Fuel - Friday Night Football Georgia 2014

SPEED READ

Shannon Jarvis
Head Coach, Mill Creek High

SHANNON JARVIS BEGINS HIS 11TH season ashead coach ofthe Mill Creek football team preparing – once again – to compete in one of the toughest regions in Georgia. This season, Jarvis is excited about two additions to the coaching staff. The first is defensive coordinator Bill Stewart, who has had previous success both as a head coach at Etowah and defensive coordinator in other stops. The second is wide receivers coach Gerald “Boo” Mitchell, who was an All-American at Vanderbilt in 1988.

What excites you about the 2014 season?

We return four of five starters on our offensive line. All of those kids are pretty heavily recruited. We’re returning a two-year starter at quarterback. Last year, we led the state [6A] in scoring. That doesn’t mean anything for this year other than we have experience. We’re also excited about Coach Stewart taking us from a 3-4 to a 4-3 scheme while instilling his personality in our program.

In what area of the game do you expect
the team to be strongest?

Our strength is the offensive line because of the experience as well as the size and strength. Kaleb Kim has committed to Auburn. Josh Fannin, Chad Walker, and Bobby Klemm all return as heavily recruited players who had tremendous junior years.

What goals can the team achieve for
this season to be considered a success?

We play in one of the toughest regions in the state, the largest classification in the metro Atlanta area. The difference between wins and losses is a fraction of an inch. Ultimately, I think we are like every team in our region who have the goal of winning a region championship and a state championship.

Why should a fan visit your stadium on
a Friday night this fall?

We opened our facility 10 years ago, and we always look to improve upon it. Obviously, the fan experience is a lot better when the team is making plays. We try to create an electric atmosphere. Creek’s Freaks is our student section, which is tremendous. This past year, our fans came out in droves, and they don’t understand the impact they have on games. – Dan Guttenplan

Taking High School
Combines to the Next Level

NEXT LEVEL COMBINES WAS FOUND- ed in 2012 with the intention of pro- viding pro-caliber combines for high school football players and teams. Last year, in its first year of existence, Next Level hosted combines for professional athletes. This year, the company will make the transition to hosting combines for high-schoolers.

The thing that makes Next Level Combines different is that it hosts high school combines using the same equipment as the NFL. The company provides accurate and reliable information to coaches, and is the only combine system that uses the NFL equipment.

Based in Atlanta, Next Level offers private and public combines. Instead of a few athletes getting tested from various schools, the company will test every athlete from a particular school. That allows an entire team to experience combines and gives players a chance to learn how to better themselves in the classroom, as well as on and off the field.

A private combine is for a particular school in which all of the athletes are tested. Next Level has motivational speakers talk about their experiences playing in college and the pros. This gives players a chance to hear from successful business owners and entrepreneurs. They’ll share stories about when football didn’t work out, and they chose different paths.

Next Level has the same drills as the NFL with the 40-yard-dash, the vertical leap, broad jump, shuttle run, three-cone drill and bench. Next Level will also do an athletic assessment, which is like a personality test.

Because Next Level Combines started as a service for professional athletes, the company generated enough revenue to fund equipment to host high school combines and provide the most reliable, accurate information. – Dan Guttenplan