Four downs with Americus-Sumter football

AMERICUS — Since Larry Harold made the move from Macon to Americus in April, a steady amount of work has been put into the Americus-Sumter football program.

Assistant coaches have been hired. New offensive and defensive playbooks have been implemented. The framework of Harold’s system has been put in place.

Harold, who coached first-round Chicago Bears draft pick Roquan Smith at Macon County and went on to coach at Brunswick and Central-Macon, doesn’t have to worry about going through a rebuilding effort. Americus-Sumter is coming off a 10-2 season in which it won its first region title since the 2004 consolidation of Americus and Sumter County.

Here’s four questions for Harold and Americus-Sumter, a team that will host Dougherty, Lee County and Westover this season:

1. What does Americus-Sumter bring to the table this year?

There’s the usual changes and adjustments going on with the transition from Soliday to Harold, and there’s the usual replenishment of starters following player graduations.

Among the graduates are play-making running back Kobe Lewis, who earned first-team Georgia Sports Writers Association all-state honors last year. But the Panthers do return quarterback Kierston Harvey, and Harold arrived in time to work through a full spring practice session in May.

“We started in April, but it seems like we’ve been here way longer than that,” Harold said. “We got all of our coaches in. We got coaches from Louisiana and Texas. I feel good about our staff and where we’re at, and the kids are working hard.

“Being our first year, the expectations are high with the season Americus had and with what Coach Soliday and his staff did. We want to mirror that, but we also have a young team.”

2. What kind of offense will Americus-Sumter run under Harold?

Harold likes to run an up-tempo offense, a no-huddle gameplan that tries to generate quick yardage and scoring opportunities.

He believes he has the quarterback to run that sort of offense in Harvey, who led an offense that scored a post-consolidation program record 345 points last season.

“He can man the offense,” Harold said. “He has a lot of reads and different things like that. He’ll be able to put us in the best situation possible.”

With some young players in other key offensive spots, however, Harold is content to give the offense some time to develop.

“We’re going to have to rely on our defense and our kicking game early on,” Harold said. “We’ve got a young offensive line. Hopefully all of that will come together and we’ll have some success.”

3. How much of a test will the early part of the schedule provide?

Americus-Sumter won’t start the season slowly. The Panthers open against last year’s Region 1-3A champion, Crisp County, keeping the same opening opponent for the third straight year.

The Panthers’ other non-region opponent? Reigning GHSA Class 6A champion Lee County, who will visit Americus on Sept. 7.

Americus-Sumter originally was scheduled for consecutive bye weeks in Week 2 and Week 3. A schedule swap made last week rectified the undesirable situation, with Dougherty now visiting Americus on Aug. 24.

“A lot of these kids haven’t played varsity football before, so the first couple of games are going to be critical,” Harold said. “That’s why moving that Dougherty game was so important. You don’t want to have that big lapse with a young team.”

4. Who are some players who could have breakout seasons this fall?

Kierston Harvey, Sr. QB: “I tell him every day that we can go as far as his arm and his head will take us,” Harold said.

Montrellis Wilson, Sr. WR: “They call him ‘Speedy Fire Red.’ He’s going to have a big season.”

Tre Thomas and PJ Larry, both Jr. S: “They’re really good, young guys, and they have a really good secondary coach back there. We feel really good about those guys.”