This is the first in a series of previews I’ll be bringing you each week featuring last season’s state champions. We start with Class 3A’s Sandy Creek as the Patriots get ready for 2023 spring practice and the defense of their 2022 state title.
The Sandy Creek Patriots head into the 2023 season ready to defend their Class 3A state championship with a new head coach, a new quarterback, and a lot of new faces on both sides of the ball, but Darius Smiley can’t wait for the challenge.
“I’m ready to get started,” Smiley said.
Coach Smiley was hired this offseason to replace Brett Garvin, who decided to retire after leading the Patriots to their first state title in 10 years. Sandy Creek was 48-19 in Garvin’s six seasons, and the Patriots program has won four state titles since 2005, including last year.
Smiley was the head coach at Central Carrollton for the last six years, but he has his sights now on his new team and the challenge of maintaining the Patriots’ winning ways.
“I’m ready for the challenge of maintaining the winning tradition that Sandy Creek has enjoyed here,” Smiley said. “I want to keep Sandy Creek up there as a premiere program in the state.”
The Patriots’ new head coach will have some key coaches sticking around to help him do just that, as most of the staff will remain. That includes defensive coordinator and strength and conditioning coach Brandon Murphy, along with defensive line coach Cornelius Godfrey.
On offense, Smiley said returning running backs coach Bo Heard and wide receivers coach Karsten Bailey will serve as the team’s co-offensive coordinators. Nick Davis will remain on staff to coach the offensive line. Smiley said he is still looking to hire two new defensive coaches to help primarily with the secondary this season.
As far as the team’s personnel is concerned, there are some holes to fill, starting with the quarterback position. Smiley will have to replace the Region 5-3A Player of the Year and a two-time All-State selection in Geimere Latimer, who converted a 4th-and-22 on his own during the final two minutes of last year’s state title game against Cedar Grove. That kept the Patriots’ drive alive and enabled them to ultimately score the winning TD to capture the 3A championship. Latimer has graduated and is off to Jacksonville State.
“We will likely move Dalen Penson to quarterback this season,” Smiley told us.
The rising junior played several roles for the Patriots last season, lining up mostly at wide receiver, but he also took a few snaps at QB in relief of Latimer. He is also a defensive back and a punter who averaged 33.1 yards per kick last season.
“We are going to have to figure out how to best use him this season,” Smiley said.
Sophomore Amari Latimer will become the team’s feature running back this season.
“He is a very hard worker and is well put together,” Smiley said of Latimer.
As a freshman, Latimer rushed for 648 yards with 7 TDs. He also had 20 catches out of the backfield with 154 yards receiving and 2 TDs.
With Penson’s potential move to QB, Smiley said returning WR Keyshon Kenny has the opportunity to step up and play an even larger role with the Patriots this season. The rising senior caught 19 passes for 304 yards and 4 TDs last year.
Smiley said the team will lose four of the five starting offensive lineman from last season, with Justin Moore the lone returning starter.
Defense Must Replace All But One Returning Starter
While the offense has a few key players returning in 2023, Smiley says the Sandy Creek Patriots will have to work a bit harder on the defensive side of the ball.
“We will have a lot of new faces on defense this year,” Smiley acknowledged.
Senior defensive lineman Cohen Jordan is the team’s lone starter returning from last year. The 6-foot, 1-inch, 225-pound DE had 2 sacks with 19 tackles, including 4 tackles for loss.
Smiley admitted he will look to some of the younger players and “guys who were in the background” last season to step up and compete for starting jobs in 2023. Two names Smiley pointed to are rising sophomores Chase Usher (DB) and Evan Harvey (DE).
“Evan is a 6-foot, 3-inch, 250-pound good-looking kid. We will be expecting a lot from him this season,” he said.
Smiley said despite the loss of most of the defensive starters to graduation, he has confidence in his returning defensive coordinator: “Coach Murphy will have us ready to go, no matter what.”
Sandy Creek will return junior kicker Jakob Norris, who connected on 2 of his 4 FG attempts last season and converted 53 of 61 PATs. All-Region LB Joel Reid, who also served as the team’s long snapper, has graduated.
Does the new Sandy Creek head coach feel any pressure taking over a state championship team, where expectations for the Patriots will be sky high heading into the 2023 season?
“There’s going to be pressure with every job in Georgia high school football,” Smiley said.
