Freshman Phenom
While Cass had several upperclassmen to fill the team’s leadership roles, Freshman Devin Henderson, nephew of Georgia Bulldog great, Keith Henderson, has been fantastic so far at quarterback. His electrifying play and maturity beyond his years has been an unexpected plus for those unfamiliar with the Cass program and certainly a catalyst for the early-season success.
“I haven’t had too many freshman throughout the course of my coaching career that have Devin’s level of maturity,” says Gates. “He’s just a different kid. His character is off the charts, and he leads by example off the field. You can’t coach that. As for his on-field performance, he is getting better every week. He still has room to grow physically and as a player and if he keeps progressing like he is, the power five offers will start rolling in.”

Freshman Devin Henderson
Region Play
Next on Cass’s schedule is a date with rival Cartersville, a respected program around the state, and recently had their 62 game regular-season win streak snapped by Cherokee. This game starts region play for the Colonels, and to say the going gets tougher from here would be an understatement. Games against familiar foes Hiram and Woodland will see Cass favored, but Cartersville, Calhoun, and Blessed Trinity are all considered powerhouses.
A win against any of those schools would be huge, but taking care of business against Hiram and Woodland will send Gates and his team to the playoffs, barring the ever-present threat of cancellations due to Covid-19. That would be the first playoff berth for the program since 2006.
“Nothing is guaranteed this year other than the fact that we are going to line up against every team we play expected to win,” says Gates. “We have three of the top five schools in our classification in this region, and I’d put all three in the top 15 statewide after watching their film.
We can’t control what they do, but we can control what we do, and we are going in with a plan to win. Will we take some bumps, sure, but I like where we are headed and want nothing more for these seniors and this community than to make the playoffs.”