OAKWOOD — Don't let the 24-game losing streak fool you. The Knights are poised to break things open in 2018 with perhaps their most talent in coach Jason Roquemore's seven seasons in Oakwood.
The Knights are loaded on both lines of scrimmage, including a two-deep depth chart that sees no one playing both ways. Overall, depth in numbers and quality is perhaps at its deepest since a 6-4 campaign in 2012. But two years of a slew of injuries in 2016-17 allowed Roquemore and his staff to develop underclassmen.
"We feel like all the adversity of the last couple of seasons has helped us get here," Roquemore said. "So many young kids got a chance to play the last couple of years that they have been able to develop, and we feel really, really good about this team."
Juniors Platinium Thompson and Andrew Scharmer and senior Chewie Nguyen will anchor the line in front of senior quarterback Sam Corbett and talented tailbacks Nolan Bullock (junior) and Garry Daies (senior). Corbett had a solid year in 2017 that was overshadowed by the streak.
But Roquemore's biggest excitement may be on the defensive side with 10 returning starters, led by juniors Dimetrio Landaverde and Vashon Johnson, who are poised for breakout seasons on the interior of the defensive line.
"Those two guys in the middle are true run-stoppers, and they will give the other guys chances to make plays. I think that side of the ball is where we should have the most improvement," Roquemore said.
Confidence, however, will be the biggest issue heading into the 2018 campaign. Few players on the current roster played key roles in the Knights' last victory, a 31-7 win over Riverside Military on Oct. 25, 2015. Johnson opens on the road against Oglethorpe County, and it has not notched a road victory since beating Riverside in 2014.
"We're not putting everything on that first game against Oglethorpe," Roquemore said. "But we feel if we can go on the road and come away with a win that will show the kids their hard work is yielding results, and I think that could open things up for us."
The Region 8-5A schedule is brutal with three of five road games, but some early success could change everything.
JOHNSON: NEED TO KNOW
- MASCOT: Knights
- TEAM COLORS: Blue and White
- CURRENT REGION: 8-5A
- HEAD COACH/RECORD AT SCHOOL: Jason Roquemore, seventh season, 12-48
- 2017 RECORD/ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 0-10
- KEY LOSSES: Sr. TE Rolando Guerrero, Sr. WR A.T. Young,
- OFFENSIVE STYLE: Spread option -- The Knights want to keep the ball on the ground and control the clock. With an experienced and talented line and several capable backs, they could be an unstoppable force behind underrated QB Sam Corbett
- KEY OFFENSIVE PLAYERS: 9 returning starters -- Sr. QB Sam Corbett, Jr. TB Nolan Bullock, Sr. TB Garry Daies, Jr. OL Platinium Thompson, Jr. FB Jacob Cadle, Jr. OL Andrew Scharmer, Sr. OL Chewie Nguyen
- DEFENSIVE STYLE: 8-man front -- Johnson will switch formations to fit their personnel and take advantage of a more experienced line
- KEY DEFENSIVE PLAYERS: 10 returning starters -- Jr. DL Dimetrio Landaverde, Jr. DL Platinium Thompson, Sr. LB Zeke Velasquez, Jr. DT Vashon Johnson, Sr. DE Carter Brandon, Sr. LB A.J. Buendia, Sr. LB Ethan Bruce
- SPECIAL TEAMS: Sr. PK/P Jackson Barkley, Jr. KR Nolan Bullock, Sr. KR Garry Daies
- STRENGTH: LOS/overall depth -- The Knights are loaded on both lines with a two-deep depth chart on offense and defense with no one playing both ways. The overall depth of the team also is perhaps their deepest since a 6-4 campaign in 2012.
- QUESTION: Confidence/Secondary -- Confidence is still an issue overall as the Knights are mirrored in the program's worst-ever losing streak. Only a handful of players were on the roster during their last victory, a 31-7 win over Riverside Military in 2015. The secondary is thin and will need some younger players to step up to help out the front-seven.
- KEY GAMES: The opener vs. Oglethorpe County is huge and a win could be the catalyst to open the floodgates. The Knights have several games early that are certainly winnable and some victories would boost their confidence and build momentum going into region play. They have a tough 8-5A beginning with road games at Buford and Walnut Grove and with three 8-5A road contests in 2018, they will need to find a way to snap a 17-game road losing streak going back to 2014.
- TRENDING: Despite the losing streak, the Knights seem poised to turn the corner, The numbers are up, the varsity experience is the most they've had in years, and one win is all that is needed to get some wind in their sails. Injuries the last two seasons helped develop younger players and now that group is older and appears ready to show they can compete. The region schedule is brutal but some early success could make a huge difference.
2018 SCHEDULE
Aug. 17 at Oglethorpe County
Aug. 24 vs. West Hall
Aug. 31 vs. Cherokee Bluff
Sept. 7 at Riverside Military Academy
Sept. 14 vs. Cross Keys
Sept. 28 at Buford*
Oct. 5 at Walnut Grove*
Oct. 12 vs. Cedar Shoals*
Oct. 26 at Clarke Central*
Nov. 2 vs. Loganville*
*- Indicates region contest
(All kickoffs scheduled for 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted)
