Apalachee football went three seasons (2013-15) with just one win to show for it, losing 12 straight contests at one point. As of Monday, however, the Wildcats are coming off their second straight victory this season.
To say that Apalachee football is enjoying the ride does not even begin to cover it. That said, the Wildcats know that there is plenty more to play for. They are a program that once claimed four straight state playoff berths (2006-2009), reaching the state quarterfinals in '09. So the "Chee" certainly understands a winning tradition, and the current squad would love to recapture some of that mojo.
The Wildcats (2-2-1) will take another big step toward recapturing some of that magic -- and maintaining their current form -- when they begin Region 8-AAAAAA play by hosting arch-rival Winder-Barrow on Friday.
With that in mind, AccessWDUN.com sports and Friday Game Night editor Morgan Lee caught up with second-year Apalachee coach Steven Sims to talk about how his squad is rebounding, which players are taking leadership roles and just how much fun it is to be around the Wildcats locker room these days...
QUESTION: First off, congratulations on putting together back-to-back wins. How has it come together? How have y'all put together this turnaround?
ANSWER: Part of it is being year two of this coaching staff. The kids are more familiar with out schemes and what we expect from them. We've also got some seniors that are stepping up and making some big plays -- though we still have plenty of youth too. But they've built confidence from making those plays and playing several teams close even before we started winning.
Q: Talk about how this season has played out and when you started to see your team was on its way.
A: We saw it even in the offseason with the work the kids put it. They bought in from the start and knew this was a process. But really you could see that the kids were more comfortable with our schemes on both sides of the ball. And that's also translated into more confidence on the field. Confidence has been a part of it, just knowing we have a shot to win. We came so close to winning before we actually did. (The Wildcats battled River Ridge throughout the opener, falling 27-14 with River Ridge adding a late score. Apalachee tied Union Grove 22-22 in its second game after leading for most of the contest.) The kids got down on themselves after that loss to Discovery (27-10 in game three), but they bounced back and are believing now, and they've got a lot of momentum going into the region schedule.
Q: You mention the region season starting; it starts against your arch-rival Winder-Barrow (3-2). Both teams are on the rise right now. What does that mean for you?
A: Since we're in a six-team region (of which four teams will earn state berths), it's kind of like a playoff game. It's the region opener at our place, and if you win that puts you in the driver's seat in the race to get one of those playoff spots. You still control your own destiny. It just also happens that this game comes against Winder-Barrow so that adds some extra juice in practice. Winder-Barrow is a well-coached team with a lot of talented players, and they are definitely a program that has been on the rise. We know they'll be excited too, so there should be plenty of excitement surrounding this game.
Q: Talk about your two wins, describe how those games developed for y'all.
A: We got up 6-0 early on Walnut Grove (a 14-13 Wildcat win on Sept. 16) -- we had a penalty that backed us up and we missed the PAT; they then scored two touchdowns and missed a PAT, so they were up 13-6. They had the ball with three minutes left, but they had a penalty that backed them up on second-and-long, and they threw a pass that we intercepted, Gunnar Wright intercepted, and returned to the 1-yard line. We scored a touchdown, and, at that point I felt like our chances were better to win if we went for two. We had a great play for it, we ran it and we got it. Then we held them to a turnover on downs. The Monroe Area win (10-7 on Sept. 23) was the complete opposite. We got up 10-0 and then at that point it was all about not making mistakes and holding on. We got three big stops on their offense in the fourth quarter and we had another big interception. Gunnar Wright, a senior, got that one too.
Q: Has it been a case of your players having a sort of lightbulb come on this season, or has it been more of a case of a slow burn that finally yielded success?
A: It's been more of a slow burn. The kids have always bought in and worked hard, but it was more a matter of them seeing some results. And they've seen that now and they've bought in even more. We had too many turnovers in the first few games, and we were so close to winning. But through all that they realized that if we cut down on our mistakes we could win.
Q: You mention your seniors playing key roles; who has taken over and is providing big plays for you now?
A: The defense is keeping us in games; we've got to get better on offense. But we've also had some big moments from the offense, and they are getting better. Ethan Morris has played really well at receiver and Ryan Miller has been steady at quarterback. Stephon Massillon (353 yards rushing, 2 TDs) set a school record with a 96-yard touchdown run and a 94-yard touchdown run. The defense has been really impressive too. The secondary is all seniors with Wright, Nihad Muhanna, Will Smith and Alex Philpot, and those guys have played really well. We've had five interceptions in five games. Chase Williamson, a linebacker, has missed a couple games, but he's played well early and should be back this week.
Q: Finally, what's it been like emotionally to be a part of something like this?
A: That first win was real emotional. It was a big deal even for us as coaches, because we need that affirmation too. And for the kids and the parents and other kids that come out and support us I couldn't overstate what a big deal that was. And then to win two in a row -- it really shows the most at practice now. The kids see that every little thing is a big deal. They do believe that every game is going to be close. And I keep preaching to them that we're not good enough to blow teams out so we've got to be perfect, and they're doing their best to be perfect.
