C.J. Cobb watches for the ball handler during football practice at North Jackson High School.STEVENSON, Ala. - As rebuilding projects go, the job Mark Rose has done with North Jackson football would rival any creation by Bob Villa.
When Rose returned for his second stint as the Chiefs' head coach, he found the program at the lowest point in its 26-year history. The dismal 2-8 finish last year was only the second time North Jackson missed the playoffs, and as embarrassing as the losses were -- the Chiefs were outscored an average of 34-12 -- the wins weren't much better. The Chiefs needed an answered-prayer fourth-down touchdown pass with 37 seconds remaining to avoid the humiliation of having Butler snap the state's longest losing streak against them.
When Rose agreed to come back in January, he became the program's fourth head coach in a calendar year.
"When I got here the kids were hungry. They were embarrassed," Rose said. "The whole community was. They don't like losing around here, and they were hurt."
After two tough losses to begin the season, including a five-point decision to Class 5A's second-ranked Guntersville, the Chiefs have become arguably the best team in the Sequatchie Valley with five consecutive wins. They lead all 4A teams in Alabama averaging 50.9 points per game, including three games in which they have scored 56-plus by halftime.
The Chiefs' first-half scoring through their first seven games this year more than doubles the scoring total for the entire 2013 season. Last season's woes can be completely buried and forgotten tonight when North Jackson travels to Oneonta (6-1) in a game that likely will decide the Region 7-4A championship.
"I've never seen people be more inspired after a loss than they were here after the first game," Rose said. "Just because of the way we fought. Usually losing is nothing to celebrate here, but the people saw that things were going to be different."
The difference started with the offseason commitment by senior leaders C.J. Cobb and Octavius Matthews, who instructed younger players to trust that Rose's demanding workouts would pay off in the fall.
The 5-foot-8, 165-pound Cobb agreed to switch from quarterback to his more natural wingback role on offense, a move that also allowed him to play more snaps on defense. And Matthews, a gifted 6-1, 190-pound athlete, was determined to prove he was tougher than his critics believed.
"When Coach Rose got the job again, we knew it was about to get real tough," Matthews said. "But that's what we needed. We weren't disciplined last year, and that showed in how we played. Last year was terrible.
"Not everybody made it through spring practice (this year), because it was so tough. A lot of those guys are up in the stands watching us now, but for the guys still playing there's a lot more pride."
Matthews, who finished in the top five in the state 100-meter dash as the only junior to qualify, is just 370 yards from breaking the school's single-season all-purpose-yardage record. With 967 rushing, 312 receiving and 492 kickoff- and punt-return yards, including three brought back for touchdowns, he's averaging 15.7 yards every time he touches the ball. He already set the record for single-game all-purpose yards with 343 in an upset win over county rival Scottsboro, and his season's total is 1,300 more yards than he finished with last year.
"I think he's the best back in the state," Cobb said of Matthews. "He runs like he's on fire. He makes you want to block for him just to see what he can do.
"Plus we're having a lot more fun on Friday nights this year. Before the season everybody said we wouldn't be good again this year, but they're hopping on the bandwagon now."
Cobb is the Chief's leading receiver, averaging 22.2 yards per catch, and has made teams pay for trying to kick to him instead of Matthews, averaging nearly 30 yards per return with a TD included. He's also one of the team's tackles leaders with 27 solo stops.
"People said Octavius wasn't tough, that he won't hit it up inside," Rose said. "I knew if he was still wearing a jersey for us after the spring he'd be tough. He gets the tough yards after contact. He's a tackle breaker, and with his speed, once he gets a step it's over.
"C.J. plays a lot bigger than his actual size. He's quick and very physical as a blocker and coming up on defense. They helped make this the smoothest transition possible, because they're the best leaders I've ever had. Those two are a big reason we've made such a quick turnaround."
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293.