(This is the sixth in in a series previewing the 2026 high school football season. Richmond County coaches and players met with media during a county-wide sports press conference on Aug. 3 at Westside High School. Other stories can be found under the sports tab)
After being just a few plays away from a winning record, members of the Academy of Richmond County football team are excited for the upcoming football season with many returning players and new challenges.
“We have a lot of experience coming back,” said ARC Head Football Coach Keenan Grissett. “Being able to step in the 5A classification this year, it is a great challenge ahead.”
The Musketeers are coming off a 5-6 season, losing in the first round of the 3A state playoffs. Four of their six losses were by 11 points or less.
“Last year was definitely a lesson in terms of how to win ball games,” Grissett said. “We felt a lot of those games we shot ourselves in the foot. It was just us gaining experience as a coaching staff and players being in those games competing at a high level.”
Along with moving up to 5A, ARC had some other offseason challenges as well.
Junior running back Mykheal Smith led the team as a sophomore with 798 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns but now is at Burke County after transferring this offseason. Burke County also was able to get junior quarterback Carson Hand, but Hand decided to transfer back to ARC before the start of the season.
Despite losing one of their top players, the Musketeers returned the majority of their skilled position players.
“I may be biased but I tell everybody, I think we’re one of the most talented teams in the state,” Grissett said.
Some of top returning players on the Musketeers include senior athlete Lo’than McBride, senior defensive back San’quan Rolle, junior defensive back Daitrez Lambert, junior wide receiver Chase Caldwell and others.
ARC did lose four of there five offensive linemen but was able to gain a great senior talent from Texas in offensive tackle Andreas Pringle.
“A guy that comes in and is not afraid to speak, not afraid to lead or step up,” Grissett said. “He Works very hard”.
Throughout all of the offseason and future challenges, Grissett says his team lives by one standard.
“This summer was all about our culture and building that 1-0 mindset and making sure we know what our standard is which is “ELITE” Effort, Leadership, Intent, Toughness, and Execution,” Grissett said.
This is a standard his team leads by not only just one in football, but in the classroom and other aspects of life.
“Are you prepared for class? How you show up for a job interview and are you prepared,” Grissett said. “Not every guy on our roster will go to college or the military but I am on our guys about having a plan. “
ARC will begin their season at Laney on Friday, August 21.
“We need to make sure whatever that scoreboard says, we are proud of the product we put out,” said Grissett.
Sportswriter Christopher Rickerson is an Augusta University graduate who has covered area sports for publications including Augusta University‘s Bell Ringer, The Augusta Press and Augusta Good News. He won three Georgia Press Association sports awards in 2026. Subscribe to the Augusta Good News’ free weekly newsletter here.
