NOTE: There are only 43 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.
Dawson County football finds itself in an unusual position heading into 2015. The Tigers are under a new head coach for the first time in 12 years in Sid Maxwell, following the resignation of Jeff Lee. That means there is plenty of change in the air in Dawsonville -- and not just in the coaching staff. The Tigers have also completed rennovations to their training facilities and installed a brand new turf field, developments that Maxwell says has helped fire up a Dawson County squad coming off a 2-8 season in 2014 -- a record that followed three straight strong seasons and a playoff appearance in 2012.
Maxwell, who is installing "attack-oriented" styles of offense and defense (a multiple base on defense and a Gus Malzahn-style spread offense), brings with him 20 seasons of head coaching experience including building new school Lambert into a consistent winner. He hopes to do the same with the Tigers. And while his new players are still in the midst of learning his processes, Maxwell likes what he's seen so far from Dawson County.
QUESTION: What's it been like settling in at Dawson County and what are your early impressions of your team?
ANSWER: It’s been a blessing. I really have enjoyed these kids and how hard they work. I’m getting to know them as players, and they’re getting to know me as a coach. I've been real impressed with their work ethic. We’ve upgraded our weight room and got a new turf field, so everyone's excited. The boys have really been having a good summer as far as trying to learn our system and how we train. Everybody’s a little bit different, and they haven’t totally grasped it, but we’re heading in the right direction. ... When you start a new program you try to implement as much as you can this year and keep building from there. I’m a systems guy. Everywhere I’ve been I’ve been able to bring in what I believe in on offense, defense, special teams and speed and strength training. It’s a process I’ve been in for almost 30 years now. We're trying to become master craftsmen at what we do. It’s going to take time. You always look really good playing against air, but we've yet to face another team in an 11-on-11 situation. Always where I coach it’s not where you start, it’s where you finish. We’re going to go into it and try to be as fundamentally sound on both sides of the ball and develop ourselves daily in the weight room. It will be a continuation of what we do throughout the year.
QUESTION: You haven't had a chance to truly judge your players' ability on the field yet, but who has stepped up and provided leadership?
ANSWER: We’ve had a few; (senior running back/defensive back) Andrew Goley is a young man that sort of took a leadership roll; (senior lineman) A.J. Maner has too... We’ve had numerous seniors try to take some leadership roles. And that's what you want. This is it for most of them playing football. We’re here to do all we can to build the best program and have this year for our seniors and empower the seniors and say, 'hey your job is to get out front and lead.' My job is to make sure all the other players give all the effort to make sure you have a great senior season. When those boys realize they had their last game and there's no more football it’s a saddening fact. A few of them may get to play down the road, but it’s not like you can go out and play a pick-up basketball game. My experience is you’re going to look back 10 years from now and maybe not talk so much about what you did in English your senior year but talk about your athletic adventures and the fun you had together, the camaraderie, especially the football.
COMING UP NEXT: East Hall
