GAME DAY 2024: Northside football looks to get back on track in year two under Ben Bailey

Northside football has been a powerhouse for the greater part of the last 25 years.

From 1998 to 2014 the Eagles never won less than 10 games and brought home three state championships. As of late, though, Northside has stumbled.

The Eagles saw their first losing season of the new century in 2019, and followed it up with another in 2020 before posting nine and seven win seasons in 2021 and 2022 under Chad Alligood.

Alligood soon departed to become athletic director at Jones County High School, and Ben Bailey filled the role of head coach in 2023.

The Bailey era got off to a solid start with quality wins over Jones County and Peach County, and a close loss in the Crosstown Showdown to Warner Robins. But, injuries and a tough region schedule got the better of them as they ended the season 2-6 after a 2-1 start.

That 4-7 record is just the third losing season since 1991 when Northside went 3-7.

That being said, Bailey has learned a lot about his program in year one as head coach, and anticipates a smoother year in 2024.

“Coming in year one, you don’t really know what you’ve got player wise in terms of leadership and intangibles that guys have. After being here a year, having the offseason and being in the weight room [and] making a few changes, you see where your leaders are,” Bailey said. “Naturally, just from a personnel standpoint, I think it will be a little smoother transition in year two than year one.”

There are a lot of position groups on both sides of the ball that will need to make transitions for the Eagles in 2024:

Offense — Through the air

Starting quarterback Damien Dee graduated after only playing five games in his senior year. He’s taken at least half the snaps at quarterback at Northside for the last three years.

His replacement is junior quarterback Jayden Wright, who took up the mantle after Dee went down.

Wright showed mixed results in his sophomore season. He was 52-of-95 (54% completion percentage) for 536 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions. All four interceptions came in the Eagles’ playoff loss to Marist.

At 5-foot-10 he is a little short, but he does have some natural ability at the position. He has decent evasiveness in the pocket and when scrambling. His throwing mechanics allow him to get the ball out quick, but as it usually goes for all sophomores, reading the field needs work.

Bailey mentioned that Wright had a productive summer, and showed up to every “quarterback school” session they held during the offseason.

Northside wants to keep it simple and play with tempo, and Bailey noted that Wright seems a lot more comfortable in that aspect, and that the decision making has gotten better.

Having an offensive line that allows him time to make decisions is important, and returning the Region 1-6A offensive lineman of the year Chastan Brown will help with that.

The 6-foot-7 University of Central Florida commit’s size and frame help, but they also have some other stout interior offensive linemen in Jacob Carrick (6-foot-2, 275) and Dylan Kuykendall (6-foot-3, 280).

Receiver is a big question mark with the graduation of Keron Milton Jr., now at Georgia State. He caught 59 passes for 815 yards and seven touchdowns last year, which is as many receptions as the rest of the team combined according to MaxPreps.

There is still a bright spot with Briston Blasingame, the assumed WR1. Blasingame brought down the second most passes last year with 14, going for 194 yards and one touchdown.

The 5-foot-10 wideout’s greatest weapon is his acceleration. He explodes from the line of scrimmage and after the catch, allowing him to get extra yards on a lot of his routes.

Kaiden Little is a 6-foot-2 sophomore to watch for. He’s a prototypical possession receiver with height and good hands. He can highpoint the ball, but from the limited tape I saw the vertical didn’t jump out to me.

Drasayveon Robinson is one of the few senior receivers, and one of the only returning that have a handful of receptions. He’s 5-foot-10 and 165 pounds with a 4.6 40-yard-dash time. He’s got solid speed and hands, and should be a productive receiver wherever they stick him.

There’s not a lot of information available on tight ends, but junior Dorian Clarington is 6-foot-1, 207 pounds with a 4.7 40-yard-dash time. He has the stature to block and the speed step outside a little bit, time will tell what role he plays.

Offense — On the ground

There will always be a lot of dialogue around quarterbacks and receivers, but Northside’s real bread and butter is on the ground.

63% of the Eagles’ offensive plays were runs led by some absolute workhorses. Jarris Coney, the Region 1-6A defensive player of the year, actually, was probably their best weapon.

He ran 63 times for 450 yards and seven touchdowns for an average of 7.1 yards per carry. But he, E.J. Riley, Damien Dee and Da’veon Latimore are all gone. That’s 352 carries, 1608 yards and every rushing touchdown gone.

Robinson took some snaps running the ball during the spring game and looked good getting outside. Senior Ty’drickus Bolden hit the pile hard on every run in the spring, and though it’s not confirmed if he’ll be on varsity yet, Arrien Smith is a name Northside fans want to remember.

Smith is a freshman who displayed some serious power in his runs during the spring. Breaking multiple tackles, running people over and playing well in space and inside. A lot of those runs were against junior varsity and freshman players, so it’s unclear if he’ll actually be ready to take on varsity level talent, but he’s a name to be excited about.

Bailey noted that the Eagles want to “do multiple things out of multiple formations,” and that there will be several players running the ball this year that didn’t last year.

Defense — The front seven

The Eagles’ front seven took a big hit in the last few months.

The most impactful loss is 2023 Region 1-6A Defensive Player of the Year Jarris Coney, who led the team by far in total tackles and solo tackles at 109 and 94 respectively. He also led the team with 10 tackles for loss and seven sacks.

Northside also lost Region First-Team defensive lineman Dorian Taylor, and Region Second-Team linebacker Daylen Kendrick.

Not all hope is lost, however. They do return defensive lineman Kheldon Butler, who was also a 2023 Region Second-Team defender.

Butler recorded six tackles for loss, three sacks and a team-high 15 quarterback hurries to go with 48 total tackles (28 solo).

The senior has offers from Memphis, West Virginia, Georgia Southern and Central Michigan. It’s easy to see why considering his tremendous strength and ability to create pressure. He sheds blocks from both guards and tackles and makes sure he’s felt as he chases the play.

Junior Cortez Higgins is an athlete on the end of the defensive line standing at 6-foot-4 and 195 pounds. He can struggle to break through blocks, but is still able to disengage and chase down the play.

Junior defensive tackle Kel Harris is another player to watch on the line.

As far as linebackers go, no one can replace Coney. However, James Turner is a solid option.

Turner is quick and strong. He’s able to chase down running backs outside, and is a sure tackler. One way or another, he’ll find a way to at least get his hands on the runner if he can’t make the tackle himself. He recorded 31 total tackles (24 solo), three tackles for loss, two sacks and two quarterback hurries in 2023.

Defense — The secondary

The secondary also took a big hit for the Eagles. First-Team defensive back Ja’Quavian Turner graduated, and Second-Team defensive back Nick Linder transferred to Warner Robins.

They do return Second-Team defensive back Michael Clayton Jr., who is almost definitely CB1 in 2024.

Standing at 6-foot-1 and 170 pounds, Clayton has the size and speed to keep up with most archetypes of receivers. He sticks to his assignments, plays the ball well and is able to make solid tackles in the event of a catch. He recorded 35 total tackles (25 solo), seven pass deflections, one forced fumble and one interception.

Outside of Clayton, Bailey is focused on putting athletes on the field. Several players, Clayton included, will play on both sides of the ball. Robinson and Blasingame are two players he mentioned who will fill out the secondary.

Safety Terri Anderson is a quick defender who lacks size and tackling power, but is a name to watch as well as Northside puts together their secondary.

The schedule

Northside, like Houston County and Veterans, will be in a new Region 2-5A including reigning champions Coffee and Thomas County Central.

There aren’t many slouches on the schedule, but there are plenty of winnable games.

The season opener at home against Eagle’s Landing is the most winnable game. Baldwin is a middling team who relies on the run, and Burke County is in a similar situation though they went 8-3 last year. Baldwin and Burke County don’t throw the ball too much, and neither of their quarterbacks are particularly efficient with the ball.

There are no guarantees and these are still decent teams, but winnable nonetheless.

Warner Robins and Peach County will be tougher to win, and the region schedule is still as difficult as ever.

Northside managed to sneak into the last playoff spot last year, but switching Tift County (who, recently, has almost been guaranteed to occupy one of the bottom spots) for Coffee really hurts their chances. 

They’ll have to beat one of Coffee, Lee County, Houston County, Thomas County Central and beat Veterans. The team they beat would also have to lose three region games just for them to get in on a tiebreaker.

It’s not impossible, but the Eagles will have to bring their best to region play to earn a playoff spot in 2024.