CALHOUN, Ga. – When things get tough in practice or he finds himself tired during a game, Alex Kirby’s mind quickly takes him back to the Georgia Dome last December.
The Calhoun High School linebacker, then a sophomore, watched as several of his teammates broke down after the Yellow Jackets’ loss to Buford in the Class AA state championship game. Kirby, who led the Jackets in tackles that day, including several for loss, didn’t cry or bemoan his team’s fate.
Kirby got mad, the kind of anger that leads to motivation. And he’s not alone. As Calhoun, which had five players sign scholarships at FBS schools, entered the season somewhat under the radar statewide, it’s defensive core returned almost intact. It’s a unit both confident and talented enough, according to head coach Hal Lamb, to rank with the best in school history.
“For one thing, they play well together,” said Lamb, whose teams have been state runners-up three times in the past six years. “They love to hit and they’re very coachable. They’re fast and they are really good at reading and reacting. I knew coming in that our defense would be the strength of this team.”
Five of the front six defenders from last year are back, including Kirby and fellow junior linebackers Hunter Knight and Gabe Freeman. None are particularly big (Kirby and Knight are listed at 190 pounds), but they play with what Lamb calls “reckless abandon.” Then there’s the motivation factor.
“We expect to be really good,” Kirby said after allowing preseason top 10-ranked Pepperell 96 total yards in a 35-0 win last week. “We took what happened in the Dome as motivation, and we came back and worked harder because we want to be back. We’re not happy with the way the season ended.”
Lamb compares his linebacking corps with the 2005 unit led by Curt Welch and Haggan Spector. And the best thing, except for opponents, is that all three starters are back next season.
“They are like that 2005 bunch, and these three can be as good or better than any we’ve ever had,” Lamb said. “Their instincts are very, very good. They just understand linebacker play and they come ready to play – and practice – every day.”
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or (423) 757-6296.