Rick Hurst.............................WR
Bobby Rhoades ..............OC/WR
Joe Curtiss ................. DC/LB/SS
Todd Wheeler................AHC/DL
Brian Tanner ................... HB/TE
Tyler Pullum ................... OB/ST
Zach Battles ..........................OL
Britt Chandler ....................... LB
Jamal Ware ...........................RB
Chandler Curtis .....................DB
Alex Fisher ............................DB
GAME ON!
PIGSKIN 2021 31
Season Starts - Friday August 20th
FREE TO PLAY!!!
FIVE 2020 LEADERS
YEAR
RECORD
38-19
2020
5-5
2019
9-3
2018
6-5
2017
8-4
2016
10-2
RUSHING
DJ Rogers
154 Carries, 1,422 Yds, 19 TD
PASSING
Matthew Waddell
78/133, 922 Yds, 5 INT, 6 TD
RECEIVING
Jon Shields
13 Rec., 162 Yds, 2 TD
TACKLES
Kolby Davis
62 tackles
SACKS
Brennan Tillery 2 sacks
INTERCEPTION
Gage Owens 2 INT
VARSITY COACHING
STAFF
ALL TIME RECORD
134-77-2
Historical Info from
Georgia High School Football
Historians Assocation
REGION CHAMPIONSHIPS (4)
2016, 2006, 1993, 1990
STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS (1)
1990
COACH:
RICK
HURST
7 Years at School
Record: 45-23
Career: 111-69
STADIUM:
Dragon
Stadium
2 02 0 R E S U LT S
HARALSON COUNTY 10-28 L
HEARD COUNTY 29-36 L
BREMEN 30-8 W
TEMPLE 21-34 L
DADE COUNTY 41-14 W
FANNIN COUNTY 23-36 L
GORDON CENTRAL 50-14 W
MODEL 14-7 W
CHATTOOGA 28-13 W
PLAYOFFS
LOVETT 17-38 L
Strong schedule to challege
Dragons’ postseason streak
By Michael Baron
mbaron@npco.com
The fire-breathing Dragons of
Pepperell return to the field with
aspirations of a region championship
and extending a 16-year state
playoff qualification run. To get
there, they’ll have to go through
an unforgiving schedule.
Last year, Pepperell was no stranger
to injuries, losing presumed
starting quarterback Gage Moses
preseason to a non-football injury.
Coach Rick Hurst said he and his
staff had to get creative.
“The injuries just made it difficult
for us, but what it did do is it allowed
us to play some guys that normally
wouldn’t have played,” Hurst said.
“It helped us develop some depth.”
After finishing 5-5 last season
with a first-round state playoff
exit at home to Lovett, Pepperell is
looking to a new year with a bright
spot on offense in junior running
back DJ Rogers.
Rogers rushed for over 1,400
yards in nine games last year with
19 rushing touchdowns. He averaged
9.2 yards per carry.
“He had a tremendous year for us
last year,” Hurst said. “He’s a special
player and that is our strength.”
Questions remain along the offensive
line as the Dragons replace
two 2020 first-team all-region linemen
in Clay Crawford and Dawson
Duncan. Preston Goggans, an honorable
mention, also graduated.
On defense, the Dragons will
have senior Kolby Davis back. Davis
finished 2020 with 31 tackles
and eight tackles-for-loss.
Hurst said junior Steven Villatoro,
who plays soccer, will be
on the field in the fall doing the
kicking duties.
At quarterback, Matthew Waddell
played the majority of last season.
Now a junior, he’s in the mix
for the starting job again alongside
three others: sophomores Kolton
Edge and Erik Jensen, and freshman
Ethan Loveless.
“Right now, those guys have come
a long way, especially Erik,” Hurst
said. “Erik has probably improved
as much as anybody on our entire
team right now.”
“Matthew has gotten a lot better,”
Hurst continued. “He’s going
to continue to get better. He’s still a
little bit hesitant to make the throw
and he still waits a little bit long,
but he’s making good decisions.
He’s made pretty good decisions
all summer and if he can continue
to do that, with the threat of our
running game and him being able
to run, then I think that he will
have a good year for us.”
Pepperell’s non-region slate is
among the most arduous in northwest
Georgia, as the Dragons open
up 2021 against four opponents
from Region 5-AA: Haralson County,
Heard County, Bremen and
Temple. The 2020 Class AA State
Champion, Callaway, also competes
in 5AA.
“I’d like to fire the guy that made
the schedule and unfortunately
that’s me,” Hurst said.
“But I did it for a reason,” Hurst
continued regarding scheduling.
“I knew those four teams would
give us the best opportunity to get
better each week and get ready for
our region. Those teams are going
to give us a lot of different looks
we’ll see in our region. It is going
to be a tremendous task for us to
open with those four teams.”
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