Daily Dive: Hall County Season Preview

Hall County football teams are entering the 2025 season with higher expectations than ever, and more eyes on the county than at any time since the 2000s and early 2010s. From the lows of 2022, when only one program in the county made the playoffs, to last year, when five of eight schools reached the postseason and two more were on the rankings bubble for the Class 3A playoffs, the turnaround has been remarkable. This year could be an unprecedented season for Hall County football, and everything you need to know is right here.

All-County Team

Hall County is more talented than it has ever been. Every team in the county placed at least one player on my preseason All-County team. Gainesville leads the way with 11 selections. North Hall follows with seven, Flowery Branch has five, Cherokee Bluff and East Hall each have three, and Chestatee, West Hall, and Johnson each have one.

QB Kharim Hughley, Gainesville 2027

QB Jamarcus Harrison, East Hall 2026

RB Nigel Newkirk, Gainesville 2027

RB Ben Plemons, Chestatee 2026

RB Griffin Harper, Flowery Branch 2026

TE Bryce Fontenot, Cherokee Bluff

OL Mason McGill, North Hall 2026

OL Krew Moledor, Gainesville 2026

OL Bryson Hurt, Gainesville 2027

OL Tyler Ford, Gainesville 2027

OL Kendrick, Tarniah West Hall 2026

WR Cole Cable, North Hall 2027

WR Collin Porterfield, Gainesville 2027

WR Chasen Jones, East Hall 2026

WR Brooks Recinella, Flowery Branch 2026

WR Malcolm Millsap, Cherokee Bluff 2026

ATH Monty Young, Johnson 2026

ATH Nasser Aliou, West Hall 2026

DL Adyn Cain, Gainesville 2026

DL Kadin Fossung, Gainesville 2026

DL Eli Poole Flowery, Branch 2027

DL Dawson Reed, North Hall 2026

EDGE Jamarion Matthews, Gainesville 2026

EDGE Xavier Griffin, Gainesville 2026

LB Ryland Garrison, Flowery Branch 2028

LB Eli Buffington, East Hall 2027

LB Parker Carlton, North Hall 2026

LB Zac Wagner, West Hall 2026

DB Walker Davis, North Hall 2026

DB Jeremiah Proctor, Gainesville 2027

DB Conner Harwood, North Hall 2026

DB Tripp Morris, Flowery Branch 2026

DB Dylan Haley, Cherokee Bluff 2027

K/P Walker Vining, North Hall 2028

Class of 2028s and 2029s to Watch

The young players of the county, the freshmen and sophomores, are the future of every program. While most won’t see significant varsity action until their junior or senior seasons, a select few make an impact early. This year, several underclassmen are poised to do just that. Two of them, Flowery Branch linebacker Ryland Garrison and North Hall kicker/punter Walker Vining, earned All-Region honors as freshman in 2024. Joining them is a group of promising freshmen, including Gainesville wide receiver Trent Wilcox, who could carve out a key role in a relatively open receiving corps.

IOL Cooper McGrath, Gainesville 2029

OT Landon Nash, Flowery Branch 2028

WR Trent Wilcox, Gainesville 2029

LB Ryland Garrison, Flowery Branch 2028

LB Benjamin Phelps, West Hall 2028

K/P Walker Vining, North Hall 2028

Impact Transfers

Transfers are nothing new to Hall County football. Dating back a decade and a half, players have moved in and out of the county’s schools, names like Imani Cross and Austin Brown come to mind as game-changers from the now-distant past. However, in recent years, the county has seen a steady increase in both the number of transfers and their impact. Last year, players like Smith McGarvey, Jeremiah Ware, and Jackson Prehar played pivotal roles in deciding playoff berths and region title races. This year, there are some pretty clear winners and losers from the local high school transfer portal.

Winners

Gainesville

As has been the case in every year of Josh Niblett’s tenure, the Red Elephants have brought in multiple high-end transfers. This year, 10 players have joined the program, highlighted by running back Nigel Newkirk, wide receiver Collin Porterfield, defensive lineman Adyn Cain, edge rusher Jamarion Mathew, and defensive back Jeremiah Proctor. Together, they help reload a roster that may have its best chance at a state title since Deshaun Watson was the starting quarterback.

Flowery Branch

Coming off the program’s worst three-year stretch since its inaugural seasons, the Falcons made a change at the top, hiring Michael Perry. Three key transfers arrived with him to help steer the team back toward its winning ways. Former West Hall quarterback Brett Sturm and former Gainesville wide receiver Tre Demory will be major offensive contributors. On the defensive side, Buford transfer Deandre Sadler will fill a major position of need on the defensive line.

Loser

West Hall

Following the departure of head coach Krofton Montgomery, multiple key players transferred out of the Spartans program. The most impactful loss was three-year starter and All-Region quarterback Brett Sturm, who headed across town to Flowery Branch. Along with him, three other notable players departed: All-Region defensive lineman Shelton Maynard (MLK), wide receiver Torez Williams (Chestatee), and kicker Ruben Gonzalez (Gainesville).

QB Brett Sturm, West Hall to Flowery Branch 2026

QB CJ Payne, Gainesville to Cherokee Bluff 2028

RB Nigel Newkirk, Ola to Gainesville 2027

OL Bryson Hurt, Duluth to Gainesville 2027

WR Tre Demory, Gainesville to Flowery Branch 2026

WR Collin Porterfield, Alpharetta to Gainesville 2027

WR Chase Walker, Peachtree Ridge to Gainesville 2027

WR Torez Williams, West Hall to Chestatee 2026

DL Adyn Cain, Dutchtown to Gainesville 2026

DL Zyontae Malcolm, Centennial to Gainesville 2027

DL Yannis Richardson, Loganville to Gainesville 2028

DL Deandre Sadler, Buford to Flowery Branch 2027

EDGE Jamarion Matthews, Sparkman (AL) to Gainesville 2026

DB Jeremiah Proctor, Collins Hill to Gainesville 2027

K/P Ruben Gonzalez, Lopez West Hall to Gainesville 2027

Records

Every team has a best, worst, and most likely record they can achieve. While it’s natural to believe every program should strive for, and can win a title each year, that’s not reality, nor should it be the expectation for most schools. A successful season looks different for every program and may not always mean improving on the previous year’s record. This year is no different, with every school in the county carrying its own set of expectations. Below is my projection for the range of records for each Hall County team.

School -- worst case record -- most likely record -- best case record

Cherokee Bluff 6-4, 8-2, 10-0

Chestatee 3-7, 5-5, 7-3

East Hall 3-7, 4-6, 6-4

Flowery Branch 4-6, 6-4, 8-2

Gainesville 7-3, 9-1, 10-0

Johnson 0-10, 1-11, 3-7

North Hall 5-5, 8-2, 10-0

West Hall 0-10, 3-7, 6-4

A Major Region Game for Every Team

Every year, each team has one region game that ends up defining its playoff hopes. In 2025, those matchups are scattered throughout the schedule. For some teams, a loss in that game could end playoff aspirations. For others, it could mean needing to win out to keep hopes alive. In certain cases, that one game could decide an entire playoff or region title race.

Cherokee Bluff VS Oconee County 9/26

Chestatee @ Pickens 10/10

East Hall VS Monroe Area 9/26

Flowery Branch @ East Forsyth 9/25

Gainesville @ Milton 10/10

Johnson @ White County 10/31

North Hall VS Lumpkin County 10/17

West Hall VS East Hall 10/24

New Coaches

Naji Lyon-1st Season as Head Coach

Previous job: Assistant at Lumpkin County

A strong hire, Coach Lyon is a longtime Heath Webb assistant, having worked with him at Winder-Barrow, Gainesville, and Lumpkin County. However, he faces a tough test in his first year, as the roster has been hit hard by transfers, leaving it somewhat bare. Overall, the glory days under Tony Lotti are a distant memory, and much of the program will have to be rebuilt from the ground up by Lyon and his staff.

Donovan Odom-1st Season as Head Coach

Previous job: Defensive Coordinator at Johnson

Coach Odom is taking over one of the toughest jobs in the state. Johnson’s defensive coordinator last season, he now faces the challenge of building a program almost entirely from scratch. While some continuity remains from last year, the focus will be on developing a winning culture and keeping players within the Knight program.

Michael Perry-9th Season as Head Coach (44-42)

Previous stops: Centennial, East Hall, Union County

Perry takes over a reeling Flowery Branch program. The longtime Gainesville assistant and former Union County head coach knows how to win, he was the offensive coordinator for the 2012 Gainesville state championship team. He plans to revamp the offense and has assembled a high-end coaching staff, aiming to have the Falcons ready to make noise in 2025 and beyond.

Players Who Could Enter the Record Books

QB Brett Sturm - The Flowery Branch signal-caller needs just 1,100 passing yards to enter the Georgia High School Football Historians Association record book by surpassing 5,000 career yards. To become the highest-ranked Falcon quarterback on the list, he would need 2,100 yards, passing current leader Jabo Shaw, who holds the school mark with 6,008 career yards.

QB Jamarcus Harrison - The East Hall standout needs just over 1,600 passing yards to become only the second Viking to appear in the Georgia High School Football Historians Association career passing yards list. The Kennesaw State commit could hit that mark simply by matching his 2024 production. Harrison also has a chance to make the career passing touchdowns list, needing 29 scores through the air, a number within reach.

Preseason Hall County Rankings

1. Gainesville

2. North Hall

3. Cherokee Bluff

5. Chestatee

6. East Hall

7. West Hall

8. Johnson-Gainesville

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