By: Kenneth Harrison

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

We are only a few weeks away from the start of the 2025 high school football season.

Douglas County (Douglasville) is a talented team that has a chance to compete for the 6A state championship.

Last season the Tigers were 11–3 and advanced to the state semifinals. They lost to the eventual state champions Grayson, 35–28. They were 13–1 in 2023. They are led by head coach Johnny White.

Their best player is Edge Jordan Carter. Carter is a four-star recruit and the No. 11 player in Georgia for the Class of 2026. He is committed to Texas A & M. He’s 6’4, 235 pounds so he has the prototypical size for a defensive end. As a junior he had 62 total tackles, 35 solo, 17 TFL and 13 sacks.

Wide receiver Aaron Gregory is also a four-star recruit and a Texas A & M commit. He’s 6’3, 170 lbs. so he’s a tall and athletic receiver. In 2024 he had 914 receiving yards and 9 touchdowns. He also played defensive back and had 61 total tackles, 42 solo, 1 interception, 2 fumble recoveries and 2 pass deflections.

They have another four-star wide receiver, Devin Carter. Carter is 6’0.5, 170 lbs. and committed to Florida State. He is the third player on the team ranked inside the top 15 in the state for the 2026 recruiting class. His father, Dexter Carter, played running back at Florida State and he was drafted in the 1^st round of the 1990 NFL Draft. He played for the 49ers and Jets.

Last season Carter had 41 receptions, 669 yards and 5 touchdowns.

Safety Jamar Owens is a three-star recruit and he’s committed to Indiana. He’s 6’0 and 180 pounds. Last year he had 70 tackles, 3 TFL, 3 interceptions and 2 forced fumbles. He also had offers from Texas A&M, LSU, Michigan, Oklahoma, Oregon, Auburn, Texas, Florida State, USC and others.

Running back Zamarcus Lindley is a three-star recruit. In 2024 he had 1,224 rushing yards, 14 scores and he averaged 7.4 yards per carry. He also had 11 catches for 92 yards and a TD. The 5’11, 200 pound running back is being recruited by Memphis, Boston College, Duke, Florida Atlantic, Appalachian State, USF, Navy, Southern Miss and others.

Junior offensive tackle Joshua Sam-Epelle is 6’9, 340 pounds. The four-star recruit is committed to South Carolina.

The season kicks off on Saturday, August 16th in the Corky Kell Classic at Mercedes Benz Stadium. They play North Gwinnett and the Bulldogs were 12–1 last year.

They have some tough non-region opponents. They play Langston Hughes in the fourth game. The Panthers were 13–2 in 2024 and they made it to the 5A state championship game. They played last year and the Tigers won, 21-14.

They travel to Buford the following week. Buford won last season’s game, 31-14. The Wolves were 12-2 last year.

The Tigers are in AAAAAA Region 2 and they begin region play October 3^rd against East Coweta. Carrollton won the game last year and they were 14-1. They lost some senior talent from that team. I expect for Douglas County to win the region.

The schedule is tough so they might lose a few games during the regular season. I believe that will help them once the playoffs begin. They should make another deep playoff run if the team stays healthy.

Schedule

8/16 vs North Gwinnett

8/22 @ Jonesboro

8/29 vs Newton

9/5 @ Langston Hughes

9/12 @ Buford

9/26 vs Columbia

10/3 East Coweta

10/10 @ Westlake

10/24 vs Chapel Hill

10/31 @ Carrollton