The Clarke Central High School and Cedar Shoals High School football helmets are head to head at the Pre-Season Football Media Day at CCHS on July 23, 2017. The Jaguars defeated the Gladiators 17-7 in the first head-to-head clash between CCHS and CSHS during the 2018 season. The Gladiators will host the Jaguars Oct. 4 at 7:30 P.M. in the Waters-Wilkins Stadium. Photo from ODYSSEY Media Group archives, graphic by Owen Donnelly

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Game preview

The Clarke Central High School varsity football team gets into formation on the line of scrimmage in Billy Henderson Stadium during their game against Cedar Shoals High School on Sept. 28, 2018. The Gladiators were defeated with a score of 17-7 for the first time in 11 years, and CCHS head varsity football coach David Perno hopes to come back stronger this year with a stronger offense and walk away with a win. “You can pick your poison. I mean, (are) they gonna double Nono (Jarius Mack) and leave Jalen Chris Johnson running free? Are they going to stack the box take away OB (O’Brien Barnett)? I just think we pose problems for anyone offensively. If Isaac is reading his keys and knowing with what he’s seeing, we can be lethal on offense,” Perno said. Photo by Krista Shumaker

Cedar Shoals High School (4-1) will host the varsity Clarke Central High School football team (3-2) in their sixth game of the season on Oct. 4.

CCHS head varsity football coach David Perno believes the game will be vastly different from last year, where CSHS came back from a 7-0 deficit at halftime to beat CCHS for the first time in 11 years.

“I think the whole game should be a lot different. I think the last year was a real defensive game back and forth and low score, and I think both offenses are much more explosive (this year). And both defenses aren’t quite as good as they were last year, so I think we should see a lot more points,” Perno said.

CCHS varsity quarterback Isaac Ward, a senior, says the team has been working hard to prepare for the game.

“We had an off week last week so it was kind of just, get back to the fundamentals and not worry about how big a game is, try not to worry about who we’re playing, keep it in house and just worry about us,” Ward said.

According to Perno, getting an off week allowed the team to focus on mistakes that cost them the game last year.

“They realize, you know, last year really shouldn’t have happened, right? And it was just from guys not keeping their poise and us not staying on the same page and not playing together,” Perno said. “I think they recognize that (though) their preparation was good last week, it’s tough to get a lot out of them in an off week. But we were fortunate that our kids did a nice job and we got some work in and got started getting prepared.”

Perno believes the game will be tough, and that breaking their defensive line will prove to be a challenge.

“Defensively up front, they’re physical. Number 7 (Jalen Jackson) is a heck of an athlete linebacker. He’s really good. And they got a couple of targets. I mean, outside guy numbers 12 (Jaiden Williams) and 17 (Rickil Willingham). These guys (have) been around, they’re seniors and they know how to make plays. They were undefeated going into the Oconee game, and yeah, things got away from them. But they’re a really good team and really well-coached, (so) we got our hands full,” Perno said.

Central vs. Cedar: By the numbers

Clarke Central High School

1947 – Total all-purpose yards by the Gladiators this season.
1111 – Total passing yards by senior quarterback Isaac Ward.
604 – Total receiving yards by junior wide receiver Jairus “Nono” Mack.
562 – Total rushing yards by senior running back O’Brien Barnett.
27 – Total tackles by junior free safety Douglas “Deuce” Clark, Jr.
27.2 – Average points scored per game by the Gladiators.
21 – Points scored by Oconee County High School (OCHS) against the Gladiators in a 28-21 CCHS win on Aug. 30.
(3-2) – The current overall record of the CCHS varsity football team.

Cedar Shoals High School

2025 – Total all-purpose yards by the Jaguars this season.
547 – Total passing yards by senior quarterback Jaylan Rusher.
540 – Total rushing yards by sophomore running back/wide receiver Jerdavian Colbert.
248 – Total receiving yards by senior wide receiver/tight end Rickil Willingham.
33 – Total tackles by senior defensive tackle Jaheim Wilson.
32.2 – Average points scored per game by the Jaguars.
34 – Points scored by OCHS against the Jaguars in a 0-34 CSHS loss on Sept. 20.
(4-1) – The current overall record of the CSHS varsity football team.

(36-16) – The CCHS varsity football team leads the series in all-time wins over CSHS.
(17-7) – The score of the 2018 Classic City Championship when CSHS won for the first time since 2007.

Q&A: Coach Perno

Clarke Central High School head football coach David Perno walks along the sideline during the Cedar Shoals High School Jaguars in the Classic City Championship on Sept. 28, 2018. The Jaguars defeated CCHS for the first time since 2007 last year, and CCHS head Perno hopes to rebound against the offensive firepower of the Jaguars. “I think (their) quarterbacks (are) good. I like the quarterback. I have (for a) long time (been) watching (Jaylan Rusher) ever since ninth grade. He wasn’t there last year, but he’s elusive. He’s stronger than his physical size. He can make plays with his feet,” Perno said. “Anytime you have a quarterback that can do that, you better make sure you got him contained and put some eyes on him as a whole all the time.” Photo by Krista Shumaker

Digital Editor Owen Donnelly: How is the team playing Cedar Shoals this Friday different from the team that played them last year?

Clarke Central High School head football varsity coach David Perno: This team’s a little more focused. It’s a different style team, last year we played through our defense — we had a really dominant defense at times. And we kept pretty close to the best offensively. And we’re trying to keep it simple and not make mistakes. Unfortunately, we made a lot of mistakes offensively in the Cedar game last year. This year’s a little different team, our practices are much better, they’re much cleaner, these kids are a little more focused, a little more humble. I think there’s an idea that they realize last year really shouldn’t have happened.

OD: Who do you anticipate the most dominant players for Central will be in this game?

DP: Anybody offensively, we’re getting Jalen Gary (senior, wide receiver) back this week, obviously Nono’s (Jairus Mack, junior wide receiver) been leading this state in receiving (yards) for a month now or been, one of the top receivers in the state. Chris Johnson (senior tight end) could go big, O’Brien (Barnett, senior runningback) could go big. Isaac (Ward, senior quarterback) could make some things happen. I mean, we got a lot of weapons on offense. Then hopefully, we may see the return of Kasey Cowan (senior defensive tackle) who coming into the year was our leader on defense.

OD: How would you respond to speculation of an automatic victory with that logic that Cedar lost (34-0) to Oconee two weeks ago, and Central narrowly beat Oconee (28-21) in their second game of the season?

DP: That is poison. If we look into that stuff, because when you look at our team, we’ve been in every game and we’ve won three of them, and you look at Flowery Branch they beat us 38- nothing. I think Flowery Branch (is) really good, but I don’t think we’re that bad. I would say about the same thing happened with Cedar when they went to Oconee, it was just one of those days, and Oconee’s a very good football team. We were really lucky to beat them. I wish Cedar would have played better. People on the outside are going to think, ‘Oh, we should have no problem with Cedar any case.’ You’ve seen it so many years, you look at no more than last year in the state championship game: Warner Robins (High School) vs Bainbridge (High School). Warner Robins beat them like 38 nothing, during the regular season. Bainbridge makes it to the state championship and wins it. You’re dealing with 15, 16 or 17-year-old kids. Even at the college ranks, you just don’t want to get caught up in the scoreboard watching.

OD: What would it mean for the team to reclaim the Classic City Championship?

CP: It will be huge for us. When you consider that really, none of the games up to this point really mattered. I mean, it’s this is the region game. It’s not just the rivalry city championship and all that at stake. This (is) to keep upfront in your region. You fall behind like we did last year, it can take a couple (of) breaks to get back in it. And it’s needed, because, when you own a rivalry like we did for all those years, and you slip up, you got to make sure you bounce back, we gotta grab that momentum right back.

OD: What would it mean for you personally to win this Friday?

CP: As a coach, last year was the first time I ever lost. So it was tough. I did not know how to act the next morning. I played against them as a seventh-grader on our C-Team and we never lost, eighth grade and obviously ninth grade JV, then 10th-grade varsity, 11th-grade varsity, 12th-grade varsity. Matter of fact, I had the opportunity to play the very first game at that field. And, you know, we’re beating them 31 nothing at halftime. It was tough last year. I think that was the number one thing last year is we kind of had some guys that kind of wanted to do their own thing, and I think it caused a little disfunction (come) game time. During the week, we were a little too loud on social media, and it just wasn’t a good vibe. And we’re just fortunate to be able to hold it together after and, and go as far as we did. It seemed to make us better, and made us better down the stretch and better in the playoffs.

I don’t want to go through that experience again. I told our guys yesterday that we’re gonna make certain that we play our best game up to this point. We gave (the players) a tough schedule. We played Lanier who’s undefeated, we played Oconee who’s really good, Winder’s a physical team and getting better, Thompson was ranked when we played them, and I think Flowery Branch might be playing in December in AAAA, so you play those five teams man, we’ve seen it all. We’ve seen physical defenses, we’ve seen fast skill guys, we’ve seen athletic physical skill guys. We’ve seen good quarterbacks, we’ve seen great running backs. So there is nothing Cedar is gonna throw at us that we haven’t seen. And I think that could loom large for us.

5 year timeline

Cheer preview

The Clarke Central High School varsity cheer team cheers during the CCHS varsity football team game against Oconee County High School on Aug. 30 in the Billy Henderson Stadium. The team is hoping for a strong student turnout for the upcoming rivalry game against Cedar Shoals High School on Oct. 4. “I just hope that (the student section is) very extra this year. Because I just feel like the student section is really a part of the game. They really (can) be louder than us (cheerleaders). So I feel like they should just be extra.” CCHS junior and varsity cheerleader La’Kayla Taylor said. Photo by Luna Reichert

The Clarke Central High School varsity cheerleading team will cheer on the CCHS varsity football team in the annual Classic City Championship at Cedar Shoals High School on Oct. 4.

The team has been getting ready for not only the game but the pep rally as well, which will occur in the New Gym on Oct. 4.

“(The CCHS cheer team is) preparing for the pep rally. They’re preparing for new cheers for the game. And I think the energy has been flowing since school has started between the two schools,” head varsity cheerleading coach Krystain Edwards said. “And so the day, or the week, has finally arrived and so we’re getting all prepared for it.”

According to CCHS assistant cheerleading coach Grace Crumpton, there is a big emphasis on audience engagement for the game.

“Crowd involvement is going to be really important, in a positive way. Kids showing up and cheering on their team without that getting negative,” Crumpton said. “The girls are working hard to just get everybody excited and pumped up so that they can be supportive.”

Junior and varsity cheerleader La’Kayla Taylor believes bringing spirit to the game against CSHS will be easy.

“Last year we weren’t really expecting to lose. We weren’t like, ‘Oh we’re gonna lose.’ It was really hyped up cause it was like, ‘We’re gonna win, we’re gonna do good!’ But we didn’t so it got emotional because it was like, ‘Dang, we just lost.’ So then nobody really wanted to cheer or be supportive,” Taylor said. “I think this year we’re going to do better since we are coming off of a loss and it’s going to be easier to cheer on the team all the time.”

Edwards hopes the team will be able to enjoy the game despite the pressure.

“I hope they will have fun all the way through the first and fourth quarters. I hope we can do a lot to motivate students,” Edwards said. “I think they’re going to do excellent. I’m stressing out because this is the game they’ve been looking forward to.”

Preview, Q&A and package by Owen Donnelly
Timeline and cheer preview by Luna Reichert
By the numbers by Gretchen Hinger