Season Preview: Briarwood's returning starters aim for Region title

After an electrifying finish to an up-and-down 2012 season, the Briarwood football team is preparing for the 2013 season with several key players back from injuries.

Quarterback Will Edwards is back after missing all of last year with a collarbone injury, as is running back Vic Jerald, who was out with a broken ankle. Chandler Wilkins, who stepped in for the Lions at quarterback last season and led them to two upset victories in the playoffs, will be moving to cornerback.

Briarwood unexpectedly ran into a rash of injuries in 2012 and finished with a disappointing 4-6 regular season record. However, once the playoffs rolled around, the luck started to come the Lions’ way.

“We had no experience and lots of injuries that just crippled us,” head coach Fred Yancey said. “I’ll be honest, I kind of lost hope when that happened because we had to play the No. 2 team in the state right away. But this is where the guys really came through. They knew they were getting better and never got discouraged.”

The team traveled to Jackson in the first round and pulled off a shocking 31-13 win. The game was never close.

“It all came together that first round,” Yancey said. “They were probably not as excited about the game as we were, and we knocked them off. It gave confirmation to our guys that all the hard work we had been doing was worth it. We were finally getting good.”

The Lions’ second round game was a matchup with Vigor, which Yancey dubbed a “loaded gun” because of the multiple SEC recruits on the team. In the freezing cold, Briarwood kept it close and, with a touchdown pass from Wilkins to Sam Morris, won the game with eight seconds remaining.

“That was probably as big a win as Briarwood has ever had in the history of the school, and that includes some state championship wins,” Yancey said. “That was just monumental to beat a team that good like we did.”

A 24-3 loss to St. Paul’s ended the team’s Cinderella playoff run in the third round. The Lions are hoping that momentum can carry into this season.

The entire backfield is returning from injuries and has in-game experience. Edwards is a dual-threat quarterback who will keep defenses guessing. Replacing Morris and fellow receiver Daniel Robert will be the team’s biggest challenge on offense. Brayden Housel will be stepping into the main receiver role.

On defense, all-state linebacker Ethan Simmons is coming off a 200-tackle season. Yancey called Simmons a “relentless, amazing high school football player.” Collier Smith, who has spent time both at linebacker and safety, will complement Simmons in the secondary. Returning starter Daniel Scott will anchor the defensive line.

Senior Jake Bracewell will play a big role on both sides of the ball this season, playing every down on offense and rotating on defense.

“Jake will be our starting center on offense, and a starting lineman on defense,” Yancey said. “That’s rare. We rarely have guys that start both sides, but Jake is going to be a key leader and a key player.”

Yancey, who also serves as the school’s athletic director and is entering his 44th year of coaching high school football, said that this team is certain to put a lot of points on the board.

“Scoring from afar will be this team’s strong point,” Yancey said. “Good football teams have the ability to score quickly. If you have to put together 12- or 13-play drives to score, you’re limited. We’ve had that in the past, and it’s a hard way to make a living. It’s better when you have guys that can score quickly.”

Yancey’s focus this spring and summer has been working to regain the team’s self-confidence.

“Last year – make no bones about it – really shook our confidence,” Yancey said. “Confidence is such a shaky deal in life and in football. If we can win some games early and gain confidence, then we have the chance to become great as the season goes. We just need to believe in ourselves.”

If the Lions are hoping to win some games early on, they will have to be prepared; their first game is against Eagles’ Landing, one of the top teams in Georgia. Yancey called them a “measuring stick” for how the Lions stack up against truly great teams.

After the out-of-state opener, the Lions dive into region play. Homewood and Sylacauga look to be the biggest challengers for the region title.

“Our goal is to win the region championship,” Yancey said. “As we look back, including last year for sure, those teams were unselfish and had a tremendous desire to stay alive. That’s special. I see that same desire in this team.”

2012 Results: After a 4-6 regular season, the Lions shocked second-ranked Jackson in the first round of the playoffs with a 31-13 win. The team followed that up with another upset, this time at home against Vigor with a touchdown pass with eight seconds left to win 14-13. The season ended in the third round with a 24-3 loss at St. Paul’s.

Head Coach: Fred Yancey (225-72 in 23 years at Briarwood).

Key Losses: WR Daniel Robert, WR Sam Morris, LB/DE Jordan Carroll, DL Jonathan Paramore.

Key Players: QB Will Edwards, RB Vic Jerald, WR Braden Housel, LB Ethan Simmons, CB Chandler Wilkins, DE Daniel Scott, C/DL Jake Bracewell, LB/S Collier Smith.