Suwanee High School Football Predictions

Ah, the optimism of a new football season.

Teams that struggled last year just need some confidence to turn things around.

Teams that fell short of their goals are dedicated more than ever to get it done this time.

Teams that won it all have the swagger that comes with knowing how to reach the top.

You may not see your favorite team in a better light than you do right now … before the reality of game time can change everything.

Each week through the high school season, Patch will share our predictions on local football games — and ask for yours. Think you’ve got what it takes to pick a winner?

Let’s get it on.

East St. Louis at North Gwinnett: So what is this guy Bob Sphire doing anyway? Playing three top-flight out-of-conference opponents BEFORE playing in one of the toughest high school football regions you’ll find anywhere in the South? Simple. You play the best to be the best, and the Bulldogs coach has built one of the finest programs in Georgia as a result. These games don’t count anyway, right?

North (0-1), which lost to McEachern 26-17 in the final minute in last weekend’s Corky Kell Classic at the Georgia Dome, hosts East St. Louis Saturday at 8 p.m. as part of the National Football Challenge in Suwanee (Grayson plays Edgewater, Fla., in the first game at 5 p.m.). East St. Louis, with major-college prospect QB Lamontiez Ivy leading the way, will be the speediest team Sphire and the Bulldogs will face this year. The Flyers, 4-6 last year with six forfeits for using an ineligible player, is the top-ranked team in Illinois in Class 7-A (yep, they’ve got that many classifications up there).

With St. Augustine, Fla., next on the schedule (Sept. 3 at Carrollton High School), there’s a real chance the 10th-ranked Bulldogs could be 0-3 heading into their Region 7-AAAAA opener at Collins Hill on Sept. 16. But, call it a hunch if you wish, we think otherwise. Sphire will have a way of countering the Flyers’ speed. North Gwinnett 34, East St. Louis 31.

Collins Hill at Roswell: This is one of the top Friday games in all of metro Atlanta, pitting two teams that played each other twice last year — both won by Collins Hill (13-9 in the season-opener and 35-24 in the second round of the playoffs). It’ll be quite a task for new Roswell coach Justin Sanderson to avoid another loss to the Eagles, especially considering that only two starters return on offense. But Sanderson has been with the program for eight years, which brings continuity despite the coaching change. The big question for the Eagles (10-4 last year and a Class AAAAA semifinalist) will be replacing record-setting quarterback Taylor Heinicke (now at Old Dominion). Eleven other starters graduated, too. We say throw out last year’s results and give the edge (a slight one) to the home team. And don’t be surprised if the teams meet again in the playoffs. Roswell 24, Collins Hill 23.