(VIDEO) Game of the Week: Cherokee Bluff excited to show its worth in first ever kickoff

FLOWERY BRANCH — A three-time region title winner with plenty of state playoff experience under his belt, Tommy Jones knows his way around a high school football program.

Even so, it was something as simple as a blank scoreboard that drew a broad smile from the veteran coach earlier this week as he watched the purple and silver of the Cherokee Bluff logo hoisted on to its facade -- a small adornment but yet another big step toward the reality of the Bears' inaugural season.

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"That was just put in place -- and, man, it's good to see," said Jones, whose coaching staff and players have crammed preparation work of every kind into every available minute since his hiring in December of 2017, both on the practice field and in creating a schedule and program from the ground up.

On Saturday, the Bears will test just how far they have come in that, relatively, short time when they inaugurate their program with a showdown against Whitefield Academy in Flowery Branch (a game carried live on the airwaves of WDUN AM 550, beginning with pregame at 7 p.m.). And after pacing themselves for weeks, Jones and company are in a dead sprint toward real football.

"There's tons of excitement right now, obviously the first of everything. And yet we still feel a million miles from where we need to be on Saturday night, not just on the field but logistically speaking," Jones said. "We’re running through our checklist right now to make sure everything is ready to go for a home game. That takes a lot of work. But the excitement and the enthusiasm, that seems to overshadow any of those needs that we have. We have a bunch of kids that have been working hard for the past six-seven months. And they’re excited about the opportunity to play football on Saturday night in front of a great big home crowd."

Certainly there is a buzz surrounding Hall County's newest program, and Bears players believe they are perfectly placed to hit the ground running.

"We’re a new program, but we expect to win; that’s how I see it," Bluff senior quarterback Connor Boyd said. 

The fact that Boyd is one of just three seniors and the sole player with varsity minutes to his name -- he previously played at Flowery Branch -- is not lost on Bears players. They are simply following a high standard set throughout the program, however.

"The standards don’t change. We’ve got an excellent coaching staff, and these guys have progressed in the playoffs far, just about every one of them over the years," Jones said. "And they understand what it takes to get there, and those are the standards that we want our young men to reach. We’ve also got a great group of kids that are highly competitive, and they want to be successful, and they’re working hard. So the process, the journey, the expectations are always the same. When you line up and kick if off you play to win the game, and that’s exactly what we want to do on Saturday night."

To get off to a winning start, Cherokee Bluff must find a way past a Whitefield Academy team coming off a strong 2017 season. The Wolfpack went 8-4 -- their second-highest win total in 16 seasons of play -- and reached the second round of the Class A Private state playoffs. And while they underwent a head coaching change during the offseason there should be plenty of continuity as new head man Coleman Joiner was the team's offensive coordinator last season.

Whitefield also returns a veteran offensive line, as well as standout tight end Kyle Holt.

That said, Cherokee Bluff believes it has several potential standouts, including sophomore duo Charles and Jamir Tolbert, sophomore twins that will play at running back and receiver, respectively, while also featuring in the defensive secondary. Senior Justin Murphy and junior Jacob Carlson will also line up at receiver in the Bears' multiple attack, while Zach Merced and Dylan Cross could also feature in the offensive backfield. 

Defensive coordinator Chris Griffin, who shaped some dominant defenses on the same field at Flowery Branch (now reloacted in its previous site on Hog Mountain Road), will look to do the same with the Bluff, basing out of an aggressive "50."

"For us it’s just all about ourselves," Jones said. "We know that the keys for us to be successful -- we’re going to have to maintain possession of the ball; we’re going to have to drive the football; we’re going to have to tackle well. Those are the keys when you look at success on any given Friday."

And while this week will be different -- first game ever, on a Saturday, for a young roster -- Jones and his staff know plenty about success and are driving the Bears hard toward that end.