COMMERCE — "Old school football" looks to suit Lumpkin County just fine.
The Indians' move back toward a physical brand of smashmouth style -- undertaken by third-year coach Shane Williamson's staff -- proved an invigorating tonic in Lumpkin County's season opener on Friday.
The Indians throttled East Jackson for a 42-0 victory in Commerce, matching last season's win total in just one contest into the campaign.
"We're trying our best to find an identity; we didn't have one last year -- that's the first time that's ever happened for one of my teams," Williamson said. "This year we have an identity."
The Indians (1-0) leaned on a strong ground game that included touchdown runs for four different players -- two for Luke Smith, who rumbled into the end zone from 63 and 7 yards and also caught a scoring pass from quarterback Tucker Kirk. Kevin Harkins, Drew Allison and Kyle Amburgey also ran for touchdowns, as Lumpkin County posted its largest margin of victory since 2011 and seventh largest in the history of the program.
"We were playing with a lot of young guys too, a freshman offensive lineman and a lot of sophomores on defense," Williamson said. "And for them to step up is huge for Lumpkin County. These kids are playing hard and physical. It was a total team win, and I want to thank my coaching staff too."
The Indians know they must keep playing as a team when they return home to face rival White County next week in Dahlonega.
"When you experience success you've got to know how to handle it, and it's important for us to have a great week of preparation," Williamson said. "But this will allow us to believe in ourselves."
http://accesswdun.com/article/2018/8/703898/new-identity-suits-lumpkin-county-just-fine-in-42-0-win