Kennesaw State's Bohannon to open Macon Touchdown Club season; schedule, early-season players of the week honorees

          Kennesaw State head coach Brian Bohannon is the speaker Monday night at the Macon Touchdown Club as the first guest of the season.

          The program begins at 6:30 p.m. at the Methodist Home for Children and Youth on Pierce Ave. Cost is $30 for non-members.

          The cost of $250 for an individual membership includes each meeting – dinner and raffles – as well as the jamboree in the late winter/early spring, again with Georgia’s Kirby Smart.

          The rest of the season’s schedule: Sept. 12, ESPN's Mark Schlabach; Sept. 26, Bill King, radio host; Oct. 3, Georgia Tech's Geoff Collins; Oct. 10, Samford's Chris Hatcher; Oct. 17, GMC's Rob Manchester; Oct. 24, Georgia Southern's Clay Helton; Oct. 31, Mercer's Drew Cronic.

          Nov. 7, ESPN and Georgia Tech's Roddy Jones; Nov. 14, ACC/Fox announcer Wes Durham; Nov. 21, GHSA executive director Robin Hines; Nov. 28, SEC Network's Dari Nowkhah.

          Bohannon became KSU’s first head coach in March of 2013 to start the program at Kennesaw State, and he’s had the Owls winning ever since, bringing a 63-19 record to town as he starts his seventh season. KSU was surprised by Samford 27-17 in the season opener last Thursday.

          The Owls are now back in the ASUN for football, the conference adding the sport last year. Kennesaw State joins Jacksonville State, Austin Peay, Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky, and North Alabama.

          Kennesaw State has been an ASUN member in all sports except football until last year, joining the Big South when it started football. The Owls won three conference titles in six full seasons, and went to the FCS quarterfinals twice. They left the Big South having gone 29-8 in conference games, six of the losses coming in the first two seasons.

          They have ended four straight seasons in the FCS top 10.

          The Griffin grad played at and graduated from Georgia, and has a Master’s from West Georgia. He has coached at Georgia Tech, Georgia Southern, Navy, West Georgia, and Gardner-Webb.

          The Owls have a several Central Georgians on the roster: DB Je’Cory Burks of Perry, RB Qua Ashley of Dublin, OL Trey Butts of Mount de Sales, LS Ronnie Thomas of Houston County, and DL Jayden Barron of Upson-Lee.

          The TD Club honors players from all 14 Bibb County high schools, as well as Jones County.

          It will catch up on honoring high school players of the week in the first meeting, covering three weeks worth of players, from ACE, Howard, Jones County, Mount de Sales, Northeast, and Tattnall.

          From week 1:

          Co-Back: Fernando Washington of Mount de Sales rushed 18 times for 272 yards and two touchdowns, also throwing for a touchdown. On defense, the linebacker accounted for three tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in the 26-12 victory over Strong Rock

          Co-Back: ACE junior running back Aaron Davis had 16 rushes for 232 yards and five touchdowns, along with two catches for 31 yards in the 70-53 win over Crawford County.

          Lineman: Junior linebacker Chandler Harris of Jones County racked up 13 total tackles, a tackle for loss, two QB hurries and a fumble recovery in the 27-21 win over Northside in the sixth edition of the Macon Touchdown Club Middle Georgia Kickoff Classic.

          From week 2:

          Back : Multi-position senior Javious Bond of Jones County rushed 12 times for 149 yards and two TDs, plus two catches for 92 yards an da score in the win over Dacula. He totaled 241 yards and three scores in the 35-14 win.

          Lineman: Howard sophomore linebacker Zelin Pollard totaled 11 tackles, three for loss, with an interception and safety in the 46-19 win over Central.

          Special teams: Versatile Tattnall senior Brayden Smith had two kickoff returns for 143 yards and a touchdown and two punt returns for 42 yards. He caught five passes for 110 yards and another score en route to a night of  all-purpose yards in the 27-23 win over St. Anne Pacelli.

          From week 3:

          Co Back: Sophomore running back Nick Woodford of Northeast rushed 24 times for 193 yards and three touchdowns in the Raiders’ 28-27 loss to top-ranked Fitzgerald.

          Co-back of the Week: Sophomore athlete Brice Whitley of ACE caught four passes for 101 yards and two scores, had 157 return yards, including a 75-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, en route to 267 all-purpose yard. The defensive back had four tackles, four pass breakups, and a 50-yard interception return for a touchdown.

          Lineman: Tattnall senior linebacker Demario Wilmore accounted for 12 tackles, three for loss, and a forced fumble in the 64-37 win over Athens Christian.