Deerfield-Windsor football ready to compete in GIAA

ALBANY — The Deerfield-Windsor Knights will open the regular football season Friday night at home against the Westfield School of Perry.

The Knights are looking to improve on last year’s 3-7 season in head coach Jake McCrae’s third season at DWS. Westfield is coming off an 8-3 season in the GISA last year.

“You’re a 5-15 team until you prove otherwise,” Mcrae said in an interview recently. “Everybody is thinking that this is their year, but you have to play and show up to make it a reality. You are who you are until you show up.”

The Knights will be in District 3 of the new GIAA football classification after leaving the GHSA last spring. They will compete in the district to earn a spot in the AAA 10-team football playoff at the end of the season. The district opponents include Terrell Academy, Southland, Brookwood, Tiftarea, and Valwood. McCrae know he and the Knights have their work cut out for them.

“This region is filled with incredible coaches,” McCrae said. “All of the teams are well-coached and disciplined. It is not going to be easy.”

McCrae is hoping his seniors this season are the difference.

“We have an excellent group of seniors this year,” the coach said. “We have some great leaders on this team and most championship teams have great player leadership. The seniors know what is expected of them and they work hard. The record doesn’t show much of the progress that has been made with this group, but it is there. I saw a lot of growth between the first and second year, and I have seen a great deal of growth this summer. You can’t always measure yourself in wins and losses.”

One of those senior leaders will be quarterback Thomas Ray, who is beginning his third year behind center as the starting quarterback.

“TRay is a fierce competitor. He is a great leader and can see the game about as well as any quarterback I have ever coached, and I have had some good ones,” McCrae said.

The other seniors on the team include Ethan Johnson, Boles Middleton, Harrison Dyke, Ben Hatcher, Aaron Johnson, Chancellor Bacon, Parks Cohen, Chewy Willis, Brooks Margeson, Reid Martin, Tillman Dew and Henry Hood.

“The goal is to be practicing on Thanksgiving Day,” McCrae said. “If you still have practice on Thanksgiving day you take it all in and realize that you are on the right track with the program.”

And it was the lack of practice that hindered the Knights in their scrimmage Friday night at Miller County.

“We didn’t get a chance to practice outside all week,” McCrae said. “And it showed. The boys played hard but that is good Miller County team. We need to take care of the ball better and hope we have a better week to get ready for Westfield. They are a good football team too.”

McCrae’s assistant coaches this season are Ashton Pace, Bill Cefaratti, David Peacock, Craig Rhodes and Hollis Hood.

The Knights will open the season with three straight home games here in Albany. Westfield is this Friday, followed by McClay from Tallahassee and then Strong Rock Christian from Locust Grove.

Special Photo: Joe Whitfield