Coaches Corner: Area coaches talk Week 1; look ahead to Week 2

Week 1 had its ups and downs throughout Northeast Georgia. It also had some classic battles, and despite Mother Nature's electricity and rain to some of the area, every game had an ending result.

Gainesville's Corky Kell Classic game with Johns Creek was the only game that was shortened, however, due to lightning. Johns Creek scored 26 unanswered points to beat the Red Elephants, 26-10.

In Jefferson, the battle of No. 1s saw Class 4A No. 1 Jefferson holding on to win a nailbiter, 22-13, over Class 2A No. 1 Rabun County, and Flowery Branch's David Renard led the Falcons past St. Pius X, 21-14. It was Branch's first-ever win over a private school. 

This week, there are several games that could either turn into classics or put fans to sleep. Only time will tell as Friday is quickly approaching. 

Friday Game Night checked in with the area’s coaches to find out how Week 1 played out, and what are the keys to getting a win this week. 

You can track these games on the FGN Twitter page @FridayGameNight  or the live scoreboard at www.accesswdun.com/fridaygamenight. Below are comments from the area’s coaches:

Banks County's Jay Reid on his team's Week 1 performance (0-1, 10-0 loss to Commerce) ... "I feel like our team played a very solid game 1. We played physical and continued to compete for 48 minutes. We had a few too many penalties which we need to remedy to give ourselves a better chance to be successful but overall I feel like it was the most physical and aggressive game I've seen played since coming to Banks. Our defense had a really good plan and we rallied to the ball and tackled well and I believe you will get the same each and every game.  

On playing Franklin County (1-0, beat Lumpkin County 20-6) ... "Our game really came down to a few plays throughout the night, so key No. 1 to beating Franklin is to eliminate the big play from their offense, and No. 2 is consistently moving the chains on offense. Over our scrimmage and Game 1, we have hurt ourselves offensively by committing pre-snap penalties and getting ourselves "behind the chains" as well as turning the ball over. In order for us to score points and control a football game, we must be able to stay in phase with the chains and control possession of the ball."

Cherokee Bluff's Tommy Jones on his team's Week performance (1-0, beat Johnson, 57-7)... "I was really proud of our kids. I thought we prepared well and came out to play to a standard. Obviously, we made some mistakes -- you're never going to play a first game clean. But we were proud of our guys for having some resilience, playing hard and doing the little things to be successful."

On playing Chestatee (0-0) ... "Chestatee is very improved. Coach [Shaun] Conley has a good number of kids returning. We know that they will be extremely well-coached and will play very hard. Offensively, they give you a spread look and throw and catch it as well as anybody around. From a defensive perspective, they get after you, find ways to pressure you, and do an outstanding job. So, we know we've got our work cut out for us this week."

Chestatee's Shaun Conley on the team's improvement ... We have had a really good summer and pre-season. I am pleased with where we are at this point in the season….I don't know if I would say we are ready for the first game, because there’s always something. But I feel like we are as ready for the first game as we can be."   

On opening the season with Cherokee Bluff (1-0, beat Johnson 57-7) ... Starting the season with the Bluff will be a huge challenge for us. They are coming off a great year and are playing with some confidence right now. They are a very well-coached team with a great deal of talent.  As always, we will have to take care of what we can control -- our effort, energy and play together in order for us to be competitive in this game. Defensively, we must limit their big plays, and offensively, we will need to be consistent and take care of the ball."  

Dawson County's Sid Maxwell on his team's effort against Cass (0-1, 27-19 loss to Cass in Week 1) ...  "What I liked was the total effort from each individual at every position. What I disliked was not protecting the football -- too many turnovers and drive-stopping penalties."  

On playing Flowery Branch (1-0, beat St. Pius X 21-14) ... Solid football team with a great playmaker at QB.  We need to play a clean game and focus on us carrying out our assignments in all 3 phases of the game."

East Hall's Matt Turner on opening the season this week ... "We're excited. Having that first bye week, when you see everybody else playing, it can be hard for your kids because they're ready to go. But we are excited to play this week." 

On playing West Hall (1-0, beat East Jackson, 14-7) ... "They are really well-coached and very physical. Defensively they're very solid. Coach [Krofton] Montgomery and his staff do a great job. We know we've got a big challenge in front of us." 

East Jackson's Cameron Pettus on his team's Week 1 performance (0-1, 14-7 loss to West Hall) ... "I loved how we competed, but we need to clean up little things to take the next step.

On playing Jackson County (season opener for the Panthers) ... "Jackson County is in a new school and playing in a new facility, and it will be a fantastic atmosphere for our kids to compete in. We must correct our mistakes and focus on a great week of practice."  

Flowery Branch's Ben Hall on beating St. Pius X (1-0, beat the Golden Lions 21-14)... "I was really proud of the way our kids took a jolt and were able to maintain their focus."

On playing Dawson County (0-1, lost to Cass 27-19) ... "Dawson County is a very well-coached, physical team. We will have to be able to shift gears from playing a triple option attack to defending a spread offense with an experienced quarterback. Offensively, we must continue to improve while facing a very experienced defensive front."

Gainesville's Heath Webb on what he learned about his team in Week 1 (0-1, 26-10 loss to Johns Creek) ... "I learned that they are resilient as nobody hung their head after losing to a good team. We had numerous players pledged to get better and learn from the mistakes that were made. It shows me that this team has grit and will persevere." 

On playing Chattahoochee (0-1, lost to Alpharetta 35-0) ... "Chattahoochee has some good athletes and they want to throw it around. Their quarterback is also a scrambler that can make plays with his feet. They have some big defensive linemen that can be a handful. To win, we just need to be the best version of ourselves. Do what we do best, play smart and play the game the way it's supposed to be played."

Habersham Central's Benji Harrison on what he learned about his team in Week 1 (0-1, lost to Madison County, 28-25) ... "I learned that we are a team that will fight. We have a bunch of new guys out there this year. So, you don't know how they will necessarily respond to adversity. This team is going to continue to improve every week."

On playing Apalachee this week (0-1, lost to Winder-Barrow, 19-3) ... "As far as Apalachee, they are a team that likes to run the football. They want to give you a lot of misdirection. You have to be very disciplined defensively or you will look silly. Offensively, we have to do a better job taking care of the football, if we want to win this game."

Jackson County's Rich McWhorter on opening the season against East Jackson ...  "East Jackson is a very well-coached team and are, physically, very tough. They are really good on the line of scrimmage with a quarterback who is an outstanding football player. Their offense has the ability to keep the ball for half the quarter. The key for us offensively is to come away with points, because it may be a while until you get the ball back. Defensively, make them punt."

Jefferson's Gene Cathcart on his team's 22-13 over No. 1 Rabun County ... "No one is ever sure how the opening game will play out, especially not having a scrimmage to help prepare. We were very proud of our team for coming out with a win and overcoming some adversity. Defensively, our guys played outstanding team defense against a team with five or six All-State players."

On playing Central Gwinnett (1-0, beat Discovery 19-0) ... Coach [Jason] Thompson is doing a great job, and they are 1-0. They are athletic and spread the field on offense and very large and physical on defense. We will need to improve our offensive execution and continue to play very well on defense, and in special teams, to get a road win against a Class 7A team. [We are] Excited for another opportunity to compete and get the Dragons better against a very improved program."

Lakeview's Lee Shaw on what he learned about his team in Week 1 (0-1, lost to Mt. Paran 48-13) ... "That we have to be in tremendous shape because of our lack of numbers."
 
On playing No. 7 Darlington (0-0) ... "Darlington is a very well-coached and athletic team. We have to play with great effort and technique. We can’t have the missed tackles or dropped balls that we had against Mt. Paran."

Lanier Christian Academy's Bruce Miller on his team's 68-0 win over Covington... "Our offense played very well, but our defense played great. They gave us the ball in great field position many times and the offense took advantage of them." 

On playing Lafayette Christian (1-0) ... "Lafayette is a very good football team. They have several good skill people that are difference makers. We will have to play extremely well on defense and take advantage of scoring opportunities when we get them."

Lumpkin County's Caleb Sorrells on his team's performance on the road against Franklin County (0-1, lost 20-6)... "We learned that we are good enough to compete, just like we wanted to be. Now, we have to clean up the near-misses and turn them into made plays. We are getting closer every week.  [We just gotta take the next step, first in how we practice and prepare to win and then, in how we play to win." 

On playing Chamblee (1-0, beat North Springs, 59-21) ... "Chamblee is a very fast and disciplined team. I've been very impressed with how well they execute on both sides of the ball.  We will have to match execution with execution and try to be the more physical team."

North Forsyth's Robert Craft on his team's performance against Alcovy (1-0, beat Alcovy 37-7) ... "You always seem to learn a lot about your team in Week 1. I thought in the first half, we did not seem as polished on offense, defense or special teams as I had hoped. We were playing hard, but not executing to the level that I think we are capable of. The second half was a different story, we came out, executed at a high level and played very physical."
 
On playing Harrison ... Harrison is just two years removed from a state championship. Last year, we were fortunate to beat them in a great game at home 10-9. Harrison is very well-coached, and their teams always play very hard. I expect a similar game as last year, low scoring. We will need to play well in all three phases to have a chance to be successful."

Rabun County's Jaybo Shaw on his team's performance against No. 1 Jefferson (0-1, lost to Jefferson 22-13) ... "I was very proud of the way our football team fought, the effort that our players played with, and the physical brand of football that we hang our hat on."   

On playing Pace Academy on national TV (ESPN, 0-0) ... "Pace Academy is a team with great size on both lines of scrimmage and some very athletic skill guys. Like in any big game, it will come down to who can take care of the ball or create turnovers, can we block them and can we get off blocks, who creates more explosive plays, and can you be sound in the kicking game. We will have to focus on playing our brand of football."

Towns County's Jason Roquemore on his team's performance in Week 1 (1-0, beat King's Academy, 29-6) ... The biggest takeaway for me was I thought we played hard all four quarters."

On playing Armuchee (0-0) ... "I know they are well-coached. Coach [Jeremy] Green has done a great job of getting those kids ready to play week in, week out. We will have our hands full, no doubt about that."

West Hall's Krofton Montgomery on what he learned about his team in Week 1 (1-0, beat East Jackson, 14-7) ... "I learned that we have a lot of kids that are going to play a full 48-minute game.  We had a lot of momentum shifts, there wasn’t any letdown throughout the game, and that’s the number one thing we have preached since commencing winter workouts."

On playing East Hall (0-0) ... "East Hall has a quarterback that makes plays with his arm, legs and intuition. Bottling him up is not easy, and they have weapons around him that are all capable of making big chunk plays at any moment. We got to execute the keys we have identified to win this game to have a successful night."

Friday Game Night's Jeff Hart contributed to this story.