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Dr John Ansel
Dr. John Ansel was honored as the first recipient of the G. Thomas Jansen M.D. and Frances B. Jansen Chair in Dermatology Dec. 4 at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Jackson T. Stephens Spine and Neurosciences Institute.
Editor's note: This is the first in a series of prep football region previews involving area teams. Coming Thursday are 2-2A and 3-2A.
Last year was a season of change in Region 3-1A football. Starting at the top, Whitwell overtook South Pittsburg for not only the region championship - only the second time in the past decade someone other than the Pirates won the region - but also a playoff sweep of its cross-county rival and eventually the program's first state title.
Sale Creek also changed its program's fortunes by earning its first playoff berth, and after the season both Lookout Valley and Whitwell made coaching changes.
Heading into this season it's expected that, for the third straight year, the top spot in the region will be decided when Whitwell and South Pittsburg meet. With the amount of talent returning, those teams also could face off in the state quarterfinals for a third straight year.
In the four years since Vic Grider returned as Pirates head coach, South Pittsburg has reached the semifinals twice and quarterfinals the other two times, losing to the eventual state champions each of the past two seasons. The Pirates have 31 players who are seniors or juniors, and seven starters back on both sides of the ball, and that mixture of experience and talent led region coaches to tab them as the league favorites.
"We're finally an old team," Grider said. "We've got a lot of guys with big-game experience, and that's usually a factor in teams that are successful. We're also a pretty hungry team, myself included, when you consider how close we've been the last few years. We haven't gotten the job done in the big games, so I'd say we've got something to prove if we're going to change that."
Besides all-state athlete Ronto Tipton, the Pirates have a backfield of big-play threats including Brett Nelson, Jaylyn Hubbard, Hunter Frame and DeAndre Kelley as well as quarterback Brayden Sanders, who enters his third season as the starter. For all the offensive potential it's the defense - which allowed just nine points per game last year, led by linemen Blaine Pittman, Dakota Blevins and linebackers Brydon Mabry and Cameron Trussell - that could be the key to regaining the region title and clearing the final hurdle to return to a state title game for the first time in six years.
Whitwell brings back plenty of experienced starters as well - six on each side of the ball - led by all-state linemen Brayden Condra, J.J. Hedrick and Jace Kilgore. There also is potential at both running back and linebacker, but it is unproven talent heading into the season.
"The experience we have back on both sides of the line is phenomenal," said first-year Tigers head coach Travis Olinger, who was a defensive assistant last year. "It means a lot to have those guys back for us to build on. It's like a sigh of relief having those guys up front back, because I'm confident we can run the ball and put a stop to anybody trying to run it up the middle on us."
Cole Burns ran for around 500 yards last season and now will have a bigger role, as will Thomas Ridge, who takes over at quarterback. Jacob Roberts and Brandon Hammil give the Tigers a pair of weapons at receiver, and newcomer Trenton Stockwell, who didn't play last season, has impressed coaches with his toughness as a ball carrier.
Josh Payne takes over as coach at Lookout Valley after a successful run as Signal Mountain's defensive coordinator - including last season when the Eagles had five wins in which they allowed seven points or less. Expect a great focus on that side of the ball for a team coming off a season in which it reached the second round of the playoffs for the first time in seven years.
Continuing the region's theme of having most of its starters back, Sale Creek returns six on both sides. The Panthers' offensive line will average 6-foot-3, 268 pounds, leading coach Ron Cox unable to hide his excitement.
"This is the best team we've ever had here," Cox said.
No team in the region brings back as much experience as Copper Basin, which will have nine starters back on offense and 10 on defense in looking to return to the playoffs after missing out last year.
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293. Follow him on Twitter @StephenHargis.
REGION 3-1A OUTLOOK
Team to beat: With 14 total starters returning, led by all-state athlete Ronto Tipton and a stable of capable runners who include two-way athlete Brett Nelson, an all-star-caliber transfer from rival Marion County, South Pittsburg is the favorite among league coaches to reclaim the region title.Watch out for: If there is such a thing as a defending state champion playing with a chip on its shoulder, that’s likely the case for Whitwell, which will be out to prove it still belongs among the state’s elite 1A teams. The Tigers also return most of their starters from last year’s title run.Best game: When defending state champion Whitwell travels to South Pittsburg on Oct. 18, more than just county bragging rights will be on the line. That game almost certainly will decide the region title and home-field advantage through the playoff’s first three rounds.Dream schedule: Coming off the program’s first playoff appearance, Sale Creek has a nonregion schedule against six teams whose combined record last season was 16-45.Nightmare schedule: Although South Pittsburg’s nonregion slate includes trips to Red Bank and Marion County as well as home dates with Meigs County and Sequatchie County, it’s not quite as rugged as what Whitwell will face. The Tigers open the season at East Ridge on Aug. 21, then must travel to Bledsoe County three days later, followed by a third road game at Chattanooga Christian before their home opener against Signal Mountain. And while Whitwell does get to host three region opponents, the one road game in league play is at South Pittsburg.Players to watch: South Pittsburg’s Tipton was an all-state defensive back after intercepting seven passes last year and now also will be one of the team’s main ball carriers, along with fellow senior Nelson and junior speedster Hunter Frame. Another senior, Jaylyn Hubbard, is the team’s most versatile player and likely will play some at receiver, running back and quarterback as well as in the secondary, while Blaine Pittman (6-0, 220) and Dakota Blevins (5-11, 225) and Josh Hutchins (6-2, 245) will anchor the line for the Pirates.Whitwell brings back one of the biggest and most experienced group of linemen in 1A with Brayden Condra (6-2, 260), J.J. Hedrick (6-0, 270), Evan Lawson (6-3, 265) and Dillon Cranmore (6-2, 310). At 6-3, 195, Thomas Ridge brings a physical presence to quarterback and also will play linebacker for the Tigers, while Cole Burns — who gained more than 500 yards last season — is the team’s best big-play threat out of the backfield.