Chelsea prep football preview

The last two years have been similar for the Chelsea football team, in the fact that the Hornets have started out 5-0 both times. In 2014, Chelsea lost the next four and missed the playoffs, but last year, the Hornets turned the tide and won two of the next four to secure a postseason berth.

Head coach Chris Elmore’s squad lost to Opelika and Benjamin Russell both times around — not losses for any team to hang its head about — but the difference was how his squad responded last year, as opposed to 2014.

“We came out of those two games and got two more victories against Pell City and Oxford, and that was the difference from the year before,” Elmore said, who enters his third year at the helm of the program.

Chelsea gave No. 5 Blount all it could handle in the teams’ first-round matchup. The game was tied after three quarters before Blount pulled away in the final period for a 41-28 win, a performance Elmore called a “testament” to the team’s belief in themselves and the system.

Elmore is taking the results from last year’s slate to instill confidence. 

Blount defeated McGill-Toolen, the Class 7A state champion and nearly knocked off 6A champ Spanish Fort, and the Hornets played them to the wire. 

Opelika and Benjamin Russell were each Top 10 teams in 6A, and the Hornets battled with them as well.

“We felt like overall that we couldn’t have asked anymore of our players than what they gave us this season,” Elmore said. “7-4 maybe doesn’t look that impressive to some people, and I understand why, but we were proud of it, because of who we played and who beat us.”

The Hornets played the exact same schedule the last two seasons, but shuffle things up in 2016 with a few new opponents in Class 6A, Region 3. Out are Valley, Oxford and Pell City. In are Helena, Pelham and Wetumpka. 

Outside the region, Chelsea travels to Oak Mountain to begin the season, hosts Briarwood Christian and Gardendale, and goes to Cullman to wrap up the regular season.

If Chelsea is to make a second consecutive playoff appearance, it will have to maintain the strategy of staying focused on the moment.

“Coach Elmore preaches it quite well,” senior running back Zalon Reynolds said. “We have to have that 1-0 mentality. We take every week, every practice, every rep that we do, we take it as if it’s the first game of the season.”

Offense

An offensive unit that averaged nearly 32 points per a game last season returns a host of playmakers for the Hornets. QB Matthew Marquet and running back Zalon Reynolds form the backbone of a dangerous attack.

“I think Matt and Zalon are as good of players around,” Elmore said. “They’re both hard-working kids that are never going to give you any trouble.”

The Hornets will need to replace AJ Jones’ production out of the backfield, and Reynolds’s increased workload will shoulder much of that, but Elmore would still like to establish some depth.

Jay Vickers leads a receiver group that will feature a handful of guys that played significant minutes a year ago. Vickers established himself as a go-to threat in 2015, and guys like Zach Adams, Josh Gregg, Lee Rickard among others will be counted on as well.

On the offensive line, Chelsea graduated three players, but had to go eight men deep into the rotation last year, and that developed depth will provide the core of the line in 2016. The challenge there will be for the Hornets to find quality depth should injuries strike.

Defense

Chelsea has to replace three linebackers and a free safety, all among the team leaders in tackles in 2015. 

There will be some familiar faces in new places, as the deck is reshuffled a bit. 

Senior Regan Wortham moves to linebacker from defensive end after the departure of the trio of Blake Travelstead, Justin Painter and David Hardenbergh. Fellow senior Bryson Hardy slides over from corner to free safety to fill a void.

Elmore said, “They’ve played in those games and they know what to expect. Now it’s just a matter of getting them ready to go at those different positions.”

Jalyn Miller will start at defensive end and could see time at linebacker, Zac Young will get his chance to play the ‘Hornet’ safety spot and junior defensive lineman Warner Wright impressed coaches with his toughness and work ethic during the offseason and will see significant playing time. 

Special teams

Tyler Thomas will handle the placekicking duties for the third straight year for the Hornets, and his leg has gotten stronger according to what his coach has seen from him. 

Chelsea will have to find a replacement at punter after Painter’s departure. Marquet is a possibility if needed, and would add a playmaking threat to make opposing teams think with his ability to throw the football.