DAWSONVILLE — Sid Maxwell admitted he wasn’t sure what he was getting into when he decided to take the Dawson County job back in the spring.
It took just 90 minutes for him figure it out, however.
“In the first meeting we had there were about 60 kids all in the front row just staring at me,” Maxwell said. “During the entire meeting not one cell phone went off or came out of a pocket. They were focused on what we had to say and how we were looking to change things and not accept mediocrity any longer.
“In all my years of coaching, especially during the age of cell phones and things, I had never experienced that kind of focus and attention from a group of teenagers. I knew right then that they wanted to learn and were hungry to win and be successful and that we were in the right place to do that.”
Five games into their first season together, Maxwell and the Tigers (3-2, 2-0 Region 7-AAA) both are finding common ground. It is just the second 3-2 start for Dawson County since 2005 and a win over Franklin County (3-2, 2-0) Friday night at Tiger Stadium would give them their best start since opening 5-1 in 2005.
It may be the biggest 7-AAA matchup so far in the young season. Both teams are tied for first place atop the region standings with the winner taking an early leap toward a top playoff seed.
The Lions, who are averaging 26.2 ppg overall but 33.0 ppg over their last three contests in a classic wing-T offense, are led by a the dynamic trio of quarterback Tyrique David and running backs Bud Woods and Ryan Partin.
“It’s a big one and Franklin is a solid team on both sides of the ball,” Maxwell said. “They are explosive in that wing-T and have big-play potential every time they touch the ball.”
With success in building programs at both at now-Class AAAAA Sequoyah and Class AAAAAA Lambert over the past 20 seasons, Maxwell was expecting some growing pains. Someone forgot to tell his new charges.
“The kids came in on Day 1 and just have listened to what we were trying to teach them,” Maxwell said. “You can tell they’re still wanting to learn and get better even after we’ve been together now since the summer. They’ve really picked things up quick.
“The idea coming in was we felt like we needed to raise the bar and change the culture. We had to sell each other on what we wanted, and I think we’re all on the same page.”
Maxwell’s spread attack brought with it a change in style, speed, and personnel -- and seemed an early issue.
The Tigers opened with just an 8-point effort in a loss to Forsyth Central but rebounded with a win against rival Gilmer. An injury-riddled loss to Heritage, Catoosa followed as they prepared to open Region 7-AAA play following a bye week.
“We couldn’t get out of our own way against (Forsyth) Central. A lot of penalties and some turnovers and mistakes,” Maxwell said. “We managed to beat Gilmer but then more mistakes and some injuries forced us to go deep on the depth chart at a couple of positions.”
However, Maxwell said they found a diamond-in-the-rough during the summer in sophomore quarterback Coey Watson (5-foot-9, 165 pounds).
“Coey has great presence around him and the kids just seemed to gravitate toward him naturally,” Maxwell said. “He knows how to move the chains, whether its with his feet or arm, and is a natural born leader. He is humble but also has that quiet confidence that the other kids see.”
After some early growing pains, Watson is beginning to blossom. He is 58-for-95 passing with 766 yards, five touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He also has 103 yards rushing and four touchdowns.
“He has gotten better with each game,” Maxwell said. “He’s a winner out on the field and I think all the guys have confidence in his ability to make things happen.”
During the first three games the Tigers also lost their top two running backs -- Logan Hurst and Payton Myers -- to injury forcing them to pull senior Hunter Mitchell off the defense to fill in. Maxwell said they found another gem in the process.
Mitchell saw limited action the first two games but has made the most of his opportunity the last two-plus weeks with a team-leading 72 carries for 452 yards and three touchdowns.
“Hunter was on defense and we needed him there but I kind of thought he had the skills to be a better offensive player,” Maxwell said. “When Logan and Payton went down we decided to give Hunter a chance and he has really stepped up. We didn’t know what he could really do even though we thought he had the skills. He is a natural offensive player.”
Add in receivers Austin Young (21 rec. 322 yards) and Tucker Maxwell (11-242, 5 TDs) and coach Maxwell and his staff have the weapons to challenge any defense. Watson has connected with 10 different receivers, six with five or more catches through the first half of the season.
“Austin is a big target and runs great routes. Tucker knows the offense and has a knack for finding the end zone,” Maxwell said. “Coey really understands the offense and knows how to find the open guy. The good news is that both Logan and Payton are ready to come back and that will give us more depth. We feel like we have all the things we need to play fast and attack the defense.”
With both offenses piling up yards and points the past three weeks, both defenses could be on their heels. However, the Lions have yielded just 15 total points to Banks County and Lumpkin County in their first two region contests. The Tigers, meanwhile, shutout West Hall but survived a 28-point outburst by a good East Hall attack last week.
So, what are Maxwell and the Tigers expecting? A fast, high-scoring offensive game or will the defenses find a way to slow each other down? Does he have a preference?
“My preference is whichever gets us a win,” Maxwell said. “If we’re on offense, I’m hoping for a track meet. If we’re on defense, I’m looking for more of a tractor-pull.
“But really our focus is just on us and what we do. Whichever team executes their style better will probably win the game. It should be a good game for the fans. Hopefully it is for the coaches.”
