The 2024 Red Zone Review

Excitement for the 2024 high school football season has bubbled up, and we are ready to go. This season is Georgia’s turn to reclassify and Tennessee’s regions are set. Let’s take a look at what to expect in Southeast Tennessee and North Georgia starting in August.

Tennessee Div. II-AAA – East

Quake: After McCallie won the state championship in 2023, their long-time head coach Ralph Potter stepped down and handed the reins to offensive coordinator Joel Bradford. The Blue Tornado will have to replace a ton of talent. They will be led on defense by Vanderbilt commit Carson Lawrence and linebacker Bear Cortes. McCallie will infuse new blood and reload looking to defend their title. Baylor’s backup quarterback Briggs Cherry has paid his dues and now looks to lead an offense with plenty of talent. Running back Shekai Mills-Knight burst onto the scene last year and is on everyone’s recruiting radar with offers from Tennessee, Auburn, Alabama, Ohio State, and Michigan, to name a few. Cameron Sparks is also a highly recruited wide receiver/defensive back. Prediction: Winner of Baylor vs. McCallie wins region again this year. And that will be Baylor. Unless George MacIntyre and Brentwood Academy have something to say about it. Contender: Brentwood Academy

Tennessee Div. II-AA – East

Cowboy Joe: It’s year three for Gary Rankin as head coach of Boyd-Buchanan. The second year had the Buccaneers playing in the state championship game, but the Bucs came up a bit short in their title bid versus Christian Presbyterian Academy. Quarterback Houston Hicks will look to make up for the loss of playmaker Jaylon Sanderfer and other key players. Grant Reynolds will look to get the CCS Chargers back on track. Notre Dame named Brent Hill as the replacement for Charles Fant as the head football coach for the Irish. Can he bring the Notre Dame squad back to relevance? Running back EJ Carter will be a huge part of Notre Dame’s rebuilding. Silverdale will lean on a number of players to bounce back from a disappointing season last year. Running back/linebacker Landon Deitch will be one of the Seahawks’ main playmakers. Winner: Boyd-Buchanan, Contender: Knox Webb

Tennessee 6A – Region 2

Quake: Bradley Central had its best season in a long time a year ago losing to Oakland in the semi’s and beating Maryville twice. Head coach Damon Floyd remains the longest tenured coach in our area. The Bears lost a lot to graduation but will be anchored by Mason Goree and Zayne McIntosh defensively. Cleveland head coach Chandler Tygard looks to improve on his fast-paced offense in year number two. The Blue Raiders’ junior class is loaded and experienced. Cash Bandy could be the starter as quarterback and running back/defensive back Isaiah Davis will contribute a lot of touches. Cleveland has become very savvy with off-the-field slogans, social media presence, and a whole lot of swagger. Prediction: Maryville gets back to the top.
Contender: Cleveland

Tennessee 5A – Region 4

Cowboy Joe: Defending region champs Walker Valley will look to replace the big-time production of quarterback Evan Schwarzl with Dosen Stum. East Hamilton will be replacing a number of upperclassmen and will try to fill the holes of other playmakers who have departed. Quarterback Trey Crawford, running back/linebacker Michael Hinton, and playmaker Vanzale Hinton are among the biggest names to leave East Hamilton via graduation or transfer. Another name to leave Walker Valley is Defensive Coordinator Taylor Harvey. Harvey was named as the new Rhea County football coach. It was a lackluster year for the Rhea County Golden Eagles in 2023. It might take a year or two to build depth, but I think the Eagles can thrive under Coach Harvey. James “Goose” Manning continues his rebuild at Ooltewah and Howard looks to get their first winning season since 2020. This region is a tough one to call. However, I think McMinn County will bounce back to take the region title. Winner: McMinn County, Contender: Walker Valley

Tennessee 4A – Region 3

Quake: New Soddy Daisy coach Josh Owensby will be familiar with the region after spending time at Hixson earlier in his career. The Trojans will also have new turf and are excited for the new look. Red Bank’s head coach Ted Gatewood will look to replace Kobe Smith, who signed with Duke. In recent years the Lions’ trench play has been outstanding, so expect that to continue. Hixson second year head coach Nick Rivers III will get injured quarterback Luke Finch back and that will free up Chase Barnard to be a baller at linebacker and multiple offensive positions. East Ridge looks to improve and recoup the momentum they seized after making the playoffs last year. Signal Mountain hires veteran coach Mark Mariakis to lead the Eagles as they will try to improve on last year’s three wins. Prediction: Seems as if it always comes down to Red Bank vs. Loudon. Contender: Hixson

Tennessee 3A – Region 3

Cowboy Joe: Could this be the year that Chattanooga Central gets over the hump? It’s not going to be easy in this region, but with quarterback Caden Jones and dynamic athlete Ronye Watson, the Pounders have the tools to make some noise. Tyner won the state title in 2022 but only won four games last year. Obviously, it was a disappointing season for the Rams, but keep in mind they played all their games on the road. They will have the same fate in 2024 as they wait for the completion of their new stadium. I think we will see a better Tyner Rams team in 2024. Meigs County lost their coach Tommy Bunch to region foe Sweetwater. Nathan Simbeck is stepping in to take over as head coach. The Tigers had an undefeated regular season last year but lost in the quarterfinals to Giles County. Coach Simbeck will look to continue the winning ways. Winner: Meigs County, Contender: Chattanooga Central

Tennessee 3A – Region 4

Cowboy Joe: Sequatchie County is on the move up with Sam Evitts under center. Evitts has a big-time arm and is smart with the football. Sequatchie will rely heavily on his talents along with a number of young and talented playmakers. They lose wide receiver Braylon Long to graduation, but return wide receiver Jackson Tate and running back Kason Hicks. This could be a fantastic year for Sequatchie County. However, they will have to go through recent powerhouse Giles County. Grundy County nearly achieved a .500 season in 2023. That was their best record since 2014 when they finished with the same record at 5-6. Will 2024 be as fruitful for Grundy County? It could be, but it’s still a tough climb to the top in this region. Community and Watertown will offer little resistance to the Giles County. and Sequatchie. Winner: Giles County, Contender: Sequatchie County

Tennessee 2A – Region 4

Quake: Marion County and their head coach Tim Starkey return a solid core of players including quarterback Tilton Pickett from a team that made a nice playoff run to the second round last year. Ashton Martin and Taylor Scharber are back to solidify the offensive backfield and versatile running back Sam Pickett is the Swiss army knife, do-it-all player that any team would want. He has SoCon offers from the Chattanooga Mocs and more. The Warriors will play a non-region schedule that includes East Hamilton, Central, and Tyner. Those games will be big tests. Prediction: Marion County wins the region, Contender: Fayetteville

Tennessee 1A – Region 3

Cowboy Joe: To say that South Pittsburg rolled to a state title in 2023 would be an understatement. They gave up 48 points in the regular season and only 20 points in the playoffs. The offensive numbers? I’m glad you asked. South Pitt averaged 38 PPG in the regular season. Will they continue their dominance in 2024? We will see. Whitwell and Sale Creek had successful years. Sale Creek head coach Jason Fitzgerald hopes to have the Panthers ready to contend for a region title. It was a record-breaking year for Sale Creek, and I expect to see great things for this program in the future. Lookout Valley hopes to put a win on the board this year and Chattanooga Prep gained valuable experience last year. It was their first year in the region, and they came away with three wins. There are a lot of contenders in this region but it still goes through South Pittsburg. This would be a competitive region if those pesky Pirates were not included. It was an impressive 2023 for the Pirates and the success will continue in 2024. Winner: South Pittsburg, Contender: Sale Creek

Georgia AAAA – Region 7

Cowboy Joe: It’s that time – realignment time in Georgia. Dalton goes from 5A to 4A. Along with the region change, Dalton will also be looking to replace key playmakers from last year’s team. They lose senior running back Adriel Hernandez and wide receivers Bubba Tanner and RJ Storey, among others. The biggest loss for the Catamounts will be at the quarterback position. Senior quarterback Ethan Long, who accounted for 31 TDs last year, transferred to Adairsville. Big losses on the offensive side of the ball could mean a more patient offense in 2024. This will be the first time since 2011 that Southeast Whitfield and Northwest Whitfield will be in separate classifications. However, the two will continue their heated rivalry game. With only one win in 2023, Southeast hopes this classification will have greener pastures. That being said, it could be a long season for the Raiders. Winner: Cartersville, Contender: Cedartown

Georgia AAA – Region 7

Cowboy Joe: Many of this region’s teams look to improve on average 2023 seasons. The Heritage Generals lose wide receiver/defensive back Max Owens and 2023 Defensive Region Player of the Year linebacker Evan Wingrove to graduation. However, EK Slaughter knows how to get the most out of his teams. NW Whitfield made the playoffs last year after an absence in 2022. Before that, the Bruins had seven consecutive playoff appearances. NW Whitfield’s success will largely be based on All-Region running back/linebacker Caden Ramsey’s performance and leadership. After losing four straight games to end the year, the Bruins will look to end the season in a much stronger fashion. Ethan Thompson takes over the reigns as the new LaFayette Ramblers football coach. Can he reverse the fortunes of a three-win team? Time will tell. Former North Georgia powerhouse Ridgeland hopes to get their first win since August 2021 and regain some of their swagger from days past. Calhoun, who went 6-4 last year, only had one loss of more than 7 points. This program is no stranger to success so I expect a good season for the Yellow Jackets. Winner: Calhoun, Contender: NW Whitfield

Georgia AA – Region 7

Quake: Ringgold’s head coach Austin Crisp returns multi-sport athlete Haddon Fries at running back and Garrett Edgar at quarterback. Speedy wide receiver Kishaun Taylor provides athleticism as he returns to his position. The Tigers return four defensive starters including linebacker Bryce Hart. Coahulla Creek’s top priority will be to replace quarterback Chase Ward, who racked up 1,932 yards of total offense last year. For Coach Drew Carter and the Colts, Chevy Joyce leads the defense up front anchored by Tyler Douglas. LFO’s head coach Mac Bryan, along with quarterback Darian Keefe, look to improve on last year’s 2-8 record. The Warriors will lean on Donovan Vandergriff to lead the defense. Prediction: Rockmart, North Cobb Christian, and Union County will be the favorites in this region, so our area teams will be fighting for a playoff spot. Contender: Ringgold

Georgia Div. I-A – Region 7

Quake: One thing that will be very different this year in Georgia is that the private schools in 1A through 3A will be competing for just one private school state title. Christian Heritage returns quarterback Carter Triplett coming off an impressive junior year. The Lions look to improve on a 5-6 record from last year. If Gordon Lee can stay healthy, this move to a new region should benefit them greatly. The Trojans only lost six seniors and will return almost all of their skill players and most of their linemen. The team will be junior and senior heavy with a lot of young guys getting experience last year. Coming off a 6-6 season last year that ended in the second round of the playoffs, Dade County and head coach Jeff Poston will return starting quarterback Bryson Shrader, three wide receivers, and three offensive linemen. However, replacing stud running back/linebacker Landon Williams will be tough. Time for young blood to step up. Prediction: Fannin County is probably the favorite to win this region. Contender: Gordon Lee