After last year’s address fraud scandal involving the football team, many parents, spectators, students, and even the players themselves had doubts about the football program in the season to come. The effects of the fallout of Grady’s falsely enrolled students included the loss of Ronnie Millen, head football coach for nine years, as well as athletic director Kathleen Washington, and 14 student athlete.
“We lost a bunch of key players, but I saw it kind of like every other season when key players graduate,” Christian Peterson, kicker, said. “I didn’t look at it as us becoming worse from the loss. I thought it would bring us closer and make Grady football more about the team. All the changes in the coaching staff made it seem like a completely new team that needed as much help as we could get, especially since the team got a lot smaller.”
Earthwind Moreland, who took the reins as head football coach. He played at Georgia Southern University, and in the NFL as a cornerback from 2000 to 2008. He also previously served as a coach under Millen. Moreland says he works hard with the team during practice to build on the success of past seasons past seasons.
“I’m trying to build on what they have, they were known to have at least eight or more wins every season, but I want to take it to another level by enhancing what we already had,” Moreland said, referring to the 8-3 record from last season.
The majority of players returning to the team like Moreland’s coaching style. They prefer the way he coaches and runs practices to how they were run in past years. He mostly does the same drills as before, Moreland stated, but he ‘adds his own touch.’
“I like his style of coaching better. He’s more about exposure, he talks to colleges to help us get into schools. He’s also more interactive, he doesn’t sit in his office because he’s out there with us.” Amyr Smith, a senior wide receiver, cornerback, free safety, and quarterback, said about Moreland.
Many of the players say they believe in the team and have a good feeling about the upcoming season based on what they have seen so far. Players and Moreland both pointed out the team’s most recent additions have a lot of raw talent, but are young to the game of football and are in need of more game like situations.
Marlon Character, junior, plays free safety, wide receiver, and cornerback. He believes the team’s strengths are the skill set positions, although they don’t have as much strength in their practically new defensive and offensive line.
“Our linemen are really coming along. They are young, not necessarily in age or classification but in playing experience, so that remains to be seen of how they adapt to live contact. That’s what I’m really looking forward to them developing,” Moreland said.
This year’s season includes much tougher teams compared to past years. The opponents in the upcoming season include St. Pius X Catholic High School, Marist High School, Arabia Mountain High School, Lithonia High School and Columbia High School.
“We have a pretty tough schedule from top to bottom, so we just have to come in and be ready to go to work every week,” Moreland said. “I believe the team is excited to get back to playing football and just seeing the fans out there, running up and down the field and going hard.”
The preseason football game on Aug. 16, was a home game against Mays High School, the school where many of the former illegally recruited students attend school. Since it was just a preseason game, the varsity teams played three 12-minute quarters. Grady won in a comeback 21-20.
