Join us tonight for the Emmy Award winning GPB Sports Football Fridays in Georgia as GPB 6A No. 4 Gainesville plays at No. 8 Roswell. This is Week Four of our 14 weeks of high school football coverage on Georgia Public Broadcasting all the way through the GHSA State Championship games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in mid-December. 

If you can’t make it to Ray Manus Stadium in Roswell, join us 7:30 p.m. on GPB-TV, Georgia Public Broadcasting.

This is a huge region game in one of the toughest leagues in the state, Region 7-6A, where three of the teams are ranked in the Top 10 including No. 5 Milton. All three of those teams won their region openers and will play against each other over the next six weeks. Roswell is the defending region champion, having won it in 2025 and Milton won it in 2024. 

This will be just the fifth all-time meeting between the Red Elephants and the Hornets and the series is split 2-2. Up until 2024 they played in different regions and sometimes different classifications. But the brief rivalry has been fantastic. The last three meetings between the two teams have been settled by a total of 12 points and the last two meetings as region rivals by a total of 5 points and both went down to the final minute if not the final play. 

In 2024 Roswell was a 48-45 home winner on GPB Sports Football Fridays in Georgia and in 2025 the Hornets were 37-35 winners at Gainesville. Back before they were region rivals, Gainesville beat Roswell 35-28 in the 2022 State semifinals.

Both teams are led by dynamic, young, new coaches. Santavious Bryant is now in charge at Gainesville after going 37-5 the previous three seasons at Grayson, winning the 2024 State Championship. Bryant was the secondary coach under Coach Josh Niblett before getting his big break at Grayson and was part of that Red Elephants team that beat Roswell in the 2022 State Semifinals. 

The Hornets are led by Coach Jonathan Thompson who is 16-3 in his second season at the helm. The former Lee County offensive coordinator led Roswell to a 12-2 state semifinal finish in his first season in 2025. 

So, do we get another shootout, last-team-with-the-ball-wins kind of game? Don’t know. Like they say, “that’s why they play the game,” and that’s why you’ll just have to watch.

FFIG 10-2

Gainesville Offense vs. Roswell Defense.

Khareem Hughley, Gainesville

Khareem Hughley, Gainesville

Credit: 247 Sports

The Red Elephants are led by one of the top quarterbacks in the country. Four-Star Khareem Hughley who is committed to Clemson and rated as high as the No. 5 dual-threat QB in the Class of 2027. Hughley has averaged 189 total YPG and accounted for 9 TD (5 passing, 4 rushing). Gainesville has had to navigate the first half of their season without two of the top RB in the state who’ve been out with injury. 4-Star senior Alabama commit Nigel Newkirk and 3-Star junior Dwight “P.J.” Lewis, who has 14 offers. Fans will remember Newkirk going down with a knee injury at Rome in the state semifinals last December and watching Lewis come off the bench to rush for over 200 yards in Gainesville’s 37-6 win. Will tonight be the night Newkirk makes his debut? Coach Bryant wasn’t saying when we talked to him Wednesday. Converted CB and senior Jordan Brown (52-236 yards, 3 TD) has been the lead back in their absence. The Red Elephants top pass catcher has been junior Doyle Morrison, who has 16 offers (19-220 receiving, 2 TD). Gainesville’s offensive line is unbelievable with four power conference prospects manning the five positions led by 3-Star LT Tyler Ford who is committed to Miami.

The Roswell defense is where the Hornets returned their most starting experience this season. Strong Safety Ian Foust and inside linebacker Hayes Kenerly lead the team with 41 TT (plus 7 TFL and team-leading 4 QB sacks.) Foust is committed to Air Force and also has 6 TFL and 1 INT. The defensive line is led by 3-Star Edge Jaxon Holly at DE. He is committed to Florida State. Fellow DE junior Elijah Thompson leads the team with 11 TFL and has four offers including Minnesota. The Hornets have two dynamic corners in 3-Star senior Nick Daniels who has 23 offers and junior Christian English who has 2 INT (one for TD) and 11 offers. Senior OLB Tyler Pressnal who’s been offered by Brown will be one to watch on defense, offense (RB) and punter (and also leads the team in punts blocked). Coach Thompson says he might be the best player on the team.

Roswell Offense vs Gainesville Defense

Miller Westerfield, Roswell

Miller Westerfield, Roswell

Credit: 247 Sports

The Hornets offense centers around senior QB Matt Schletty who’s a just-little-bit smaller version of former Lee County QB Weston Bryan who Thompson coached in Leesburg and is now with the Georgia Southern Eagles. Schletty averages 141 passing YPG and is the Hornets leading rusher at 94.0 YPG. He’s accounted for 15 TD (7 passing, 8 rushing). Roswell’s top two pass catchers are junior TE Sean Smith, with 19 offers including Georgia Tech and sophomore WR Chase Jackson (18-275 yards, 2 TD). Smith is 22-259 yards receiving and 2 TD on the season. The Hornets offensive line is anchored by 6-5, 290, 3-Star LT Miller Westerfield who is committed to the Georgia Bulldogs.

The thing that immediately catches your eye about the Gainesville defense is the youth in their front six. The Red Elephants have eight sophomores in the two deep along their defensive line and linebackers and they all produce. Sophomore LB Jason Johnson (35 TT, 3 TFL) and sophomore LB Chance Davis (31 TT, 6 TFL) lead the team in tackles. Johnson already has an offer from Colorado State and Davis has three offers including Kennesaw State. 3-Star Senior Darryn Williams plays alongside those two-sophomores and is committed to Wake Forest. Junior DT Terrell Russell leads the team with 9 TFL. Junior DE DeMarcus Simmons has 8 offers and leads the team with 4 QB sacks to go along with 6 total TFL. Perhaps the most intriguing two players on that Gainesville defense are Jeremiah Proctor and Jai’lil Goley. The “freakish” (Coach Bryant’s words) 6-5, 211, Senior Proctor plays safety for the Red Elephants but is rated a 4-Star LB and is committed to Pitt. The highest-rated prospect in the recruiting rankings for either team is the 4-Star Goley who is ranked as high as the No. 4 junior CB in the country with 38 offers including Georgia. Few teams even test him. Coach Bryant calls the “other” CB Zack Ingram the most underrated in the state. He is committed to Miami-Ohio.

Here’s more details on each team’s prospects with offers.

Gainesville Prospects

Four 4-Stars, Seven 3-Stars and 29 total players with college offers.

Jai'lil Goley, Gainesville

Jai'lil Goley, Gainesville

Credit: 247 Sports

#0 Jai’lil Goley – 6-0, 185, Junior – Consensus 4-Star rated as high as No. 4 CB in the country in 2028 – 38 offers including Georgia (93.34 Rivals Industry Ranking)

#9 Kharim Hughley – 5-11, 205, Senior – 4-Star rated as high as No. 5 Dual-Threat Quarterback 2027 – Committed to Clemson over 16 other offers including Georgia and Auburn (91.49)

#1 Nigel Newkirk – 5-11, 185, Senior – 4-Star Rated as high as No. 6 RB 2027 – Committed to Alabama over LSU (Official Visit) and 32 other offers (90.35) – Has yet to play this season because of injury 

#7 Jeremiah Proctor – 6-3, 205, Senior – 4-Star rated as high as No. 17 LB 2027 – Committed to Pitt over LSU (OV) and 39 other offers (89.33)

#77 Tyler Ford – 6-6, 315, Senior – Consensus 3-Star OT 2027 – Committed to Miami over 23 other offers (87.43)

#71 Bryson Hurt – 6-4, 300, Senior – Consensus 3-Star IOL 2027 – Committed to NC State over Colorado (OV) and West Virginia (OV) and 30 other offers (87.07)

#57 Carter Mathis – 6-7, 300, Senior – Consensus 3-Star OT 2027 – Committed to Pitt over NC State and 15 other offers (85.13)

#6 Darryn Williams – 6-0, 210, Senior – Consensus 3-Star LB – Committed to Wake Forest over Jacksonville State and 23 other offers (85.50)

#55 Carl Noisette – 6-1, 265, Junior – 3-Star IOL 2028 – 25 Total offers including Virginia Tech and Auburn (82.00)

#5 Dwight “P.J.” Lewis – 5-9, 198, Junior – 3-Star RB 2028 – 14 total offers including Georgia State, Pitt and UConn (82.00) – Has played very little this season because of injury

#3 Zack Ingram – 6-1, 175, Senior – 3-Star CB 2027 – Committed to Miami-Ohio over 19 other offers (82.23)

#51 Demarcus Simmons - 6-2, 245, Sophomore DL – 8 offers including Duke (81.67)

#18 Colin Porterfield – 6-3, 190, Senior – 3-Star WR 2027– Committed to Georgia State over Kennesaw State and 14 other offers.

#12 Doyle Morrison – 5-8, 156, Junior WR – 16 total offers including Georgia Tech 

#13 Timothy Cole – 6-3, 200, Sophomore ATH – 15 offers including Georgia Tech

#14 Colin Luke – 6-1, 170, Junior WR/SAF – Eight total offers including Wake Forest 

#15 Legend Wilmont – 5-11, 170, Junior WR – Five offers including Kennesaw State

#11 Trent Wilcox – 6-1, 203, Sophomore WR – Five offers including Kennesaw State

#88 Dawson Gray - 6-3, 240, Senior TE – Five offers including Middle Tennessee

#32 Dallas Ferguson – 6-0, 186, Junior SAF – Three offers including Boston College

#10 Chance Davis - 5-11, 201, Sophomore LB – Three offers including Kennesaw State

#39 A.J. Watson – 6-3, 225, Senior TE – Three offers including Kennesaw State

#2 Marcus Sims – 5-10, 169, Senior SAF – Three offers including UMass.

#22 Jaden Fossung – 6-2, 200, Sophomore LB – Offered by UNLV and Colorado State

#21 Jacorey Hunt – 6-1, 176, Junior CB – Offered by FIU and Colorado State

#8 Demauri Bailey – 5-11, 165, Senior CB – Offered by UMass and Clark-Atlanta

#99 C.J. Terry – 6-2, 273, Senior DE – Offered by Gardner-Webb and Clark-Atlanta

#29 Jason Johnson – 6-0, 175, Sophomore LB – Offered by Colorado State

#23 Jordan Blassingame – 5-9, 170, Junior SAF – Offered by Wofford

Roswell Prospects

Four 3-Stars and 12 total players with college offers.

#69 Miller Westerfield – 6-5, 290, Senior – Consensus 3-Star OT 2027 – Committed to Georgia over Tennessee and LSU and 26 other offers (88.70 Rivals Industry Ranking)

Jaxon Holly, Roswell

Jaxon Holly, Roswell

Credit: 247 Sports

#9 Jaxon Holly – 6-4, 225, Senior – Consensus 3-Star Edge 2027 – Committed to Florida State over Auburn and Virginia Tech and 34 other offers (87.43)

#0 Sean Smith – 6-3, 210, Junior – 3-Star Tight End 2028 - 19 offers including Georgia Tech (82.00)

#4 Nick Daniels – 6-2, 165, Senior – 3-Star CB 2027 – 23 offers including Liberty, Miami-OH, and UConn (82.00)

#13 Christian English – 5-10, 165, Junior CB – 11 offers including Pitt and Maryland

#15 Jake Smith – 6-0, 190, Junior LB – 9 offers including Wake Forest

#55 Hudson Rockhill – 6-4, 300, Junior OL – 8 offers including Wake Forest and Boston College – Out with season-ending injury.

#2 Dre Cousey – 5-10, 175, Senior WR – 6 offers including Kennesaw State, Liberty and UMass

#12 Pierson Degala – 6-2, 200, Junior QB – 5 offers including UNLV and Miami-Ohio

#95 Elijah Thompson – 6-3, 241, Junior DL – 4 offers including Minnesota. 

#6 Matt Schletty – 6-2, 220, Senior QB – 4 offers including Toledo and Miami-Ohio

#7 Ian Foust – 5-11, 195, Senior SAF – Committed to Air Force over 2 other offers.

#10 – Chase Jackson – 5-11, 165, Sophomore WR – Offered by Alabama State

So, join Wayne Gandy, Jon Nelson and me for our Emmy Award-winning Football Fridays in Georgia Game of the Week as the No. 8 Roswell Hornets host the No. 4 Gainesville Red Elephants. 

There are many ways you can watch Football Fridays in Georgia. Traditional TV (GPB), online at GPB.org, GPB Sports app, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Twitch. 

If you miss the game live or just want to watch it again, we replay the entire Football Fridays in Georgia Game of the Week at 11:15 p.m. or you can watch it on demand anytime at GPB.org.  Enjoy your Football Friday in Georgia!