High School Football Preview

Score Atlanta, founded in 2004 as a weekly sports paper, now produces television and digital broadcasts for partners such as the Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta United, Georgia High School Association, National Guard, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Score has the most-used app for state high school scores and operates events such as the Corky Kell Classic, the Great Atlanta Bash, the Drive for the GHSA State Title, and the Georgia Elite Classic. Score also started the  inaugural Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame, which will have its first induction ceremony on Oct. 22. In partnership with Reporter Newspapers, these team previews were authored by Shane Bernstein, Hank Joseph, and Tzali Nislick, with Managing Editor Craig Sager II and General Manager Graham David. Read about the The Corky Kell Classic here.

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Chamblee High School | Cross Keys High School | Dunwoody High School | Greater Atlanta Christian School | Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School | Marist School | Mount Vernon School | North Atlanta High School | North Springs High School | Pace Academy | Riverwood International Charter School | St. Pius X Catholic High School | The Lovett School | Wesleyan School | Westminster Schools | Woodward Academy

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Chamblee High School

In his first season as head coach with Chamblee, Bob Swank delivered the Bulldogs (9-1) their most wins in a season since 2007. They now have back-to-back winning seasons under their belt for the first time since 2012 and 2013. It was also Swank’s first career winning season in his eight years as a head coach.

Now entering his ninth year and second with Chamblee, he looks to build off a dominant 2021 season. The Bulldogs’ average margin of victory was 38.2 points, and they did that by scoring 40 or more points in eight of their 10 games, while holding opponents to single digits in six games. Their most impressive win was a 84-7 beatdown against Druid Hills.

Chamblee returns senior quarterback Fabian Walker, who lit up opposing defenses last season. He completed 65.1% percent of his passes for 2,275 passing yards, 35 passing touchdowns and just five interceptions. He and senior wide receiver Jordan Thornton, who caught 51 passes for 761 receiving yards and 11 receiving touchdowns last season, look to continue their status as a lethal dynamic duo.

Despite losing their two leaders in rushing touchdowns in 2021, Chamblee returns Larry Harris, who averaged 7.6 yards per carry last season. Carlos Chavez led all returning defensive players last year in total tackles (79), tackles for loss (18.0) and sacks (4.5). Mason Carrington was also disruptive, recording seven tackles for loss, three sacks and 37 tackles. 

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Cross Keys High School

Coming off a tough 2021 season, there is nowhere to go but up for the Cross Keys Indians in 2022 with a lot of potential to improve.

A huge bright spot on the defensive side of the ball is the return of junior Chris Bass Jr. As a sophomore last season, Bass Jr. had 29 total tackles and 14.5 tackles for loss in only five games played. He also recorded two sacks, totaling 14 yards lost and proved to be a true playmaker on either side of the ball.

Junior defensive back Tommy Huynh is also expected to be one of the team’s key pieces, as he shined as a sophomore in 2021. He registered 13 total tackles and one pass deflection last season.

Other returning players on defense who are expected to be difference makers include David Quintero, Jason Joiner and Luis Hernandez. They combined for 5.5 tackles for loss and 36 tackles between the three of them. Hernandez is a versatile athlete who also punted at times last season. He totaled 183 yards in six punts, with his longest punt being 44 yards. Hernandez also averaged a team-best 12.4 yards per carry in 2021.

Jonathan Rodriguez was a solid runner last year, rushing for 137 yards at 4.2 yards per carry to go along with a touchdown. Quarterback Thomas Eason was also effective with his legs in 2021, rushing for 163 yards at 5.1 yards per carry. With so many returning players, things are looking up for Cross Keys.

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Dunwoody High School

After running a heavy triple option scheme last season, expect Dunwoody head coach Michael Nash to reimplement his traditional spread offense in 2022. Nash, who is entering his eighth season at the helm of the Dunwoody program, said that the Wildcats were required to run a conservative offensive system due to being thin on defense, while also playing against elite 7A programs that forced the Wildcats to play ball-control offense.

But now in a new classification (Class 6A), Dunwoody will be able to be more competitive week in and week out against its new competition. Nash also hired a new coaching staff, including new offensive and defensive coordinators.

With quarterback Porter LeDoyen leading the offense as a senior, Nash expects the Wildcats to be much more improved on both sides of the ball. He’ll have returning senior wide receivers Jack Pankey and Jordan Wade for LeDoyen to throw to and the new spread scheme is designed to allow these athletes to shine.

Nash said to expect junior Owen Painter to make the move from backup quarterback into a utility role. He has reportedly played snaps at wide receiver, tight end and running back this offseason, and Nash is pleased with how his summer has gone so far.

Defensively, Dunwoody will be led by returning junior defensive ends Luke Phillips and Luke Cole. These significant changes could result in coach Nash earning his first winning season at Dunwoody and a possible appearance in the Class 6A playoffs.

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Greater Atlanta Christian School

It was a bit of a down season for Greater Atlanta Christian in 2021. Coming off seven consecutive region championships and winning 12 games per season on average in that span, the Spartans went 4-7 last season. They scored the fewest points and allowed the most points in head coach Tim Hardy’s tenure. But with a rich tradition and great head coach in Hardy, they are poised to turn things around and return to their winning ways in 2022.

Mekhi Blocker appears to be the starting quarterback as he enters his senior season having completed 63.3% of his passes last year. He also showed his willingness to use his legs last season, accumulating 94 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown. Joining him in the backfield will be junior running back GL Tiberia. Despite being fifth in carries for Greater Atlanta Christian last season, he was second on the team in rushing yards and averaged 7.3 yards per carry, flashing his game-breaking potential.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Spartans will be led in the front seven by Bryce Izundu and Gold Chyrack Jr., who combined for 12 tackles for loss and 75 total tackles last season. Izundu also added two sacks in 2021.

Despite a disappointing season, Greater Atlanta Christian still maintained a 4-3 region record. Their 2021 results were the product of the outstanding non-region and region opponents and Hardy and the Spartans will have a new slate this year as they look to return to prominence.

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Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School

Holy Innocents’ head coach Todd Winter has completely rejuvenated the football program. After failing to win the region since 2009, the Golden Bears won their first region championship in 10 years when they took it home in 2019. They won again in 2021 and now will go for their third region title in four years.

They will be helped by returning a lot of their key offensive players, who averaged over 37 points per game last season, the most in program history. They did it with a dominant ground attack, led by rising senior Drew Bomar, who ran for 738 yards and nine touchdowns at a 10.0 yards per carry clip. They had six other players rush for at least 200 yards, combining for 2,286 rushing yards and seven touchdowns at 5.1 yards per carry.

The Golden Bears could air it out last season too, headlined by wide receiver Zach Jackson, who averaged 26.8 yards per reception in 2021. He and quarterback William Wright established a special connection, hooking up for eight of Wright’s 12 touchdown passes last year. The defense was lethal too, totaling seven defensive scores and holding opponents to single digits in nine of 13 games. Jackson flashed his playmaking ability, coming away with seven interceptions, while Jacobi Murray wreaked havoc in the front seven with six sacks and 14 tackles for loss.

All these players are back for 2022 as Winter hopes to lead Holy Innocents to back-to-back region titles.

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Marist School

Legendary Marist head coach Alan Chadwick returns for his 38th year at the helm of the War Eagles in the 2022 season. After losing a tightly contested game to Benedictine in the state quarterfinals and falling short of repeating as state champions, they look to rebound this year.

Marist graduated their top two quarterbacks and top four leading rushers from last season and will be much younger with less experience. But that hasn’t stopped Chadwick from being successful in the past, and he could lean on DJ Mazzone as the new signal caller to go along with Eli Clarkson in the backfield. They also graduated their two leading pass catchers so this will be a very young group on offense.

Colin Hare returns as the anchor of the defense. Defensive lineman Spencer Camastro returns for his senior season after using his imposing 6-3, 275-pound frame to record 32 tackles, seven tackles for loss, two sacks and six quarterback hurries last season. Walker Richens is also a playmaker on both sides of the ball and he scored rushing and receiving touchdowns, forced a fumble and came away with two interceptions in 2021.

It will be a much different look for the War Eagles with their youth and climb from Class 4A to Class 6A this upcoming season, but coach Chadwick has the track record for Marist to maintain its status as one of the best programs in the state.

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Mount Vernon School

Mount Vernon finished their 2021 season with a 7-5 record and an even 2-2 record in region play. Returning for his eighth season with the Mustangs, head coach Wayne Dabbs’ team will stay in Class A and move to Region-6A Division 1. Mount Vernon averaged 19.3 points per game a season ago, with two players awarded with All-State honorable mentions.

Last year’s seniors, quarterback Luke Barnes and All-State linebacker Austin Taylor’s impact on the field will be missed as Mount Vernon will need returning players to step up their game. As the starting quarterback, Barnes threw for 1,928 yards and 20 touchdowns. Barnes’ best performance came against Providence Christian Academy where he put up 317 yards and six touchdowns in a dominating 48-6 win.

With only eleven attempts last season and the only other quarterback to get under center, Sam Nazarian will likely take the keys from Barnes after two straight winning seasons. Rising junior and All-State honorable mention Jonathan Gallinaro led the team in all major receiving categories with 46 receptions for 943 yards and ten touchdowns as just a sophomore.

With a relatively young team, Mount Vernon will face off against Wesleyan as they look for a win in the season opener for the first time since 2017. Dabbs has been the poster boy for consistency as his teams have won between four and eight games each year he has been at the helm. The Mustangs will look to make the playoffs for the seventh straight time.

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North Atlanta High School

Head Coach Jamie Aull returns for his third season at the helm of the Warriors program after improving by two wins (6-4) from his debut campaign. He took over the program after former coach Sean O’Sullivan moved on to Centennial prior to the 2020 season.

North Atlanta has seen a large shake-up in their region this year as have many other teams across the state. Of the five teams in Region 4-6A last season, only North Atlanta remains, as five new teams have joined the fold and the previous other four are gone.

North Atlanta impressed early in the 2021 season and got off to a 4-0 start for the first time in program history. Region play was not nearly as kind as they dropped the first three games by a combined 134 points.

The Warriors return most of their production on the offensive side of the ball yet must focus on progressing defensively after allowing 31.0 points per game over the last six games. Quarterback Lorenza Lennon returns for his senior season as the leading passer and rusher on the Warriors team. The two leading tacklers for North Atlanta also return as they look to bolster a stronger group on that side of the ball, and hopefully push the Warriors through to the playoffs for the first time since 2019.

Fortunately for North Atlanta, there are two teams they play this season that they also played in 2021. That was Wheeler, who they triumphed over, 10-7, and Dunwoody, who they handled 42-16.

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North Springs High School

North Springs looks to build on a one-win season a year ago in head coach Jeff Phillips’ second season on campus. Prior to taking the position with the Spartans, Phillips coached for nine years in Tennessee and recorded a 61-38 record. While his first season at North Springs was difficult, it was a vast improvement from a year prior, when the Spartans went 0-8 and only scored 60 points all season.

The Spartan defense will have to make up for a huge loss as their leading tackler, Fred White, graduated this past spring.

On the bright side, North Springs does have a large contingent of production returning, including dual threat starting quarterback Anthony Young. Young led the team in passing and rushing yards, accounting for 1,220 total yards in 2021.

Phillips has shown an ability to turn a program around after his last stop at Austin-East High School saw them go from 1-9 in his first season to a run to the semifinals in the Class 2A playoffs in just three years. For a team that hasn’t reached the playoffs since 2017 in former coach Scotty Parker’s first season, Phillips would love to get them there this year. The Spartans defense only allowed 123.5 passing yards per game a season ago and as aforementioned they bring back plenty of production. The offense needs to operate more efficiently after rushing for only 87.3 yards per game and should be able to do so after a full offseason under Phillips.

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Pace Academy

The Pace Academy Knights are coming off a solid 6-5 season which saw them advance to the Class 2A playoffs, but lose in the first round for the sixth-consecutive season. Gone is former head coach Chris Slade, who coached at Pace for nine seasons and led the school to its first and only football state championship in 2015. Slade leaves a winning culture at Pace after nine seasons of .500 ball or better.

New head coach Nick Bach coached at Mountain View until 2017, then he spent four seasons at the Gilman School in Baltimore. He inherits a Pace program with experience and nearly the entire offensive production returns, especially in the passing game.

Now in Class 4A for the first time in the school’s history, Pace will only play two familiar faces from the previous season in 2022. The Knights will get a chance to exact revenge on Westminster after a 10-point loss a season ago, and another opportunity to assert their dominance over the Lovett Lions at home this season.

The player with the most buzz entering this season for Pace is Hevin Brown-Shuler. Shuler already earned his fifth star entering his senior season and hosts offers from all the major programs in the country. The No. 46 overall rated player in the country, according to 247Sports, is the No.5 defensive lineman in his respective class. At 6-foot-4, 290 pounds he can dominate offensive lines almost single-handedly, and the Knights will need him at his best in his senior season.

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Riverwood International Charter School

Riverwood International Charter School experienced a significant amount of turnover this offseason throughout the football program. Gone is former head coach Robert Edwards, who went 32-11 in four seasons at the helm.

Michael Young was promoted from his defensive coordinator role and enters his first season as a head coach in the state of Georgia. He takes over a team that went 9-2 last season and lost in the first round of the playoffs to Douglas County, 24-17. Young was a standout defensive back and an All-Conference award winner at Division III Emory & Henry College. Prior to Riverwood, Young was an assistant at other schools in Georgia, including Collins Hill (where he played in high school), Carrollton and Milton. In 2021, Young oversaw a Raider defense that held opponents to 16 points per game.

Riverwood lost a lot of production from that nine-win season. Jaden Harris, a three-star cornerback, graduated and is now in Miami playing for the Hurricanes. The biggest loss was quarterback Avery Smith, who signed to play at Toledo. Smith led the Knights last season with 3,289 passing yards, 35 passing touchdowns and a team-high 818 rushing yards and seven rushing scores. Riverwood’s leading running back and wide receiver also graduated after leading the Raiders to the 2021 Region 7-6A Championship.

Tight end Levi Linowes returns from a 36-catch, 730-yard campaign in 11 games played last season. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound Linowes earned All-Region recognition and recently picked up offers from Brown, Air Force and Army.

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St. Pius X Catholic High School

Chad Garrison returns for his second season as the St. Pius X head coach after a 9-3 campaign ended with a heartbreaking one-score loss to Creekside in the second round of the Class 5A playoffs, 41-34.

Garrison, who’s been with the team for the last 23 years, spent his prior seasons as the offensive line coach. He took over a team that was coached for 20 years by a standard setter, Paul Standard. As the head man, Standard set the records for most wins in school history, and Lions fans can be assured Garrison will continue the winning tradition.

The Golden Lions lost senior quarterback Alex Possert, who also posed as their leading rusher for a team that operates a triple option scheme. The Lions moved up a classification and find themselves now in Region 4-6A with local Atlanta rival Marist. The only scheduled game that carries over from Garrison’s first season is rival Blessed Trinity in the Crossroads Classic. The Lions beat them and eight other teams en route to a 9-1 regular season and their second-consecutive Region 5-5A championship. They were perfect in region play, averaging 42.3 points per game, including two shutouts.

Without Possert, the Lions will need other members to step up, more specifically a strong rusher with good decision making to run the classic offensive scheme. The most notable returnee for St. Pius X is three-star cornerback/athlete Jack Tchienchou. He is a rising senior and fields offers from a flurry of power-five programs.

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The Lovett School

Mike Muschamp returns for his 18^th season as the head coach of the Lovett Lions after an 8-4 season, which ended with the Class 2A Coach of the Year award from the Atlanta Area Football Officials Association. Muschamp returns a host of players from a season ago, but lost a considerable number of All-Region players and a couple of honorable mentions.

Returning for the Lions is junior quarterback Preston Lusink, kicker Conner Deviney, and defensive lineman Christian Bell. Lusink fell just short of 100 completions last season, throwing for over 1,100 yards and 12 touchdowns along with 180 rushing yards and five touchdowns. Leading rusher Henry Stimmel and both leading receivers graduated, so Lovett will have a large amount of production to replace this season.

The Lions will have to roar a bit louder as they are now in Class 4A, jumping two classifications. While the competition is sure to stiffen, Lovett will have a good chance to make a run into the playoffs this season. Muschamp has not missed the playoffs once in his career at Lovett, which includes a 2013 Class 2A state championship victory. Lovett was able to score 29.5 points per game and will need to maintain that success with a new core of playmakers. Lovett hasn’t advanced past the second round of the playoffs since the 2014 season, so the question remains. Can the Lions make another deep playoff run this season and make a run at the Class 2A crown?

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Wesleyan School

Franklin Pridgen, head coach of the Wesleyan Wolves since 2006, returns for his 17^th season with the program. Wesleyan went 8-4 last season and reached the second round of the Class A-Private playoffs, losing to Calvary Day in a disappointing 35-0 outing.

Wesleyan now finds itself in Region 7-3A. The Wolves must replace senior quarterback Jett Miller, who threw for over 2,000 passing yards and 19 touchdowns. Fortunately, Wesleyan returns leading rusher Will Tucker and First-Team All-Region wide receiver Jamie Tremble. Tucker racked up a team-high seven touchdowns and 526 yards in just nine games and Tremble stepped up as a sophomore and led with five touchdowns receptions and 620 yards off 44 catches.

Leading tackler and linebacker Trent Debow heads into his senior season and will bolster a defense that held teams to 11.8 points per game in the regular season. The offense will need to produce more after getting shut-out twice in the last four games in 2021 and the big question is who will step up at quarterback this season.

Wesleyan has reached the playoffs every year since 2014 and has one state championship under Pridgen in his third season (2008). In 2019, Wesleyan reached the state championship, but fell to Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy. The Wolves reached the semifinals in 2020, but came up short to Brock Vandagriff’s Prince Avenue Christian. In a new classification, Wesleyan will have to adapt to its competition to keep its playoff streak alive. 

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Westminster Schools

Westminster looks to improve on a season in which the Wildcats finished 5-5 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2006. State finalists Cedar Grove and Carver-Atlanta and powerhouses Sandy Creek and Greater Atlanta Christian bumped the Wildcats out of the playoff picture and formed the toughest region in Class 3A.  

Head coach Gerry Romberg returns for his 30^th season after picking up his 220^th win and climbing to sixth all-time in state history for most career wins by a head coach.

The Wildcats lost two key pieces from their team a season ago. This includes First-Team All-Region 5-3A tight end Holden Staes, who is off to South Bend, Indiana to join Notre Dame and First-Team All-Region free safety Denton Shamburger, who accepted a preferred walk-on spot with the University of Georgia.

Westminster is sure to reload its roster and brings in a familiar name in Jerome Bettis Jr. at wide receiver. Bettis, who is already 6-foot-2, 185 pounds, is entering his sophomore season and has earned a fair amount of hype for his recent 7v7 performances. For a team that scored 23.1 points per game and allowed 23.5 points per game, they will need help on both sides of the ball and Bettis offers that.

The special teams also took a hit as the Wildcat’s Max-Preps All-American punter Alex Bacchetta moved on to Penn State for the Fall. Westminster routinely produces highly sought-after kicking talent and Josh Brockman returns as the place kicker.

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Woodward Academy

Coming off an 11-1 record with the War Eagles, head coach John Hunt is entering his 12^th season with Woodward Academy after earning his sixth region championship with the program.

After two years in Region 3-5A, Woodward will move to Region 3-6A for the 2022 season. They finished last year with a second round exit in the playoffs after a loss to Blessed Trinity, 28-13. With a total of 51 touchdowns on the season, they averaged 32 points per game.

Woodward had three All-State players, two of which graduated and will take their talents to the SEC this upcoming season. The War Eagles former running back Damari Alston committed to Auburn University and cornerback Christian Harrison will head to the University of Tennessee. Alston ran for 1,639 yards and 27 touchdowns while Harrison stacked the stat sheet with 20 tackles and three interceptions.

However, Hunt will have the pleasure of coaching returning seniors A.J. Hoffler and Jalen Woods. Hoffler was named All-State as a defensive end in 2021 and recorded 47 tackles and a team-best nine sacks. He also recorded one of the three blocked field goals during the season against Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy in the first game.

Woodward should also expect to see a lot from quarterback Woods who threw for 1,294 yards, 13 touchdowns, and only one interception last season. Woodward will look to repeat yet another successful year as they open up their season against defending Class A-Private champions Trinity Christian (Sharpsburg).

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The Corky Kell Classic

The Corky Kell Classic, entering its 31st year in operation, is an annual series of high school football games played in Georgia at the beginning of each Georgia High School Association football season that features many of the state’s top teams and has kicked off every season since 1992. Named after former Wheeler head football coach Corky Kell, the classic has grown into the largest high school football event in the nation. This year’s four-day, 11-game lineup will be broadcasted live on CBS46 affiliate Peachtree TV and will be played Aug. 17-20 at Johns Creek, West Forsyth, Rome’s Barron Stadium and Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

2022 Corky Kell Classic Schedule

Wednesday, Aug. 17 at Johns Creek
5:30 p.m.- Kell vs. Cherokee Bluff
8:30 p.m.- Johns Creek vs. Parkview

Thursday, Aug. 18 at West Forsyth
5:30 p.m.- North Atlanta vs. North Forsyth
8:30 p.m.- West Forsyth vs. Archer

Friday, Aug. 19 at Rome
2:30 p.m.- Mt. Pisgah vs. Fellowship Christian
5:30 p.m.- Cass vs. Kennesaw Mountain
8:30 p.m.- Rome vs. Creekside

Saturday, Aug. 20 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium
10 a.m.- McEachern vs. North Gwinnett
1 p.m.- Brookwood vs. Norcross
4 p.m.- Walton vs. Mill Creek
7 p.m.- Marietta vs. Grayson