It was one evening early in two-a-days when Polk County coach Derrick Davis cut practice short, hopped in his truck and headed for home, leaving assistants to lock doors, turn out locker-room lights and secure the gate.
Davis, as demanding a head coach as one will meet, was fuming. He hadn’t seen the attitude that carried Polk County to the 2010 District 5-AA championship and the school’s first undefeated football regular season, and the aggravation had brought a flush rushing up his neck to the tips of his ears.
The Wildcats return 13 starters including all of the skill guys on offense and the defensive tackle leaders, so it was no surprise that fellow 5-AA coaches have pegged them as the team to beat.
“They lost a couple of linemen, but I don’t see him having any trouble replacing those guys,” McMinn Central coach Josh Goodin said. “It may be a closer fight for second, third, fourth and fifth. We lost a lot and Meigs, Sequoyah and Sweetwater are improving.”
Quarterback Jared Allen, a University of Tennessee baseball commitment, and wingback Tyler Lee lead a strong group of Polk returnees.
“I don’t know what this team’s going to do tomorrow, let alone this season,” Davis said. “We have a lot of guys coming back, but really we haven’t been tested yet, so I don’t know how we’re going to respond to adversity.
“Injuries are always a factor. We were very fortunate there last year. And there are always those few plays that determine a win or a loss, and we seemed to make a lot of those plays last year. We have to have that hunger and desire like the year before. Those guys that graduated were very coachable every single day, and they accepted their roles on this team. They checked their ego at the door. … We had great senior leadership.”
Davis said he wants players who are coachable all the time.
“I wasn’t real pleased with some attitudes regarding coachability and them being challenged,” he said of this year’s group. “We’re still searching for that positive attitude. There are 76 players on this team, and it isn’t about one or two individuals or who runs the ball or catches or who makes all the tackles. We’ll find 11 on each side that will do that. I can coach a kid all day long when they want to learn and have a great attitude.”
Goodin was the district’s only new head coach a year ago, and he directed the Chargers to a 7-4 season. This year there are new coaches at Meigs County (Curt Jones) and Sweetwater (Richie Marsh).
“Hands down, I think anybody that has any sense knows that we’re all chasing Polk County. I know that,” Jones said. “After that it’s everybody playing for that second-place spot. I’d be remiss if I didn’t tell you, though, that we’re planning on giving Polk everything we’ve got when we play them.”
Meigs returns 16 starters but Jones has installed new schemes on both sides of the ball for a team coming off a 2-8 season.
“Granted, it would be nice to take over a well-oiled machine and all you’re doing is pushing the play button, but one way to look at it is there’s no place to go but up,” he said. “I have been amazed at their ability to learn. They’ve picked up our schemes quicker than any teams I have coached previously. They’re like sponges. They want to succeed so badly.”
Goodin, who last year stayed with the departed Brandon Derrick’s spread offense, must replace a veteran quarterback, rotating tailbacks, a fullback and all of the 2009 receivers.
When asked about returning yardage producers, Goodin replied, “The better question may be how much we have coming back. Honestly, Calvin Walker, our backup quarterback who got off some good runs late in some games, is about it.”
Eagerness and hard work are catchwords throughout the district.
“We’re being picked toward the top and I guess you have to pick somebody there,” Davis said, “but it’s high school football and everybody knows that on any given night anybody can win or lose.”
DISTRICT 5-AA AT A GLANCE
* Team on the rise: With a new coach (Curt Jones) and 16 returning starters, Meigs County is looking to improve on last year’s 2-8 season and could wind up being defending champion Polk County’s biggest threat.
* Nightmare schedule: McMinn Central opens with county rival McMinn County and Cleveland, Class 6A and 5A playoff participants last season, and then catches defending 5-AA champion Polk County. The Chargers also play Class AAA member Walker Valley, rising hopeful Meigs County and Class 3A defending state champion Alcoa.
* Dream schedule: Polk County’s beefed-up schedule is one a football fan will enjoy. Several of the Wildcats’ games are with nearby rivals including Bradley Central, Walker Valley and McMinn Central, but they’ll also play Class 1A state finalist South Pittsburg.
* Best game: Polk’s game with South Pitt on Oct. 22 should be a dandy, but the Wildcats’ championship hopes may depend on the outcome of a visit to Meigs County the following week.
* Biggest shoes to fill: Zack Rayl, a three-year starter, directed McMinn Central’s offense and Chargers linebacker Maury Ragland was among area tackle leaders for three years running. They are gone now.
* Playoff bound: Polk County has made the postseason nine years in a row, and returning offensive talent makes 2010 a likely 10th season. Meigs County hasn’t extended its season since 2007, but with McMinn Central having few experienced returners, the Tigers could be knocking on the postseason door.