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Message from AD Cohen:
Warhawk PRIDE family!
It is with immense pride and sincerity that I welcome our beloved community once again to the home of dreamers and believers — THE McDonough High School! I am elated to continue working alongside each of you to build upon the strong foundation of academic and athletic excellence here at MHS. Furthermore, we will collaboratively forge a sustainable path forward as we continue to elevate our athletic department within the ever-evolving landscape of high school athletics.
Our mission here at MHS Athletics remains unwavering: “To ensure exceptional extracurricular opportunities are accessible to all students, regardless of zip code or socioeconomic status.” The work we execute within this mission will enable us to transform our vision into reality. So, what is the vision for McDonough Athletics? Everything we do is — and will always be — about P.roducing R.esilient I.ndividuals D.edicated to E.xcellence. This is why our vision is also our battle cry: Warhawk PRIDE! It is deeper than a salutation; it is the standard for how all McDonough stakeholders are to measure ourselves and our contributions to McDonough High School. Warhawk PRIDE means accountability, and accountability is how we win — not just in athletics, but in life.
Join us as we continue our ambitious and intentional pursuit of excellence here in McDonough, Georgia!
Warhawk PRIDE!
Early Winter Season "Behind the Scenes"
Early Winter Season "Behind the Scenes"
SWIMMING:
The MHS Warhawks Swim team is grateful for all of our parents and their collaborative efforts with making sure our swimmers have everything they need as student-athletes. The Montford Family in particular has been a consistent presence at our swim meets, cheering us on, and recording lane footage for other swimmers as if each athlete was their own child. We greatly appreciate their willingness to help and their enthusiasm for our growing swim program. Coach Martin, Karina Varela, Leah Cross, and Janelle Gonzales showed Warhawk Pride by volunteering their time and love with the Shield of Faith Christian Center during Thanksgiving Break! They handed out hot plates, clothes, care kits, and shared love and empathy to our community at large.
BOYS BASKETBALL:
1) The Warhawks Boys Basketball Booster Club led by President Leondrea Ferguson, Vice President Tammy Campbell-Bell, and Treasurer Linda Segarra. They have ensured that our basketball program has been fed for every game, secured sponsorships, and have been crucial in garnering support within the community.
2) Samiyah Washington recently was awarded as the Manager of the Month. She has consistently gone over and beyond in ensuring that the basketball program is taken care of. Whether its film, stats, waters, towels, or moral support, Samiyah has been a key component to the program.
GIRLS BASKETBALL:
Our team managers Amyra Viera Sayles and Milani Bruce Mason have been on point this year with taking the load off of us as coaches and doing all the "little things" that make a program look and flow in the right direction.
WRESTLING:
Carly Dowdell, Chelsea Colley, Jeremy Evans, and Desiree Rickets have shown hard work thus far from traveling to away matches and working score tables during home matches, making a head coach job easy when coaching a large team of girls and boys.
CHEERLEADING:
Our winter athletic season would not run as smoothly without the incredible support of our families and volunteers who consistently show up behind the scenes. We would like to extend a special thank-you to the following families for always being willing to assist in any way needed. Whether it’s supporting events, helping with logistics, or simply being present for our student-athletes.
Borda Family
Bernard Family
Buford Family
Cox Family
Dorsey Family
Marrero Family
Reese Family
Your continued commitment, flexibility, and encouragement do not go unnoticed. We truly appreciate the village it takes to support our program.
Celebrating Fall Sports Achievements
Celebrating Fall Sports Achievements
FOOTBALL: ALL-REGION 2-AAAA
OFFENSE
#55 Kennedee Jackson - OL
#1 AJ Tillman, Jr. - RB
#2 Jaylen Cherry - WR
DEFENSE
#8 Dantae Moore, Jr. - LB
#45 Jaycob Taylor - DL
#3 Bryson Frazer - DB
SPECIAL TEAMS
#99 Kassim Diarra - K
SOFTBALL: ALL-REGION 2-AAAA
#6 Kylei Buffington - Infield - 1st Team
First player in school history to be named 1st Team All-Region in Softball
#2 NyAsia Starks - Outfield - 2nd Team
ONE ACT PLAY:
Director Joaquin Santiago-Negron and our 17 incredible One Act Play cast members advanced to the State Championship competition and finished their season ranked #6 in the State out of the 57 GHSA 4A high schools. This was the 1st time in school history that this program advanced to the State Championship competition and the highest state ranking in school history.
We want to individually recognize and congratulate Mr. Santiago and our incredible students!
Melris De'Journey – Azaria Kindle – Mehki Mcgee – Darian Williams – Roniyah Harris – Caden Davis – Jasmine Murray – Marie Moon – Mirlene Julmisse – Wade Moore – Maiya Moon – Josiah Gomez – Tamiah Foster – Raya Carter – Ava Featherstone-Damon – Cristian Vaughter – King Hood
Athlete Spotlight: Who’s Stepping Up Early?”
Athlete Spotlight: Who’s Stepping Up Early?”
SWIMMING:
Ava Goolsby has been an exemplary student-athlete. She is positive, hard-working, and holds herself to a high standard of accountability with practice attendance, academics, and communication. While committing to both swimming and track and field, Ava makes sure her coaches are informed before the week begins and consistently volunteers with equipment care and land practice breakdowns. Karina Varela has also been a great example of leadership with her positive attitude towards land conditioning and trying new swim strokes. She embraced taking on the toughest stroke, the butterfly. With having access to just two swim practices before the Blue Devil invitational, Karina did every workout possible, studied instructional videos, and watched other butterfly event heats to help her successfully execute her first career butterfly stroke for our girls 200 yard medley relay. Outside of swim practices you can catch both Ava and Karina locking into their Honors classes with test prep and projects or doing fun TikToks together after school.
BOYS BASKETBALL:
1) Khaleb Young has begun to develop into a vocal leader, giving directives while also holding himself accountable, while only being a sophomore. The future is bright for Khaleb.
2) Jamal Ali, IV has went over and beyond with his energy and effort each day. His size does not define the player that he is, and he does not back down from any challenge laid before him.
GIRLS BASKETBALL:
Aniylah Kittle has really brought a positive light and energy to the program since flag football season has ended. Being a senior carries a different weight but she came to the team knowing her talent level and has contributed to the program with her attention to detail, work ethic, her spirit, hustle, heart and most of all her encouragement of teammates when we are doing good and when we are not doing good. Her energy has started to spread to the team.
WRESTLING:
Giovanni King has not missed any practices or matches throughout the month of December even though he doesn't wrestle every night.
CHEERLEADING:
Ava Cox has set the tone early this winter season. As a freshman cheering on the varsity level, Ava has consistently shown up present, prepared, and ready to contribute. Her attendance, positive attitude, and willingness to do whatever the team needs make her a key piece of our success. Ava embodies what it means to be a Warhawk, and her impact extends far beyond her role on the floor.
Meet Our Captains
Meet Our Captains
SWIMMING:
Vanessa Montford is a top-ranked leader in our MHS NJROTC program, a dedicated leader in the NJROTC Riflery team, and has been committed to the development of our Warhawks Swim Team as the team captain. Vanessa is always asking about the well-being of her teammates and offering tips and support between breaks and meet events to keep her teammates locked in, accountable, and confident when it matters most. Vanessa led the charge of team spirit by meeting each swimmer at their lane to cheer them on during their flip-turns last during the Blue Devil Invitational. A quote that resembles Vanessa’s style of leadership is “You need to be aware of what others are doing, applaud their efforts, acknowledge their successes, and encourage them in their pursuits. When we all help one another, everybody wins." Jim Stovall.
BOYS BASKETBALL:
1) "Leadership is doing the little things right every time even when no one is watching. Leadership also includes wanting to make everyone succeed and not just yourself" -Michael Johnson
2) "Leadership for us means to lead by example with discipline, effort, and a team-first mindset" -Christian Jackson
3) "Leadership for our team means showing up every day with effort, accountability, and belief in each other" -Kerrington Moore
GIRLS BASKETBALL:
Korteziana Soilberry set a goal to come in a be a leader with her attention to rebounding and her favorite quote is, Lead by example, they follow what they see.
WRESTLING:
1) Cristian Vaughter: is showing growth in wrestling and in the classroom. He is one of our leaders that lead on and off the mat.
2) Jamari Strong: leads our varsity wrestlers and our middle school wrestlers in drills to help them become better wrestlers. Even from stretching at the beginning of practice all the way until practice ends.
3) Laquinn Stradford: is a Senior captain who does everything a senior is supposed to do in the classroom and on the mat.
4) Stephen Mims; is one of McDonough's two senior captains. Stephen set personal goals last year in competing in the State Championships of wrestling in the state of Georgia. He also leads the team in GPA with a 4.0 that is truly what captains do, is lead by example.
CHEERLEADING:
Our captains lead with consistency, accountability, and heart. Each brings a unique strength to the program while setting the standard for effort, leadership, and team culture.
1) Nickayla Miller
A senior leader who leads by example, Nickayla sets the tone with her work ethic, composure, and commitment to excellence both in practice and competition. “Leadership means holding myself accountable first and pushing my teammates to be the best versions of themselves.”
2) Sh’london Mayfield
As a senior captain, Sh’london brings focus, and balance to the team. She is known for her consistency, positivity, and dedication on and off the floor. “My goal is to lead with integrity and make sure our team stays connected, confident, and disciplined.”
3) Skylah Sidwell
Skylah’s leadership is rooted in determination and purpose. As a senior captain, she motivates her teammates through her effort, energy, and commitment to team success. “Being a captain means showing up every day ready to work and helping my teammates grow.”
Junior Varsity Captains
1) Julia Borda – Freshman. Despite being new to the high school level, Julia has stepped into a leadership role with confidence and poise, earning the respect of her teammates early. “I want to lead by listening, learning, and always giving my best effort for the team.”
2) Makenzie Trotter – Junior. Makenzie brings reliability, and strong communication to the JV squad. Her leadership helps keep the team focused and motivated. “Leadership is about staying consistent and encouraging everyone to keep pushing forward.”
3) Makayla Woolfork – Sophomore. Makayla leads with energy and heart. Her enthusiasm and willingness to step up make her a positive influence on her teammates. “I want to be a leader who supports my teammates and helps build confidence within the team.”
4) Frances Salunga – Sophomore. Frances is known for her dedication and steady presence. She leads through effort, accountability, and a strong team-first mindset. “Being a captain means putting the team first and showing up ready to work every day.”
Student-Athlete Academic Highlights
Student-Athlete Academic Highlights
SWIMMING:
Karina Varela, Ava Goolsby, and Leah Cross have all successfully managed Swim Practice, another sport or club they are involved in, and their Honors Biology EOC course this month with professionalism, collaboration, and determination. As they prepared for the Blue Devil Invitational, they studied for and completed their Biology End of Course Exam, completed their science fair projects, and still managed to attend practices consistently to achieve personal records in their most recent meet. These freshmen student-athletes continue to raise the bar not only for our swim team, but for our entire McDonough High School Athletics Program.
BOYS BASKETBALL:
1) Elijah Drummond continues to lead the Warhawks Basketball Program off of the court, boasting a 4.2 GPA.
2) Shoutout to Jamal Ali, IV and Christian Jackson who both earned 3.5+ GPA's for the first semester of the year.
GIRLS BASKETBALL:
At this present time Emery Minton, Eliana Drullat, Kayla Christian and Korteziana Soilberry have been excelling in the classroom since the start of the year maintaining a 3.2 GPA and being the leaders in also helping our younger students with getting work done and helping them improve on some classes, they were falling behind in.
WRESTLING:
The students that excel in the classroom are the captains Cristian Vaughter, Stephen Mims, Laquinn Stradford, and Jamari Strong.
CHEERLEADING:
Our student-athletes continue to shine on Game Days, but also in the classroom. Many are demonstrating strong academic performance, consistent effort, and a commitment to balancing athletics with their educational responsibilities. We want to recognize Nickayla Miller for have the highest SAT Score and will recognize MHS at the county level. We also celebrate those who prioritize their studies, seek support when needed, and model what it means to be successful students and athletes.
Athletic Director Contact: enoch.cohen@henry.k12.ga.us School Website: mhs.henry.k12.ga.us/
Address: 155 Postmaster Dr, McDonough, GA 30253
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