Published Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Region coaches say Cougars are team to beat

By Stuart Crosby

The Times-Herald

If his peers are correct, Robert Herring should be able to lead the Newnan Cougars to their third straight Region 4-AAAAA football championship.

At the annual meeting with region coaches and media held Wednesday at the Orchard Hills Golf Club, the Cougars, coming off last year's trip to the Class AAAAA state quarterfinals, were the top choice to win the region with 99 total points, after earning nine of 10 first-place votes.

Last season the Cougars finished the season 11-2 and 6-0 as they won a region title behind the play of quarterback Russell Powell and a tenacious defense.

A pair of region newcomers may be ready to give chase. First-year member Creekside was selected second with 77 points after successful seasons in AAAA and region returnee Lovejoy was selected third with 75 points despite being selected last by their head coach Al Hughes.

In their past region stint, Hughes typically picked the Wildcats last and the team usually finished first or second.

In an offseason where East Coweta passed its head coaching torch from longtime head coach Danny Cronic to assistant Clint Wade, the Indians were selected to finish fourth in the region this season with 67 points.

East Coweta lost several contributors from last year's state playoff lineup to graduation, including fullback Tim McGill and kicker Ryan Gates.

The Westlake Lions, who came from Region 2-AAAA with the Creekside Seminoles, was picked to finish fifth with 63 points under first-year head coach Gregory Minnis.

Former region member Riverdale was selected seventh as the Raiders received 52 points while the panel selected the Mundy's Mill Tigers to finish in seventh place with 43 points.

The Raiders were part of the region from 2000-03 and participated in the 2003 state playoffs.

The Pebblebrook Falcons, under former East Coweta assistant Randall Smith, was picked eighth by the panel in their first year in the region with 29 points.

Newcomer Chapel Hill and returnee Morrow were selected ninth and 10th respectively with point totals of 25 and 20.

The two schools finished 1-19 and like four of their region counterparts will be under first-year head coaches.