Corbin Powers admits he "wasn't ready" for his first real playing time at McMinn County.
In 2011, the then-freshman quarterback was forced into duty in the team's regular-season finale against Bradley Central when starter Nathan Simbeck was ejected late in the Cherokees' 48-36 win that clinched the District 5-AAA title.
"I remember it was freezing and I was extremely nervous when Coach put me in," Powers recalled. "He called for an 'All Go' [passing play] and I thought, 'There's no way I can throw this route."
As rough as that night was for him, he since has assumed command of the team, completing 60.3 percent of his passes for 2,550 yards and 25 touchdowns in two seasons as the starting quarterback. He's added 692 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns in the team's run-first attack.
During the 2012 season with the loaded backfield of Kelvin Wells Jr. and Dre Sanders - who combined for 2,841 yards and 35 touchdowns - Powers started to find his feet in the offense. He rushed for 68 yards against Bradley in the first round of the Class 6A playoffs and helped McMinn to a 10-2 record. Last season he totaled 1,676 passing yards and 15 touchdowns, including a 506-yard passing game in the season finale - a wild, 36-35 loss to Ooltewah.
"It was nice to have two great backs my sophomore year, so the team didn't have to rely on me," said Powers, who went to camps at Furman, Middle Tennessee State and Kennesaw State this summer. "Since then, I've been able to improve my arm strength; I make better reads and I'm quicker now."
McMinn coach Bo Cagle said Powers' growth has been phenomenal.
"I remember his sophomore year, he got knocked out of a game against Cleveland and started crying in the locker room because he couldn't go back in," Cagle said. "I was trying to tell him, 'You'd just be handing the ball off anyway,' but he wanted to play. Now he's gone from a game manager to a guy who can carry this team."
- Gene Henley
McMINN COUNTY CHEROKEES
Head coach: Bo Cagle (49-30 here and overall)
Last year: 4-6
Returning starters (O/D/K): 6/3/0
2014 Schedule
(all games at 7:30 Eastern)
Aug. 22 - at McMinn Central
Aug. 29 - McCallie
Sept. 5 - at Cleveland*
Sept. 12 - at Alcoa
Sept. 19 - Oak Ridge
Oct. 3 - at Soddy-Daisy*
Oct. 10 - East Hamilton*
Oct. 17 - Bradley Central*
Oct. 24 - Walker Valley*
Oct. 31 - at Ooltewah*
- District 5-AAA game
Control panel: QB Corbin Powers (5-10, 184, Sr.) has shown his abilities with both his legs and his arm during his career and will be asked to lead as much if not more in the 2014 season. RB D.J. Kimpson (6-1, 178, Jr.) rushed for 360 yards in the final five games last year, after moving into the backfield. Dominick Isaza (5-9, 198, Jr.) totaled 91 tackles a year ago and will man one of the linebacker positions.
New producers: The coaching staff is high on Dimese Bradley (5-8, 163, Jr.) as a producer on both offense and defense. They are equally high on Tyree Tolliver (6-0, 197, So.), of whom Cagle said, "By the time he's a senior, he'll be a [college] prospect." The biggest addition, however, could be kicker Liam O'Malley (5-9, 168, Sr.), simply because during Cagle's time as head coach, the Cherokees haven't had a productive kicking game. O'Malley's a soccer player who was placing kickoffs around the 5-yard line only weeks after joining the team.
By the numbers:
9 - The Cherokees haven't had back-to-back losing seasons since 2005, when they had two straight three-win campaigns. A losing season usually has been followed by one in which they've competed for the 5-AAA championship during Cagle's tenure.
15 - Points scored by McMinn's kicking game last year (12 extra points, one field goal). O'Malley's addition lends hope that number receives a spike this season.
506 - Corbin Powers' passing total against Ooltewah in the last game of the 2013 season set a school record.