Humility could key Dragons' quest for state title

JEFFERSON — “Healthy and humble.”

That’s what Jefferson Head Coach Gene Cathcart said his team will need to be if they hope to recreate and hopefully surpass the success they saw last year.

“Obviously, we’ve got some guys that can flat play the game,” Cathcart said. “If we don’t read our press clippings or get on social media, and we continue to be the humble, healthy Dragons that we were fortunate to be last year, there’s no goal that’s out of reach for this program.”

Staying humble would be a worthy challenge for any team as talented as Jefferson or one that had the kind of season the Dragons had in 2020.

They went undefeated through the first 12 games of the year, reaching the state championship game for just the fourth time in program history and the first time since 2012. While the run ended in a loss to Marist, it was still undoubtedly one of the school’s best seasons on record.

They look primed to replicate that success, as many of the top players who fueled that season are back for 2021. Headlining the group is five-star athlete and Georgia-commit Malaki Starks, who will return to quarterback and defensive back duties for the Dragons.

While Starks will likely play on the defensive side of the ball in college, Cathcart said playing him at quarterback gives Jefferson the best chance to put up points with their triple-option attack.

“You want your best leader and your best player, frankly, to touch the ball every play, and that was the design of going to this offense,” Cathcart said. “He’s not your traditional quarterback, but as long as he listens to us and doesn’t listen to all the people telling him he’s not a quarterback, he’s a 14-1 quarterback is what he is.”

Surrounding Starks in the backfield will be a bevy of weapons. Senior Jordan Perry returns after being a staple of the Dragons’ offense along with Starks for three years. He’ll be joined by sophomore Commerce transfer Sammy Brown, who rushed for well over 1,000 yards as a freshman.

Brown will alternate between slotback and fullback. Speaking of fullback, there will be plenty of depth at the position. Senior Reese Johnson will lead the group along with Isaiah Copeland.

When Jefferson goes to the air, senior tight end Spencer Neese will be a top target, as well as senior receiver Dawson Crawley.

The lone question mark for the Jefferson offense will be at offensive tackle, where they will look to replace both starters from last year in Colton Steele and Colton Dufresne. Senior center Dylan Ryoul will return to anchor the interior of the line.

Defensively, the Dragons will boast a stacked linebacker corps, including Perry and Brown who will play both ways. Senior Austin Redmon will anchor the group from the middle linebacker spot with one of the best edge-rushers in the area in fellow senior Kadin Bailey flanking him.

While Starks returns to the defensive backfield, Jefferson will need to replace both starting corners from 2020. Dawson Crawley, Tre Reece and Chase Johnson will be the top candidates to fill the spots with Bowman Horn moving into the other safety spot.

The defensive line will be position in the unit with the most turnover. After graduating all three starters from last year’s front, the Dragons will look to play some offensive linemen both ways. They may also use multiple looks, including rotating linebackers like Kadin Bailey down to defensive end.

Cathcart says flexibility will be important for the defense if they hope to make another championship run.

“As much as teams use high tempo now, you’d better have guys that can be interchangeable,” Cathcart said. “Some of it has to do with fatigue, but a lot of it has to do with just being able to match up to all those different schemes you’re going to have thrown at you.”

Jefferson will return to Region 8-4A, a region they dominated in 2020. It looks to be a talented region, with teams like Flowery Branch and North Oconee being perennial playoff contenders.

While they will once again look to be the favorite, Cathcart says he expects to see several tough battles.

“We feel like every week that we go out in our region, we certainly have to earn it. We’ll be in their crosshairs and have a bullseye on our chest. It will be quite a competitive region,” Cathcart said.

Before that region slate will be a tough non-region schedule, highlighted by a season-opening showdown with local Class 2A powerhouse Rabun County at Memorial Stadium. The Dragons beat the Wildcats 28-14 in Tiger last year.

Following that will be a road trip to Class 6A Central Gwinnett and then a home date with Southside High from South Carolina. Jefferson and Southside have been attempting to play the game for three years, but lightning delays and the COVID-19 pandemic interfered. The last non-region game will be on September 10 at Mountain View.

While the expectations are still high, Cathcart said the Dragons need to stay focused game-by-game to reach their goals.

“When you start experiencing great success, you just need to remind your kids that ‘win’ is a verb, not a noun. It’s not things you go collect like Easter eggs,” Cathcart said. “If you get in a hurry to get to the playoffs and then get in a hurry to get to the state championship game, those are the teams that end up stubbing their toe and don’t have quite the year they’ve had.”