Bowdon coach Jamie Abrams: ‘Kids are still hungry’ for fifth straight title

2. What are the strongest areas of this team, and what areas need the most work?

“We’ve tried to shore up a lot of that. We’ve got different kids in different spots. I think defensively and, really, offensively, too, we’ve got a good nucleus of kids who have played and played meaningful snaps or have been starters. I think that experience … we return John Harden on the offensive line. He’s an all-state kid from last year. Mykah Patterson was on the all-finals team at wide receiver and defensive back. Connor Daniel was our second-leading rusher. We return our leading tackler, who was Lucki Bailey, and then Mykah led our team in interceptions last year, so we’ve got several guys who do return that have led us statistically in a lot of areas. We return our second- and third-leading rushers because (running back) Josh Chandler came in and has a really good playoff run. His first start, he rushed for 198 (yards), so those guys are all back. Some guys’ roles are increasing a little bit, so they’ve got to figure that out. We actually return our top two tacklers. Paul Wilson is back, too. He’s another inside linebacker with Lucki Bailey, so it’s just a good nucleus of guys who have played a lot and do understand it. Older guys, and I’m trying to mix in some of those guys that we knew could play last year and may not have had to or played sparingly for whatever reason. Getting those guys going as well, so I’m looking forward to seeing what some of those guys do, and they’ve worked really hard. You wouldn’t think they had won four straight by the way the kids have gone about their business. I think some of those kids are still hungry, the ones that haven’t played a lot. It’s just an exciting time.”

3. In the past, you’ve taken head coaching jobs as a promotion from assistant coach and as a brand new coach to the program. What’s the difference?

“The biggest difference is those kids know you when you take over from within. However, they don’t know you in that role. You are who you are to an extent, but there are certain things that you have to do as a head coach that you don’t necessarily have to do as a coordinator. I think they have to figure out that you’ve got to wear that hat, too. Which, obviously, I did it before and I know I’ve made some mistakes, I’m sure, and I’d handle some things differently now than I would have over 10 years ago now just as far as maturity and, of course, having done it before. When you take over, you know where the bathrooms are and what keys you need to open what doors versus when you’re starting new, you have no idea who you’re dealing with and things like that. I guess it’s just a little less of an adjustment when you take over from within.”

4. You’ve talked about the difficulty of Cedartown’s controversial decision to fire you last year. Do you feel like you might have something to prove with another head opportunity at Bowdon?

“They made their decisions and for whatever reasons, and it just is what it is at this point, I guess. As far as having something to prove, I’ve always kind of felt like that anyways, regardless of what happened in the past. I’ve always got that hanging over me, whether or not that would have happened or not. That’s how I’ve always approached everything is having something to prove anyways.”