CHICKAMAUGA, Ga. — While there might not be a secret formula for successfully defending a state championship, Mike Dunfee believes he knows the key ingredients — and says he has them on his Gordon Lee baseball team.
Winners of the GHSA Class A-Division I title a year ago after traversing a myriad of potential postseason pitfalls, the Trojans are, according to the veteran coach, right where they should be as the 2026 regular season heads into its final three weeks.
Thursday’s 1-0 result over Class AAA’s Calhoun joined a list of strong nonregion wins that already included those over Calvary Day, Heritage, Northwest Whitfield and Ringgold, and the latest such victory displayed the keys Dunfee wants to see at this time of year.
“We always preach to be humble and hungry, and this team is even after winning it last year,” Dunfee said. “It’s mostly the same kids, and it’s an older bunch, but they know what it takes. We aren’t playing to beat just anybody; we’re playing to beat top dogs.
“Some teams, just because you won it all, they believe they can just do it again, but it’s not that easy. You have to be willing to not settle for being good and never get complacent.”