Murray County Indians' motto this year is 'Feed the Change'

Murray County football coach Chad Brewer watches his team play at the Southeastern 7 on 7 Championships on Friday, July 15, 2016, in Dalton, Ga.
Murray County football coach Chad Brewer watches his team play at the Southeastern 7 on 7 Championships on Friday, July 15, 2016, in Dalton, Ga.

Head coach: Chad Brewer (16-44 in six seasons here and overall)

Returning starters: 7 offensive; 6 defensive

Key players: QB Kaleb Jones (5-11, 190); OL-DL Seth Gallman (6-3, 310); WR Tyler Hayes (6-1, 195); RB Cade Petty (5-10, 170); RB Davis Redwine (5-8, 150); LB Carson Violes (5-10, 195); WR Brannon Nuckolls (6-3, 185).

Team strengths: A strong junior class gained valuable experience last season, and key seniors will be starting for their third consecutive year.

photo Murray County High School head football coach Chad Brewer talks to Dustin Gibson on Wednesday, July 16, 2014, in Varnell, Ga., during a team conditioning camp for six high school football teams at Northwest Whitfield High School.

"That experience will end up being the key to our success this season," Brewer said. "Our competitive spirit is very high."

Team concerns: Though the starters along the lines are nearly set, the depth behind them is young and thin. Early injuries in the trenches are a major concern.

Breakout candidate: The Indians' new offense, the triple option, will need a competent trigger man, and the athletic Jones fits the bill. He can make defenses pay for keying on the backs and has enough arm to hit big plays downfield.

photo Photo by Dan Henry / The Chattanooga Times Free Press. Murray County head coach Chad Brewer works with his athletes during a passing camp at LaFayette High School on Tuesday, July 7, 2015.

Season outlook: Brewer didn't expect the Indians to be back in this position, but that hasn't dampened his enthusiasm.

A winless 2018 came two years after Brewer's building efforts produced a 6-4 season, the culmination of a steady climb from an 0-10 record in 2012, the year before he arrived in Chatsworth. Heavy graduation losses, injuries and a small senior class doomed the Indians last season.

"We had a tough year," the coach said. "Our motto this year is 'Feed the Change.' We've changed everything about our team - offense, defense, how we work out in the summer, our schedule, our locker room, everything."

Murray will run the triple option on offense and align in a 4-4 formation defensively. Brewer admits the new schemes have more to do with having a fresh start than anything.

"It's change-driven because we had to do something different," he said. "We're a junior-heavy team, so it was a good time to change because we will have a great group coming back in 2020."

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