Plenty of experience but depth an issue for the War Eagles

GAINESVILLE — The experience Chestatee has returning this season could have them smelling the playoffs for the first time in six years. 

The War Eagles have a lot of varsity experience returning from last year’s 0-10 team and while 0-10 and returning experience may not go too well together, it could translate into success in 2021. 

“Two years ago, we had a group that had played a lot, but as far as experience across the board, this is the most we’ve had since I’ve been here.” 

Conley enters his sixth season at the helm of the War Eagles and just like any head coach in the area, he knows when to reel in the fanfare as the tone in his voice changed when he glanced down at the depth chart.  

“Our defensive linemen are the backups for our offensive line, and our defensive backs are the backups for our receivers, and vice versa,” he said.

As you can tell, the struggle will be finding ways to rest the No. 1s until the younger group gets up-to-speed with game experience. 

“If somebody gets injured, and it’s going to happen, our region schedule is brutal, then we have to move somebody or bring in a young guy,” Conley said. “We’ve got some younger kids that we’re hoping will progress as the season goes along and give us some depth,” Conley said. “If somebody gets injured, and it’s going to happen because our region schedule is brutal, we’ll have to move somebody or bring in a young guy.” 

Still, though, Conley has some solid guys back with varsity time – eight on offense and nine on defense. 

“Just the playing experience is big for us,” Conley said. “Just being on the field with the (Class 4A) state runner-up (Jefferson) was huge for our development. You can’t coach that type of stuff. Once our kids have been out there with the caliber of teams we play, and realize they didn’t die playing them, the next go-round against those teams, they’ll be more comfortable.” 

The War Eagles are looking for a spark to an offense that averaged 18 points per game and 190 total yards of offense (average) last season

Conley said the improvement to those numbers will start upfront in his spread offense. 

“I do feel good about where we are right now offensively,” he said. “Sometimes, in the spread, a lot the teaching goes to the skill guys, but we kind of go as our guys upfront go.” 

Seniors Bryan Cantrell, left tackle, and left guard Levi Stowers return as well as Hayden Britton at center, Luiz Jordan will start at right tackle. Right now, Walker Whitmire is the front runner to get the right guard spot. 

“We have some key guys up front that are back,” Conley said. “Right now, we’re working on some things that, hopefully, will allow us to be more balanced.” 

Senior Luke Bornhorst leads the offense he took over unintentionally last year when the program’s all-time leading quarterback Christian Charles went down with an injury. Charles is at the University of Tennessee now playing in the secondary for the Volunteers. The injury, although a massive blow to the team last year, gave Bornhorst time to develop. He connected with his receivers 92 times for 1,116 yards and 11 touchdowns in eight starts. 

“He’s a student of the game and with Luke, it’s just timing issues,” Conley said. “He’s got to trust himself a little bit and have a little bit of a gunslinger mentality, but not enough to just throw it out there. Toward the end of the year, Luke started hitting all of our receivers so well. We need for him to spread the wealth this season because it makes it hard to defend and opens up the run game.”

Speaking of the run game, the War Eagles have their leading rusher Jason Granados, who rushed 99 times for 301 yards and three touchdowns as a freshman back. Juniors Elijah Pruitt and Adriel Vargas will rotate in the backfield as well. 

At receiver, Hunter Fouche, who hauled in a team-high 494 yards on 22 catches and seven touchdowns, along with junior Christian Jarrard and seniors Hayden Gowin and Drew Knickel. Pruitt will be the swing guy that will rotate out of the backfield to wideout from time to time.

“All of those guys have varsity catches,” Conley said. “And all of them have experience, some a good bit of it. We feel good about our corp group of guys.”

On defense, the War Eagles took a small step back in 2020 as compared to 2019, allowing 47 points per game. In 2019, they gave up 40 points a game. Conley hopes this year, with nine returning starters, those numbers will improve.

“We, as coaches, realize that has been a struggle for us,” he said. “It’s not scheme, and I’m not blaming it on the players, but speed is a good gauge to tell how good you’re going to be on defense. The years past our relative speed to the people we were playing was not tremendous. At times, we were playing two freshmen at inside linebacker, so speed for them was really elevated. We’ve seen improvement in that area in the offseason.”  

They’ll make a small change to how the defense is called, mainly because of the graduation of leader tackler Ethan Corley (85 tackles). Conley says they’ve simplified the defense. 

“We’re going to miss Ethan (Corley) terrible because he got us lined up and made all the calls for our defense,” Conley said. “So, we’ve tried to simplify what we’re doing, so those kids can play fast. When those guys feel good about their assignment, then sometimes that execution is a lot easier for them.”

They’ll still base out of a 3-2 box but will rotate multiple fronts. 

Seniors Harrison Mitchell (18 tackles) and Jeronimo Marin (60 tackles, third best) will bookend the defensive front at the end positions, while senior Anakin Rowland (18 tackles) will step in at the nose guard slot.

“We’re not big upfront but we feel like we are decently athletic and can move well,” Conley said.  

At linebacker, Sazo Dollyhigh, a sophomore, could garner several college offers by the end of the season. At 6-foot-2, 230 pounds, his size, and speed will be a welcomed addition at linebacker. As a freshman, he was the fourth-leading tackler with 58. 
Seniors Maddox Miller, Cooper Barrett and Will O’Neil will mix in a linebacker as well. 

In the secondary, Knickel will move from linebacker to safety. 

“We moved him because he is a leader,” Conley said. “He’s a very intelligent kid – a natural leader.” 

Pruitt jumped from linebacker to the secondary, and Hayden Gowin and Wyatt Goode will lock down the two cornerback spots. 

Chestatee opens the season at Region 7-3A champ Cherokee Bluff, followed by home games against Union County and West Hall, then to arch-rival North Hall before opening the Region 8-4A slate at home games against North Oconee and East Hall. They’ll have a brutal finish with Madison County, Class 4A runner-up Jefferson, perennial contender Flowery Branch and Cedar Shoals.   

“I heard Bobby Bowden speak one time,” Conley said, “He said you can tell how your season goes by looking at the games you should win, you shouldn’t win and then the toss-ups, and weigh the toss ups. This year, I feel we have a few more toss-ups than last year. Region schedule-wise, I don’t feel like there’s anybody that we feel we are just better than. But we feel there are games we feel like we can compete in and have a chance to win.”