Photos Andy Calvert
The Cass Colonels finished the 23-24 season 7-6, with a playoff berth as the 4th seed in mighty Region 7-AAAAA. In spite of being a 4th seed, they would beat Kell and Mays on the road, before falling to eventual state champion Coffee.
Throughout the spring, OTA’s and 7on7’s have looked promising, with Cass paying a visit to the annual Kirby Smart 7on7 tournament. However, the Class of 2024 at Cass left behind a pedigree that, according to head coach Steve Gates, will be hard to build off of.
“To continue to build off of this 24’ class, it will be harder to maintain success and keep going deeper into the playoffs. They (the Class of 2024) put us on the map, and really bought into this program to the fullest.”
The expectations and goals will still be to make deep playoff runs, but a new crop of players will have to step up to achieve those goals. Although, the “brackets can be hit or miss,” according to Coach Gates.
So far, there have been some areas of improvement that need to be addressed before region play. Losing a three-headed monster in UGA’s Sacovie White, Liberty’s Devin Henderson, and Findlay’s Kevin Henderson is bound to leave a few spots in the depth chart open. Gates claims that a few receivers need to step up, along with a few linebackers.
Gates has implemented a spread offense but will go with multiple complex sets if needed. On defense, the Colonels run a 3-4, but will also jump into 3-stacks or 4-man fronts.
For the 24-25 season, Cass has a multitude of big names to keep your eyes focused on. Of course, there is the star QB in Brodie McWhorter, who is committed to West Virginia. Additionally, on both sides of the line, there is Kail Ellis, who is a verbal commit to Auburn. Bear McWhorter is another lineman upfront for Coach Gates, who holds more than 25 Power 5 offers. At TE, Chase Tatum holds numerous D1 offers as well. Jakai Baldwin, Ian Williams, and Jah Anderson are some names in the secondary and receiver core to be on the lookout for. Braylon Hill returns, while Taye McGivens is another name that “won’t come off the field,” in the words of Gates. McGivens will spend most of his time on the O and D lines. Malachi Harris will lead the LB core, and Izak Koep is a sophomore who will see valuable time receiving the ball.
After losing a star-studded 2024 class, The Colonels look like they have reloaded, and are primed for yet another deep playoff run.
