Sardis football ready to meet expectations and make playoff run for first time since 2019

Sardis football is coming off of its first winning season since 2017, and there's a new goal for BJ Brooks' squad in his second season at the helm.

This senior group wants to lead the first Lions team to make the playoffs since 2019 and the first back-to-back winning seasons since 2012 and 2013. It seems likely they could reach their goals with the momentum that they have now, but Sardis is now dealing with positive expectations for the first time in a long time, and it's something against which the Lions will rise up and take down or something of which they'll fall short.

"I think one of the biggest things now is that these guys have expectations, and that's a good thing, but with the expectations come the responsibility. People expect stuff out of you, there's responsibility to either fulfill that responsibility or fall short. So, I think a lot of them have that in their minds now, there's expectations that they are trying to live up to them," Brooks said.

Most of the momentum going into the 2024 season came in the first part of the year after a 5-1 start, but four straight losses followed. It was in part due to Sardis getting into the meat and potatoes of its schedule, but quarterback Brian Chapman knows that the team lost focus. The good news is they were able to correct it midseason, and the year ended on a high note by getting the game 10 win.

It was a crucial victory, not only for the 2023 season and that senior group to leave their mark with the winning season, but also for the 2024 season. It turned the momentum for the offseason back in their favor and also showed them they can right the focus if needed.

"I feel like we were rolling and got a little bit too high and focused on, 'Oh we're winning,' and not next week and attacking who we were playing. I just feel like, years past we hadn't had a coach that instilled a winning standard, and so we didn't go in there with the mindset that we could hang with those guys, when we could've," Chapman said.

While there is momentum for Lions, they do need to replace 19 seniors from the 2023 team, including almost every offensive starter. The good news is they return the Gadsden Times' sixth-ranked quarterback in Chapman, and the schedule is a little more balanced throughout the year. Beyond that, they are plenty of new faces on the line and at skill positions, and Chapman and Brooks are looking to get Chapman some tag-team partners.

"It's always hard to replace all five starting offensive lineman, and to me, offensively, if you ask me the most important positions, obviously quarterback is up there, but the O-line is so important, too," Brooks said. "To me they're kind of a tag team, so right now Brian Chapman is looking for some tag-team partners."

This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Sardis football ready to meet expectations and make playoff run for first time since 2019