Reid Hulgan is a big man on campus at Dade County.
The junior is 6-foot-4 and 285 pounds and plays on the offensive and defensive lines. He drives a 2004 GMC Sierra that can safely fit six, and he routinely chauffeurs a couple of teammates to and from school each day.
He already has three scholarship offers from FBS schools and should be getting more this fall.
Hulgan also loves sweet tea, hanging with friends at the house where they play in the pool and stay up late - but "never before a practice or a game," he said.
Hulgan and his teammates have been having fun together since middle school. Their time together on and off the football field has lifted the Wolverines to be one of the best teams in northwest Georgia.
"Everybody is pretty excited," Hulgan said. "We think we can be pretty good, but we have to live up to it."
Coach Bradley Warren noted that a couple of schools that usually play the Wolverines didn't want to schedule them this season, so they're headed to Robbinsville, N.C., for a nonregion game.
"We've all been playing together for a long time now," Hulgan said. "Most of us have been playing together since sixth and seventh grade."
Warren's plan could be paying off heading into his seventh season.
"This was the group that had done well in the rec league," Warren said. "This is the bunch that we put together that won in middle school, did well in JV, and we have some high expectations."
The Wolverines return 16 starters from a team that went 7-3 during in the 2013 regular season.
"We were a good defensive team last year, and we feel that we'll be good again on that side," Warren said. "Our offense was talented but had seven sophomores on it. Now these guys are a year older."
Some of them are driving themselves to school, but almost all of the team hangs out with Hulgan.
"There's nobody in it for themselves," Hulgan said. "Everybody wants the team to be the best it can be."
- David Uchiyama
DADE COUNTY WOLVERINES
Head coach: Bradley Warren (31-32 in six years here; 90-76 overall)
Last year: 7-4, lost in state playoffs' first round to Kendrick
Returning starters (O/D/K): 7/9/1
Control panel:
RB Zach Freeman (5-10, 165, Jr.) is one of the fastest players Warren has coached at Dade County. OL/DL Reid Hulgan (6-4, 285, Jr.) has scholarship offers from Marshall, UAB and South Alabama, and Warren is expecting more to come through the season. DE/TE Roy McMahan (6-2, 225, Sr.) is one of two two-way starters for the Wolverines and should get NAIA or Division II offers.
New producers:
Brett Swader (5-10, 180, Sr.) is moving to quarterback after spending last season as a running back. LB Teddy Cole (6-1, 200, Jr.) has matured and grown into the position and should be a leader on defense. FB Blake Lynn (5-11, 205, Sr.) was an all-region player last year and should have an increased role this season.
Item of interest: Dade County has installed a new track around the field and a new press box that would make some small colleges jealous. It has two coaching booths, two broadcast booths and climate-control and can fit about 30 people on the front row.
2014 SCHEDULE
(all games at 7:30 Eastern)
Aug. 29 - North Sand Mountain
Sept. 5 - at Robbinsville, N.C.
Sept. 12 - at Ridgeland
Sept. 19 - Northwest Whitfield
Sept. 26 - Model*
Oct. 10 - at Darlington*
Oct. 17 - Armuchee*
Oct. 24 - at Coosa*
Oct. 31 - Chattooga*
Nov. 7 - at Gordon Lee*
- Region 7-AA game