Langston Hughes High School Football Player Prentiss Air Noland Named ITG Next Georgia Male Athlete of the Month for December 2022
Langston Hughes High School junior QB Prentiss Air Noland is the ITG Next Georgia Male Athlete of the Month for December 2022, presented by Georgia Farm Bureau Insurance. Noland received the majority of votes in a close contest that included three other candidates: Gainesville LB Jeremiah Telander, Carrollton freshman phenom QB Julian “JuJu” Lewis, and Benedictine standout ATH Za’Quan Bryan.
Noland led the Panthers to a second consecutive GHSA Class 6A state championship game, winning the title this year after losing on a last-second FG attempt in 2021. There would be no last-minute scenario this year, as Hughes won 35-28 over Gainesville, capping off a perfect 15-0 season.
The junior standout led an offense that set the Georgia high school state record for points per game average, with Hughes scoring at least 35 points per game over the 2022 season. He also led an offense that set the state record for points in a single season, with 795 points scored this past season.
Even with an outstanding overall performance throughout the 2022 season, it was his play during December that led to his nomination for Athlete of the Month. The signal caller led his team to a 42-3 runaway win over Rome in the semifinal game, then the 7-point win over the Red Elephants in the championship match. In the two games combined, Noland completed 39 of 45 pass attempts for 505 yards and an incredible 87% completion percentage. Six of those completions were for TDs.
When told that he had been voted our Male Athlete of the Month, Noland said, “Being nominated and winning the Athlete of the Month award was a very nice gesture, and I’m very thankful to Coach Boone (Hughes head coach Daniel “Boone” Williams), ITG Next, and all those who supported me and voted for me.”
Speaking of coach Boone, the Panthers head coach said, “Air is a kid who practices championship behaviors daily; on and off the field, he leads by example all while being a vocal leader.”
Air Noland’s father, Prentiss Noland, talked about the journey with his son that has led to him being a truly great QB.
“It took a lot of hard work as he was growing up, making sure he understood the game of football and the discipline and structure that goes into developing into a really solid QB,” his father said. “I was very tough on Air; I’m not going to lie. We put in a lot of reps and work every single day, and I’m talking about before and after practice. Just learning how to take snaps the right way was something we worked on a lot, at least 200 snaps per day.”
The elder Noland said that his son was blessed with really good coaches, which helped tremendously with his development.
“Being under coach Andrico Hines (the Hughes OC) has helped him so much,” his father said. “Air has learned a lot under Coach Hines.”
He added that teaching his son about the art of communicating has helped on and off the field.
“Me and Air would sit in the car for a long time before practice learning how to handle interviews and how to handle the on-the-field stuff,” he said.
Air Noland’s mother is Audrey Gill.
The left handed signal-caller is 6-foot-3 and weighs right at 200 pounds. He is rated as a four-star recruit. Despite receiving tons of attention from colleges, Noland remains uncommitted.
Congratulations to Langston Hughes’s Prentiss Air Noland, the ITG Next Georgia Male Athlete of the Month for December 2022, presented by Georgia Farm Bureau Insurance.
