BY KRISTI REED
Mill Creek ended the 2007 season with its first ever trip to the state playoffs. This year, the Hawks will try to build off last year’s success.
The 2008 Mill Creek varsity football team. Photo by Kristi Reed
PIGSKIN PREVIEW: Mill Creek looking forward to 2008 season
After a third place finish in region 7-AAAAA, the Hawks were eliminated in round one of the state playoffs. Mill Creek finished the year with a 7-4 overall record and 6-2 record in the region.
While a region championship or another trip to state would be welcome, Mill Creek head coach Shannon Jarvis has one simple goal.
“To improve on last year,” he said.
WHY THEY’LL WIN
Jarvis is counting on his experienced players to lead the Hawks to a strong finish in region 7-AAAAA. Collectively, the Mill Creek starting lineup has a lot of playing time and, more importantly, a drive to succeed.
“The big thing is experience across the board,” Jarvis said. “We’re dealing with some seniors that were playing as sophomores in our region.”
Another big factor in the Hawks’ favor is the strength of their off-season program.
“We’ve never gone into a season with a team in such good shape,” Jarvis said. “Our team is in the best shape we have ever dealt with.”
Mill Creek’s off season program includes a summer full of strength and conditioning workouts. Players who miss no more than three workouts are designated “Hawks of Steel.”
This year, 36 sophomores, 24 juniors and 18 seniors were named “Hawks of Steel.” Three years ago, Jarvis started the program and had 85 achieve that designation.
Last year the number increased to 97. This year, the team had a record 121 players attend nearly all of the summer strength and conditioning workouts.
The conditioning workouts included more running than in years past as the Hawks prepare for changes in the game plan.
“With offense we’ll be in more of a spread, we’ll no-huddle some,” Jarvis said. “We’re trying to change the tempo of the game this year. We work a lot of stunts, blitzes and try to create a lot of movement.”
The team’s conditioning will determine how successful the changes will be, Jarvis said.
AREAS TO IMPROVE
Jarvis said his team has two areas in particular that he would like to see improve from last year: the kicking game and offensive turnovers.
“When I say kicking game, I mean specifically our punting game,” he said.
After problems the past two years, Jarvis said he and his staff have been more proactive this season with the entire punt team.
Jarvis calls snapper Davis Moore one of the best in the state. The Hawks’ punter, Trent Tignor, has attended numerous camps to prepare for the 2008 season and the extra work is paying dividends, said Jarvis.
“He’s got great hang time, great length on his punts,” Jarvis said.
Jarvis said punt coverage must also improve to avoid some of the costly returns that hurt his team last year.
Though Mill Creek did not have an unusually high number of offensive turnovers last year, the ones they did have came at very inopportune times, said Jarvis.
“I think that’s going to be addressed this year with more experience in the skill positions,” he said.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Mill Creek returns six starters on offense and four on defense. While the Hawks return 17 lettermen, 35 graduated with the class of 2007.
Top returning players include:
• Ryan Robinson, senior - The 6’4”, 245 lb. defensive end had 55 tackles, 4 sacks, 2 pressures and 9 tackles for a loss in 2007.
• Ed Russ, senior - As a receiver last year, Russ had 43 receptions, 667 yards and eight touchdowns. This year, the 6’1”, 194 lb. Russ will start 2008 at quarterback.
• Jordan Johnson, senior – The 6’5”, 260 lb. offensive lineman racked up 43 pancake blocks in 2007.
• Ramael Wilson, senior – Wilson led the Hawks in rushing last season, scoring three touchdowns and rushing for 139 yards in 40 attempts.
• Zach Landis, senior – Landis makes the move to wide receiver this year after throwing for 1,653 yards last year with 13 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 11 starts.
• Chris Boggs, senior – Boggs made 36 tackles last year and assisted with 26 others. He also led the Hawks with three interceptions.
• James Powell, senior – Last year, Powell made 49 tackles, one sack and six tackles for a loss.
• Scott Ooley, senior – Linebacker Ooley was responsible for 35 tackles, four tackles for loss and one interception last year.
• Chris Avery, senior – Avery, a wide receiver, made 22 receptions for 406 yards and a touchdown during 2008.
• Kevin Darley, senior – One of last year’s key defensive players, Darley will pull double duty this year as he plays defense and offense.
THE COACHES
Jarvis enters his fifth year coaching the Hawks. During the past four years, Jarvis has compiled a 15-26-0 record as he worked to turn a fledgling program into a region contender.
Assisting Jarvis this year will be assistant head coach and defensive backs coach Andy Dyer, offensive coordinator Josh Lovelady, defensive coordinator Tommy Scott, offensive line coach and assistant strength and conditioning coach Ed Russ, defensive safeties coach Tim Rondeau, wide receivers coach Bo Adams, running backs coach Chad Rogers, defensive ends and special teams coordinator Jed Hodges, director of football operations Greg Jarvis and junior varsity and ninth grade coaches Roger Parham, Kendall Knight, Benji Queen, Doug Jones, Chris Williams, Jim Peevy, David Bethea and Tirrell Davenport.
“This is the best coaching staff in the state of Georgia,” Jarvis said.
KEY GAMES
Like most coaches, Jarvis is quick to say the most important game is the one that is coming next. In Mill Creek’s case, he has a point.
The Hawks kick off the season with a home game against arch-rival Dacula High School. The Falcons, who are moving back to AAAAA ball this year after a two year absence, should be eager to avenge last year’s 10-7 loss to Mill Creek at their home field.
“It goes without saying about Dacula,” he said. “They are our rival. We’ve got to come out and play well that first game.”
While the Dacula game is important from a psychological point of view, it is not a region game nor is Central Gwinnett the following week. But beating the Black Knights is still important, Jarvis said.
“We’ve got to beat them to set us up for playing Norcross in our first region game,” Jarvis said.
The Blue Devils finished 2007 with a 10-2 record overall and a 7-1 record in the region.
“Norcross has got to be the odds on favorite to win the region,” Jarvis said. “Those first three games will set the tone for the whole season.”
KEEPING MOTIVATED
Jarvis said playing a consistently tough schedule means his team has to play its best every Friday night. Faced each week with opponents such as North Gwinnett, Norcross and Peachtree Ridge, Mill Creek cannot take any game for granted.
“That’s why I love coaching this region. To me, the hard part is when you only have a couple of games on your schedule that are tough games and the rest of them are easy. It’s harder to get them up for those two or three in the schedule versus what we have,” he said. “Our kids know that if they are not ready to play each Friday night, they’ll get embarrassed.”
High tempo practices are one of the methods Jarvis uses to keep his team motivated.
“I’m old school,” he said. “I believe if you practice lazy, you’re going to play lazy.”
Jarvis said the intense practices during the first part of the week are far more important than any pre-game motivational speech he could deliver.
SENIOR LEADERSHIP
After graduating almost the entire offensive line and losing several key defensive players, Jarvis said it would be critical for the rising seniors to step up and play with the heart and determination that last year’s seniors showed. So far, the new seniors have done just that.
“They responded probably better than any of us expected,” Jarvis said. “They have become a very tight knit group. I’m very pleased with where our seniors are now.”
Players that have never had to lead before have stepped in and done a great job, Jarvis said.
“I’m very proud of these seniors,” he said.
SEASON OUTLOOK
“This team has got a chance to do some special things,” Jarvis said. “It all comes down to how they react to adversity come game time. That’s when we’ll see exactly what this team is capable of. Our region is so tough, we have to be able to handle that adversity.”
“We believe that we are headed in the right direction and are excited about the challenge of the coming 2008 season,” he said.
UP NEXT
The Hawks open the season this Friday against the Dacula Falcons. Kickoff is schedule for 7:30 p.m. in Hoschton.
While a region championship or another trip to state would be welcome, Mill Creek head coach Shannon Jarvis has one simple goal.
“To improve on last year,” he said.
WHY THEY’LL WIN
Jarvis is counting on his experienced players to lead the Hawks to a strong finish in region 7-AAAAA. Collectively, the Mill Creek starting lineup has a lot of playing time and, more importantly, a drive to succeed.
“The big thing is experience across the board,” Jarvis said. “We’re dealing with some seniors that were playing as sophomores in our region.”
Another big factor in the Hawks’ favor is the strength of their off-season program.
“We’ve never gone into a season with a team in such good shape,” Jarvis said. “Our team is in the best shape we have ever dealt with.”
Mill Creek’s off season program includes a summer full of strength and conditioning workouts. Players who miss no more than three workouts are designated “Hawks of Steel.”
This year, 36 sophomores, 24 juniors and 18 seniors were named “Hawks of Steel.” Three years ago, Jarvis started the program and had 85 achieve that designation.
Last year the number increased to 97. This year, the team had a record 121 players attend nearly all of the summer strength and conditioning workouts.
The conditioning workouts included more running than in years past as the Hawks prepare for changes in the game plan.
“With offense we’ll be in more of a spread, we’ll no-huddle some,” Jarvis said. “We’re trying to change the tempo of the game this year. We work a lot of stunts, blitzes and try to create a lot of movement.”
The team’s conditioning will determine how successful the changes will be, Jarvis said.
AREAS TO IMPROVE
Jarvis said his team has two areas in particular that he would like to see improve from last year: the kicking game and offensive turnovers.
“When I say kicking game, I mean specifically our punting game,” he said.
After problems the past two years, Jarvis said he and his staff have been more proactive this season with the entire punt team.
Jarvis calls snapper Davis Moore one of the best in the state. The Hawks’ punter, Trent Tignor, has attended numerous camps to prepare for the 2008 season and the extra work is paying dividends, said Jarvis.
“He’s got great hang time, great length on his punts,” Jarvis said.
Jarvis said punt coverage must also improve to avoid some of the costly returns that hurt his team last year.
Though Mill Creek did not have an unusually high number of offensive turnovers last year, the ones they did have came at very inopportune times, said Jarvis.
“I think that’s going to be addressed this year with more experience in the skill positions,” he said.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Mill Creek returns six starters on offense and four on defense. While the Hawks return 17 lettermen, 35 graduated with the class of 2007.
Top returning players include:
• Ryan Robinson, senior - The 6’4”, 245 lb. defensive end had 55 tackles, 4 sacks, 2 pressures and 9 tackles for a loss in 2007.
• Ed Russ, senior - As a receiver last year, Russ had 43 receptions, 667 yards and eight touchdowns. This year, the 6’1”, 194 lb. Russ will start 2008 at quarterback.
• Jordan Johnson, senior – The 6’5”, 260 lb. offensive lineman racked up 43 pancake blocks in 2007.
• Ramael Wilson, senior – Wilson led the Hawks in rushing last season, scoring three touchdowns and rushing for 139 yards in 40 attempts.
• Zach Landis, senior – Landis makes the move to wide receiver this year after throwing for 1,653 yards last year with 13 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 11 starts.
• Chris Boggs, senior – Boggs made 36 tackles last year and assisted with 26 others. He also led the Hawks with three interceptions.
• James Powell, senior – Last year, Powell made 49 tackles, one sack and six tackles for a loss.
• Scott Ooley, senior – Linebacker Ooley was responsible for 35 tackles, four tackles for loss and one interception last year.
• Chris Avery, senior – Avery, a wide receiver, made 22 receptions for 406 yards and a touchdown during 2008.
• Kevin Darley, senior – One of last year’s key defensive players, Darley will pull double duty this year as he plays defense and offense.
THE COACHES
Jarvis enters his fifth year coaching the Hawks. During the past four years, Jarvis has compiled a 15-26-0 record as he worked to turn a fledgling program into a region contender.
Assisting Jarvis this year will be assistant head coach and defensive backs coach Andy Dyer, offensive coordinator Josh Lovelady, defensive coordinator Tommy Scott, offensive line coach and assistant strength and conditioning coach Ed Russ, defensive safeties coach Tim Rondeau, wide receivers coach Bo Adams, running backs coach Chad Rogers, defensive ends and special teams coordinator Jed Hodges, director of football operations Greg Jarvis and junior varsity and ninth grade coaches Roger Parham, Kendall Knight, Benji Queen, Doug Jones, Chris Williams, Jim Peevy, David Bethea and Tirrell Davenport.
“This is the best coaching staff in the state of Georgia,” Jarvis said.
KEY GAMES
Like most coaches, Jarvis is quick to say the most important game is the one that is coming next. In Mill Creek’s case, he has a point.
The Hawks kick off the season with a home game against arch-rival Dacula High School. The Falcons, who are moving back to AAAAA ball this year after a two year absence, should be eager to avenge last year’s 10-7 loss to Mill Creek at their home field.
“It goes without saying about Dacula,” he said. “They are our rival. We’ve got to come out and play well that first game.”
While the Dacula game is important from a psychological point of view, it is not a region game nor is Central Gwinnett the following week. But beating the Black Knights is still important, Jarvis said.
“We’ve got to beat them to set us up for playing Norcross in our first region game,” Jarvis said.
The Blue Devils finished 2007 with a 10-2 record overall and a 7-1 record in the region.
“Norcross has got to be the odds on favorite to win the region,” Jarvis said. “Those first three games will set the tone for the whole season.”
KEEPING MOTIVATED
Jarvis said playing a consistently tough schedule means his team has to play its best every Friday night. Faced each week with opponents such as North Gwinnett, Norcross and Peachtree Ridge, Mill Creek cannot take any game for granted.
“That’s why I love coaching this region. To me, the hard part is when you only have a couple of games on your schedule that are tough games and the rest of them are easy. It’s harder to get them up for those two or three in the schedule versus what we have,” he said. “Our kids know that if they are not ready to play each Friday night, they’ll get embarrassed.”
High tempo practices are one of the methods Jarvis uses to keep his team motivated.
“I’m old school,” he said. “I believe if you practice lazy, you’re going to play lazy.”
Jarvis said the intense practices during the first part of the week are far more important than any pre-game motivational speech he could deliver.
SENIOR LEADERSHIP
After graduating almost the entire offensive line and losing several key defensive players, Jarvis said it would be critical for the rising seniors to step up and play with the heart and determination that last year’s seniors showed. So far, the new seniors have done just that.
“They responded probably better than any of us expected,” Jarvis said. “They have become a very tight knit group. I’m very pleased with where our seniors are now.”
Players that have never had to lead before have stepped in and done a great job, Jarvis said.
“I’m very proud of these seniors,” he said.
SEASON OUTLOOK
“This team has got a chance to do some special things,” Jarvis said. “It all comes down to how they react to adversity come game time. That’s when we’ll see exactly what this team is capable of. Our region is so tough, we have to be able to handle that adversity.”
“We believe that we are headed in the right direction and are excited about the challenge of the coming 2008 season,” he said.
UP NEXT
The Hawks open the season this Friday against the Dacula Falcons. Kickoff is schedule for 7:30 p.m. in Hoschton.
Defined tags for this entry: braseltonnewstoday, football, Mill Creek, Mill Creek High School, Mill Creek Sports
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