HOUSTON COUNTY, Ga. — It’s another big year for the Houston County Bears.
After a 9-3 season in 2023, the Bears fell short in the playoffs against Woodward Academy.
While several key players left after their senior season, many others returned for a big 2024 campaign. Head coach Jeremy Edwards said he went back to the drawing board to figure out how to get his team to rally together more than ever before.
“We went back to the basics, just trying to hammer out fundamentals and trying to encourage the guys to play loose and just have fun,” he said. “The practices have been the best I’ve been around in my career. It’s been really good, been really positive… I think our kids are just trying to win each day.”
Here’s a full preview of the Houston County High School football season.
Offense
One of the best quarterbacks Central Georgia has seen since Jake Fromm is back for his senior season.
Antwann Hill Jr., who committed to Memphis over the summer, has been a consistent starter for the Bear’s since his freshman year in 2021.
According to MaxPreps, the four-star recruit threw for 7,278 passing yards, 79 passing touchdowns and ran for three touchdowns in his career.
Edwards said the offense is focused on making sure he shines and revolves around him. However, despite the attention on him since the eighth grade, Edwards said how impressed he is with Hill as a leader and person.
“He has every excuse to be, for lack of a better word, a turd,” Edwards said. “So much attention his whole life that kids dream of having, but he handles it with such class and humbleness… He’ll lead throw sessions with guys when we couldn’t have coaches out there. He’s always around football.”
Hill was initially expected to be joined by current teammate and fellow Memphis commit Amir Thomas on the field this season. However, Thomas tore his ACL and won’t get a chance to suit up.
Instead, junior Javien Durham and sophomore Austin Stinson, according to Edwards, will play a thunder and lighting combination in the backfield. He praised Durham’s strength and Stinson’s speed and can’t wait to see the pair play together.
Wide receiver Isaiah Mitchell will have the task of replacing the Bear’s 2023 leading receiver Ricky Johnson — Johnson led the team with 1,213 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns.
Mitchell, a former Peach County transfer, didn’t play last year due to some academic issues. However, he, according to Edwards, “has done a tremendous job in the classroom,” and has made several plays on both sides of the field in practice and scrimmages.
Joining him are senior Derek Henderson and junior MJ Mathis, who Edwards said will make a big impact with their length and speed, respectively.
On the offensive line, multi-year starter Hayes Ellerby returns for another season. He’ll be joined by center J.W. Fite, guard Brandon Stokes and tackle Jaden Jackson.
Florida State commit, 2025 four-star prospect and former Peach County offensive lineman Peyton Joseph will eventually line up on the o-line, but will sit the first four games due to transfer rules.
With them is tight end and long snapper Gavin Kurpis, who, in previous seasons, has been a force as a blocker and as a receiving threat. He’s one of the oldest players on the offense and after going down early last season due to injury, has a chance to bounce back in his senior season
“It hurt us the rest of the season because he’s just so athletic,” Edwards said. “He can do so many things.He’s had a case of the injury bug in his career, and he build himself back. He’s just a machine now, so very talented and very versatile. Having him back is key.”
Defense
While Hill is a known quantity on the offensive side of the ball, Houston County’s defense is starting to see national recognition.
Junior safety Jordan Smith had a tremendous season last year. He led the team as a sophomore with 88 tackles, had five for a loss and had three interceptions.
Smith earned a lot of national attention this offseason and is now the seventh best player in Georgia in the 2026 class, according to 247Sports.
“Jordan is, well, Jordan,” Edwards said. “Really made his mark last year and has had a tremendous offseason picking up several offers. Obviously getting a Georgia offer, which they don’t just hand out. He’s got plenty of length, he can really run.”
Smith is joined by fellow junior defensive back Trey Leary, who Edwards expects to make an impact on both sides of the ball alongside fellow two-way players Mitchell and Henderson.
Another junior, Westen Ard, is a player Edwards expects to be a impactful piece at the linebacker spot this upcoming season.
Jayden ‘Tank’ Brown is a key returnee on the defensive line. He’s joined by sophomore Jakobe Bryant — who Edwards said looks like and is being mentored by Brown — and fellow senior Jordan Davis. However, Brown is the one that gives Edwards the most trouble in practice.
“He goes by Tank and there’s a reason,” Edwards said. “We can’t block him in practice, it's very frustrating… I have to remember he’s on our team.”
2024 Schedule Breakdown
The Bears’ season starts out with a bang.
They’ll travel to Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta to take on Alpharetta High School in the first game of the season on Saturday, Aug. 17.
“These kids, they’re so fired up,” Edwards said. “Our community’s fired up, everybody on Highway 96 is. There’s a lot of buzz around our football program.”
They’ll face off against three-star prospects Michigan commit and pass rusher Julius Holly, BYU commit and tight end Tucker Kelleher and Arkansas commit and defensive lineman JaQuentin Madison.
Two weeks later, Houston County will travel to Perry and then face Warner Robins a week after at home.
After playing Tift County — the game where Joseph will be eligible to play — they’ll face conference matches against in-town rivals Veterans and Northside before playing Coffee, Thomas County Central and Lee County.
While a tough schedule, Edwards said he and his team are ready to tackle it head on.
“The kids are excited, the community’s excited, the coaching staffs excited,” he said. “...We got such a great group of kids, you want the best for them and hopefully we can send these seniors out with a bang.”
Houston County Full 2024 Schedule
*indicates a region game
Aug 17 - @ Alpharetta
Aug. 23 - vs Effingham County
Aug. 30 - @ Perry
Sept. 6 - vs Warner Robins
Sept. 13 - @ Tift County
Sept. 27 - @ Veterans
Oct. 4 - vs Northside
Oct. 18 - @ Coffee
Oct. 25 - vs Thomas County Central
Nov. 1 - @ Lee County