2021 Football Preview: New Brockton focused on being 1-0 every week

The New Brockton Gamecocks’ first season in Class 3A was a frustrating one, for more than one reason, but the 2021 team is as motivated as ever to find playoff success.

In New Brockton’s first year in Class 3A, the Gamecocks played just eight games due to the COVID-19 pandemic with a number of games being cancelled and postponed during the season because of quarantines. After a frustrating 2020, New Brockton is moving into 2021 with a renewed sense of hunger to get back to the playoffs.

Head coach Zack Holmes said that emphasis is being put on starting fast and maintaining that momentum, whether that be simply in practice, in games and the season as a whole. Holmes said that historically, in the past several years, New Brockton has started the year off slow and had to claw its way into the playoffs. Holmes wants that to change this season and part of that is the Gamecocks not looking past the week ahead of them.

“You don’t want to shortchange yourself with your goals but one thing we talk about, especially after last season, is the future isn’t guaranteed,” Holmes said. “Week to week you don’t know what could happen, so our goal is to be 1-0 every week.

“Let’s take it one week at a time and try to be 1-0 every week. Let’s focus on that and move forward and if we get into the playoffs we can reevaluate things and go from there. I think looking past that would be foolish right now. We just need to concentrate on being 1-0 and making the most of every opportunity we get.”

While New Brockton is replacing a number of veteran players from last season’s team, a number of veterans also return. The Gamecocks boast a senior class of 12 players that are primarily starters and even more underclassmen that have earned plenty of experience over the last two years.

“Our senior class I think are our leaders, there’s 12 of them, and I talk to them probably as much or more than any other class we’ve had here about leadership,” Holmes said. “To me, the thing that stands out a little bit about this class is you have guys like Jamarcus Brown and Brayson Carr and Tre Boland who are New Brockton guys through and through.

“They’ve been here and are connected here, their families went here and played here, and I think that’s important. You also have the other guys in that class that have been here long enough where they feel like they’re Gamecocks through and through, too. I look to that whole senior class that brings this unique mix of guys that all bring something different to the table all as leaders in different ways.”

One of those seniors is quarterback Kaden Cupp, who is coming into his fourth season as New Brockton’s signal caller. Cupp broke the school’s all time total yardage record last season and put up some eye-popping stats in his junior year. Cupp threw for 836 yards and 6 touchdowns along with 798 yards and 12 touchdowns rushing in just eight games. In his career, Cupp has thrown for 3,927 yards and 40 touchdowns along with rushing for 1,454 yards and 19 more touchdowns.

While Cupp has shown more and more playmaking ability with his legs each season, he may have the best group of skill players to throw to since his freshman season as New Brockton employs a more spread-style offense in 2021.

“Everything will go through the quarterback and we have plenty of weapons over there with Jamarcus Brown, Matt Smith, Brayson Carr, Jordan Tacey and Tre Boland,” Holmes said of the offense. “There are plenty of guys to touch the ball. We’ll be more spread oriented and won’t play as much with a fullback this year, but we’ll play with a tight end some like we did in the spring.”

Carr, who has played backup quarterback for the past three seasons, moved to receiver and cornerback in the spring and has excelled at the position, making big plays on both offense and defense during the spring and summer. Tacey will also see his role on the offense grow moving around from slot receiver to running back.

Up front, the Gamecocks return a number of starters on the offensive line including junior Bradley Adkinson, senior Curtis Wambles and Josh Bethea.

On the defensive side, Holmes said things will remain much the same but a bit simpler.

“We’ve simplified some stuff on defense where we’re playing faster and it’s been better in the spring and summer,” Holmes said. “Tre (Boland) and (Drew) Cashin identify themselves as the leaders and kind of run the show on defense for us.”

Cashin, Brown and Boland return as three starters at linebacker, while Michael Siniard and Bethea return on the defensive line and Karyus McNabb and Matt Smith returns as starters in the secondary. Tacey also earned starts at linebacker last season and will man one of the safety positions next to McNabb, while Carr will start at cornerback next to McNabb. Freshman Baylon Foster will also see time at cornerback and Cupp will see time at safety. Jacob Payton will man the other linebacker spot, while defensive tackle is a position that is currently in competition in fall camp.

Among his leaders, Holmes said one of the things he wants them to continue to improve during fall camp is being more vocal.

“We’ve been working with all of them on being more vocal,” Holmes emphasized. “Leading by example is important but we need more guys to be more vocal and I think they’re doing a great job at that right now.”

New Brockton’s coaching staff goes into 2021 largely unchanged with only the addition of former Daleville head coach Desmond Lett added to a group of coaches that Holmes is proud of.

“Coach Lett has been outstanding,” Holmes said. “The combination of him being young and relatable with the kids along with the fact that he was thrust into a head coaching role at a young age means he’s wise for his years, too.

“I’m really excited about the group of guys I get to work with every day. They all bring something different to the table and I think we have a really good mix of coaches. I think it’s important to not have a cookie-cutter staff with all of the same type of coaches. Every single one of our guys is a really hard worker and they all bring something unique to the table.”