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Magazine is published by HOUSTON Publications, Incorporated 1210 Washington Street P.O. Box 1910 Perry, GA 31069 Phone: 478-987-1823 www.hhjonline.com Publisher Cheri Adams cadams@hhjnews.com Sports Editor Donnell Suggs dsuggs@hhjnews.com Writers Kristin Moriarty kristinm@hhjnews.com Christine Hawley chawley@hhjnews.com James Simpson II jamess@hhjnews.com Advertising Manager Kerri Wright kerriw@hhjnews.com Advertising Lori Kovarovic lorik@hhjnews.com Nathan Mathis nmathis@hhjnews.com Graphics Manager Valerie Swyryn valeries@hhjnews.com Graphic Design Ashley Andrews aandrews@hhjnews.com Photography Geoff Dale Kasey Enckler Third time’s the charm I’m ready for my third season of Houston County high school football as the Houston Home Journal sports editor. I wrote the introduction to this annual Game Day magazine, also in its third year, a couple of years ago with no familiarity of the six football programs within county lines. This season I’d like to think I know all there is to know about all of them -though some readers will beg to differ- and believe this is our most complete Game Day magazine thus far. The Houston County Bears are returning some interesting players in quarterback Max Rigby, receiver Isaia Harris and linebacker Wesley Steiner, all juniors, and all able to break a game wide open with their athleticism and individual skill sets. I look forward to writing about them and their teammates this season. The Bears have missed the playoffs the last two seasons, ironically the two seasons I have covered the team, and this year’s team, backed by a strong defense and an even stronger fan base and tradition, will be looked upon, fairly or unfairly, as a must-win kind of year. The HoCo Bears opening day opponent on Aug. 17, the Perry Panthers, also missed the postseason last year after having a strong start to head coach and athletic director Kevin Smith’s first year at the helm. Smith and his staff have brought new energy to the program but the results have basically been the same. The <strong>2018</strong> season will have one of the deepest teams in recent history on the [new] turf field at Herb St. John Stadium. There will be no excuses for this year’s team and I look forward to watching it all unfold. I expect the same old same from the Northside Eagles and head coach and athletic director Kevin Kinsler and by that I mean another winning football team and mid-December state playoff games to cover. I am especially looking forward to covering defensive back Tubby McCall, who is steadily climbing up the recruiting charts, and senior kicker Cory “C.J.” Munson who committed to Western Kentucky University earlier this summer. Both players had big parts in last season’s success and will play even bigger parts this season if the Eagles are going to improve. Warner Robins will play Tift County High School in their season opener next Friday and just the thought of the parking at McConnell-Talbert Stadium is giving me anxiety. The game will be pretty cool too, as will their annual affair with rival Northside on Sept. 21 and a pretty interesting non-region game a week earlier with the Colquitt County High School Packers. I believe the Demons, led by head coach and athletic director Mike Chastain, have the best shot at playing for a state title amongst the county schools -this is an opinion piece after all- and just like I had been the last two seasons, I plan on being front and center for the ride. The Veterans Warhawks are back with a new head coach, new uniforms, a new quarterback in senior Sebastian Verger (future Mercer University freshman catcher Leyton Pinckney had held the position the past few seasons) and it should be fun to see how this season turns out. I’m certain no matter how many games the Warhawks win, lose or draw, Freedom Field will be packed and behind them. Nobody treats me as good as the people at Westfield do, with all due respect, and I love being down on the field for the football games. The crowds in the stands, alumni in and around the pavilion and the kids running around behind the end zone lead me to believe that the program, whether it gets back to the winning ways of a few years ago or not, will always be supported the same. Football season is back, the Houston Home Journal Gameday magazine is back and I’m back. What more could you ask for? Don’t answer that. I’ll see you at the games. Respectfully, Donnell Suggs, HHJ Sports Editor <strong>GAME</strong> <strong>DAY</strong> MAGAZINE <strong>2018</strong> 3
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