GAINESVILLE — With 208 career victories -- 140 with the Red Elephants -- Gainesville football coach Bruce Miller is the sixth-winningest active coach in GHSA.
Don't bother mentioning the stat to Miller, however.
"All anybody really remembers is your last game," Miller chuckled.
Yet the coach and his staff reminded Gainesville fans last season just how strong they were, leading the Red Elephants to their seventh straight double-digit win total and a sixth return to at least the quarterfinal round of the state playoffs over that phase -- a span that includes one state title, a runner-up finish and two more semifinal berths. The latest run came after graduating state record-setting quarterback Deshaun Watson (who shone as a freshman at Clemson).
The question this season is whether Gainesville can continue that roll with a number of new faces. The Red Elephants will be on their third starting quarterback in three seasons -- Messiah Dorsey, who was the team's reception leader last season, won the job in preseason and will take over from Mikey Gonzalez, who shone in his one season as starter. Dorsey should bring an added dimension to the Red Elephants' spread attack as a quick and shifty runner -- though Miller says he's improved his passing game dramatically. The biggest question is who he will throw to, as Gainesville will start four new receivers -- though the new faces have plenty of talent.
Defensively, Gainesville will be led by senior linebacker Chris Byrd (whom Miller describes as a coach's dream -- "a pure football player") and a host of talented backers and secondary teammates. Though Gainesville must also replace its entire defensive front -- a key task if the Red Elephants are to gain back the Region 8-AAAAA title after losing out to Lanier last season.
As Gainesville has shown over the last seven years, it's a safe bet it will give itself the chance, at least, to do just that. And Miller says his team, despite the need for some new stars to develop, has more depth than it ever had last season.
GAINESVILLE: NEED TO KNOW
- MASCOT: Red Elephants
- TEAM COLORS: Red and White
- CURRENT REGION: 8-AAAAA
- HEAD COACH/RECORD AT SCHOOL: Bruce Miller, 14th season, 140-29
- 2014 RECORD/ ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 10-3, reached Class AAAAA quarterfinals
- KEY LOSSES: QB Mikey Gonzalez, WR Chris Williamson, LB JD Sosebee, WR Rodney Lackey, RB Michael Byrd, DL Kash Jones, DL Jamel Dabney, Saf Lewis Cousins
- OFFENSIVE STYLE: Shotgun spread -- Gainesville's wide-open, four- and five-wide receiver sets attempt to string out defenses and get its playmakers in space. That doesn’t mean the Red Elephants won’t run the ball, however. In fact they may do so often with an extremely athletic quarterback and some strong running backs.
- KEY OFFENSIVE PLAYERS: 5 returning starters -- Sr. QB Mesiah Dorsey (team’s reception leader in 2014), Sr. RB Chris Byrd (326 total yards, 4 TDs in 2014), Sr. OL Logan Harr, Sr. WR Tyree Robinson, So. WR Tre Blackwell
- DEFENSIVE STYLE: 3-4 -- The Red Elephants are on their third defensive coordinator in three years (Mike Newton), but the style and attitude remain the same: Attack. Players will come at opposing offenses from multiple angles, blitzing from one spot, dropping in another.
- KEY DEFENSIVE PLAYERS: 5 returning starters -- Sr. LB Chris Byrd (Kennesaw St. commit), So. LB Keith Harris, Sr. DL Cole Handte, Sr. OLB Demichael Borders, Jr. Saf Hunter Sims, Sr. Saf Chris Lyles, Sr. CB Tae Turner, Sr. CB Toddrick Turner
- SPECIAL TEAMS: Sr. PK/P Chandler Staton, PR Turner/Sims, KR Blackwell/Byrd
- STRENGTH: Depth/Special Teams -- Last season, the Red Elephants were forced to play a number of standouts both ways, but that won’t be the case this season, with a number of starters specializing on one side of the ball. Meanwhile, Staton is one of the top kickers in northeast Georgia and, perhaps, the entire state.
- QUESTION: Defensive line -- The Red Elephants graduated a number of standouts in the trenches and are still waiting to see who will step up and lead the way in a key position.
- KEY GAMES: The season opener against a loaded Grayson team will tell the Red Elephants much about themselves and where they must improve -- just as it did last season. Gainesville has a week off after the battle and heads on the road to face a vastly-improved Winder-Barrow (Sept. 11). Back-to-back road trips to Heritage and Salem front what could be a huge showdown with Lanier (Oct. 9) at the midpoint of the season. Meanwhile, the season finale with Flowery Branch is usually an intense affair -- though the Red Elephants own a 9-3 lead in the series.
- TRENDING: Last season Gainesville showed impressive depth, coaching and overall quality to reach the state quarterfinals just one campaign removed from graduating a talented class that included current Clemson signal caller Deshaun Watson. The Red Elephants assured themselves of a seventh straight double-digit win season -- a span that includes one state championship, one runner-up, two semifinal berths and two quarterfinal appearances. In other words the only trend at Gainesville over the past seven years has been winning.
2015 SCHEDULE
Aug. 28 vs. Grayson
Sept. 11 at *Winder-Barrow
Sept. 18 vs. *Apalachee
Sept. 25 at *Heritage, Conyers
Oct. 2 at *Salem
Oct. 9 vs. *Lanier
Oct. 16 at *Clarke Central
Oct. 23 vs. *Cedar Shoals
Oct. 30 at *Loganville
Nov. 6 vs. *Flowery Branch
* - indicates region contest
(All Gainesville games can be heard live on 1240 AM ESPN Radio)
(All kickoffs scheduled for 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted)
http://accesswdun.com/article/2015/8/327859/2015-football-preview-gainesville