‘Run It Back’: North Gwinnett seeks redemption after bitter end to 12-1 season
After a tough playoff loss in 2024, North Gwinnett is fueled by a hunger to rewrite its ending, rebuild its lineup, and bring home another championship. The mantra echoing around the Bulldogs’ football facility says it all. “Run It Back,” or RIB for short.
After losing to Buford 43-7 in the Class 6A quarterfinals, there was a bad taste left in the Bulldogs’ mouths after the team had completed its first 10-0 regular season in seven years.
“12-1, great season. So proud of our kids and everything they accomplished,” North Gwinnett coach Eric Godfree said. “To win that many football games is not easy. But, as always, you want to win the last game.”
North Gwinnett entered spring with holes on both sides of the ball as seven players have moved on to play in college.
On defense, the Bulldogs are looking to replace safety Malekhi Weedon (Arkansas State), defensive tackles London Seymour (Georgia walk-on) and Braxton Kyle (Rutgers), defensive end Cole Funderburk (Wake Forest) and linebacker Jalen Gist (Davidson). Funderburk was a three-year starter with 91 career tackles for losses.
On offense, they must replace wide receiver Nicholas Bookman (Samford) and quarterback Ryan Hall (Georgia Tech baseball). Hall passed for 5,745 yards and 62 touchdowns in his career.
“We graduated some really good seniors,” Godfree said. “It’s kind of big question marks going into the spring game of ‘How do we replace those guys, and how are the other guys going to step up?’”
After an impressive performance in the spring, defeating Gainesville 28-7, North Gwinnett is answering some of those questions.
“Credit to my coaches,” Godfree said. “They did a great job all season preparing kids helping kids who don’t have game experience be ready for a game like that.”
Don’t be fooled; the Bulldogs have plenty of talent left on this year’s team, as one would expect from a program that has averaged 10 wins since 2017, when the Bulldogs won their first state title under coach Bill Stewart.
Elam Rahman and Banks Halcomb are competing for the quarterback job. Banks got a Georgia State offer for his performance in the spring game.
Tackles Zachary Lewis, a senior, and Joshua Jones, a junior, return and will line up on the other side of the ball occasionally.
“They’re both really good football players,” Godfree said. “Zach has a lot of P4 (Power 4) offers, and Josh just picked up some FBS offers. They’re both really hard-working kids. They play the game right. They play physical. They play fast.”
Junior tight end Max Patterson is emerging as a go-to threat for the team this year. Standing 6’6” 230, he’s already started receiving D1 offers. Patterson is a star player on the basketball team, too. Godfree also plans to lean on wide receiver Braylon Jackson, who scored two touchdowns in the spring game. Overall, there are five returning starters on offense.
Defensively, the secondary impressed the coaching staff during the spring. Led by returning starters Chauncey Davis and Andruw Gist. New starters Bryson Ford, a junior cornerback, and Marshall Brown, a sophomore, already have FBS offers.
Linebackers will be the leaders of the defense. Junior Jake Godfree made first-team all-state last season, a rare accomplishment for a sophomore in the highest classification. He is the son of Coach Godfree. Ethan Robinson will be responsible for making sure the team knows where and how to lineup.
“Ethan will be a senior for us, and he plays with a chip on his shoulder and plays really hard,” Godfree said. “We love, love watching that guy play football.”
Godfree’s son, Jake, gets no special treatment and has earned scholarships from top programs nationwide. Jake will be given more responsibility within North Gwinnett’s scheme this year, and so far, he’s handled it well. He returned an interception for a touchdown in the spring game.
“What he does a great job of, and even with us having a young defensive line this year, he just makes guys right in front of him,” Godfree said. “He does a really good job of instinctively making them right.”
Connor Coxwell is the lone returning starter on the defensive line, and just like his counterparts, he has loads of FBS offers. He will be leading a defensive front that plans to rotate guys in and out, ensuring the best players are fresh when you need them most, the fourth quarter.
Godfree also hopes that helps in November and December, during playoff time. He says he still remembers every detail from that Buford game. “We want to have another opportunity to win our very last game of the season,” he said.
North Gwinnett’s 2025 schedule
8/16 vs. Douglas County (Mercedes-Benz)
8/29 vs. Colquitt County
9/5 vs. Mill Creek
9/12 at Brookwood
9/19 at Parkview
9/26 vs. Berkmar
10/3 at Peachtree Ridge
10/17 vs. Meadowcreek
10/24 at Norcross
10/30 vs. Duluth