2024 High School Football Preview: ‘Hungry’ Southeast squad aims to build confidence, competitiveness against non-region slate

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, August 14, 2024

The new GHSA regions established after the latest two-year reclassification cycle dealt a difficult hand to a Southeast Whitfield program that’s working to keep improving.

Southeast Whitfield stayed put in Class 4A, but, the new regions revealed a Region 7-4A that would have been packed with playoff teams falling down from higher classifications. The Raiders were to have been in a region with Dalton, Cass, Cartersville and Hiram, all of which reached the second round of the 5A playoffs last year. Add to that a 4A power in Cedartown, a former 5A school in Woodland and a former 6A school in Allatoona, and the Raiders were faced with competing against a lineup of larger, playoff-experienced teams.

“Right now, the Cartersvilles are dressing 100-plus kids, and we’ve got 50 to 55,” Southeast head coach Todd Murray said. “We’re trying to build our program up.”

Murray and the Southeast administration made the decision to have the program play a non-region schedule — something the team did in 2020 and 2021 as well. Southeast won’t play against their would-be Region 7-4A foes, instead playing against a slate of teams that Murray said his young team is eager to test its progress against.

“We’re trying to grow our program, and we felt like it was best to play more against teams that we feel we can compete with,” Murray said. “We’re trying to build that confidence and competitive nature. You want them to build that confidence and had fun with it.”

A young team with a handful of senior leaders in key positions will battle the non-region schedule as the program attempts to keep building. Southeast finished 4-6 in 2022 and had a competitive start with a new-look team last year, but injuries and tough competition in region play led Southeast to a 1-9 finish a year ago.

Now, the team is ready to make the most of this year’s schedule.

“Our team is young, but they are hungry and willing to learn and ready to compete,” Murray said.

Helping lead the way for Southeast on each side of the ball are Roberto and Alberto Rios.

Roberto Rios is a returning all-region defensive lineman as a senior who Murray called “the defensive captain.”

Senior Alberto Rios mans the fullback role in the Raiders pistol wing-t offense.

“He’s going to carry a heavy load on offense,” Murray said of Alberto Rios.

Senior Noah Singleton is also sure to get the ball as a running back and plays on defense too.

“He’s been a big help on both sides of the ball,” Murray said. “We expect him to step into a leadership role.”

Hunter Rogers is a senior linebacker who led the team in tackles a year ago with 71. Murray called Rogers a “good senior leader.”

Beyond the senior leadership, Murray said he expects some younger players to step into important roles too.

With the freedom to schedule any team that would put the Raiders on the schedule, Murray was sure to keep some local teams on the slate.

Southeast plays Gordon Central, Murray County and Northwest Whitfield in 2024.

“We’re playing a lot of teams in our area, and they are kind of rivalry games for us,” Murray said. “Our kids know those kids on the other teams, so it makes for kind of a rivalry. Our kids get up for those games like that.”

Key losses

DB Jake Hastey

OL Joseph Morales

QB/DB Jacob Layman

Key players

DL Roberto Rios, senior

RB Alberto Rios, senior

RB/LB Noah Singleton, senior

Circled on the schedule

Gordon Central, Aug. 16

• Southeast Whitfield begins the year by hosting Gordon Central. Southeast’s lone win of last season came against Gordon Central in a 19-16 win, but the Warriors flashed some improvement in its fall scrimmage after a winless 2023, beating Coahulla Creek 23-7.

At Murray County, Aug. 30

• The Raiders travel across the Conasauga River to play Murray County. With Murray going 2-8 and Southeast going 1-9 a year ago, the game will be an opportunity for both teams to battle for an early-season win.

At Towns County, Oct. 25

• Southeast travels to play a Towns County team that went winless in 2023.