by What a hectic time for football in Banks County. The head coach is fired after just one game of the 2025 season. During the Leopards’ BYE week, the team made the decision to relieve Todd Winter of his duties.
The East Hall Vikings were a high-flying squad, especially offensively, and Banks County had fallen 42-21 in Week One. Although the specifics of how things escalated are unknown, reports claim that disagreements within the team contributed to the decision.
The interim head coach for Banks County is Mark Hollars, who was fired from Commerce after leading the Tigers to the quarterfinals the previous season and just one season away from a region championship.
The Leopards were a perfect fit for Hollars as their offensive coordinator because the previous Commerce offense was similar to what Banks County was attempting to do in many respects.
Banks County went just 2-8 in the inaugural season of Winter last year and is now 0-1 this season. Although that squad advanced by default with a 2-7 record in a 5-team region, the Leopards haven’t qualified for the playoffs since 2021 under coach Jay Reid. Josh Shoemaker’s 2016 squad, which won seven games and advanced to the second round of the state tournament, was the last Leopards team to finish above.500.
Winter has won four area titles and has an overall record of 92-55 over 14 seasons. In contrast, Hollars has a nine-season record of 61-41, a region title, and two trips to the quarterfinals.
