TRENTON, Ga.-For Dade County High School, the fact that three football players signed to play for college teams on the same day was historic.
And if football coach and athletic director Bradley Warren is correct, Thursday was the first of many such days to come for a boys’ athletic program that until the past couple of seasons was off the recruiting radar.
“When you begin to have success like we’re starting to have, college athletic programs take notice, and we are beginning to see some fruits of our labor within our football programs here in the Dade County school system,” Warren said after watching lineman Nick Lawson (Tusculum), defensive back Chris Little (LaGrange) and punter/wide receiver Blayton Bethune (Pikeville) sign college paperwork. “We are in the beginning stages of something special here within the football program.”
Warren has had seven players in his three years as coach sign scholarships, and four other players turned down offers. After going 10-2 last season, schools are starting to take notice of northwest Georgia’s most geographically isolated school. Before Warren’s arrival, the program recorded 10 wins in the previous seven seasons combined.
“Everybody knows our program has been down, and there’s been a lot of hard work to get this thing turned around,” said Warren, who played at Northwest Georgia High, Dade’s predecessor. “There has been a big change in work ethic in part because guys can now say, ‘I’ve got a chance to play college ball.’ And they know we will help them get into school.”