LIST
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24 new coaches get first wins, several as big underdogs

Victories range from Jasper County beating Mary Persons to West Forsyth over Norcross.
Twenty-three GHSA football coaches got their first victories at their new schools last week. (Branden Camp for the AJC 2017)

Credit: For the AJC

Credit: For the AJC

Twenty-three GHSA football coaches got their first victories at their new schools last week. (Branden Camp for the AJC 2017)
By
Updated 5 hours ago

Twenty-four GHSA football coaches got their first victories at their new schools last week, several as huge underdogs.

One of the more notable came from Jasper County’s Dondrial Pinkins, whose team beat then-No. 10 Mary Persons of Class 4A 32-14 as a 14-point underdog, according to the Maxwell Ratings projections.

ExploreAJC Varsity football rankings: 13 teams enter Top 10s; Bowdon retakes No. 1

Others who were underdogs of 12 or more points include Mark Buchanan of King’s Ridge Christian (against Westminster), Anthony Williams of Locust Grove (against Dutchtown), Jacob Nichols of West Forsyth (against Norcross) and Justin Pearce of Woodstock (against Cambridge).

  • Apalachee: Chuck Kenyon
  • Appling County: J.D. Sellers
  • Bowdon: Jamie Abrams
  • Brantley County: Matt Hickox
  • Brunswick: Byron Slack
  • Charlton County: Brandon Byram
  • Jasper County: Dondrial Pinkins
  • King’s Ridge Christian: Mark Buchanan
  • Locust Grove: Anthony Williams
  • Lovejoy: Jabari Wilder
  • McDonough: Joe Dupree
  • Redan: Ronald Lewis
  • Riverdale: Marcus McKinney
  • Rockmart: Richard Fendley
  • South Atlanta: Keith Whatley
  • Southeast Bulloch: Jason Anthony
  • St. Pius: Adam Pullen
  • Swainsboro: Dwight Smith
  • Terrell County: Art Anderson
  • Twiggs County: Ashley Harden
  • Walker: Alec Lemon
  • West Forsyth: Jacob Nichols
  • Westside (Macon): James Harris
  • Woodstock: Justin Pearce

About the Author

Todd Holcomb covers high school sports across the state. He rejoined The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2025 and has worked with the AJC in varying capacities since 1985. He is a co-founder and editor of Georgia High School Football Daily.

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