Luttrell believes the Knights can make it back to the playoffs

OAKWOOD — Stan Luttrell is no stranger to success as a head coach. He's also no stranger to building a program.

That's why he accepted Stan Lewis' offer to become the new head coach of a struggling Johnson Knights' program. He also whole-heartedly believes the Knights can make it back to the state playoffs. 

“I have no doubt in my mind that we’re going to be successful here,” he said. “How long is it going to take? Is it going to be right now or three years from now?”

Johnson hasn’t made a playoff appearance in 15 seasons and, last season broke a 24-game losing streak. 

The Knights also finished with their best overall record, 4-6, since 2012, but failed to win a Region 8-5A game.

Luttrell enters his first season as head coach at Johnson. He replaced Jason Roquemore, who left for Towns County in February after leading Johnson the last seven seasons.

He has been busy implementing his program and said the process has been challenging at times. Luttrell wants the Knights to be different from everyone else. To be different, he says, “it starts in the weight room.”

“That is the first challenge,” he said. “Everything about our football program is going to start in the weight room. We’re going to be bigger, faster, stronger. We want to be a more explosive and more resilient version of ourselves. All of that begins in the weight room. The foundation of our program starts in the weight room.”

Luttrell built Chestatee into a playoff contender with the same philosophy from 2006-13. He guided the War Eagles to three postseason berths, four winning seasons, the program’s first-ever playoff win and a program-best 9-3 record in his last season. He says he wants to establish the same culture at Johnson. 

“It’s been challenging,” he said. “But the kids are buying into what we’re trying to do. We want to be different than everybody else. I’ve said it before, it all starts with what we do in the weight room. We’ve been teaching a lot. We’re doing more lifts and exercises at a high tempo – teach, technique, tempo and transition. We’re doing a ton of work in a short amount of time.”

He also has to convince the players, teachers and the community that Johnson can be contending for a playoff berth in the near future. It’s something that Luttrell has identified as a challenge. 

“There’s a ton of people in Gainesville and the surrounding area that are Johnson alum,” he said. “Convincing those folks that we can do it here will be big. I know it hasn’t been done here in a while, but it can be done here.”

“I think there are multiple reasons (for the lack of success), at one point, they had a new coach every few years. There has got to be consistent leadership and a consistent vision, play and process to be successful. I think the growth and population haven’t helped. The region and the people that you play are always important. They played a non-region schedule a few years ago, and I don’t think that is the answer. I’m not really interested in doing that. There are lots of things you could point to and say, maybe, that’s it. 

Luttrell also made it clear "before you can start winning, you’ve got to stop losing."

"Winners do certain things and losers do certain things," he said. "We’ve got to start doing what winners do. I think in every aspect of our program that has to be our focus and that’s what we’re doing.”

Everything is about being different for Luttrell and the Knights, even his offense. He’ll install the split back veer. No worries, though, as Luttrell says, “it’s not your papaw’s split-back veer.”

“We’re going to be different,” he said. “I think for Johnson to have a chance to be successful, we can’t do what everybody else does. I will say, this isn’t your papaw’s split back veer. This is a 2019 version, where we’re going to use tempo, multiple formations, but we’re still going to be an option-based team. We’re going to make a big deal about winning the line scrimmage, playing fast, taking care of the football and turning into a game of execution on offense.”

Junior quarterback Justin Long will take the reins of the offense, and Luttrell says he’s very capable. 

“He’s one of the best kids in the weight room,” he said. “He’s intentional and of high character. When he speaks, people listen. I’m really excited to see what he does this year.” 

Out of the backfield will be senior running back Noah Bullock. He’s been clocked at 4.52 seconds on the 40-yard dash, which makes him the fastest kid on the team, according to Luttrell. 

“He’s very explosive,” he said. “I think he’s going to have a great year. “He hits the dive better than anyone on our team at this point.” 

The Knights have a pair of senior wide receivers that can catch, along with a group of underclassmen that will see time in the offense.  

Senior Caleb Jackson and Vashon Johnson and sophomores Xzavier Ramsey, Jake Shaw and Trey Jackson will also be key cogs in the offense. 

“Caleb is a long kid with great hands,” he said. “He very good in space and athletic. Vashon is very mature. Coming into spring, he had never had a ball thrown to him and he realized he can catch. He’s a big kid and little kids don’t like to take down big kids. Xavier, Jake and Trey will all help us as well.”

Luttrell also will count on Jackson, Long, Bullock, Johnson, Shaw, Ramsey and Jackson on the defensive side of the ball to lead his 3-5 base defense.

“We’re going to be able to play multiple fronts and pressures,” he said. “We’re going to play a very aggressive style of defense. I don’t feel like we can sit back and catch and read and react. We’re going to be on the attack. We’re going to do it the way we do it. We’ve got to be different. We’re going to be different in the weight room, offense and defense. Ultimately our style of play is going to be aggressive. We’re going to try to turn the game into a hard, fast, physical game to give ourselves a chance to win.”

The biggest question mark on both sides of the ball will be the line of scrimmage. Luttrell says both the offensive and defensive lines are the foundation and it’s crucial to get those issues resolved. 

“I think that football games are won and lost on the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball,” he said. “The style of play I run, if we’re not getting it done on the line of scrimmage, we’re not getting it done. We have some guys that are very capable, but are they going to be able to do it.”

Everything the Knights are doing in practice is new, which means most of the time is spent teaching.  

“We’re just trying to be very intentional about teaching this is exactly what we want,” he said. “We want to equip, expect and encourage. I think we do have a core group of guys that are excited about change and the newness. We have a young coaching staff that is very eager to learn and ambitious to be better. We also have a community that’s hungry for success”

Standing in the way of success is a tough non-region and Region 8-5A schedule, with the likes of Buford, Cedar Shoals, Walnut Grove and Loganville. The schedule begs the question: How will the brand new version of the Johnson Knights fare during the 2019 campaign?

Luttrell says starting off on the right foot with the team’s non-region schedule is key.

“Right away, you’ve got to think about the “Battle of Oakwood,” He said. “That game is a big game no matter what. West Hall has had a lot of success against Johnson.  Cherokee Bluff is a big game as well. There are several kids in our middle school that are going to bluff now. As far as Region 8-5A, all the games are tough. Of course, you’ve got Buford, Loganville, Cedar Shoals and Walnut Grove – all of those games will be tough.”