Over the years. North Cobb Christian has had a lot of great teams, but the elusive region title has evaded them.
Not anymore.
North Cobb Christian was coming off one of their better seasons in 2022 winning ten games and making it to the 2nd round of the playoffs. Last year was their second time in program history finishing the season with ten wins. The Eagles got close to winning a region championship in 2018 but fell short to Mount Zion (Carroll).
Head coach Matt Jones led the Eagles to their first region title in program history after a 40-14 victory against Mount Paran Christian Friday. It was a dominant effort on both sides of the ball.
“There have been some really good teams here that have not won the region championship. Our kids are excited because they know what was at stake,” said Jones. “It is one of those things where it is surreal because you work so hard all year for it, and then you get here in the moment and it’s like we have to show up and keep doing what we do. Our kids did a good job of not letting the moment be too big for them. I can’t say enough about how big it is.”
It started the week prior against a tough and resilient South Atlanta team. The Hornets were region champions in 2022. South Atlanta was on a two-game winning streak coming into the game against North Cobb Christian. Their offense was in a rhythm and found their footing. The North Cobb Christian defense shut them down producing a shutout and a 22-0 victory.
The defense has continued to be a staple component for the Eagles this season. Recently, they have been on another level. In the past four games, two have been shutouts (South Atlanta and Washington), and the offenses are averaging a measly six points during that stretch. A big reason is the ability of the Eagles to get after the passer. As a team, they have accumulated 24 sacks in 2023. Beedjy Guerrier and Raymond Dixon each have eight apiece. The last two games, Guerrier has three sacks and has been causing havoc.
“Beedjy and Ray Dixon are our two big defensive linemen that are close to leading the county in sacks. They are awesome and competitive. Both are juniors. They add enthusiasm and excitement to our defense,” said Jones.
Offensively, it starts with quarterback Teddy Jarrad who has come in and been a leader from day one. He is already way ahead of where he should be as a freshman. Jarrad has a strong command of the offense and knows his checks and where to get the football. He continued his stellar freshman season throwing for 292 yards and four touchdowns in the win against Mount Paran Christian for the region title.
“Teddy is awesome. Not enough good I can say about him. The best thing about Teddy is that he has accepted every challenge we have put on him. He’s been able to do what a junior or senior can do mentally. He can check plays and do all of the different things that we do,” said Jones. “In a given play, he does it all and he is only a 9th grader. He is very sharp mentally and studies film. He is a competitive kid. Jarrad is going to go a long way playing football. On top of all that he is super accurate, and he wants to win. The greatest thing about Teddy is we can run the ball ten plays in a row and score a touchdown, or we can pass it 10 plays in a row and he is just as excited when we score. He is a fun one to coach and excited about his future.”
Coach Matt Jones is doing a great job with the program and it doesn’t just start and stop on Friday nights. Coach Jones is active in his community fostering and building relationships with the next generation by going to their games, cheering on the youngsters, and building rapport with their parents at a young age. He knows how important it is and is a big reason why the Eagles have been successful.
“I know every fifth grade boy and up. I know their names and their families. They come to our games, and I go to their games. Our high school coaches also know all these kids. A lot of programs, you don’t know the kids until 10th or 11th grade, but here we know them at an early age,” said Jones. “It is a pretty cool community because I can know one of those kids and see them develop. I get to go to their performances and see them graduate. Just so many cool things. Most kids don’t get to go to chapel every week and have their teachers pray for them. It is a really neat place, and I am blessed to be here.”
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