Season Preview: Chelsea Hornets look to bounce back under Elmore
A mix of coaching ingenuity, detailed organization, and a strong coaching pedigree is coming to the Chelsea football program this year. New head coach Chris Elmore is leading a team looking to bounce back after a tough first year in 6A.
Elmore, who is the former Hueytown offensive coordinator, is already working to plan everything out for a successful season. But a few short months ago, Elmore had no idea he would be in this position.
There was a vacancy for the Hueytown head coaching job, and Elmore thought he had a good shot at getting it after spending time at offensive coordinator. When that didn’t work out, the Fort Payne native had to look elsewhere.
A mere three days after he found out he didn’t get the Hueytown job, Elmore interviewed for the Chelsea job. Two days after the interview, Chelsea offered him the position.
“It all happened in about five days,” Elmore said. “It was a whirlwind because it literally went from ‘I’m about to be the next Hueytown coach,’ to all of a sudden, out of nowhere, now I’m a head coach at Chelsea. It was wild. Obviously God had a plan for me. I couldn’t be happier.”
Former coach Wade Waldrop left the program in a good place, but the Hornets still are behind other schools in their region. Elmore is putting together a unique plan to be competitive in Region 4.
Part of his plan includes the somewhat radical idea of playing seven to 10 players on both defense and offense. Playing both sides of the ball is something common with smaller schools, but it is rarely seen in 6A.
“I know a lot of people say you can’t play guys both ways in 6A,” Elmore said. “And I know what they’re saying, but at the same time, you have to put your best players out there. If that means one guy has to play half the game on offense and the whole game on defense, then that’s what you have to do. You have to give yourself a chance to win.”
Another aspect of Elmore’s coaching is meticulously planned practices and meetings, something he learned from his grandfather and father, both former football coaches.
“Both my dad and grandad were very organized and very detailed,” Elmore said. “Everything we did was very scheduled down to the minute. For example, we had times for each position to go out and warm up before games. If your time was 5:57, you didn’t go out a minute early or a minute late. That’s how I plan to do things here.”
The Hornets will have to replace All-State running back Julius McCall, who was one of the bright spots for Chelsea last season. McCall, who accounted for the bulk of the team’s offensive yardage last season, signed with Troy State University to play in college.
Austin Washington and Aki Coles look to take over the running duties, while Trent Hagin will return at quarterback.
“Trent is going to have a good season,” Elmore said. “He has all the intangibles, and he is a great game manager. He knows our system really well.”
A strong offensive line will be protecting Hagin and company, anchored by senior Troy Marshall. Marshall will also be featured on the defensive line and has already received offers from several colleges.
“In general, I expect good things from our entire offensive line,” Elmore said. “I really like that whole group. Troy and another five or six are solid, smart, hard-working kids who do whatever you ask them to do. They’ve got to be the most dependable kids on the team, and it’s the hardest position to learn. They’ll end up being the backbone of the team.”
Linebacker John Wilson and safety Taylor Martindale look to be the leaders on defense. Martindale also returns kicks.
The schedule, like it was in 2012, will be difficult. The Hornets want to improve on their 4-6 record, even if it means they have to beat teams with larger enrollment numbers.
“We tell the kids every day, if you can’t enjoy that challenge – if you’re not excited about the fact that you’re the little guy and everyone else doesn’t think you can do anything, then there’s something wrong with you,” Elmore said.
2012 Results: Moved from 5A to 6A and finished 4-6, near the bottom of Region 4.
Head Coach: Chris Elmore is entering his first season at Chelsea. He was previously the offensive coordinator at Hueytown.
Key Losses: RB Julius McCall, WR Cooper Page.
Key Players: RB Austin Washington, DT/OL Troy Marshall, QB Trent Hagin, RB Aki Coles, LB Jon Wilson, S/K Taylor Martindale, WR Josh Pugh.