DALTON, Ga. - Nothing the Christian Heritage School varsity football team did a week ago may end up showing positive results in the win-loss column this season.
Jay Poag knows that. After all, a team having to rely on several freshmen and sophomores playing in one of Georgia's most difficult Class A regions is likely to have serious growing pains.
But the team's two-day trip to Nashville, which included cheerleaders and some players' families, was as much or more about the future as it was about the 2017 season.
"I describe it as a business trip with a little entertainment," said Poag, the team's second-year head coach. "When I took the job, I wanted to tie a trip like this into our season so that it gets our kids outside of this bubble we live in and lets them experience the world a bit."
Included on the trip were stops to tour the University of the South in Sewanee, Belmont University and Vanderbilt University, where the team was allowed to practice. It ended with a scrimmage in Manchester against TSSAA Class 6A member Coffee County.
In between there were stops at the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Nashville, along with shopping and sightseeing along Broadway Street. The time together allowed a diverse group to get to know each other.
"When we were younger, we all grew up together, so we all knew each other well," Poag explained. "At Christian Heritage we have city kids, country kids, Tennessee kids, Calhoun kids - kids from everywhere that didn't grow up together. To get them together out of their comfort zone is great for team chemistry, which is so important for a football team."
Senior lineman Trent Cummings, one of only eight seniors on the team, said the whole experience was eye opening individually and team-wise.
"It's pretty incredible that Christian Heritage offers the ability for us to travel like that and see the world some," said Cummings, who has started since he was a freshman. "It was really important for our team because we're really young, with 17 or 19 new players. Getting to practice at Vanderbilt was a special experience, but my favorite was getting to hang out with my teammates when we went to Broadway Street."
Football-wise, Poag said his team showed resiliency against Coffee County and its star player, athlete Alontae Taylor, who has committed to Tennessee.
"They were a lot bigger school, and we open with a lot bigger schools, so we wanted to give the guys a taste of what that was about," Poag said. "The Taylor kid was phenomenal, as good a high school player as I've ever seen, and he broke loose twice early on us for long touchdowns. But we battled back."
The Lions tied the game by halftime as new quarterback Matthew Neff started connecting with receivers Zach Gentry and Christian Koneman. The scoreboard was turned off in the second half, but Poag said the Lions scored three times to two scores for Coffee. The final drive is what really caught Poag's eye.
"We got the ball back late and used the drive as if it were for a game-winner," he said. "We drove the ball, got into field-goal range and our kicker, Joe Dixon, put one through on the last play. Everyone then raced onto the field and we had a dog-pile celebration."
Poag has even bigger plans moving forward. Next year's trip is tentatively planned for Birmingham, Ala., and instead of a scrimmage, it will end with the regular-season opener.
"It's a tradition we really look forward to instilling here," he said. "These are exciting times at Christian Heritage. We just moved into our new $20 million high school, and we have more kids playing football than ever."
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6296. Follow him on Twitter @youngsports22.