Flowery Branch High School’s football team is not on a “revenge tour”. At least nobody is talking about it that way.
The Falcons are 2-0 heading into Week 3 of their 2023 campaign, which is the exact same place they were a year ago before a 27-11 loss to Stephens County (2-0) in Toccoa.
The slippery slope of a seven-game losing streak was underway and they finished with a 3-7 record.
“This was the start of our, kind of, downfall,” FBHS Head Coach Jason Tester said. “All credit to Stephens County last year for playing a great game and having a great season.”
Over that seven-game slide, the Falcons fell by a single-digit score just twice, 20-17 at Winder-Barrow and 31-22 at Loganville.
A year ago, FBHS averaged 18.5 points per game.
This season, in wins over Decatur and St. Pius X, that average is up to 34.5 points per game.
Both of those teams, like the Indians, were a second-round state playoff team in 2022.
In 2023, SCHS has started another march back to the postseason with a perfect start.
The Indians beat Habersham Central 31-29 in Week 1 and followed that up with a 35-0 rout of Rabun County.
That’s a difference from last year when they were welcoming FBHS to The Reservation after falling to the Wildcats in a 14-7 affair.
That 2022 clash between the Falcons and the Indians saw then-sophomore running back Javin Gordon run wild over the away team.
Overall, FBHS allowed 244 yards and three scores on 39 run plays in the contest.
This season, Gordon is still a big part of the Indians’ offense.
The junior has 54 carries for 318 yards and three touchdowns through two games. His carries are 46.5 percent of the offensive workload. His 318 rushing yards and 50 receiving yards mean he holds 48.6 percent of the overall offensive production.
“We knew the running back was going to be the main guy,” Tester said. “You have to shut him down.”
Tester said he recognizes shutting down Gordon doesn’t lead directly to victory at the end of the night.
“They have the ability to go play action and stretch you vertically. They’re not the team that’s just the one phase with the running back,” Tester said. “They have the ability to spread the ball around. Number 1 can take the top off the defense.”
Number 1 is senior receiver Jasec Smith.
In the Indians’ win over Habersham Central, Smith finished with four receptions, 102 yards, and two touchdowns, including the touchdown and 2-point conversion that closed the deficit from 29-20 to 29-28.
SCHS junior quarterback Tripp Underwood is absolutely capable of spreading the ball around. He found six different receivers last week.
Underwood has thrown for four touchdowns and 265 yards, connecting on 47.7 percent of his passes this season.
In order to be successful against the Indians’ offense, Tester believes his defense needs to remember three things: alignment, assignment, and execution.
“We preach keys and being able to read and react and make those quick decisions,” Tester said. “I think it’s just a matter of being disciplined across the board and not giving up the big plays. That’ll put us in a good spot.”
The Falcons aren’t the only ones contending with a good offense. They have talent on their sideline as well.
Senior quarterback Josh Oliver has thrown for three touchdowns and 289 yards. He’s found his receiver on 54.5 percent of his 33 attempts.
Oliver only had two starts in 2022, the final two games of the season, after he was beat out in a battle for the position by a senior teammate.
The week FBHS played Loganville, the starting QB got the flu and was unable to play. After a questionable first quarter, Oliver settled in. He nearly brought the Falcons back into the game, ultimately losing by nine.
Then, back on his home field, Oliver led FBHS to a 46-0 victory over Heritage (Conyers), a bright spot after the skid.
Oliver nearly quit the game, according to Tester. Now, his coach feels the signal-caller is out to prove something.
“For Josh, it’s redemption for him because his path to becoming the starting quarterback, obviously he wished he started a long time ago,” Tester said. “He knows this is his moment.”
In addition to the three touchdowns he’s thrown in the first two games, Oliver has also run for a trio of scores.
“He’s doing well. He’s going out there and managing the offense and taking what the defense gives him,” Tester said. “He’s got six touchdowns and no interceptions – I’ll knock on wood about that.
“We’re excited with what he’s doing and looking forward to him progressing. He’s a gritty kid.”
Senior running back Malik Dryden has also been a driving force for the Falcons thus far.
Dryden has carried the ball 39 times for 276 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Tester said his running back would carry the ball 30-plus times a game if they needed him to.
“He’s just a warrior,” Tester said. “He’s going to drag kids for extra yardage.”
Listed at 5-foot-10, 205 pounds, Dryden is the kind of player who lets his play do the talking.
“He works so hard and he’s so quiet. He’s just unassuming with this cast of personalities, he just does the work,” Tester said. “When you talk to him, he’s extremely respectful, always has a smile on his face. He’s just one of those kids you love to coach.”
Junior receiver Jeremiah Ware has seven receptions this season with 127 yards and two touchdowns to show for his efforts. Senior Camo Campbell pulled in the third touchdown pass from Oliver.
“We talk about Fridays being a celebration,” Tester said. “For them to go out, be loose, enjoy the game, and honor the moment.
“For one, yes, it’s a great opportunity. The fact you have a team like Stephens County coming in and there’s some hype around the game, it’s awesome to have that in Week 3,” he continued. “I told our kids, ‘This game isn’t going to define you, but it’s going to tell you an awful lot about who we are, where we’re at, and where we’re headed.’ I think they get that.”
Tester said he knows the result of last year’s game against the Indians “really bothers this group,” and a win in this game would be “a shot of confidence,” validating the hard work the team put in since the season ended with that shutout victory a year ago.
Still, nobody is talking about revenge. Not for this game. Not this season.
But if they were, there’s no better place to start than with the game that started the series of losses from a year ago.
“The bottom line is that they should have a chip on their shoulder because they know the history, they know where we’re at, and they know what’s at stake,” Tester said. “There’s a sense of urgency in our kids…and rightfully so.”
Stephens County and Flowery Branch will kick off at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Falcon Stadium.
