In a matchup between a program with proven success against a team with untapped potential, Gainesville and head coach Josh Niblett — one of the most visible coaches in the state, known for his fiery red suit and shoes — travels to College Park to face first year head coach Morris Mitchell and Westlake in this week’s ‘Drive for the GHSA State Title: Game of the Week’ presented by GeorgiaContructionCareers.com.
The game will be broadcasted live on the Peachtree Sports Network starting at 8 p.m., and digitally on Atlanta News First and the ANF app.
Both programs have momentum after victories last week. Gainesville beat Moody, AL 31-7 on the road and are entering Friday’s matchup with a 2-0 record. Westlake is 1-1 and defeated Douglass 23-7 last week to earn Mitchell his first victory as the Lions head coach and his first in the position.
The schools are meeting each other for the first time since the second round of the 2005 GHSA Class 3A state playoffs where Gainesville defeated Cam Newton’s Westlake team, 27-20 to knock the Lions out of the playoffs.
This is Niblett’s third season with Gainesville, rejuvenating life back into a program that was once a dominant force to be reckoned with around the state. Since Niblett left Hoover and took over the Red Elephant football program in 2021, Gainesville has not lost a regular season game and holds a record of 28-2, with the two losses being in the state championship in his first season to Hughes and the quarterfinals last season to Woodward Academy. The Red Elephants are back-to-back region champs coming off of a 12-1 season with their sights on the program’s first state championship since Deshaun Watson’s 2012 Gainesville team.
“Man they are really good at what they do,” said Mitchell when asked about facing the Red Elephants. “They have two very good players on defense, they can wreak havoc and they can change the nature of the game,” he added. “On offense, they are very good at creating extra gaps and being able to run the football effectively and efficiently and they can also spread you out just enough to keep you honest.”
Mitchell knows Friday’s matchup will be a great test for his team as they will face one of the top programs coached by one of the top coaching staffs in the state.
“They are a very well-coached team, Coach Niblett and his staff have done an amazing job since he’s gotten to Georgia,” said Mitchell. “They have maximized that talent up in Gainesville and I think it’s going to be a really good test for us each and every down of the game.”
After a 9-3 season a year ago and following the departure of former head coach Rico Zackery to the college ranks at East Carolina in March, Westlake is poised to return to the spotlight in Mitchell’s first season at the helm. Mitchell served as the Lions defensive coordinator last season and is now in his first opportunity as a head coach. Westlake currently holds a streak of 11-consecutive years making the postseason, a streak the Lions are looking to extend despite being in a very competitive region (Class 6A-Region 2) with the likes of teams such as Carrollton and Douglas County.
Friday’s matchup includes talent all over the field on both rosters, with programs that have aspirations to make deep postseason runs.
Gainesville is led by first-year starting quarterback, sophomore Kharim Hughley who has helped lead Gainesville to a 2-0 start for the third-consecutive season. The sophomore has played clean football to start the season, totaling 464 yards and a touchdown through the air and added a touchdown on the ground as well to through two games.
The Red Elephants have a steady balance attack, with seniors such as running back Carmelo Byrd and wide receivers Shane King and Jeremiah Ware proving to be factors in their final season at Gainesville. Byrd’s senior season has gotten off to a fast start accumulating 225 yards and four touchdowns through two games, making things easier for his young quarterback and the Gainesville offense. King and Ware have stood out as the top-two pass catchers on the Red Elephants roster, giving Hughley two reliable and experienced options to throw too. Through two games, King has caught 14 passes on 19 targets for 228 yards with Ware adding 8 catches for 149 yards and a touchdown of his own.
UNC-commit, senior left tackle Alex Payne leads an experienced group of offensive lineman that includes only one underclassman in right tackle, Tyler Ford. As the bookend tackles of the Red Elephants offensive line, Payne stands at 6-foot-6, 265-pounds and Ford at 6-foot-5, 320-pounds, there is no secret as to why the Gainesville offense is able to find room to run with ease.
On the defensive side of the ball for the Red Elephants, its hard to look past University of Southern California-commit, senior linebacker, Xavier Griffin, a consensus top-10 player in the Class of 2026 and Duke-commit defensive tackle, Julius Columbus. Both Griffin and Columbus are slotted to play at the next level with both showing their talent early on this season as the two were named Co-Defensive Players of the Week by the Gainesville Times for their performance against Moody. Griffin has posted nine tackles, seven tackles for loss, and four sacks along with Columbus’ nine tackles of his own with five tackles for loss and a sack on the season. The two have wreaked havoc on their opponents to start the season.
Westlake quarterback Sean Smith is entering his second season as the starting quarterback of the Lions heading into his senior season. In his progression from last year to now, Mitchell has seen improvements not only on the field, but in how Smith leads and carries himself off field as well.
“I’ve been with Shawn since he was a sophomore and I get goosebumps talking about him,” said Mitchell. “He was one of those kids that matured so much and became undeniable to keep off the field because he is a gym rat.” “He is always on time, first one to get to the field and the last one to leave to the point where we have to tell he can’t go throw everyday even though he just wants to get better,” said Mitchell.
Smith has tons of help around him with a handful of players going onto play at the next level.
Having a wide receiver like Tennessee-commit and 247Sports top-150 player in the nation, Travis Smith Jr. gives the Lions offense a dependable option to run their offense through. At 6-foot-3, almost 200-pounds Smith showcases his talent on a weekly basis with a great blend of size and skill, giving opposing secondaries fits week-in and week-out.
Georgia State-commit, 3-star senior running back Tomir Bransford leads the rushing attack for the Lions. Bransford committed to the Panthers and new head coach Dell McGee (former UGA running backs coach) earlier this month after receiving offers from plenty of Power 4 programs around the state. The senior running back has shown his effectiveness between the tackles with his physical running style and has the ability to turn on the jets once he makes it to the second level.
Paving the way for Bransford on the Lions offensive line is 4-star offensive tackle, Georgia-commit Juan Gaston whose imposing size buries and defensive presence in his path. The senior offensive tackle stands at 6-foot-7, 345-pounds, becoming a problem for any normal-sized high school football player.
Defensively for the Lions, seniors such as defensive lineman Sakou Peters, and defensive backs Jordan Newton, Jalen Delapierre and Jamari Benjamin have stepped up and become leaders for the Westlake defense. As the defensive coordinator last season, Mitchell has worked closely with these players and trusts them to set the tone defensively each week. Mitchell described Peters described as a leader and “one of those program kids who does everything asked of him every week,” proving to be a trustworthy piece for the Lions.
This is Newton’s first season with the Lions and has stood out to Mitchell for his ability to quickly adapt on the fly to his new team. Delapierre and Benjamin each recorded interceptions last week in Westlake’s win over Douglass, creating turnovers and making it hard to throw on the Lions defensive backs.
Friday’s game has special meaning for the Lions-faithful when former Westlake-standout and current Atlanta Falcons top cornerback A.J. Terrell will have his name immortalized in Westlake history forever with his jersey retirement ceremony happening before kickoff at 7:30 p.m.
Don’t forget to WATCH LIVE on Friday at 8 p.m. on Atlanta News First.
See the NUMBERS BEHIND THE MATCHUP here.
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