Earlier in the year I had serious reservations about how Mt Airy Varsity Football Team would perform this year. The reservations centered on:
quality of returning players; talent level of previous year's JV players; and the maturity level/development of the coaching staff.
Let me share how these areas might be viewed today.
Quality of returning players is a real surprise on the positive side. The O and D line play has really been solid from the start. With a mix of seniors and juniors, sprinkled with a few sophomores has really developed and continuing to get better. Not absolutely overpowering, but beside the Virginia Jefferson Forest game the O and D lines have held their own if not been superior to the opposition.
Running back Mason has really blossomed into a threat every time he touches the ball. Not every player develops at the same rate. Some earlier, some later. Mason has physically filled out, improved his speed and expanded his field vision greatly. After 6 games and about 1300 yards and 12 or 13 TDs, I would not trade him for any other RB we have seen this year.
The QB, due to life threating injuries to last year's QB, to my knowledge had never played the position and has had to learn an awful lot, and most of it while under fire. But, with the support and tutoring of the coaching staff, has stepped up to be a very serviceable if not pretty doggone good QB.
A real surprise has been the way the sophomores, now juniors and a couple of freshmen have really developed into full fledge contributors.
But I think the last area is the most important; maturing and developing of the coaching staff. Starting with the second-year head coach and going down the line, I believe they are on the verge of becoming as solid a group as previous outstanding staffs of JK Adkins, of Kelly Holder and of Coach Hollingsworth.
The measurement here is not mine but rather a former Bear player who went to Duke football and, also provided one of Mt Airy's best every linebackers. Bobby said to me, many years ago when I moved to Mt Airy, was that over the years the coaching staffs were so good that "they" would allow/cause Mt Airy to win 1 to 3 games a year the talent had no business winning.
I think this coaching group is beginning to show they are on the path to reaching that level.
All of this is not to say that Mt Airy can/will win the State Championship this year. It is meant to say that the future of Mt Airy to stay in the hunt for the next several years is possible.
It would not surprise me if Mt Airy wins out the regular season and goes 3 or 4 rounds in the playoffs this year.
