8 minute read
Warriors
Getting ready in the trenches…
Warriors look to dominate on both sides of the football in 2020
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BY IVAN SANDERS
STAR SPORTS EDITOR ivan.sanders@elizabethton.com
Happy Valley Warrior head coach Jason Jarrett has been around the game of football long enough to know what wins and losses high school football games. Even with the delay of getting his program off and running this year, Jarrett just hopes that his team is ready to go to work deep in the trenches as football resumes in the most unique of circumstances with COVID-19 in 2020. “We are just excited first and foremost to get back out there to be together as a team,” Jarrett stated. “With the off-season that we have had, we really didn’t know what to expect especially this first game of the year but everybody is in the same boat. “We will get better as the year goes on. Ultimately, you want to be playing your best football at the end of the year and hopefully, we make it to the end of the year.
“We are doing everything in our power to ensure that by wearing masks and following all the guidelines and safety is the most important thing,” the Happy Valley skipper added.
“We have a really good senior class and they are a joy to be around and are fun to coach - just a great bunch of kids. We hope their leadership will hopefully lead us through to success.”
While the offensive backfield and wide receivers receive the bulk of the press, Jarrett says that without his strong and battle-tested Warriors in the trenches those writers wouldn’t have a whole lot to write about. “It starts up in the trenches and that’s really where we return the most experience is upfront on both sides of the ball offensively and defensively,” he said. “We got some guys up there that can pave the way. That is where the games are won and lost and they know it, we know it, and everybody knows it. “But the guys that usually get all the credit behind them, we feel really confident in our quarterback Eli Ayers. He is a guy that throughout the years has had some experience. “He was forced into some playing time early and he started a few games for us here and there. We feel like his leadership and his management is really going to help us offensively. “We are really excited about Matthew Bahn, Gabe Nickels, Andrew Little – those guys we feel can be some playmakers. Our tight ends and our fullbacks are going to be used in the running game and passing game as well. “It’s going to be a team effort,” added Jarrett. “We lost some quality skill players last year so it’s going to be running back by committee and receiver by committee. The guys up front have got to lead us.” One thing that Jarrett is extremely proud of is that his team has quickly found ways to gel due to missing out on so much time. The Warrior coach said that he and his coaches try to start that process of creating a family atmosphere when most players are still young before they even think about their high school experience. “It’s been extremely challenging,” Jarrett commented. “Most of the conversations have been through text messages and phone calls. There is merit to the off-season and building relationships. “Fortunately for us and our coaching staff here, we start that when they are young.
“A lot of our older guys, we have already had those relationships thankfully. That has been a hard thing is getting the team together to bond. And that takes a little bit of time.
“We saw some of that the last three
Jason Jarrett Heach Coach
2020 HAPPY VALLEY SCHEDULE
September
4—at Hampton* 11—UNICOI 18—COSBY* **Homecoming** 25—UNAKA
October
2—Open 9—at Johnson
County 16— SULLIVAN
GREENE* **Senior Night**
ALL CAPS denotes home games * denotes region games
or four days in the locker room and on the field with some bonding going on with a lot more energy,” he continued. Along with becoming closer as a team, just the physical aspect of not having any seven-on-seven competitions or scrimmages leading up to a new season comes into play.
That is concerning to a coach especially with being limited to contact will serve to throw some cold water on early-season contests. “That has been probably the biggest obstacle plus physically just being in shape. There is no way to get into game shape until you play games,” Jarrett shared. “Usually you will have three or four scrimmages to get you to the first game. Where that was taken away from us is obviously a concern too is getting gassed really early.
“We are going to play a lot of kids early. These guys deserve a chance to play. We are going to try and play as many games as we can.” Jarrett was asked what he would consider being a successful 2020 football campaign.
“Our goal is to win every game that we play,” he said. “That ultimately is success is off wins and losses. That as a team is how you are judged and ultimately how people look at you as a team. “But, just out of a parent meeting just now, as a coach the relationships that we build, trying to help these guys grow into fine young men, productive citizens in society, and grow up to be great husbands and fathers one day – ultimately that is the goal to success.” In looking over Region 1-2A, Jarrett felt that the region was one of the toughest regions in the area. The team that manages to do the little things in 2020 will be the team that will rightfully earn a region championship. “Region 1-2A is one of the toughest conferences in this whole entire area,” he said. “You look at last year, the 3A champion probably finishes fifth in our conference and that was a very quality football team. “Obviously you have Hampton and South Greene and then you have us, Sullivan North, and Cosby. I think anyone can win on any given night. “It’s all about execution, it’s all about ball security, and making plays. “At the end of the day, you have to win some battles whether it’s at the line or one-on-one down the field on the perimeter,” continued Jarrett. “Whoever can make the most plays, whoever is going to be the most coachable, and ultimately whoever plays the best night in and night out is going to have a chance to win. “I think it’s wide open and there are quality athletes and quality coaches in our conference and I think these guys know that and we are really going to have to compete to win another conference championship.”
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders
Alex Lunceford (13) and Andrew Little (3) come on the field prior to Saturday’s game as Little bears Old Glory.
2020 HAPPY VALLEY FOOTBALL ROSTER
No Name Class Position
3 Andrew Little
11 4 Noah Stockton 10 5 Antonio Martin 11 7 Blake Garmon 11 8 Gabe Nickles 12
9 Spencer Hall
11 10 Damien Nickles 10 11 Jason Thomas 11 13 Alex Lunceford 12 14 Tucker Shoun 9 15 Raegan Ensor 10 16 Eli Ayers 12 17 Gunner Honeycutt 9 20 Pedro Colunga 10 21 Waylon McKeehan 9 22 Matthew Bahn 12 24 Rex Ranck 30 Eli Phillips 32 Landon Babb 9 12 11 34 Joseph Sowards 9 40 Cayden Campbell 11 43 Bronson Norman 10 44 Logan Groom 10 50 Dylan Woodby 11 51 Maliek Clark 10 52 Malachi Clark 10 54 Alex Caldwell 10
55 Justin Pearell
10 58 Nathan Ragusa 9 59 Ethan Townsend 9 60 Mason Hicks 11
61 James Davis
9 63 Cameron Cochran 11 64 Justin Pearell 65 Gavin Way 67 Hayden Walls 70 Matt Smith 9 10 10 11 71 Peyton Primeau 12 72 Zach Stansell 9 74 Kamden Richardson 12 75 Cody Dugger 77 Ben Stansell 00 Ian Clark 12 9 9 WR/OLB/DB WR/DB WR/DB QB/DB WR/DB WR/DB WR/DB WR/DB TE/DE WR/DB QB/DB QB/DB WR/DB RB/OLB RB/LB RB/OLB RB/ILB RB/ILB FB/TE/DE TE/DE RB/TE/ILB FB/ILB FB/ILB OL/ILB OL/DE OL/DL OL/DL OL/LB OL/DE OL/DT OL/DT OL/DT OL/DE OL/DT OL/DT OL/DE OL/DT OL/DT OL/DT OL/DT OL/DT OL/DT WR/DB
Head Coach: Jason Jarrett Mascot: Warriors Colors: Maroon, Gray, & White. Assistant Head Coach: Greg Hyder Assistant Coaches: Chuck Babb, Todd Caldwell, Adam Copeland,
Randy Ferrell, Jim Greene, Steve McKinney, Brandon Mottern. Managers: Ashley Jennings, Maci Turner.
2020 Happy Valley Warrior Cheerleaders
(Bottom L-R) Maegen Tittle and Gillian Davis. (Middle L-R) Emily Fisher, Emma Helbert, Jon Perry, Gracie Young, and Casey Campbell. (Back L-R) Anslie Pinkeston, Autumn Henegar, and Kaybree Sumner.
