Retooled Firebirds look to continue program success

While graduation wasn’t kind to the Southern Nash High varsity football program with 20 seniors from the 2023 edition walking across the stage in June, the Firebirds have a solid mix of returning starters and promising newcomers to keep expectations high.

The defending 2-A/3-A Big East Conference champion, Southern Nash has averaged more than nine wins per season over the last 10 (non-COVID) seasons and the goals remain the same each season, regardless of personnel. To say the Firebirds simply reload each summer would be a disservice to the hard work the players put in from Southern Nash Middle to high school. Instead, they arrive at the opportunity for which they’ve been working.

“We’re starting like six sophomores, five sophomores, young ones, and so it’ll be a matter of how quickly those guys progress,” said head coach Brian Batchelor, starting his fourth season at the helm of his alma mater. “I feel like this team, where we are every year, like they’ve worked hard to prepare. The coaching staff has done an unbelievable job. getting to where they’re at this point in the season. Now it’s how well can we be focused? How much leadership can we get? Can we stay healthy? Can we do the little things each day to get better? That’s what it’s going to take to reach our goals.”

Southern Nash, which finished 10-2 overall and 6-0 in Big East play, has a handful of returning starters, including senior running back Tylik Mitchell, who has rushed for 2,320 yards and 29 touchdowns in not quite two full varsity seasons. While Mitchell, the Times Offensive Player of the Year in 2023, is likely to be playing on Saturdays next year as well as a few of his teammates, Southern Nash will rely less on talent and more on teamwork and hard work to achieve its goals as the Firebirds have done every season.

“Especially with what we’re doing on offense and how we ask our kids to play, talent is always a great thing, but we just try to get those guys to understand that you can win a lot of situations with just your effort and how hard you play,” Batchelor said. “And those guys have responded well to that challenge. So, I’m excited about them.”

LINE OVERHAUL

Any discussion about the Southern Nash offense with Batchelor begins with the offensive line, the unit he started out coaching and once played on. This year’s seven starters will all be new except senior tight end Brandon Hill, who saw action there last season.

Senior Ashton Batten is the early leader of the group at center while the others have a few snaps under their belt. Seniors Riley Horne and Leo Roblero will set up at right and left tackles, respectively, while junior Cooper Wheaton will line up opposite Hill at the other tight end spot.

The guards flanking Batten are senior Zaquez Macklin on the left and junior Caden Day on the right.

“Those kids, they’ve done great with it,” Batchelor said. “Coach (Adam) Monts de Oca and Coach (Luke) Watson working with them, they’ve had a great spring and summer, and now camp and come a long way. They showed good glimpses in the scrimmage of making growth from just one week. So I think they’ve got a lot of upside after we get some live reps here and playing against good competition and kind of jumping into the fire, like they say, ‘baptism by fire.’”

Sophomore Isaiah Battle is taking over at quarterback while Mitchell is the “featured” back in an offense that really doesn’t have such a thing. The double wing relies heavily on misdirection, not to mention the idea that everyone not carrying the ball must block. Senior Jonathan Hines and sophomore Jaden Hartsfield will join Mitchell as wingbacks while the trio of Luke Faulkner, Danny Dunston and Deavon Richardson will share time at fullback.

“So one thing our guys learned early is: There’s three backs back there and only one football, and you’ve got to block before you carry the rock,” Batchelor said. “So the biggest thing for those guys is for them just to learn how to play off each other and, like I said, understand how important it is that if I’m not carrying the ball, I’m not being selfish and carrying out good fakes and blocking, which those guys have all proved that. But that’s the key to our success any year, is how those guys understand it’s not about one guy. … You know, it’s not about one person, it’s about everybody. And when you can get those backs to understanding that, usually things come together. And these guys, that’s the thing I like about them: They’ve all got experience at that and they’re all returning and they know, like I said, our little saying is, ‘No block, no rock.’”

Senior Israel Whitaker will line up at wide receiver while Cooper Wheaton and Corinth Holders transfer Aiden Meyers are vying to handle the kicking and punting duties.

DEFENSE FRONT-LOADED

Defensively, the Firebirds are solid up front and in the middle but sustained the biggest losses in the secondary where a bunch of new faces will be this season. Sophomore Cam Lyons and senior Zuriel Curtis are at the corners while sophomore Jeremiah Battle and Christian Tyler are at safety.

The line is anchored by three-year starter Chris Harris at tackle/nose guard while juniors Taj Martin  and Zahmir Ashford step into starting roles.

The linebacking corp brings back the most experience with Faulkner and Richardson in the middle and Whitaker and Dunston on the outside.

Batchelor is less worried about his defense but overall questions persist, as always this time of year, heading into Friday night’s season opener at home against East Wake.

“Defensively, we’ve got to get better on the back end,” Batchelor said, ticking off his concerns. “Offensively, we’ve got to get better up front and keep working. Special teams this time of the year is always a headache for are you feeling prepared or not? Trying to make sure you get the right people in the right place and getting them enough practice reps to feel like that first Friday night you can go out there and put a good product on the field.”

Batchelor isn’t alone with his fears, as he pointed out: “That’s bothering every high school coach North Carolina right now is, how healthy can we stay? How much are the guys going to progress? Will they stay together through adversity? There’s a lot of water to go into the bridge between now and that point in the season, I feel like our guys have worked hard to get to a good point. Now it’s just a matter of how focused we can stay and understand each day that we’ve got to put our best version of ourselves out there for today.”

2024 Schedule

DATE OPPONENT

Aug. 23 East Wake

Aug. 29 @ South Granville

Sept. 6 Fike

Sept. 13 @ Southern Alamance

Sept. 20 Nash Central*

Sept. 27 @ Roanoke Rapids*

Oct. 4 OPEN

Oct. 11 Bunn*

Oct. 18 Rocky Mount*

Oct. 25 @ Northern Nash*

Nov. 1 @ Franklinton*

* 2-A/3-A Big East Conference game

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