Whitwell football coach Tracy Malone works with his team during practice Wednesday.
REGION 3-1A AT A GLANCE
Team to beat: South Pittsburg returns 19 total starters from last year’s state-quarterfinal team and added a couple of transfers who could become key contributors. The Pirates have plenty of speed and better than average depth and size on both sides of the line.Watch out for: Whitwell has reached the playoffs each of the past two seasons and advanced to the second round last year. The confidence from that success, plus the addition of new head coach Tracy Malone, makes the Tigers a potential dark horse to claim their first region title in 15 years.Best game: The region title likely will be decided when South Pittsburg travels across the county to face Whitwell on Oct. 7. The Tigers haven’t beaten their rivals in 25 years.Dream schedule: Grace Academy’s nonregion opponents include just one team that won more than four games last season.Nightmare schedule: South Pittsburg has just four home games, and all five of its nonregion opponents are from larger classifications. Four of those were playoff teams, including 2A state runner-up Marion County and Region 3-2A champion Boyd-Buchanan.Players to watch: South Pittsburg junior WR/DB Cade Kennemore makes tough catches look easy, while Pirates RBs Joseph Lilly and Kyree Prior can go the distance on any carry. Whitwell RB/LB Hudson Petty likely will emerge as one of the Sequatchie Valley’s top players this fall, while Lookout Valley junior Trevor Slatton (6-2, 210) will anchor both sides of the line.Predicted order of finish: South Pittsburg, Whitwell, Grace Academy, Copper Basin, Sale Creek, Lookout Valley.
It took just one season for South Pittsburg's football program to regain the confidence lost during Vic Grider's absence as coach. In his first year back as coach at his alma mater, Grider guided the Pirates to the Region 3-1A championship and the quarterfinal round of the state playoffs.
Now with 10 defensive starters back and nine returning to an offense that scored at least seven touchdowns in seven of their last nine games, the Pirates appear poised to again be contenders for yet another TSSAA gold ball.
"Some people think it's wrong to put that kind of pressure on kids," Grider said. "But I believe that should be the goal every year. Why else would you work so hard and play such a tough sport? You should expect to be the best at anything you do, so I'm going to be disappointed if we aren't playing for the whole thing at the end of this season."
Speed has been a key ingredient to the program's success for decades, and the Pirates again will have plenty and no shortage of players with big-play potential. That group includes six who have been timed at 4.6 seconds or better in the 40-yard dash, led by senior running backs Kyree Pryor (6-0, 180) and Joseph Lilly (5-9, 165) and receivers Cade Kennemore and Lajuan Ford.
Lilly averaged a staggering 13 yards per carry in gaining more than 1,100 yards last season, while Pryor returns after missing much of the 2015 season with an ankle injury. Kennemore had more than 700 receiving yards, averaging 16 yards per catch, and senior Hogan Holland (6-3, 200) has been impressive after making his varsity debut at quarterback last year.
The biggest change within the region since last year was Whitwell hiring former East Ridge coach Tracy Malone to take over its program. Malone, the Tigers' eighth coach in the past 13 seasons, had just led East Ridge to its best season in program history, with 12 wins, an undefeated regular season and a region title.
The coaching change also means new offensive and defensive philosophies, but the Tigers already appear to have adjusted because of a group that had gained confidence from back-to-back playoff appearances.
Having a pair of athletic sophomore runners - Hudson Petty (6-0, 175) and Trayce Condra (5-9, 170) - as well as dual-threat quarterback Dawson Holloway (6-0, 170) has helped speed up the adjustment process.
"We're a lot more athletic than I thought when I first took the job," Malone said. "We've got some guys who can make big plays for us, and the thing I like is that we're still young, so they're only going to get better."
Grace Academy returns seven starters from last year's playoff team, led by third-year starting quarterback Jared Thompson, but the Eagles also expect immediate help from Noah Gray, who missed last season with an injury but will add athletic ability at receiver and in the secondary.
Sale Creek earned the first two wins in program history last year, including a season-ending region victory over Lookout Valley.
Lookout Valley suffered through a winless season and has missed out on the playoffs each of the past three years. But with six starters back on both sides and improved numbers and size, there is reason for optimism.
The Yellow Jackets have also gone back to the wing-T offense, where Tyrece Ragland (6-1, 200) and sophomore Tanner Hoge (5-10, 190) are ideally suited to play fullback and T.J. Fuller has the speed to make big plays on the outside.
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293.