Catching up with Bremen Head Coach Davis Russell


CARROLLTON GA- On Gradick sports media day I had the chance to sit down with Bremen Football Head Coach Davis Russell. Coach Russell gave us some insight on the Blue Devils as they prepare for the upcoming season.

When asked about changes to the offense and the offensive line:

“One of the reasons we went to this offense is we got tackles like Evan Brown who 6’1” or 6’2” that are 200 pounds and start on our basketball team, so they can really run, gap-down-backer and run. Barrett Greenhaw and Doc Pearson who played fullback and tight-end last year, they’re playing tackle, and those guys can run.”

“We got a couple kids in Logan Mann and Watson Hembree, that didn’t play last year that are big guards. Big punching guards.

“Another Lineman that is just phenomenal, he’s going to be our next D1 player, a division-1 offensive lineman in my opinion is Cole Norred. He’s just a sophomore. David Norred, who was head coach at Villa-Rica a couple years ago, it’s his son. Cole is 6’3” or 6’4” and 265 lbs. and he’s just a sophomore. He’s going to be a phenomenal player.”

“We got a good group of offensive lineman and Sam Robison is leading the charge there. He’s my co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach. He’s won a State Championship as OL coach with Calhoun and played in this offense, it’s a good group.”


Coach’s thoughts on the Bremen Defense:

“Doc Person and Barrett Greenhaw, both play edge for us, they’re great players. Parr Folsom plays mike-backer, he’s really good. “

“We got a team of corners; I’ve got about 6 corners. They play hard and their good kids to. Cayden Sweatt is really good on defense to, we’re going to play him in spots because he will be running the ball a bunch, but he’s a really good defensive player. Cam O’Neal is a D-lineman that’s another great player. I could name a bunch of them”

“Nobody stands out as far as there’s just one guy better than the other. Just a bunch of blue-collar kids that work their butt off. That’s what we prided ourselves on.”


When asked about last season’s 5-6 finish:

“We hit the reset button in February, people think when you have a bad football season that you need to do more football, we did less. We started focusing on being great teammates, being great people, being great leaders, being great workers, and being un-common. That’s our thing this year, we’re going to be uncommon. We’re going to be real with one another, and this is the most fun summer I’ve ever been a part of.

This team is an ultimate team, and that’s been our focus. That’s what we always wanted at Bremen, Tough hard-nosed kids that get after it and don’t want to let their teammates down. We got away from it at spots and we aren’t going to let that happen again.”


On Cayden Sweatts move to fullback:

We were doing this thing called Devil Games, and at the end of one of the mornings we were running pro shuttles and he just started whipping everybody. He was out running our skill guys.”

I called our Offensive Coordinator Coach Tim Hanegan and our Co-OC Sam Robison and I said one of y’all is going to love me for this and one of you is going to hate me, but I think Sweatt needs to play fullback.”

“Our quarterback is going to be a great player, he’s 15 years-old—he’s a lefty that throws a baseball 88 mph. He’s a really good player named Aiden Price. He’s going to be outstanding, in 3-years he’s going to be the talk of this whole place, but we got a bunch of small guys to. Our running backs are great players, Parr Folsom is an outstanding player. Trent McPherson, outstanding player, outstanding. Cleaned 290, he was our Iron Devil, he’s just a sophomore, he’s a stud.

Our problem was we didn’t have that big fullback that dotted that flexbone, so what we did was we just put Cayden there. Coach Hanegan and Coach Robison said I think we just got a lot better, and you know Cayden’s happy, he ain’t quit smiling yet.”

Bremen will have a scrimmage at Rockmart August 5th and will open Regular season play on the road against Heard County August 19th.

6-AAA All-Region teams.

A complete list of the Region 6-AAA All-Region Teams.

6-AAA Player of the Year
QB Seth Griffin (JR), North Murray
192-298 for 2,883 yds. & 32 TD’s & 252 yds. rushing

6-AAA Offensive Player of the Year
RB Kori Dumas (SR), Ringgold
179 rushes for 1,376 yds.16 TD’s

6-AAA Defensive Player of the Year
S/DB Kyle White (SR), Ringgold
169 tackles, 3 forced fumbles, 2 fumbles recovered, 4 Int.

1st Team Offense

Position-Name-School-Grade

QB Jaxon Pate Sonoraville 10

QB/ATH JD Davis Rockmart 10

QB/ATH Mason Parker Ringgold 12

RB Jaylon Ramsey Lafayette 12

RB/WR Zach Lyles Sonoraville 11

RB/WR Chris Roper Adairsville 11

WR Jadyn Rice North Murray 11

WR Jakari Clark Rockmart 12

WR Brant Bryant Sonoraville 11

WR Malachi Hill Ringgold 12

WR Justin Baker Coahulla 12

WR Evan Sanders Adairsville 11

OL Coy Pendergrass Lafayette 12

OL Jaxx Knight Sonoraville 12

OL Austin Johnson North Murray 12

OL Levi Gunn Ringgold 12

OL Montreas Simmons Rockmart 11

OL Bobby Campbell Adairsville 10

OL Ashton Hinnard LFO 12

OL Clayton Floyd Rockmart 12

ATH Eli Agnew Adairsville 12

ATH Taylor Carrell Murray 12

ATH Judson Petty North Murray 10

K Jose Alegria Rockmart 12

K Landon Eaker Ringgold 12

1st Team Defense

Position-Name-School-Grade

DL Brandon Orman Ringgold 12

DL Lane White Lafayette 12

DL Devin Hunte North Murray 12

DL Robbie Wiggins Coahulla 11

LB Tokyo Gordon Adairsville 12

LB Cole Carlock Ringgold 12

LB Tristan Mullins Sonoraville 11

LB Terrion Webb Rockmart 12

LB Jordan Carson Adairsville 12

LB Liam Rogers North Murray 11

LB Brent Washington Rockmart 10

DB Devin Pryer Adairsville 12

DB Dennis Sims Rockmart 11

DB Brant Bryant Sonoraville 11

DB Chris Roper Adairsville 11

P Owen Hannah North Murray 12

2nd Team offense

Position-Name-School-Grade

QB Jonathan Gough Adairsville 10

QB/ATH Kace Kinnamon Coahulla 11

RB Ethan Dempsey North Murray 12

RB Cam Ferguson Rockmart 11

RB Tyler Locklear Coahulla 12

RB Peyton Williams Ringgold 11

RB Brent Washington Rockmart 10

WR Carson Weaver Murray 12

WR Sam Hall Lafayette 11

WR Nicholas Beddington Sonoraville 12

WR Dennis Sims Rockmart 11

TE Grant Lisk Rockmart 11

TE/H Ridge Redd Sonoraville 11

OL James Foster Adairsville 11

OL Draven Peppers Sonoraville 12

OL Zay Middlebrooks Rockmart 11

OL Taylor Frady LFO 12

OL Carson Manis North Murray 11

OL Mason Tordup Adairsville 11

OL Logan Goldsmith Ringgold 12

OL Hugo Rangel Rockmart 11

OL Triston Ware LFO 12

OL Carson Gibson North Murray 11

OL Tifton Worthington Adairsville 12

ATH JoJo Haynes Rockmart 11

K Owen Hannah North Murray 12

K Jacob Brown Lafayette 11

2nd Team Defense

Position-Name-School-Grade

DL Tyler Frady LFO 12

DL Jackson Moss Adairsville 12

DL Brady Gray Ringgold 11

DL Carson Gibson North Murray 11

LB Austin Tucker Lafayette 11

LB Jebb Knight Sonoraville 12

LB Benji Valdes LFO 12

LB Aaron Flood Murray 11

LB Ross Martin Lafayette 12

LB Dre Morris Ringgold 12

LB Mason Phillips Rockmart 12

LB Ethan Dempsey North Murray 12

LB Will Douglas Coahulla 11

LB Wyatt Springfield Sonoraville 11

DB Trevon Gott LFO 11

DB Tyson King Coahulla 11

DB Jaden Morris Lafayette 11

DB Malachi Hill Ringgold 12

DB Gabe Helton LFO 11

DB Chase Jarvis Murray 11

DB Isaac Linley Adairsville 12

DB Deidric Gibson Rockmart 12

DB Judson Petty North Murray 10

DB Keyshaun McCollough Rockmart 12

P Bryson Sullivan LFO 12

Honorable Mention

Offense

Position-Name-School-Grade

QB Alex Slatton LFO 11
RB Chase Rizzo LFO 12
FB/H Ty Brown Sonoraville 10
WR Michael McDade North Murray 12
WR Aiden Patterson Coahulla 11
WR Jamillion Womble LFO 12
OL Teague Bickford Coahulla 12
OL Dakota Catlett Lafayette 12
OL Caleb Jones Murray 10
OL Slade Blankenship LFO 12
OL Ryan Maton North Murray 11
ATH Keenan Walker LFO 12
ATH Will Carroll LFO 12
ATH Nahzir Turner Rockmart 10
K Al Hastick LFO 11
K Ivan Agua Sonoraville 11
LS Hayden Ross Sonoraville 10

Defense

Position-Name-School-Grade

DL Caleb Peden Murray 12
DL Ashton Clark Ringgold 12
DL Will Bates Coahulla 12
DL Carter Wilson LFO 11
DL Bobby High Rockmart 10
DL Carter Sanford North Murray 11
LB Zach McAfee Sonoraville 11
LB Nyreon Cooper Rockmart 11
LB Mason Turner Coahulla 12
LB Logan Gray North Murray 11
LB Cam Hunter Murray 12
LB Charlie Ray Adairsville 11
LB Braylon Jones Rockmart 11
LB Taylor Frazier North Murray 10
LB Jeremiah Payne Sonoraville 12
LB Daquan Banks Rockmart 12
DB Eli Agnew Adairsville 12
DB Bryson Bethune Ringgold 11
DB Marcus Fortson Ringgold 12
DB Ty Gilbert Ringgold 11
DB Kevin Kremb Lafayette 12
DB Jacob Garnica Ringgold 11
DB Walker James North Murray 11
DB Ladarius Bunch LFO 11
DB Jevon Coney Ringgold 12
P Caleb Hooker Murray 12

The Shockwave of a potential 11-team region is far Reaching.

The GHSA has recently approved adding Gilmer and Pickens to the already crowded 6-AAA region. If the decision is finalized, the new region will have a total of 11 teams.

The proposed new region schools would be North Murray, Murray County, Gilmer, Pickens, Adairsville, Bremen, Coahulla Creek, Ringgold, LaFayette, LFO, & Ridgeland.

The move could force Region 6-AAA schools to play an all region Schedule, with no out of region games. The games that would be cancelled are some of the areas top rivalries.

Bartow County rivals Adairsville and Cass first met in 1956. This in-county rivalry would now be cancelled for the foreseeable future due to Adairsville having a Region only schedule.

Due to Covid, this years Heritage vs Ringgold game was cancelled. The matchup has taken place every year since Heritage High School has opened. The biggest game in Catoosa County could also be cancelled for the foreseeable future.

North Murray and Dalton have had to scrap their plans for their first ever matchup in week two of next season. A highly anticipated matchup that many projected as a new rivalry in the NW Georgia area.

Whitfield County Schools Coahulla Creek, Southeast Whitfield, and Northwest Whitfield have played against each other for the last several years. The games were relatively close to Home for Coahulla Creek, all within 16-miles of each other. Region 6-AAA school Coahulla Creek, will now replace these games with Bremen and Pickens.

Southeast Whitfield, which is a member of Region 7-AAAA, would be hit especially hard. Southeast has played at least three of the proposed Region 6-AAA schools over the past two seasons. In the seasons prior to 2020, Southeast played as many as six of the schools that will now be in the new 6-AAA. Those games will need to filled on their schedule, but will have to be filled with teams outside of the local area.

Then there comes the playoff spots. Each Region is awarded four playoff spots. If the current realignment plan is approved, Region 6-AAA would have the lowest percentage of teams eligible to make the playoffs in AAA. Regions 1 & 3, which are 5-team Regions would see 80% of their schools make the playoffs. Region 6-AAA would only see 36% of their teams qualify for the playoffs.