![]() “That’s been our tendency throughout the course of the season,” he said. “That’s certainly the goal.”īetween now and the playoffs, Hatcher said he wants to see the team play to its capabilities, instead of to the level of their opponents. “Hosting a playoff game would be a huge accomplishment for a program that’s as young as ours and that’s been in the state that ours has the last few years,” Hatcher said. 2 seed and home-field advantage in the first round. 21, the ACE-Spencer season finale on Nov. We want to be where Northeast is, and the kids believe they can get there.”Īssuming the Gryphons win out, and that Northeast beats Spencer on Oct. “We’re not quite there yet, but we’re working each week, and we’re getting better. They just wore us down in the second half, but what it did was allow our guys to see what we’re capable of. But they have an established, good football team and they’ve done a good job building a championship-caliber program. (Northeast) was up 14-13 at halftime, so we competed. “It was a great experience for them to be a part of that. ![]() “It was the first time our guys had experienced a game that had that kind environment and importance,” Hatcher said. The ACE-Northeast game was treated by both teams as the region championship, a game the Gryphons aren’t used to playing in. 8 Raiders (4-2, 3-0) are in line for their first region title since 2009 and control their own destiny. 16 that, in all likelihood, cost them the region championship. The lone blemish on their record is a 47-21 loss to Northeast at home on Sept. With the exception of West, none of those players are seniors. He, along with linebacker Gavin West (65 tackles) are the engines of a defense that aggressively blitzes out of a 3-4 formation and has two shutouts in its last three games. Brice Whitley leads the team with 16 catches for 342 yards and five touchdowns.ĭefensively, linebacker David Rudell has a team-high 70 tackles. He’s rushed for 175 yards and three touchdowns on 16 carries.Īs a team, the Gryphons have rushed for 1,262 yards and 17 touchdowns on 108 carries, with Aaron Davis (836 yards and nine touchdowns on 74 carries) leading the way. Quarterback Kaleb Scarbary has thrown for 718 yards and 12 touchdowns to two interceptions on 33-of-52 passing, and Hatcher said his mobility allows for him to make plays outside of the pocket. We’ve got some guys who are good with the football in their hands, so we’re just trying to simplify things and get the ball in space to our best players and let them capitalize.” “The kids have bought in, and success breeds even more opportunity to expand on what we’re doing. “(The staff) has done a great job of teaching the kids exactly what we’re trying to do,” Hatcher said. Hatcher credits ACE with enabling him to assemble a staff that includes offensive coordinator Thomas Darrah and offensive line coach Mark Farriba, who coached 30 seasons from 1985-2001, compiling a 215-134-3 record with two state championships. Heading into Friday’s Region 2 home game against Central (1-5, 1-2), the Gryhpons (2-1 in league play) are averaging 46 points in what Hatcher describes as a “hybrid wing-spread” run-first offense. So, I was excited about being a part of that.”īefore Hatcher’s arrival, the Gryhpons scored more than 45 points in a game three times. ![]() I had heard of ACE and saw it start to grow and when they approached me about being a head coach, they were ready to invest in a program and provide the resources it takes to win. ![]() I grew up in Macon, my family is still in Macon and Bibb County is a huge part of my life. “This was more about an opportunity that I saw at ACE. “Mount de Sales is a great place and I have a deep history there,” Hatcher said. Through eight seasons, Hatcher had compiled a 46-39 record at Mount de Sales, including a 10-1 finish and Region 7-1A championship in 2019. Last season, Hatcher was 10 miles down the road coaching his alma mater, Mount de Sales, where he’d also served as athletic director from 2015-20. ACE wanted the Gryphons to be title contenders and recruited Hatcher for the job. The program launched in 2018 and, after last year’s 4-5 finish and first-ever playoff appearance, the Gryphons had an all-time record of 13-23.
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