Hosts Jim Hardin and Blake Giles catch up with Clarke Central Coach David Perno, who is dealing with an extra challenge this year as he is taking treatments for cancer. Born in Youngstown, Ohio, David grew up in Athens after his father, Don, opened an Arby’s in Athens as well as Perno’s Formal Wear. David was previously the head baseball coach at Georgia. Three times, he coached the Bulldogs to the College World Series. Fun fact, this year’s Georgia appearance in the College World Series was the first that did not involve a Perno. Brother Donn played on the 1987 team, David played on the 1990 national champs, and he was an assistant coach for Ron Polk in 2001 and the head man in 2004, 2006 and 2008. Now in his 11th season at Clarke Central, David is delighted with the 2-0 starts. The Gladiators beat Pepplebrook in the Corky Kell-Dave Hunter Classic and beat Oconee County 21-3. “It should have been worse,” David said. “They called two touchdowns back.” Quarterback Tray Bryant gives Clarke a dual threat. He has added Carter Mangel to the coaching staff to join his brother Jack. Run-pass option has revolutionized football at the high school level. Playing for Billy Henderson was a dream come true for David. He started as a receiver, but switched to fullback after weight training. Dealing with cancer has been a challenge. Fatigue is a factor. Despite that, he is scheduled to coach the Clarke baseball team in the spring. David finds inspiration from watching how former Georgia baseball players Chance Veazey and Johnathan Taylor have overcome paralyzing injuries. Not many high school coachers in the upper levels are coaching both football and baseball teams. The new point system is affecting how coaches strategize late in games. Cedar Shoals’ starting quarterback was a part-time starter for Clarke Central last year. David says Hezzekiah Millender could play quarterback at Georgia if they give him a shot.

Athens Academy head coach Josh Alexander is entering his 12th season as the Spartans head coach, and he is loving coaching football as much as ever. The Spartans are young, with a number of sophomore starters, and a couple of 14-year-olds. But his most famous 14-year-old, Andrew Smart, son of Kirby and Mary Beth Smart, is not one of the starters.

Co-hosts Jim Hardin and Blake Giles revisit Jon Richt, first guest ever on Sidelines & Headlines, to talk about his first year as a head coach, his top players this year and his hopes for the year. And he reveals that after a lifetime of ill will toward the Florida Gators, they could be his favorite college team right now.

Co-host Jim Hardin turns the tables on Blake Giles, who has interviewed hundreds of people in his life as a journalist. Jim quizzes Blake about his career covering sports. Blake begins with a story about his mother making sack meals for the Maryland football team to take home after their game with Georgia and then shares memories from his time with the Athens Banner-Herald.

Charlie Winslette and Marvin Barton coached together in Georgia High School Football for 28 years. As a result, each has been a part of more than 350 wins as a coach, either as a head coach or an assistant. They are no longer together, but they remain close. They share ownership of a deck boat and still talk almost daily. Charlie Winslette is now an offensive assistant at Putnam County, his alma mater, where as a tackle he played on their only state championship team in 1967. Marvin Barton is the defensive coordinator for Athens Academy, a job he got when his wife sent out résumés because she wanted to be close to their grandchildren in Athens.

Hosts Jim Hardin and Blake Giles caught up with the pair in the field house at Athens Academy.

4:00: Marvin shares Charlie’s loyalty, illustrated by not signing a contract to take a new job until he had a contract in hand for Marvin too.

5:12: The stay at Statesboro was short because the West Rome job became available the following year. West Rome had won three straight state championships.

7:01: Charlie played baseball at Georgia and once was sent on a “safari” after hitting a home run onto kudzu hill.

15:08: When you add it up, both Charlie and Marvin have been coaching football for more than 50 years apiece.

16:05: The West Rome teams are being inducted as a team into the Georgia High School Hall of Fame.

16:52: The coaches remember some of the best players from those teams.

17:20: USA Today featured the 1985 team’s long shutout streak, ended ironically by a pick six.

19:20: The team was 59-1 over four years, losing only to Central Carrollton in 1984. Charlie turned the knife a bit on their 1985 revenge game.

23:54: Greene-Taliaferro upset Mary Persons in 1993 to win the state title.

26:37: Their proximity to Lake Oconee gave them access to famous sports personalities like Ray Guy and Mickey Mantle.

29:51: Andy Glass, remember him? Probably not. But Jim, Charlie and Marvin remember a great tackle he made.

30:53: Charlie extols the virtues of former teammate Brent Cunningham and his worthy inclusion in the Hall of Fame.

32:03: Charlie received a Rose Bowl ring from Georgia in 2017 after helping Georgia prepare for the triple-option run by Georgia Tech.

35:10: Charlie’s son was a center for Paul Johnson at Georgia Southern, so Charlie became familiar with the option during that period.

37:14: The coaches talk about how young men have changed over the years. Sports specialization and unrealistic parental expectations put pressure on the young athletes.

44:45: A Bill Peterson malapropism: “We didn’t come up here on a four-plane engine for nothing.”

45:04: How is NIL and transfer portal filtering down to high school?

46:52: Is there still a purity to high school football?

50:32: The coaches like golf, but golf does not always like them. And then there was Charlie’s kick serve in tennis that hit Marvin in the mouth.

52:10: The late Andy Johnson came to Charlie’s defense on the baseball field one day.

54:45: Charlie had an encounter with Tennessee’s Condredge Holloway on the baseball diamond.

55:54: They were on the front lines of integration.

57:33: More remembrances of Andy Johnson.

58:24: Charlie remembers coaching against Weyman Sellers.

59:00: Charlie met Billy Henderson early in his career.

59:40: Reconnecting with players over the years is a rewarding part of their careers.

1:00:27: Charlie says that a good relationship with the principal and the superintendent is vital to success.

1:01:45: Do coaches get too committed to a strategy?

1:03:34: Marvin relates the role his wife played in getting him to Athens and how it providentially saved her life.

1:09: Signoff. Oops. Charlie has another baseball story when he learned a teammate was an ex-con.

Jim Hardin and Blake Giles are back to talk about spring football, and everything else that crosses their mind, like Blake injuring his big toe, Jim going to watch Clemson’s spring football game where Dabo Swinny offered running commentary from the field, Blake went to G-Day and saw seven quarterbacks play, Jake Bobo gets to play for his father, OC Mike Bobo; Auburn turns to Byron Brown, South Florida transfer; Arch Manning played poorly in the Texas spring game; Brendan Sorsby is suing to get his eligibility after he was found to have gambled, an NCAA no-no; which sparked a short discussion on Shoeless Joe Jackson and Pete Rose; did you know that Ron Blomberg was the first designated hitter in the Majors; the Big 10 is bragging about its first-round performance in the NFL draft; how could Ohio State not win the national title with four of the top 12 players drafted?; where is the NIL money coming from?; Georgia is being precautious with Nate Frazier (precautious? Is that a word?); Zachariah Branch’s arrest was not much news after he was drafted by the Falcons; the five years for five seasons of eligibility seems like a good rule; the NCAA has to fight in court over and over again to maintain its rules; Georgia is keeping its football players by and large, but the basketball teams are turning over; the Bulldogs still recruit well in high school; Georgia is the standard that everyone shoots for; can Indiana win again?; the SEC will experiment with ABS in its conference tournament; will ABS become a thing in college baseball?; fun fact: the Savannah Bananas have played in Kyle Field at Texas A&M more than the Georgia Bulldogs; how is Texas not better than they were; Arkansas and three other schools are dropping their tennis programs; Jim likes Texas next year; Blake is high on Georgia; why did Alabama extend Kalen DeBoer’s contract, which practically guarantees he will be the coach for two more years?; Georgia is blessed to have alum Kirby Smart as its head coach; Auburn faces a tough schedule but Jim likes their quarterback; how did Auburn fall off the top of the food chain?; one reason, its biggest rivals—Alabama and Georgia—have been very good at the same time; Auburn has to keep playing them every year, along with ascendant Vanderbilt; Will Muschamp may revive Texas’s defense; will Lane Kiffin get LSU back in contention?; Jared Curtis says he will win a national championship at Vanderbilt; Blake saw Maxie Foster of Athens honored as the first scholarshipped black athlete at Georgia’ before the five, Ken Dious and James Hurley were the first blacks who practiced at Georgia; Sylvester Boler could have been “Herschel Walker” before Herschel; Boler starred when Georgia rallied to beat Tennessee and Condredge Holloway, “the artful dodger;” Georgia radio announces a new broadcast duo; Jim believes Florida has a good head coach; Jim is headed to the beach; Blake is cruising; they talk gardening; Blake visited his old friends Brian and Becky Tankersley at Double Branches Farm in Lincolnton to get some strawberries; they visited a brisket cooking and testimony event featuring Russ Tanner at Colbert Baptist Church; Jane Bath is the author of Landscape Design Answer Book; Jim talks vegetable gardening.

Hosts Jim Hardin and Blake Giles review the CFP championship game, won by Indiana, 27-21 over Miami, earning the first football title for the school. Then they look at the preseason rankings and the final AP rankings. Twelve teams ranked in the preseason failed to finish in the top 25. Most disappointing? Penn State, Clemson, LSU and Florida. Which team will emerge next year? Has the Big 10 surpassed the SEC? Georgia adds a late quarterback recruit. The Falcons underwhelmed with their hire. Both pick the Seahawks and Patriots to advance to the Super Bowl.

Hosts Blake Giles and Jim Harbin look ahead to the CFP Finals. Indiana looks too good to lose. But ex-Bulldog quarterback Carson Beck has played well for Miami. The portal has been busy as usual. Georgia has had less turnover than any team in the SEC. Oklahoma State has had wholesale roster turnover. The NFL playoffs look wide open.