WINDER, Ga. — Last Friday, people had their first chance to see the new-look Alcovy Tigers under first year head coach Diego Dixon. The team traveled north to take on former region foe Apalachee in a spring game.

While the spring game between the Tigers and Wildcats was not a full varsity matchup, it allowed each team to see where they are ahead of the summer. Alcovy came out short in a defeat, but Dixon was happy to see his new team get in action.

“The guys were excited,” Deixon said. “They got a chance to kind of fly around a little bit offensively and defensively to make some plays. That made it exciting to coach. It was a good day.”

Apalachee broke out for an opening touchdown on the first drive as rising junior Dylan Webb hauled in a pass across the middle.

As the Alcovy offense took the field for the first time, a new quarterback joined the frey as Jeremy “Coop” Cain took the snaps. Dixon noted that rising senior Trey Bryant is still set to start the season at quarterback, but the athletic right-hander was unavailable for Friday's matchup.

While Jeremy and the Tigers’ offense struggled in the early going, Dixon discussed what makes the sophomore quarterback special.

“I like it because he is young and developing within the offense,” Dixon said. “He is still raw, but with the coaching — I am a quarterback guy myself, I played in college — he will be fine.”

One part of the offense that is tapped to help Jeremy and Bryant is the running back room.

Following a strong year from Carlos Sing, the rising senior is set to be the team’s top back in 2026. However, Dixon noted that there will be another name in the mix — Travis Breland.

“Those guys will be a dynamic duo,” Dixon said. “Good guys, good GPAs. They will be some of the vocal leaders on the team. Carlos is one of the guys that plays both ways. He plays that safety role and the dog position we have in our defense.”

As the Alcovy offense searched for success, the team’s defense provided the opportunities. Following the opening touchdown from Apalachee, the Tigers’ defense stood tall for the remainder of the half.

Jeremy’s brother, Jeremiah “Truck” Cain, was another player that stood out to Dixon through the spring. Jeremiah spent significant time on offense a year ago, but a move to the heart of Dixon’s defense has paid dividends so far into the offseason.

“He has been a phenomenal asset,” Dixon said. “He played running back last year, but now we have him at the middle linebacker position. He is going to be a threat. He is making all the calls right now, which is a little scary because he adjusted to the defense really early.”

While Jeremiah is serving as a key piece in the front seven, Jaylon Randon made his presence known in the secondary.

Randon started last season off hot with 114 yards and a pair of touchdowns against Arabia Mountain. However, a lower leg injury sidelined him until the final weeks of the season.

After a strong season with the school’s track and field team, Dixon was not surprised to see Randon’s impact.

“I always say, ‘speed kills,’” Dixon said. “He is a guy that is going to burn, and I say that with good intentions because he is going to be a speedster guy that plays both sides of the ball and even special teams. He is going to be a special player. He is a track guy as well, and typically with track guys you want them to understand the game of football too for when it transfers over from track. He is a guy that already knows and understands so he is looking for a big year this year.”

Late in the second half, Randon grabbed two interceptions on back-to-back drives. The second turned into a 65-yard pick six as the Wildcats’ offense had no chance of tracking him down.

Despite the eventual loss, Dixon noted that the energy from the sideline is right where it needed to be.

As the team progresses into the summer, Dixon hopes his team can carry the energy forward.

“[They’ve been] very enthusiastic,” Dixon said. “I pride myself on high energy. Flying around and being excited about what you do everyday. Taking advantage of the moment because not everyone gets these opportunities when it comes down to football. One minute you can have it and the other you can lose it. I just preach to them about taking advantage of every opportunity they get — whether it is on the field or off the field.”