GAC 4R

The GAC players are pleased to be back in the fourth round ... and show it.

Credit: Sam Crenshaw

I have had a chance to spend some time around the football team from the Greater Atlanta Christian School this past week. Last Friday night, I saw the Spartans defense defuse a speedy Appling County team to move on to the semifinal round of the GHSA playoffs. It was GAC's seventh quarterfinal win in the nine years that Tim Hardy has been the head coach.

"Any quarterfinal win is a good win," says Hardy. "We really played well. We’ve just played great defense all year. It’s team defense. It’s guys who do their job and do it with great energy and passion. Our focus has been on doing what we do really well. Our coaching staff has done a great job helping the guys to be successful. We defended them (Appling County) very well and did enough on offense, so it was a great night for the Spartans."

This week I stopped by practice and found the players flashing four fingers every chance they got.  It was their way of reminding each other that they had reached the fourth round of the state playoffs. The semifinals are two weeks later than usual this year, but who's complaining? Especially when you consider the fact that the season came close to ending before it began. It didn't take Hardy very long to adopt a favorite word.

GAC Hardy

GAC coach Tim Hardy speaks to the team at the end of practice as they prepare for a game with Oconee County.

Credit: Sam Crenshaw

"I have used the word gratitude more than I ever have in a football season," says Hardy. "We are thankful to play. We stood here and played in the Corky Kell the first game and that was awesome. We had a home game again the next week and I felt like if the season ended now, we would have played on TV and had Senior Night on September 11th, man this has been a great year. We are thankful for every opportunity we have had. Our guys have been diligent in doing what they need to do from a COVID standpoint. We are enjoying every moment."

For GAC, those enjoyable moments started before the season began. The Corky Kell Kickoff Classic was having problems. COVID-19 was impacting the availability of teams and locations for the annual Georgia high school football showcase. It was to be the first time that an out-of-state opponent was scheduled to play in the event. When Hoover, Ala., dropped out, the phone rang in Norcross, and the Spartans answered.

"(Corky Kell director) Dave Hunter had some really good-looking girls he wanted to take to the dance," jokes Hardy.  "All of them pulled out. We were leftover, we had a dress and we were available. We had an out-of-state game, in Tennessee, that got cancelled. (Corky Kell organizers) were familiar with our site, so we got to host Denmark. We definitely backed into it. Let's just say we put the lipstick on, tried to look good for the dance and I think we did OK."

Looking back, the 20-0 win over Denmark was big for the Spartans. Hardy's team got a win over a playoff-bound Class 7A opponent, and it was televised. That kicked off a 5-0 start to the season before a much-anticipated showdown with defending state champion and Region 5-3A rival Cedar Grove. It didn't go well for GAC as the Saints rolled to a 33-6 victory. Cedar Grove was later found to have used an ineligible player and the win was awarded to the Spartans. Still Hardy felt that the setback on the field was a reality check for his team.

"We knew we were playing a great team with a lot of talent," recalls Hardy. "We just said, let’s get back to it. Here is a measuring stick at this moment, now let’s go get better. It’s just reality. I thought our guys rallied pretty well. We got on a roll after that. Any time you get pushed and challenged, you find out more about yourself. So that was good for us."

The Spartans have been on a roll since the Cedar Grove game. Maturity is playing a big role with the team that has 21 seniors. None of the seniors are highly recruited players bound for schools in Power 5 conferences. Still there is a level of toughness and commitment that makes this team unique in comparison to other teams that Hardy has coached at GAC.

"We have a lot of really good football players," says Hardy. "Sometime you will have a few great ones, but this is just a really good group of players. It really matters to them. They are all pulling in the same direction and they are all in. Guys have been very consistent, no matter the opponent. It’s been fun. They really enjoy being around each other. The team component really shows up on Friday night."

Fleming GAc

Deymon Fleming is the GAC quarterback and class president

Credit: Sam Crenshaw

Quarterback Deymon Fleming is one of those 21 seniors. Fleming has thrown for more than 1,700 yards and 21 touchdowns, while rushing for more than 400 yards and six touchdowns. Fleming is team captain and makes the offense go, but Tim Hardy will tell you that's just the beginning of his quarterback's leadership qualities.

"Deymon is an outstanding young man," says Hardy. "He’s basically the President of our student body, and at our place that is a really big deal. He is a young man with a lot of natural leadership qualities and is incredibly well-respected as a student on our campus and by his teammates. It's just who he is.  He has worked really hard and handles the mental part of the game. He gets guys lined up to make sure we are doing what we are supposed to do. We are dependent on him for sure."

In last week's win over Appling County, Fleming scores and a rather large figure wearing No. 72 made his way over to give his quarterback a lift to celebrate.  Offensive tackle Addison Nichols is not hard to spot. The 6-foot-5, 309-pound junior is exceptional at what he does and has attracted 30 scholarship offers. Alabama, Georgia, Clemson and Georgia Tech are on that list, but Ohio State and Tennessee look to be the leading candidates to land this 2021 recruit. Hardy likes Nichols ability as a player, but is also a fan of his character.

Nichols GAC

Addison Nichols is a 300-pound lineman with 30 college offers and an Eagle Scout.

Credit: Sam Crenshaw

"Addison became an Eagle Scout a few weeks ago," says Hardy. "He is a hard worker. He works at Kroger on Saturdays. He is a good student and on the field he has a lot of natural ability. Addison has really worked hard to become a student of the game."

This week the No. 6-ranked Spartans will host unbeaten and No. 1 Occonee County in the Class 3A semifinal. The Warriors are coming off an impressive 31-13 victory over Peach County last week.

"They are outstanding in a lot of ways," says Hardy. "Their defense has only been allowing about eight points per game and they are really well-coached. Our guys will have to execute … just be the best version of us and compete with the toughness and energy that we have all season. That would give us the best opportunity to be successful. We feel like we are battle tested, but what matters is what happens on Friday night from 7:30 to 10:15. We are looking forward to that opportunity."

This week Football Fridays in Georgia features a "Clash of the Titans" as Valdosta visits Buford. It all get started at 7:30 p.m. on the Great GPB!