Alcovy is ready to take the next step.
The Tigers were tested early and often during their non-region slate last fall. They look their lumps against a trio of Class AAAAAAA squads in North Forysth, Newton and Duluth to open the year. They then gave county rival Eastside, which would go on to become a Class AAAAA state quarterfinalist, all it could handle in a 34-31 defeat. The following week they returned to the 7A ranks to tussle with South Forsyth, resulting in a loss that sent them plummeting to 0-5.
Opening the season with five straight losses takes a toll. Add in the stress from navigating through a campaign in the midst of a pandemic, and there was plenty of reason to expect Alcovy would fold.
But the Tigers never faltered. Head coach Jason Dukes and his staff continued to preach that the goose egg in the win column was not indicative of the talent on the roster. They continued to go to work week after week and prepare with the same vigor and intensity.
The results eventually showed up.
Dukes explained how the early-season adversity prepared his team to go on a run late in the year: “Not taking anything away from our region opponents, but when you go up in classification for all your non-region games — except for the one game against Eastside, and they’re no slouch — it kind of prepares you from a speed and size and scheme standpoint to play the best.”
Alcovy took its frustration out on Grovetown in its Region 3-AAAAAA opener to the tune of a 44-14 trouncing. The following Friday, the team improved to 2-0 in league play with a 35-0 blowout victory over Lakeside.
Written off by many just a few weeks prior, the Tigers suddenly found themselves traveling to Evans, Ga., in November to battle for a de facto region title.
The season ended in somber fashion as Alcovy was edged by Evans in the regular-season finale and throttled by Brunswick in the Tigers’ first home playoff game in a decade. But the framework for the future was built.
Now they must simply build off of it.
“You want to be playing meaningful games in November. Last year we did that. But we’re not happy there,” Dukes said. “We need to take that next step to realize a championship.
“I think this is our next step in the progression, to win a region title and be a No. 1 seed going into a playoff. I believe we’ve got the kids and the coaches and the support of our community to do that.”
Alcovy’s first key to progression will be consistent quarterback play.
Ashton Evans, who earned the starting gig late in the 2019 season, will be entering the fall as QB1 for the second consecutive year. Dukes has seen his young gunslinger mature both physically and mentally over the past year and believes his game will be improved come time to kick off the new season.
“I think his growth is understanding the right play instead of the big play. I’m excited about him. I think his teammates trust him a lot,” Dukes said. “His teammates have rallied around him in the summer. We had a situation this summer where he took a shot late and it kind of lit a spark under our kids and really focused them up. I was really happy to see that.”
The continued development of Evans will be an important factor for the Tigers. Fortunately, he’ll be surrounded by a blend of burgeoning underclassmen and veteran leaders who’ve bought into Dukes’ program over the years.
“It’s a really, really great mix of kids, kind of undergirded by our class of seniors. This group is, I believe, a really special bunch,” Dukes said. “Skill guys, guys on the defensive line, secondary guys — I think all across the board we have key upperclassmen in leadership roles. That’s really, really going to give us an advantage this year.”
Alcovy will travel to North Forsyth on Friday, Aug. 20, to kick off the 2021 season.
