Friday, August 17, 2012
BY THE NUMBERS0 - Games Christian Heritage has played in GHSA competition1 - Fields the school is building for this season and future years.4 - Seasons Coach Poag played at North Carolina State.SCHEDULEAug. 31 at ModelSep. 7 Murray CountySep. 14 at Coahulla CreekSep. 21 at Fellowship Christian*Sep. 28 Mount Zion, Carroll*Oct. 5 Gordon Lee*Oct. 12 at Darlington*Oct. 26 at SW Atlanta Christian*Nov. 2 Trion*Nov. 9 Region 6-A play-in game* Region 6-A game
Coach: Preston Poag (6-3 in one season here and overall) Stadium: Lions Field Address: 1600 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Dalton, GA 30720
Christian Heritage is taking a big leap this year. It will be competing in the GHSA for the first time after playing in the Glory for Christ League. The Lions played nine games last year and are in the process of building a state-of-the-art stadium on campus. They are a fledgling program.
1) The backfield. The Lions return junior quarterback Trevor Brown, junior fullback Austin Lowe and running back Jake Stokes. "They're good football players and they've really improved," Poag said.
2) The linebackers. The Lions will have all three linebackers back from last season, including sophomore Evan Townsend. "They're leaders, they work hard and they're good football players," Poag said. "They've been through the fire even though they're young."
3) Skill spots. The Lions, with so few players on the roster, had most playing on offense and defense. That experience should help this season. "We have a lot of guys who play a few series for us and help us," Poag said. "Will Fisher, Brian Pierce, and then we bring in other guys who we can put in there on both sides of the ball."
1) Depth. The Lions have no seniors on the roster and have few players with more experience than a single season. "A lot of Single-A teams have from 35 to 45 players, so we're there with them," Poag said.
2) The kicking game. Poag and his team will rely on decorated soccer players Hunter Dixon and Andrew McEntyre, who have never played football but have NCAA-scholarship potential. "They've never played football, but they both have strong legs after just starting to learn," Poag said.
3) Depth on the line. "We have to get guys ready on the lines, and that's a big concern," Poag said. "It's a product of being a small school, and I know others have the same problem."
(Junior quarterback)
Q: What are some other sports you enjoy and why?
A: I play baseball. I pitch and play third base.
Q: What expectations do you have for the season?
A: We want to compete the best we can and do the best we can.
Q: What intimidates you about playing in GHSA football?
A: They talked about us setting a legacy, and I think it's good to set the foundation for teams to come up after us.
1 Brian Pierce - Junior
2 Tyler Tipton - Freshman
3 Kyle Stanley - Sophomore
5 Andrew McEntyre - Sophomore
6 Sam Sikes - Sophomore
7 Trevor Brown - Junior
8 Michale McKinney - Senior
9 Hunter Dixon - Junior
10 Chandler Coley - Junior
11 Nick Bartley - Junior
12 Will Fischer - Junior
14 Brady Souther - Sophomore
16 Jake Stokes - Junior
18 Tyson Cooper - Freshman
20 A.J. Cooper - Senior
21 Devin Saunders - Sophmore
22 Austin Lowe - Junior
24 Matthew Cook - Freshman
32 Ian Robbins - Sophomore
34 Caleb Hill - Sophomore
40 Spencer Robbins - Sophomore
50 Herschel Beene - Sophomore
52 Eva n Townsend - Sophomore
55 Harrison Kranzlein - Junior
60 Luke Burdette - Freshman
62 Joe Cancelleri - Senior
63 Bryce Dolozier - Senior
76 Collin Calhoun - Sophomore
77 Logan Gazaway - Sophomore
78 Noah Holmsback - Sophomore
88 Logan Mashburn - Junior