Last week, the Athens Academy Varsity football team beat Elbert County to extend their amazing record of 9-0 as they approach the season playoffs. Their first win came against Aquinas in August, and the team hopes to extend their streak by winning the region championship game against Rabun County this Friday.
The entire football team, varsity and junior varsity combined has been putting in more hard work than ever before which is evident in their success. Abhi Chawla, a sophomore on the offensive and defensive line, described some of the intense workouts the team engaged in since the last season to improve their play. Chawla noted, “We ran a mountain which was around three miles, and we had long practices during the summer that were four hours.” He emphasized how the team as a whole is dedicated to getting better saying, “It’s not just one person putting in the work; it’s a team with multiple leaders working together.”
In contrast to their performance last year, the football team has also grown “a year older,” as described by Coach Hill who coaches the quarterbacks on the varsity team and is the head coach for the JV team. He explained how by playing more underclassmen, you are subject to more losses since the underclassmen tend to be less experienced and are forced to play against those much more skilled. This year though, the team has grown both physically and in experience. Hill noted, “All of these things, along with the closeness and the togetherness that has been created over the years, has paid dividends for us in terms of wins and losses.”
As for what to expect and some goals heading into the playoffs, Coach Hill stated, “The goal is to continue winning and play as much as we possibly can, as well as to see some younger athletes that are willing to step up and keep working hard to improve themselves.” As for some individual goals, Chawla explained that he aims to be recognized on the all-region first team, as do others.
