With the GHSA reclassification process reducing the total number of classes from eight to seven starting with the 2024 season, the landscape for many Georgia high school football teams has changed. Along with changing classifications, many teams will see changes to their existing regions as new teams join and longtime region foes leave.
We’ve already given you previews of the changes awaiting four other defending state champions: the Milton Eagles, the Thomas County Central Yellow Jackets, the Coffee Trojans, and the Perry Panthers.
This week we take a look at the changes awaiting the Cedar Grove Saints and the Pierce County Bears. Here’s a look at their 2024 schedules, including matchups that many fans will have circled as “can’t miss” games this season.
Only 3 Non-Region Games for Cedar Grove in 2024 Football Season
Cedar Grove won the Class 3A state championship last season, their fifth state title in the past eight seasons, but it didn’t come easy.
The Saints started the 2023 season with a 2-5 record with a brutal non-region schedule. They then responded with eight straight wins, including five consecutive playoff wins. The Saints put the exclamation point on the incredible comeback to end their season with a 49-28 win over Savannah Christian in the Class 3A state championship game.
However, things will look very different for Cedar Grove head football coach John Adams and his team in 2024, and that’s not a bad thing for the Saints. In fact, the path to a fourth consecutive trip to the state title game may be less daunting than it’s ever been.
Cedar Grove remains in Class 3A and will technically still be a member of Region 5 for the 2024 football season, but that’s where the similarities to last year end. Cedar Grove’s only returning region opponent from last year is Douglass. Sandy Creek and Carver (Atlanta) will not be back in the region.
The new Region 5-3A will have twice as many teams as last year. Those teams are Cedar Grove, Douglass, Luella, Mt. Zion, North Clayton, Riverdale, Stephenson, and Stone Mountain.
Yes, it’s more teams, but the 2023 combined record of Cedar Grove’s new region mates was 28-48 overall and 13-24 in region play.
With an eight-team region, the Saints will play seven region contests. That leaves three non-region opponents: Collins Hill, Monarch out of Florida, and Heath out of Texas.
Stephenson will likely be the main challenger to Cedar Grove for the 2024 region title, unless the Saints have a major collapse this football season. But with the amount of returning talent, that doesn’t look likely for the defending state champs.
RB Bo Walker Leads Cedar Grove’s Offensive Returners in 2024 Football Season
Leading the eight returners on offense this season is senior running back Bo Walker. The University of Georgia commit finished last season with 1,480 yards rushing on 250 carries. That includes a sensational performance in the Saints’ 49-28 win over Savannah Christian to clinch the Class 3A state championship; he rushed 18 times for 129 yards and two TDs.
The other returning seniors are wide receiver Andrew Leslie, athlete Lemacio Martin, and offensive lineman Javon Braden.
Also back this year on offense are juniors Devin Carter at wide receiver and Desean Hendrix at tight end.
Sophomore wide receiver Jordan Christie is back, as is fellow sophomore tight end Quentavious Price.
Safety Tony “Nine” Forney Leads Cedar Grove’s Defensive Returners in 2024 Football Season
Junior safety Tony Forney leads a group of five returning starters on defense this season. The standout defensive back has offers from Pitt and Temple.
Forney had a big interception at the end of the first half in last year’s state title game versus Savannah Christian, which led to a TD one play later and gave the Saints a two-touchdown lead headed into the locker room.
Other defensive starters returning are defensive end and inside linebacker Javon Beckford, inside linebacker Keith Bass, defensive back and linebacker Zsewaun Smith, and defensive back D’Marcus Clements. The four returning defenders are all seniors.
The Cedar Grove players, coaches, and fans enter the 2024 football season remembering LeMarcus Parks, a defensive end who died this offseason in a car accident in the Atlanta area.
Cedar Grove Head Football Coach John Adams on the 2024 Season
“Our area of strength this year will be our defensive line and our defensive backs,” Adams said. “We will be explosive on offense with all skill guys coming back. Another strength will be our experience and leadership.”
Adams said one of their main areas of concern is replacing signal caller EJ Colson, who reclassified a year earlier than expected, leaving Cedar Grove to join the Knights at the University of Central Florida.
“We had key players that left, but we also have some solid guys coming back, and we have great coaches,” Adams said. “The next man will be prepared and ready to step up and fill those holes.”
New Look Region for Pierce County Includes 3 Playoff Teams From 2023 in 2024 Football Season
The Pierce County Bears enter the 2024 football season looking to defend their state championship from last year, and they’ll have to navigate a region that looks quite different with the new reclassification taking effect.
They remain in Class 2A and will return to Region 3 for the 2024-2026 seasons, but it will look very different compared to last year.
The only other returning region teams are Appling County and Tattnall County. Pierce County and Appling County have battled for region supremacy as region foes. Appling County was the only team to hand the Bears a loss last season with a 17-14 win in Week 6. Pierce County defeated Tattnall County 31-0 last season.
Joining the region this season is Cook, who won the Region 1-2A title with a perfect 6-0 mark while finishing 11-3 overall and advancing to the Class 2A semifinals in 2023. Cook actually defeated Appling County last year 24-14 in the second round of the playoffs.
Crisp County moves from Region 1 in Class 3A to join Region 3-2A this year. The Cougars advanced to the Class 3A quarterfinals last season.
2024 Football Schedule Includes Trips to Brooks County, Wayne County for Pierce County
The Bears’ non-region schedule includes a semifinalist from 2023 and a team that played for a state title last year.
Pierce County will open the season at home on Aug. 23 against Coosa Christian from Alabama. The Conquerors played for the Alabama Class 1A state championship in 2023, losing in the title game and finishing the season 9-6 overall.
After the home opener against Coosa Christian, Pierce County will host Brantley County, who will be led by new head coach David Shores, on Aug. 30.
Pierce County will then hit the road for three of their next four non-region contests, with trips to Wayne County on Sept. 6, Brooks County on Sept. 20, and then to Vidalia on Sept. 27. Brantley County and Vidalia are no longer in the same region as Pierce County.
A home game on Sept. 13 against New Hampstead will break up the road trips between Wayne County and Brooks County.
The region schedule will open up with the Bears hosting Cook on Oct. 4. Following an open date the next week, Pierce County returns to region action with a trip to Cordele to face off against new region foe Crisp County on Oct. 18. Pierce County returns home to face Tattnall County on Oct. 25 before closing out the regular season at Appling County on Nov. 1.
Pierce County Must Rebuild Line of Scrimmage, But Returns Skill Players for 2024 Football Season
According to Pierce County head football coach Ryan Herring, the line of scrimmage on both sides has to be rebuilt.
“We will return five offensive starters and six defensive starters,” Herring said. “We lost all but one player on both offense and defensive fronts, so we will return one offensive lineman and one defensive lineman. That’s it. We’ve got to rebuild both front lines almost totally.”
The good news is that many of the skill players who helped the Bears score 502 points last season are returning this season.
“We return our QB and three wide receivers, plus a left guard on offense,” Herring said.
The quarterback is Caden McGatha, who returns for his senior season. In 2023 McGatha rushed for 2,155 yards while throwing for 2,053 yards to become just the second QB in Georgia high school football history to surpass 2,000 yards rushing and 2,000 yards passing in a season.
In the state title game against Rockmart, a game that went into overtime three times, McGatha took over, rushing 53 times for 244 yards and four TDs. He also threw for two TDs.
Two-way standout Carson Sloan will be missed. He also came up big last year and in the state title game. He had nine tackles with four sacks in the championship game and scored two TDs. He also handled the punting chores last year for the Bears.
Pierce County Head Football Coach Ryan Herring on the 2024 Season
“With Appling County, Cook, Crisp, and Pierce County all in one region, it’s definitely the toughest region in 2A,” Herring said. “It’s gonna be a war every week.”
