2018 Henry County High School Football Preview

New faces will emerge all over Henry County in 2018. Nearly every program said goodbye to accomplished 2017 classes, making the upcoming season as wide open as it has been in several years.

Many of those players are expected to make an impact on Saturday afternoons beginning this fall. Stockbridge grads Brenton Cox (Georgia) and Marquez Ezzard (Florida State), Woodland grad James Ohonba (Michigan State), Ola grads Chris Rodriguez (Kentucky) and Austin Smith (Georgia Tech) and ELCA’s Tyrese Black (UCF) are among the notable names needing to be replaced across the county.

Alcovy Tigers

Aug. 17 at Newton (SH)

Heading into the 2018 season, the sports department of the Henry Herald and Clayton News picked its combined preseason all-county team.

First Team Offense

HAMPTON — William Anderson burst onto the recruiting scene as a sophomore last year for the Dutchtown Bulldogs, recording one of the top seasons among county defensive lineman.

Anderson finished his sophomore campaign with 14.5 sacks, which led the team and Region 4-AAAAA. At 6-foot-4, 230-pounds, Anderson is just beginning to scratch the surface of his potential and is poised for a monster junior year with the Bulldogs.

MCDONOUGH — Eagle’s Landing High School fielded one of the top defenses in the state last season, holding opponents to 13 points per game en route to a trip to the Sweet 16.

Several individual talents made plays for the Golden Eagles in 2017, including junior Anthony Britton. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound pass rusher led the team with 18 tackles for a loss and nine sacks, totals that were near the top of the county leaderboard.

HAMPTON — The college offers have piled up for Kevon Glenn over the past two seasons, a total that exceeds 40 as he enters his senior season at Dutchtown High.

Glenn, a tackling machine at middle linebacker, is on the radar of many high-profile programs, including Texas A&M, Mississippi State and Kentucky, among others.

LOCUST GROVE — Strong Rock Christian School made history last season with its first-ever trip to the Georgia High School Association’s state playoffs.

Quarterback Demetrius Knight was the main reason for Strong Rock’s historic campaign. Knight was a dynamic playmaker offensively for the Patriots, making things happen with his arm and his legs. He accounted for 18 total touchdowns and more than 1,700 total yards as a junior.

McDONOUGH — Justin Menard did it all for the ELCA Chargers during their run to a third straight Class A-Private state title last season.

The gifted playmaker showcased his blazing speed regularly for ELCA, scoring 10 touchdowns and totaling nearly 1,000 yards as a junior last season.

MCDONOUGH — ELCA has won three straight Class A-Private state titles and senior linebacker Johnathan Youngblood has been a central figure in all of them.

On a team with explosive playmakers, Youngblood has been ELCA’s consistent force in the middle of the defense. As a junior last season he tallied 112 tackles and led all county linebackers with five interceptions, earning First Team All-County and All-Region honors.

Team Info

Head Coach: Clifford Fedd (second season)

HAMPTON — Dutchtown finished as the No. 4 seed in Region 4-AAAAA last season, qualifying for the state playoffs in Clifford Fedd’s first year as head coach.

The Bulldogs will hope to return to the tournament again in 2018. They will kick off their season with three non-region road games, two of which will be against state playoff teams from a season ago. Dutchtown’s opener against Langston Hughes on Aug. 17 will be a good early barometer, as Hughes made the Class AAAAAA tournament in 2017.

Team Info

Head Coach: Shawn Jones (fourth season)

MCDONOUGH — Eagle’s Landing High will look to return to the state playoffs for the second straight year in 2018.

The Golden Eagles will kick off their season with three straight non-region games, the first of which is scheduled for Aug. 17 on the road against Rockdale County. A week later, the Golden Eagles will travel to play Douglas County, a team that advanced to the Class AAAAAA Sweet 16 last season.

Team Info

Head Coach: Jonathan Gess (10th season)

MCDONOUGH — Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy will enter the 2018 season with a target on its back.

The Chargers have won 36 straight games, including three straight Class A-Private state titles. Head coach Jonathan Gess will welcome back another strong class this season, making ELCA the championship favorite once again in 2018.

Team Info

Head Coach: Chad Ashley (fifth season)

HAMPTON — Slowly but surely, Chad Ashley and the Hampton football program have become a team capable of making a run to the Georgia High School Association’s state playoffs.

Hampton’s growth as a program should receive a boost with a move from Class AAAAA to Class AAAA in 2018. The Hornets will compete in Region 4-AAAA, alongside fellow county teams Henry County High and Luella.

Team Info

Head Coach: Morris Starr (sixth season)

MCDONOUGH — The Henry County High football program is feeling confident entering the 2018 season following a strong finish last year.

The Warhawks missed the state playoffs by one game last season after starting the year with seven straight losses. They will try to get off to a better start this year, beginning with three non-region games against Union Grove, McIntosh and Spalding to start the season.

Team Info

Head Coach: Clint Satterfield (10th season)

LOCUST GROVE — On the heels of two straight disappointing seasons, expectations are high for a talented Locust Grove squad entering the 2018 season.

Locust Grove’s potential road to the postseason begins with home non-region games against Jackson High and Warner Robins High. Warner Robins played for the Class AAAAA state championship last season. Then, the Wildcats will hit the road and play Camden County to close non-region play.

Team Info

Head Coach: Jason Jackson (second season)

LOCUST GROVE — Luella went 1-9 last year under first-year head coach Jason Jackson, and will look to improve entering year two in 2018.

The Lions will open their season at home against Trinity Christian, a team that played for the GISA state title a season ago. They will then travel to Cartersville and McIntosh in the next two weeks to wrap up non-region play.

Team Info

Head Coach: Jared Zito (fifth season)

MCDONOUGH — Ola High said goodbye to an accomplished class this past spring and will integrate several new faces in 2018.

The new-look Mustangs will get their first taste of action on Aug. 17 at home against Eastside, a state playoff team from 2017. Ola will finish non-region play against Chapel Hill and Whitewater over the next two weeks.

Team Info

Head Coach: Kevin Whitley (ninth season)

STOCKBRIDGE — Stockbridge High has been the class of the southside for the better part of this decade, but the Tigers will need to replace more than 20 seniors who graduated earlier this spring.

Many new faces will hit the field for the Tigers on Aug. 24 for the season opener against Arabia Mountain. Stockbridge will then take on Carver-Atlanta in non-region action the following week.

Team Info

Head Coach: Tommy Webb (fifth season)

LOCUST GROVE — Strong Rock Christian School qualified for the Class A-Private state playoffs last season, making school history in the process.

The Patriots will welcome back a strong returning class, which should equate to even more success in 2018. Their journey back to the postseason begins on the road Aug. 24 against Lakeview Academy. Strong Rock will finish non-region play with a road game at Union Grove and a home game against Jackson.

Team Info

Head Coach: Chad Frazier (second season)

MCDONOUGH — Union Grove will tackle year two under head coach Chad Frazier in 2018.

Frazier’s second season will begin with two non-region games against Henry County opponents. The Wolverines will travel down the road to play Henry County High on Aug. 24 before hosting Strong Rock Christian the following week.

Team Info

Head Coach: Bryan Love (second season)

STOCKBRIDGE — Woodland will look to return to the state playoffs in 2018 after missing out last season.

A journey back to the postseason will begin with three straight non-region home games, the first of which is scheduled for Aug. 17 against Southwest DeKalb. The Wolfpack will then host a pair of Clayton County teams — North Clayton and Jonesboro — over the next two weeks.