Branch looking to use 2018 adversity to spark 2019 run

FLOWERY BRANCH — Injuries are always a key element in sports. But there are injuries and then there is what transpired for the Flowery Branch football team in 2018.

When Ben Hall and the Falcons walked off the field after a gut-wrenching 21-20 overtime loss to then-No. 1 ranked Blessed Trinity last season, the Falcons knew they could compete for a state title and that their plan to bring the Falcons back to prominence was coming to fruition.

But it also came with a hefty price tag. More than a half-dozen starters suffered injuries that impacted them the rest of the season, which ended in a disappointing first-round loss in the playoffs due to a depleted roster.

The bright side was that a plethora of underclassmen got significant playing time over the last half of the season. Hall said that could be the key development for the 2019 season.

“The injuries in that game and others over the second half of (last) season were unfortunate,” Hall said. “But those are part of the game and a program that wants to be at the top has to have quality depth. We were able to develop even more depth than we had already."

The offense will be handled by Hall, now in his third season at the helm, and employ his usual multiple-pro look that will once again run through senior quarterback Elijah Gainey, who is in his third season as the starter. Despite graduating four off the line from 2018, Gainey will have a talented group up front led by seniors Clayton Walczuk, center Dylan Bailey, and Adarius Bailey, and juniors Cody Bradford and Daniel Tulk, who all got significant minutes last year.

Junior Jaizen Ellingham returns in the backfield and will be joined by senior Mill Creek move-in Chandler White to give the Falcons a formidable 1-2 punch on the ground. The wide receiver group has had plenty of turnover since last season but seniors Owen Warbington, Douglas Pena, and Grant Lackey along with juniors Connor Larson and Ryan Lesko, and sophomore Jahiem Hayes give Gainey a talented group to target. Junior tight end Sal Sengson could also play a prominent role.

“Elijah keeps improving his passing each year and I think with Chandler (White) joining us and the experience Jaizen got last year we have a great backfield combination back there that can run,” Hall said. “We have a ton of talent in the wide receivers but they are young on experience. We’ll just have to see who breaks out.”

Defensively, however, is where the Falcons made their biggest name in 2018. They yielded just 160 points (14.5 points a game) despite the injuries.

An uber-talented secondary group, led by senior twins Chase and Chandler Watson, along with Lackey and junior Connor Larson and Pena, give the Falcons one of the better units in northeast Georgia, if not the state. The line should have depth with no one playing both ways led by a core of juniors in Christian Johnson, Clay Anderson, Davieyon Stephens, and Chestatee move-in Anthony Menjivar, along with senior Colby Brookshire. Add to that a quick, hard-hitting linebacker group -- senior Connor Mayfield and juniors Jerzee Allentini and Ellingham -- and the Branch should be able to stay in any contest.

And for the first time in four seasons, the defense will have the same coordinator as Jason Tester returns to call the shots.

“The defense is experienced and talented and with the continuity in the staff we think that is going to be a great unit, with depth,” Hall said. “Very excited to see how good they can be.”

The schedule will present the Falcons with plenty of challenges with five playoff teams from 2018 and two more than are expected to challenge for the playoffs in 2019. They open against East Hall, which sports a new coach in Michael Perry, and after an open week, they then hit the road against Clarke Central and Winder-Barrow before closing out their non-region slate at home against Gainesville, which is expected to be much-improved.

Then it’s a six-week sprint to the finish in Region 7-4A with huge road games at defending state champion Blessed Trinity and Denmark. They open region play at home against White County hit the road against Chestatee and the Titans, return home for games against Marist, the 2017 state champion, and West Hall and close out the season against Denmark, which is being touted as the rising program in the region.

“The region is probably the toughest in the state in any classification, and that was before Denmark came in,” Hall said. "(Denmark) is loaded and White County and West Hall and Chestatee all will be better as well so we don’t have an easy game anywhere. It’s going to a war every week. That’s why having depth is so big.”

No doubt. Flowery Branch, which was on the upswing after snagging its first playoff win in six years in 2017, was knocked out in the first round of the Class 4A playoffs in 2018 in large part because of all the injuries.

The Falcons are looking to duplicate a stretch from 2005-11 where they won nine or more games each season and went 13-7 in the playoffs with four quarterfinals appearances, two semifinal runs, and a trip to the Class 3A championship game in 2008.