The Leopards had their greatest start in decades with a 4-0 start in 2022. A walkoff field goal by Commerce ended the streak, and the team dropped 5 in a row before finishing with a win. Injuries derailed the season, and Banks County is hoping to avoid that bug again. With a plethora of starters returning, there’s a lot of excitement surrounding the Leopards.

Head Coach: Jay Reid, 6th season
2022 Record: 5-5; No Playoffs

“We’ve got high expectations for this season,” says coach Jay Reid. “We felt like we were a much-improved program last season but had several injuries that really hampered our progress. As always, in a small program, staying healthy is a priority for us and we feel we can have a very good season if we can avoid the injury bug.”

2023 SCHEDULE – BANKS COUNTY

AUG 18 @ JOHNSON

AUG 25 @ OGLETHORPE COUNTY

SEP 1 BYE

SEP 8 vs FRANKLIN COUNTY

SEP 15 vs GEORGE WALTON ACADEMY

SEP 22 @ COMMERCE

SEP 29 vs EAST JACKSON^

OCT 6 @ UNION COUNTY^

OCT 13 BYE

OCT 20 vs ATHENS ACADEMY^

OCT 27 vs FELLOWSHIP CHRISTIAN^

NOV 3 @ PROVIDENCE CHRISTIAN^

^REGION 8-AA GAME

Personnel & Schemes

Key Departures: Andrew Shockley, Caine Griffith

Replacing over 4,000 all-purpose yards is no small task, as Shockley was a special talent for Banks.

Returning Starters: 6 on offense; 8 on defense

Key Returning Players: Cam Cooper, Robert Walker, Aaron Scott, Kolby Watson

Cooper and Walker will once again anchor the defense, and Scott looks to build off his stellar season. If he can stay healthy, he could be the playmaker that Shockley was. Watson showed flashes of what he can do at QB, and is hoping for a big step this season.

Up & Coming Players: Clay Smith (JR QB/DB), Antonio Gonzalez (SO WR/DB), Dayden Rogers (SO TE/OLB), Judd Shoemaker (FR WR/DB)

Smith will likely be in the QB situation, pushing Watson, after being an All-Region QB for Lakeview last season. His athleticism will have to be utilized in many ways. Gonzalez and Shoemaker get a great shot as playmakers at DB.

Offense: Multiple Pro-West Coast

According to Reid, the starting QB as of now is Kolby Watson, with Aucy Jacobs being the primary ball-carrier and Aaron Scott the go-to wideout. Scott might be the all-purpose leader for Banks this season.

Defense: Multiple 3-4

The Leopards have a trio of standout talents on defense back in Robert Walker, Cam Cooper, and Zack Dickey. Several others will be taking a big step to help anchor this side of the ball.

Trenches: “Developing depth is a priority for us, we’ve got some good experience coming back but we’ve got several players that need to step up and play as veterans for us to achieve our goals,” adds Reid.

Strengths & Areas of Focus

Strengths: “We have a well-rounded group coming in this fall,” adds Reid. “The greatest strength I would have to say is our team chemistry, this group has a special bond growing.”

Focusing On: “Our focus has been on the development of a high level of competition and team chemistry,” says Reid.  

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