NOTE: There are only 44 days left until the start of the 2015 high school football season -- both around the state and right here in northeast Georgia. With that in mind, AccessWDUN is already in full preparation mode. Over the next three weeks we will give you a sneak peek of what’s in store for 2015 with our "Two-A-Days" series. We will bring you two key questions -- and answers -- for each program in our coverage area, twice a day. Each morning will start a new program, with another highlighted each afternoon. And at the end of each week we will also provide some video footage and commentary from area coaches. Programs will run in alphabetical order.
It had been five years since Commerce had won a playoff game. The Tigers' run to the Class A Public semifinals last season was their best showing since 2006.
Last year, head coach Michael Brown was just trying to get Commerce back into the playoff conversation. Now, Brown and his staff have another hurdle to climb as they try to keep the momentum rolling heading into the 2015 fall practices.
QUESTION: What will you need to do as a staff and a team to keep the momentum going after your best season in almost a decade?
ANSWER: Every year you're always kind of rebuilding because you lose players to graduation and new younger players come in. So, from that standpoint it's kind of the ame every year. But, every team is different with a different chemistry. I'm sure we'll have some kids step for us this year that we weren't expecting, just like we did last year. We're not focused right now trying to figure out how many wins we'll have or who we play. It's a process for us at this time of year. Building chemistry, trust, and developing communications are key elements for us at this time of year. I feel like we have a chance to be good again but we're still evaluating things. But the kids that were here the last couple of years understand what we want from everyone and so far I like what I've seen.
QUESTION: You lost roughly half of your defensive starters to graduation from a unit that held seven opponents to 14 points or less with three shutouts last year. Plus, you have a new defensive coordinator in Brannon Tidwell. How is that transition going?
ANSWER: There have been a lot of changes on that side of the ball but we like what we've seen so far from coach Tidwell and the kids. It always takes time to put in a new scheme but the kids are fast learners. We ran a 4-3 last year and we'll run more of a multiple scheme based out of the 3-4 this year. It shouldn't be too much of a transition on how we play because for us the offense and defense work together. We want to control the ball on offense and get quick stops on defense and I think we can do that. We lost three lineman and our entire starting linebacker group so finding the right people in those spots are our biggest priorities right now. But we some talented guys and we just need to find the right combinations.
COMING UP NEXT: Dawson County
