Experience could be a key as Indians look for playoff push

It was a two-pronged summer attack for Towns County coach Jason Roquemore and the Indians.

Still building toward what they hope is a second-ever playoff berth in 2023, the Indians have been more than competitive the past three seasons, posting 10 wins and narrowly missing out on the playoffs the last two years by just a game.

“We focused on competition in 7-on-7s and things like that in June, and the kids really competed very well,” Roquemore said. “In July, we began to focus on us and what we need to do to continue to get better. Overall, I thought we had a great summer.”

A large intangible that may not reveal its true value until another year or two will be the Indians’ fledgling JV program, which has four games scheduled for its second straight season.

“It’s still new but the difference already for some of the young kids who got a chance to play on the JV team last year is significant,” Roquemore said. “It’s a hard thing to measure right now, but we feel confident this will really help the program move forward.”

Sophomore linebacker Morgan Walker will be the first to make the jump from JV to varsity this season. He will join a solid linebacking group of seniors in four-year starter Ian Arrowwood (76 tackles, 4 TFL, 4 QB hurries), Michael Houser (44 tackles, 7 TFL, 2 sacks, 3 QB hurries), and Colton Garrett (38 tackles, 8 TFL, 7 QB hurries).

Defensively they gave up a respectable 25.1 point/game, which was more than a touchdown better than in 2021. And they return eight. But the loss of LB Seth Gillis will be hard to replace.

However, finding more offense in a very difficult Region 8-A Division 2 will more than likely be the key. And Gillis’s 1,100-plus yards rushing and receiving also will be hard to manufacture.

They dropped from 265 points (26.5 ppg) in 2021 to just 148 (14.8 ppg) last season. They do return seven, but turnovers were the main culprit with 15, including nine fumbles.

But Roquemore isn’t focused on any of those numbers.

“The numbers in the program are still high, we’ve got enough for a JV team, and we return a lot of experience,” he said. “Both (offense and defense) have made progress this summer, and we expect that to continue until our opener. Expectations for this season are high.”

GRADUATION STINGS
RB/LB Seth Gillis is the main loss, and it will be a challenge finding production to match OL A.J. Edwards, OL Kemp Walker, WR Grant Ingram, CB Dawson Barrett

BALANCE WITHOUT TURNOVERS
The offense has potential for solid balance with 3-year starter at QB Connor Chastain (104-for-169, 981 yards, 5 TD), Jr. WR Julian Mosley (6-foot-6, 185 pounds; 29 rec., 298 yards, 2 TD), and three options at RB in So. Dustin Barrett, who missed all of the 2022 season due to an injury, Sr. Justin Miles-Hill and So. Eli Newberry. However, they will need to cut the turnovers in at least half.

CONTINUED DEFENSIVE PROGRESS
The Indians trimmed 6 points off their 2021 average and allowed just 27.4 ppg in region play. If they can shave off another 6 points in 2023, they could be right in the playoff mix.

EXPERIENCE COULD BE A STRENGTH
Towns County returns 15 starters from last year’s group and also got the younger players in the program quality grass time with the JV team. Chastain is now in his third season at QB, and that could be a huge benefit as well. Having that experience in close games could pay dividends.

DEPTH
As one of the smallest GHSA schools in the state, depth is ALWAYS an issue. They will have to avoid injuries, especially to key players, to be able to stay competitive in a very tough region.

ALWAYS TOUGH SCHEDULE
A pair of early road games could show just how far the Indians have progressed. They must travel to Lake Oconee Academy and then to a loaded Union County squad in consecutive weeks. They will need that experience as they open Region 8-A D2 play on the road vs. Greene County, a game they could have won last season if not for late turnovers that turned things around in a 23-6 loss. Two more region games await as well against Warren County and Washington-Wilkes before finishing at home with Lincoln County, a semifinalist in 2022.

WHAT’S TRENDING
With only one winning season in program history, it would seem prudent to say the Indians are always building toward success. But Roquemore has pushed the program on an upward trend with the addition of the new JV program and competitiveness across the board. With some luck and continued interest within the community, they are poised to make a playoff run in the coming years, if not 2023.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2023/8/1198453/experience-could-be-a-key-as-indians-look-for-playoff-push