MCEACHERN vs. COLQUITT COUNTY
WHERE: Mercedes-Benz Stadium
WHEN: Saturday at 2:45 p.m. EST
TV: The ATL
WEB: 11Alive.com | Facebook Live | YouTube
MCEACHERN INDIANS
Head Coach: Kyle Hockman
Status: Lost in the 7A semifinals last season (falling to North Gwinnett)
Preseason State Ranking: No. 5 in 7A (Georgia High School Football Daily)
2017 Record: 10-4
REFRESHING CANDOR
Coach Hockman doesn't mince words when discussing the science that goes beyond scheduling, prior to the commencement of regional play. "We don't have a game that matters until October. ... We're not in a hurry to be perfect right now."
THINGS MIGHT CHANGE SOMEDAY IF ...
... Georgia officials made tweaks to the current classification system, perhaps dropping from seven to five classes. But in the meantime, this "weird dynamic" allows teams, like McEachern, to overload on formidable opponents in September, knowing it'll pay off during the playoffs in November.
For example, according to Hockman, McEachern attempted seven onside kicks before regional play began last year, even though the Indians were seldom in desperate situations. The rationale: It's a pressure-free time for his kids.
"It was fun," said Hockman about the onside attempts, even though McEachern had a 1-in-7 success rate during that stretch. "It would have been even more fun, if we had played a little better against (North Gwinnett)."
THE TROUBLE WITH COLQUITT
Hockman offered a similarly frank assessment of this week's opponent, who also double as the defending 7A state champions. "(The Colquitt players) just think they’re going to win," in terms of being tough and always imposing their will to the opposition.
SCORE ATLANTA PREVIEW
On the offensive side of the ball, McEachern will be looking to develop depth around key positions. In last year’s campaign, sophomore quarterback Carlos Delrio-Wilson led the Indians, and he will return this season looking to improve his numbers. Delrio-Wilson, as a freshman, started all four playoff games last year and led the charge over Lowndes in the second round.
"Our young quarterback made a pretty big impression on us and did a nice job leading and getting the victory down in Lowndes and making some plays," said Kyle Hockman.
"His youth and inexperience kind of showed in the semifinals but Carlos is going to be a heck of a player so obviously we are building around that. But his mentality is 'I know I can do it' not 'I think I can do it.' So he is going into his sophomore year with the mentality of 'I know I can do it.' He knows he has the talent to make a run and it’s given him a lot of confidence. He leads the team, he gets the wideouts out there to throw in the offseason and all of that kind of stuff. Last year was a special time for him and it’s nice to know who your guy is going into the offseason."
Two-time all-state running back Paris Brown will look to add to his totals this season. The 5-foot-10, 198-pound back rushed for 1,182 yards on 187 carries with 14 touchdowns in 2017. He rushed for almost 1,100 yards in 2016. He’s received offers from Kansas, Kentucky, Iowa State and Ball State, to name a few.
"Paris Brown is our bell cow at running back," Hockman said. "But we are really excited and have some talented, strong, fast guys."
Helping the ground game will be Jordan Simmons, a backup running back who had significant carries and special teams plays in the 2017 run.
Delrio-Wilson's targets in 2018 will be Javon Baker, Brandon Christy and Valerian Agbaw. Baker, a 6-foot-1, 175-pound athlete, has offers from Florida, Auburn, Arkansas, Kentucky and more. Christy is a 6-3, 185-pound receiver who’ll return to his starting role. Agbaw, a 5-11, 180-pounder, had a handful of big plays last season and will likely factor in more this year.
The offensive line is anchored by Nyles Moore, a 6-1, 285-pound offensive guard, Mark Bennett, a 6-0, 275-pound center and Taylor Hogan-Beck, a 6-1, 250-pound lineman.
___________________
COLQUITT COUNTY PACKERS
Head Coach: Rush Probst
Status: Lost in the 7A finals last season (falling to North Gwinnett)
Preseason State Ranking: No. 1 in 7A (Georgia High School Football Daily)
2017 Record: 11-4
SCORE ATLANTA PREVIEW
For Colquitt, depth is everywhere: offense, defense and special teams.
In the backfield, star running back Ty Leggett (5-foot-10, 172 pounds) returns and will likely improve upon his numbers from the runner-up season. Last season, Leggett rushed for 1,287 yards and 12 touchdowns on 206 carries. If Leggett is tied up, another option on the ground is rising junior Daijun Edwards.
"Not only Ty Leggett," Propst said. "We have the No. 1 running back prospect in the state of Georgia in the 2020 class. I don’t know a running back in the state of Georgia better than him, Edwards. We really have a one-two punch there, Leggett being the senior leader and Division 1 prospect. So we really have two really good backs. We are deep at the running back spot."
Edwards is rated as a 4-star recruit by 247Sports. The 5-11, 205-pound running back also had impressive numbers, rushing for 1,038 yards and 13 touchdowns on 176 carries in 2017. He’s rated as the 20th-best running back in the state according to 247.
The receiver corps will need to fill the void left by Cam Singletary’s graduation. Last year, Singletary caught 79 passes for 1,025 yards and 11 touchdowns. Three rising seniors could help fill the spot — K.T. Wilson caught 24 passes for 356 yards and five touchdowns last year. Marvion McDonald had 19 catches for 230 yards and two touchdowns, and Josh Hadley caught 16 passes for 207 yards and two touchdowns.
On defense, rising senior Rashad Revels returns and will add to his numbers this season. Last year, Revels, a 6-0, 183-pound linebacker, made 104 solo tackles with 97 assists for 201 total tackles. Marcus Anderson, a 5-11, 200-pound middle linebacker, made 82 solo tackles with 66 assists for 148 total tackles. Corner Jay Ward (6-1, 175 pounds) has been offered by Appalachian State, Georgia State, Georgia Southern and Kentucky to name a few. NyQuann Washington (5-11, 170 pounds) is also a threat to opposing quarterbacks with his athleticism and knack for interceptions.
