Area Tennessee high school football coaches reflect on spring practices

McCallie School quarterback Robert Riddle, left, gives the Blue Tornado an established starter for this season. The team had more work to do on defense this spring under new defensive coordinator Ricky Ross, who introduced a new scheme.
McCallie School quarterback Robert Riddle, left, gives the Blue Tornado an established starter for this season. The team had more work to do on defense this spring under new defensive coordinator Ricky Ross, who introduced a new scheme.

Coming Monday:

Georgia prep football spring recap

John Starr recently was hired as coach at Howard and spent what little time he had getting to know the players, but that is just one of the newsy items gleaned from area high school football spring reports.

Tim James, returning to East Ridge as head coach, got only a glimpse of star running back Traneil Moore, the 2015 state Class AA Mr. Football back, because Moore underwent knee surgery to clean up a slight meniscus tear. He should be back a couple of weeks before the Pioneers' season opener.

Baylor and Rhea County are expected to boast big offensive lines. Phil Massey will have the first 300-pounders - three of them - in his 10-year coaching tenure with Baylor, and Rhea's Mark Pemberton, who got his team to the 5A semifinals last season, will have a pair of 300-pound offensive tackles to go with a pair of good-sized guards. Several Eagles along the offensive line started at least part of 2015.

Boyd-Buchanan, meanwhile, is replacing most of its starters and Carter Cardwell has stepped up to succeed Grant Reynolds as the Buccaneers' head coach.

Tracy Malone is the new coach at Whitwell, moving from East Ridge to replace R.C. Helton, and Cortney Braswell has assumed head-coaching duties at Central after a year as defensive coordinator at Bradley Central. Mark Mariakis, who developed a juggernaut at northwest Georgia's Ridgeland several years ago, has returned to the head coaching ranks at Chattanooga Christian. Joey Mathis was elevated from offensive coordinator to head coach at Marion County, a 2014 and 2015 state finalist, after Ricky Ross went to McCallie to be the Blue Tornado's defensive coordinator.

At least three teams have changed offensive schemes to the old wing-T. McMinn County is returning to the time-honored offense that for years was a staple in Athens, and Lookout Valley - most likely without any seniors - and Chattanooga Christian are doing likewise.

Here's a closer look at the goings-on in Chattanooga-area Tennessee prep football:

Baylor

The Red Raiders are likely to field the biggest team Massey has had in his decade on the river. They include returning tackle Isaiah Strawter (6-foot-1, 330 pounds) as a senior with sophomore P.J. Goodwin (6-5, 330) and freshman Daniel Oliver (6-2, 317), who'll go either at guard or tackle. More than half of the returning starters were involved in other spring sports, including linebacker/running back Calvin Watson, who played baseball.

The Red Raiders will miss fullback/linebacker Ryan Parker, but the staff also is debating a replacement for graduated quarterback Wil Austin. It likely will be either Bryce Verble, a senior who played some a year ago behind Austin, or sophomore Lorenzo White.

Bledsoe County

"I was a little surprised. We stayed injury-free," Warriors coach Josh Owensby said.

Because of injuries, he was able to dress only 31 for the team's final 2015 playoff game. Among those returning from the injury list are linemen Mason Wooden and Dylan Gifford. Key players should be quarterback Chase Sorrow, who has dropped about 25 pounds and is expected to play a more significant role in the running game, and defensive end/tight end Cole Angel (6-7, 200), who was among the area's leading tacklers last fall.

Boyd-Buchanan

The work starts up front for the Buccaneers and their new head coach, who must replace three three-year starters and a total of more than 200 starts on both sides of the ball.

"We'll do what we've done before, put the new kids in to let them learn and get better," Cardwell said. "Our biggest concern right now is finding people at the right spots up front, because we lost a ton of experience there."

Bryce Davidson, who coached the Bucs secondary the past two seasons, is the new defensive coordinator; Jeff Stone takes over the play-calling for Cardwell. Rising sophomore Korey Chitwood (5-11, 220) and Tyler Walker likely will give the Bucs both a power back and a shifty runner in what will be a completely new starting backfield.

Bradley Central

There will be eight defensive and seven offensive starters returning from last season, including quarterback Cole Copeland (6-3, 195), a Mr. Football semifinalist. Copeland 15 pounds heavier with added muscle since last season and has scholarship offers from, or is being heavily recruited by, Memphis, Middle Tennessee State, Missouri, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Appalachian State and Marshall. Tennessee coaches also called Bears coach Damon Floyd recently to request Copeland attend their summer camp so they could evaluate him more.

"The thing I've noticed is when coaches actually see him in person, they're a lot more impressed with his arm strength and his athleticism," Floyd said. "He's faster and stronger in person than he looks on film, and he's picked up a lot more zip on his throws with his strength."

Central

Braswell, who gave up the defensive coordinator post at Bradley Central for the move to Harrison, decided to cancel the Purple Pounders' lone scrimmage. He has more players than helmets (66) and is expecting another 15 to 20 moving up from middle school.

It has been back to basics for a team that will start only a couple of seniors.

"We're learning how to practice. When a team goes 0-10 people say there's no talent, but that's not the case," Braswell said. "What we're doing is learning to win the day each day. To the guys, the locker room looking like trash didn't have anything to do with going 0-10; to me it's everything."

The offense is changing and will have a definite run emphasis under new coordinator Chuck Hudson. Players to watch include McClendon Curtis (6-8, 293) and defensive back D.J. Baxter. Each already has scholarship offers.

Chattanooga Christian

With nearly 85 percent of last year's offensive production now graduated and a wealth of young backfield talent, including rising sophomore fullback Mondo Ellison, new boss Mariakis has switched to the wing-T. The combination of so many new starters and the change in offense meant the Chargers spent much of the spring focusing solely on that side of the ball.

Cleveland

The main focus throughout spring for the Blue Raiders was simply stopping the run.

"We were so bad at it last year that we spent the first three practices not even introducing any pass defense. It was 100 percent dedicated to stopping the run," coach Scott Cunmings said. "We'll be a lot bigger and tougher on defense than last year, so that will help."

The Blue Raiders likely will experience a youth movement by the season, with a loaded group of sophomores and underclassmen challenging for starting spots.

"We could start as many as six sophomores," Cummings said, "but they're our best option in most cases because they are just so talented and there's tons of speed all over the field now."

Copper Basin

The Cougars tested a new quarterback in senior Jacob Taylor. Look for Hunter Newman to be an anchor on the line and Logan Suits should complement him. Senior Tristan Padgett should be a force at linebacker.

"We had a great attitude," coach Patrick Daley said. "They were giving everything they had."

East Hamilton

Coach Ted Gatewood said one of the main things he noticed this spring was how some of the returning players had grown and matured. The Hurricanes have some experience returning to an offensive line that includes seniors Ethan Greenwood, Loftin McGehee and Moise Vidro, juniors Andrew Avery and Evan Horbinski, plus junior tight end Graham Ford.

College programs will have an eye on senior punter and kicker Jake McClure this fall, but he's equally valuable to East Hamilton as a safety and wide receiver.

"He really, really had a good spring," Gatewood said, "all the way around the board."

East Ridge

James is returning to East Ridge, where he played and coached before departing for northwest Georgia, and he'll have a relatively new staff that includes defensive coordinator Lebron Williams, who has had stops at Soddy-Daisy and Georgia's LaFayette.

While the offensive line is expected to be a strength, James also has two experienced quarterbacks - Eric Bennett and Alonzo Russell. In addition to Mr. Football Moore, James also expressed confidence in Alonzo Stewart, who is expected to anchor the defense from middle linebacker.

Grace Academy

The Golden Eagles are tinkering with dual quarterbacks Jared Thompson, a senior, and Cade Tinsley, a sophomore.

"They both bring something different to the position," coach Bob Ateca said.

Ateca said he was impressed with sophomore cornerback Noah Gray this spring. Dalton Morrison is a senior lineman and also a team leader.

Grundy County

With an educational first year under his belt, coach Casey Tate was feeling more confident as he put the Yellow Jackets through their spring paces.

"The little things are not so much of an issue," he said. "Last year we had a lack of experience. This year we have experience."

One strength should be running back. Options there include James McDaniel, the team's leading rusher last season, Josh Wingo, Kevin Castro, Matt Burris and Corbin Lusk. McDaniel missed spring drills after suffering injuries in a mid-March auto accident.

Greg Brewer, who coached Tate, has returned to the mountain. The former Jackets head coach most recently was defensive coordinator at Franklin County. He'll coach defensive backs.

Hixson

Coach Dan Duff and one assistant handled 45 players this spring. It was a back-to-basics exercise.

"We didn't even put a play in," Duff said. "We worked on fundamentals - how to block, how to tackle, how to just play the game. We've got a lot of young kids with a way to go."

The Wildcats have an experienced offensive line with seniors Brett Garden, Brody Gregory and Zack Mahoney, plus junior DeRayl Helton. Senior Drew Keith, a former offensive lineman, moved to tight end. Duff said junior Preston Ward has gotten bigger and stronger and could also get some time at tight end and defensive end.

Juniors Cole Kuberg and Austin Francis were among those Duff said have worked hard and gotten noticed. Both could end up at linebacker or on the offensive or defensive lines.

"We're trying to find who is aggressive," Duff said. "We'll find a place for them to play."

Howard

Starr, named the Hustlin' Tigers head coach this past week, said he would spend the next few weeks getting to know the players and finding out who has the dedication he believes will be needed to turn the program around.

"They can rent 'Junction Boys' if they want to know what to expect," joked Starr, who has a history of turning around struggling programs and won a Georgia Class AAA state title in 1995. "We'll have the kids in the weight room and find out real fast which ones want to work hard and which ones will need to find something else to do.

"I know there's speed, and I believe there's all kinds of potential here to be successful. It's just going to take a lot of dedication and a willingness to be very physical."

Lookout Valley

The Yellow Jackets will be arguably the youngest team in the area. They had no seniors working out during the spring and likely won't have any on the roster this fall, but they will return five starters on each side of the ball. They've also made the switch back to the wing-T after a few seasons of running a spread offense, and that will feature fullback Tanner Hodge (5-10, 200), a sophomore with lots of potential.

Marion County

Another new coach and a hefty number of graduations from a team that reached the past two Class 2A state finals haven't dampened spirits in Jasper.

"We've lost some players from key spots, but we had a good offseason and that's why we had a good spring," Coach Mathis said. "We didn't get the baseball guys until (late), but we've gotten a lot of reps and worked a lot on fundamentals, and we've had some guys come along."

Included in that list are running back/linebacker Guy Hansard, linebacker/lineman Grayson Lawson and quarterbacks Hunter Zeman and Isaiah Sampson. One of the top Warriors could be linebacker/tight end Alex Kirkendoll (6-3, 220), who has a couple of college offers already and mounting interest from programs at the next level.

Marion's staff remained intact with the addition of Brandon Harmon, whom Mathis hired from Rhea County to serve as defensive coordinator.

McCallie

The Blue Tornado spent much of the spring installing new defensive coordinator Ross's scheme and terminology.

"So far that transition has been great," Blue Tornado coach Ralph Potter said. "We're very compatible philosophically. We want to have about 90 percent of what we're doing installed by the time fall camp rolls around."

Robert Riddle (6-3, 185) established himself last season as the quarterback and will be surrounded by speed at the skill positions. The biggest concern for a team with high expectations is another brutal schedule, so building depth will be a main focus throughout the offseason.

McMinn Central

The Englewood team used part of its practice time in the spring to tinker with a new defense under Ken Gossett, who was already on staff but promoted to coordinator. Former DC Brent Masingale coaches cross country, also a fall sport, but will still help in football as a linebackers coach.

The Chargers are looking at switching from a 4-3 defense to a three-down-linemen front in an effort to better suit personnel. Head coach Josh Goodin said senior Jace Johnson took advantage of spring practice to reinforce that he's got the job at middle linebacker. Senior Brandon Carter, who has experience at defensive end, got a tryout at linebacker in the new defense.

Goodin said the offense is "still sort of feeling its way through" at this time. Special teams didn't get much attention during the recent session.

"We have more pressing needs offensively and defensively right now," he said.

McMinn County

Change is on the horizon, at least offensively, for the Cherokees. Coach Bo Cagle has dipped into McMinn's cupboard and dusted off the wing-T.

"John Mullinax ran it. My grandfather (Ace Adams) ran it. Most everybody that played here years ago played it, including me," he said. "We have plenty of guys that can run the ball if you hand it to them, and not so many that can catch it if you throw it to them."

Cagle's decision was made easier because he has Bradley Hayes returning at quarterback and because he has four returning starters on the offensive line plus a couple of quality tight end candidates.

Meigs County

There were two major changes, one on each side of the ball, for the Tigers, who expect to contend for their district title.

Defensively, the team changed from a four-man front to a 3-4 alignment to allow more athletes to get on the field. On offense, Zy Moore (6-0, 195) is moving from receiver to running back so he can have his hands on the ball more often. Moore is being recruited as a safety by UTC and Jacksonville State, among others.

"He sees stuff quickly and can cut it back and make big plays for us from the backfield," Tigers coach Jason Fitzgerald said. "And he likes to run over you. We think it's a good move for us."

Riley Wilburn, a speedy transfer from McMinn County, will take over at receiver, and Logan Fowler returns for his third season starting in the backfield.

Notre Dame

The Irish have had close to a dozen players earn college scholarships over the past two seasons, and the recruiters continue to show up, looking especially at running back/defensive back Calvin Sims and tight end Patrick Johnson - both seniors - plus sophomore receiver/defensive back Cameron Lynn, who already has offers from Tennessee and Vanderbilt, and junior Sam Stovall (6-3, 300), whom Clemson was in to see last week.

Recruiters likely got a good look at Akil Sledge, whose carries were limited but who had a 180-yard postseason game against East Ridge.

For the first time in three seasons, Notre Dame is looking for a quarterback, and the only thing for certain in replacing Furman-bound Alex Darras is that the quarterback will be a southpaw.

"Every time we went through a drill I had to stop," coach Charles Fant said. "I've never had a lefty in my life, and I'm going to wind up with three."

The spring leaders were T.J. McGhee, a rising junior, and freshman-to-be Parker Brock.

Ooltewah

The Owls are in the process of replacing most of the starters from one of the area's best teams from last year. Several of the departed were three-year starters, and for the first time in Mac Bryan's coaching tenure the Owls will have three juniors starting on the offensive line.

"We're young and not as experienced up front, but it looks like a real, true offensive line as far as big bodies," Bryan said.

The Owls worked a starting unit of senior right tackle Avery Black (6-4, 288), senior right guard Josh Myrick (6-3, 280), junior center Brandon Davis (6-1, 260), junior left guard Tyler Stafford (5-11, 270) and junior left tackle Zaire Brewer (6-2, 265).

The deepest position during spring workouts was tailback, where Cameron Turner returns and is joined by junior Tyler Henderson as well as sophomore Sincere Quinn, the team's fastest player.

"He can be dynamic for us," Bryan said. "He'll play any position we can get him the ball, including returning kicks."

Polk County

The Wildcats are coming off a winless season, but at least there will be numerous experienced players returning, because only four team members graduated.

Coach Derrick Davis liked the attitude and effort in spring practice. He said although he has another small senior class, some good leaders are there. The sophomore class is the one big in numbers.

Davis said senior Logan Griswold, who primarily has played tight end and defensive end, "looked pretty good at fullback" this spring. Offensive lineman and linebacker Seth Sloan played on a torn ACL last year. He missed spring practice but is expected to return for his senior season and play a key role.

"We might have a little more depth this year," Davis said, "if we don't have a lot of injuries."

Red Bank

The Lions didn't have a traditional spring. They went without pads because 12 key players were involved in other sports.

"We did a lot of work in the weight room and offensive and defensive install," said coach Chad Grabowski, who will enter the summer with 19 returning starters. Those include defensive ends Ivan Young and Jamel Davis, running back/linebacker Kedrick Richardson and running back Zay Brown.

The quarterback is likely to be Calvin Jackson, who played a number of skill positions last year and who was called a special athlete by Grabowski.

An addition to the staff is offensive coordinator Drew Akins, most recently at Ooltewah.

Rhea County

The Eagles beat Oxford, Ala., in a scrimmage early and then lost a scrimmage to Murfreesboro's Oakland.

Coach Pemberton was pleased overall.

"We answered some questions," he said, "and I feel like we got a good handle on who needs to play where."

The O-line will be big - two 300-pounders at tackle and guards between 235 and 250 - and Pemberton's son Zack likely will be the starting quarterback as a sophomore.

Rhea has two certain college prospects in tight end Jared Edwards, who already has 18 offers (including from Memphis and Appalachian State), and fullback/linebacker Mason Stephenson, who ran for 1,500 yards last year.

Sale Creek

The Panthers finished their spring drills under coach Ron Cox late this past week as they look ahead to the program's fourth season.

Sequatchie County

Much of the Indians' spring was spent on defense, working against mobile quarterbacks and spread sets.

"Some things we struggled with at times last year," said coach Adam Caine, who directed the team to a second-place district finish and the playoffs in his first season.

While there's a new quarterback, former receiver/defensive back Ethan Barker, Caine is seeking a replacement for hard-nosed runner Brandon Rudd and continues to emphasize discipline, dedication and toughness.

The linebackers will be a strength, thanks to Kyle Cates, Hunter Davenport and Caleb Reed, and Caine also is high on two-way lineman John Higgins.

Signal Mountain

Coach Ty Wise's team struggled in his first season, but the youthfulness of that 2015 group has brought dividends this year.

"I have been happy with practices," Wise said. "We return some good players that gained a lot of experience."

Those are led by the secondary, but there also are two experienced quarterbacks returning: Tom Badder, who started the first five games, and Drew Lowry, a baseball player who finished the year as the starter.

A big change will involve TaDarrell Hodge (6-3, 260), who played defensive end/offensive guard last year but spent his offensive time at tight end during the spring. Wise said the rising senior really impressed the coaches with his pass-catching skills.

Silverdale Baptist

Optimism abounds at Silverdale, even though it's coming off a 4-6 season. Two of the four who graduated from that team were injured most of the season, coach Al Rogers said, so virtually all the Seahawks are back.

Twenty-seven showed up for spring practice, which is the most in Rogers' five years as head coach. More would have shown, but the football players on the baseball and soccer teams were in postseason play.

Last year was the first the Seahawks switched to a 3-5 defense. Rogers said they're sticking with it - and hoping to execute it better. The offense will again feature their version of the wing-T, along with some spread.

"We were inexperienced last year," Rogers said. "We didn't get into the playbook very deep. We'll show a little more of the offensive package and the defensive package this year."

Soddy-Daisy

Coach Justin Barnes has a solid returning quarterback in senior Justin Cooke (2,273 passing yards, 27 touchdowns), but is looking to find offensive successors for wide receiver Tre Carter and running back Christian Bell. As dynamic as Carter was with 20 total touchdowns, Barnes said it may be harder to find a successor for Bell (945 rushing yards, 24 receptions).

One receiver expected to emerge is senior Ty Boeck, but he may be even more valuable as the starting middle linebacker. Junior cornerback Brandon Davis is the lone returner in the secondary and one of three in the mix for Bell's old spot on offense.

Veteran starters Owen Vice (senior left guard) and Gage Keahey (senior center) return to the offensive line, but Barnes said spring practice helped as he searched for new starters, such as sophomore Shane Brazier at left tackle. The defense needs more reassembling than the offense, and the spring workouts gave juniors Addison Roberts and Jake Seeger the chance to get noticed at noseguard and defensive end.

"It's been a chess match trying to find guys who are the right fit," Barnes said.

South Pittsburg

Are the Pirates back? There are nine starters back from last year's playoff team on each side, and coach Vic Grider has been pleased with the offseason work.

"We look physically better. We had a great winter," he said. "In a short period of time we had gotten behind in the weight room, and you don't fix that overnight, but I think we'll be able to stand up to the challenge physically better than last year."

The Pirates appear to have much more depth than in 2015.

With a returning quarterback in Hogan Holland, Grider said he'll find a place for sophomore transfer Kelly Cawood, who has much of the community buzzing.

"We worked him some different places," Grider said. "He could play in the slot, and I would be shocked if he doesn't play defense."

Tyner

The Rams lost all but one starter on the offensive line, which made finding replacements one of the top priorities of the spring. Veteran coach Wayne Turner said he believes at least six new players made a case to become starters.

"We had a lot of enthusiasm and competition for starting jobs, which was good to see," Turner said. "We'll have plenty of depth in the backfield and the secondary, but I'd still like to find a few more up front on both sides of the ball."

One defensive newcomer who made an impression is Tyon Young (6-0, 175), who will play end despite his lack of size.

"He overcomes a lot just by having a motor that never quits," Turner said. "He's not afraid to go get after it."

Walker Valley

Coach Glen Ryan used the spring to try to find depth in some areas. He said senior Kristian Williams-Soto, who played some in the past, came forth with his play in the secondary. The coach also noted junior receiver Zeke Westfield progressed well.

The seniors, some of whom started as freshmen, are primed and ready for a big season. Walker Valley also returns a tested quarterback in junior Kolten Gibson (2,608 yards total offense, 18 touchdown passes, eight rushing touchdowns).

As expected, the core group of veteran players on the squad performed to Ryan's liking in the spring.

There are no schematic changes on the horizon, and why would there be? Although the Mustangs finished 4-6 last year, there are many returners to a team that averaged 35.7 points per game.

"It's a seasoned group," Ryan said. "We've just got to shore up the defense and get more consistent."

Whitwell

The Tigers caught on to the changes on both sides of the ball faster than new coach Malone anticipated.

"I didn't want to overload them, so we only put in about half the offense and half the defense, just the base stuff, but the thing I noticed was we've got a lot of kids who have a high football IQ," said Malone, who led East Ridge to its best season in program history last year.

The new offense is completely different than what the Tigers ran the past two seasons, going from a grind-it-out style to a quick tempo out of the pistol.

Malone will oversee the offense and brought in former East Ridge secondary coach Randall Bolden to take over as defensive coordinator.

Upcoming Events