It’s the final week of spring practice, and this time I got the chance to visit Middle Georgia and see some of the talented further south of Macon. Here are some things that stood out when I visited Northside Warner Robins
Players to watch:
CB Broderick Humphery- A long and athletic defensive back that is ready for his opportunity this season after seeing limited snaps in 2024. Humphrey has the potential to be a really good corner for Coach Williams. He is also one who takes coaching well and is constantly looking to improve his craft. Humphrey has high upside and will only be entering his junior campaign, and will be one to watch on the backend for the Eagles. He already has an offer from North Alabama.
CB Amaury Fountain- Another really long cornerback who has solid ball skills and knows how to attack the football in the air. It doesn’t matter if he is playing press or off coverage, he knows how to play leverage and use it against the receiver to be in the right place every time the ball is in the air to make a play on the ball. With his 6’2 frame, he is an excellent boundary cornerback and will be tasked with matching up against the best in the state this season, going against Houston County WR Kavon Conciauro and Thomas County Central WR Jaydon Dunbar. These will be great tests for Fountain, and he should be ready to go for these epic battles in 2025.
DL Elijah Patmon- The 2027 DL is a physical specimen and practically an immovable force in the interior. Patmon can eat up space and run the game, and is equally as effective rushing the passer. He was a constant force throughout spring practice, making plays and being unblockable for the offensive line, which had a tough time slowing him down.
“Elijah Patmon, and you can’t say anything without saying him. He’s one of our four-star guys. He’s playing lights out football,” said Williams.
DB Jay Wight- Wright is a hard-hitting safety for head coach Boone Williams, who is really good at playing the run and being able to tackle in the open field. When I talked to Northside’s head coach, he compared him to Dan Jackson, formerly of Georgia, who was a hard-hitting safety for the Bulldogs. Wright is another player who plays with his head on fire and is constantly looking to make an impact on the field, and will make you feel his presence. Wright has all the tools to have a breakout campaign.
WR Briston Blasingame- A really good route runner on the outside that can create separation at the top of the route. Has a knack for turning on a dime and getting up the field quickly. His ability to get yards after the catch will make him a highly coveted receiver because of his ability to rip off a big play. With a lot of the talent at the playmaker position being so young, Blasingame’s veteran presence and leadership will be needed this season for the Eagles.
RB Kayden Turner- This young kid can go and is already special at a young age. It’s unfathomable to believe he is not even on a high school campus, yet he is lighting up varsity players. One thing that stands out is his explosiveness and how elusive he is in the open field. He is the perfect combination of power and speed all in one back. Coach Boone is also very high on the youngster, and it is looking like he will play a significant role for Northside Warner Robins this upcoming season.
“This kid’s gonna be phenomenal. He’s going to start for me. I have never seen anything like it at his age,” said Williams.
LB JaCaleb Greene- Greene is another player the coaching staff loves. His physicality and instincts catch your eye instantly when you watch him play. Greene has a nose for the football and knows where to be at all times. Don’t sleep on his ability to blitz and be able to block shed to make plays in the backfield. He has that ability as well. Greene will be another exciting player to watch in 2025 for Northside.
LB Kaleal Greene- A young guy who flashed as a true freshman, seeing the field a good bit. Greene finished with 26 tackles, two tackles for loss, and two sacks. Greene has only gotten better from that point, adding weight and strength to his frame and moving more comfortably entering into his sophomore year. Greene has all the tools to be a notable linebacker in the peach state.
New place, same identity
“That’s the way we try to practice. We try to practice hard and violently. You know what saying? You’ve got to always rally to the football until you, you know, we get to that point where we want to make sure it’s right. I told my defensive coaches, a bunch of young puppies ready to grow. They’re all gonna go to the same thing in the kennel. That’s what I want the guys to do, just go get to the football, and offensively, we know that that’s gonna be slower than the defense. We can’t give up on what we’re trying to do. We got to stay patient and understand what we’re trying to do and instill it in the boys, and we’ll be there,” said Coach Williams.
“Physicality and getting better playing together as a team. That’s the biggest thing I think that when you’re trying, because I look now for the future, right? You know, you take these guys that come into their 10th grade year, some are going into their ninth grade year. You think that’s 30 or 40 football games left to play. So if you look and break it down that way, man, you’ve seen every bit of ball you can possibly see at that point. It’s got to go mentality to finish. You’re going to be you’re going to go across well-coached teams in this region. So it’s got to play. You’ve got to play football.”
On how to establish a culture
“Just a winning attitude, man. You know, it’s a mentality. A lot of times, where teams are good or bad, are not X and Os. It’s about believing. You’ve got to believe in yourself and believe in what you’re doing and believe in your coaches. And that’s what I’m instilling right now. I’m just trying to get them to understand where we’re trying to go,” said Williams.
What coach Boone wants to accomplish in year 1 with Northside Warner Robins
“In year one, I want to make the playoffs. That’s a big goal. We’ve always walked into it. We know what this region is. We’re familiar with these teams. They’re familiar because it’s been their region. I’m familiar with it because I played against two teams last year from the region last year. So I understand the brand of ball it takes and I understand the amount of coaching,” said Williams. “Think about it. You got Coffee, Coach Coe, Houston County Coach Edwards, Coach Fabrizio Lee County, and Justin Rodgers Thomas County Central and Coach Devoursney over there Veterans. So that group of coaches, each have been in the state championship, won a state championship. So, I mean, it’s good football. I put that region against anybody in this country.”
Players who have stood out in spring practice through two weeks
“Elijah Patton and you can’t say anything without saying him. He’s one of our four-star guys. He playing lights out football. Briston Blasingame at wide receiver and Amaury Fountain at corner. Broderick Humphreys is another corner. Those guys really stood up, and I mean we got 2 6’2 corners. I mean, that’s always a plus. We’ve got some young guys coming on late,” said Williams. “Kaden KT” Turner is another one. This kid’s gonna be phenomenal. We have a freshman quarterback, JD Garman. It’s a bunch of guys. We have two linebackers in the middle. A safety in Kamar Harris, and JaCaleb Green and Kaleal Green, the green brothers, what I call them at linebacker.
Support has been vital, and why Coach Boone came to the Eagles.
“I’m super excited. I think the amount of support I got here. People often ask me, why’d you leave Langston Hughes to come down here? I think that one of the biggest reasons is support. The guy who spoke he was just right here, Coach Pete,” said Williams. “Coach Pete still rides for away games. He’s been here since he graduated here in 1967. Our ball boy, Mr. Rick Rack, has been the ball boy since 1979. So when you talk about history and tradition, those are the things that I got now being down here. The support amongst this community. You see, the school sits in the middle of a community. We have all these people behind us.”
I will go out on a limb and say, despite a very competitive and elite region coming up in 2025, Northside Warner Robins is my sleeper. Coach Boone is establishing a mindset and culture that resonates with a team that is loaded with young talent all around the roster. The players flock to him and are very attentive when he is talking.
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