Dragons focused on present goals, not past success
Hurst says his team can’t rely on what they did last year as they’re ready to make their mark in 2022 with a mix of veterans and new cast.
Going to the state playoffs every year is the expectation in Lindale as the Pepperell Dragons always seem to find a way into the top four in whatever region they are a part of and be in the mix in the postseason.
Head coach Rick Hurst said that is once again a possibility for his team as they return several talented players from last year’s squad that battled all the way to the end before falling at Callaway in the first round of the Class AA state playoffs, but they can’t rely on what they have done in the past. They have to make things happen rather than just expecting them to, and they could even set their sights higher than just playing in the first round.
“We went toe-to-toe with (Callaway) and were right there at the end,” said Hurst. “We have a lot of those kids back, but we have a lot of youth too. But I’ve never been that kind of coach to think what happened last year is going to affect this year. Last year is last year. I think playing a competitive game like that against Callaway shows our kids that they can play with whoever is on the schedule, but they have to realize that it is up to them to put ourselves in the position to have success. We’ve just got to go out and play and make it happen.
“It’s always the goal to make it to Game 11, but we
want our guys to not just settle for wanting to make it there…we want them to aim to make it past Game 11. The first goal is to win the region or finish in the top 2 so we can host a firstround game. But the main emphasis I want them to get is that we can’t dwell on
what happened last year. We’ve got to set goals, higher goals, for this year and go try to achieve them.”
After being in Class AA for the past few years, Pepperell will move down to Class A Division-I this season after GHSA reclassification with some familiar opponents
from last year’s 7-AA and some new ones. The Region 7-A Division-I schedule consists of Darlington, Armuchee, Coosa, Trion, Chattooga and Dade County.
“We obviously know Coosa, Chattooga and Dade County from playing them in the last few years,” said Hurst. “With Darlington, you know
they are going to have a very good team most of the time and be well-coached so it will be a tough game for us. We saw Trion at padded camp this summer, and they will do things that challenge you. It’s been a few years since we’ve played Armuchee. We’ve had some success against them in the past, but they have gotten better. It’s going to be a competitive region from top to bottom. I think the top four could finish in any order. It’s going to be a matter of who can withstand injuries, win the games they are supposed to win and win some of the toss-ups or games that people aren’t expecting you to win.”
Pepperell has a key piece of their offense returning as running back DJ Rogers is back for his senior year after rushing for close to 1,500 yards and 21 touchdowns on the ground in 2021. He will once again be asked to
carry a good portion of the load and has the capability of picking up tough yards as well as breaking a long run at any time. The offensive line will be his best friend as that group has a good bit of experience too with two seniors and three juniors expected to start. Seniors Parker Glenn and Eric Self will lead the hogs up front.
The Dragons will be breaking in a new quarterback as Erik Jensen is expected to get the starting spot, and Hurst said the junior has come a long way in a short amount of time. He has some solid receivers in Alex Rhoades and Gage Owens that should help him as he grows in confidence.
“We have a chance to be pretty good on that side of the ball,” said Hurst of his offense. “DJ is a home-run threat, and our goal is to get him the ball even more and in different ways than just handing it off to him. That will give defenses some different looks. I like the way our offensive line looks. They have given the quarterbacks good protection at our camps, and I think we will be able to move some folks. Erik will be just fine (at quarterback). He has shown he is capable of doing what he ask of him. He is just learning to do it in live situations now. He has some capable receivers with Alex and Gage, and that will help. They can stretch the field with their speed and catch the ball to move the chains and keep drives alive too.”
Defensively is where Hurst said there will be a lot of new faces as they return three starters on that side of the ball.
“We might have some growing pains early on defense before finding where we are,” said Hurst. “We are going to have to put people on the move, bring pressure, and disguise coverages. We’ve got a chance to be a strong defense, but we will have to get better as the season goes along instead of getting worn down like we have in the past.”
Up front Tristan Alvarado will play a big role as a returning starter on the defensive line and as a tough player to block according to Hurst. Glenn and Braxton Bragg should each have large roles up front as well while Rhoades and Demarcus Ragland will be asked to make plays at outside linebacker. Ethan Loveless is a player that Hurst said seems to get better at middle linebacker every day he gets more reps, and the secondary has the potential to make plays with Rogers and Owens at safety and Cory Moten and Jordan Rogers at corner.
The Dragons open the season at home against Northwest Whitfield on Aug. 19 and then travel to Model for a Floyd County non-region showdown the following Friday. After two more non-region games, Pepperell opens Region 7-A Division-I play at Chattooga on Sept. 23.
Hurst said with a bit of a younger team how fast they start to play with confidence will go a long way in determining how much success they will have.
“Growing up and maturing is going to be our biggest issue early in the season,” said Hurst. “With our quarterback play I feel good, but it’s different in game situations. Being healthy is big for us too. We can’t afford to lose an impact player. If we can take care of those things and get better each week, I think we can make some noise in the region. We want to be a playoff contender and once you get in there you never know what can happen.”