Gordon Central

/ lyoung@timesfreepress.com

Head coach: T.J. Hamilton (6-24 here and overall)

Returning starters: 3 offensive; 3 defensive

Last year’s record: 0-10 overall, did not qualify for GHSA Class AA playoffs

Key players: Peyton Chastain (6-2, 210) Jr. TE, Parker Chastain (6-3, 305) Sr. DL, Skyler Hill (6-2, 165) Sr. DB, Jayden Sibley

(5-7, 150)

Season outlook: On the surface, having just six returning starters from an

0-10 team might be a harbinger of bad things to come, but a group of talented youngsters has Hamilton and his staff more than ready for the Warriors to turn the page.

Sophomores Sibley, Jayden Jones and Matthew Hammock are expected to start both ways, while the freshmen Thomas twins are stepping in right away in the secondary.

“Those three sophomores have already become a driving force for our team,” said Hamilton, a former Gordon Central star. “I am expecting those guys to be playmakers on both sides of the ball. Brandon and Riley Thomas have shown great growth throughout the summer, and we feel they are ready to get on the field.

“Youth is our strength, and those ninth and 10th graders are the key to our future. That youth is also our biggest concern because we are going to be really inexperienced on Friday nights. Getting those guys playing time, though, is the key to our future.”

While the young guys gain experience there are a handful of upperclassmen they can learn from, including Peyton Wilson, with the team’s quarterback described by Hamilton as “a smart player and great leader who has the potential to lead us to some wins this year.”

Peyton Chastain will be the team’s top receiver, with 300-pounder Parker Chastain a potential dominator on the defensive front. Hill, an all-region player his first three years, will give the freshmen defensive backs someone to learn from.