2026 local high school football previews: Cass Colonels

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August 1, 2026

Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com

Bartow Sports Zone is featuring each of the four local high school football programs with previews of the 2026 teams. Each local head coach responded to a questionnaire.

Head Coach Steve Gates

Cass head football coach Steve Gates begins his seventh season at Cass.

Steve Gates begins his seventh season as the head coach at Cass with a current record of 38-31. The Colonels have qualified for the state playoffs each of the last five seasons (2021-2025) with a loss in the quarterfinals in 2023, a second-round loss in 2022 and 2025, and first-round losses in ’21 and ’24. Cass was 9-3 last season and 5-1 in Region 7-AAAA. The Colonels were knocked out of the state playoffs last year by state finalist Benedictine (21-7) in Savannah.

The Colonels this summer:

We go four days a week in July. We stopped doing padded camps in July a few years ago, just based on depth and the possibility of guys getting injured right before the season starts.

What are your expected numbers for the 2026 season?

I will keep 90 players on my roster, my first few years at Cass. We stayed between 100 and 110, and that’s just too many. So I’ve reduced it to 90, and we always have a waiting list of players wanting to play.

Have you added any new coaches for 2026? What are their primary responsibilities?

We haven't added any new coaches.

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

Not really, a few roles have changed; Coach Bryant Cullifer has taken on additional responsibilities, but most other coaches continue doing what they always do.

When is your official preseason scrimmage with another school?

We are playing at Calhoun on August 14 for our preseason scrimmage.

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

This one is a no-brainer. In our second-round playoff loss to Benedictine, who played for the state championship, 21 of my 22 starters played in our middle school program. We have adopted the slogan #CASSBUILT because we are extremely proud and take pride in developing our own kids from our middle school program, not just taking in players from other high schools and benefiting from their prior development. In my seven years as head coach at Cass, only two transfer students have started for us. So, all the playoff appearances, including hosting a playoff game last year for the first time in school history, and the most kids playing college football of any high school in Northwest Georgia—those achievements are #CASSBUILT.

Who are the Colonels to watch on offense in 2026?

— Noah Rogers, sophomore, QB

— Jahil Abdullah-Kortey, junior, WR/S

— Jeremy Barrett, junior WR

— Kalil Charles, junior, RB

— Lawson Weeks, senior, OL

— Sebastian Castaneda, senior, OL

Who are your defensive players to watch in 2026?

— Demarcus Ballenger, senior, DB

— Eli Simmons, senior, LB

— Xzavion Turner, senior, DB

— Zach Stiles, junior, LB

— Tyson Beauford, senior, DB

— Logan Crisp, junior, LB

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

— Anthony Diaz, kicker

— Jeremy Barrett, kickoff returner

— King Lloyd, kickoff returner

— Demarcus Ballenger, punt returner

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

We finally have some depth; we're no longer top-heavy, and we have a bunch of really talented football players.

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

Young, inexperienced players are everywhere on the field. I have no issues playing freshmen on Friday nights, so if you can play, you’ll play, no matter how old you are.

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

On paper, there are region and non-region games, but now that the power rankings are the playoff criteria, all of that is irrelevant. The first non-region game is just as important as the games in your region schedule.

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

I don't keep up with anyone else. I’m sure some have had several move-ins, so there’s no point wasting time trying to figure that out. I just have fun with our players!

What are your general expectations for 2026, and any other thoughts you would like to share?

We are #CASSBUILT.

2026 schedule (Home games in CAPS)

Friday, August 14 — at Calhoun (scrimmage)

Friday, August 21 — at Flowery Branch

Friday, August 28 — SPRAYBERRY

Friday, September 4 — CREEKVIEW

Friday, September 11 — at Heritage-Catoosa

Friday, September 18 — at Villa Rica

Friday, September 25 — at Woodland

Friday, October 2 — CARTERSVILLE

Friday, October 9 — open —