itefied set to assme position as region aorite
By Matthew Welsh
MDJ Sports Writer
Whitefield Academy will compete in a newly
drawn, four-team region in 2022, that also
includes St. Francis, Mount Pisgah and Mount
V ernon.
The new alignment means the Wolfpack no
longer has to see perennial state champion
contender Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy,
which won the region for the past two seasons.
Instead, coach Coleman Joiner and his team
are hoping to take ELCA’s place as the bully on
the block. Whitefield will face region opposition
that combined for a 17-18 record last season.
Although amongst new teams, several teams
within the group already have an on-field history.
KICKOFF ‘22 159
Last year, Whitefield beat Mount V ernon
13-0 in a non-region contest and St. Francis
beat Mount Pisgah 28-7.
Joiner said he’s familiar with the competition,
and that success in the latter portion of
the season is imperative for the team to reach
its goals.
“All three teams that we’ll compete with in
the region are guys that we’re familiar with,
we’ve played since these guys have been in
middle school,” Joiner said. “We have to take it
day by day, and focus on where we want to be.”
Joiner said that goal is to return to a competitive
stature within the state, specifically winning
region championships and making longer
playoff appearances. Last season, Whitefield’s
year ended after a first-round playoff loss to
Brookstone.
With these new goals and new teams comes
an additional advantage. U nlike last offseason,
where Whitefield lost two of its top players to
graduation, three major pieces are returning
as seniors.
Linebacker and running back Caleb LaV allee,
two-way lineman Ian G effrard and quarterback
Ayden Duncanson will all play for Joiner again
this fall. Together, the trio combined for 788
rushing yards, 707 receiving yards, 16 touchdowns,
and 16 7 tackles in 2021.
With that kind of production back on the
gridiron, Joiner is confident the team has a
strong veteran core that the rest of the team
can rally around.
Whitefield’s determination will be tested throughout
the fall, as the Wolfpack will play a 10-game
schedule that pits the team against last year’s
playoff rival, Brookstone, in game five. The final
three match-ups of the year are against regional
opponents. And although all four teams in this
four-team region will secure a playoff position,
Joiner’s eyes are on region supremacy.
REGION 6A
PREDICTION
1. Whitefield Academy
2. St. Francis
3. Mount Vernon
4. Mount Pisgah
File
Whitfield Academy will have a chance to reclaim its spot atop the region standings as the Wolfpack play in a new Region 6A in 2022.