Creekview prepares for step up in competition

by William Bretherton, Cherokee Tribune, May 19, 2010

 

 

After making consecutive trips to the playoffs in its only two years in Class AAA, Creekview will have to improve greatly in the fall when it begins lining up against Class AAAA competition.

Along with moving up in classification, the Grizzlies will also have to insert new players at many key positions with just three returning starters on defense and four on offense.

In his drive to get the team ready for the fall, Creekview coach Al Morrell delayed spring practice to allow more players to come out. With many members of the team being involved in spring sports, he wanted to allow more of them to get more repetitions with the football team.

The Grizzlies' spring game will end spring practice Friday at 7 p.m.

"We usually wait and see if we have most of our athletes finish our other spring sports," Morrell said. "We wait as long as possible to let them wrap up region and state playoffs. It's just nice if you have more of them out here so that they can get their reps like everyone else and keep them from getting behind. I don't think anybody has missed any football, but if they did, it's OK because spring sports come first this time of year.

"It's very important to have a good spring and summer. The offseason will be a key, but they have a good work ethic and I expect good things from them. Half of the games (last year), we had a comfortable enough lead that many of these guys had playing time at the varsity level."

Though many positions on both sides of the ball have yet to be filled, Morrell isn't nervous about the coming season. One of the vacated positions is the spot left by Morgan Wright, who will attempt to walk on at Georgia Tech in the fall.

"(Wright) was our starting defensive end and, really, we don't know who will replace him," Morrell said. "There are lots of holes to fill, and right now, we don't have all the answers. 

"But that's common for spring. We're excited about the work ethic of these kids. If they keep working like they are, then I'm not real nervous about it."

And while the team's work ethic is good, and many members of the roster have varsity experience, Creekview will have to be ready to play from the onset. All 10 of the Grizzlies' games will come against Region 7AAAA competition, beginning with the Aug. 27 opener against county rival Sequoyah.

Aside from Sequoyah, which has split two games against Creekview, the Grizzlies will have a schedule of teams they have never played before. Lambert, led by former Sequoyah coach Sid Maxwell, will come to Creekview on Sept. 10.

"They all count, so every week you can't let down, and you have to stay focused the entire season, which is hard for a bunch of high school kids," Morrell said. "As far as fairness, it can't get any more fair than that. There are no what-ifs or crossover games, so I think it's a pretty good deal."

Among the key starters returning for Creekview will be quarterback Cody Allen and running back Eric Smith.

Smith broke his arm in the Grizzlies' third game last season against West Forsyth, but he was a key player before then, highlighted by 204 toal yards and three touchdowns in an upset of then-No. 3 Flowery Branch.

Smith will remain a key part of the backfield after the graduation of Hunter Livingston and Michael Ay. Will Kirby, Luke Brown, Blake Dorris and Keith Woods will also give the team depth in the backfield.

Aside from the bounty of talent at running back, there is some concern about Creekview's overall depth. Several players will be playing on both sides of the ball, something that many teams of the Grizzlies' opponents don't have to worry about. Among those projected to play both sides include Brown and Kirby at linebacker, Tanner Gilleland at linebacker and tight end, Nick Luly at free safety and wingback and Alex Tatum, who will be the team's top wide receiver and cornerback.

The worry of having his players having to be on the field for majority of the game is something Morrell has.

"I am especially concerned for early in the season," Morell said, "but we'll make an extra effort to condition and get ready. North Hall was pretty dominant last year and had six kids play both ways. It will be even tougher in AAAA, where they have more kids to choose from, but some of ours will have to do it. My only concern is with the inexperience and the few number of returning starters."

Creekview Grizzlies Football

Grizzlies . . . This Week

2010 SEASON PREVIEW

 

Football: Most pivotal matchups by region – AAAA

By Robert Naddra, PrepCountry.com, July 14, 2010

 

Region 7: Northwest Whitfield at Creekview, Sept. 3.

 

Region newcomer Creekview is the biggest threat to stealing the pared-down region away from Northwest, which was 5-1 last year in its subregion. This will be the first meeting between the two schools.

Preseason practice nearing

by Adam Carrington, Cherokee Tribune, July 31, 2010 (excerpt)

 

Coaches and players can do without the broiling August heat, but preseason football practice is something they look forward to every season.

It's the time of year when they're undefeated and can focus on making their own teams better instead of worrying about opponents. And they have less than a month to do just that before the regular season starts. 

"What I enjoy the most is the excitement of starting a new season," said Creekview coach Al Morrell, who is only returning three starters on offense and three on defense. "During the first couple of weeks, there isn't as much pressure as there is, week to week, when you're getting ready for an opponent. As a coach, I look forward to being around the kids every day."

Creekview is returning quarterback Cody Allen and running back Eric Smith, as well as a few familiar faces at linebacker and the secondary, but there will be inexperience at the remaining positions. 

Knowing there would be new faces on the depth chart in 2010, Morrell kept them busy in the offseason by putting them on a four-times-a-week conditioning plan that began in January. The Grizzlies also attended two camps over the summer and will continue rehearsing the fundamentals before opening at Sequoyah on Aug. 27. 

AAAA Season Preview from Georgia High School Football Daily

 

Highlights of the August 10th issue:

 

GHSF Daily picks top AAAA regions to be 1 (central GA), 6 (east Atlanta), and 8 (northeast GA).

 

Maxwell Ratings (computer formula) predicts Creekview will finish the season with an 8-2 record.  Maxwell’s projections for the region:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From GHSF Daily: “Computer ratings don't consider starters returning and lost. They're based on history and probability. They extrapolate based on several seasons, looking most closely at scores, not just records. For newer schools such as Johns Creek and Lambert, the computer has less historical data and (in our opinion) underrates them.”

 

Bottom Line, Grizzlies: We’ve got to show up for every game, ready to face that night’s opponent!

Grizzlies Team Preview is posted at MaxPreps.com

 

Click here to link to the preview

 

 

Creekview Prepares for Class 4A

Posted By -  Brendan Cosgrove, 11 Alive.com

Last Updated On:  8/12/2010 7:34:02 PM

Creekview's football team is weeks away from kicking off its season with a region game at Sequoyah. Then again, it may be a little redundant to specify the matchup as a region game. That is all the Grizzlies play this year.

The team does not play in an easy region either, according to Creekview head coach Al Morrell. "We're definitely in a tough region. The main difference [to last year], looking at the schedule, is that the top teams in last year's region (Region 7-3A) were very good," Morrell said. "The three or four top teams were great. Gainesville, North Hall, Flowery Branch, us - we were all in the Top Ten in 3A at some point or another... But top to bottom, last year's schedule was not as tough as this year's will be... Week in and week out, I think it'll be tougher."

Moving up a class to Region 7-4A certainly plays into that, too.

 

Between the new region, the new classification, and not getting an open date until Week Eleven, this season's schedule has plenty of challenges.

QB Cody Allen #10 (Sr.),

C Daniel Bailey #67 (Sr.)

Senior leadership:

LB Tanner Gilleland #31 (Sr.)

Still, Morrell says he and his team are having a great time. "We're a football team that has a great senior class, great chemistry, good leadership, and talent . . . I don't think I've ever been around a better senior class, as far as character and work ethic. And as a head coach, it's probably been the most fun I've had to start a season," he said.

Among those senior leaders are quarterback Cody Allen and running back Eric Smith. "[Cody] threw for about 900 yards last year and then at running back, Eric Smith is back. He rushed for almost 200 yards against Flowery Branch, broke his arm, and didn't play for seven weeks," Morrell noted.

The Grizzlies' coach also anticipates some big plays from linebacker Tanner Gilleland and free safety Nick Luly, both seniors.

When it comes to season goals and expectations, Morrell plays it close to the vest. "I expect the kids to come out, play hard, and compete every week. We would like to have a winning season and we would like to make the playoffs," he said.

Now going into its fifth year of football, Creekview's young program has experienced victory, going 31-11 under Morrell, with two consecutive appearances in the playoffs.

Those two postseason berths ended in first round losses, though.

If the Grizzlies make it to the playoffs this year, that Week Eleven Bye certainly will not hurt.

But as Morrell pointed out, that is a long way away.

RB Eric Smith #24 (Sr.)