Roquemore, Indians embracing changes, challenges

HIAWASSEE — While most people would look at the Towns County football program as one of the more, if not the most, challenging jobs in the state, Jason Roquemore sees it in a totally different light.

After spending seven seasons at Johnson, Roquemore stepped down from the Knights at the end of the 2018 season to head to the northeast Georgia mountains to take over an Indians program that mirrors the Knights in several ways.

Johnson has had just one winning season since 2004. Towns County has just one winning season in its history. Both play in ridiculously tough regions and have undersized and undermanned teams.

Which almost seems to be the way Roquemore likes it.

“I loved my time at Johnson. I feel like we were getting better and making progress in the things you have to have to be a successful program,” Roquemore said. “Certainly we would have loved to have won more games but it’s not always about wins and losses. I really don’t see (Towns County) as any more of a challenge than anywhere else. Actually, I think it has some advantages that I like as a coach.”

Leave it to the always-enthusiastic Roquemore to find the silver lining in just about anything.

“At a place like Johnson, which has much bigger numbers obviously, making sure everyone gets enough reps can be a challenge. At Towns County, since we only have about 22 to 25 kids, reps are not an issue. Working one-on-one with every player is not an issue. I love that as a coach.

Roquemore also likes the number of multi-sport athletes.

"That's another plus is that most of the kids up here are two and three-sport athletes. That’s very refreshing as a coach, especially in a time when so many kids are specializing in one sport,” he said.

Despite the lack of winning seasons and any real sustained success, the Indians are just two-years removed from their first-ever Georgia High School Association playoff appearance in 2017. They took a step back in 2018 (3-7) but Roquemore sees no reason why they can’t get back in the playoff conversation in 2019.

“What jumped off the tape is the toughness of the kids here,” he said. “They work hard. They just need some confidence and consistency. If we can develop that, we’ll be fine.”

However, quarterback Trent Bradshaw and more than half-a-dozen starters from last season graduated. The Indians will also be leaving their triple-option for a more traditional look on offense and switch from an 8-man front to a 3-4 on defense.

The Indians do have some talent in new sophomore quarterback Kyle Oakes and his junior brother Garrett Oakes at wide receiver along with senior tailback Dakota Edge. Senior Shane Sparks will lead an offensive line that will be looking for some depth.

Sparks will anchor the line on defense as well with junior Reece Hampton leading the linebackers and junior Nick Houser steering the secondary.

Like many in the area, they also have a brutal schedule. The Indians’ open the Roquemore-era at home against Hayesville (N.C.) but a tough road game against Class 2A rival Union County (Sept. 6) begins a gauntlet of six consecutive games against playoff teams from 2018, including Class A Private state runner-up Athens Academy on the road. They do finish at home against Lakeview Academy before the Region 8-A crossover season finale.

Roquemore believes the early games should prepare the Indians for region play.

"I know 8-A is tough but we’re not worried about anybody but us for now," he said. "We’ll start looking at those teams when we get there. I can’t wait for things to really get going. I’m very encouraged.”

Finding depth across the board and overcoming inexperience in some key areas, however, may determine just how far the Indians can go in 2019.

“I feel like once we get everything implemented and the kids have some time learning the systems we can be competitive,” Roquemore said. “Depth is always an issue here. But it's just another one of the challenges that make this a unique place."