The Hardaway Hawks made the playoffs in 2010 for the first time in 11 years. The Hawks went 4-1 in the month of October beating Region 1-AAAA foes Bainbridge, Warner-Robins, Northside-Columbus, and Houston County.
“It was so impressive for us to make the playoffs because we had to buckle down and win some games we weren’t supposed to win,” said fourth-year head football coach Jeff Battles. “We beat Houston County to clinch a playoff spot. It was very exciting in the locker room.”
The Hawks lost in the first round of the playoffs 42-9 to Starr’s Mill, who advanced to the AAAA state championship game at the Georgia Dome where they lost to Chattahoochee.
Coach Battles said Hardaway’s season-opening win in overtime last year at Harris County gave his players some early confidence. “That was a big win for us,” said Battles. “It gave us a confidence level that we are really improving. Our kids are buying into the program that we are teaching them.”
Hardaway has 10 returning starters from last year’s playoff team, including six on defense. “Our strength better be our defensive line if we have any success,” said Battles. “We return a lot of experience there. Hopefully, in our region we can stop the run. We are going to have to man up and stop the run.”
The Hawks’ defense includes two junior defensive ends Jerod Coleman (6’2/245) and Alyrk Perry (6’2/205), senior noseguard James Triplett (6’1/190), and senior safety Ivan Cobb (6’0/185), the team’s leading returning tackler. Coach Battles on Cobb: “Very versatile, can play anywhere on defense. He has great ball skills, good speed, a very solid player.” Battles on Triplett: “He’s a demon off the ball. It’s hard to block him.”
One area of concern for Coach Battles is the offensive line, where he lost four starters from last year’s team. The Hawks could start four sophomores, along with senior right tackle DeArrius Dickens (6’4/320), on the offensive line this fall. “That will be an area where guys will have to step up and play above their heads for us to be successful,” said Battles.
Dickens is Hardaway’s biggest college prospect, according to Battles. “He’s a big-time blocker, very good on run block and has good feet. He gets to the second level well. He could go D-I as a guard,” said the coach.
At quarterback the Hawks return junior Joseph Gibson (5’10/160), who started 10 games as a sophomore (15 TD passes, 9 INTs) and did a good job running the offense, said Battles. “He’s a very smart quarterback. He doesn’t make many mistakes. He manages the offense very well and keeps us in the ballgame. He has a good arm and can run with the speed option. He’s a tough kid.”
Hardaway runs a spread offense and relies on a 50-50 mix of rushing and passing to keep the defense off balance. Battles said key skill players on offense would include Triplett at running back and senior wide receivers Albert Bemiss (6’0/170) and Corey Lyles (6’0/165). Battles on Lyles: “He showed some good promise this spring and summer. He has good hands and good ball skills.”
Another player who should see a lot of reps on both sides of the ball is senior running back/safety Cedrik Key (5’11/180). “He is an explosive kid. A good tackler with good ball skills. He needs some game time. He didn’t get a whole lot of reps last year,” said Battles.
Hardaway will have some new faces at linebacker this season as the school lost three starting linebackers to graduation. Two players Battles expects to step up at the linebacker position are junior David Countryman (6’0/220) and senior Justin Livermore (6’0/190).
Two other important players who Coach Battles said should see a lot of playing time in 2011 are junior defensive end Brandon Fox (6’3/205) and sophomore center Aiden Sloan (6’1/190).
Hardaway opens the season on Aug. 27 at home vs. Harris County. “Harris County is a tough team,” said Battles. “That will be a great game physically for us and let us know where we stand.”
“Our goal is to host a playoff game this year,” said Battles. “That is something the kids have come up with. They want to not just make the playoffs, but also host a playoff game. It’s a difficult goal.” In order to host a playoff game, Hardaway must finish in the top 2 in its region, which includes powerhouse teams such as Northside-Warner Robins and Thomas County Central.
“We’ve had a solid group this summer working out and running,” said Battles. “They are pushing themselves pretty hard. We’re looking good right now. We can compete with anybody if we put our minds to it.”
Hardaway Hawks
GHSA, Region 1-AAAA
Colors: Red and gold
2010 Results
Record: 5-6, Region: 4-3
Playoffs: 0-1
Points scored: 181
Points allowed: 299
######
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments are welcome. Thank you for reading Carroll Scribe.