The Brent Key/Corky Kell + Dave Hunter 7-on-7 Classic brought excitement for many football teams and fans around the state of Georgia last year and this year’s six-day edition is what everyone is looking forward to as we near the football season.
This season’s edition will be the third year in a row that the event will take place at Georgia Tech with games being played on the Yellow Jackets indoor and outdoor practice fields. June 19th features four schools from Class 6A, two schools from Class 5A, four schools from Class 4A, one school from Class 3A, one school from Class 2A, one school from Class A Division II, and two schools from Class A Division I.
Here are the previews of the five schools to look out for on the sixth and final day of the 7-on-7 tournament at Georgia Tech.
Roswell (Region 7-5A)
Head Coach – Jonathan Thompson (first season)
The Hornets went 9-3 overall and 5-1 in the region last season as they finished second in the region below Milton. The Hornets only region loss came against the Milton Eagles. Roswell defeated River Ridge 41-31 in the first round of the playoffs, but were knocked out in the second round by Langston Hughes as the Hornets lost 31-21.
Thompson joins Roswell after spending six seasons as the offensive coordinator for Lee County. He replaced Chris Prewett who took the head coaching job at Dalton after coaching the Hornets for five seasons. Prewett compiled a record of 50-13 with Roswell, which included region championships in 2022 and 2023 along with a semifinals appearance in 2022.
The Hornet offense is led by senior quarterback Trey Smith who was outstanding in his junior year. Smith threw for over 3,400 yards and recorded 23 passing touchdowns. He is a tough quarterback to go up against as he is elusive in the pocket by showcasing his good mobility with 875 rushing yards and 18 rushing touchdowns, leading the team in both of those stats last year. Smith is also good with working the deep ball into one-on-one situations with his receivers. A wide receiver that excels in one-on-one situations for Roswell is Willis Campbell, who made a lot of tight catches inside the 20-yard line. Campbell ended his junior season with 718 yards and nine touchdowns on 42 receptions.
On the defensive side, middle linebacker Brody Duffy is an effective run stopper as he posted 11 tackles for loss, along with 65 solo tackles last season. In the secondary, defensive back Ian Foust is underrated at his position as he does well with breaking up passes especially when he is playing in man coverage. Foust collected three interceptions and five pass breakups.
Cambridge (Region 6-4A)
Head Coach – Tyler Jones (second season)
In their first season under Jones, the Bears had a record of 10-3 with their season ending from a 40-14 road loss to Marist in the quarterfinal round of the playoffs.
Wide receiver Craig Dandridge was a dominant force on the offense last season as he totaled 57 receptions, 1,443 receiving yards, and 14 touchdowns in his junior season. He is hard to guard due to the speed he displays. Dandridge has received offers from Georgia, Georgia Tech, and Tennessee. Incoming quarterback Connor Langford looks to make a big impact to the offense as he brings good pocket awareness from the mobility he has, and a good job of making tight throws to his receivers.
On defense, safety Cameron Parodi is a playmaker as he recorded two interceptions and two fumbles last season. Parodi also made a big impact on special teams with two blocked field goals and three blocked punts. Adding to the defense is linebacker Austin McBay who is dominant on the pass rush and run stopping. McBay recorded three and one-half tackles for loss and five and one-half sacks last year.
Christian Heritage (Region 7-A Division I)
Head Coach – Frank Barden (third season)
The Lions posted a record of 8-3 overall and 6-1 in the region with their only region loss coming against Fannin County. It was a season of improvement for Christian Heritage as they got a first-round bye in the playoffs, but they were knocked out at home by Wesleyan in a 22-15 thriller.
Wide receiver Bronx Stallion is a threat out wide and in the slot as he showcases a great route-running ability. Stallion collected 337 receiving yards on 27 receptions, adding three touchdowns to his sophomore season resume. Tight end Benji Michmerhuizen had an underrated junior season as he tallied 218 yards on 17 receptions as he added seven touchdowns to the stat sheet.
The Lions defense was led by cornerback Kyric Rockholt who stands out when playing in zone coverage. Rockholt also does well with breaking up passes as he logged six pass breakups in his sophomore campaign. Michmerhuizen also excels on the defensive side with a solid pass rush ability, and he put up two sacks and a fumble recovery as he looks to have a breakout season on both sides of the ball this season. Linebacker Cooper Middleton showcased his dominance on stopping the run game by locking down outside zone runs. Middleton registered seven tackles for loss to go along with his 91 total tackles.
East Forsyth (Region 8-4A)
Head Coach – Dustin Canon (second season)
The Broncos had a solid first season under Canon as they went 8-3 overall and 4-2 in the region. They lost 51-21 in the first round of the playoffs on the road against Jones County.
Chase Rhoads will have his opportunity as starting quarterback for the Broncos as he enters his senior season. Rhoads likes to utilize the deep ball a lot which he does well with. Wide Receiver Trent Polk made his presence known last season totaling 267 yards and three touchdowns on 26 receptions. Polk succeeds when he is in one-on-one situations with a defender as the majority of catches he made last season were in those tight coverage moments.
On the defensive line, Roman Dickerson was in the face of the opposing quarterback a lot. Dickerson was tied for the most sacks on the team last season with five while posting 10 tackles for loss and 47 total tackles. Linebacker Kellen Moran contributes largely to stopping the run for the Broncos. Moran collected seven tackles for loss and 90 total tackles as a junior last year.
Jasper County (Region 4-A Division I)
Head Coach – Ashley Henderson (fourth season)
In their third season with Henderson, the Hurricanes showed improvement as they went 8-4 overall and 4-2 in the region. The team made it to the second round of the playoffs where they lost 42-7 to Dublin. Jasper County made it past the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 1992.
The Hurricane offense starts with dual-threat quarterback JaMarkus Thomas who threw for 673 yards and seven touchdowns while rushing for 416 yards and six touchdowns. Wide Receiver Nolan Dean creates a lot of separation from his great route running ability. Dean started to present his strengths last season with 184 yards and two touchdowns on nine receptions for his sophomore season.
The Jasper County linebacker group is notable, starting with Tyrin Epps who locks down plunge runs up the middle and makes life difficult for opposing offensive lines as he gets after the quarterback a lot. Epps recorded 12 tackles for loss and six sacks last season as a sophomore. Cope Durand is the counterpart of that dominant duo as he brings a lot of physicality, especially on run stopping by shutting down outside zone, toss, and sweep runs. Also a sophomore, Durand tallied 14 tackles for loss and six sacks.
Loading ...
