2004 Real-Life Tucker Tigers Dynasty

[Ben E Lou]

From the Statesboro Herald:

Keeping the focus

Blue Devils deal with playoff hype MICHELLE BOAEN/staff
The Statesboro Blue Devils run drills Tuesday for their highly anticipated matchup at Tucker Friday.

By LOGAN THOMAS


The excitement for the quarterfinal match up between the Statesboro Blue Devils (12-0) and the Tucker Tigers (12-0) is building.

Players on both sides will have to deal with photographers, television and the buzz about the Georgia Dome being one win away.

But the players were staying calm as they prepared for Tuesday’s practice, preferring to push all the hype from their minds.

“Sure, we’re excited,” said senior Tommy Watkins. “But we’re staying focused. We want to be well prepared.”

Besides, most of these Blue Devils have played on television before in year’s past.

“This is just another ballgame,” Watkins said.

Senior Leroy Ethridge agreed.

“Everybody in school is talking about how we have to win this game because it’s right before the Dome,” he said. “But we have to win this Friday first and we all know that.”

The Tucker-Statesboro quarterfinal match up is one of the most anticipated games in the state. Statesboro has defeated the Tigers in two previous playoff contests since 2000.

Both teams enter the game undefeated and as region champions. The Tigers are known for their impressive offense. The Blue Devils are known for a stalwart defense and special teams.

It’s shaping up to be a clash of the AAAA titans.

To prepare for the powerful Tucker Tigers, the Blue Devils went through a “study day” during Monday’s practice.

Offensive lineman coach David Nesmith said the team looked good Monday.

“We showed them some different looks and went through to correct some of things that went wrong against Northside last week,” he said. “We were trying to give them a look at what they might see against Tucker this week.”

Ethridge said the practice helped.

“I think we did a lot of learning [on Monday],” he said. “Tucker’s going to run through many formations so we did a lot of studying and seeing some of those formations.” Kenneth Mikell, who returned from an injury suffered in the first-round win over Douglas County, said it’s been nice to be back.

“We’re going on up there to see what [Tucker’s] got,” he said. “We’re going to go into that stadium looking for a good game.”

Tickets will be on sale at Statesboro High School until Thursday at 4 p.m. The cost is $10, as mandated by the Georgia High School Association.

Only GHSA passes will be admitted at the gate.

[Ben E Lou]

Two articles from the DeKalb Neighbor, a weekly newspaper that focuses on county news:

Angry Tigers rout Northwest Whitfield, advance to quarters

By Scott Blusiewicz DeKalb Neighbor Sports Editor

If the Statesboro Blue Devils are smart, they will avoid questioning the toughness of Tucker's football team before the two teams meet in a Class AAAA state quarterfinal game on Friday night. Northwest Whitfield quarterback Caleb Callahan could not resist the temptation to publicly call the Tigers out prior to his team's second round contest with Tucker last Friday, a decision he probably regretted at the end of the night.

"Nothing really intimidates me," Callahan told a northwest Georgia newspaper last week. "We're going to pound them in the mouth. One team that did that was Marist and Tucker barely won that game. Marist had a short field goal at the end but missed it. There's no doubt in our minds that we can beat them."

Needless to say, the article with Callahan's comments surfaced on the walls of the Tucker locker room after it was discovered on the newspaper's Web site Friday morning.

"No. 3 [Callahan] had said something in the newspaper," Tucker quarterback Dwayne Harris said after leading the Tigers to an impressive 48-14 rout at Adams Stadium.

"He was talking about how they were going to 'smack us in the mouth.' So, we just had to come out here tonight and prove that we weren't going to lay down. We were going to come out here and play hard like we always do."

Harris directed the Tucker offense on four scoring drives in the first half, as Tucker jumped out to a 35-14 halftime lead. The junior quarterback completed all four of his passes in the first half for 111 yards and two touchdowns, a 44-yard scoring pass to fullback Hamilton Sims and a 16-yard strike to tight end Tavares Kearney.

Additionally, Harris rushed for 59 yards and a touchdown on two carries. He scored on a 6-yard keeper on Tucker's second possession to give the Tigers a 14-0 lead with 8:15 left in the first quarter.

"I am real proud of Dwayne's effort tonight," Tucker coach Bill Ballard said.

"He's a cool customer. He doesn't give many emotions one way or the other and I think that's great for a quarterback's demeanor. He comes to practice every day [and] he's even keel in practice. He's even keel in the game and I think that helps his composure in the pocket when he gets back there and there's a lot of people coming at him. He makes good throws and really smart throws."

In addition to Harris, Tucker also received a couple of big plays from senior cornerback/kick returner Trey Buice. With Tucker leading 21-14 late in the second quarter, Buice avoided the slippery turf and eluded the grasp of a Bruin defender en route to returning a punt 74 yards for a touchdown.

On the Bruins' next possession, Buice intercepted Callahan, which ultimately led to Tucker's fifth touchdown of the half.

After the game, the Tigers were pleased to learn of Statesboro's 12-0 victory over Northside-Warner Robins, setting the stage for a rematch of last year's state semifinal game which Statesboro won 27-24 in the Georgia Dome.

"I muffed two punts against them last year in the Dome," Buice said. "I just want to get a little redemption [because] we lost in overtime."




MALE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Buice makes plays in Tucker's win

Thursday, November 18, 2004 4:07 AM EST



By Scott Blusiewicz

DeKalb Neighbor Sports Editor

Although he is occasionally overshadowed by defensive standouts Tavares Kearney and Brandyn Young, Tucker senior cornerback Trey Buice has quietly put together a strong season this fall.

Buice has teamed up with Young to give the Tigers' a formidable cornerback tandem capable of shutting down the opposition's top receivers. Last Friday, Buice made two plays that significantly shifted the momentum of Tucker's second-round playoff game against Northwest Whitfield.

With Tucker leading 21-14 late in the first half, Buice returned a punt 74 yards for a score to give Tucker a two touchdown lead with 3:35 left in the first half. On Northwest Whitfield's next possession, Buice intercepted a pass near midfield. The Tigers engineered a quick drive, culminating in Kearney's 16-yard touchdown reception and the game was never in doubt from that point on.

"He's an exceptional, heady player," Tucker coach Bill Ballard said. "He makes really smart plays. He's the one that makes the adjustments in our secondary."

Buice is the son of Jeneva Buice and Welton Williams of Stone Mountain.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

-- Okay, the AJC says St.Pius is a Top-10 team ... and they promptly struggle in their opener against Hiram (3-7 last year). Makes me wonder if the "resurgence" is more myth than reality.

A very good early observation, Jon. Later in the season, Marist and Pius showed them to be frauds, then they bowed out in the first round of the playoffs.

[Ben E Lou]

From tomorrow's Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

Battle of undefeateds another classic on tap

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 11/18/04

If tonight's playoff game between Tucker and Statesboro is anything like the past two, then expect a classic.

Tucker (12-0) and Statesboro (12-0) play at 7:30 at Adams Stadium in the quarterfinals of the Class AAAA playoffs. The schools have met in the playoffs twice in the past four years, with Statesboro pulling out an overtime victory both times.

STATESBORO AT TUCKER • When, where: 7:30 p.m. today, Adams Stadium, Atlanta • Records, rankings: Statesboro is 12-0 and ranked No. 1 in Class AAAA; Tucker is 12-0 and ranked No. 2 • TV: Comcast Sports Southeast • Next: Winner plays the Salem/Griffin winner, Nov. 26, 9 p.m. at Georgia Dome

"They were both great, great games to watch if you are a fan of high school football," Tucker coach Bill Ballard said. "Of course, they were not so great if you played or coached at Tucker. Those were tough losses."

Last year's meeting was especially painful for Tucker, which was favored to defeat Statesboro in the state semifinals at the Georgia Dome. However, Tucker uncharacteristically committed five turnovers in the game — matching the team's total from the entire regular season — in the 27-24 overtime loss.

"We're excited about the opportunity to play them again," Ballard said. "They've beaten us twice, so it's a big challenge for us."

Statesboro is coached by Steve Pennington, who was hired after the resignation of Buzz Busby last season. Pennington was defensive coordinator for the Blue Devils the previous five seasons and is excited about matching up with Tucker again.

"We won the last two games against them, so our kids have confidence that they can play with Tucker," Pennington said. "Also, we think to be the best, you've got to beat the best . . . and Tucker may be the best team in the state right now."

How do the teams differ from a year ago?

Statesboro lines up in the wishbone offense but throws the ball a little more than it did under Busby. Of course, some of that has to do with the maturation of 6-foot-6 junior quarterback David Cone. On defense, the Blue Devils run the same schemes.

Meanwhile, Tucker has flourished despite losing six players that signed major college scholarships, including University of Georgia tailback Thomas Brown. Several coaches have noted that this year's Tucker team is more patient and methodical and has cut down on potential turnovers by not going for the long touchdown as frequently as last season.

"I don't mean any disrespect to coach Ballard or anyone at Tucker by saying this, but they are playing so much more like a team this year," Pennington said. "Sometimes when you have so many big-time players, it's hard to control egos. That doesn't appear to be the case this year as they play much better as a unit."

[Ben E Lou]

Moving the army

The Blue Devil Crew plans, packs for Tucker trip MICHELLE BOAEN/staff
The Statesboro High football team, cheerleaders, band and fans are preparing for their trip to Tucker High School as the Blue Devils face the Tigers in a quarterfinal showdown Friday.

By LOGAN THOMAS
[email protected]

Planning is important in any road trip.

But when your road trip includes hundreds of students, food, charter buses and equipment, planning is essential.

Statesboro teachers, coaches and faculty are all hard at work this week preparing all the logistics of moving the band, cheerleaders and football team along with all necessary equipment to Tucker High School for the quarterfinals of the Georgia High School Association state football playoffs.

The Statesboro High School group is leaving at approximately 12 p.m. on Friday.

In many ways, it’s like moving a small army.

“There are so many things going on behind the scenes,” said head coach Steve Pennington. “We’re all one family.”

Band director Dr. Danny Kiene said he’s been busy planning the safe travel of 145 band students and their equipment.

“We have to think about feeding the students,” he said. “On a trip like this, we’re thinking about lunch and dinner … we also have to think about getting adults to travel with us as well as the nurses. There’s a lot that goes into it and the kids are really excited.”

Head cheerleading coach Angie Kearney said the 19 varsity cheerleaders making the trip all have jobs to do.

“Everything has to be planned and the cheerleaders know what they have to do,” she said.

“We have to have footballs to throw into the crowd and our megaphones. We have to transport the signs that we can hopefully maneuver into the charter bus … they’ve done these jobs all season and the girls do a real good job of pitching in.”

The challenge with this week, however, is making sure nothing is forgotten in the hype and excitement.

“We really have to make sure we do everything and not forget things in the rush,” Kearney said. “There’s a lot of work that’s involved in this, more than people realize. The cheerleaders work hard to support the players.”

To encourage the players, Kearney said the cheerleaders will decorate the locker room and show their school spirit before anyone leaves for Tucker.

“We will bake cookies for the players and hang bags in their locker room,” she said. “We’ll put signs up for them to remind them that the school is behind them. On Friday, we’ll see the players off and then leave after they do.”

Kiene said this week is also added pressure for the band in preparing for the halftime show.

“There’s a great deal of rehearsal,” he said. “We’ve been practicing since early July … they all get very excited about games like this when they get to play with the bigger bands.”

Pennington said the value of all these people working together is enormous.

“Their support is not measurable,” he said.

“I respect their spirit, encouragement and relationship they have with this football team.”

[Ben E Lou]

Here are the predictions from maxpreps for tonight's AAAA games:

Griffin (GA) vs. Salem (Conyers, GA) at Evans (Conyers, GA), 7:30pm [projection: Griffin (GA) 28-24]
Rome (GA) at Warner Robins (GA), 7:30pm [projection: Warner Robins (GA) 22-19]
Statesboro (GA) vs. Tucker (GA) at Adams Stadium (Atlanta, GA), 7:30pm [projection: Tucker (GA) 21-20]
Washington (Atlanta, GA) at Ware County (Waycross, GA), 7:30pm [projection: Ware County (Waycross, GA) 24-17]

I'll do my own prediction/breakdown of Tucker-Statesboro later this morning, but suffice it to say that I don't see this one being a razor-thin game. Tucker wins by 2 TD's.

[Ben E Lou]

CLASS AAAA

STATESBORO AT TUCKER

STATESBORO (12-0)-No. 1 seed from Region 2-AAAA. ... Defeated Douglas County 12-7 in the first round; defeated Northside-Warner Robins 12-0 in second round. ... Zach Sanders made a career-best four field goals - 20, 31, 29 and 31 yards - to account for all the Blue Devils' points against Northside-Warner Robins. ... Statesboro's offense was held to only 190 total yards, but the Blue Devils forced six turnovers ..... Making sixth straight playoff appearance. ... Lost in the finals last year to Marist 21-6. ... Has been to the state finals three of the last four years. ...Won Class A title in 1957 and 1966 and Class AAAA title in 2001. ...Has beaten Tucker twice in the last four years - 8-7 in the 2000 quarterfinals and 27-24 in the 2004 semifinals. ... Has held opponents to seven points or less 10 times. ... Has recorded six shutouts. ... Has outscored opponents 333-69. ... Has won three games by a total of 12 points - 3,4 and 5. ... Has a 46-6-1 record over the last four years. ... Coach Steve Pennington has a 105-78-4 career record.

TUCKER (12-0)-No. 1 seed from Region 6-AAAA. ... Defeated Clarke Central 44-14 in first round; defeated Northwest Whitfield 48-14 in second round. ... Seven players scored touchdowns for the Tigers against Northwest Whitfield. ... Has reached the quarterfinals four times in the past five years. ... Reached the finals in 1963. ... Has lost to Statesboro in the state playoffs twice in the last four years - 8-7 in the 2000 quarterfinals and 27-24 in the 2003 semifinals. ... Has scored 30 or more points nine times, including 40 or more seven times. ... Has held opponents to seven points or less seven times. ... Has recorded two shutouts. ... Has outscored opponents 426-108. ... Has a 46-4 record over the last four years. ... Coach Bill Ballard has a 36-3 career record.

NOTE: This game will be televised on the Comcast Sports Southeast cable network.

NEXT UP: Winner advances to the semifinals Nov. 26 at the Georgia Dome against the Griffin-Salem winner.

[Ben E Lou]

Well, sorry I didn't update it. I didn't have the emotional energy in the days right after the game, and then after that, I simply didn't think about it. In one of the greatest high school football games I've ever seen, Tucker lost 15-14 to Statesboro on the last play of the game. For more details, check out THIS THREAD.

[Ben E Lou]

And now, a few stats....

PASSING
DeWayne Harris: 69 for 111, (62.2%), 1310 yds, 9 TD's, 5 INT's.

RUSHING
Brandyn Young: 157 att, 1012 yards, 6.4ypc, 15 TD's

RECEIVING
Asher Allen 19 catches, 382 yards, 2 TD's

TEAM
Rushing: 442 att, 3211 yards, 7.26ypc
Passing: 114 att, 70 cmp, 1345 yds, 9 TD, 5 INT
Total Yards: 4,556, 350.5 ypg, 8.2 yards per play
Scoring: 470 points scored, 36.2ppg, 123 points allowed, 9.5ppg
Defense: Allowed 2.7 ypc, 35% passing, 3.2 ypp, 160.1 ypg

MISC
Brad Dniels was 54 for 59 PAT's, 2 for 9 FG's. Long FG was 33 yards.

DEFENSE
Chris Parker led team with 56 tackles, 29 assists.
Tavares Kearney led team (and county) with 14 sacks

AWARDS
G Marcus Brazil--1st Team All County
OLB Tavares Kearney--1st Team All County
RB/DB Brandyn Young--1st Team All County
C Will Stewart--2nd Team All County

Honorable Mentions: QB DeWayne Harris, LB Chris Parker, DB Trey Buice, RB/DB Asher Allen, FB/NT Hamilton Sims, K Brad Daniels

[Ben E Lou]

THOUGHTS ON NEXT SEASON
Well, according to the "experts," this wasn't supposed to be Tucker's year to have a legit shot at the state title, but they definitely did this year. Next year was the year. Right now, there's no reason not to believe that Tucker won't be one of the top 3 or 4 teams in the state once again. Around 10 guys who saw serious playing time this year will return. Most exciting will be the expected offensive backfield consisting of three D1-likely players: QB DeWayne Harris, FB Myke Compton, and RB Asher Allen. Those three are going to be just flat-out DANGEROUS. Other key returnees include:

OL/DL Jotis Head
OL/LB Charles McCoggle
LB/TE/WR Chad Sims
RB/DB Bryant Flenoury
OLB Donnie Hardy
TE/OLB Randie Bourne
OL/DL Anthony Cloud

The key is going to be the line of scrimmage. We've got several sophomores and juniors with some good-to-considerable size, but they're inexperienced, and need to spend some more time in the weight room. If a few of these kids step up in the offseason, Tucker could have the most size in the trenches that we've had since I've been here.

[Ben E Lou]

From tomorrow's paper:

DEKALB DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Kearney piles up hits, sacks


The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 12/23/04
Tucker's Tavares Kearney, the DeKalb defensive player of the year, was fun to watch even when he wasn't making the tackle.

The senior linebacker was one of the hardest hitters to come through the area in years. Even when Kearney wasn't in on the tackle, he usually could be found making contact with someone on the field.

Tucker senior Tavares Kearney's speed kept him in the thick of the action, playing several defensive positions.

"I just love to hit," Kearney said. "Every play, my goal was to make the tackle. And if I didn't make the tackle, I was going to hit everybody in the way."

Kearney was that rarest of defenders in that he could change the course of the game on that side of the ball. He led DeKalb County with 14 sacks and had 12 tackles for losses and a stunning 51 quarterback hurries.

"He had a lot of hits behind the line of scrimmage," Tucker coach Bill Ballard said. "He did a really good job of going after the other team's quarterback in passing situations. If he didn't get the sack, he would usually get pressure on the passer."

Ballard said Kearney's speed was often overlooked because of his physical style of play. "Tavares can consistently run under 4.5 seconds," Ballard said. "Even if the play ran to the other side of the field, [Kearney] was always a threat to catch up with the play. You can't say that about many football players."

The 6-foot-1, 220-pound Kearney appeared to have a breakout year during his senior season, but Ballard said that was not the case. He said Kearney was stellar as a junior, but just overshadowed by teammates such as Brandon Lang (who signed with Georgia) and James Swinton (Auburn).

During Kearney's junior year, he started the first seven games at defensive end. When tailback Thomas Brown was injured in midseason, Kearney was moved to free safety, the position he will most likely play in college. As a senior, he lined up just about everywhere on defense to keep other teams from keying on him.

[Blade6119]

Sun Belt Recruiting Rankings:

1. Troy The complete class
The Troy class has a good combination of bulk numbers and a few superstars as DE Brandon Lang should be ready to fill in for departed star Demarcus Ware and several good offensive linemen should be ready to give the line a boost. DE Junior Tagovailoa and DB Derick Pendergrass will also be instant factors.
Star of the Class Brandon Lang DE 6-5 265 Tucker (Tucker) Ga.
After spending the fall at Hargrave Military Academy, he is enrolled at Troy ... Is from the same high school as Trojans quarterback D.T. McDowell ... Originally committed to Georgia out of high school.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by Blade6119

Sun Belt Recruiting Rankings:

1. Troy The complete class
The Troy class has a good combination of bulk numbers and a few superstars as DE Brandon Lang should be ready to fill in for departed star Demarcus Ware and several good offensive linemen should be ready to give the line a boost. DE Junior Tagovailoa and DB Derick Pendergrass will also be instant factors.
Star of the Class Brandon Lang DE 6-5 265 Tucker (Tucker) Ga.
After spending the fall at Hargrave Military Academy, he is enrolled at Troy ... Is from the same high school as Trojans quarterback D.T. McDowell ... Originally committed to Georgia out of high school.

Guess I ought to mention the signings that I know of to date....

RB/CB Brandyn Young-->USC--Coach Spurrier himself came up to the high school to woo B.Y. Created quite the buzz.
OLB/DE Tavares Kearney-->UGA--He'll play either SS or OLB for the Dawgs.
DB/PR Trey Buice-->Ball State--Great to see Trey recover from his nightmare in the Dome last year and earn a scholly.
OLB Chris Parker-->Georgetown--I have a feeling he won't be the smartest kid on the team--and in most of his classes--any more.

I'll see Hamilton Sims tomorrow night and get an update, but my last conversation with him (a couple of weeks ago) it seemed like Presbyterian was very close to offering him as a tailback. Yeah, when your rather effective FB/NT gets offered as a TB, you know you've got a unique player on your hands.

[Ben E Lou]

Spring Practice begins tomorrow, and with it, a new thread for 2005. Click [HERE] to go to 2005.

[Ben E Lou]

Signing day, part deux, was today. Three kids signed with smaller schools.

FB/MG Hamilton Sims-->Newberry College. He'll play RB and slot receiver.
C Will Stewart-->Presbyterian College
K Brad Daniels-->Maryville College

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by SkyDog

Oh, by the way. Not that this should come as any surprise, but the youngsters showed us all that this rivalry is going to remain close for at least the next several years. The JV and Freshman teams also played Marist this week. The results?

JV: Marist 17, Tucker 14
Freshmen: Tucker 21, Marist 14

Marist's Freshman Team becomes the first team to score against Tucker's Freshman team all year long. The freshman team is led by yes, yet *another* stud tailback. Barring injury, Freshman Tracy Lewis is looking like he'll follow in the D-1 footsteps of Thomas Brown, Jabari Davis, Terrell Jordan, Patrick Pass, et al. This is getting borderline absurd. The way things are looking right now, in the fall of 2006, Tucker will have SIX backs on D-1 teams.

Bump for highlighted quote. These kids are now seniors. They are 5-0. They have not been scored upon, and they've already laid the wood to Marist (30-0, I think), and Pius (35-0). Both Marist and Pius were in the top 10 at the time.