Chamblee Charter High School will open its 2026 football season on Friday, Aug. 21, at Miller Grove in Lithonia, kicking off a fall that head coach Bob Swank hopes builds on the Bulldogs' return to the playoffs last year.
The program posted its full season schedule and a photo roster of roughly 80 players on its official website in late July and early August, giving Brookhaven-area fans their first look at the 2026 squad as preseason camp opened with the start of DeKalb County's school year on Monday, Aug. 3.
Swank enters year six
Swank is now in his sixth season leading the Bulldogs after taking over as head coach in 2021. He previously served as Chamblee's defensive coordinator in 2019-20. Through mid-October 2025, he held a 26-24 career record before the Bulldogs earned a No. 4 seed in the GHSA Class 5A playoffs, according to Atlanta News First. Chamblee fell to Roswell 51-6 in the first round on Nov. 14.
Georgia High School Football Daily has described the program's arc under Swank succinctly: the Bulldogs were "among the state's weakest" when he arrived, and now they're competitive again.
Seniors to watch
The 2026 roster lists more than 10 seniors, including Ahmad Barry (#0), Miles Boyer (#12), Francis Clark (#13), Jack Robinson (#24), Diego Muela (#40), Cam Wyatt (#44), Maddox Butler (#47), Ben McKee (#70) and Marzouq Aveya (#71).
Chamblee also returns junior offensive lineman Kaleb Tate (#55), who earned second-team All-Region 4-5A honors as a sophomore in 2025. William Tate anchored the Bulldogs' defensive line last season as a first-team All-Region selection, finishing with a share of 218 combined tackles alongside seniors Jacob Hawkins and Brock Ryan.
Sophomore quarterback Brayden Doss returns after throwing for at least 983 yards and 12 touchdowns through mid-October of his freshman year, earning honorable mention All-Region recognition.
The Sept. 11 matchup against Dunwoody renews a rivalry that spans 28 all-time meetings. Dunwoody leads the series 15-12 and has won the last two contests. The Wildcats open their own season at the Corky Kell Classic a week earlier.
Chamblee's opener at Miller Grove kicks off Aug. 21 at 7 p.m., with the home opener against Arabia Mountain following Aug. 28.
