2025 local high school football previews: Cartersville Purple Hurricanes

July 31, 2025

2025 local high school football previews:  Cartersville Hurricanes

Bartow Sports Zone is featuring each of the four local high school football programs this week with previews of the 2025 teams. Each local head coach responded to a questionnaire.

Head Coach Conor Foster

Conor Foster

Conor Foster begins his seventh season as head coach at Cartersville after stints as an assistant at Carrollton and as defensive coordinator with the Hurricanes. As head coach, Foster is 71-8 with four region titles and state playoff appearances in all six prior seasons. Cartersville was state runner-up in 2020, a semifinalist in 2022 and 2023, a quarterfinalist in 2019 and 2024, and fell in the second round in 2021. The Canes were 12-1 last season with their only loss coming at North Oconee (28-26) in the Class AAAA quarterfinals. Cartersville had a 10-0 regular season and state playoff wins over Westminster (37-22) and Starr’s Mill (53-35).

The Canes this summer

We lifted, conditioned, and practiced from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. each Monday through Thursday. Our 7-on-7 sessions were in June, and we did a team camp at Berry at the end of July. Throughout the summer, our players are split up into teams where they earn points through competitions, attendance, and summer service projects.

What are your expected numbers for the 2025 season?

We are currently at 115 players.

Have you added any new coaches for 2025? What are their primary responsibilities?

Jonathan Cruz has joined us to work with kickers. Marko Dudley is coaching safeties. Michael Mathis is our Special Teams Coordinator, and Dan Mullins is our Director of Player Performance.

Have the position assignments/coaching roles changed for any staff members retained from last year’s staff?

No changes.

When is your official preseason scrimmage with another school?

We will host Adairsville on August 8.

As head coach at Cartersville, what accomplishment for the program or development within the program makes you most proud?

I am proud of how our school system, administration, coaches, players, parents, and Touchdown Club continue to pursue excellence as we work to build a championship program. We have won several region championships and had deep playoff runs, but we continue to pursue excellence in all endeavors. We have tremendous community sponsors who have helped us donate over 30,000 cans to fight hunger locally, while also supporting efforts to combat hunger in Liberia. We are using our platforms, our gifts, our time, and our talents to use football to affect positive change in the lives of our young men and our community.

Who are the Canes to watch on offense in 2025?

Brady Marchese

— Brady Marchese - WR, Senior, UGA Commit

— Langston Hogg - Center, Senior, Tulane Commit

— Nate Russell - Quarterback, Senior, Offers from Kennesaw State and Georgia Southern

— Davis Waddell - TE, Senior, Offers from Kennesaw State, Georgia Southern, Wofford, and Georgia State

Who are your defensive players to watch in 2025?

— Reed Ezell - Safety, Senior, Air Force Commit

— Brayden Logan - LB, Senior, Great Length and Motor, will play college football

— Mason James - DL, Senior, Strong and athletic with a great motor, will play college football

Langston Hogg

Which players are competing to be your specialists? (kickoffs, punting, PAT, FG, kick returners, punt returners)

— Kickoffs - Ramsey Rowell

— PAT - Ramsey Rowell

— Punt - Nate Russell

— Punt Returners - Reed Ezell, Maddoxx Davis

— KO Returners - Tyon Coe, CJ McClendon, Brady Marchese, Maddoxx Davis

Reed Ezell

What do you see as the strengths of this year’s team?

We are returning many players who gained valuable experience last year. Our leadership is developing, and our chemistry is strong.

What are the primary challenges for this year’s team?

Depth is always a concern. We will be intentional about building depth by identifying roles, rotations, and packaging personnel groups to maximize our roster.

Briefly, share your thoughts on the non-region portion of your schedule.

We have a great non-region schedule that includes historically strong programs and local rivalry games. We will be challenged with great coaching staffs and talented teams that will give us a variety of looks that should prepare us for region play.

Based on your knowledge of returning players, etc, which teams are your region’s top contenders for playoff berths?

Our region is one of the strongest in our classification. There has been quite a bit of turnover amongst coaches in our region, so it will be interesting to see the new challenges and wrinkles that each staff will have prepared for us. It is excellent for our community to play strong local opponents and in-county rivalries.

What are your general expectations for 2025, and any other thoughts you would like to share?

I am excited to see how this team grows throughout the course of a season. I am thankful for the opportunity to learn, serve, lead, and grow alongside this group of men. Thank you to everyone for your continued support of our mission to build a championship program.

2025 schedule (Home games in CAPS)

Friday, August 8 — Home scrimmage v. ADAIRSVILLE

Friday, August 15 — COLUMBIA

Friday, August 22 — ROCKMART

Friday, August 29 — HAPEVILLE

Friday, September 5 — CALHOUN

Friday, September 12 — at Dalton

Friday, September 19 — WOODLAND

Friday, October 3 — at Cass

Friday, October 10 — ALLATOONA

Friday, October 17 — CEDARTOWN

Friday, October 24 — at Hiram