Photos Ivan Felipe
Adairsville finished last season 6-5, 3-3 in the region. They would place fourth behind Calhoun, Heritage, and Northwest Whitfield, giving them a playoff spot. However, they would go on to lose to Sandy Creek on the road.
“We had a lot of resilience. We tried to figure a lot of things out last year, and one of them was the fact that we can do things better not just individually, but as a team. I think it took us a while to figure it out but I think once we did, it definitely played a big part,” said Head Coach Jon Cudd.
Just throughout the spring and summer, there are few things that are notable about Adairsville for this upcoming year.
“We are going to be young on both sides of the ball. We have a lot of guys that we think we can play, and we had a lot of guys step up this spring. I’m looking forward to seeing what these guys can do as the season gets started here soon. Replacing these guys is really by committee; we are gonna have to get used to a lot of these guys playing.”
As far as expectations go, Jon Cudd and his staff expect to get the most out of his kids in order to achieve success.
“We got back from lineman camp, and that kind of sets the tone for us year in and year out. We have to practice at a high level every single day, and everything we do has a purpose. We want to get good quality reps, but we also want to make sure that we understand what we are doing.”
Getting kids bought into the culture and expectation is another staple of the Adairsville program. “Our kids can see that we can compete. That’s a big part of it, when you believe you can do it. In the past, we’ve been guilty of going into games and maybe some of our kids didn’t really believe that we could compete. We want our kids to believe and fully buy into what we are doing here.”
The Tigers, while graduating a lot of talent, look to reload in 25-26. Colt Sanford, who played both ways, returns. Barrett Fuller, a guy who made a ton of catches last year, is going to be back, including Weston Crisp. CJ Gardner is going to be a starter upfront, and Zay Gilbert has been picking up some offers. Javeon Carson has had a good spring in the backfield, as well as Ezekiel Carter. Thomas Duncan will play all over the place, including quarterback. Braxton Elrod will also see time as a signal caller for the Tigers.
With some new faces and seasoned veterans, the Tigers will always be a contender for that region championship and a spot in the playoffs.
