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SILVERDALE SEAHAWKSRegion 3-2ASBA Stadium, 7236 Bonny Oaks Dr., Chattanooga TN 37421Driver’s seat: Al Rogers (29-16 in his fifth year here and overall)Road tested: 5 offensive, 5 defensive starters return
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Pump the brakes: The TSSAA multiplier, in Rogers’ opinion, is hurting small schools like SBA, which has about 300 students and a very small varsity roster. Depth on both sides of the ball is always a concern.
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Route ’15: The Seahawks return a decent percentage of players from last year considering the small size of the roster. That’s enough experience, especially with the senior quartet of Hunter Arnold, Josh Brady, Tanner Gibson and Jack Locklear pacing the squad. All but RB Arnold are linemen.
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Taking the wheel: The quarterback situation was yet to be determined heading into preseason camp. The starting running back situation is settled. Arnold has control there and likely will represent Silverdale as a captain for every coin flip this season. Brady, who has committed to play for Jacksonville State, has the broad shoulders to hold more leadership responsibilities.
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Cruise control: The players in the trenches make these Seahawks tougher than previous squads. Brady, Gibson and Locklear can each play different positions depending on whether Silverdale has the ball or is playing defense. Junior tight end Christian Rogers makes a nice safety valve for whichever quarterback starts; he also made 106 tackles as a sophomore.
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Backseat driver: An opposing coach said of the Seahawks, “They’re a fairly basic offensive team that can be predictable, but they have enough big kids that they’ve been able to be successful.”
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Rearview2014 game resultsAug. 22;Lookout Valley;won, 35-16Aug. 29;Community;won, 38-21Sep. 5;Copper Basin;lost, 34-21Sep. 12;Grundy County;won, 10-6Sep. 19;Haysville (N.C.);lost, 47-13Sep. 26;at Sweetwater;lost, 41-28Oct. 10;Chattanooga Christian;lost, 39-0Oct. 17;at Grace Academy;won, 38-31Oct. 24;at Bledsoe County;lost, 33-7Oct. 31;at Boyd-Buchanan;lost, 46-04-6, 1-2 in District 5-A
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On the horizon2015 schedule (all times 7:30 unless noted)Aug. 21;Lookout ValleySep. 4;Bledsoe CountySep. 11;Grace AcademySep. 18;at Meigs CountySep. 25;at Sale CreekOct. 2;Polk CountyOct. 9;at Marion County, 8Oct. 16;at BrainerdOct. 23;TynerOct. 30;at Boyd-BuchananRegion 3-2A games in bold
Pedal to the metal
The Silverdale Baptist Academy Seahawks are short on bodies.
That likely will be the case as long as the TSSAA is implementing its multiplier rule for private schools in the public school division, unless the school has a huge influx of able-bodied football players from unknown sources.
So injuries need to be avoided.
That’s already a strike against 2015 success for the Seahawks.
“Josh Brady has a back issue and Jake Locklear has a broken arm,” coach Al Rogers said. “We don’t have the depth of other teams.”
The lack of depth is felt during the fourth quarter of games. It’s not so easy to substitute for a player who is winded or sore or just needs a break for three plays – because in those three plays, the game may change in the opponents’ favor.
“We have to be in good shape to play four quarters,” Rogers said. “And we have to substitute at the right time.”
Linebacker is the one position at which Rogers feels comfortable substituting frequently. Those players represent the deepest – and healthiest – group heading into the season, so much so that Rogers is switching his base defense to a 3-5-3 to get more of those players on the field and into the rotation.
“All we’ve got is 28 players,” Rogers said. “They love each other, and they love the Lord.”
They’d better love playing a lot.
Capsule by David Uchiyama; contact at duchiyama@timesfreepress.com or follow on Twitter: @UchiyamaCTFP.