For some, it’s the day we’re all waiting for: Habersham Central High School recently finalized its 2024 varsity football schedule and it’s here!
I’ve taken a look at each team on the slate to look at what the Raiders will be up against in the fall and written up scouting reports on each opponent.
Disclaimer: There is a lot of information and a lot of numbers included below. If you’re a stats nerd – like I can be at times – proceed.
If you don’t care for all the numbers, check out our graphic containing the schedule to see when and where the Raiders will play, starting with the scrimmage on August 2 against Oconee County.
Now, let’s get into the fun!
August 2 – Oconee County Warriors (Scrimmage) – Home
HEAD COACH: Ben Hall (3rd season)
2023 RECORD: 5-7, 3-2 Region 8-AAA
POSTSEASON: No. 2 seed; Beat Douglass in first round 28-14, lost to Lumpkin County 45-42 in double overtime in Dahlonega in second round
2023 STATS: Scored 303 points, gave up 312 points; Passing: 96/182, 1,326 yards (110.5 yards per game), 9 touchdowns; Rushing: 447 carries, 2,354 yards (196.2 yards per game), 30 touchdowns
RETURNING PLAYMAKERS: The Warriors are returning players responsible for 32 of 39 total touchdowns.
Caiden Wood, an upcoming junior running back, did a lot for Oconee County in 2023.
Wood carried the ball 187 times for 950 yards and 17 touchdowns, including a 33-carry, 324-yard, five-touchdown performance against Lumpkin County in the state playoffs.
Wood also notched 18 receptions for 369 yards and five trips to the end zone.
Upcoming senior wide receiver James Holland completed his junior campaign with 44 catches for 522 yards and three scores.
Quarterback Titus Watkins, an upcoming senior, connected on 88-of-145 passing attempts for 1,129 passing yards, eight touchdowns, and two interceptions.
Watkins added 65 carries for 328 yards and four touchdowns in the run game.
The Warriors will have 19 defensive players returning that recorded at least one tackle in 2023. Those 19 players were responsible for 339 total tackles, six sacks, two tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, and two interceptions. The group is made up of 14 upcoming seniors and five upcoming juniors.
Upcoming junior linebacker Zach Weeks finished his sophomore campaign with 81 total tackles, a sack, an interception and a forced fumble.
ALL-TIME RECORD VS HCHS: 4-2
MOST RECENT MATCHUP: The Warriors have won four straight contests against the Raiders. The most recent game was 23 years ago when Oconee County took a 28-6 win on the road in Mt. Airy on Oct. 12, 2001.
August 16 – Stephens County Indians – Away
HEAD COACH: Wes Tankersley (7th season)
2023 RECORD: 10-2, 4-1 Region 8-AAA
2023 POSTSEASON: No. 1 seed; Beat Carver (Atlanta) 31-13 in first round, lost to Wesleyan 33-26 in second round
2023 STATS: Scored 394 points, allowed 173 points; Passing: 111/219, 1,533 yards (127.8 yards per game), 13 touchdowns; Rushing: 416 carries, 2,159 yards (179.9 yards per game), 26 touchdowns
RETURNING PLAYMAKERS: Stephens County is returning players responsible for 35 of 51 total touchdowns from a season ago. The Indians also return 1,745 of their 2,159 rushing yards and all 1,533 passing yards from 2023.
Upcoming senior running back Javin Gordon shouldered the load for the Indians in the run game with 274 carries for 1,635 yards (136.3 yards per game) and 20 touchdowns. He had eight games with more than 100 yards on the ground.
Gordon also tallied 19 receptions for 273 yards and two touchdowns. He finished 2023 with 142 kick return yards, 144 punt return yards, one punt returned for a touchdown and 2,194 all-purpose yards.
Tripp Underwood, the upcoming senior quarterback, was 110 of 217 on pass attempts for 1,523 yards (126.9 yards per game), 13 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
Upcoming junior Davon Swinton was an exciting two-way player for the Indians in 2023.
On the offensive side, Swinton had 11 receptions for 226 yards and three touchdowns.
On the defensive side of the ball, he recorded seven interceptions with 239 yards on those returns, including three returned for touchdowns. Swinton also returned a fumble for a touchdown.
Brock Tankersley, an upcoming senior receiver, had 17 receptions for 204 yards and two touchdowns in his junior season. He also tacked on 32 carries for 169 yards and a touchdown in the ground game.
On the defensive side, Tankersley returned a fumble and an interception for touchdowns.
The Indians’ kicker Luke Waters hit 46-of-48 point after touchdown (PAT) attempts and made 12-of-14 field goal tries with a 33-yard long.
Waters accounted for 82 points for the Indians in 2023.
On defense, over half of the total tackles from a year ago return in the form of nine seniors, five juniors and one sophomore.
Leading the pack on defense was upcoming senior cornerback Jonah Swinton with 95 total tackles, one tackle for loss, two interceptions, five passes defended, and one forced fumble.
Fellow upcoming seniors Garrett Addison (MLB) and Jakob Lunsford (DT) had 67 and 64 total tackles, respectively.
Addison had four tackles for loss, four sacks, eight hurries, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.
Lunsford had 18 tackles for loss, four sacks, one hurry and two fumble recoveries.
In total, the Indian defense is returning 52 tackles for loss, 12 sacks, 10-of-19 interceptions, 25-of-41 passes defended, 3-of-8 forced fumbles and 8-of-10 fumble recoveries.
ALL-TIME RECORD VS HCHS: 34-12-1
MOST RECENT MATCHUP: A 31-29 heartbreaker for Habersham fans as the Raiders led the entire game until an Indian field goal with five seconds left put the visitors ahead to start the 2023 season with a loss. Game story
August 23 – Flowery Branch Falcons – Away
HEAD COACH: Jason Tester (3rd season)
2023 RECORD: 5-6, 3-3 Region 8-AAAAA
2023 POSTSEASON: No. 4 seed; lost to Creekside, 63-6, in the first round on the road.
2023 STATS: Scored 325 points, allowed 349 points; Passing: 173/307, 2,532 yards (239.3 yards per game), 27 touchdowns; Rushing: 239 carries, 1,277 yards (116.1 yards per game), 15 touchdowns
RETURNING PLAYMAKERS: Returning one player responsible for 14 of 39 total touchdowns from 2023.
Upcoming senior wide receiver Jeremiah Ware is the only player returning to have scored from last fall. From his wide receiver spot, he brought in 50 catches for 1,132 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Only three other players that will return caught a pass, which accounted for four receptions and 23 yards.
In the backfield, Ware is also the only returning player to have thrown the ball for the Falcons, connecting on his one pass for 12 yards.
Flowery Branch is returning 42 of its 239 carries for 174 yards.
Upcoming junior Griffin Harper carried the ball 38 of those times for 161 yards.
Harper will also be the returning player with the most tackles for the Falcons. He totaled 21 tackles, one tackle for loss and two fumble recoveries.
Fellow upcoming junior Carter Jackson will be second with 19 total tackles and a sack in 2023.
Overall, the defense will bring back four seniors and seven juniors that recorded a tackle in the fall. They will account for 75-of-306 total tackles, one tackle for loss, one sack and two fumble recoveries.
ALL-TIME RECORD VS HCHS: 2-0
MOST RECENT MATCHUP: The Falcons and Raiders last played in 2011 when Flowery Branch offense popped off for 56 in a 25-point victory over the HCHS.
August 30 – White County Warriors – Home
HEAD COACH: Chad Bennett (3rd season)
2023 RECORD: 5-6, 3-3 Region 7-AAA
2023 POSTSEASON: No. 3 seed; lost to Bremen, 40-17, in the first round on the road.
2023 STATS: Scored 376 points, allowed 334 points; Passing: 136/238, 1,727 yards (157 yards per game), 16 touchdowns; Rushing: 392 carries, 2,234 yards (203.1 yards per game), 31 touchdowns
RETURNING PLAYMAKERS: White County will be returning players responsible for 24 of 47 total touchdowns from 2023, with 15 of those belonging to the quarterback’s rushing stats.
Upcoming senior quarterback Tripp Nix connected on 131-of-230 pass attempts for 1,692 yards (169.2 yards per game), 16 touchdowns and four interceptions. He added 120 carries for 501 yards and 15 touchdowns to the run game.
Noel Lammers, an upcoming junior running back, contributed 47 carries for 223 yards and two touchdowns to the rushing attack.
After Nix and Lammers, the Warriors are only returning players who accounted for 10 of their 392 carries and 38 of the 2,234 rushing yards from a year ago.
Upcoming sophomore Gaines Clark is the leading receiver returning. His 21 receptions was third among last season’s receivers. His 230 yards was fourth and his five touchdowns was the most among those catching passes.
Counting Clark’s stats, White County is returning 31-of-134 receptions, 310-of-1,731 receiving yards, and 7-of-16 touchdown catches.
Just under a quarter of the team’s all-purpose yards will be back next season.
Hayden Vandegriff, an upcoming senior, brings back experience in the kicking game as he was 42-of-46 in PATs and 6-of-8 in field goal attempts, totaling 60 points for the Warriors.
The defensive side of the ball will have experience returning as well. In total, 15 seniors, five juniors and four sophomores that recorded tackles a year ago will be back.
Those 24 players accounted for 764-of-896 total tackles, 28-of-30 tackles for loss, all 13 sacks recorded, 10-of-12 fumble recoveries, 9-of-12 forced fumbles, and three interceptions.
Topping the list in total tackles was upcoming senior Jon Scott with 158. He tacked on four tackles for loss, three sacks, and a forced fumble.
Fellow senior Alex Johnson had 103 total tackles, three tackles for loss, a sack, fumble recovery and a forced fumble.
ALL-TIME RECORD VS HCHS: 5-9
MOST RECENT MATCHUP: The Warriors knocked off the Raiders, 34-6, in Cleveland in 2023, snapping a two-game skid in the series.
September 6 – Cherokee Bluff Bears – Home
HEAD COACH: Tommy Jones (7th season)
2023 RECORD: 4-6, 4-4 Region 8-AAAA
2023 POSTSEASON: N/A
2023 STATS: Scored 223 points, allowed 196 points; Passing: 85/162, 871 yards (87.1 yards per game), 4 touchdowns; Rushing: 355 carries, 1,919 yards (191.9 yards per game), 27 touchdowns
RETURNING PLAYMAKERS: The Bears aren’t returning a quarterback who threw more than 12 passes in 2023, so it’s unclear what that situation will look like.
Upcoming seniors Caleb Cooper and Connor Griffin will be the top returning ball carriers with each toting the rock 17 times apiece. Cooper amassed 90 yards and Griffin was just behind with 89. Both scored a pair of touchdowns.
Cherokee Bluff will have 12 total players who contributed at least one carry returning. Including Cooper and Griffin’s contributions, that returns 94-of-355 carries for 377 yards and seven touchdowns.
The top-three yardage receivers will come back in senior Landon Kemp (190 yards) and juniors Malcolm Millsap (145) and Braylon Jackson (137).
Millsap and senior Jordan Justice are the only two receivers who scored for the Bears.
Kemp and fellow senior Rylan Ackerman will be the top two returning tacklers with 37 each.
Kemp had a tackle for loss, interception and fumble recovery. Ackerman had six tackles for loss and a shared sack.
The defensive side will return eight seniors, six juniors and nine sophomores that contributed a tackle last fall. That experience brings with it 21.5 tackles for loss, 4-of-13 sacks, 18-of-40 hurries, 4-of-8 interceptions, 2-of-5 forced fumbles and 2-of-5 fumble recoveries.
ALL-TIME RECORD VS HCHS: 0-0
MOST RECENT MATCHUP: Cherokee Bluff first snapped a football in 2018 and, in the Bears’ short history, have not yet played the Raiders on the gridiron. That changes in 2024.
September 13 – Loganville Red Devils – Away (Region)
HEAD COACH: Gene Cathcart (2nd season)
2023 RECORD: 5-6, 3-3 Region 8-AAAAA
2023 POSTSEASON: No. 3 seed; lost in the first round to Mays, 65-7, in the first round.
2023 STATS: Scored 292 points, allowed 403 points; Passing: 204/369, 2,916 yards (265.1 yards per game), 24 touchdowns; Rushing: 236 carries, 1,075 yards (97.7 yards per game), 15 touchdowns
RETURNING PLAYMAKERS: The Red Devils are returning players responsible for 21 of their 42 total touchdowns last fall.
Upcoming junior quarterback Brody Hannah was 201-for-364 through the air for 2,910 yards and 24 touchdowns. He also threw 14 interceptions along the way and tacked on a rushing score.
Including Hannah’s rushing stats, Loganville returns four players who carried the ball last year, totaling 19 carries for -34 yards and Hannah’s lone touchdown.
The receiving crew will bring back three players that caught passes in 2023, but two of them were top-notch receivers.
Upcoming seniors Ahmad Souare and Tyler Breedlove put together an impressive resume in their junior campaigns.
Souare caught 68 passes for 1,310 yards and 16 touchdowns. Breedlove caught 28 for 461 and two scores.
The defensive side will be returning some experience in the form of 12 seniors, nine juniors and a sophomore that all recorded tackles last season.
The group will be led by senior free safety Bryce Genske, who had 74 total tackles, two tackles for loss, three interceptions and one of those interceptions returned for a touchdown this past fall.
Overall, 416-of-705 total tackles, 27-of-47 tackles for loss, 6-of-11 sacks, 3-of-4 interceptions, 15-of-21 passes defended, 2-of-6 fumble recoveries and 3-of-5 forced fumbles will return to the Loganville sideline in 2024.
ALL-TIME RECORD VS HCHS: 4-6
MOST RECENT MATCHUP: Despite being former region foes for years, the Raiders and Red Devils haven’t seen each other on the football field since 2011. HCHS emerged victorious to the tune of a 47-45 win on that occasion.
September 20 – Bye Week
September 27 – Winder-Barrow Bulldoggs – Away (Region)
HEAD COACH: Robert Paxia (2nd season)
2023 RECORD: 4-6, 1-5 Region 8-AAAAA
2023 POSTSEASON: N/A
2023 STATS: Scored 176 points, allowed 335 points; Passing: 86/169, 1,118 yards (111.8 yards per game), 9 touchdowns; Rushing: 397 carries, 2,080 yards (208 yards per game), 15 touchdowns
RETURNING PLAYMAKERS: The Bulldoggs are returning players responsible for 20 of last year’s 25 total touchdowns.
Winder-Barrow won’t miss much of anything in its offensive backfield.
Upcoming senior quarterback Evan Lynn was 82-of-156 for 1,076 yards and nine touchdowns in 2023. He also threw 10 interceptions. Lynn added 56 carries for 62 yards and two touchdowns in the run game.
Speaking of the run game, a pair of running backs shouldered the load rushing last season and they’ll be back for their junior campaigns in 2024.
Demetrius Dowdy carried the ball 179 times for 1,013 yards and six touchdowns.
Xavier McCoy handled 115 rushes for 708 yards and four touchdowns.
Overall, the Bulldoggs will bring back 394 carries for 2,045 yards and all 15 touchdowns on the ground from 2023.
The receiving corps will return 62-of-86 receptions for 732-of-1,117 yards and 5-of-9 touchdowns from the fall.
Upcoming junior Kenyan Glasper was tops in receptions (20) and yards (332), and second in touchdowns (2) among the team’s pass catchers.
Winder-Barrow will return eight seniors, six juniors and six sophomores with some game experience, but not a lot of the team’s stats on defense.
The 20 returning defenders will bring with it 155-of-575 total tackles from 2023. Only 9-of-21 tackles for loss, 6-of-13 sacks, 7-of-14 hurries, 1-of-10 interceptions, 1-of-3 fumble recoveries, and 1-of-5 forced fumbles will be back in 2024.
ALL-TIME RECORD VS HCHS: 10-17
MOST RECENT MATCHUP: The Raiders were on the losing end of a 45-14 contest on the road in 2021 the last time these two teams faced off.
October 4 – Clarke Central Gladiators – Home (Region)
HEAD COACH: David Perno (9th season)
2023 RECORD: 5-5, 2-4 Region 8-AAAAA
2023 POSTSEASON: N/A
2023 STATS: Scored 291 points, allowed 231 points; Passing: 101/177, 1,466 yards (146.6 yards per game), 13 touchdowns; Rushing: 311 carries, 1,976 yards (197.6 yards per game), 20 touchdowns
RETURNING PLAYMAKERS: The Gladiators are returning players responsible for 15-of-38 total touchdowns from the 2023 season. The bad news is all 15 of those came from two sources.
Upcoming senior running back Corey Watkins, Jr., ran the ball 170 times for 1,367 yards and 12 touchdowns. He had six games with more than 100 yards on the ground.
In the passing game, Watkins, Jr., also had 10 receptions for 118 yards and a touchdown.
The final two touchdowns accounted for came from senior wide receiver Xayvian Berry, who caught just five passes for 34 yards.
Berry and Watkins, Jr., make up two of three players to catch a pass that will return in 2024.
Overall, the Gladiators are returning 1,582 of their 4,126 all-purpose yards – just 38 percent – from 2023.
Clarke Central does not have defensive stats listed.
ALL-TIME RECORD VS HCHS: 20-5
MOST RECENT MATCHUP: The Raiders played the Gladiators for 12-straight seasons from 2000-2011, but haven’t competed against each other since. That matchup in 2011 resulted in a 34-20 win for Clarke Central.
October 11 – Alcovy Tigers – Away (Region)
HEAD COACH: Spencer Fortson (3rd season)
2023 RECORD: 4-6, 3-4 Region 3-AAAAAA
2023 POSTSEASON: N/A
2023 STATS: Scored 179 points, allowed 250 points;
RETURNING PLAYMAKERS: Alcovy does not have stats listed for the full 2023 season.
ALL-TIME RECORD VS HCHS: 0-2
MOST RECENT MATCHUP: This pairing hasn’t been seen on a football field since 2007, which saw the Raiders take a 34-14 win over the Tigers in Mt. Airy.
October 18 – Fall Break – Bye Week
October 25 – Apalachee Wildcats – Home (Region)
HEAD COACH: Mike Hancock (2nd season)
2023 RECORD: 0-10, 0-6 Region 8-AAAAAA
2023 POSTSEASON: N/A
2023 STATS: Scored 132 points, allowed 417 points; Passing: 114/232, 1,411 yards (141.1 yards per game), 7 touchdowns; Rushing: 276 carries, 1,223 yards (122.3 yards per game), 9 touchdowns
RETURNING PLAYMAKERS: The Wildcats are returning players responsible for 8-of-17 total touchdowns from the fall.
With 51 percent of its all-purpose yards returning, Apalachee has some experience in spots on the field.
Upcoming sophomore Colin Eishen was the only person to throw a pass for the Wildcats last year that is eligible to return in 2024. He finished his freshman campaign connecting on 6-of-7 attempts for -7 yards. But that was not the total of Eishen’s offensive contributions.
Eishen carried the ball 12 times for 36 yards and a touchdown. His largest stat line came from the receiver slot as he caught 25 passes for 301 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Aside from Eishen, upcoming senior running back Favian Williford is the only returning ball carrier from 2023.
Williford carried the rock 92 times for 529 yards and two scores. He also contributed to the receiving game with 26 receptions for 350 yards and a touchdown.
Overall, the receiving corps from the fall can bring back 72-of-113 receptions, 832-of-1,411 yards, and 4-of-7 touchdown catches.
The Wildcats do not have defensive stats listed.
ALL-TIME RECORD VS HCHS: 4-8
MOST RECENT MATCHUP: The Wildcats and Raiders have played every season since 2016 and has been overwhelmingly in favor of HCHS in that stretch with the Raiders winning seven of the eight matchups. Last season, HCHS knocked off Apalachee, 42-15, on the road. Game story
November 1 – Jackson County Panthers – Home (Region)
HEAD COACH: Korey Mobbs (2nd season)
2023 RECORD: 4-6, 2-4 Region 8-AAAAAA
2023 POSTSEASON: N/A
2023 STATS: Scored 236 points, allowed 276 points; Passing: 114/208, 1,347 yards (134.7 yards per game), 10 touchdowns; Rushing: 349 carries, 1,856 yards (185.6 yards per game), 18 touchdowns
RETURNING PLAYMAKERS: The Panthers are returning players responsible for just 2-of-29 total touchdowns in 2023.
Upcoming junior quarterback RJ Knapp started the final six games for Jackson County. In those contests he was 75-of-133 through the air for 840 yards and five touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Knapp also carried the ball 41 times for 217 yards and a score.
Zack Scott, an upcoming senior quarterback, started the first four contests for the Panthers and, ultimately, threw passes in six games as well.
Scott finished the season 36-of-72 for 391 yards, two touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also added 66 yards on 15 carries in the run game.
Both the run game and the receivers room is going to be looking for someone to step up in 2024.
The rushing attack returns 74-or-349 carries, 372-of-1,856 yards and just 1-of-18 touchdowns.
The receiving corps brings back 8-of-114 receptions, 94-of-1,359 yards, and 1-of-9 touchdowns.
Overall, just 15 percent of the all-purpose yards from 2023 will be back.
On the defensive side of the ball, 14 players who registered tackles last fall will be eligible to return.
The group will be led by upcoming seniors Josh Mendoza and Cooper Galley.
Mendoza, a defensive end, recorded 53 total tackles, 15 tackles for loss, four sacks, 17 hurries, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
Galley, a free safety, also notched 53 total tackles, a tackle for loss and an interception.
The returning group brings with it 282-of-632 total tackles, 28-of-56 tackles for loss, 9-of-16 sacks, 28-of-62 hurries, 4-of-6 interceptions, 21-of-37 passes defended, 1-of-2 fumble recoveries and 2-of-5 forced fumbles.
ALL-TIME RECORD VS HCHS: 1-9
MOST RECENT MATCHUP: Last season’s matchup was an all-out thriller: a double-overtime affair that saw an interception from senior defensive back Hayden Gailey wrap up a 34-27 win for the Raiders. Game story
Stats were pulled from MaxPreps. The potential returning players mentioned assumes all players – freshmen, sophomores and juniors – from the 2023-24 school year will return to play for the same school. Obviously this could/would change with transfers or athletes choosing not playing next season.
Head coach, 2023 records, all-time records vs HCHS and results of the most recent matchup were all pulled from the Georgia High School Football Historians Association website. Habersham Central’s specific page can be found here.
