It’s that time of year again, Bulldog fans! Decatur football is back in action and looking to build on an 8-3 season in their 2021 campaign.

Decatur lost a few key senior players from last year’s team, including 3-star “Outside Linebacker/Utility” Max Nunnally and “wide receiver/athlete” Mehki Lloyd. To any other team, those losses could be pivotal. Decatur Head Coach William Felton, however, has confidence in his returning players. “This year, the returning players are bringing a new level of hunger,” Felton explains, “This is a tight group of guys, and that teamwork will help them persevere through any adversity they will face this season.”

The return of starting quarterback Harrison Hannah and wide receiver Kenric Lanier are the duo to watch out for this season. Recently, Kenric committed to Vanderbilt University on a football scholarship. The two linked up for 6 receiving touchdowns in 11 games, along with an average of 73.9 receiving yards per game in the previous year. Look for those numbers to increase this year. “Me and Harrison’s connection is great, during the game he trusts me in any situation. We know we have eachothers back,” Kenric states when referring to his connection with his quarterback.

The Bulldogs will also take advantage of the return of “defensive end” and “running back” Marquis Hood. Marquis was unstoppable for the first half of last year, but unfortunately tore his ACL in a blowout win at Greater Atlanta Christian. The trainers expectation is that Hood should be 100% healthy for most of the year, but he may miss a few games on offense to begin the season.

After Decatur’s scrimmage vs. Stephenson got canceled on Aug. 12, the Bulldogs will host Flowery Branch High School in week one. Flowery Branch is a very physical team according to defensive linemen Ben Nowakowski and this game will be won “in the trenches.” Flowery Branch defeated St. Pius X last year, which proves the quality of their team. This will be a tough task for the Decatur offensive and defensive lines. With that being said, if Decatur’s front seven can hold their ground, there is a potential for the Bulldogs skill players to have big games.

Toe meets leather at 7:30 at Decatur High School.