Region 6-AAAAAA // Harmon Field at Bill Chappell Stadium, 112 Cappes St, Dalton, GA 30720
At the helm
Matt Land
(58-24 in seven years here and overall)
Heroes assemble!
The Catamounts return 2 off., 3 def. starters.
Super powers
The return this summer of senior QB J.P. Tighe, who previously had informed the coaching staff he was not going to play football to concentrate on his baseball career, was a huge boost and gives the offense a leader it sorely needs. Another area of strength is the defensive backfield, where seniors Harrison Hughes and preseason all-state senior Nasir Love-Porter return.
Possible kryptonite
There are concerns everywhere with so many new faces, but the biggest dropoff is likely to be the defensive front seven, where standouts such as DLs Max Mainor and John Wesley Whiteside and LBs Matthew Howell and Tucker Sumner graduated. The offensive front returns Dylan Cole, a UTC recruit, but otherwise has little experience. Then there's the gaping hole at RB, where Ahmaad Tanner and his 1,560 yards and 23 touchdowns are gone.
Spidey sense tingling
Experience and tradition can take a team only so far, but in Dalton there is such a deep tradition of winning that even a team as inexperienced as this year's can use it as an advantage. Young players who were backups on last year's Class AAAAAA semifinal team are hungry to step up and continue that tradition of winning. Anything less than a winning season and playoff appearance will be seen as a disappointment, even for a team with 19 new starters.
Here I come to save the day!
Love-Porter will rarely leave the field this season. In addition to anchoring the secondary, the elite athlete will also see time in the offensive backfield, at receiver and at QB in the wildcat package. Another potential difference-maker is transfer TE Hunter Brummel, a 6-7 240-pounder who displayed good hands in 7-on-7 action this summer and whose blocking skills should help the line. K Ivan Mora is a preseason all-state selection.
Up, up and away!
Land had a fitting analogy when asked how this summer was different from a year ago.
"Last summer I actually went to the beach with my family," Land said. "This year I paid for my family to go to the beach and I stayed in the room and worked on football stuff.
"What a difference a year makes, huh?"
Eighteen of last year's 22 starters are gone - it would have been more had Tighe not returned to the team in July - from a 13-win team that was ranked No. 1 in Class AAAAAA for a good part of the season.
So, obviously, a rebuilding year is in order in Dalton. While technically that is true and very few programs in the state could effectively overcome such overwhelming personnel losses, the Catamounts still feel a competitive season is possible.
"One of the great things about Dalton, and I've said this several times, is that kids grow up here not just wanting to win, they expect to win," Land said. "Yes, we have a huge challenge ahead of us, but there isn't a kid in that locker room that believes we are going to lose."
A schedule that includes six teams who made the playoffs in 2016 - including nonregion foes Calhoun, Northwest Whitfield and Sonoraville - will make the going even more difficult. Yet there is talent in players like Tighe, two-way starter Love-Porter, bruising OL Cole and jitterbug RB Jai'den Montgomery to help bridge the gap.
"Our job as a coaching staff this summer and into camp is to find the right places for everybody and start getting them ready for a tough schedule," Land said. "It's really kind of exciting to see so many new players get their shot, and we really can't wait to get this thing started."
2016 Results
Aug. 26 Calhoun won, 28-13
Sep. 2 Northwest Whitfield won, 10-3
Sep. 9 Sonoraville won, 43-7
Sep. 16 Sprayberry won, 43-7
Sep. 30 Creekview won, 34-17
Oct. 7 River Ridge won, 40-14
Oct. 14 Sequoyah won, 49-21
Oct. 21 Harrison won, 31-14
Oct. 28 South Cobb won, 42-0
Nov. 4 Allatoona won, 24-22
Nov. 11 Winder-Barrow won, 42-7 (first round)
Nov. 18 Lovejoy won, 24-14 (second round)
Nov. 25 Coffee won, 30-28 (quarterfinals)
Dec. 2 Valdosta lost, 27-6 (semifinals)
13-1, 7-0 Region 6-AAA
2017 Schedule
(All times 7:30 Eastern)
Aug. 25 at Calhoun
Sep. 1 Northwest Whitfield
Sep. 8 Sonoraville
Sep. 15 at Sprayberry
Sep. 29 Creekview
Oct. 6 at River Ridge
Oct. 13 Sequoyah
Oct. 20 at Harrison
Oct. 27 at South Cobb
Nov. 3 Allatoona
Region 6-AAAAAA games in bold