About The times. (Gainesville, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 22, 2020)
Bill Murphy Sports Editor | 770-718-3415 | sports@gainesvilletimes.com gainesvilletimes.com Weekend Edition - August 22-23, 2020 Ready to take up the eight-man football format SCOn ROGERS I The Times Lanier Christian Academy’s quarterback prepares to throw during Thursday’s practice in Flowery Branch. Lanier Christian Academy happy with smaller league BY BILL MURPHY bmurphy@gainesvilletimes. com Lanier Christian is step ping into the world of eight- man football this season, under first-year coach Heath Kennedy. Expectations are modest with a limited number of players (18) but returning talent at key positions, espe cially on the offensive side of the ball. However, excitement is at a fever-pitch for the Flow ery Branch private school, which now competes in the Georgia Association of Pri vate and Parochial Schools. “The morale is high with the kids here at Lanier Christian,” said Kennedy, who takes over in football for the school’s athletics director Blake Anderson. “We’re going to have to grind this year but I’m excited about the direction of this program. The coronavirus pan demic has impacted everyo- nes life. With enrollment con cerns, Lanier Christian made the decision in May, according to Kennedy, to play eight-man football, but fully expects to get back to playing with the customary 11 on each side, sooner than later. Lanier Christian opens the season against King’s Way on Aug. 28 at Gaines ville Middle School. “I’m thrilled for these seniors,” said Kennedy, who has an extensive back ground coaching football and baseball. “The kids are excited. It’ll be a breath of fresh air to get to the sta dium. Get back to the main thing and play for four quarters.” League rules allow for eighth graders on the team, four this season in the case of Lanier Christian. Kennedy has surrounded himself with a coaching staff full of savvy veterans. His right-hand man is David Stephens, who coached in the Georgia High Schools Association for more than 40 years, including a long run as an assistant coach at North Hall earlier this century. “Coach Stephens has a high level of intelligence,” said Kennedy, who is most known as a head base ball coach at Winder-Bar row (2004-2006), Hebron Christian (2007-2012) and High school football previews Despite uncertainty around football season due to COVID-19 concerns, The Times will preview all 10 high schools playing this season in Hall County. Included in previews are practice photos, team preview stories, rosters and season schedule. The regular season for most begins September 4. Riverside Military is not playing football this year. The schedule for the remainder of the previews is as follows: ■ Wednesday: Johnson and Flowery Branch ■ Aug. 29: Cherokee Bluff and North Hall ■ Sept. 2: West Hall and Lakeview Academy ■ Sept. 9: Chestatee and East Hall Flowery Branch (2017). In football, Kennedy is a first-time head coach. His main experience is work ing with defensive backs and strength and condition ing during previous stints at Prince Avenue Christian, Hebron Christian and Elbert County, among others. Lanier Christian’s expe rience in 2020 starts with senior quarterback Andrew Perry, who accounted for more than 1,100 yards of offense last season. Perry has a robust understanding of the Lightning’s playbook and at 6-foot-2, 175 pounds brings the dynamic of being able to run and pass. “Andrew’s a very smart kid,” Kennedy said. “He could play at a lot of public schools.” At running back, Lanier Christian will have ample talent with returning-senior fullback Isaiah Williams, who his coach calls a ‘5 yards a pop’ kind of talent. “Isaiah is able to cut on a dime and really to frui tion last season,” Kennedy said. “He plays very well in space.” Isaac Dinn, a sophomore, will also get in running the ball for the Lightning. In eight-man football, the offensive line is typically a center, two guards and two tight ends (who may also line up wide). Freshman Cade Reed will be taking snaps, while the two guards are Quinn Win frey and Gabe Jaramillo. ■ Please see LANIER, 8B Roster ■ 11. Wyatt Cash ■ 15. Andrew Perry ■ 24. Isaiah Wiliams ■ 71. Gabe Jaramillo ■ 22. Ethan Burke ■ 16. Isaac Dinn ■ 21. Luke Hopkins ■ 34. Seth Oakley ■ 10. Carter Raulerson ■ AsaVivirette ■ 14. Jackson Barnett ■ 17. Jed Bailey ■ 75. Cade Reed ■ 60. Quinn Winfrey ■ 25. Zeke Clanton ■ 44. Jordan Smith ■ 75. Josh Waymack ■ 54. Tony Shortride Sr. DB/TE Sr. QB/DB Sr. RB/LB Jr. OL/DL So. DE/TE So. RB/LB So. DE/TE So. DB/WR So. QB/RB/LB So. OL/DL Fr. DB/QB/WR Fr. S/WR Fr. OL/DL Fr. OL/DE 8th LB/RB 8th DL/RB 8th OL/DL 8th OL/DL HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL Optimism in move up Photos by SCOTT ROGERS I The Times Gainesville’s running back looks to a hole during practice Monday at the Bruce Miller practice field. Gainesville blessed with depth as it goes to Region 6-7A BY NATHAN BERG nberg@gainesvilletimes.com The Gainesville High School foot ball team has qualified for state playoffs in each of head coach Heath Webb’s first two seasons with the team, and Webb and the Red Elephants are hoping to push that to three straight Inside Football schedules for Lanier Christian and Gainesville, 8B in 2020. Gainesville finished 5-6 last season, going 3-2 in region con tests to earn the No. 3 seed out of Region 8-6A before losing to Allatoona in the first round of 6A state playoffs. But much will be dif ferent for the Red Elephants this season, their first after being moved up to 7A and thrown into a whole new region’s worth of teams. SHUFFLE IN THE TRENCHES Gainesville football players go through practice Monday at the Bruce Miller practice field. Webb views his offensive and defensive lines as a strength, despite both of his top players from 2019 moving on to Division-I programs. Offensive tackle Jordan Williams now plays at Georgia Tech, while defensive tackle Makius Scott is at South Carolina. Part of that continued optimism comes from the experienced play ers who will be coming back for the Red Elephants up front. Outside Roster ■ 1. Sam Perry Jr. ■ 2. DJ Miller Jr. ■ 3. Cameron Cantrell Sr. ■ 5. Tristan Lyon Sr. ■ 6. Demarrie Hayes Jr. ■ 7. Qua Coley Jr. ■ 8. Yusif Ali Sr. ■ 9. Gionni Williams Sr. ■ 10. JQ Drinkard Jr. ■ 11. Baxter Wright Fr. ■ 12. Ellis Pitts Fr. ■ 13. Ramsey Waters Sr. ■ 14. Naim Cheeks So. ■ 15. Quamaine Rucker Sr. ■ 16. Chamarion Bush Jr. ■ 17. Clayton Louis Sr. ■ 18. Vinson Pierre So. ■ 19. Samaj Brown So. ■ 20. Elias Ballard So. ■ 21. Jahleel Rivas-Dicks Sr. ■ 22. Lenny Chatman Sr. ■ 23. Ahman Rucker Sr. ■ 24. Marcello Phillips Sr. ■ 25. Jaylen Smith Sr. ■ 26. Kahlil Jackson So. ■ 27. Marquis Ross So. ■ 28. Stacy Hopkins So. ■ 29. Montavus Malone Sr. ■ 30. Zyrion Harrison So. ■ 31. Mori Young So. ■ 32. Jackson Aiken Sr. ■ 33. Aveion Young So. ■ 34. Cam Goss Jr. ■ 35. Zander Lipscomb So. ■ 36. Jalani Andrews So. ■ 37. Deandre Pacheco So. ■ 38. Jeremiah Watts So. ■ 39. Zaishun Ramsey Jr. ■ 40. Jerald Bryant So. ■ 41. Adarian Cheek So. ■ 42. Cody Brewer Jr. ■ 43. Keyvon Carter Sr. ■ 44. Akeveyahn Jones So. ■ 45. Tayler Phanyoraj Jr. ■ 46. Keymonta Clark Jr. ■ 47. Wesley Perez Sr. ■ 48. Zarion Harvey Fr. of Williams and Scott, Webb said the team is returning pretty much every significant contributor from last years offensive and defensive lines. Senior Ignacio Olvera will be switching over from defensive to offensive line to help make up for the loss of Williams. The defensive line, meanwhile, is team’s deepest unit, according to Webb. “We’ve got about nine guys we can roll in there and not miss a beat,” he said. “I kind of feel like on the defensive line we’ve got nine starters really. So those guys will just continue to roll in there.” Webb said the team even acquired some new talent for the trenches, recruiting three 300-plus pound players to man the offensive ■ Please see GAINESVILLE, 8B RB LB OL OL OL OL OL OL OL DL LB/P/K DE OL DL OL OL DL OL OL OL OL DE DL OL OL DL OL OL OL/DL DL WR DE WR DB WR DB WR DB TE/DE K/P K/P DL DE K/P K/P DL DL DL ■ 49. Christian Smith So RR/DR ■ 50. Keith Motes Jr. WR/OR ■ 51. Daniel Flores Jr. v v rv u d DB ■ 52. Kevin Garcia So QB/P ■ 53. Kevin Gosa Jr. RB/LB ■ 54. Keyvion Harrison So DL ■ 55. Ced Nicely Sr. TE/LB ■ 56. Elijah Ruiz Jr. QB/DB ■ 57. Dorean Whitehead Sr. WR ■ 58. Christian Green Fr. QB ■ 59. Eric Guerra So QB/DB ■ 60. Carter Loyd Fr. WR ■ 61. Javier Ibanez So RB/DB ■ 62. Lemuel Gayle Sr. LB ■ 63. Braylon Randolph So DB ■ 64. Lacorey Hutchinson So DL ■ 65. KJ Merritt Fr. WR ■ 66. Carrol Brown Jr. TE ■ 67. Kane Blanchard Fr. WR/DB ■ 68. Alex Garcia Fr. DB ■ 69. Ethan McCusker So WR/DB ■ 70. Noe Covarrubias Fr. WR ■ 71. Kamari Hudson Fr. TE ■ 72. Jorge Burciaga Fr. WR ■ 73. Edgar Ortega So TE/LB ■ 74. Tray Childers Sr. RB/LB ■ 76. Tanner Valentine Jr. LB ■ 77. Sahmir King Jr. DB ■ 78. Ignacio Olvera Sr. DB ■ 79. Angel Garza Jr. RB/DB ■ 80. Zarius Burch So DL ■ 81. Octavian Demory Fr. DB ■ 82. Ramone Aragon Fr. DB ■ 83. Tae Young So TE ■ 84. Keshon Wright Fr. DB ■ 85. Cesar Villalbos Fr. DB ■ 86. Jeremy Montalvo Fr. DB ■ 87. Conner Perry So WR ■ 88. Ethan Reeves Sr. WR ■ 90. Giovanni Martinez Jr. LB ■ 91. Ronald Penado Sr. LB ■ 92. TJ Putman Jr. DB ■ 94. Jarrious Harris So DB ■ 95. Jimmy Mai Sr. LB ■ 96. Alfredo Ruiz Jr. DB ■ 97. Jean Richmond Jr. DB ■ 98. Khaliq Maddox Jr. RB ■ 99. Malique Stringer Sr.
