Photos Andy Calvert
Cedartown rounded out last season with an 8-4 record, falling in the 2nd round of the state playoffs. They placed 2nd in the region behind Central-Carrollton and were defeated in the 2nd round by a team they beat the previous year to make it to the state championship in North Oconee 35-9.
Throughout the summer and spring, the Bulldogs have battled week in and week out, by participating in OTA’s and 7on7s, going to different schools, and even hosting a camp of their own during the summer.
“Spring practice is always a chance for us to see who could help us down the road and get a lot of reps for a lot of guys to help build depth,” says Head Coach Jamie Abrams. “Being able to see the growth and build that growth is important for any team, and being able to translate it is an even greater thing.”
As for goals and expectations, winning the region is a big-time goal. However, making the state championship is the end goal. The expectation is that these guys show up and show out, and are willing to put in the work needed to be successful. The expectations won’t change for anything.
Of course, the Bulldogs made the state championship two years ago, falling by one point to Benedictine. They made the final four the previous season, and have had a few more successful seasons during Jamie Abrams’ tenure. Cedartown will look to keep on pushing for the ultimate prize and will continue to look to be elite in the state for years to come.
On offense and defense, Abrams tends to stay multiple on both. Running different packages and personnel is key to just keeping defenses on their heels and offenses scared to do anything. Nowadays, being able to run different styles of football is apparent in just about every program. Many teams have switched up their systems, but Cedartown’s smash-mouth brand of football will be ever-present this season.
In terms of key players, Abrams referred to an abundance of names that people need to look for this football season. He will look to Juelz Davis, who was the leading rusher last season, Isaiah Johnson, Tae Harris, Michael Gibbons Jr., PeeWee Price, Sam Smith, and Rohan Kent to carry the ball. At receiver, Demarcus Gardner, who was the leading receiver last year, returns along with Astin Turner, Quinlan Cothron, Davion Smith, and Bryant Waddell. Linemen competing for starting jobs include Anderson Kinard, Lucas Neal, Rhys Smith, Orlando Lopez, Tyler Wade, TJ Smith, Daylen Holiday, Chris Johnson, and Taylor Ruark.
On defense, there is of course an All-State DB in Tae Harris, a Clemson commit. However, the Dawgs also return their leading tackler in Michael Giddens Jr., and Jakoby Diamond, who was the region’s DL of the year. Additionally, Sam Smith, Daylen Holiday, Chris Johnson, Isaiah Johnson, Demarcus Gardner, Juelz Davis, and Astin Turner will get reps on an extremely deep defensive front. PeeWee Price, Taylor Ruark, Quinlan Cothron, and Rohan Kent are other names to watch this year for the Bulldogs.
Winning breeds expectations, and the Bulldogs will look to make another run at exceeding them this season.
