A Season of Redemption
Woodward Academy, known as the War Eagles, turned a disappointing 2024 into a bounce‑back story that will be remembered for years. Under head coach John Hunt, the squad finished the 2025 regular season at 10‑3, secured a fifth consecutive region title and earned a spot in the quarterfinals.
The journey was not smooth. An early loss to Carrollton (48‑21) dropped the team below .500, but a 13‑7 victory over Collins Hill sparked a turnaround. The Eagles then swept the region, finishing 7‑0 and cementing their status as the class of the league.
In the playoffs, Woodward dispatched Seckinger and Statesboro before meeting Thomas County Central, the eventual state champions, in a tightly contested quarterfinal defeat. The loss ended the Eagles’ run, but the performance underscored the team’s resilience and depth.
Offensively, the War Eagles leaned on returning stars quarterback Ryan Harrigan and running back Princeton Woods, both of whom anchored a revamped attack. The receiving corps faced turnover, with Langston Hakeem emerging as a potential replacement for the departed playmakers.
Defensively, the squad was led by standout linebacker Elijah Lyles, who logged 76 tackles in 2025, and rising junior Myles Tate, whose emergence added a new dimension to the pass rush.
Looking ahead, the 2026 schedule promises tough tests against Marist, Chapel Hill, Tri‑Cities, McIntosh, Northside‑Columbus, Newnan, Hughes, Morrow and Lovejoy. Coach Hunt, now in his tenth season, remains focused on translating this momentum into the program’s first state title since 1980.