The last time GPB paid a visit to Cartersville for another “Football Friday in Georgia,” the Purple Hurricanes lost to eventual state champion Buford 27-3 in the GHSA AAAA State Semi-Finals. That was December 5, 2014. The ‘Canes haven’t lost a game since.

Cartersville is on a 20-game winning streak heading into our GPB Game of the Week Friday night vs Central Carrollton at Weinman Stadium. That winning streak includes a 10-0 win over the aforementioned Buford Wolves in the 2015 GHSA AAAA Final on GPB last December. The winning streak shows no signs of ending any time soon. The Purple Hurricanes have outscored their first five opponents this season 199-27.

The ‘Canes 5-0 start here in 2016 includes dominating wins over defending AAAAA State Champion Allatoona, 2015 AAA Semi-Finalist and perennial state power Calhoun and 2015 AAAAAA Quarter-Finalist Westlake. Those first three opponents were a combined 37-5 last season and Cartersville won by a total margin of 103 points. Most impressive was the Purple Hurricanes 56-0 win at Calhoun in the second game of the season snapping (obliterating) the Yellow Jackets 66-game home winning streak.

There has been debate among those who follow Georgia high school football that Cartersville might be the best program in the state regardless of classification. I don’t know about that, but I do know, that no team has been more dominant in AAAA over the last year-and-a-half. The debate about being the state’s best overall program is a debate without a solid answer. Only speculation. But another thing we know is that Coach Joey King’s team is set-up to dominate for at least another season and maybe longer.

King is 32-2 since taking over the program in 2014. Cartersville has always been really good and at times great. But King’s immediate success earns him recognition as one of the top young coaches in the state with the likes of John Ford at Roswell and Bryan Lamar at Tucker.

Make no mistake. It helps when your team is led on the field by the number-one rated junior pocket-passing quarterback in the nation Trevor Lawrence. He’s been the country’s number-one quarterback in the Class of 2018 for the last three seasons. And he’s got another season to go. At 6-5, 197-pounds, Lawrence is averaging just under 283 passing yards per game with 13 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. Lawrence has offers from pretty much everyone but Georgia and Clemson are reportedly his front-runners.

Behind him is freshman Tee Webb who is waiting his turn. As a seventh grader at Carrollton Junior High School he was offered by the Louisville Cardinals…when he was 13 years old! And he’s still two seasons away from being the starter at Cartersville. Unless of course Lawrence goes pro early (haha that’s a joke…the world hasn’t come to that yet.)

The ‘Canes offensive line has only one senior (starting center Dalen Curtis) and he’s the only senior in the two-deep depth chart on the OL. As you can see, it could be a while before anybody knocks Cartersville from the top of AAAA.

Among the other playmakers to watch on Friday night: ‘Canes TE/OLB Avery Showell. He’s an ESPN 3-star safety who committed to Wake Forest in July. He leads Cartersville with four touchdown catches and four quarterback sacks. Also keep an eye on RB/CB Trey Creamer. He’s scored six rushing touchdowns but is being recruited as a cornerback and reportedly has 24 offers including West Virginia, Maryland and Minnesota.

Yep. Pretty much every college football program in America knows about the Cartersville Purple Hurricanes. You get to watch them Friday night on GPB!