In our ongoing series of spring high school football updates of various teams across Georgia, we take a look at Collins Hill and Northside (Warner Robins).
I had a chance to speak to Collins Hill head football coach Drew Swick and new Northside head football coach Daniel “Boone” Williams about spring workouts and how they feel about their respective teams heading into the summer.
Collins Hill Eagles Look Solid in Spring, Including Both QBs
Swick is entering his third season as head coach at Collins Hill, and after a transition season in 2023, Swick led the Eagles to an 11-2 season in 2024 with one of the state’s best defensive units.
Collins Hill is coming off a solid spring that started off with an exceptional practice the first day and ended with the Eagles traveling to Norcross to battle the Blue Devils in each team’s spring-ending scrimmage. Swick was all smiles on his team’s performance.
“We started off spring with a spirited group,” Swick said. “That was one of the best day ones of any spring we have had since I’ve been here.”
That carried over through the rest of spring and into the team’s scrimmage at Norcross, where Swick said he liked what he saw from his team.
“Honestly, I thought our team really dominated in all three phases, and that was very encouraging,” he said.
Swick will have to replace a large part of the squad that made up last season’s roster, but he also returns many of the key pieces of last year’s 11-win, quarterfinals squad.
“We have to replace 31 seniors, and those guys have been a part of this team’s ups and downs over the past four seasons,” Swick said.
Despite losing that experience and leadership, Swick said his team will bring back eight starters on offense and eight starters on defense.
“Not only are we bringing back several starters on both sides, but we had nine new kids move in this offseason,” he said.
Swick pointed out a few players that really stood out this spring, including the play of both quarterbacks.
“We’ve got two QBs that really competed this spring, and I like both of them a lot,” he said.
Junior Makyree “Dudda” Cross took most of the snaps last season as a sophomore, throwing for 1,725 yards and 15 TDs, but senior AJ Bush, who played sparingly last year, looked really solid in spring, according to Swick, and he’ll see the field a lot in 2025.
“Both of those guys can run and throw it, and I’m probably going to use both of them this year,” Swick said.
Swick said his team’s biggest strengths in 2025 will literally be both the defensive and offensive lines.
“We got bigger on the offensive line,” he said. “We will be averaging around 6-foot-5-inches and 320 pounds with those guys, and we’ve added a ton of depth to our defensive line.”
Swick said the line will be anchored by Ari Shepherd, a 6-foot-5, 319-pound senior.
Speaking of the defensive line, Collins Hill will once again field one of the best defensive units in the state, led by four-star defensive lineman Deuce Geralds and four-star edge Katrell Webb.
Others whom Swick singled out include senior wide receiver and running back Trey Lawrence, who impressed at Norcross; wide receiver Gavin Schumann; and junior running back Maddox Henderson. Swick also said the team will return senior kicker Phillip Bonacci, whom Kohl’s Kicking Camps rates as the No. 5 kicker in Georgia.
Former Hughes Head Coach Daniel “Boone” Williams Looking to Bring Winning Ways Back to Northside Football
Williams got a chance to see his new Northside team in action with eight spring workouts followed by a scrimmage against Mt. Zion (Jonesboro).
“The spring went good,” Williams said of his team’s effort. “It took the players and coaches a few days to get with the groove of practice. We had eight very good, spirited practices, and the players definitely responded to what I was asking them to do.”
As far as the scrimmage game, Williams was impressed with the overall effort, especially from his defense.
“The final score was 14-7 with our defense giving up zero points,” Williams said. “Mt. Zion got their only touchdown of the night by recovering a high snap in the end zone.”
Williams pointed out a few players who performed well this spring and are emerging as leaders for the team heading into 2025.
“On our defense, junior Amaury Fountain, one of our defensive backs; junior Elijah Patmon, a defensive tackle; and senior Shemar Scott, a defensive lineman have all stepped up so far,” Williams said.
Offensively, Williams singled out junior running back Jaxson Rowe, senior wide receiver Briston Blasingame, and quarterback Justin “JD” Garman, who will be a freshman. Garman actually led the Northside offense in the spring game, which underscores that the 2025 Northside Eagles will play a lot of youth.
“We will definitely be young in the fall,” Williams said. “Coming out of spring ball, we only have maybe five or six seniors that will start for us, which means we will have seven freshmen that will contribute on the varsity this season.
“We look forward to having a great summer, but also a very tough, learning summer.”
