Coosa Valley

better receiver,” Griffin said. “I know where to be on the field and where Hayden is going to throw the ball because those are the same things that I had to know. I know where the defense is going to be at from being able to watch it unfold from under center all those years.”

Joining him out wide will be Simpson, who stands at 6-foot-3, 205 pounds as one of the most athletic players on the field due to his size and strength at the receiver position.

In the offseason, Simpson has emerged as a threat due to his presence at 7-on-7 events and other summer workouts, and he hopes his hard work during the spring and summer will translate to a special final season as the leading receiver.

“I’ve been working hard this offseason, probably harder than I’ve ever worked. I know that I’m a senior and this is my last go around with these guys, which makes me want to be the absolute best I can be,” Simpson said. “I’ve been going to camps, trying to get faster, working on my footwork and hands, working on top of the route breaks and releases off the line.”

In addition to needing big numbers, he also knows an important leadership role will be placed on his shoulders due to his presence on the offense.

“I’ve definitely taken on a role of being a leader and mentor to all the younger guys, but especially the younger receivers,” he said. “I try to help them with the offense and anything they have questions about, because the older guys doing that for me when I was a sophomore and freshman is a huge reason that I’m the player I am today.” With the departure of 21 seniors from last year’s team, the Hornets have had to replace players at many positions on both sides of the ball. That, however, has paved the way for young playmakers to step in and prove what they can do, which has led to a group hungry to prove themselves. “We do have a lot of spots to fill on both sides of the ball, and we lost a lot of skill guys,” Simpson said. “A bunch of the younger guys and guys who don’t have a lot of varsity experience have stepped up and are going to be really exciting to watch this season. The good thing about having a lot of new faces on the field this year, is that teams don’t have a whole lot of film on those players.”

Now, Cooper, Garrison and Simpson all get to enjoy their senior season together hoping to help Chelsea take the next step under Goodwin.

“We’re all really looking forward to the start of the season. We’ve prepared for this moment all summer and we’re all very eager to put it all together and start the year off with high energy and a lot of momentum,” Simpson added.