Region 6-AAA North // Tommy Cash Stadium, 1850 Battlefield Parkway, Fort Oglethorpe, GA 30742
At the helm
Bo Campbell
(1-19 in two years here and overall)
Heroes assemble!
The Warriors return 7 off., 7 def. starters.
Super powers
The Warriors have invested heavily in improving their strength and conditioning program, and the results should show this season. The lines in particular should become a strength, led by OT Nick Culpepper (6-5, 260), C Tyler Simpson (6-1, 290), NG Kameron Peters and DE Johnathan Cutcher, a player Campbell said is pound for pound the strongest on the team.
Possible kryptonite
As much as coaches and players want to turn things around, the past three seasons have resulted in a 4-26 record. Campbell knows his biggest roadblock right now is getting rid of the culture of losing. A win or two early could go a long way toward achieving that goal.
Spidey sense tingling
The Warriors, from Campbell on down, believe they will be more competitive this season, and there will be major disappointment if the team doesn’t have multiple wins when it’s over. Several Region 6-AAA teams made marked improvement last season, though, so getting in the playoff hunt might be difficult.
Here I come to save the day!
The Warriors have the opportunity to have a very diverse offense, thanks to the pass/run skills of QB Zach Vaughn, who started the last part of 2016. Vaughn has nice targets in WRs Christian Vaughn and Ruddy Ware plus a pair of physical RBs in Jacob Flanagan (6-1, 215) and Nathan Williams (5-10, 210).
Up, up and away!
Optimism abounds at LFO, where the coaching staff believes two years of trying to lay a foundation for success is about to pay off.
Campbell said the improvement is due to several obvious reasons.
“There’s a big difference here,” he said. “When I first got here, the first thing we had to do was hit the weight room hard because we were so weak, and now we feel we are as strong as any team we will play. We’ve also gotten quicker and faster, so when you get kids who are bigger, stronger and faster, you put yourself on a more even playing field.”
There’s also experience, something Campbell hasn’t had. A program that graduated a total of 22 seniors – only half were starters – the past two years has more than 20 this season, a factor that led to the most productive summer in Campbell’s three years. Several players will start for the third consecutive season.
“There’s nothing like experience and the leadership that comes with it,” Campbell said. “They know what Friday nights are going to look like, so when their teammates aren’t giving them a good look in practice, they speak up because they know that won’t cut it. This is their last go-round, so they want it to be special.”
The Warriors have attended an FCA camp each summer under Campbell, and the staff came away this year not the only ones seeing the difference in the team. The defense, in particular, has taken great strides from a unit that gave up 38 or more points in eight games.
“We had several coaches tell us how much better we looked,” Campbell said. “That meant a lot. We’ve had a lot of guys who have taken a lot of bruises over the past couple of years who are ready to dish some out. They’re tired of being on the receiving end.
“These guys deserve some success here because they have worked so hard.”
2016 Results
Aug. 19 Heritage lost, 38-0
Aug. 26 Armuchee lost, 13-7
Sep. 9 Gordon Lee lost, 51-24
Sep. 16 Sonoraville lost, 46-3
Sep. 23 Haralson County lost, 55-0
Sep. 30 Ringgold lost, 62-20
Oct. 7 Coahulla Creek won, 38-12
Oct. 21 Murray County lost, 42-24
Oct. 28 North Murray lost, 48-14
Nov. 4 Calhoun lost, 48-0
1-9, 1-3 Region 6-AAA North
2017 Schedule
(All times 7:30 Eastern)
Aug. 18 Heritage
Aug. 25 at Armuchee
Sep. 8 at Gordon Lee
Sep. 15 Sonoraville
Sep. 22 at Haralson County
Sep. 29 Ringgold
Oct. 6 at Coahulla Creek
Oct. 20 Murray County
Oct. 27 at North Murray
Nov. 3 region play-in