Ahead of what is head coach Jim Eidson’s ninth season at the helm for Peachtree Academy, the goal is to reach the playoffs with a fairly young roster.
The team has been occupied this season as they continue to shape their team, but Eidson did not shy away from how the youth has impacted the team.
“[The summer has been] busy,” Eidson said. “We have a lot of new kids and young kids in our program. Our numbers are kind of low, but we have a lot of new kids in the program.”
Last year’s Peachtree Academy team only had two seniors, but this year’s group proves to be even younger, according to Eidson.
“We are still young,” Eidson said. “We only have one senior on the team right now and everyone else is young — everyone else is a sophomore or a junior. We do have some high-level students, but hardly any seniors.”
The Panthers finished last season 3-6 and just outside the playoffs with a fourth place finish in GAPPS Region 2-A.
With the season close by, Eidson shared what the goals were for him and the rest of the Peachtree Academy coaching staff
“To grow [and have] positive growth,” Eidson said. “The biggest thing is fixing our own mistakes without having to be revised. That’s one step we are trying to do this year. We had to do more coaching, we want them to be coaching each other as well as themselves. When you have coaches on the field, it makes out life a lot easier.”
Last season also featured the first in which the school competed in a nine-man league with an extended playing surface.
“For a lot of us, some of it was okay and some of it was a learning experience,” Eidson said. “I do think we have a better hold of it going forward this year.”
After the departure of senior leaders Jackson Lattimore and Logan Wise, Eidson she light on who has emerged as the team’s leaders for 2025-26.
“This year it would be my senior Brandon Lewis,” Eidson said. “Another one would be Jacob Chase, one of my juniors. We have a sophomore quarterback, Preston Witcher.”
Witcher and Chase are expected to be the main focal point of the offense as the team’s quarterback and running back duo.
The two will lead an offense that will look to make a significant improvement from last year. Through nine regular season games, the Panthers were outscored 77-214.
“We had a few games where we did well, but we obviously want to score every time we have the ball,” Eidson said. “That’s every coach's goal. Realistically, our goal is to improve on last year. You can ask any of my players, one quote I leave them with every practice is, ‘Be better tomorrow.’ Even if they have a great day that day.”
The Panthers will compete in the same region as last year that was led by Trinity Christian who finished the season 10-1.
When asked to describe the identity of this year’s team, Eidson kept it simple.
“Young, but power.”
