Atlanta Falcons HS Coach of the Week: Ken Cofer, Wilcox County

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FALCONS HS COACH OF THE WEEK

Today, we announce the latest winner of Atlanta Falcons HS Coach of the Week, and Craig Sager previews the first round slate in Class AAAA. The 2018 GHSA football state playoff brackets

can be accessed HERE

Also, player invites and considerations for the 2018

Georgia Elite Classic are wrapping up, but it's not too late to get into one of this year's seven games. Registration for those that have already received an invite, and the forms to be considered for an official invite are located HERE .

The player package includes a two-day stay at the Marriott Galleria, a player pack of goodies, all meals, players party and the opportunity to work with some of the best high school coaches in the state. There will be seventh, eighth, freshman, sophomore, junior and senior games. Also, this year will debut the first-annual Brain Bowl, an academically-driven all-star game that will be looked at closely by programs in the top academic conferences such as the Patriot (FCS), Ivy (FCS), NESCAC (D-III), Midwest (D-III), Centennial (D-III) and Southern Athletic Association.

For more information on the seven All-Star Games, go to GeorgiaEliteClassic.com

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Thursday, November 8, 2018

IN THIS ISSUE

ATLANTA FALCONS HS COACH OF THE WEEK

• • •

FOOTBALL FIRST ROUND PAIRINGS

• • •

CLASS AAAA BLOG

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FALCONS HS COACH OF THE WEEK

By Seth Ellerbee

The Atlanta Falcons Coach of the Week program recognizes high school football coaches across the state of Georgia for their hard work and dedication to making a difference in student-athlete’s lives on and off the field.

The ninth winner of the 2018 season is Wilcox County head coach Ken Cofer who has led the Patriots back to the playoffs for the first time since 2012. He is in his first year at Wilcox after coaching at Cook from 2010-13, Bacon County from 2014-15 and serving as an assistant coach at Dodge County. Cofer has been credited with helping Wilcox earn its playoff berth as well as boosting morale throughout the program.

“He has turned around a team that has only won 11 games total since 2013,” said Chris Giddens, a technology specialist at Wilcox County High School. “Wilcox County competes in region 2-A which has produced at least one team, and usually two, in the semifinals and/or state championship game since the class A public private split in 2012.”

Wilcox County entered the playoffs in 2012 for what would be the final playoff appearance until the Patriots current berth—which sets up a first-round showdown with Trion on Friday. For Wilcox fans, the upcoming playoff game brings back memories of a time when football in November could be written on the calendar in black Sharpie. Beginning in 2007, the Patriots became a force in Class A. Wilcox won region championships in 2007 and 2008 and a state title in 2009 before repeating the region in 2011-12.

Wilcox went 5-5 this season and its three big region wins Lanier County (61-22), Telfair County (22-10) and Atkinson County (40-0) were enough to earn the No. 23 seed in Class A-Public bracket. A lot of the success this year has been found in the weight room through proper training, conditioning and maybe an attitude adjustment or two.

“He is an excellent role model for his players and his assistant coaches,” said Giddens. “He practices what he preaches and has made a dramatic difference in the attitude of our students, athlete and non-athlete. The whole moral of the school has been given a big boost by his addition to the school system.”

The introduction of a new coach into a struggling program can provide boosts to so many aspects of the team and the school. At Wilcox, Cofer’s knowledge across multiple fronts, coupled with some new equipment, has had an immediate impact.

“He has worked really hard with the athletes with making sure they are being safe in the weight room and lifting properly,” Giddens explained. “He is also working to make sure kids learn the fundamentals of football and how to play correctly and safely. He is also USA Weightlifting Sports Performance Certified. Since his arrival, we have been able to get a new weight room with all new weights, some new helmets and other equipment.”

Cofer also realizes the importance of his football team helping the community and, since his arrival, the Patriots’ focus within the community has been welcomed on all fronts.

“Coach Cofer has had players involved in helping out locally in the community through some service projects,” Giddens said. “The team is active in Patriots for Christ, reading to and being mentors to elementary school classroom. They also spend time and eating lunch with the special needs kids from the high and middle school. They also helped by being servers for the Wilcox County Elementary School breakfast with grandparents.”

Most importantly, at the core of any coach who will have a lasting impression on all his student-athletes is the knowledge that he isn’t just coaching the players on the field each week. He spends his time with each individual player because, from the starting quarterback to the last person on the depth chart, each player matters and Cofer is aware of that.

“He has been like a father to many of the athletes and non-athlete students at Wilcox County High School,” said Giddens. “He has students-athletes that stopped playing sports back playing and sticking with it. He encourages the players whether they are a superstar, role-player or last kid on the depth chart.”

Each week, one coach will be selected to be the Atlanta Falcons Coach of the Week based on his commitment to his team, community and player safety.

The winning coach will receive a $1,000 equipment grant, a commemorative football and tickets to an Atlanta Falcons home game.

2018 GHSA FOOTBALL STATE PLAYOFFS

FIRST ROUND PAIRINGS

Friday, Nov. 9

CLASS AAAAAAA

R4#3 Cherokee @ R1#2 Lowndes

R3#4 North Paulding @ R2#1 Westlake

R6#3 Mountain View @ R7#2 Norcross

R5#4 South Forsyth @ R8#1 Grayson

R1#3 Camden County @ R4#2 Walton

R2#4 Pebblebrook @ R3#1 Hillgrove

R7#3 Brookwood @R6#2 Mill Creek

R8#4 South Gwinnett @ R5#1 Milton

R2#3 East Coweta @ R3#2 Marietta

At Large Tift County @ R4#1 Roswell

R5#3 Forsyth County @ R8#2 Archer

R6#4 Collins Hill @ R7#1 Parkview

R3#3 McEachern @ R2#2 Newnan

R4#4 Etowah @ R1#1 Colquitt County

R8#3 Newton @ R5#2 West Forsyth

R7#4 Central Gwinnett @ R6#1 North Gwinnett

CLICK HERE FOR THE CLASS AAAAAAA BRACKETS

CLASS AAAAAA

R4#3 Lovejoy @ R1#2 Valdosta

R3#4 Evans @ R2#1 Glynn Academy

R6#3 Allatoona @ R7#2 Centennial

R5#4 Northgate @ R8#1 Dacula

R1#3 Northside-Warner Robins @ R4#2 Tucker

R2#4 Bradwell Institute @ R3#1 Grovetown

R7#3 Alpharetta @ R6#2 Sequoyah

R8#4 Gainesville @ R5#1 Creekside

R2#3 Richmond Hill @ R3#2 Greenbrier

R1#4 Coffee @ R4#1 Stephenson

R5#3 Mays @ R8#2 Lanier

R6#4 Harrison@ R7#1 Johns Creek

R3#3 Lakeside-Evans @ R2#2 Effingham County

R4#4 Mundy’s Mill @ R1#1 Lee County

R8#3 Habersham Central @ R5#2 Douglas County

R7#4 Pope @ R6#1 Creekview

CLICK HERE FOR THE CLASS AAAAAA BRACKETS

CLASS AAAAA

R4#3 Jones County @ R1#2 Bainbridge

R3#4 Jonesboro @ R2#1 Wayne County

R6#3 Carver-Atlanta @ R7#2 Kell

R5#4 Miller Grove @ R8#1 Buford

R1#3 Veterans @ R4#2 Stockbridge

R2#4 New Hampstead @ R3#1 Starr’s Mill

R7#3 Carrollton @ R6#2 Riverwood

R8#4 Loganville @ R5#1 Southwest DeKalb

R2#3 Statesboro @ R3#2 Griffin

R1#4 Harris County @ R4#1 Dutchtown

R5#3 Lithonia @ R8#2 Cedar Shoals

R6#4 Jackson @ R7#1 Rome

R3#3 Riverdale @ R2#2 Ware County

R4#4 Locust Grove @ R1#1 Warner Robins

R8#3 Clarke Central @ R5#2 Arabia Mountain

R7#4 East Paulding @ R6#1 Banneker

CLICK HERE FOR THE CLASS AAAAA BRACKETS

CLASS AAAA

R4#3 Woodward Academy @ R1#2 Carver-Columbus

R3#4 Richmond Academy @ R2#1 Mary Persons

R6#3 Heritage-Catoosa @ R7#2 Marist

R5#4 Cedartown @ R8#1 St. Pius

R1#3 Columbus @ R4#2 Salem

R2#4 Perry @ R3#1 Baldwin

R7#3 Flowery Branch @ R6#2 Ridgeland

R8#4 Stephens County @ R5#1 Cartersville

R2#3 Howard @ R3#2 Burke County

R1#4 Hardaway @ R4#1 Eastside

R5#3 Sandy Creek @ R8#2 North Oconee

R6#4 Northwest Whitfield @ R7#1 Blessed Trinity

R3#3 Thomson @ R2#2 Upson-Lee

R4#4 Henry County @ R1#1 Cairo

R8#3 Oconee County @ R5#2 Troup

R7#4 White County @ R6#1 Pickens

CLICK HERE FOR THE CLASS AAAA BRACKETS

CLASS AAA

R4#3 Jackson @ R1#2 Monroe

R3#4 Windsor Forest @ R2#1 Pierce County

R6#3 Haralson County @ R7#2 Dawson County

R5#4 Pace Academy @ R8#1 Monroe Area

R1#3 Cook @ R4#2 Westside-Macon

R2#4 Tattnall County @ R3#1 Benedictine

R7#3 North Hall @ R6#2 Lakeview Ft. Oglethorpe

R8#4 Hart County @ R5#1 Cedar Grove

R2#3 Liberty County @ R3#2 Southeast Bulloch

At Large Ringgold @ R4#1 Peach County

R5#3 Westminster @ R8#2 Jefferson

R6#4 North Murray @ R7#1 Greater Atlanta Christian

R3#3 Jenkins @ R2#2 Appling County

R4#4 Pike County @ R1#1 Crisp County

R8#3 Morgan County @ R5#2 Lovett

R7#4 Fannin County @ R6#1 Calhoun

CLICK HERE FOR THE CLASS AAA BRACKETS

CLASS AA

R4#3 Harlem @ R1#2 Fitzgerald

R3#4 Northeast-Macon @ R2#1 Swainsboro

R6#3 Washington @ R7#2 Chattooga

R5#4 Spencer @ R8#1 Rabun County

R1#3 Thomasville @ R4#2 Hephzibah

R2#4 Toombs County @ R3#1 Dublin

R7#3 Pepperell @ R6#2 Douglass

R8#4 Monticello @ R5#1 Heard County

R2#3 Jeff Davis @ R3#2 Dodge County

R1#4 Early County @ R4#1 Jefferson County

R5#3 Bremen @ R8#2 Union County

R6#4 South Atlanta @ R7#1 Rockmart

R3#3 Washington County @ R2#2 Vidalia

R4#4 Screven County @ R1#1 Brooks County

R8#3 Elbert County @ R5#2 Callaway

R7#4 Coosa @ R6#1 Hapeville Charter

CLICK HERE FOR THE CLASS AA BRACKETS

Class A-Private

#24 Holy Innocents' at #9 Mt. de Sales

#8 Calvary Day BYE

#17 Savannah County Day at #16 Mount Vernon

#1 Athens Academy BYE

#21 Brookstone at #12 Christian Heritage

#5 North Cobb Christian BYE

#20 Tattnall Sqaure at #13 Wesleyan

#4 Prince Avenue Christian BYE

#23 Riverside Military at #10 George Walton

#7 Fellowship Christian BYE

#18 Hebron Christian at #15 Mount Paran

#2 Savannah Christian BYE

#22 Stratford Academy at #11 Aquinas

#6 Darlington BYE

#19 Whitefield Academy at #14 Trinity Christian

#3 Eagle's Landing Christian BYE

CLICK HERE FOR THE CLASS A-PRIVATE BRACKETS

Class A-Public

#24 Seminole County at #9 Commerce

#8 Mitchell County BYE

#17 Turner County at #16 Miller County

#1 Irwin County BYE

#21 Macon County at #12 Chattahoochee County

#5 Greene County BYE

#20 Manchester at #13 Emanuel County Institute

#4 Pelham BYE

#23 Wilcox County at #10 Trion

#7 Schley County BYE

#18 Montgomery County at #15 Claxton

#2 Marion County BYE

#22 Taylor County at #11 Chartlon County

#6 Clinch County BYE

#19 Hancock Central at #14 Dooly County

#3 Mt. Zion BYE

CLICK HERE FOR THE CLASS A-PUBLIC BRACKETS

CLASS AAAA BLOG By Craig Sager II

R4#3 Woodward Academy @ R1#2 Carver-Columbus

Carver-Columbus is led by first-year head coach Corey Joyner and takes a 9-1 record into the playoffs as the No. 2 seed. It is the 13th consecutive playoff berth by the program, but the Tigers have just one playoff victory in the last four combined. The key this year will be the play of senior quarterback and coach’s son Jaylen Joyner. Jaylen took over after earning First-Team All-Region considerations last season at Dougherty. This season, he has tossed 21 touchdowns with just five interceptions and has the Carver offense rolling. For this year’s four-loss Woodward Academy team, stopping Jaylen will be the big test for a defense that has been prone to sporadic performances. Offensively, junior quarterback Mike Wright leads the War Eagles with electric running back Tahj Gary. This season has seen Gary’s role tailored more to running the football, but if Woodward Academy needs help in the passing game, Gary can certainly become the top threat.

R3#4 Richmond Academy @ R2#1 Mary Persons

Mary Persons enters the postseason 10-0 and on pace to become the best team in school history. This year’s group has lit up the scoreboard with a school-record 46.7 ppg, while taking care of business on defense with a near school-record 11.5 ppg allowed. Quarterback JT Hartage and running back Quen Wilson provide the offense with a balanced perfection that will be hard for any team to stop. Hartage has thrown 21 touchdown passes and Wilson has rushed for 21 of the team’s 39 rushing scores.

R6#3 Heritage-Catoosa @ R7#2 Marist

The experience, execution and defensive superiority should lift Marist past Heritage Catoosa on Friday. Marist’s two losses came in a 17-0 non-conference matchup with St. Pius and a 10-7 loss to Blessed Trinity in the season finale. A win over the generals could set up an intriguing second-round rematch with St. Pius.

R5#4 Cedartown @ R8#1 St. Pius

St. Pius is on a 9-game winning streak after dropping its opener to Blessed Trinity 35-13. While both sides of the football have been playing well, it is the upward trending St. Pius offense that has really been the difference. After a disappointing 2016 season that saw the program net just 12.45 ppg, St. Pius carried a 30.1 ppg effort to last year’s semis and have posted a decade-high 34.9 ppg so far this season. Cedartown will be a dangerous opponent, however, and could be the toughest No. 4 seed in this year’s bracket. The Bulldogs are 5-5 and all five losses have been decided by a touchdown or less. This game should be highly competitive and both teams are capable of using it to propel the start of a playoff run.

R1#3 Columbus @ R4#2 Salem

Salem fell 26-14 to Region 4 champion Eastside, but solidified the No. 2 seed the following week with a signature 22-14 road win over Woodward Academy. It was the first time in seven all-time tries that the Seminoles defeated Woodward. Columbus has handled business against middle of the pack teams, but the Blue Devils have been routed this season by their tougher opponents. If Columbus can find the will to compete for 48 minutes, then they should make this interesting. If not, a battle tested Salem team and senior quarterback Donald Wilson will make it a long night for the Blue and Orange.

R2#4 Perry @ R3#1 Baldwin

Baldwin is led by head coach Jesse Hicks, a former head coach that came back to the program this past season. Under his direction, the Braves earned their first region title since 2009, the year his first stint came to an end. This year’s team struggled out of the gates against a top 10 heavy non-region slate and opened the year 0-5. In the five games since, Baldwin has gone undefeated and has appeared to be improving on a week-by-week basis. The biggest win of the year came on Oct. 19 as Baldwin hammered Burke County 30-7 to clinch the region crown. For an exclamation point, the Braves closed out the year with a 31-0 win over Cross Creek. Perry has faced some tough opponents as well this season, including Mary Persons, which defeated the Panthers 40-3 to seal their fate as the No. 4 seed. Still, this year’s 6-4 record is a positive sign and the program snapped its six-year playoff drought. Now, it will be looking for its first playoff win since reaching the quarterfinals in 2007.

R7#3 Flowery Branch @ R6#2 Ridgeland

Out of all the Class AAAA first-round matchups, Flowery Branch at Ridgeland may be the best. Flowery Branch came brutally close to defeating defending state champion Blessed Trinity, but a gambled two-point attempt left them a point short in overtime. Then, the Falcons came out flat against Marist the following week and dropped to the No. 3 seed. Ridgeland took an 11-0 record into last year’s second round, but fell 28-21 to Jefferson. Under first-year head coach Cortney Braswell, the program has made a point to set up a more challenging regular season schedule to better prepare them for the postseason. The Panthers opened the year with non-region losses to Calhoun and Troup before closing out wins in seven of the final eight games. This is a tough part of the bracket for either team to be in, however, as a victory is likely to set up a second round matchup with Cartersville

R8#4 Stephens County @ R5#1 Cartersville

Without superstar and current Clemson starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence under center, there has been far less noise surrounding the Cartersville program this year. Now that the playoffs are here, expect the 10-0 Purple Hurricanes to turn up the volume. Cartersville matched up with Troup last Friday in a winner-take-all region championship game and destroyed the Tigers 43-10. Holding the explosive Troup offense to just 10 points was not the only time that signs of a championship caliber defense have been seen on the Cartersville sideline this year. The group has also posted four shutouts and limited opponents to just 6 ppg this year.

R2#3 Howard @ R3#2 Burke County

Howard reached the postseason for the first time in program history last year, and will take on the Bears for a chance to stamp its first-ever playoff victory this Friday. Paul Carroll took over the program after serving as defensive coordinator last year, and has led the Huskies to a 6-4 record—which matches last year’s school-record for wins. This will be the first-ever meeting between the schools.

R1#4 Hardaway @ R4#1 Eastside

Eastside rides the momentum of its first-ever perfect 10-0 regular season and has plenty of reason to believe that it is a state title contender this year. The Eagles are outscoring opponents by 27 points per game and have a reliable quarterback in Noah Cook leading a well-balanced offense.

R5#3 Sandy Creek @ R8#2 North Oconee

Sandy Creek returns to the playoffs after missing it for the first time since 2001 last Fall. North Oconee (8-2) is back in the playoffs after going 1-19 the previous two seasons. North Oconee’s two losses were a 6-point loss to Loganville and a competitive 31-21 loss to St. Pius. North Oconee has been a focused team all year that has played disciplined, and team football on both sides of the ball and the Titans should be a challenge for the Patriots. This will also be the first-ever meeting between the schools.

R6#4 Northwest Whitfield @ R7#1 Blessed Trinity

Northwest Whitfield is making its fourth-straight playoff appearance, but will have the daunting task of opening this year on the home turf of the defending state champs. Blessed Trinity’s defense is allowing just 9 ppg and the team’s 26.8 average margin of victory is the best in school history. Blessed Trinity has advanced to at least the quarterfinals in each of the last five postseasons.

R3#3 Thomson @ R2#2 Upson-Lee

Thomson let its chance at the No. 2 seed slip away against rival Burke County and will travel to Upson-Lee instead, which finished runner-up to a superior Mary Persons team in Region 2. This will be the first-ever meeting between the programs.

R4#4 Henry County @ R1#1 Cairo

Henry County is in the playoffs for the first time since 2013, and takes on a red-hot Cairo team that has been flying under the radar after is slow start to the season. This will be the first meeting between the schools.

R8#3 Oconee County @ R5#2 Troup

Oconee County and Troup last met in the 2001 quarterfinals, a game that went to Troup 17-14. Both programs have plenty of talent, but have struggled in the big game, so that should boost either’s chances and possibly reverse the trend moving forward.

R7#4 White County @ R6#1 Pickens

Pickens is a No. 1 seed for the first time in school history after its perfect 10-0 season. An unstoppable running game and a much-improved defense has transformed Pickens into a truly dangerous team, and if the Dragons are able to play their brand of football, expect a dominant night. These teams have met 43 times, with White County leading 22-19-2, but Pickens has won the last three. Despite the 43 all-time meetings, this will be the first time the programs have ever met up in the postseason.

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