Richardson was well aware of the Blue Devils’ 15-year postseason streak and knew it would fall upon him to continue the run. Norcross (6-4) is indeed back in the playoffs and will face the state’s top team in Grayson on November 14 in the first round.
A pair of losses to North Gwinnett and Brookwood weren’t how Richardson wanted his team to finish the year, but a week off has left the first-year head coach time to reflect on a successful debut season.
“I’m thrilled to have made the playoffs in my first year and keep that trend going,” Richardson said. “When I got to Norcross in 2001, we hadn’t made the playoffs since 1994. When 2005 hit, we’ve now made the playoffs every year except for 2009, so just keeping that tradition was huge. This off week is needed because it gives you a chance to focus on yourself a little bit. Get back to the basics, the fundamentals, heal up some bodies and get ready to go next week.”
Replacing Gwinnett County’s all-time winningest coach in Keith Maloof was no easy feat, but passing the head coaching role to Richardson was a no-brainer for the program.
“My approach to everything this year is surrounding myself with the best people around me,” Richardson said. “From assistant coaches to people in the community, to our players, knowing that I’ve got these guys around me makes all the difference in the world.”
The veteran-heavy Blue Devils have been led by quarterback P.J. Wolfe’s 790 passing yards and eight touchdowns, Kendall Edwards’ 487 rushing yards and Joshua Burks’ team-leading eight rushing scores. Defensively, seniors Rahja Wisdom (12 tackles-for-loss), Antoine Lewis (11 TFL’s), Tyler Jackson (11 TFL’s), Carter Luckie (three sacks) and Jayden Clermont (three interceptions) pace a 2026 Blue Devils class that Richardson knew he’d have to rely on.
“Back in January, the first thing I wanted to do was meet with my 35 seniors,” Richardson said. “I’ve got such a strong group of seniors that have stuck with me. You’re going to have ups and downs and those guys have stuck together really well this year. We’ve definitely had our ups and downs this year, but these guys have bought in and I’m so thankful and blessed for the opportunity to keep playing with them.”
In order for Richardson’s group to enjoy another week together, it knows it’ll have to play its best 48 minutes of the year. Norcross heads to Grayson, where the Blue Devils face a Rams team looking for its 25th straight win.
Norcross took the eventual state champions to the brink in the second round of last season’s state playoffs, as it entered the fourth tied at 17 before Grayson pulled away for a 34-24 win.
Hoping to present a challenge to MaxPreps’ No. 2 nationally ranked team, Richardson and the Blue Devils meet the Rams for the fifth time in the postseason since 2017.
“There’s no doubt they’re good on both sides of the ball,” Richardson said. “From a team standpoint, we’ve got to play together as a team. We’ve got to play with energy and when adversity comes, we’ve got to be able to handle it. We can’t beat ourselves. Grayson is really good on defense and as long as we protect the ball and execute what’s in front of us, that’s where I feel like our success is going to come.”
With the number of returning starters that gave Grayson a scare last November, Richardson wants to see the same level of confidence against the ultra-talented Rams.
“We were driving late in that game with a chance to take the lead and maybe win,” Richardson said. “It just didn’t go our way. Next week I’m looking for some fight. I want the guys to play to the best of their ability and put us in a position to win the game. I welcome the challenge and I know our playe... Click here to read full article
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