Standing 6-foot-1, 198 pounds, senior Ragan Blankenship is a key force of North Paulding’s defense. Blankenship, an outside linebacker, has started all four years for the Wolfpack.

Playing football since the age of 8, Ragan said his most memorable moment on the football field was beating Lakeview Fort-Oglethorpe in 2009, because it was North Paulding’s first win while playing a varsity schedule.

For his senior season Blankenship has set a number of goals, “I just want to become a better football every week and do whatever it takes to make this team better,” he said “As a team we want to be region champs, win our 10th game, and give our best every night.”

To date, Ragan’s best has been more than enough. He opened the season with an eight tackle (four solo) performance while only playing the first half of a 50-7 win against crosstown rival Paulding County. North Paulding head coach Heath Webb said that Blankenship, “Was the best player on the field on a night that we held the other team to around 50 yards of total offense.”

Ragan hopes to play football in college and will taking his first recruiting trip on Sept. 18 to Valdosta State University. Aside from playing football, Blankenship hopes to study strength and conditioning in college.