HHJ 2018 Football Preview: Northside looking to get back to championship ways

The Northside High School Eagles and long time head

football and athletic director Kevin Kinsler had to hold multiple signing day

ceremonies this past season to properly accommodate the number of players moving

on to the collegiate level (In the county, only rival Warner Robins High School

had more players move on to play college ball).

 

With all of that success comes a lot of turnover

yet Kinsler and his staff are in one of the best positions possible to keep the

ball rolling. The Eagles are returning starters at key positions, including

rising seniors Jadin Daniels, Keonte Stewart, Tre Odom, Justin Kuke, Kentrez Anthony and quite possibly the best players at their

positions in the region in kicker CJ Munson, who recently verbally committed to

play at Western Kentucky University, and Swiss army knife do-it-all back Daniel

Neal. What was an up-and-down season last year, the Eagles were 8-4 after

losing two of their last three games of the regular season before losing in the

second round of the AAAAAA playoffs to Tucker High School, has the potential to

end in yet another region title and long playoff run a la the 2016 team led by

current Georgia Tech sophomore quarterback Tobias Oliver. That team, 11-3

overall, finished the season with a 1-AAAAAA region title and a semifinal

playoff loss to Tucker.

 

Daniels will run the offense at quarterback again

after having a solid junior season, his first as a starter. This past spring

gave Kinsler and his staff even more confidence in the athletic Daniels. “Jadin

had a very good spring throwing the football and running the changes on

offense,” said Kinsler. “He has a strong, accurate arm and has really improved

his reads. His athleticism should be a plus for him as he continues to improve.”

 

The 2018 Eagles will depend heavily on Neal who led

the rushing attack last season. “[Daniel] Neal has worked hard all

offseason and continues to be impressive as a receiver and running the ball,”

said Kinsler.

 

Kinsler will also look to get on-field leadership

from Daniels, who made his debut as the starting quarterback last season and at

times looked like the second-coming of Oliver and at others like a first-year

starter. Junior Willie Northern, who is coming off of a career

year, will do a ton of the receiving. “Offensively we are inexperienced and

will have to rely on dependable playmakers like Neal and Northern and others as

we progress,” added Kinsler.

 

On defense the Eagles will have a unique mix of

veterans and rookies starting this season. Players like Tubby McCall, Kentrez

Anthony, KJ Little and defensive lineman Deandre Walker and Fred Chappell will

carry the load. “Both are hard nosed players,” said Kinsler of Chappell and

Walker. He calls McCall and Anthony, returning starters in the Eagles

secondary, “playmakers.”

 

The Eagles will open the 2018 season on the road in

Roswell at Centennial High School, something they have not done since 2015 when

they played their season opener at North Cobb High School (a 27-24 victory). Northside

has opened the season against Warner Robins at McConnell-Talbert Stadium the

last two seasons. The two programs spilt those games with Warner Robins winning

28-17 last year.

 

The home opener will have to wait another week as

the Eagles will play the Peach County High School Trojans at Five Star Stadium

at Mercer University on Wednesday, Aug., 25. The busy schedule doesn’t stop

because the Eagles are at home. The Jones County High School will be their home

opener opponent this season. The Greyhounds and head coach Justin Rogers bring

back an experienced team that will be a quality non-region test for the Eagles.

 

The remainder of the non-region schedule will have

the Eagles face Whitewater High School at home, Baldwin High School on the road

and rival Warner Robins High School at The Mac on Fri., Sept. 21.

 

The region 1-AAAAAA schedule begins on Oct. 5 with

the Eagles hosting their first two games, first against Coffee High School who

has a former assistant coach, Milan Turner, in town now as the current head

football coach at nearby Veterans High School. Next the Eagles will face Lee

County High School before closing the season on the road against Valdosta High

School and at Freedom Field against the Houston County High School Bears.

 

There are rumors there will be a slight adjustment to the Eagles

pro-style run heavy offense but no matter which offense they run the Northside

team that Kinsler leads out onto the field this season will be prepared to

battle for the region title and another shot at a state title.

“This is a great bunch of kids that work hard and are fun to coach,”

says Kinsler. They love Northside and come to work everyday.”

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