By Shannon Fagan, WEIS Sports Director
CEDAR BLUFF – The Cedar Bluff football players breathed a sigh of relief back in late May when Garrett Crane was named their new head football coach.
They’re familiar and feel quite comfortable with the 31-year-old former offensive coordinator, known for his enthusiasm and positive energy on and off the field.
To many of the Tigers he’s like a big brother.
“It’s weird having him as a head coach when he was our line coach,” senior offensive lineman/middle linebacker Carter Dillingham said. “He was always messing around with us. It’s just good to have somebody who understands us and that we know very well.”
“I can speak for me and Carter. We’ve spent more time with Coach Crane as our line coach than we have any other coach in the past four or five years,” junior lineman Jacob Chambers added. “It’s been a good adjustment.”
“He’s just been a big part of our lives. He’s always been there for us,” senior quarterback/free safety Kaden Pack said.
“I’m just glad we didn’t have to learn a new person,” junior running back/strong safety Alex Baty said. “Coach Crane can say something and I can understand him, even if it makes sense or not.”
Crane won the battle of trust with the Tigers long ago Now it’s just a matter of preparing them to keep Cedar Bluff’s winning tradition going this season.
“It’s a standard,” Crane said. “From kindergarten all the way through 12th grade (at Cedar Bluff), by the time you get ready to graduate, that’s kind of the only thing that you know. You’re expected to be in the playoffs. You’re expected to make a deep run. You’re expected win region championships.
“To get there is the biggest thing with this group. They’ve seen that. They know the experience there, two years out from a region title. The expectations are there. This summer so far they’ve been ready to meet them.”
Although the Tigers lost six seniors from last year’s 4-7 team, they do return a lot of experienced players. Cedar Bluff has six seniors and nine juniors this season.
“It was a big group that graduated by Cedar Bluff’s standards, but with the ones who are returning, they were sophomores last year and got every snap,” Crane said. “It’s going to be no different now with another year. We’ve got a big senior class and an even bigger junior class. Expectations are going to rise.”
Pack and Baty are players who want to live up to Cedar Bluff’s expectations.
“Being a Tiger means there’s a standard and there’s an expectation. You have to be there every day and give that 100-percent effort every single day that you’re on the field,” he said. “We’ve seen that for years from the upperclassmen. Now we’re the upperclassmen.”
“We’ve got a lot to live up to,” Baty added. “It’s our time to show what we have.”
The Tigers have had some healthy competition at several skill positions throughout the summer, including at quarterback between Pack and Hunter Stallings.
Baty, junior Hunter Jenkins and senior Carson Webb are expected to carry the load in the running game. Senior Eli McFry, junior Byrann Kinsey and junior Caleb Edmondson are projected to be the Tiger pass catchers.
Blocking for the Tiger offensive playmakers are Chambers, Dillingham, senior Malachi Jelks, junior Jayden Flynt, and sophomores Isaac Roberts and Hudson Smith.
With the exceptions of Dillingham and Flynt, the other Tiger offensive linemen will also pull double duty on the defensive front, along with Webb and junior Logan Hampton.
Pack, Stallings and Baty will flip over at the safety spots. Jenkins and Dillingham anchor the linebacker positions. McFry, Edmondson, Kinsey and sophomore Samson Mallett are the Tiger defensive backs.
Veteran football coach Richard Medlock also flips over from the offensive to defensive side. Johnny Amison and Colby Coursey will work with the Tiger receivers. Coursey will also be responsible for coaching the Tiger defensive backs. Ryan Cox and Ross Johnson will work with the lines.
Cedar Bluff competes in Class 1A, Region 7 along with Appalachian, Coosa Christian, Decatur Heritage, Gaylesville, Valley Head and Woodville. The Tigers will be battle tested early in Crane’s first season as head coach. Their first three games are all on the road, beginning with the season-opener at Winterboro on Aug. 24. The Tigers then travel to rival Sand Rock on Sept. 1, then open region play at Woodville on Sept. 8.
Cedar Bluff finally gets to play its first home game of the season against rival Gaylesville on Sept. 15.
“It’s just a one-game mentality,” Crane said. “It would be great to have some momentum on the road before we get to come home to our special place.”
2023 Cedar Bluff Football Schedule
Aug. 24 at Winterboro
Sept. 1 at Sand Rock
Sept. 8 at Woodville
Sept. 15 Gaylesville
Sept. 22 at Decatur Heritage
Sept. 29 at Spring Garden
Oct. 6 Valley Head
Oct. 13 at Coosa Christian
Oct. 27 Appalachian
Nov. 3 Donoho