COMMERCE — There's no sense in denying it, Commerce football enters the 2017 season with questions -- at least on offense.
Thanks to graduation, the Tigers lost nearly 90 percent of their production from 2016 -- off a unit that put up 36.5 points per game (the program's highest average since 2000 according to Georgia High School Football Historians Association.org) while helping Commerce to the Class A Public quarterfinals.
Yet rather than worry, coach Michael Brown, whose program owns two state semifinal appearances and a record of 28-10 over the last three campaigns, says his team is embracing the challenge or replacing standouts like Cole Chancey, who left as the program's fourth all-time rushing leader.
"The good news is we've got kids competing for jobs, and any time you've got competition, everybody's getting better. Everybody has to come with their 'A' game on a daily basis," said Brown, who must replace a halfback, fullback and quarterback for the Tigers' triple option attack. "For those two halfback positions, we've got four kids competing, for that fullback position we've got three. And at the quarterback position we've got two kids we feel really good about. One's a sophomore, Nate Ray -- he's had a great summer -- and one's a senior, Braxton Legg. And Braxton's got some experience there as a back-up and was a JV QB a couple of years ago. And they're both doing a tremendous job."
Whoever gets the call in the backfield will be aided by the return of powerful veteran offensive linemen Levi Pate and Cade Ridley -- although the duo will have to help out three new starters in the trenches. Meanwhile, receiver Kyre Ware returns to give the Tigers a deep threat that opposing defenses must honor.
Meanwhile, Commerce believes its own defense can help anchor the Tigers through any early growing pains.
Returning eight starters from a unit that yielded just 15.3 points per game (it's second-stingiest total in the last 10 years according to GHSFHA.org) represents a promising start for a gourp that includes preseason All-State defensive tackle Cody Ridley, as well preseason All-State outside linebacker Chase Forrester. Caleb Mason and Dylan Deaton also lead the secondary.
"We're not teaching things to them. We're so much further ahead on the defensive side this year just because of that. We expect our kids on defense to play fast and physical," Brown said. "And we want to give supreme effort. We don't have a tremendous amount of speed; we never have. But we feel like we can play with great effort and overcome some of that. The expectations are certainly high on that side of the ball."
Playing in a deep and talented Region 8-A, the defense knows it must be ready from the start. The offense, meanwhile, is getting set for trial by fire. And both sides are excited about the challenge.
COMMERCE: NEED TO KNOW
- MASCOT: Tigers
- TEAM COLORS: Black and Gold
- CURRENT REGION: 8-A
- HEAD COACH/RECORD AT SCHOOL: Michael Brown, fifth season, 35-14
- 2016 RECORD/ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 9-3, Class A Public quarterfinalist
- KEY LOSSES: FB Will Thomas, HB/Saf Cole Chancey, OL Cade Overstreet, OL Carson Hall, TE/LB Matthew Flint, OL Garrett Ash, DL Garrett Ash, LB Austin Brock
- OFFENSIVE STYLE: Triple option -- The Tigers like to control the ball and chew up the yardage in their traditional attack to help keep their defense fresh, while going to the air at opportunistic moments.
- KEY OFFENSIVE PLAYERS: 3 returning starters -- Jr. OL Levi Pate, Sr. OL Cade Ridley, Sr. WR Kyre Ware, Sr. QB Braxton Legg, So. QB Nate Ray, Jr. RB Dylan Deaton, Jr. FB Nick Patrick
- DEFENSIVE STYLE: Multiple -- Commerce will attack and blitz with linebackers whenever possible and will be anchored by an All-State defensive tackle.
- KEY DEFENSIVE PLAYERS: 8 returning starters -- Sr. DT Cody Ridley, Sr. LB Chase Forrester, Jr. Saf Caleb Mason, Sr. LB Easley Smith,
- SPECIAL TEAMS: Fr. PK Eric Diaz, punting duties undecided as of publictaion time
- STRENGTH: Secondary -- With eight starters back, you can be certain the Tigers will be stout throughout a defense that gave up just 15.3 points per game last season. The defensive backfield in particular should be exceptional, with two experienced standouts at each position.
- QUESTION: Quarterback/offensive line -- While Pate and Ridley should be standouts the rest of the offensive line will feature new faces that will need to gel quickly. Meanwhile, the quarterback battle has been intriguing, but whoever wins the position will be a first-time varsity starter.
- KEY GAMES: Commerce got off to a flying start last season, outscoring its first three foes by a combined score of 134-22. The Tigers would love to get off to that same start again before playing host to an emerging Athens Christian program (Sept. 22) and then hosting 2016 Class A Private semifinalist Prince Avenue Christian (Sept. 29). The last two contests of the regular season could also do a lot for the Tigers against old foe Athens Academy (Oct. 27, home) and an improving George Walton (Nov. 3, away). With Class A teams dependent on a ratings system for playoff seeding a win against any of those four could prove huge.
- TRENDING: Commerce missed out on a third straight state semifinal trip but still impressed in reaching the quarterfinals last season, making it 20 straight seasons in the state playoffs. The Tigers are one of the consistent winners in northeast Georgia and will expect to keep on doing so this season -- even with some inexperience along the offensive line and after losing the entire offensive backfield from a season ago. Brown says he has plenty of good competition for starting spots, and the Commerce defense will definitely be an anchor to lean upon.
2017 SCHEDULE
Aug. 25 at Banks County
Sept. 1 at Hebron Christian Academy*
Sept. 8 vs. Lakeview Academy*
Sept. 22 vs. Athens Christian*
Sept. 29 vs. Prince Avenue Christian*
Oct. 6 at Providence Christian*
Oct. 13 vs. Riverside Military*
Oct. 20 at Towns County*
Oct. 27 vs. Athens Academy*
Nov. 3 at George Walton Academy*
*- Indicates region game
(All kickoffs scheduled for 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted)
