ACE football is on the way up

Enter Head Football Coach Keith Hatcher, who took over for the 2022 season. After two seasons, the expectations have increased exponentially. 

Coach Hatcher graduated from Mount de Sales in 1996 and played at Mars Hill, a Division II program in North Carolina, earning letters in baseball and football. He was on several all-conference academic honors before graduating in 2000.

He started his coaching career at Valdosta State under Cousin Chris Hatcher, then moved to Alabama-Birmingham under Watson Brown two years later. 

He returned to Valdosta State as director of operations and secondary coach for two more years, adding special teams’ duties with punting. Then he followed Chris to Georgia Southern and Murray State before taking the Mount de Sales head job in 2014.

In just his two seasons, he finished 8-3 each year and qualified for the state playoffs, and Coach Hatcher is already the school’s all-time winningest coach. While the program is on an upward trajectory, everyone connected to it is looking to take the next step. 

The 2024 team’s first stop is quarterback. Last year’s starter, Kaleb Scarbary, is gone, but the new starter probably has the best name for a school’s quarterback in America. Sophomore Ace Hatcher will control the ACE offense.

Not only does his name fit, but he is also a third-generation Macon high school football player with the famous Hatcher name and the coach’s son. 

When Coach Hatcher was asked if his son was ready, his answer was typical father-speak. “We are going to find out. He has been around it his whole life, and he is working for this moment. He has had a great summer and should be ready to go.”

Ace also has the luxury of one of the best in the state at wide receiver, Brice Whitley, who caught 41 passes last year for 801 yards and 12 touchdowns. And while thousand-yard back Aaron Davis graduated, they do have Bryson Vincent, who had over 300 yards last year, back to take his place. 

On defense, the Gryphons return six starters, and Coach Hatcher is depending on Sawyer Rao and James Patterson for leadership. He said, “Those two guys have been productive players for us the past two seasons. And there are a lot of young kids stepping in who have had the opportunity to develop over the last couple of years.”

OUTLOOK—GHSA reclassification moved the Gryphons to Region 2-A Division 1 for the upcoming season, along with nine other teams. Included in the group are three teams ranked in the preseason top 10. Dublin (7th), Northeast (8th), and Bleckley County (10th) will all be formidable. But do not count the Gryphons out. 

The program has made gains in Coach Hatchers’ two seasons, and there is no reason to expect that trend not to continue. 

The schedule begins immediately with a region game, so there is not really a warmup. Luckily, ACE does not play one of the ranked teams later in the year. 

The Gryhons are going to take a step this year, upset a team, and win their first playoff game in school history. When it comes to the postseason, they are going to ACE that test. 

ODDS AND ENDS—The Gryphons’ first win in school history was on Aug. 17, 2018, when they defeated Notre Dame Academy 35-21. Two years later, they won their first region game against Crawford County. In games against ranked teams, the Gryphons are 0-5. 

In their final regular-season game, the Gryphons host the Washington County Golden Hawks. The latter are coached by former University of Georgia star running back Robert Edwards, who was picked in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft.