Region 6-AAAA // Bowers & Painter Field, 2478 Happy Valley Road, Rossville, GA 30741
At the helm
Wesley Tankersley
(13-9 in two years here; 55-41 overall)
Heroes assemble!
The Panthers return 5 off., 7 def. starters.
Super powers
Few teams north of Atlanta can match the Panthers' speed, certainly none in Region 6-AAAA. Senior FB Jalyn Shelton will still be the focal point of the wing-T attack, but defenses can't afford to stack the middle and sell out for the run because WB Markeith Montgomery and WR Stephon Walker, each a sub-4.5 sprinter, can turn a simple handoff or short pass into a touchdown.
Possible kryptonite
The offensive line is easily the team's biggest area of concern. The Panthers will break in four new starters to play alongside 300-pound T Fred Norman. The wing-T doesn't call for linemen to hold blocks for long, but it does necessitate unity, something this group will take time to formulate.
Spidey sense tingling
Coach Tankersley's third season is full of high expectations. Coming off a Region 6-AAAA championship and playoff win, folks in Rossville are openly talking about a season that could extend into December. More importantly, the players believe last season ended too soon and are hungry to prove it.
Here I come to save the day!
It's easy to say that two-way starter Montgomery, the reigning Class AAAA defensive player of the year, is the team's biggest difference-maker, but for this team to reach its lofty goals, quarterback play must improve. Junior Tanner Hill is a solid athlete and summer drills showed he can be a threat in the passing game. If he can't, expect to see Shelton take more snaps as the season progresses.
Up, up and away!
Shelton has put Darrell Bridges on notice.
Bridges rushed for 2,430 yards and 39 touchdowns in his senior prep season, leading the Panthers to a surprising run to the championship round. Bridges is back in Chattanooga as a postgraduate transfer at UTC, and Shelton has let him know the record is in jeopardy.
"I've got to try and beat Darrell," said Shelton, who admitted any personal records this year would mean team success as well. "For me to have a shot, we have to do really well as a team and go far in the playoffs. It can be done and I'm going for it."
Shelton's biggest problem in eclipsing the record, ironically, is just how potent the Panthers' wing-T offense can be. He played sparingly in the second half of six of the team's games last year due to blowout scores.
The Naval Academy recruit averaged 8 yards per carry a year ago while rushing for nearly 1,500 yards. Closer games would equal more carries, and if he approaches Bridges' 270 carries (nearly 100 more than this past season), the record could be in danger of falling.
However, with most of last year's offensive production returning, Shelton knows games could be even more lopsided this year - and he's way OK with that possibility.
"The record would be nice, but I don't ever want us to let up," Shelton said before turning serious. "In our playoff loss last year (38-21 to Spalding) we were up on them and just expected to keep rolling, and we didn't. We just can't do that any longer. We have to have the pedal down the entire game.
"We're ready, I guarantee you."
2016 Results
Aug. 19 Adairsville won, 49-7
Sep. 2 Darlington won, 40-28
Sep. 9 Chattooga won, 48-7
Sep. 23 NW Whitfield won, 48-42
Oct. 7 LaFayette won, 48-0
Oct. 14 Heritage won, 56-14
Oct. 21 Pickens lost, 35-34
Oct. 28 Gilmer won, 32-0
Nov. 4 SE Whitfield won, 44-6
Nov. 11 St. Pius X won, 21-14 (first round)
Nov. 18 Spalding lost, 38-21 (second round)
9-2, 5-1 Region 6-AAAA
2017 Schedule
(All times 7:30 Eastern)
Aug. 18 at Adairsville
Aug. 25 Pepperell
Sep. 1 at Darlington
Sep. 8 Chattooga
Sep. 22 at Northwest Whitfield
Oct. 6 LaFayette
Oct. 13 at Heritage
Oct. 20 Pickens
Oct. 27 at Gilmer
Nov. 3 Southeast Whitfield
Region 6-AAAA games in bold