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Friday, Nov. 06, 2009

Peach County not worrying about 10-0

Chad Campbell can only hope his players are avoiding this story.

“Don’t worry about what the outside world is saying, what the paper is saying,” the Peach County head coach has said to them. “It’s just a matter of concentrating on us and not worrying about outside interference.”

As much as he has tried to keep the Trojans away from certain talk surrounding his program, he knows it exists everywhere he and his team step. Down school hallways, in classrooms, even in Fort Valley barbershops and restaurants, the talk is present.

Just what is the topic of conversation? It is that Campbell and his players are on the verge of accomplishing a feat tonight that has only been replicated three other times in school history — going undefeated.

“It’s tough,” Campbell said of keeping his team’s attention. “We have to constantly tell our (players), ‘We don’t care about records of the other team or anything else; we’re focusing on us.’ A football team has to get better every week and not worry about who we’re playing or what the record is. That’s where we try to keep our focus.”

Carrying a 9-0 overall and 6-0 GHSA Region 1-AAA record into tonight’s regular season-finale on the road against Crisp County (5-4, 3-3), the Trojans sit just one win away from streaking through a season untouched for the fourth time.

The last time Peach County went undefeated in a regular season was in 1997, when it finished 10-0 before losing in the second round of the playoffs to Dougherty. The year before, they repeated the feat under then-head coach Rodney Walker — now Mary Persons’ head coach — and lost to Dougherty once again in the second round.

Peach County has only been to the state championship once after have gone undefeated through the regular season — 1992, when the Trojans lost 14-13 to Thomas County Central. This year, the program is looking for a better return trip.

“This time of the year — we’ve told them before and really hinted at it last week — but this is the time of the year when you’re really supposed to be playing your best ball,” Campbell said of entering the postseason. “You can’t be having bad quarters, can’t be having mental mistakes. This is the time of the year that it’s time to turn it up a notch. We’re really going to focus on that next week. The first part of the year will be over with; we’re starting the real season now.”

He said practices the past five to six weeks have reflected a change in attitude from his players. While the Trojans had trouble successfully completing early-season workouts, the intensity has remained high as they enter the year’s stretch-run.

One of the keys to their dominating performance this season has been the health of Campbell’s players.

After being bitten hard by the injury bug last year, the Trojans have been largely healthy this season. With starting quarterback Patrick Taylor free from injury this season after missing most of last year, Peach County has rolled up an average 33.7 points per game in 2009.

“That’s a big part of being successful, especially when you don’t have a lot of depth. You have to be injury-free,” Campbell said. “We haven’t missed any games up front, defensively haven’t had any injuries, so we’ve been able to keep the same folks playing at all times.”

While the third-year head coach contends he is excited about the accomplishments of his players and staff this year, he believes a win tonight should not mark an ending — only a beginning.

“That’s fine and dandy to go 10-0, but what good is 10-0 if you go out there game 11 and stink it up and finish 10-1,” Campbell said. “It’s a great accomplishment, no doubt. I’m very proud of the players and the coaches, but a new season starts next week.”