Photo by Todd Lester
Logan Strunk (8).
Chelsea High School spent the offseason answering a question every new coaching staff has to answer first: who are we. First-year head coach Tad Niblett has spent his first months on the job trying to establish the identity of his new program.
Niblett is entering his 34th year of coaching. He played quarterback at Harding University before getting his coaching start at Shelby Academy, teaching math and coaching multiple sports and both sides of the ball at the small-school level. Niblett said that grinding, do-everything start is where he really learned football.
“You don’t realize how much you don’t know until you start coaching,” Niblett said. “You come out after playing college thinking you know everything, and you find out real quick you don’t know anything.”
Niblett arrived with a staff mix of four holdover assistants and five new hires, including defensive coordinator Jacob Guillory, who came over from Hueytown. Roughly 65% of the roster is made up of freshmen and sophomores, and Chelsea’s senior class is thin. Niblett has spent the summer sorting out not just scheme, but who on the roster is ready to play meaningful snaps this fall.
“There’s a difference between 11 best and your best 11,” Niblett said. “That’s what we’re working on right now.”
The youth on the roster means Chelsea will lean on a small group of experienced upperclassmen to set the tone while a larger group of underclassmen develops behind them. Niblett has used fall camp to sort the roster into tiers, players ready now, players who need a year, and everyone in between.
“Not everybody’s capable of being a starter right now, but everybody has a role,” Niblett said.
Niblett has been coaching for more than three decades and said he’s learned that sustained success starts with dependable first steps rather than promises of overnight results. He also wants his team focused on its own preparation rather than getting caught up in each week’s opponent, a lesson he said he learned the hard way earlier in his career.
“I think you’ve got to start somewhere,” Niblett said. “We want to compete for championships, we want this program to be relevant, and you can’t reach what you can’t see.”
Chelsea opens the season on the road against Southside Gadsden on Aug. 21, then hosts Gardendale the following week before region play begins Sept. 4 at Calera. The Hornets host Ramsay, Pelham, Helena and Chilton County within the region and travel to Homewood and Mountain Brook. Chelsea has an open date Sept. 25 and closes the regular season on the road at Bessemer City.
OFFENSE
Chelsea’s offense runs through senior quarterback Logan Strunk, who Niblett said picked up the new terminology quickly and had a strong spring. Niblett wants a quarterback who protects the football and plays within the system, and he called Strunk an intelligent player who picks things up easily.
“He wants to be coached,” Niblett said.
Photo by Richard Force
Wyatt Wright (29).
Senior Wyatt Wright takes over at running back after a strong spring of his own. At tight end, Chelsea returns two experienced players in Cohen Jones and Hudson Picklesimer, both of whom Niblett said can line up in the box or split out into space.
The receiving corps is Chelsea’s youngest group by experience, but Niblett said he has seen real improvement from that unit through the offseason and expects it to keep growing. Sophomore Cole Carroll and junior Brock Russell are still developing, while senior Luke Hairston brings the most experience after playing extensively a year ago.
Photo by Richard Force
Kevin Madrid (54).
Up front, Kevin Madrid is the unit’s most experienced returner despite being undersized, and Niblett praised his technique and understanding of the scheme. Cash Piotrowski, Luke Roper at center, Chance Dunnavant at tackle and Chase Morrow round out a line Niblett said is still developing but working hard. Niblett wants seven or eight linemen ready to play by the fall, whether that depth is needed because of injury or simply to keep the offense from losing anything when reserves are in the game.
“It has to start up front,” Niblett said. “The better offensive line you’ve got, the better opportunity you have to throw it and run it when you want to.”
Niblett said an offensive line room tends to be the most cohesive group on any team he’s coached, made up of players who have to communicate and work together more than any other position.
DEFENSE
Niblett said he was initially concerned about depth on the defensive line, but that group has come along as camp has progressed. Cristian Madrid, Kevin’s brother, brings experience up front alongside Lane Cox.
Linebacker is Chelsea’s deepest position defensively. Seniors River Hill, Austin Kirkland and Brandon Bousman provide leadership, with junior Noah Miller also in the mix.
The secondary returns two senior starters in Carter Johnson and Andrew Long, with underclassmen Ben Christian and Jackson Allison developing behind them at cornerback.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Brycen Miller will handle Chelsea’s kicking duties this fall. He and Strunk are competing for the punting job as well.
