“At this point we are right about where I thought we would be as a program. The next step is the playoffs and that is what we are shooting to do,” said King’s Ridge football coach Jeff Pickren who helped start the program six years ago.
“Our numbers are better this year, the program is growing in the right direction and we feel like we have a shot to field a really good football team.”
To get to the playoffs, the Tigers are sure to rely on the legs of talented running back Tarez Miller, a sophomore who ran for 1105 yards and seven touchdowns as a freshman. Barring injury, Pickren said a bigger and stronger Miller could easily surpass those totals this season.
“He is fast, has good size, and can run between the tackles. In our offense we like to get the ball to our playmakers in space and if we can keep him healthy he will get the ball a lot.” Junior quarterback Bailey Miller will orchestrate Pickren’s offense and senior Julian Champ, who Pickren described as their do-it-all player, will be counted on as a leader on offense, defense and special teams.
To reach the promised land of postseason football, King’s Ridge will have to navigate their way through a subregion schedule that includes local rivals Mount Pisgah and Fellowship Christian along with a trio of Cobb County schools — Mount Paran, Walker and Whitefield Academy.
Of the five other schools in their sub-region, only Mount Paran found the postseason in either of the last two seasons, leaving the door open for the growing school to make a run to the top and challenge for a sub-region title.
“It’s going to be tough week in and week out in this region. But we have some talented kids and we like our chances to get over the hump this season,” Pickren said.
Schedule:
8-31 @Pinecrest
9-7 @St. Francis
9-14 Pace Academy
9-21 Darlington
10-5 Mt. Paran
10-12 @Mt. Pisgah
10-19 Walker
10-26 Fellowship
11-2 @Whitefield
11-9 @Region Play-In
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