Photos Ivan Felipe
Cedartown finished last year 9-2, with their only regular season loss coming to Cartersville in the de facto region championship. They would obtain the second seed in the region, but would have a ridiculously tough draw, losing to Cambridge at home to end their season.
Now, Tommy Atha has stepped into the role as Head Coach of the Cedartown Bulldogs. Having previously served as the offensive coordinator of the state champion Calhoun Yellow Jackets and head coach of Darlington for a very long time, he brings more than enough to the table.
“I’m unbelievably excited to have the opportunity to be here. It is such a football rich community, and has had a track record of being successful. It is a tremendous honor to lead this football program,” said Head Coach Tommy Atha.
The spring and summer has been very busy but beneficial, and has provided opportunities for growth and relationships. “Calhoun allowed me to come in two months before spring practice started; it has been really good to be in the weight room and be around the kids in the halls. We have some really hard working kids that are committed to the program.”
“Anytime that there is a transition there is going to be some differences. We want to be fundamentally sound in all phases of the game, and we are trying to put kids in all kinds of different situations to gain experience, and I think that’s extremely important to try and develop our fundamentals. We try to see how our kids handle adversity, and how they are going to respond to certain situations. Both the positives and negatives are going to make us better. I think the biggest thing is spending the time teaching the kids the fundamentals, and making it the cornerstone of everything we do.”
While expectations can be demanding under Tommy Atha, one thing is for certain; he wants his players best.
Just control the controllables. Do you show up every day? Do you show up ready to work? How do you handle adversity? I want our kids to strive for excellence in everything that they do and be the best version of themselves. We are going to practice the right way, and I’ve always believed that if you focus on being just a little bit better everyday and every game, the rest will take care of itself.”
The Bulldogs have once again reloaded with talent and toughness. Wyatt Mosley is projected to be the starting quarterback under Coach Atha. Winning upfront is crucial, and having senior tackles such as TJ Walker and Tyler Wade will be massive. Chris Johnson will play around the field, as well as Jacoby Dorsey. Will Worthington saw some minutes last year, but will play a larger role this year. Bryant Waddell and Davian Smith will be good outside on defense, along with Rohan Kent as defensive playmakers.
Cedartown is always going to be a force to be reckoned with. The sky is the limit for the Dawgs this upcoming season.
