|
|
|
 2002 Stories |
|
2002 Varsity Schedule
2002 Coosa High School Football
| Date |
Team |
Place |
Time |
Score |
| August
30 |
Cherokee, AL |
Away |
8:00 |
|
| Sept 6 |
Open Week |
|
|
|
| Sept 13 |
Trion |
Home |
|
|
| Sept. 20 |
Rockmart |
Home |
|
|
| Sept 28 |
Armuchee Shrine
Game |
Barron Stadium |
8:00 |
|
| October 4 |
Open Week |
|
|
|
| October 11 |
Darlington |
Home |
7:30
pm |
|
| October 18 |
Chattooga |
Away |
7:30 pm |
|
| October
25 |
Model |
Home |
7:30
pm |
|
| November 1 |
Adairsville |
Away |
7:30
pm |
|
| November 8 |
Dade Co. |
Home |
7:30 |
|
| November 15 |
Calhoun |
Away |
7:30
pm |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Battle of the Border!!!
People in Northwest Georgia and Northeast Alabama have been talking about it and hoping for it for years, now its finally back!! The cross border football clash between Georgia's Coosa High School and Alabama's Cherokee County (Centre) High School will be revived on August 30th in Centre with next years game being at Coosa. Men and women from both states at work in stateline industries such as Plant Hammond and Inland Container have compared the two teams since region scheduling made it necessary to end the series in the early 70s. The basketball teams have met twice in what turned out to be barnburners. This game should be sold out so hurry and purchase your tickets as soon as possible. Hope to see you all at the game.
Read a great article on the game at www.cherokeeherald.com
Coosa Working Late Shift
 | |  | | Joseph Hines delivers a blow |
08/01/02
Erik Green, Rome News-Tribune Sports Writer
Photo by:Ryan Smith / Rome News-Tribune
Coosa Highs new football coach Scott Chandler has been the object of a few light-hearted jokes lately. The jokes, mostly from parents, revolve around his ability to tell time. Doesnt he know practice is supposed to be finished before 9 p.m.? The reason were going longer is we made a deal going into the summer that if a majority of the older players showed up and did what they were supposed to do, wed practice only once a day, Chandler said. The deal was they didnt know it was going to be this long, he said with a laugh. The longer practices are all part of Coosas new image. Were trying to change the perception of Coosa football and the attitude, Chandler said. Were trying to get them to realize were going to be aggressive on offense and defense and be an attacking style of football team. On Wednesday the Eagles, in basically full pads, attacked each other with a vengeance until past sundown. Thats the kind of attitude Chandler hopes to make a Coosa staple this year. Were trying to change the perception to yes we are a winning team, he said. And that we are going to win some games and we can win. That can be a chore. Chandler began helping the team become better early in the summer, when he put them in the weight room and on the track to get a head start. Weve put them through some pretty strenuous work, he said. Were trying to convince them they can push themselves farther than they might think. Chandler said he hopes the new attitude will be adopted as easily as the new offensive and defensive schemes have been. If we can play hard and eliminate mistakes, well be OK, he said. Well win more than we lose. Winning more is only one of Chandlers goals for the upcoming season. He, like every coach, wants it all. Right now we want to win the county championship, he said. Our next goal is a winning season and then making the playoffs. The next one would be finishing first or second in the region and then go from there. The first step begins on Aug. 30 when the Eagles take on Cherokee County (Ala.) in the seasons first game.
To View the 2002 Eagle Football Roster Click Here.
Coosa Slays Dragons
| |  | | Coosa's FIfe upends Pilgrim/Keven Qualls, RNT |
08/23/02
Erik Green, Rome News-Tribune Sports Writer
In the anticipated battle of the defenses, Coosa High had the edge, if only slightly. On Friday the Eagles beat visiting Pepperell High 7-0 in the final football scrimmage of the year for both teams. Im really pleased with the way our kids played tonight, said Scott Chandler, Coosas first-year coach. At the first of the game we were tentative like we werent supposed to play against them, but as the game went on we proved we could play with them. The teams played a 36-minute scrimmage, made up of three quarters. The varsity squads played the first and third quarters and the junior varsity team played the second quarter. Neither team was able to get much done offensively in the first quarter and the game remained scoreless until the junior varsity kids came in during the second period. Coosas junior varsity scored on a 55-yard touchdown by Matt Staples, but the points didnt count in the game, so when the varsity squads returned in the third it was still scoreless. Coosa began mounting a solid drive early in the third quarter and in just five plays the Eagles were in the red zone. From there Coosas Chris Fife took a handoff from quarterback Blue Cooper and raced 20 yards for a touchdown with 1:28 to go. After the extra point by Michael Karakos the Eagles led 7-0. Blue hung in there pretty well, Chandler said of his untested sophomore quarterback. And what can you say about Fife. When you get him the ball, good things happen. Pepperell threatened two possessions later and with less than two minutes to play the Dragons were closing in on Coosas side of the field. But the Dragons turned the ball over on downs a few plays later, ending their hopes. Coosa did a good job and their kids played really enthusiastically, Pepperell coach Lynn Hunnicutt said. You can tell theyre real excited and for some reason I havent been able to turn that on for us. Weve got to bounce back and respond, Hunnicutt added. Weve got a tough opening game. Pepperell opens its season against Rome in Lindale Friday and Coosa is on the road against Cherokee County, Ala., Friday.
Coosa Heads West, Rome-News Tribune Article
Eagles Defeat Cherokee County, Rome News-Trib.
Erik Green, Rome News-Tribune Sports Writer
CENTRE, Ala. The deuce was loose in cotton country. Coosa Highs Chris Fife rushed for 258 yards and five touchdowns to lead the visiting Eagles to a 46-25 win over Cherokee County Friday night in the first football game of the year for both schools. Im glad he was loose, said Coosa coach Scott Chandler, who was coaching his first game as the Eagles coach Friday. Hes incredible. ... Fifes got a lot of relatives over here and he came out to have a good game and he did. Fife was the winner in the battle of relatives. His younger cousin Maurice Dupree, a Cherokee County wide receiver/running back had more than 50 yards on the ground but failed to compare to his kin from Coosa. They are two great players, Chandler said, but Fife was ready for this one. Fifes night consisted of multiple long runs and a handful of short gains. His first big break came on Coosas first drive with the Eagles trailing 6-0. Fife took a pitch from quarterback Blue Cooper and raced around the end for 17 yards, but two plays later Coosa turned the ball over to the Warriors. On the Eagles next possession the Coosa machine began to emerge. On the second play from scrimmage Fife took a handoff on the Eagles 14-yard line and raced 26 yards to give Coosa a first down. Fife and running back Patrick Dupree took turns carrying the ball over the next few minutes. On a second down and three situation, with the Eagles on the Cherokee County 41, Dupree took a handoff and raced down to the 10-yard line. Coosa subsequently tied the game two plays later on the first of Fifes touchdowns. The extra point failed and the game remained tied with 10:16 to go in the second period. Centre fumbled on its next possession and the Eagles took over on the Warriors 35. Coosas Adrian Marks then marched down the field on a 32-yard run and Fife took it in from a few yards out on the next play. The extra point was good and Coosa led 13-6. The Warriors again fumbled on their next possession they turned the ball over six times in all and the Eagles recovered the ball on their own 35. In four plays, including two runs totaling 61 yards by Fife, the Eagles put another touchdown on the board. The extra point failed but Coosa led 19-6 with 5:27 to go in the half. As if on cue, the Warriors fumbled on their fifth play from scrimmage during their next possession and the Eagles took over on their own 44. Coosa couldnt capitalize on the turnover and punted after six plays. Centre made the best of the situation and punched in a touchdown after two plays, including a 75-yard pass from quarterback Skylar Ray. With 5.7 to play in the half Coosa led 19-12. After the half the teams swapped touchdowns on the next four possessions. And with 6:26 to play in the third Coosa held a slim 33-25 lead. But it was all Eagles from there. Coosa scored with 9:48 and 3:53 to go to extend their lead to the final margin. I dont think I can take many more like this, Chandler said. I thought I was at a track meet for a while, with one team scoring and then the other one. Weve got to get pressure on people who throw the ball. We didnt get pressure on them. Coosa rushed for 437 yards on 37 carries and none through the air. In fact, Cooper threw only one pass all night and it was incomplete. Coosa takes next week off before returning to action Sept. 13 hosting Trion.
Eagles defeat Cherokee County/Gadsden Times
CENTRE - Coosa, Ga., blasted Cherokee County, 46-25, Friday night in high school football action.
Coosa running ...
Eagles Win Battle of the Border !
Eagles to Face Trion
Coach Scott Chandler and Coach Mark Loudermilk are both new faces on the campuses of their respective schools, however, the similarities of circumstance end there. The Georgia Varsity Sports Vent staff, not the no-lifers who post baseless comments on the message boards, but the "trained" staff, has assigned a power ranking of 60.32 to Loudermilk's Trion Bulldogs, making them the 7th ranked (A) team in Georgia. This may be accurate but the coaching staff at Coosa is not concerned with their own power ranking of 47.09, placing them 38th in (AA).
" Those rankings are all well and good for people who have time to crunch numbers. We prefer to spend our time preparing for next week's win", stated Coach Randy Vice, Sports Information Director and long time staff member. The Eagles actually would have recieved approx. 10 more points had they played a Georgia opponent instead of neighboring Cherokee County, AL. "We respect all that Coach Loudermilk has accomplished so far at Trion and know that we have our work cut out for us. However, our kids have risen to the occasion for Coach Chandler in both of our pre-season scrimmages and in our first game..We'll be ready"
Trion travels to Coosa Friday night with the kickoff at 7:30 p.m.. Both schools are pouring in the crowds so all fans are encouraged to arrive early.
Trion defeats the Eagles
09/14/02
Jim O'Hara, Rome News-Tribune Sports Writer
Trion stuck to its plan.
Thats what the Trion High football team wanted when the Bulldogs visited the Coosa Eagles here for a non-region clash Friday night. Thats what they got. Thanks to three huge drives that ate up yards, ran time off the clock and, more important, kept the ball away from an explosive Coosa offense, Trion ran its record to 3-0 when the Bulldogs picked up a 21-19 win over the Eagles. We knew coming into the game that we had to keep their offense off the field if we wanted a chance, Trion coach Mark Loudermilk said after the victory, and the coaching staff came up with a great game plan to do that. If you control the football, he added, you have a chance to win any ballgame and tonight our line made the holes for the backs and the backs took advantage of them. By the time the soggy contest had ended, Trion had run the ball 58 times in 64 snaps for 266 rushing yards. We knew that theyd come at us to try to keep the ball from us, Coosa coach Scott Chandler said after watching the Eagles drop to 1-1 on the season. But we could never get the ball back. We got out-coached in almost every phase of the game, he pointed out, and that starts with the head coach, and the kids almost pulled it out despite the poor job the head coach did. Trion went to work with its first long drive the first time the Bulldogs touched the ball, using more than 7½ minutes of the first period to march 78 yards on 16 plays to grab the lead when Jarin Blevins scoring from three yards out. Yabani Mejia added the first of three extra points. But the Eagles wasted little time to answer on their next series. After taking the ensuing kickoff at their own 47, the Eagles caught Trion overpursuing on the third snap from scrimmage when Adrian Marks broke free up the sideline for a 45-yard scoring run. A botched extra point which would come back to haunt the Eagles allowed Trion to hang on to the 7-6 lead that stood at the half. The Bulldogs shortest scoring series came at the start of the second half when they marched 79 yards on just eight plays with Chapman scoring from 2 yards out to give his team a 14-6 advantage. A long kickoff return by Patrick Dupree after the Trion score gave Coosa the ball at the Bulldogs 44 and this time the Eagles converted when Chris Fife capped a nine-play march with a 3-yard touchdown with 4:47 left in the quarter to pull his team to within two, 14-12. Thats when the Trion ground machine reloaded as the Bulldogs came up with a 19-play, 75-yard march that was capped by a 1-yard TD by Chapman. A 65-yard touchdown run by Fife and the extra point by Michael Karakos brought Coosa to within two again with 3:38 remaining, but the Eagles were unable to get the ball back as Trion held on to the ball the rest of the way to seal the win.
Coosa v. Rockmart...Rome News-Tribune
| |  | | Photo: Ryan Smith, Rome News-Tribune |
Erik Green, Rome News-Tribune Sports Writer
Rockmarts Danny Ware is big and strong. Coosas Chris Fife is small and shifty. Both are Division I prospects and both are being counted on to lead their teams to victory Friday night. When Rockmart and Coosa meet in the first Region 6-AA game of the year for both teams Friday night, all eyes will be on the respective backfields. Danny Ware is the real deal, said Coosa coach Scott Chandler. Hes a 6-foot-1, 215-pound Fife. Well have our hands full trying to tie him up. Now, about Fife. Hes an extremely good runner, Rockmart coach Dann Duff said of the Eagles back. And hes got good players surrounding him. They play well together. Theyre hungry and coached well so it will be a good game. Both teams are hoping it will be a good game, because, basically, they both need good games. Coosa is 1-1, after losing to Trion last week in a battle of the backs and Rockmart is 0-2, after losing an extremely odd overtime game to Villa Rica last week. But in region play, which is what actually matters in the end, they are even at 0-0. Weve been trying to fix ourselves after last week, Chandler said. After we were not able to stop the run against Trion weve really been trying to see where we need to be on certain plays and worrying about ourselves. Chandler knows this weeks test at stopping the run will be no easy task, considering Wares potential to bust a game wide open, despite Rockmarts rocky start. Theyve played some good teams and theyve had some stiff competition, Chandler said of Rockmart. And Im sure theyre tired of being on short end. I just hope that we can bounce back. On the other side, Chandler said he felt like Trion did a solid job of containing the Coosa backs last week and he hopes his running game will be able to bounce back this week. Fife and Patrick Dupree are the two guys we go to and were still going to try to run the ball and hopefully have success, he said. Chandler still hopes to incorporate passing into the game plan, he said, but knows the running game is still Coosas best bet. Duff feels the same. Were not a team thats going to pass 50 times a game, Duff said. We are a running team but weve got to throw the high percentage passes. Duff also knows his star running back is the key to his offense. Our strongest asset is a Division I kid like Ware, he said. Hes got to be able to run and make things happen. After last weeks 1-0 overtime loss to Villa Rica, which the Wildcats won because they gained more field position in the extra quarter, Duff said he was glad to get into region play with the experience of that game under his belt. I wanted to do the overtime, because I had not been in an overtime game in about 12 years and wanted to experience it, he said. I wanted the kids to experience it as well, because if it happens in region play they will be ready. A tie is fine but I wanted to win it. This area is a great area and the rivalries around here are great, Duff added. Any team in this area is fun to play. Weve got to play our best game against Coosa. Rockmart travels to Coosa for a 7:30 p.m. showdown with the Eagles Friday.
 | |
Eagles Defeat Rockmart
Orbine Thaxton, Rome News-Tribune Sports Writer
Thanks to a fast start, the Coosa High Eagles returned to the win column Friday night when they handed the Rockmart Yellow Jackets a 14-13 Region 6-AA defeat. Coosa coach Scott Chandler was quick to admit that scoring two touchdowns during the first two minutes was the difference in the game that improves the Eagles to 2-1 overall and 1-0 in the region, but he also pointed out that the win came thanks to some heads-up plays and a belief in the team concept. We were tough when we had to be and played hard throughout the game, Chandler said. In reality, the Coosa coach was talking about the opening two minutes of action that began when the Eagles recovered the ball on the opening kickoff at Rockmarts 10. Two plays later, Coosas Patrick Dupree raced two yards for six points, providing the Eagles with the lead for the entire game. Dupree worked his way eight yards from the Rockmart 10, then bulled his way to paydirt for the tally. Michael Karakos lifted the ball over the crossbars for the extra point. On Rockmarts next possession, the Eagles recovered a fumble at the Rockmart 25 allowing the Eagles a shot at a second score when Chris Fife raced 28-yards for the score and gave Coosa a 13-0 lead. Karakos lifted the ball through the crossbars for a 14-0 Coosa lead with over 10 minutes remaining in the period. At the time, it appeared that Coosa was working on a runaway contest, but Rockmart didnt give up, scoring on its next two possessions. With the clock showing 7:42 in the first period, Rockmart came up with a touchdown when Danny Ware raced 22-yards for six points and Joey Ellington followed with an extra point. Just before the half ended, Rockmart managed a second touchdown. The Jackets (0-3, 0-1) recovered a fumble at the Coosa 37, thenwith Ware raced 31 yards to the six yard line. With nine seconds left in the half, Ray Overton fired a pass to Brad Wilson in the end zone cutting the score to 14-13. We told our youngsters that we had to hit (Ware), and we managed to keep him down, but it was a team effort and showed that we could work against good teams, if we set our minds to it, Chandler said. During the second half of play, with the rain falling much harder, offense came to a near standstill in the final 24 minutes of action. Im real proud of our players. They turned in an excellent performances and made the plays when they had to. It makes Coosa will be you real proud because they knew what we had to do and did it, Chandler said. Dupree was the leading rusher for the Eagles with a total of 111 yards on 23 carries, while Fife had 66 yards on 13 carries. For the Jackets, Ware gained 66 yards on 24 carries. Coosa will be involved in the annual Shrine Game against Armuchee at Barron Stadium next Saturday night, while Rockmart return home to host the Darlington Tigers.
 | |
Coosa to Face Armuchee in Annual Shrine Game
The Coosa High School Eagles will face the Armuchee Indians in the Annual Shrine Game in Barron Stadium. The proceeds from this game will go to the Rome Shrine Club where it will be used exclusively to help local crippled and burned children. The Eagles are proud to participate in this event and salute the men of the Shrine for providing this excellent opportunity for our young men to be made aware of the needs for service which exist in our community.
Shriners Help Local Children
Click this Link to View how the Shriners in your local community serve our children.
Annual Shrine Game counts on big payoff
| |  | | William T. Martin / Rome News-Tribune |
09/26/02
Erik Green, Rome News-Tribune Sports Writer
In the Photo to the right...
Armuchee coach Garvin Edwards, senior David Bryan, Rome Shrine Club president Don Baker, senior Chris Fife and Coosa coach Scott Chandler at the Shrine dinner.
Coosa and Armuchee High Schools will be playing for more than bragging rights in Saturday nights 54th annual Shrine Game at Barron Stadium. They will be helping to give crippled and severely burned children in Rome and Floyd County the opportunity to receive appropriate medical care through the Shriners hospitals. Seeing the results of what we do with this game and the kids weve helped is the best (part of it), said Jerry Collins, a long-time member of the Shrine Club. Our club makes a big impact and our reputation follows us around the United States. All the proceeds from the Shrine Game will go toward helping the club care for and transport children to Shriners hospitals nationwide. The money will help people like Collins, who was left paralyzed as a child after being stricken with polio. He was one of the first children the Shrine Club in Rome helped and he is now a funny hat wearing member of the organization. I had polio at age five
. and the Shriners would come to the hospital to entertain us, Collins said. Seeing what all the Shriners did made me want to be a part of it. The Shrine game has a long and celebrated history in Rome, dating back to 1948 when Notre Dame (Tenn.) defeated Darlington 20-13 in the inaugural game. Every year since then the Shriners have sponsored the game, which has raised more than $1 million, Collins said before a dinner the club gave Wednesday night at Red Lobster for the teams coaches and seniors. Its obvious the good things this organization does in the community and all the money goes to caring for those kids with special needs, said Garvin Edwards, Armuchees coach. And were fortunate to be associated with it and do our part. Saturdays game will be the third meeting between Coosa and Armuchee since the two teams became involved in 2000. Coosa has played in the game since 1994 and Armuchee came on board two years ago. Coosa has won both of those games. Its a great game, Edwards said. Its something that the whole town buys into and so many people have been touched by the benefits of this game. Both schools coaches said they were excited about playing in the game because they know how important it is to the community. We feel real fortunate to be involved with the things the Shriners do for the kids whose parents cant afford medical attention, said Coosa coach Scott Chandler. I think there will be a big crowd there and were hoping there will be a big turn out.
Eagles Fly at Shrine Game
David Dawson, Rome News-Tribune Sports Writer
In the Photograph>>>Armuchees Branon Hight (right) is unable to shake off Coosas defense Saturday night. William T. Martin / Rome News-Tribune
There was a time when the Shrine Game was like a funeral dirge for the Coosa High football program. But lately, the annual contest has turned into a full-scale party for the Eagles. Chris Fife rolled up more than 250 all-purpose yards Saturday night as the Eagles won the Shrine Game for the third straight year with a 26-8 victory over Armuchee. Coosa which lost six consecutive Shrine Games from 1994 through 99 by a cumulative score of 292-49 was in charge of this years installment from start to finish. The Eagles (3-1, 2-0 in Region 6-AA) rolled up 251 rushing yards, including 147 by Fife. Fullback Patrick Dupree added 62 yards on six carries and Michael Karakos had 32 yards on four attempts. But while the ground attack was impressive, Coosas ultimate weapon was the big play. The list included a 51-yard scoring run by Dupree in the first quarter, followed by two game-breaking plays by Fife an 85-yard TD run in the second quarter and a 77-yard touchdown punt return in the foCoosas Chris Fife finds himself all alone on the way to an 85-yard touchdown in the second quarter. William T. Martin / Rome News-Tribune
urth. At any time (Fife) can take the ball and score, said Coosa coach Scott Chandler after his team won the 54th edition of the Shrine Game, and its a nice luxury to have. Combined, the three scoring plays accounted for 213 yards of offensive output for Coosa. We knew Coosa had a lot of speed and athleticism and obviously we didnt shut it down, said Armuchee coach Garvin Edwards. Subtract those three plays and Armuchee sure wishes they could do that and the contest was rather evenly-played, with the Indians producing their best game of the season. We did some good things and made some improvements, but still have a ways to go, said Edwards. Quarterback Paul Lynch had a terrific night, completing 12-of-14 passes for 102 yards. He capped his night with a 10-yard scoring strike to Trey Rickman late in the fourth quarter, which represented Armuchees first points of the season. Lynchs favorite target was Cody Everett, who caught four passes for 49 yards. Scott Terry had three catches for 26 yards, and Rickman had three receptions for 17. But while Armuchee was productive through the air, the Indians were simply unable to establish any semblance of a running game against a dominating Coosa defense. For the game, the Eagles held Armuchee to just 68 rushing yards on 30 attempts an average of 2.3 yards per attempt and forced the Indians to punt the ball on nine of their 10 offensive possessions. Karakos was the stabilizing force for the Eagles defense, as he wrapped up a handful of tackles in each of the first three quarters. He also delivered yet another big play for the Eagles when he blocked a punt in the first quarter to set up Coosas second TD of the night. Overall, it was another crisp performance by the Eagles, who are quickly developing into the dangerous team that the Coosa community was anticipating. Were coming along and hopefully we can keep it up, Chandler said. (This) game is a tribute to our players and coaches. I just cant tell you how proud I am of them. Armuchee plays at Darlington next Friday night, while the Eagles get a week off before hosting Darlington on Oct. 11.
Eagles Take on Tigers at Homecoming
| |  | | Fife Runs over Darlington Player |
By Alfredo Astaniz, Floyd County Gazette
Friday night, October 11 promises to be a night to remember for the Homecoming Crowd at Coosa High School. The Eagles, 3-1 are coming off a Shrine Bowl victory over Armuchee in which thousands were raised for crippled children, will be hosting the 3-1 Darlington Tigers who are also coming off a big win against Armuchee in which thousands were raised for Darlington Athletics. The Tigers, known for their unorthodox laid back style will be facing a well disciplined Coosa Squad under the leadership of new head coach Scott Chandler. Chris Fife, the number one rated running back in North Georgia leads a running assault that is rolling up touchdowns right and left for Coosa. Patrick Dupree, Adrian Marks, and Michael Karakos add balance to the running game and plan on amassing more yards this week at home. For Darlington, Junior Will Foss leads a charge that tends to be successful in spite of its inconsistent execution. The Tigers hope to ruin Coosas Homecoming with a combination of speed, luck, and questionable calls. Darlington is the Greg Maddox of High School Football stated Allesandra Aljendro Alvarez, a longtime resident of the North Rome neighborhood which Darlington calls home. Those boys tend to get the outside corner if you know what I mean. Stated Alvarez. Coosa custodial engineer Clyde Moore commented I have no idea how the game is going, Who are they playing? The first shots have been fired across the bow, now its time to prepare for the war .
Darlington v. Coosa, Rome-News Article
Coosa socks it to Darlington, a Homecoming to Remember
| |  | | Fife Tackes Tiger Runningback William T. Martin / Rome News-Tribune | | view full size |
Erik Green, Rome News-Tribune Sports Writer
Coosa coach Scott Chandler told his top running back Chris Fife early in the week that he needed to be on top of his game against Darlington. He was. Fife carried the ball 25 times for 221 yards, ran for four touchdowns and passed for another, in the Eagles 49-29 win over visiting Darlington Friday in a Region 6-AA clash. He (Fife) was upset last week because he didnt get the ball enough against Armuchee, Chandler said. I said son it aint going to be that way this week, youre going to carry it. As a team the Eagles rushed for 347 yards on 47 attempts and gained 67 yards through the air, something that they have not done all year. Sophomore quarterback Blue Cooper, receiver Adrian Marks and running back Patrick Dupree accounted for the rest of the Eagles yards and points. Blue was unbelievable tonight, Chandler said. The thing about him is being as young as he is he doesnt get rattled. He came out and played a great game. The Coosa defense allowed 121 yards on the ground and 132 through the air, but the offense managed to carry the load for the Eagles (4-1, 3-0). Even though the Coosa offense played the biggest part in the win, it was the defense that got things going. On their first possession of the night the Eagles fumbled on the Darlington 1-yard line and the Tigers recovered. But on Darlingtons first play from scrimmage the Eagle defense stuffed the Tigers for a safety. It took Coosa only four plays to tack on their first touchdown on a halfback pass from Fife to Marks. After a Michael Karakos extra point Coosa led 9-0. But it was Darlingtons turn to come up big on defense. Darlingtons John Chumbler picked off a Cooper pass and ran it back for a touchdown. And just like that, the Tigers were only trailing by a couple of points. Coosa countered with an 11-play drive, capped off by a Dupree touchdown from 4- yards out. Cooper connected with Demetrius Roberson for a two-point conversion to give Coosa a 17-7 advantage. Darlington bounced back with 1:33 left in the half on a 9-yard run by quarterback Lawton Wilson and after the PAT, the difference was only three. But whatever Chandler told his troops at half time worked, because the Eagles came out and scored on their next two possessions, which were both Fife runs, and owned a 30-14 lead midway through third the period. Darlington was not out, however. With 7.2 seconds left in the third, Wilson found Will Foss for a 38 yard touchdown strike and after a two point conversion Coosas lead was only 30-22. Fife increased the Coosa lead again on the Eagles next possession when he took a Cooper handoff and ran it in for a four yard TD. The kick failed, but the Eagles were on top 36-22. Coosa got the ball back five plays into Darlingtons next series on an interception by Trae Martin. Five plays later Cooper called his own number and scored from a yard out. After the Karakos PAT, the Coosa lead was 43-22. The Tigers proceeded to mount a 12 play drive, capped by a Chantz McClinc touchdown to cut the Coosa lead to 43-29. But once again it was Fifes turn to throw a jab. On Coosas second play from scrimmage, Fife took the ball and raced 48 yards unscathed for Coosas seventh touchdown of the night. It was nip and tuck there for a while but we managed to score some points and get ahead of them, Chandler said. I cant tell you how proud I am of our players and coaches and they way we competed. With the win, Coosa now has sole possession of second place in the region with three wins and no losses. Darlington moved into fifth place at 4-2, 2-2. I thought we came out flat and they got up on us in a hurry, said Tommy Atha, Darlingtons coach. We were able to battle back and make plays, but we couldnt make them when we had to make them and we never battled back into the game.
Kicking/Blocking Game brings Eagles loss to Chattooga
The Eagles had victory in their grasp Friday night in Summerville after Adrian Marks sprinted 87 yards after recovering a fumble by Chattooga. The snap was good, the hold was good, but the kick was reminiscent of the "cotton ball kick" on the old vibrating NFL tabletop game. With a 13 point deficit, Chattooga was encouraged to go for two on both of their touchdowns to keep the Eagles playing defense. Karakos missed his next kick which would have definitely scored on a soccer penalty kick in the bottom portion of the goal. However, the cheers for the touchdown were drowned out by cheers of "we want Roy" from the Eagle faithful referring to Eagle backup kicker Roy Burkhalter. Eagles lack of backfield and line blocking also contributed to the lack of offense. Coosa fell to 3rd in the Region with this 22-19 loss.
Eagles Struggle but Overcome against Model
Andrew Jenkins, Rome News-Tribune Sports Writer
The Eagles may not have soared, but they did claim victory ...
Coosa Plays Adairsville for 2nd Spot
Erik Green, Rome News-Tribune Sports Writer
Respond to this story
The winner stays No. 2, while the loser could possibly miss the playoffs. The end. Thats the story, in a nutshell, of tonights game between Coosa and the homestanding Adairsville Tigers. The Eagles and Tigers are currently deadlocked for the second spot in Region 6-AA with 4-1 region records and both need to win this game in the worst way. It has major implications, no question, said Scott Chandler, Coosas coach. Its real important. The team that wins tonight will remain No. 2, while the loser would be in a tie for third with Chattooga (idle this week) and possibly Darlington, depending on how the Tigers the purple variety fair against Model tonight. Calhoun remains unbeaten and has a firm hold on the No. 1 spot. With those statistics in mind, both Coosa and Adairsville know how vital tonights game is to their playoff hopes. It is a big football game for us to go to the places we want to go, said Johnny Gulledge. Its the biggest game weve played up to this point. Its perhaps tragic to consider the fact that there is a chance that either Coosa or Adairsville could miss the playoffs and have winning records. But it could happen. After tonight Coosa (5-2, 4-1) still has Dade County (1-6, 1-4) and Calhoun (7-0, 5-0) left to play, while Adairsville (4-2-1, 4-1) has Darlington (5-2, 3-2) and Chattooga (6-2, 4-2) remaining. If Coosa wins, then Adairsville would probably have to win out to make the post season. Ive got to win one of the three to finish fourth, Gulledge said. Thats assuming Coosa gets beat by Calhoun. Meanwhile, Darlington has Adair-sville and Dade remaining after tonight, so their schedule could work to their benefit by the end of the season. To add another stick into the spokes, Coosa still has a chance at the No. 1 spot if they win out and beat Calhoun. And while that scenario seems hardly plausible, it is possible. However, before that is even to be considered, the Eagles must get past Adairsville. Were going to try to turn the intensity up against them, Chandler said. Weve struggled with our level of play over the last two weeks and if weve got that figured out, well find out for sure (tonight). In order to get past Adairsville, Coosa has to stop its punishing running game. Ashley McConnell and Eddie Evans pace an Adairsville backfield that has developed into one of the areas most explosive. Evans is not the tallest or quickest back, but hes impressively dangerous once he gets a head full of steam and has rushed for more than 640 yards and five touchdowns. They line up and give it to him (Evans), Chandler said. And if you ever stop him, they give it to McConnell. Theyve got three or four guys bigger than anybody on our team running the ball. On the other side of the spectrum, Coosa features more of a finesse game in the backfield with Patrick Dupree and Chris Fife, the areas second leading rusher with 1,083 yards and 13 touchdowns. Even though Chandler likes the style of offense the Eagles run, he said he never likes playing against a size and power oriented offense like Adairsvilles. If Im the size guy I dont mind it, Chandler joked. Were going to have to play about a perfect game to have a chance against them. Defensively, the Eagles have made a few tweaks to their scheme in hopes of controlling the line of scrimmage and limiting the number of yards Adairsvilles big backs gain. Were going to have to play mistake free and have a few breaks, Chandler said.
Adairsville Defeats Coosa
Erik Green, Rome News-Tribune Sports Writer
ADAIRSVILLE Coosa coach Scott Chandler went to a football game and low and behold a Japanese sci-fi movie broke out. At least it seemed that way after Adairsvilles Eddie Evans and Ashley McConnell torched and devoured the Eagles in the Tigers 34-20 win. Its bad enough when Coosa has to go against Godzilla by himself, but he had his brother with him, Chandler said of Adairsvilles big backs. It was two Godzillas we had to stop and I didnt think we could stop them. Evans and McConnell, along with Drew Elrod, Herod Moore and Brock Pyle accounted for 272 rushing yards on 49 carries to lead the Tigers to a win and sole possession of second place in Region 6-AA. It was also the second time this year that a team came back from a two-touchdown deficit to beat the Eagles. Coosa seemed to be walking away with a win early in the game after Chris Fife scored on the Eagles first possession and Patrick Dupree added another score off a 44 yard jaunt on possession two. But Adairsville had other plans. After Coosas second touchdown, Adairsvilles Cody Witt took the kickoff 84 yards for a touchdown. And after Blake Scoggins kick, the Tigers trailed 12-7. Elrod continued the comeback with an 8 yard run on the Tigers next possession to give them the lead and they never let it go. We jump out to a quick lead
and we dont know how to handle quick success, but some of these days we will, Chandler said. Weve got to work on it. Adairsville padded its lead with about 20 seconds to go in the first half when Moore, who shared quarterback duties with Elrod, ran in for a 1 yard TD. After Scoggins kick, the Tigers led 21-12. On the ensuing kickoff, Fife raced the length of the field for what seemed to be a touchdown, but it was called back on a clipping penalty. Adairsville looked to close the door on the win on its first possession of the third period when McConnell took his turn in the end zone from 2 yards out. But Coosa was not finished. On the Eagles next drive, Fife hit Chris McGill on an 11-yard pass for a touchdown and Adrian Marks ran in the two-point conversion, putting Coosa back within seven. On the ensuing drive Adairsville sealed the deal with a 12-play drive, capped by an Evans TD with about six minutes left in the game. I was so proud of our kids, said Johnny Gulledge, Adairsvilles coach. When Coosa made it 27-20 our kids didnt bat an eye
we just gave them a dose of Eddie and our quarterbacks did a good job running the option. Unfortunately for Coosa (5-3, 4-2) the dose of Eddie lasted all night. Evans finished the game with 101 yards on 15 carries and McConnell had 60 yards for Adairsville (5-2-1, 5-1), which travels to Darlington Friday. Fife ran for 70 yards and Dupree had 94 yards for Coosa, which hosts Dade County next week. In the region picture, Calhoun remains No. 1 after surviving a scare from Rockmart Friday night. Chattooga, Darlington and Coosa are all tied for third with 4-2 records. Of those three teams Chattooga has a win over Coosa and a loss to Darlington. Darlington has a win against Chattooga and a loss to Coosa and Coosa has a win over Darlington and a loss to Chattooga, which means there could be a mini-playoff to see how the final post season seedings will be set. Both Chattooga and Darlington have wins against other Class AA teams, however, Darlington can wrap up the fourth spot if they win out. However, Darlingtons other Class AA win was against Walker, which is playing a non-region schedule. And since Coosa won that game heads up, they would be most likely the No. 4 seed.
Coosa to Face Dade Key Region Battle
This week Coosa and Dade square off in what could be the most important game of the year for the Eagles. If the Eagles win Friday night at home against Dade, playoff chances look really strong for the Eagles. Chris FIfe, Patrick Dupree, Cody Robinson, and Trae Martin will all need to have stellar games for the Eagles to come on top Friday night. Kickoff is at 7:30 in Eagle Stadium.
Coosa Makes Playoffs for the First Time since 1993
Andrew Jenkins, Rome News-Tribune Sports Writer
The Coosa High School Eagles soared into the state playoffs Friday night as they beat the Dade County Wolverines 14-13.
The Eagles fans spent most of the game paying just as much attention to the Adairsville-Darlington game as they did the action on the field. Coosa needed a win from Adairsville to stay alive and in playoff contention or else they would be forced to win on the road next week and hope for other key losses.
Before any playoff puzzles could be put together, the Eagles first had to solve the Dade County defense. They went at it on the ground with their trio of running backs and the occasional pass from quarterback Blue Cooper.
The game began with both offenses trying to find the elusive first down marker as both teams went three and out on their first two possessions. Cooper was knocked out of the game temporarily after receiving a 5-yard pass from halfback Chris Fife and being tackled hard.
Coosas third drive was the first to find the end zone on an eight yard run from Patrick Dupree. Adrian Mask punched the ball in for the two-point conversion.
The Eagle defense kept the pressure on the Wolverines, who just couldnt get into a rhythm gaining only 45 yards in the first half. The Eagles offense also struggled as Cooper remained on the sideline for two series in which Coosa gained only two total yards.
Cooper charged back onto the field for the Eagles next possession, which started at their own four-yard line. After four running plays totaling 28 yards, Cooper launched a pass over the middle connecting with Fife for 68 yards and the touchdown with 21 seconds left in the half.
The two-point conversion attempt failed, but the Eagles took a 14-0 lead into the half.
The third frame was a different story as the Wolverines came out inspired and ready to pound away at the smaller Coosa defense. Their first drive started at the Coosa 14-yard line after a botched punt attempt, and two plays later Barry Case found the end zone for Dade Countys first score on the night.
After another 62-yard drive, 36 yards of which were all Case, the Wolverines were an extra point away from tying the game and making this one a tale of two halves. But the kick sailed wide left leaving the Wolverines down one with the fourth quarter still to come.
The final frame began with Dade trying to move the ball in the air but they were stopped by a huge sack from Michael Karakos causing the Wolverines to punt.
The Eagles started their next drive on the Dade 41-yard line. Three plays later the game took a twist.
After a five-yard facemask penalty on the Wolverines sideline, the Dade coaches exploded, yelling at the officials. The bench was assessed two unsportsman like conduct penalties and two Dade County coaches were ejected from the game and sent to the locker room.
The Eagles then found themselves on the Dade 10-yard line with a fresh set of downs. However, the Eagles soon knocked themselves out of range with 25 yards worth of penalties and handed the ball back to Dade with 55 seconds left in the game.
Those who were left on the Dade sideline decided to give the ball to freshman quarterback Jacob Case and see what he could do.
The freshman did not disappoint chunking the ball down the field going 2 for 5 for 62 yards. The Wolverines were also helped by a pass interference call on the Eagles.
With ten seconds left on the clock the Wolverines decided to go for a field goal and the win on third down, about the same time Adairsville claimed victory over Darlington.
Coosas Bobby Ferguson had other plans for the Wolverines, blocking the kick and allowing his teammates to cover it in the end zone for the touchback holding on to the lead and the Eagles hopes for the playoffs.
You can say were lucky to get out of here with this one, said Coosas head coach Scott Chandler after the game. But there is a difference between a win and a loss, and we got a win tonight, said Chandler.
Directions to Playoff Game against Morgan County.
Crippled Eagles fall To Calhoun after "Timely Delay"
Eagles Gain New Life, Head for Playoffs
|  | | Photo by T. Martin, Rome N-T | |
Erik Green, Rome News-Tribune Sports Writer
For the first time in more than a decade, the Coosa Eagles will be dusting their feet off on the playoff welcome mat. The Eagles (6-4, 5-3) secured the fourth playoff spot in Region 6-AA and are the first Coosa football team in 15 years with a winning record to make it to the playoffs.
I think everybody is excited; I hope the kids are, Coosa coach Scott Chandler said. The coaching staff is very excited and pleased with what weve accomplished. We wish we could have played better in a few games, but we did what we had to do to get in.
Calhoun, Adairsville and Chattooga will also represent Region 6-AA, while Pepperell, Cedartown, Trion and Rome are in the playoffs in their respective classifications. But as far as postseason traditions go, Coosa is the new kid on the block, in football anyway.
However, playoffs are nothing new for the Coosa coaching staff.
Chandler helped coach a few playoff teams at Wayne County High and defensive coordinator Josh Lowe was a coach on two state championship teams.
Assistant coaches Larry Bing, Preston Cash and James Rowe also have some postseason experience, so even though the playoffs are not unexplored territory for some, its still a new experience for the Coosa faithful.
Hopefully we can build on this, get some more kids out and get some people excited about football, Chandler said. Its a one-game season every game you play from here on out and hopefully we can play up to potential. The Eagles start their playoff journey on the road Friday against 7-AAs top seed, No. 10-ranked Morgan County (8-2, 7-0).
Eagles Finish Season in Morgan County
| | | | Photo by T.Martin Rome NT |
The second part of this article was taken from the Rome News-Tribune. Congratulations to the Coosa Eagles for a great season that provided much joy and excitement to all of the Coosa High School Fans, Students, Faculty, and Staff. Congratulations to each of the young men who made up this years team as well as the coaches and managers under the leadership of Coach Scott Chandler. Also, congratulations are in order to the Coosa Community for the support provided through the booster club and through game attendance. Special congratulations are also in order for Coach Preston Cash who served as offensive coordinator this year and coached the senior players through 3 seasons in middle school and served as interim head coach last year.
This Years Seniors are: Frankie Usry, Cody Robinson,Joseph Hines, Michael Karakos, Kerry Steele, Demetrius Roberson, Adrian Marks, Chris McGill, Chris Fife, and Joey Alexander.
ROME NEWS-TRIBUNE ARTICLE
Staff Reports
The Coosas Eagles, playing in their first playoff game in 15 years, lost to Region 7-AA champ Morgan County 24-0 Friday in the opening round of the Class AA state playoffs.
After a scoreless first quarter, Morgan took a 7-0 lead on a 27-yard pass from Chase Crowley to Emmanuel Drake.
Morgans Richard Chamberlins 22-yard TD in the third quarter added to the lead and Dustin West scored on a 1-yard run with 5:34 to go in the game to set the final margin.
Morgan County finished the game with 216 yards on the ground and 34 through the air.
Coosa tallied 135 yards of rushing and 19 through the air. Coosas Chris Fife had 64 yards on 22 carries. Patrick Dupree had 29 yards and Adrian Marks had 44 yards for the Eagles.
The teams combined to complete six of 22 passes on the night and both were hit with three penalties.
Trae Martin, Colby Lackey and Demetrius Robinson all had receptions for Coosa.
Pierre Griffin had 22 carries for 78 yards and Richard Chamberlain had seven carries for 69 yards for the Bulldogs. The Eagles finished the season at 6-5, 5-3.
The playoff game was not the only the first played by a Coosa team in 10 years, but the first for the Eagles coaching staff, which is under the leadership of first year coach Scott Chandler.
|
|
