Red Devils ready for challenges

The South Fulton Red Devils had a couple of obstacles to deal with, when their football season began Aug. 17.

But both players and coaches are ready for the challenge.

First, the Red Devils will be guided on the sidelines this season by assistant coaches Jason Rodehaver and Brent Wilson, while head coach Eric Knott receives some required treatment following surgery earlier this year for tongue cancer.

Coach Rodehaver said that he and coach Wilson are prepared to lead the team, for a second time.

“This is not the first time that we have had to do this. About five years ago, Eric had detached retinas in his eyes, so we had to do this then and had a plan in place. Brent is the interim coach, the guy in charge. We have just split everything up 50-50. We don’t want to much to be on one person. We have been friends for a long time, and work well together, so we are just trying to do the best we can do.”

Coach Wilson said the two coach system will require much planning and attention during the season.

“Well the most difficult part is losing a position coach, due to numbers, then coach Knott telling us about his new difficulties. With just two coaches, with modern offenses and modern defenses, you really need four coaches to cover the bases. So now we are going to have to be masterful at planning practices, how we schedule things, how we are going to see everything. This is my 24th year of coaching and this is the biggest challenge that I have been across.”

The second issue facing the team this year will be their youth movement.

After a 2017 season that saw the Red Devils post a (6-5) record and playoff berth, Coach Rodehaver said a younger group will be called upon to bring success for the year.

“We are really young. We only have four seniors and are predominately a sophomore laden team. We have had a few kids come out since school started, and our numbers are up to about twenty-five. We are young, but we are going to get better every week.”

Still on the team is a group of players that have had the taste of winning, and coach Rodehaver said each will play integral parts on the offensive side of the football.

“The strength of our team right now is our skill guys, our wings and our tailbacks. This is no surprise, because they have the most experience. We are talking about Greg Davis, Dalton Gray, Caleb Little and then Bryce McFarland, who got some reps as a freshman and is now a sophomore. So, we will call on this group to lead and make things happen.”

The coach said the defensive side of play will see a large cast of younger players.

“On the defensive side of the football, we are young up front with our defensive line, and we are really young in the secondary. We do have a couple of upper classmen that play some at linebacker with Caleb Little and Austin Maldanado. Probably someone that will start at one of those linebacker spots will be sophomore Garrett Slaughter. This is just one of those years that you are loaded with a lot of sophomores. These guys will get better and it just all bodes well for the future.”