The Friday Game Night staff huddled up to find five things they're looking for as the 2024 season approaches. Of course, more questions will pop up as the season progresses, but for now, here are the five things that intrigue us as we head toward the opening kickoff.
HOW WILL THE NEW-LOOK GAINESVILLE OFFENSE FARE IN 2024?
The Red Elephants underwent some massive changes since the end of the 2023 campaign. Gone is 6,400 yards of production. There will be a new quarterback, a new featured running back, three new receivers, and a pair of tight ends that Josh Niblett and staff will have to rely on. And it will be crucial that all the new pieces fit together as quickly as possible to get ready for a brutal Region 7-5A schedule.
An offense that Niblett says is more about “calling players than calling plays” has new, unproven names everywhere except along the offensive line. Few have been featured at the varsity level. Their spread attack asks a lot of the quarterback, and there will be plenty of pressure on sophomore Kharim Hughley, who has had most of the summer and fall practices to get ready. He has a solid arm and can run, but with a new running back in senior Carmelo Byrd, who has not played the position in high school, and a slew of new receivers and tight ends, getting that timing down in the first half of the season will be imperative. Junior Phillip Williams and seniors Jeremiah Ware (Flowery Branch), Shane King (6-4, 210; Texas), and Taz Smith (Johns Creek) will give Hughley plenty of options at receiver. But newcomers in juniors Landon Williamson and Blaine Trocheck will need to have an impact for the offense at tight end.
The defense will be beastly, and should keep Big Red in every game, and could take some pressure off the offense to find its strengths. If Hughley and Company can find rhythm early, they could be explosive. We’ll definitely be watching.
CAN THE BUBBLE TEAMS BREAKTHROUGH?
A few teams have found themselves on the outside looking in lately, most notably East Jackson, Jackson County and Flowery Branch. While Flowery Branch figures to have to rebuild more than the other two, the big question is whether any or all of these teams can find a way into the playoffs. East Jackson has a high-octane offense with so much returning from a team that started the season winning its first six games, and Jackson County was just one win away a year ago. If any or all breakthroughs, it will make the Northeast Georgia area even more of a threat to make a run toward state championships.
NEW REGIONS, PLAYOFF RANKINGS SYSTEM, WHO MAKES THE PLAYOFFS
With the GHSA reclassification for the next two seasons and dropping from seven classes to just six, teams all over the state find themselves in new classifications and regions. And that’s no different for many of our 26 area teams in the AccessWDUN coverage area.
Gainesville remained in the second-highest classification, now 5A, but landed in the same region with defending Class 7A champion Milton and Roswell, which has won 33 games the past three seasons. Big Red should make the playoffs but winning a third straight region title will be a supreme challenge.
Perhaps the most intriguing new change for area teams is in Region 8-5A, where Jackson County and Habersham Central find themselves. None of the seven teams posted a winning record in 2023. Only the Raiders and Loganville made the playoffs. But the Panthers, under second-year coach Korey Mobbs, had more than 100 suit up for the summer and fall and brought back a slew of experience and talent. The Raiders also have experience back at key positions. Look for both teams to make the playoffs in a wide-open region. It’s also not out of the realm of possibility that those two teams, who meet on the final night of the season, could play for a region title.
Cherokee Bluff, East Hall, and West Hall in 8-3A all have a playoff opportunity. None of that trio made the playoffs last season, and the Vikings and Spartans have not played in the postseason since 2017. But with Class 3A using the new Playoff Rankings System (PRS) for the postseason, strength of schedule will play a huge factor. The other three teams in the region -- Jefferson, Oconee County and Monroe Area -- will help with that. At least one of those teams should make the postseason, but it will come down to who can beat whom in the head-to-head matchups. Those three showdowns could make for some compelling Friday nights in Hall County, with a lot riding on all three.
East Jackson in Region 8-2A is another. Class 2A is also using the new Playoff Rankings System (PRS) for the postseason, so the strength of schedule will play a huge factor here as well. The Eagles finished 6-4 in 2023 but did not make it out of a brutal 8-2A that featured three private schools and Union County. The region is loaded again. The Eagles will need to find an upset, or two, within the region to have their first playoff game since 2009.
WEST HALL AND EAST HALL DARKHORSES?
With all the changes to the playoff system during the offseason, could East Hall and West Hall take an at-large bid to the Class 3A playoffs, or will they simply take one of the top four spots in Region 8-3A? It's a question that needs to be asked, especially when you look down at both rosters and realize how many key players return to both squads. However, the two Hall County schools haven't made the playoffs since 2017 and haven't boasted a record of .500 or better since then. The new Region 8-3A houses three perennial playoff contenders, Jefferson, Oconee County and Monroe Area, and all three, including Cherokee Bluff, have been predicted to make the playoffs this season. If what's on paper consistently translates to the field this season, the Vikings and Spartans could have a say in one of those spots. As for the playoff rankings system, whoever is the odd man out in the region come November could get one of the four at-large bids to the playoffs. Regardless, we believe West Hall and East Hall could break the playoff drought in 2024.
FRIDAY GAME NIGHT IS ALMOST HERE. HOW EXCITED WE ARE FOR ANOTHER SEASON
WALKER MCCRARY -- As a guy who has grown up knowing high school football in our area, this season has the opportunity to be one of the more exciting seasons for our area that I can remember. I can honestly see up to 17 local teams making the playoffs, and over half of those winning at least one game in the playoffs. In addition, the new playoff system will make a lot of first-time matchups, which makes this season so exciting.
BO WILSON -- I always get the question: what are you expecting this season? That's a loaded question. There are a lot of storylines building this season. I'm interested in how the Gainesville offense rebuilds and what type of production we see on the field. So far, in the scrimmage, it looked pretty good. Commerce returns over 3,000 yards of offense, and the rumor is that they are adding a solid passing game. Oh boy, watch out! Can Buford break the state title drought in the new Class 6A? North Hall may be playing with a two-quarterback system, so why not when you have two solid quarterbacks that can run the offense? I'm also curious to see which team or teams have a breakout season. Who will be the dark horse teams? And you can't forget about the all-new playoff rankings system for Class A D1 to Class 3A. We'll have some drama with those rankings. Whatever unfolds week-to-week, I believe this season might be one of the most interesting in a long time.
JEFF HART -- I’m very excited. This has the makings for a classic season, especially with the drop in classifications, which has bunched the power programs around the state. Region 7-5A with Gainesville is a prime example. The Red Elephants are now in with defending 7A state champions Milton and Roswell. How about the new 6-3A, which is mainly the old 7-3A? It will be ultra-competitive, with Lumpkin County, White County, and North Hall all having a chance to win a region title. Class A D1 is another where you now have Commerce, Rabun County, Elbert County, and Athens Academy in the same region. Wow. Those are going to be fun to watch every week.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2024/8/1256919/five-things