Grayson made a name for itself nationally a year ago when it upset defending Class AAAAA champion Lowndes in the state quarterfinals. Lowndes was nationally ranked in many polls at the time. Now, Grayson -- a Gwinnett County school northeast of Atlanta -- has beaten another defending champion, Camden County, to open the new season. Camden was the highest-ranked team in MaxPreps’ national poll at No. 45.
On Monday, I spoke with Grayson coach Mickey Conn, who started the Grayson program 10 years ago and is watching it reach the kind of success he envisioned a decade ago. Conn talked about the 14-10 victory over Camden, the sudden notoriety of his program and some of his star players such as Ean Pemberton and Shawn Green.
Photo by Cecil Copeland
Mickey Conn, Grayson
Todd Holcomb: Are you comfortable with the attention?
Mickey Conn: This is our 10th year of football at this school. When we stared the program, we didn’t even have a place to practice or a football. It’s very gratifying that people are recognizing us. It says a lot for all the kids who came through the program and laid the foundation. I’m excited that people are taking notice. I’m excited for our community, our school, our kids. I believe God will lift you up in due time, and he definitely lifted our program up. I’m very thankful for that.
TH: What surprised you about the Camden game?
MC: I was really pleased with how our defense played. [Grayson held Camden to 114 yards of total offense.] I wasn’t real sure how we were going to be on defense. We had only four returning starters. We knew we had some good athletes we were putting on the field. I wasn’t sure how they’d respond to being in the Georgia Dome and playing the defending state champs. They played unbelievable. We also were pleased with our quarterback, Patrick Santy. He’s a senior. He’s waited his turn. In Class AAAAA, a lot of times you wait until your senior year to play.
TH: What did you like about Santy?
MC: I was really surprised at how well he ran our offense. We ran the option, and that was the difference really in the ball game, how well he was able to read the option. He hit a real long pass when we needed it. He made key first downs when we needed it. He played like a veteran. [On Grayson’s first scoring drive, which went 73 yards, Santy completed a 44-yard pass down the middle to Kory Jones and later made a deft option pitch to Pemberton on a third-and-12 play that went 19 yards to the Camden 1-yard line.]
TH: Who would you rank No. 1 now [in Georgia]?
Camden County, GA @ Grayson, GA
Camden County vs Grayson 09
MC: That’ a loaded question [laughs]. Right now, it’s a new season. We got 14 more games to hopefully play to be state champion. I don’t know what other teams have right now. Each high school season is so different. We’re getting read for Warner Robins now. [Grayson’s next game is at home against Warner Robins on Sept. 4. Grayson is ranked No. 2 to Lowndes in the Georgia High School Football Daily’s rankings and No. 4 in the Associated Press rankings, which haven't been updated to reflect Grayson's latest victory.]
TH: Three players really stand out on your defense – Terry Williams, a linebacker who made at least three stops behind the line of scrimmage; Shawn Green, a defensive tackle who has committed to Georgia Tech; and Joseph Champaign, a defensive end who also is a Division I-A recruit. Tell me about them.
MC: Terry Williams is an unbelievable leader. First of all, he’s been starting since the 10th grade. He just continues to make play after play. He’s a great athlete, and he has a knack for being around the football. As far as the two defensive linemen, Shawn Green plays that run really well, and he put pressure on the quarterback on pass plays Saturday. Joseph Champaign, he just plays with an unbelievable motor. He’s a strong, powerful athlete. All three power-clean over 300 pounds.
TH: Ean Pemberton, your 5-foot-4 running back, had another big game. What can you say about him?
MC: People are going to key in on Ean, and that was no different the other night. He was still able to make the plays. We had him with 143 yards. That’s really good against a great defense like Camden has. We still haven’t seen the best Ean will be, but what he did was unbelievable. As the game goes into the fourth quarter, when we needed it, that’s when he steps up his game to another level. After we got the ball after that turnover, he was going to make it happen. [Grayson trailed 10-7 midway into the fourth quarter when Pemberton made a 24-yard run to the 3, where he scored on the next play.]
Photo by Cecil Copeland
Ean Pemberton ran for 143 yards against Camden County.
TH: Do you feel Grayson deserves this new notoriety?
MC: I think these kids have earned that right. The only game they lost last year was in double overtime [to Peachtree Ridge in the semifinals]. I think they deserve the attention they’re getting. They don’t need to keep reading headlines. They have to prove it. But they’ve earned the right to be noticed.