County Tigers. Remember at halftime Hannah will highlight this week’s Make That Kid an Offer nominees.

You can watch Football Fridays in Georgia in so many ways. You have traditional TV (GPB), online at GPB.org, GPB Sports app, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Twitch.  

Now if somehow, you miss it live or just want to watch it again, don’t worry, we replay the entire Football Fridays in Georgia Game of the Week at 11:15 p.m. or you can watch it on demand anytime at GPB.org. 

Enjoy your September 6, 2024, Football Friday in Georgia!