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This will be Coach Burgess’s second year with Hiram. He is an Athens, Ga native where he played
high school football at Cedar Shoals High School where as a senior he was a part of the All-
Northeast Georgia football team. He played college football at Mars Hill College in North Carolina.
He graduated from the University of West Georgia where he received his Bachelors of Science
degree in Special Education. Coach Burgess is currently a Math teacher at J.A. Dobbins Middle
School. Coach Burgess will be coaching the Hiram offensive line alongside Coach Moson this year.
Travonta Burgess
Offensive Line
Coach Jeff Ford is entering his third year at Hiram High School. Jeff graduated high school from
Southside, Alabama where he played football and basketball. He then entered the United States Air
Force where he became an F-16 Crew Chief. A er the Air Force, he would finish college at Gadsden
State with a Networking Degree and work for Progress Rail Company. Coach Ford then went to Shorter
University to receive his Bachelor of Science in Early Educa on and Special Educa on. His first coaching
posi on was at Cedartown High School in 2008 – 2010. Coach Ford then spent one year in Rome High in
2011 before transferring to the Paulding County area
to teach special educa on at Poole Elementary
and coaching for East Paulding in 2012. A er that year, he came over to Hiram and has felt at home. He
has a beau ful fiancé, Amanda Filiat. A beau ful daughter named Ma e Kate and two soon to be
awesome step-sons names Logan and Wya .
Jeff Ford
Running Backs
Coach Matt Hardage is a native of Powder Springs, GA. He is a 1995 graduate of John
McEachern High School where he played football. He attended Kennesaw State University
where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Social Science Education in 2000.
He also earned a Master of Science Degree in Kinesiology from Georgia Southern University in
2009. Prior to Hiram, he was an assistant offensive line coach for 5 years and assistant
defensive line coach 1 year at McEachern High School. This is his 11th year at Hiram. This year
Coach Hardage will coach the Tight Ends.
His teaching duties include World
Geography at Hiram High School.
Coach Hardage is married to his wife Christian
History and World
Matt Hardage
Tight Ends