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ARE YOU READY FOR SOME HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL???
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Boy am I ready for football. I love college football... spend my Sundays watching the NFL. But for me, there is nothing better than going under those Friday Night Lights and watching high school football.
The argument can be made that it’s the purest form of sport around- kids playing because they love it and playing for their school, family, and friends.
2017 is going to be another great season for Georgia high school football with all kinds of terrific story lines. How about these to kick things off: Can Cartersville and Eagles Landing Christian Academy win another state title to give them back-to-back-to-back championship trophies and a completion of the magical Three-Peat?
There were 105 coaching changes this year, an all-time high. It would be like writing "War and Peace" to chronicle all, but a few stand out.
Jess Simpson who was part of 10 state titles at Buford left to go to Georgia State before being re-routed to the Atlanta Falcons. John Ford who did such an outstanding job at Roswell High now takes over the Wolves program. Jeff Herron who won 5 state titles including the first ever 7A state title last year as coach at Grayson has taken his coaching whistle and game plans across state lines to a school in South Carolina. Bob Sphire left North Gwinnett to take over at Camden County while Mark Fleetwood left Peachtree Ridge for a school in Alabama. Chip Walker has left Sandy Creek and is now head coach at Newnan. Rance Gillespie is back in business at Hart County. Von Lassiter leaves Houston County to go home to Bleckley County and Jason Strickland left Fitzgerald to take over at Pierce County. Those just scratch the surface. We'll be keeping our eyes on them all.
There are going to be a lot of great players to watch, too. It might start in Cartersville where quarterback Trevor Lawrence will try to lead the Purple Hurricanes to a third straight state title. All he did last year was throw for over 3,900 yards with 51 touchdowns and just 9 interceptions while leading his team to a 15-0 record. Trevor is ranked by some as the top drop back passer in the country AND the number one prospect at any position in the country. BUT HOLD THE PHONE! Justin Fields, the Harrison Hoyas quarterback, is ranked as the number 1 dual-threat quarterback in the country and by some services as the number one player at any position in the country. I can’t wait to see these guys in action.
But there are a lot of great players at every position in the state of Georgia. When the college recruiters go out to sign high school players it's usually ranked this way... California, Texas, Florida, and Georgia. But, if you tie those numbers to the population in each state, Georgia would rank number one in a category of per capita signees.
We can all look forward to a great pigskin palooza of high school action all season long. Be sure to follow @GPBSports on your favorite social media platforms for all of the action.
Am I ready for some football??? You betcha.