Lithia Springs want to turn the page with first-year head coach Ben Arnold

The past two seasons have been rough for the Lithia Springs Lions with a 2-8 record in 2023 and 1-9 record last year. Last season marked the end of the Corey Jarvis era for the Lions as he became the head coach for KIPP Atlanta Collegiate Warriors. A big issue last year was how the defense performed as the Lions allowed 424 points the entire season, which is the second-most in program history.

To fix that problem, Lithia Springs hired Ben Arnold who spent the last year as the defensive coordinator for Langston Hughes. That season saw the Panthers have three players on defense with 100 or more total tackles en route to a state championship game appearance against Milton.

Key returning players for the Lions defense are Kaleb McMichael, Trey Fulton, and Shawn Williams. McMichael put up 87 total tackles, six and a half tackles for loss, and two sacks. Fulton collected 69 total tackles, 13 tackles for loss, and five sacks. Williams recorded 43 total tackles and two tackles for loss in his junior year.

Lithia Springs looks for the addition of Arnold and what the three players above bring to the table to be a recipe for success. The new era in Douglas County begins on August 15 on the road against Lithonia.

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