East Laurens’ flock of high-flying athletes ready to take off

East Laurens head coach Jesse Hicks is a big devotional guy. 

Matter of fact, he writes his own almost daily while jotting down thoughts from scripture study each morning and, most weeks without fail, texts out a paragraph’s worth of encouraging words to people in his contacts before the sun comes up. 

He shares many of the same truths and principles with his players on the day-to-day, with faithfulness, patience, delayed gratification, perseverance in adversity and the Lord’s timing as recurring themes that also happen to be highly relevant to their journey as a team.

The Falcons have taken a good many of those messages to heart over the course of the past two seasons, which were both filled with potential, but not so much with the winning results they were hoping for. 

Neither were the type you would consider lean, with three wins, a few close games that gave them a chance at a couple more and their 2025 playoff appearance among the reassuring bright spots. 

But each, as well, lacked in the abundance of success foreseen in the bright future of a young roster that had not yet reached its intended breakthrough. 

Ecclesiastes 3 holds that for everything there is a time and a season, and East Laurens is hopeful that, in 2026, its time and season is finally about to arrive. 

The possibility looks as good as ever for a squad that has paid its dues, and is hungry to see the fruit of its persistence. And for the Falcons’ talented and now thoroughly experienced core of players, the chance to make that long-awaited move is coming up. 

“It’s harvest season,” Hicks said, channeling words from a devotional message he’d shared with the team a little prior to a conversation in early July. “You’ve planted it, you’ve watered it, it’s multiplied and now it’s time to reap a harvest. If we stay steadfast in what we’re doing, we’re going to reap a harvest, and that means wins on Friday night.” 

In the highs and lows of his first two years at the helm, East has shown flashes of potential greatness with a handful of big wins, and several other upset bids that came up just empty as short-lived momentum fizzled out. 

But the tipping point, both seasons, was in sight. And promise of some big things remains for a generation of players – led by two of the school’s strongest classes of athletes ever – that has steadily developed and matured on its way into this pivotal season.

Will their third be the charm?  

A high ceiling has been there from the beginning. But now it’s time for the Falcons to reach it, and play the level of football they know they’re capable of. Youth, inexperience and unfamiliarity with a new coaching staff are no longer excuses. 

“At the end of the day, they know what the work is now,” Hicks said. “This is year 3 with me being here as head coach, so those guys who are juniors, they know what the workload is. They understand what it takes to be successful.” 

Positive steps on the field and in the weight room this offseason were indicators that many of those things are starting to catch on in a meaningful way. Rather than just a few isolated leaders, it’s now a majority of the team that’s making a daily  practice of meeting the standard. 

“We’re building a different culture,” Hicks said. “Culture is called consistency. What you do consistently is who you become, that’s habits.” 

With that in mind, the Falcons are staying faithful to the plan they’ve been working at for a couple seasons, and counting on the experience that’s been slowly building as a catalyst for what could be a big step forward this fall. 

“There are no real major changes, just a lot of kids who’ve played a lot of football who are now juniors and seniors, and we’re just excited about what they can bring to what we already have established,” Hicks said.  

Gold-chip prospects… 

Since the start of the Hicks era two years ago, that wave of supremely gifted and strong-willed players has been a focal point for East Laurens fans with a strong sense of optimism that they hold the keys to reversing the program’s long-running football fortunes. 

Standouts in the group of a couple dozen, who are now juniors and seniors, have shown repeatedly in the two seasons they’ve cut their teeth why those great expectations aren’t at all misplaced. 

Arguably the Falcons’ top two athletic talents out of all of them – rising 11th graders Major Floyd (6-0, 185) and Bryson Hazley (6-3, 190) – have been the subject of some unsurprising recruiting attention this offseason. 

The standout athletes have turned heads locally since their eighth grade team’s unbeaten MGMSAA region title run in 2023. But each are now also commanding their due attention from elsewhere as they’ve moved to the forefront of hot boards, and gained offers from Georgia and Georgia Tech, among other  schools in the SEC and ACC. 

“Everybody in the country knows who they are,” Hicks said. 

Starters from year 1, the pair of ATH-types have played primarily as receiers and defensive backs, Floyd also sidelining as a return man and Hazley as a moonlight quarterback due to late-season attrition last year. Both are nimble with excellent open-field speed, good height, strong ball skills, quick closing ability and quality tackling form. And they tend to give multiple examples per game of why they’re just a little different from most at this level. 

In 2025, Floyd snagged a team-high 26 receptions for 400 yards and four touchdowns, and Hazley a second-best 19 for 318 and three scores. 

With some increased passing production (putting up points was an even bigger struggle last year, at 16 points per game, than it was in 2024, with an average of 22), both could see their numbers really take off. 

Defensively, they were two of the team’s top seven tacklers, both combining for around 40 and all but one of the team’s eight interceptions, with a hand in forcing four fumbles, recovering three of the same and breaking up eight passes. 

Chances for either to excel this season will abound in their primary positions at safety and wideout, plus an endless number of other offensive and special teams applications. And both are well aware of how many eyes that will be on them, of not only recruiters and fans, but also opponents, that’ll only add to the pressure to perform at a high level. 

“Those two, they realize that you’ve got a target on your back now,” Hicks said. “If I’m a player, I’m ready to go up against one of the best players in the country, even the South.” 

Though their names are the first you’ll hear mentioned when East Laurens is talked about, there are plenty of other worthy athletes who’ll be wearing the Black and Gold that’ll earn their share of the spotlight. 

“It’s not just Major and Bryson,” Hicks said. “We’ve got some guys.” 

The Falcons’ other most exciting playmaker may prove to be their quarterback, senior Skyler Snead (5-11, 165), who’s “really turned it up a notch” as he’s prepared for a second season behind center. 

One of several signal-callers East rotated at points last year, he threw for over 700 yards and nine touchdowns with six of the 17 interceptions that were the QB room’s hauntingest demon, while scrambling for about a hundred and one additional score. 

But last season’s lessons and some added experience over the spring and summer have helped Snead – who will double as a trusted cornerback – “work out some kinks,” and learn how to harness his many tools in a better way. 

“Last year was his first year really starting, and we weren’t sure whether he’d be the guy,” Hicks said. “He’s just matured, to be honest with you.” 

His season got off to an unofficially great start in East’s scrimmage, which began with a 50-yard gain as he pulled the ball down and took off on one of the first few offensive plays. Touch rules prevented too much more out-of-the-pocket improvisation, but his quick release and improved accuracy stood out as much as the potentially dangerous agility and acceleration that opposing defenses will have to account for. 

Hicks listed making good decisions, trusting his instincts, reading key defenders and acting with confidence as his keys to an exceptional season leading the offense. 

“He’s our point guard on the basketball team, but he’s got to look at his role at quarterback the same way,” he said. “He’s been so productive, being able to get the ball out, his run game is really really good. He’s not a guy you want to get loose on you. He can hurt you both ways. He can throw it, run it, spin it. There’s not much he can’t do.” 

Look for a potentially elite season out of two others on the defensive side of the ball, where senior Jeremiah Rozier (5-10, 190) is back after pacing the Falcons in total tackles (with 65) last year and earning the team’s defensive player of the year honors.  

The team captain, who seems to have added a little thickness to his profile, will be looked to as a principal run-stopper, and also remain involved in the running back rotation as a downhill option, and receiver out of the backfield. 

There’s also junior Demarcio Holliman (6-0, 175), a DB/receiver combo who may get overshadowed by some of the names above, but looks just as much the part, and made a case as the Falcons’ best pure coverage man a year ago with the lone other interception and a team-best 10 break-ups as a sophomore starter. 

While he’ll have to compete for regular targets with the abundance of different shapes and sizes of wideouts on the offensive side, an even more prolific season at corner could be ahead. 

“He’s in the same class with Floyd and Hazley, and he’s going to be a highly recruited kid,” Hicks said.

Their abilities have continued to blossom, but the most important aspect in the development of each player this offseason may be coming to the understanding that their role in getting this team to where it wants to go is about more than just what they do as an athlete. 

“They’re not just being good football players, but leading everybody in the work it’s going to take to get around that corner,” Hicks said. “I think the big thing for them is they know there’s an expectation level, and they’re ready to step up to it.” 

The names you don’t know… 

Looking past the top few, there’s a lot of value to be found among a wealth of other versatile players on the roster, many of them more unfamiliar, that will make an impact. 

“They don’t know their names, but they’ve been playing for us for the last three years, and we know that something good is going to happen,” Hicks said. 

A huge supporting cast in the backfield and out wide will give coaches a happy problem of finding a way to give the key guys above their due opportunity to shine, while also highlighting what everyone else has to offer. 

“We’ve got skill position players and running backs coming out the wazoo,” Hicks said. 

But that will also offer a benefit in making it less difficult to manage workloads and keep everyone fresh, particularly the handful that the Falcons need at their best for as much of games as possible. 

“What you don’t want to do is burn those two out when you’ve got other kids who can give you the same volume of work,” Hicks said. “There are so many guys at those positions that are effective.”

The possibilities are so extensive that there are really no players who will have an exclusive hold on their particular position. 

Many, even the QBs – with the dual-threat sophomore Za’Norrion Ellington (5-8, 180) projected as a secondary QB option that will allow Snead to flip-flop for some snaps as a receiver – will likely move around to different spots and keep defenses guessing. 

Ellington, senior J.J. Wright (5-7, 128) and sophomore Aveone Wicker (5-5, 125), each have the type of eye-popping speed that will demand some touches, somewhere, somehow. 

Wright was East’s third-most productive receiver last year, and a reserve on D. 

Wicker only seldom saw the field as a freshman, but will see a big uptick in his work, mainly as a running back. 

“I call him the cheat code,” Hicks said. “He’s very fast, very quick.” 

The versatile senior Gary Stockton (5-10, 164) will see regular time at running back, and possibly some action supporting Hazley and Floyd at safety. 

Another name Falcon fans should get to know pretty quickly is senior Ja’Bryan Bigham (5-9, 210), who played a bit last year after transferring in from West Laurens. But this will be his first as a regular at H-back, and linebacker. 

“He’s a very strong kid, a great runner,” Hicks said. 

Bigham joins seniors in Logan Gibson, a first-year football player off the Falcons’ baseball team, and well-established passing target Tawan Horne (6-1, 185) in a group of wings and tight ends that will get involved in the run game, and not only as blockers. 

Senior Jaden Griffin (5-9, 145) is back after a year away from football, and a sophomore season that showed some positives. He brings another set of tools to the burgeoning skill stable that could be used pretty much anywhere from back to receiver on offense, and is also candidate to play corner. 

“Jaden’s been a breath of fresh air,” Hicks said. “He can run. He’s really great with the ball in his hands.”  

As younger players go, freshman Kingston Stanley (5-9, 190) could appear situationally at running back and linebacker. 

“He’s a very smooth runner, and had a great spring game against Laney,” Hicks said. 

Junior Myles Burke, freshman Caleb Johnson and sophomore Jaleel Coleman are others who will probably “light up the JV” this fall, but could help out on Friday nights if needed. 

“We don’t want to burn our two best players out,” Hicks said. “We’ve got enough talent and enough kids who are extremely talented at the same type of positions. There will be no drop-off. When those guys come off to rest, those guys will be ready to go.” 

A big key for the Falcons will be getting things solidified on the lines of scrimmage, where the graduation multi-year stalwarts Raquis Stanley and Caleb Jackson left some big holes both ways. 

Senior Kayleb Butler (260), rising sophomore Ja’Tuan Wright (6-1, 245) and senior Travunta Carroll (6-2, 300-plus) are back as the anchors at D-tackle. 

Ends include Lagen Mack (6-0, 210), who has sized up and moved down from outside ‘backer to the line, freshman Christopher Washington, senior Amaree Daniels (5-7, 178) and sophomore Jayden McClendon. Daniels, likely to see a lot of time in both directions, has turned into one of East’s most well-rounded linemen. 

“He’s not the biggest kid, but he’s one of the more effective kids that we have,” Hicks said. 

The O-line group will have a mix of veterans and fresh faces. 

Ja’Tuan Wright and Daniels worked at tackle for much of the spring, with Butler and sophomore Donny White (5-5, 173) the No. 1 guards and senior Blake Hodges holding down center. 

Freshman John Walker and sophomore Easton Wood (5-6, 196) are also on the radar. 

Outside of the secondary and skill positions, the Falcons’ strongest group might be the linebacking corps, where another senior in Dianco Murray (5-10, 175), who had four sacks, seven fumble recoveries and was “always around the football” last year, is a rock-solid player returning alongside Rozier. 

Bigham is set to take over the starting job in the middle. Horne, Ellington, Braedyn Evans and both Kingston and Cayden Stanley (5-8, 175) will also compete for snaps. 

Junior Jaxten Thomas (5-9, 185), a utility player in all three phases, will spend time as both a linebacker and a situational edge rusher, and gives you the versatility to do a lot of different things in either of those positions.

The potential lineups offer a lot of flexibility that will have the Falcons’ front morphing between different looks based on the matchup and game situation. 

“We’ve got guys who can pass-rush the QB, and we’ve got guys who can play the run and be run-stoppers,” Hicks said. “We have to really understand and know what we’re asking our kids to do.” 

Another benefit of having so much at your disposal on offense and defense is that those who might not see the field in those two phases can still find a place to excel on special teams, where there are plenty of other places to get them involved. 

“Our best football players are going to be on the field whenever we’re out there playing ball,” Hicks said. “Kickoff team, punt block, returning kicks. This is what’s so much fun about this. I’ve got to figure out who I’m going to put on kickoff return when we’ve got so many fast, skilled guys. And that’s going to be a week-to-week thing. 

“We’ve got so many guys that want to be out there that our special teams is not going to have any drop-off.” 

Most of the above, especially some of the young ones with a lot to offer, are heavily involved in returns and coverage. The actual kicking, as the Falcons seek to replace both a punter and placekicker from last year, was less of a known quantity going into the fall. 

But a couple of first-year turnouts, senior soccer player Cristopher Vasquez at kicker and freshman Jordyn Giles, were getting their feet wet with the roles in the early going. 

Athletically, this is a team with as much to offer as any in recent East Laurens history, though much of what it’s capable of, in two seasons of development, has remained below the surface. 

Hicks is confident that the Falcons are ready to break out. 

“It’s exciting for me, because I know the talent that we have, and the talent has gotten so many reps,” he said. “Now, it’s time for our talent to actually turn the corner and get this done.” 

Not reinventing the wheel… 

With so many capable athletes at different positions, you don’t have to overthink things schematically. And that’s the approach that East is sticking with on offense and defense this season, though it is making some calculated tweaks that are intended to spark some new energy, and also help in better maximizing those many skill sets. 

New offensive coordinator Emmanuel Boone, who was previously the Falcons’ O-line coach, has done just that since taking over the play card, and refreshing things significantly with his creativity in finding new and different ways to distribute the ball. 

“He’s done an awesome job,” Hicks said. “He’s taken the offense to another level.” 

The re-tooled system is just as spread out as East Laurens has always been, and features a lot of the same run concepts and route combos, but will double down on executing the quick game – screens, swing action and quick-hitters – quickly, with an emphasis on getting the ball to those great athletes as quickly as possible, and reducing the time it takes to read and make decisions. 

The “fast-paced” attack will also duplicate a lot of plays in different formations, to give the illusion of variety to defenses trying to get lined up. In early glimpses, it also included a misdirection element that may spice up how the Falcons run the ball, as well. 

Things looked refreshingly efficient as they tried it all out, with some pretty hopeful results to show, during their recent spring and scrimmage games. 

“The kids like the way we’re getting the ball out so much faster,” Hicks said. “We’re a lot quicker getting the ball out of Sky’s hands, and the big difference to us is we’re not calling plays, we’re getting the ball to certain people… It really works out good, because you’ve got so many kids who are so special, but you’ve also got a bunch of formations and ways to get them the ball. They’re excited about that, and so am I.” 

Less has changed defensively, besides how East will arrange its chess pieces in certain spots to offer better flexibility in a system with the freedom to customize. But a priority similar to the offensive side has been made to make things as fluid and workable as possible, so that revolving athletes can transition in and out seamlessly. 

“Coach Boone and Coaches (Ryan) Selby and (co-DC Jeremiah) Hicks have made things easy,” Hicks said. “Use a lot of guys, keep everybody happy, everybody fresh and everybody playing at a high level.” 

Being better isn’t as much about the method as the execution, which has lacked the consistency needed to get over the hump in swing games that were watersheds of the past two years. 

There were a bunch of them least year in which the Falcons had a shot – pretty much every one in the regular season except Bleckley County, which put them away early – but either didn’t get off to a good enough start, or faltered in the second half. Complete games can’t continue to be elusive. 

“The biggest thing for our kids is just confidence,” Hicks said. “It’s just going out and getting the wins, let’s start early, let’s get up and let’s finish football games… Consistency has to turn into four quarters. If we can do that, and that’s the question, then I think our football team is going to be one to reckon with.” 

A mix of new and familiar opponents, both in and outside the somewhat different-looking region 2, make up the schedule. But most of the challenges East faces will be the same. Hicks firmly believes this year’s Falcons have what it takes to overcome those, and make a significant improvement, if they can just get rolling. 

“The thing for us right now is being positive and going to work,” he said. “I think once our kids win on a regular basis, everything else will take care of itself. Winning changes the perspective of what you’re doing and how. This is year 3, so things have to change. We have to get wins, and we know that as a staff. But our kids want to. They put the work in, and they understand what the work is.”

“I feel good about where we are,” he added. “The expectation level is extremely high. I think everybody here is abuzz.”