The Online Home of Coosa High School Football

The Eagles are led by Head Coach Chad Perry. This years season promises to be exciting and successful . Click Here for the 2010 Schedule. Most of this season’s articles are provided courtesy of the Rome News-Tribune while many will be written by the Coosa High School yearbook/Sports Information staff. The principal of Coosa High School is Mr. Trevor Hubbard. The Coosa High School website is www.coosahigh.net .

Opening photo by Ryan Smith, Rome News-Tribune.

Eagles fall to Tigers in Valiant Comeback Bid

by Danny Burnham, RN-T Sportswriter, Photos by: Ryan Smith, RN-T.com

ADAIRSVILLE — The Adairsville Tigers and Coosa Eagles took turns dominating the game Friday night.

The Tigers, however, did a little bit more damage during their turn. Adairsville, celebrating its homecoming festivities, blasted out to a 23-0 lead in the first half. Coosa then charged back in the second half to make things interesting before Adairsville held on for a 31-21 win. “I take the blame on this one: I didn’t do a very good job of having the kids ready to play tonight,” said Coosa coach Chad Perry. “You can’t spot a good team like Adairsville a 23-point lead.

“But our kids came in the second half and really showed a lot of character,” he said. “They kept on fighting and really came back.” The Tigers based their offense on a punishing rushing attack, which totaled 286 yards.

Michael Upshaw put the first points of the game on the board at the 3:11 mark of the first quarter, giving the Tigers the lead. Lopez tacked on the extra point making the score 7-0. On their next possession, the Tigers downed a Jake Powell punt inside the one-yard line. Two plays later a host of Tigers brought down Coosa quarterback Brooke Bingham in the end zone for a safety, giving the home team a 9-0 lead. After returning the free kick to the 38-yard line, the Tigers moved 62 yards on 4 plays with Steven Hawk capping off the drive with a 2 yard run. The point after put the Tigers up 16-0. Hawk led the Tigers on the ground with 77 yards on 12 carries. The teams exchanged fumbles before Adairsville would find pay dirt again. This time it was quarterback Cody Kremer tucking the ball and racing 26 yards for the score. The score gave the Tigers a commanding 23-0 lead going into halftime. Momentum flied with the Eagles in the second half, as they found their legs and posted two touchdowns of their own. The first, a 1 yard plunge by running back Dylann Simmons, and the second a 27 yard dash by Dishon Glanton, who lead all rushers in the game with 80 yards on seven carries. Just when it looked like the Eagles were back in business, Adairsville’s Easton Jones would spring 74 yards on a fake punt for another touchdown. Jones made an electrifying dive over a Coosa defender at the one yard line to reach the end zone. A pass from Kremer to Zach Coker would give the Tigers a 31-14 lead with 34 seconds remaining in the third period. Coosa found the en zone once more, as Bingham dove in from a yard out, bringing the score to 31-21 with just under a minute remaining. An onside kick attempt failed, giving the ball back to the Tigers who ran out the rest of the clock. Coosa is idle next week before hosting Rockmart on Oct. 15.

“The bye week is coming at a good time for us,” said Perry. “We’ll get some kids healed up and come back ready to go.”

Coosa Win’s Shrine at Branch Bragg Field

by Alex Farrer, Rome News-Tribune Sports Writer Photo by Daniel Vernado, RN-T.com

A strong sign of a good team is its ability to make adjustments and get better as the game goes on.

Coach Chad Perry and the Coosa Eagles showed that trait on Saturday night as they exploded for a big second half to down Model, 35-13, in the Shrine Game at Branch Bragg Field. Coosa led 14-13 at the half, but scored three touchdowns on the ground after the break to bust open the game. Demetri Miller scored on a 29-yard run, Ryan Packer ran in from 17 and Troy Case scampered in from five yards away to cap the scoring. “These young men have made adjustments since the summer began, and we felt like we were going to be a competitive team but we knew we were going to have to be a four quarter team.

“Our guys are in pretty good shape right now, and we felt like if we could keep the close at halftime, that we can come out in the second half and have a lot of juice left.” The Eagles (3-2, 1-0) rushing attack was spread among 10 different players who recorded carries. Miller led the way with 85 yards on nine carries, and Dylan Simmons had 76 yards on 19 carries.

“We’re going to be a running attack, but we’ve also got some height at wide receiver too so that allows us to spread it out and keep the defense on their toes,” said Perry. “It’s really a luxury this year to have several guys that can carry the football and run hard, and when we do need to throw the ball we’ve got a quarterback that can throw it.” The Devils (2-3, 0-1) made it close just before the half on a 26-yard pass from Dustin Fincher to Chris Hill, but a missed extra point allowed Coosa to take the one-point lead into the locker room. Fincher finished with 123 yards through the air as Model’s offensive leader. Simmons scored both of the first-half touchdowns for Coosa. The first came on a one-yard plunge in the first quarter, and the second was a three-yarder in the second. Coosa’s defense had a good night forcing four Model turnovers, including interceptions by Jared Vancuren, Tyler Bradley and Packer. “We’ve felt like we’ve had the guys in the right spots (on defense), but haven’t tackled that well, and we kind of had that in the first half tonight,” said Perry. “We challenged the guys at the half to play the fundamentals and that’s what they did in the second half.” Model scored the first touchdown on a five-yard run by Zach Baker to take a quick 7-0 lead, but Coosa would respond quickly with the drive that ended on Simmons’ one-yard TD run.

Chris Hill was the Devils’ leading rusher with 53 yards on the ground. Model coach Lynn Hunnicutt said the turnovers his team gave away was a killer. “The one when we were driving and missed the center-quarterback exchange, I feel like we just lost momentum right there and never got it back,” said Hunnicutt. “We knew Coosa was going to be physical, but I thought we would hang in there. “We’ve got to learn to fight and play hard.”

Perry said that the win gives his team some momentum to start the subregion schedule. “It’s definitely a springboard for us,” said Perry. “We’ve still got some things to work on, but basically we just started our second season right now.

“Our focus is going to be to take it one day at a time, one game at a time. We’ll enjoy this one for a real short time, but we’ll turn right around on Monday and start getting ready for Adairsville.”

The Eagles head on the road next Friday to play the Tigers; Model has another tough assignment as they are at Rockmart.

Coosa Downs Heard County in Homecoming Classic

by Alex Farrer, Rome News-Tribune Sports Writer

Usually, for homecoming games, teams schedule inferior opponents that equal a lopsided win for the home squad.

That was far from the case on Friday night at Branch Bragg Field as the Coosa Eagles welcomed Heard County for homecoming festivities. The two teams battled in a low-scoring affair with the Eagles defense having the last laugh, holding on for a 14-13 win.

The Coosa defense was able to force five turnovers, including a big interception by Jared Vancuren with 1:46 left in the fourth quarter to end a Heard County scoring threat. “The turnovers were huge, and we’ve challenged our guys to create turnovers and get the ball back in our offenses hands,” said Coosa coach Chad Perry. “Tonight is the first night that we’ve turned the ball over ourselves, and that’s something we’ll go back and work on, but I can’t say enough about our kids. “They have come off a couple losses, but they’ve never let up. They’ve showed up on the practice field every day and gone hard at and been in tune to the coaching.” Heard County scored with five minutes to go on a 13-yard pass from Martez Winston to Jaquay Williams, and had a chance to tie it, but the extra point failed for the decisive one-point advantage. The two teams traded third-quarter touchdowns with Coosa answering a first-possession touchdown by the Braves after halftime with a one-yard Brooke Bingham plunge into the end zone. Heard County drove down the field before that and culminated the drive with a seven-yard touchdown run by Brandon Daniel. Perry said the win gives his team some much-needed confidence heading into the subregion schedule. “It’s huge,” said Perry. “We try to prepare and get better every week, and we open up subregion against Model next Saturday. But I told the guys on the field that they need to go enjoy this win, and we’ll start worrying about Model on Monday.” Coosa scored first in the second quarter on a Ryan Packer seven-yard run after both teams were scoreless in the first period.

Dylan Simmons led the Eagles in rushing with 84 yards on 24 carries. The Winston to Williams connection was a theme throughout for Heard County, with Williams catching 10 passes from his QB for 80 yards and a score. Winston finished the night overall at 12-for-20 passing for 123 yards with the touchdown and an interception. The biggest factor in the game was the turnovers as Heard coughed the ball up four times, including once on Coosa’s three-yard line as they were heading in to try and tie the game just before halftime. Perry said even with the win, his team has room for improvement in some areas.

“It’s mostly the finishing factor,” said Perry. “There were a few times during the game I felt like we could’ve put another score on the board and finished it off. “We’ve been trying to put some pieces together on offense, and we’ve battled a few injuries. But the kids are really listening and doing what the coaches ask them to do.” Coosa is back at home next Saturday as they host Model in the annual Shrine Game to open up the 7-AA South schedule for both teams.

Coosa Cruises Past North Murray

by Doug Hawley, Dalton Daily Citizen Correspondent, Photo by Misty Watson, Dalton Daily Citizen

CHATSWORTH — Although North Murray High’s first-year varsity football program remains winless, it still lays claim to no shutouts.

That streak came close to an end Friday night, but the Mountaineers - who dropped to 0-3 - scored on their final possession in a 36-7 setback to Coosa.

The touchdown came on quarterback Brady Swilling’s 35-yard pass to Jon Clinger with 1:43 remaining. Izzy Hernandez kicked the extra point.

“It certainly showed that we still had a bit of fight in us,” said freshman Swilling. “We’ve been getting overpowered, but we’ve battled hard.”

Even in the resounding loss, Swilling provided 237 yards of total yardage. That included 156 yards passing on 9-of-19 completions and another 81 rushing via 17 carries. “He certainly is a competitive player,” Mountaineers’ head coach David Cornelius praised. “He’s a good one to build our program around. You can say the same thing about our No. 17, split end Austin Owen.”

Although the two teams both represent Region 7A-2A, they belong to different sub-regions. “We both came in at 0-2,” Coosa coach Chad Perry said of his program which has been existence for many years. “Luckily this year we’ve got some depth at our skill positions. They’re doing some good things at North Murray. They have a good coaching staff. They have good fundamentals.” On the Eagles’ opening series of the game, Brooke Bingham collaborated with Tyler Bradley on a 64-yard scoring pass. Steven Walters’ first of four PAT kicks put the count at 7-0, 9:43 still showing. Jacob Mays responded on the ensuing kickoff with a nifty 89-yard touchdown return. Unfortunately, that was nullified following penalties against both teams. Late in the half, Swilling’s pass was intercepted by Jared Vancuren who returned 41 yards to North Murray’s 17. Five snaps later, Bingham scored on a 3-yard keeper off left tackle, a mere 25.3 seconds until intermission, and a 14-0 look. “I was proud of our guys in the first half,” Cornelius said. “We just have to score in the first half. We can’t have the turnovers.” Swilling’s two interceptions in the game both occurred before halftime. The Mountainers amassed 155 yards in the first half. North Murray suffered a disastrous third period - yielding 22 points for a 36-0 deficit. That set up a running clock for the last quarter. “We did wear down some in the second half,” Cornelius said. “I think that we’re well-conditioned. It’s a mental thing. Give credit to coach Perry and his staff. Their guys played a very physical game.” Coosa’s third quarter scoring in order included: Josh Smith, 52-yard run; a team safety after North Murray punter Hernandez fumbled the snap and kicked the ball out of the end zone (resulted in minus 30-yard rush); Dishon Glanton, 2-yard run; and Dylan Simmons, 6-yard run. North Murray’s late score came on a 9-play, 80-yard drive, Swilling had a 23-yard scramble and Olinger a 19-yard run. Coosa was led by Smith, 65 yards on three carries; and Simmons, 57 for nine.

Eagles Fall to Warriors at Home

by Coosa High School Yearbook Staff Reports

COOSA HIGH SCHOOL-BRANCH BRAGG FIELD: The first home game is always a time of excitement and anticipation here at Coosa and other High Schools in the South. However, that excitement quickly turned to despair Friday night as the Eagles fell to a Dre Prather led Gordon Central 34-19. In spite of the home standing Eagles best efforts, the Senior quarterback completed 2 touchdown passes and rushed for two more ammasing 281 yards of total offense.

Dylan Simmons led the Coosa attack with 154 yards rushing with 3 touchdowns. Quarterback Brooke Bingham also generated some impressive gains, hooking up with Tyler Bradley and Zac Hale on passing plays that covered 22 and 33 yards, respectively. Bradley also picked off a pass that set up a touchdown. Failed conversion attempts and the inability to contain Prather hampered the offensive successes on the night for the Eagles. On the positive end of the spectrum, something else seemed to be present on Campus at Coosa for the the first time in several seasons, School Spirit. The pep rally, the first under new principal Trevor Hubbard, was exciting and inspiring. Students seemed excited when Coach Perry spoke and the Eagle Band pumped the crowd. The Eagle Cheerleaders led the event in near collegiate fashion. One veteran teacher who preferred to remain uncredited stated, " This could be a turning point around here, regardless of the outcome of tonight's game, the kids really seem to care". The Eagles travel to North Murray next week in what the "Black and White" faithful hope will be the teams' first victory of the young season.

Coosa blanks Gaylesville in Spring Garden

by Cherokee Herald/Rome News-Tribune Staff Reports

SPRING GARDEN – The Gaylesville Trojans were the last hope for Cherokee County’s football teams to capture a win in the two-day, eight-team Spring Garden jamboree. But like their fellow county brethren, Gaylesville couldn’t muster a win, as the Coosa, Ga. Eagles claimed a 27-0 victory in a full scrimmage game on Friday. The Eagles amassed 260 yards rushing and passed for 76 more yards while limiting the Trojans to just 95 total yards. Coosa took its opening drive of the night 65 yards in eight plays and scored on senior fullback Zack Gresham’s 6-yard touchdown rush up the middle. Steven Walters added the extra point, giving the Eagles a 7-0 lead with 9:56 to go in the first quarter. Coosa added to its lead with 7:11 to go in the half on a 7-yard touchdown run by senior fullback Troy Case. Case’s scamper ended a 9 play, 69-yard drive. Case finished with 47 yards on six carries with a touchdown. Walters connected on the point after for a 14-0 Coosa lead. After an approximate 30-minute delay in action midway through the second quarter due to a malfunction with the stadium lights, the Eagles took flight again as junior running back Ryan Packer scored on a 27-yard scamper to the left side. Packer ended the night with 58 yards on five carries with a score. Walters missed the extra point, but Coosa was in command at 20-0 at the half. The Eagles scored once more with 9:04 left in the contest. Sophomore quarterback Denver Penney connected on a 20-yard touchdown pass to sophomore receiver Jay Ware for the 27-0 final.
Penney passed for 43 yards and a touchdown on his only two passes of the night. He also rushed for 52 yards on three carries.

Eagles To Face Gaylesville, AL in Crossborder Scrimmage

YEARBOOK STAFF-The Coosa Eagle Football team is more than ready to face their first opponent. Unlike most other teams, The Eagles have pushed themselves through all obstacles and battled the heat just to get one more step ahead. The Eagles are headed into their first week of game preparation for the upcoming game vs the Gaylesville Trojans at Spring Garden High-school in Alabama. Coosa Football Player Ben Corbin says “We’ve been through the toughest conditions practicing throughout the summer, so I believe nothing can hold us back from playing to the best of our abilities. We are more than ready to start hitting somebody else instead of our own teammates. These black helmets are coming, and they’re not going to stop.” The Eagle Seniors have set goals for the team to make the play-offs and beyond. Both the Players and Coaches are really excited for this season. Hopefully, this scrimmage will lead us down the path to achieve these goals.

COOSA HIGH FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
*2010*
AUG 20 2010	Gaylesville, AL (Scrimmage)	7:30	AWAY
AUG 27 2010	Starrs Mill	7:30	AWAY
SEPT 3 2010	Gordon Central	7:30	HOME
SEPT 11 2010	North Murray (Saturday)	7:30	AWAY
SEPT 17 2010	Heard County	7:30	HOME
SEPT 25 2010	Model (Saturday)	7:30	HOME
OCT 1 2010	Adairsville	7:30	AWAY
OCT 8 2010	Open
OCT 15 2010	Rockmart	7:30	HOME
OCT 22 2010	Pepperell	7:30	AWAY
OCT 29 2010	Armuchee	7:00	AWAY
NOV 5 2010	PLAY IN - TBA	7:30	HOME

	2010 JUNIOR VARSITY
SEPT. 2	GORDON CENTRAL	5:30	AWAY
SEPT. 6	SONORAVILLE (MONDAY)	5:30	AWAY
SEPT. 16
SEPT. 23	MODEL	5:30	AWAY
SEPT. 30	ADAIRSVILLE	5:30	HOME
OCT. 7
OCT. 14	ROCKMART	5:30	AWAY
OCT. 21	PEPPERELL	5:30	HOME
OCT. 28	ARMUCHEE	5:30	HOME