The future looks bright for Coach Terry Crowder and the Chattahoochee Cougar football program. This past year Chattahoochee was reclassified from a 5-A to a 4-A school in which they will play schools more their size. “We are very happy with the reclassification,” said Crowder, entering his 6th year at Chattahoochee. “It’s hard to compete with these schools when you have 1,800 kids and they have 4,000. We were just outgunned last year.”

Despite the stiff competition, the Cougars finished 4-6, 3-5 last year and Crowder said he was most disappointed that they didn’t make the playoffs. “We weren’t as good on defense as we would have hoped,” he said. “But our kids gave a good effort and did everything they were supposed to do. We just played in probably the toughest region in the state.”

Instead of the Gwinnett powerhouses like North Gwinnett, Mill Creek and Norcross from last year, Chattahoochee will face teams more their size like Creekview, Lambert and Forsyth Central. “We are looking forward to playing teams like us that we are unfamiliar with,” he said. “It’s fairer.”

Averaging nearly 27 points per game last year, Crowder’s offense may be even more potent this year. He has seven starters returning including senior sensation Timmy Byerly taking the snaps. Byerly combined for 30 touchdowns last year, 17 of which were on the ground.

“He is our leader,” Crowder says of Byerly. “He can run. He can pass and he holds the school record for most rushing yards as a quarterback.”

The Cougars will stick with their spread offense and Crowder is pleased to have four of his offensive lineman returning as well. They are Matt Kiefer, Kirk Dumont, Matt Mills and Travis Skillingstad.

Hunter Thomas and Christian Sutherland are also returning as wide receivers. “Those guys have been starting together since they were sophomores,” he said. “They are big, strong and physical.”

Crowder said he has three kids competing for the starting spot at tailback with Northview transfer Josh Gregory raising eyebrows. Crowder said with Byerly taking snaps, he is not too concerned with his committee of running backs.

Defense

Defensively, Crowder only has three starters returning, but he feels this is one of the fastest defenses he has ever seen. And his 3-3-5 scheme always requires an extremely defensive fast personnel to cover sideline to sideline.

The starters returning are big Baron Dixon at nose tackle. The 6-foot-3, 265-pounder currently has nearly 20 collegiate offers on the table. Kyle Johnston is returning at defensive end and Christian Sutherland will play on both sides of the ball.

They lost leading tackler Zach Hipes to graduation last year, but Crowder and his coaching staff is expecting big things out of senior Cooper Campbell. “He has played the best and has been the biggest surprise so far,” he said. Crowder said hovering under the radar are Northview transfers Kane Whitehurst and Chris Johnson.

Whitehurst will return kicks and punts and play outside linebacker and split end. Johnson will be the other outside linebacker.

Special Teams

And in regards to special teams, Crowder couldn’t feel more confident. His senior kicker, Ammon Lakip, was recently named the No. 1 high school kicker in the nation, according to American Football Specialists hosted camp, prokicker.com. Last year, Lakip hit 7-of-8 field goals on the season, including a 52-yarder. “We feel if we cross the 50 we got a shot to score,” Crowder said. “He’s an unbelievable kid. He’s competitive, he works hard and he is not scared to take that 4 0-yarder to win the game.”

Lakip, who will also assume punting duties, has received an offer from Air Force, but Crowder said Georgia and Georgia Tech are looking at him as well. Without a doubt, Crowder is geared up for Fall 2010. “I just enjoy being around the kids,” he said. “I love it when lights come on Friday nights. I don’t know of another job that is this fun and exciting.”