KICKOFF 2021 169
FIVE 2020 LEADERS
YEAR
RECORD
15-37
2020
1-9
2019
4-6
2018
1-9
2017
5-6
2016
4-7
RUSHING
Keon Smart
151 Att., 815 Yds., 5.4 Avg., 8 TD
PASSING
Charlie Condon
58/153, 711 Yds., 6 TD, 10 INT
RECEIVING
Parker Cook
24 catches, 325 Yds., 13.5 Avg., 3 TD
TACKLES
Jackson Krall
49 tackles, 36 Ast, 85 total
INTERCEPTIONS
Keon Smart 2 INT
SACKS
Jackson Krall 3 sacks
Thomas Stovall 3 sacks
VARSITY COACHING
STAFF
2020 R E S U LTS
ATHENS CHRISTIAN 7-22 L
BROOKSTONE 7-27 L
MOUNT PISGAH CHRISTIAN 12-52 L
LAKEVIEW ACADEMY 0-34 L
COMMUNITY CHRISTIAN 14-17 L
ST. FRANCIS 42-15 W
CHRISTIAN HERITAGE 0-35 L
NORTH COBB CHRISTIAN 7-48 L
DARLINGTON 7-46 L
MOUNT PARAN CHRISTIAN 7-33 L
ALL TIME RECORD
72-123
Historical Info from
Georgia High School Football
Historians Assocation
REGION CHAMPIONSHIPS (1)
2012
COACH:
GARY
NELSON
1 Year at School
Record: 0-0
Career: 37-20
STADIUM:
Robertson
Field
T.J Anderson................. AHC, RB
Tom Evangelista ..............DC/DB
Matt Anderson ......................OL
Damon Dawson .....................DL
Josh Lammert ......................WR
Joseph Vose ......................... QB
Kyle Keegan .................... OL/DL
Nelson wants Walker to play
by a new, better definition
By Michael Doti
MDJ Sports Writer
Gary Nelson spent four seasons
coaching big-time public school
football in Alabama and realized
it wasn’t for him.
Now, after leaving Southside-Gadsden,
he is at Walker, and back in
private school football where he
said he belongs.
Nelson said he got there in April
and he hasn’t seen a full cafeteria
yet. He’s recruited athletes of
other sports in the parking lot to
play football. He said one of the
toughest adjustments was building
relationships with players while
they’re all wearing masks.
“I needed to come in and energize
the place to get more kids out,
playing football, to gain their trust
and to convince them that I’m a
coach they want to play for, and all
the while, I can’t see any of their
faces to know if they’re reacting in
a positive way,” Nelson said. “As
a coach, you have to go out there
and build relationships with your
kids and the pandemic made that
a challenge as I moved over and I
think the other thing was, it was
just a logistical challenge.”
Nelson said he is optimistic about
the production from his starters, but
the team needs depth.
The Wolverines, coming off a 1-9
season, have a new starting quarterback
in Harrison McClure and a
new running back in Jackson Krall.
Nelson said McClure has been one
of the biggest surprises so far.
“I think he surprised himself a
little bit while we were over at a
7-on-7 with Kings Ridge and I think
he was nearly perfect on the day,”
Nelson said. “We had a few drops
and a few balls that he’s got to learn
to take a little heat off of and throw
a little more touch, but that’ll come
with reps and experience.”
Walker has three receivers, Ashton
Pass, Jason Hebert and Dom
Parlotto, who Nelson recruited
from the baseball team, and he
said he expects them to help in
the passing game. Walker’s starting
tight end Robert Larson led all
returning players with 15.4 yards
per reception last year.
Nelson said the defense will rely
on being a gap control unit. It starts
with the linebackers. Krall and Larson
were both all-region players at
linebacker, with the former leading
the team in tackles with 85.
The secondary lost a key piece
from last year in Keon Smart and
Nelson said they’re relatively new
and inexperienced. James Simpson
is one of the returning players
and Nelson said he’s liked what
he’s seen from him this summer.
He said the main thing he wants
to change about this team is the
players’ self-confidence.
“I want our kids to believe they’re
worthy. I think that our kids, for
whatever reason, have come to believe
that they don’t deserve to be
successful, and I think that that is
absolutely false and I want to push
back against that mindset at every
turn,” he said. “Walker is a difficult
place to be a football player
because it has very high stakes
academically, and you’re going
to be a student-athlete when you
come here, you’re going to work
hard in the classroom, so there are
some things that kids can see as
obstacles, but my hope for them
is that they don’t let those obstacles
define them.”
/WWW.thewalkerschool.org