2018 Record: 2-8, overall (1-6, REGION 7-AA)
Head Coach: Jeremy Green (2-8)
All Time Record: 583 games – 206 – 366 – 11 (36%)
Total Seasons: 59
First Season: 1951
All State Players: 35
Region Championships: 2 (LAST in 1994)
State Championships: 0
Schedule:
8.23 at Murray County
9.6 vs Haralson County
9.13 at Trion
9.20 vs Rockmart
9.27 at Model
10.4 vs Coosa
10.18 at Gordon Central
10.25 vs Chattooga
11.1 at Pepperell
11.8 vs Dade County
During Coach Jeremy Green’s inaugural season at his alma mater (class of ’96), his intention was to create a strong family. He also had two concrete goals for his team. The first was to work hard and to be tough. Though outsiders may think the 2018 season was not one for the books, Green and his staff saw the growth and potential their boys possessed. Having won big in the first game of the season, and then going on to win the final game of the season, the Indians showed improvement, which Green set out to accomplish.
“Last year was about building the foundation that we want going forward,” says Green. “We wanted to instill the characteristics and the cultural changes that we believe the players needed to have to allow us to lay the concrete for that foundation. We didn’t put much focus into winning or losing, we just needed to reshape things for the future.
“Our 2019 goals will always be to work harder than we did last year, to be tougher, to be more reliable and to be more unselfish. Those will always be our goals,” he continues. “We won’t really focus on wins and losses, because if we build upon the foundation we established in 2018, we will form the program that we want to have and a program that we can be proud of.”
According to Green, Armuchee High’s 2019 offensive scheme will be built to fit his players’ gifts.
“We will do a lot more running and throw the ball a lot less,” says Green. “We have a stable of good senior running backs. Our offense will be comparable to a service academy as we will run a lot and put the ball in the hands of different players. We will eat up a lot of clock if we stick to that plan.”
The Indians will be tall and athletic at wideout, carrying a lot of experience across the offense line in 2019. “The offensive line is key to what we want to do and the most dependable kids,” brags Green.
However, what players step in to replace the skill guys and two-way players from last year is the biggest evaluation in the preseason for this year’s offense.
Although the Indians lost two all area players from last season, they are returning some good players to their defense, including the top two tacklers and four other starters from 2018. They will utilize a lot of linebackers in this year’s defensive scheme as well. Two linebackers that the defense will rely on for stops are mike linebacker Devin Cromer and an outside linebacker, Devin Pledger.
The Indians’ defense will be creative in 2019, and the coaching staff feels pretty good about the defense as a whole. “If we get lined up and play fast on defense, we will be okay,” says Green.
Armuchee returns everyone from the 2018 special teams’ units, which includes the long snapper, kicker, two punters, the starter and the backup. “We have to improve on our special teams all around this season and we will,” adds Green.
Armuchee will have a full slate of junior varsity games this year and Coach Green is excited about that, especially after not getting to play the full schedule last season due to different factors.
As far as changing the culture, Green is putting an emphasis on his students playing on Thursdays at junior varsity games.
“People say, you don’t sacrifice Friday night for Thursday, but any program that is worth anything… they play on Thursday and they play well,” Green explains. “Thursdays are where you create the excitement for those kids to play on Fridays. We practice hard and after these guys bang all week, they need to play. Playing junior varsity football is instrumental in building a program. If players feel good about playing on Thursdays (JV), they will stick around for Fridays (Varsity),” says Green.
Along with a strong junior varsity team, Armuchee’s Middle School football program had 50-60 kids show up for spring ball this year as well. The Indians are looking to add the best coaches (and people) possible to their middle school and youth program, starting in 2018 by hiring Nick Elliott to help guide the middle school program. A varsity coach, Ridge Traylor, also moved over to help with the middle school program. The Indians have aligned their middle school and high school football programs under one umbrella.
As far as their youth program, Green is involved in that as well, as the young kids practice at the high school and they get to see the varsity practice. “The youth come onto the field to practice as the varsity kids are coming off, so they see what’s going on,” Green explains.
Armuchee High School is reshaping the Indian football culture from the bottom up. This upcoming season and the future should be exciting for the community for years to come.
