Fan's guide to this year's Whitwell Tigers
Coach: Billy Barnhart (Second year here, 1-9 here and overall)
Stadium: Tiger Field
Address: 200 Tiger Trail, Whitwell, TN, 37397
Three strengths
1) Experience. Eleven of the 27 players on the roster are seniors, and a total of 15 lettermen return.
2) Offensive and defensive lines. With Austin Grayson (6-0, 285) and Zach Thomas (6-1, 215) as anchors on both sides, the Tigers should be solid up front.
3) More playmakers. Quarterback Justin Havis and running bcks Dusty McHone and Ben Sartin give the Tigers an experienced backfield that can make big plays and sustain drives.
Three concerns
1) The mental hump. With just 11 wins in the last five seasons, one of the toughest parts of Coach Barnhart's rebuilding job is to get his players to believe they can win. How they react in close games could determine whether they show marked improvement in the win column.
2) Lack of depth. As with most small schools, a couple of injuries can dictate the Tigers fortunes.
3) The kicking game. Whitwell needs someone to take over the jobs of kicking off and punting. Those two areas are key in pinning opponents deeper and forcing them to drive farther.
Three questions with ...
CODY FLOYD
(Senior tight end/linebacker)
Q: What do you like most about Friday nights?
A: I like flying around hitting people. I like how the crowd gets us fired up. It's cool to know those people came out to watch us.
Q: What's the biggest difference people will see in the team from last year?
A: Improvement. People will see how hard we've been working in the weight room, and Coach Barnhart staying with us really helped. We have more confidence now.
Q: You had to play so many underclassmen last year, how will that pay off and what's your goal for the team this year?
A: I think those guys saw what it takes to win some games, and they came in and worked as hard as us seniors to turn things around. Our goal this year is to have a winning season and to beat Jasper (Marion County).
BY THE NUMBERS
5 - Games in 2011 when the Tigers scored at least three touchdowns. Whitwell scored 30-plus four times but allowed 49 points per game.
9 - Seasons since the Tigers' last winning record.
15 - Returning lettermen. The Tigers have seven offensive starters back, and that experience should equal more wins.
Recent history
Despite looking like an improved team in the 2011 jamboree, the Tigers fell flat in a lopsided season-opening loss to Copper Basin. They bounced back to beat Midway the following week but lost a shootout to cross-county rival Marion County, when the teams combined for 90 points. From there, Whitwell gave up 30-plus points in six of the last seven losses.
Here's a look at the regular-season win total for the last five years:
Season
2011--(1)
2010--(1)
2009----(4)
2008--(1)
2007----(4)
Schedule
Aug. 17 at Copper Basin
Aug. 24 Midway
Aug. 31 at Marion County*
Sept. 7 Grundy County
Sept. 14 at Lookout Valley*
Sept. 21 Silverdale Baptist
Sept. 28 South Pittsburg*
Oct. 5 at Sequatchie County
Oct. 19 Notre Dame
Oct. 26 at Tellico Plains
*District 6-A game
2011 stats leaders
RUSHING Att Yards Avg TD
*Ben Sartin 65 273 4.2 2
*Dusty McHone 62 228 3.7 1
PASSING Comp-Att Yards Int TD
*Justin Havis 47 106 9 10
RECEIVING Att Yards Avg TD
*Cody Floyd 13 220 16.9 1
TACKLES Solo Assists Total
*Cody Floyd 48 20 68
*Ben Sartin 54 14 68
*returning player
Roster
1 Jacob Cox Senior
3 Caleb Anderson Sophomore
5 Justin Havis Senior
6 Avery Shrum Freshman
7 Cody Ingrassia Freshman
10 Tyler Tate Sophomore
17 Greg Layne Freshman
18 Bailey Blaylock Sophomore
20 Dusty McHone Junior
21 Clay McHone Freshman
34 Ethan Lough Freshman
42 Jake Sartin Freshman
43 Ben Sartin Senior
44 Cody Floyd Senior
45 Marvin Watson Junior
50 Dustin Holloway Junior
52 Zach Thomas Senior
53 Will Baker Freshman
55 Seth Jones Senior
56 Alex Hale Sophomore
58 Matt Walker Senior
60 Austin Layne Freshman
61 Andrew Kilgore Sophomore
62 P.J. Green Senior
63 Tanner Pickett Senior
77 Austin Grayson Senior
85 Jon Jon Seber Senior