Bowdon has an opportunity this season to extend its dynasty and join elite company by attempting to win a fourth-straight state title. In the history of GHSA football, only 13 other teams have captured three-straight state titles and just three total have ever taken the next step and won a fourth-straight crown. The most recent team to do so was Eagles Landing Christian (2015-19) and before that it was Buford (2007-10) and West Rome (1982-85). What is exceptional about Bowdon’s active title run is the long drought that was snapped in 2022 when Bowdon raised its first championship trophy since 1992. Before that, Bowdon won a crown in 1971 meaning that the first titles captured by the program had a 21-year hiatus and a 30-year drought followed by this extraordinary run of back-to-back-to-back.
Head coach Richard Fendley Jr. has been at Bowdon since the 2018 season and has progressed far from that initial 1-9 campaign. Bowdon improved to an 8-3 record in 2019 and 7-5 in 2020 and reached double-digit wins in 2021 (10-2) for the first time since 2013. Since that season, Bodwon has four-straight 10-plus win seasons and an overall record of 50-7 over that same span. Offensively, the Red Devils have increased their production exponentially and have grown from a team that averaged 10 ppg Fendley’s first season to a 40 ppg average over the last three seasons—including a school-record 42 ppg in 2023 and 41 ppg last year.
While growing into a potent offensive team, Bowdon has remained a disciplined and championship-caliber defensive team. This side of the ball will be complimented in 2025 with a new addition that should benefit an already well-established defensive culture and identity.
The addition this year for Bowdon comes in the form of Jamie Abrams—the former Cedartown head coach who accepted the defensive coordinator job. Abrams—who grew up near Bowdon’s campus just over the state line in Alabama was hired in March after his contract at Cedartown wasn’t renewed.
“I always went to Bowdon games growing up because we lived right across the state line in Alabama,” said Abrams. “My grandfather played there in the 1920′s and my mom graduated from Bowdon, so I have roots there.”
Coach Abrams is coming off a five-year stint with Cedartown where the program went 50-12 and he has a career head coaching record of 65-19-1 with a trio of region titles. He is coming off of a five-year stint with the Bulldogs in Cedartown, compiling a 50-12 record during his time with the school before he was let go by the school after the season. As a head football coach in the state, he has compiled a record of 65-19-1 and has won three region titles during his time leading programs around the state of Georgia. Last year, Cedartown’s defense allowed just 14 points per game and were one of the most talented defensive units in the state with playmakers like Tae Harris, Demarcus Gardner and Jakoby Diamond.
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