TOCCOA — As they say, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
That has been the philosophy of Stephens County coach Frank Barden since he returned to take over the Indians in 2014. He inherited the program from Travis Noland, who had guided Stephens to eight playoff appearances in his nine seasons, marking it amongst the area’s most consistent winners.
But Barden, who was an assistant under Rodney Walker for the Indians during the 1980s -- when Stephens reached two state semifinals and the 1988 Class AAA state title game (losing 12-7 to Thomasville) -- said his objective has been to help the program take that next step once again.
Stephens County enters Friday’s showdown with Oconee County at The Reservation with a chance to do just that. Both teams are 6-1 overall and 2-0 in Region 8-AAAA and both still must take on No. 4 Jefferson (6-1, 2-0) over the final two weeks. But, the winner will hold its playoff destiny in its hands.
Will a win this Friday mean the Indians are back in the conversation as one of the top-tier teams in the northeast Georgia area, and the state?
“Are we back? It’s always been here. The program was never broken. The program has been a consistent winner for a long time,” Barden said. “Coach Noland did a good job, and our focus has been to try and take that next step where we can compete on the state level every year. We just want to continue to be consistent and have the kids improve each week.”
It will be first meeting between the two teams since 2011 and, funny enough, Noland now coaches the Warriors, who won Region 8-AAA in 2015, edging out Jefferson in a whild finish to do so. Does that give the Indians an advantage since some of the upperclassmen may have played for Noland and be familiar with the Warriors’ style?
“I don’t know about that,” Barden said. “They are well-coached, and they have playmakers over there. They play good defense and don’t turn the ball over. We’re just going to concentrate on ourselves and doing what we need to do to be successful.”
The teams have similar numbers. Oconee County has scored 230 points (10th in AAAA) and Stephens County has scored 223 points (13th in AAAA). The Indians have allowed just 84 points (6th in AAAA) and the Warriors just 94 points (9th in AAAA) on defense.
The Indians' first two seasons under Barden were certainly known for offense, as the program averaged just under 30 points per game in their spread attack. The 2016 offense is averaging 31.8 ppg, but the defense has been the driving force so far, allowing no more than 24 points in a single game -- to Class AA No. 3 Rabun County, which represents the Wildcats' lowest point total of the season so far -- and no more than 13 in any of the past five games (6.0 ppg).
Barden said the play of the his defensive front has been outstanding but that an emphasis and transition to more speed across the board is paying dividends.
Seniors London Harbin, Dylan Huff, Dylan Murphy, and Nunu Walker, along with juniors Gavin Walker and Montavis Thornton give the Indians plenty of experience up front and in the linebacking group. Cornerbacks Brandon Wheeler (Jr.) and Malik Feaster (Sr.) have three of the team’s six interceptions. Huff leads the team with three sacks.
But in the seven losses suffered during Barden’s first two seasons, including playoffs, they allowed a whopping 36 points a contest. Barden hopes that has changed for good this season.
“We did put some extra emphasis on defense this year because that was the weak area once we got to the really good teams and the playoffs,” Barden said. “We needed speed in more areas. We are much more athletic this year on the defensive side and that is showing.
“We joke about having 11 linebackers on defense but that’s because they all have speed and can get to the ball. You have to be good on defense to compete with (top-tier) teams. We’re definitely headed in the right direction.”
On offense, the main feature this season has been the dual-threat ability of quarterback Jackson Bell. The junior leads the team in rushing with 313 yards and four touchdowns and has passed for another 587 yards (41-of-70) and nine touchdowns.
In fact, versatility has been a key ingredient for the entire squad, and Bell knows how to spread the ball around with 11 different receivers catching passes. Senior A.J. Howard has 241 yards rushing as well.
“I feel like we have to be balanced to be successful and Jackson is doing an outstanding job,” Barden said. “We have to get everyone involved and our playmakers have to make plays. But matchups in each game are key factors.”
Friday's opponet Oconee brings a ball-hawking defense to Toccoa, as they have 11 takeaways so far, including six fumble recoveries. Warriors cornerbacks Corderius Ty Paschal and Roques Dowdy have five interceptions combined. They will surely draw the assignment opposite Indians’ speedy leading receivers A.J. Curry (152 yards, 2 TDs) and Feaster (160 yards, 2 TDs).
“It will come down to execution and who makes plays,” Barden said. “Our offensive line has played well, and they’ll need to make sure Jackson has time to make the reads whether he runs it or passes. Our receivers need to get open and our defense needs to find a way to stop their quarterback (Sr. Sam Middlebrooks, 27-of-73, 628 yards, 10 TDs, 2 INTs) who is pretty good.”
For Barden, a win won’t mean everything -- especially with Jefferson still looming next week. But it will help to validate that the changes have begun to take root.
“The fun part of coaching is getting a program and watching them improve each game, each season,” he said. “These kids right here are trying to carry themselves to a different standard. Their mindset right now is of not being average. Our job is to try and make them better than they thought they could be. I think this group is showing signs of that. We don’t know the outcome of things. We just want to work hard to get better. These kids are doing that.”
OCONEE COUNTY at STEPHENS COUNTY
-- WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
-- WHERE: The Reservation, Toccoa
-- OCONEE COUNTY (6-1, 2-0 Region 8-AAAA): Defeated St. Pius 20-16 last week
-- STEPHENS COUNTY (6-1, 2-0 Region 8-AAAA): Defeated Madison County 34-7 last week
-- NOTABLE: Stephens County leads series 14-4. The Indians won the last meeting in 2011, 38-10, at home. Stephens County has won two straight. Oconee County’s last win came in 2009 in Watkinsville. ... The Indians are 9-1 all-time against the Warriors in Toccoa. The only Oconee County win at The Reservation came in 1995. ... However, these Warriors, who won Region 8-AAA last season, have been solid on the road winning 6 of their last 7 away from Watkinsville. The Indians are 7-1 in their last 8 home games, with the only loss coming to Carrollton in the playoffs in 2015.
