It will never be this good again for the Whitewater football program.

This year coach Amos McCreary takes his team into their first year playing a region schedule and he has 40 seniors who have been with him and in the program for all four years. It is a once in a lifetime occurence where players have the same coaches on their freshman, junior varsity and varsity teams, and that consistency will be a key element as the Wildcats take aim at a state playoff spot.

Fans of the program already know who the key players are, as they have seen them develop over the past few years. Everybody is back and McCreary states that the only difference is that many of them have added some weight and muscle as they have matured.

“We are bigger and stronger,” said McCreary. “At least 10 pounds heavier per man and that should help us in the region.” Even last year when the Wildcats would find themselves outsized against teams with senior classes, the team found ways to win and go undefeated. With games against Creekside and Starr’s Mill, both region champions last year, on their region schedule, the Wildcats know it will be very tough to repeat that accomplishment this season.

“This region is as tough as any in the state,” McCreary stated. “Anybody can beat anybody else on any given night.” While that means that his team shouldn’t overlook any team on their schedule, it also means that nobody should overlook Whitewater this year because this is a team that has played together for four straight years and is used to winning.

The offense is led by senior quarterback Jay Bright and Tavoris Dixon, also a senior, will be one of the team’s running backs, while senior Kurdice Neal will play at the fullback position. Seniors Cody Haralson and Jerrod Richardson are two of Bright’s targets at the wide receiver position and seniors Rilley Sisson and Michael Brandenburg will be two key players on the offensive line, playing at offensive tackle and center respectively.

On defense, seniors Jonah Jaurigue and Vince Webb will have an impact at defensive end, while seniors Dustin Davis and Brice Thomas hope to make some big plays at linebacker. Key players in the secondary are seniors Jonathon Ashley at safety and Jordan Strain at cornerback.
While the team is senior laden, McCreary has some juniors that will make a big impact this year and will be team leaders next season. Among them are linebackers Colin Wooddy and Ryan Hidalgo and offensive and defensive lineman Kyle Bowman.

There are many big games on the Wildcats schedule this season, including a game with Newnan this Friday. In region match-ups, games with Starr’s Mill and Creekside will likely have a huge impact on the playoffs , while games with Fayette County and McIntosh will launch football rivalries to be enjoyed for years to come.

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