Ringgold Tigers
Coach: Robert Akins (35-27 in six seasons here; 262-155 in 36 years overall)
Last year: 6-5, 4-3 in 5-AAA; lost 37-14 to North Oconee in the first round of the GHSA playoffs
'13 dreams: The Tigers hope to ride a retooled offense back to the playoffs, and they have the tools to get there. Three-year starting quarterback Slade Dale gives Ringgold one of the region's elite playmakers, but he's not alone. Running back/receiver Kile Sholl and receiver Christian Plott each averaged better than 20 yards per reception a year ago. Coach Akins and his staff have tweaked the option attack to better protect Dale and to cut down on turnovers. Any deep playoff run will hinge on the defense's improvement. The Tigers allowed an average of 33 points in their five 2012 losses.
13-for-13 contenders: Dale passed and ran for 1,000-plus yards each and led several late-game rallies. Akins is counting on his senior to take better care of the ball. Junior defensive end Zach Morris, who is drawing attention from SEC and ACC schools, is one of the region's top pass rushers.
Number of interest: 18 - Starters back for the Tigers this season, including 10 on offense.
13 years ago: The Tigers were 4-6 under Lamar Brown, who was in his second season coaching his alma mater following the retirement of longtime coach Don Patterson.
Program superstition: According to Akins, he's not had a player wear No. 13. "I can't remember a kid in my 35 years that's worn 13, to be honest," he said. "I guess it's a superstitions thing. We've got a number 13 jersey and somebody could wear it if they wanted to, but we're not going to hand it out unless they ask for it."
1-through-3: Senior defensive end/tight end Dallas McGee
Q. Why will you guys be more physical this year?
A. We've pretty much been together since the eighth grade, and we've worked out extremely hard this year. We've got a hard season coming up and we are preparing for it. We're pretty physical anyway, but we've got a long way to go to get where we want to be.
Q. Given that Ringgold has 18 starters back, what are the expectations in the locker room?
A. It's very high. The seniors are hoping to leave a legacy for those that follow us. We've been striving since our freshman season to get in and win a playoff game, and to be the first team in history here to win one would be quite an accomplishment.
Q. Is there one game this season that will tell you guys where you stand?
A. To me, it's the Dalton game. That's going to set our season, and it will give us an idea of what we can accomplish.
2013 Schedule
Aug. 23 at Dalton
Aug. 30 at Heritage
Sep. 13 Central, Carroll
Sep. 20 Gordon Central*
Sep. 27 Adairsville*
Oct. 4 at Sonoraville*
Oct. 18 at North Murray*
Oct. 25 at Coahulla Creek*
Nov. 1 Lakeview-F.O.*
Nov. 8 at Cartersville*
*Region 5-AAA game
2012 Stats
Passing C-A-I Pct. Yards TDs
Slade Dale 72-120-7 60.0 1,268 16
Rushing Att. Yards Tds
Slade Dale 123 1,187 12
Kile Sholl 87 498 8
Bobby Campbell 37 229 2
Receiving No. Yards TDs
Christian Plott 17 404 7
Kile Sholl 14 329 4
Roster
1 Brett Baldwin Freshman
2 J.T. Roach Junior
3 Kile Sholl Junior
4 Ethan Dalton Junior
5 D.L. Goins Junior
6 Caleb Peters Senior
7 Slade Dale Senior
9 Zack Morris Junior
10 Preston Orman Freshman
11 Preston Gass Freshman
12 Cody Wilson Junior
14 Brandon Wright Junior
15 Devin Lancaster Sophomore
17 Christian Plott Senior
21 Nathan Bello Junior
22 Garrett Morris Sophomore
23 Adrian Hart Junior
24 Alec Harper Junior
25 Angel DeValle Junior
28 Sean Kittle Sophomore
29 Tyler Ha Freshman
31 Austin Phelps Senior
34 Jacob Chisenall Senior
37 Dakota Chambers Sophomore
40 Clint Broom Freshman
41 Grayson Coleman Sophomore
42 Paul Michael Sophomore
43 Dakota Baer Senior
45 Chris Watts Senior
48 Cameron Hood Sophomore
50 Christian Etheridge Senior
51 Deante Mitchell Junior
52 Noah Parrish Freshman
54 Chase Burke Senior
56 Matthew Dunn Freshman
59 Tyler Samples Freshman
60 Jonathon Rodriguez Senior
61 Jacob Fuller Sophomore
62 Jesse Wade Sophomore
63 Hunter Sosebee Junior
65 Caleb Elswick Freshman
66 Christopher Fuqua Sophomore
67 Eric Johnston Junior
68 Brandon Tathem Sophomore
70 Ethan Seay Freshman
71 Ryan Emmer Senior
72 Tristan Pierce Sophomore
73 Bryan Derben Junior
74 Zack Shanan Senior
75 Deshon Bowen Sophomore
78 Kolton Begley Junior
82 Dallas McGee Senior
85 Nathan Woods Sophomore