Written by Jeff Gable, Rome News-Tribune sports writer, published 8/25/09
Every football coach will emphasize the importance of the team concept to his troops. However, Darlington head coach Tommy Atha is doing more than just emphasizing it - he is teaching it, preaching it, imploring it and demanding it. And by the looks of things in preseason camp, the Tigers are buying into the "all for one" idea.
Darlington went 6-5 during its first season back in Class A in 2008, falling to Eagles Landing Christian Academy in the first round of the state playoffs. If the Tigers hope to rebound and go deeper into the postseason this year, Atha hopes they do it through the strength of a unified team.
"There's no question, the one thing we really focused on during offseason workouts and summer practices was the team concept," Atha said. "The team comes first - we've really tried to hammer that point home. We've told the guys that nobody is bigger than the team and everyone has to make sacrifices for the benefit of the team.
"I told them that if we focus on putting the whole squad above any individual interests, that will be the cornerstone for our football team," he added. "And the thing I've been most pleased with so far is the commitment by our guys to really buy into what we're teaching."
Despite having only six seniors on the roster, Atha said the group has still shown a lot of leadership on the field. One of those seniors, Tylon Garrett, should be a big part of the offense at running back. He will be joined in the backfield by junior Tre Langston, junior Tev'n Hamilton and sophomore Ivy Duggan. Junior Chris Griffin will see a lot of time at fullback.
Darlington will be fairly inexperienced at quarterback, with sophomore Spencer Jones seeing a lot of reps in preseason practice. Atha said he's also been impressed with sophomore Nigel Matthews, a converted split end who has made strides at quarterback, and also by freshman Brad Butler.
At the receiver positions, Atha said that seniors A.J. White and William Waters bring a great deal of experience and leadership to the offense.
Along the line of scrimmage, two more seniors - Thad Mathis and Alex Sentell - will anchor the offensive line. Senior Will Lester was a key reserve in 2008 and is working to contend for a starting spot this season, and sophomore Gavin Lawrence and junior Blake Huether are also playing well in the preseason.
Quinn Simon, Henderson Stegall, Kendall Gaylor and Tyler Morris are all underclassmen who provide needed depth.
The defensive line will also be solid, featuring some of the same players. Atha said he's been impressed with Mathis, who he described as a "strong, physical kid who can really anchor the defensive tackle position."
Atha said Sentell, Arthur Pollard, Luke Cook, Gaylor and Lawrence bring both quality and depth to the table. "A successful team always starts in the trenches, especially when you play a lot of guys on both sides of the ball like we do," Atha said.
The Tigers have a stable of talented linebackers, led by Waters. Atha said he is tough and athletic and brings a lot of leadership to the defense, while Griffin, Russ Arnold and Isaac Nichols bring a physical style of play to the linebacker position.
In the secondary, White should be a starter at cornerback, with Cameron Gibson, Matthews and Duggan also getting reps. Garrett will see time at safety, along with Hamilton and Jones.
With another tough Region 6-A schedule, including the likes of Bremen and Bowdon, plus a rugged non-region slate with Chattooga, Ridgeland, Murphy (N.C.) and defending state champion Wesleyan, Atha said attention to detail and fundamentals is crucial for his team's success.
"To go along with the team concept, another big focus has been that the little things make a difference," Atha said. "The little things you do in practice become habit-forming, good or bad, and football will expose bad habits more than any other sport."
