2015 Results

Northwest: L, 18-28 Heritage: W, 36-34 Adairsville: L, 17-41 Gordon Central: W, 54-0 Calhoun: L, 3-60 LFO: W, 48-0 Sonoraville: L, 33-41 Coahulla Creek: W, 40-7 Murray County: W, 35-7 North Murray: W, 28-6 Dawson County: L, 63-40

The Ringgold football team is ready to make a statement, following a post-season run that came to a crashing halt following on Friday, Nov. 13, 2016

Tigers’ head coach Robert Akins said the Blue-and-White have moved on from that horror, and are focused on bringing about change for the better known as that “#RoyalRevolution.”

“It’s a revolution with us this year,” he said. “We don’t feel like we did as well as we should have last year so we’ve been working hard to change things up. For us, it starts with character and convictions.”

The Tigers’ postseason ended with a 63-40 loss at Dawson County, where the Region 7-3A champions recorded their first-ever playoff victory and set a new school record for points scored in a single game.

Akins said the loss was tough to swallow, but he hopes his team grew from the experience and is hungry to get back into the state playoffs. However, he said that wouldn’t be an easy task.

“The main thing we’re going to have to do as a team is learn how to reach deep down inside, play with intensity and play together,” he said.

Akins said his team needed to work on “competing every play” to be successful.

“If we don’t learn how to compete at a high level every play, I think we’ll be a mediocre team,” he said. “If we can learn how to compete at a high level, we can be a pretty good team.”

The game plan starts at quarterback with sophomore Cole Kibler and junior Blair King, who hurt his arm last year and who already has suffered a concussion this year.

“There are some things we have to work on with Cole, but he knows what he has to do and he knows he has to have poise and execute,” he said. “When it comes to Blair, we’re not sure about him. He has a lot of talent, but we haven’t been able to get him on the field.”

A third option is freshman Dylan Wright, who Akins said would definitely see some playing time.

“We like Dylan,” he said. “He’s a kid that’s going to compete for a starting spot because he wants to win.”

The offense will run a spread attack, highlighted by several talented receivers.

Sophomore Andrew Tarver, who has already committed to Mississippi State to play baseball, will be joined at receiver by senior Mac Brower.

Tarver was among the leading receivers with more than 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns as a freshman, while Brower had 850 yards in 2015.

Senior Dee King returns as a speed weapon at running back. He totaled 1,100 all-purpose yards last fall. Junior Ty Jones, another hard-nosed Tiger, will share time running the ball.

Returning starters on the offensive line include 6-foot-3, 275-pound sophomore Buckey Williams at left tackle, senior Ethan Seamy at center, senior Branson Gonzalez at right tackle and junior Sam Akers at right tackle.

Returning starters on defense Gonzalez at tackle, senior Braxton Stewart at defensive end, sophomore Enrique Maravilla at nose guard and senior Brett Halloran at defensive end.

Akins said the main thing his team had to do was “sustain their intensity” throughout the season.

“I think we can play well and have a good season, he said. “Against teams like Northwest Whitfield, who is as good of a team as they’ve ever been, it will be a long night for us if we don’t step up. That game kind of set the tone for us last year, and we ended up finishing 6-5. We know Heritage is always going to be after us as well. We’ve never played Fannin County, so that’s going to be a different scenario for us.”

Ringgold’s region crossover games aren’t any easier with Sonoraville and Adairsville, who both defeated the Tigers last year.