NOTE: There are only 37 days left until the start of the 2015 high school football season -- both around the state and right here in northeast Georgia. With that in mind, AccessWDUN is already in full preparation mode. Over the next three weeks we will give you a sneak peek of what’s in store for 2015 with our "Two-A-Days" series. We will bring you two key questions -- and answers -- for each program in our coverage area, twice a day. Each morning will start a new program, with another highlighted each afternoon. And at the end of each week we will also provide some video footage and commentary from area coaches. Programs will run in alphabetical order.
It not all about the numbers for Johnson coach Jason Rocquemore. But, with 72 projected players to dress for the Knights -- the most in nearly a decade -- improving on a pair of back-to-back 2-8 seasons may be a foregone conclusion as they prepare for the 2015 season.
We caught up with the fourth-year coach to discuss the numbers, defense, and the Knights' possible move in 2016 back to a region schedule.
QUESTION: Two straight disappointing 2-8 seasons yet injuries played a factor in both. Despite that, you had a chance for a couple more victories last year. What is the mindset of the program as you try to transition to a possible region schedule in the near future?
ANSWER: Our program is more than just whether we were 2-8. Our guys are winning off the field -- in the classroom, in the hallways, representing our school and program well. Do we need to do more on the field? Absolutely. But there were several factors that went into the last couple of seasons, including some key injuries. We’ve been a young team the last couple of years as well. But we feel really good about where we are right now. We have 70-72 kids that will dress this year, which is a major improvement numbers-wise. As a staff we have been working hard to improve our numbers and it’s showing up now. This will be the first group of seniors we’ve had all the way through so we’re very excited about that. Our goal is to get better every day, every game, every year so hopefully we can continue to do that. I think we would love to get back into a region schedule but there are other factors that go into that. From a competition standpoint obviously we would love that. We’ll see how that works out.
QUESTION: The defense allowed 30 ppg in your eight losses. Is that the key area as you prepare for the 2015 season?
ANSWER: Me being a defensive guy, I would definitely like to see us improve on that. But a couple of factors went into that. First, we were very inconsistent on offense, which put a lot of pressure on our defense. And, our defense was hit-or-miss last year. Sometimes we were just lights out; other times, not so much. For me it’s about making the situational plays as a group. We made some great plays last year and then just missed on some and those turned into big plays against us. I don’t think we need any major overhauls, however. We’ve been addressing those areas during the spring and summer and right now I’m proud of how hard the kids have been working and trying to improve. I do think we’ll be better than we were last year, though, no doubt.
COMING UP NEXT: Lakeview Academy
http://accesswdun.com/article/2015/7/322016/two-a-days-knights-numbers-on-the-rise-hope-victories-will-follow