TRENTON, Ga. – As Dade County prepares to host the school’s most important football game in more than a decade, the unfefeated Wolverines are trying to secure more than a playoff berth or region championship.
They want respect, something even this tight-knit community seems a bit hesitant to give the program. It’s not that folks don’t appreciate what the Wolverines have accomplished in native son Bradley Warren’s three years as head coach. It’s just that years of losing (11 consecutive before going 6-4 in 2009) caused many supporters to lose touch with the program and they’re still not sure if the Wolverines, even with a 6-0 record, can play with a perennial power such as Calhoun.
The Yellow Jackets, ranked third in the state and Region 7-AA champions for nine consecutive years, just happen to be playing at Dade tonight. Calhoun is riding a 59-game league winning streak.
“There’s a lot of excitement about the game,” Dade senior linebacker Jared Korbett said. “But most of the students ask me how bad are we going to lose. I tell them we may not win, but we’ll play our best no matter what. I can guarantee you we’ll play as hard as we can.
“Really,” Korbett continued, “we have nothing to lose. This is all about respect.”
If it’s respect the Wolverines want, Hal Lamb is on board. The Calhoun coach sees a lot of similarities in the Dade and Calhoun programs. When Lamb first took the Calhoun job, the program was far from a powerhouse.
“I’m sure it’s just like when we started turning things around here,” Lamb said. “The whole Trenton community is excited, I’m sure, and they should be proud of what Coach Warren and the kids have accomplished. It’s a big game, probably for the subregion championship, and I’m sure it’s the biggest game they’ve had in a long time.”
So big, in fact, that Josh Ingle was receiving phone calls over a week ago about ticket availability. Ingle is in his first year as Dade’s prinicipal, but he grew up in Trion, a similar community whose football team has a rich tradition of success. He believes Trenton will likewise embrace its team if the success continues.
“The communities are similar,” said Ingle, son of Trion’s mayor. “I remember when Trion made it to the Georgia Dome and the whole community was there to watch the game. There is a great passion for the team there, and I can see that happening here. This is really exciting for our kids and the community, and it’s a great opportunity for our kids to experience a taste of success.”
Though folks may not be ready to predict a win (Maxwell computer ratings have Calhoun a 22-point favorite), it hasn’t stopped them from showing the kind of support previously displayed for the Dade basketball programs.
A local television show and radio show are hosting events as part of “Spirit Week,” and signs with “Wolverine Country” are sprouting up in yards throughout the county. Ingle even has let teachers wear blue jeans this week if they also wore something with “Dade County” or “Wolverines” along with them.
“I just want the kids to know that we support them inside and outside the school,” Ingle said. “Going into the game, and looking at records, we’re obviously the underdogs, but anything can happen on any given night.”
Warren knows that feeling well. In his senior season in 1987 the Wolverines, then Northwest Georgia High, were 9-0 and playing a strong Haralson County team. Northwest was playing a nonregion schedule, so the game would be his last.
“It was a big event for our community,” Warren remembered. “There haven’t been a lot of those around here in football, though I know they hosted a playoff game in 1999. I remember the place being packed and everybody talking about the game.
“There’s a lot of that this week, though I do believe a lot of people are still skeptical,” he added. “It’s been a slow process winning some of the people over, but this means a lot to the players, especially to the seniors who have helped turn this around.
“When we were 1-9 three years ago, not many people saw this coming. The greatest thing to me is to see how excited the kids are. They deserve this.”