Athens High School senior Josh Maxson said he wanted to do something this year that “people would remember.”
After being the first Athens team ever to go 10-0 during the regular season, securing the school’s first playoff appearance since 1990 and winning in overtime against Nelsonville-York, it’s safe to say it was one memorable year at R. Basil Rutter Field.
It truly was the storybook type of season for the Bulldogs, who came out on top in the Tri-Valley Conference Ohio Division.
Making it even more unforgettable was that the season came just one year after a tornado ripped through Athens County, destroying the school’s field.
But less than a year later, with some help from insurance and about $1 million in fundraising, R. Basil Rutter Field was erected at the old field’s site.
The Bulldogs paid their thanks to the community with the 10-0 regular season led by the seniors. Coach Ryan Adams said this year’s group was a special one.
“Probably the biggest thing that emphasizes the whole season is the journey we had to take to get here with this group of seniors,” he said. “They had all that character they had built their junior year with those close losses that we had, but they continued to work extremely hard and wanted to get over the top.”
Visions for the season started back in April when Adams held a leadership council and went over legendary basketball coach John Wooden’s pyramid of success. Those in attendance set goals, including beating Nelsonville-York and winning the TVC-Ohio. However, one in particular stood out to Adams — Maxson’s goal of being remembered.
Some of the players took that to heart, including star linebacker Mitch Rider.
“Mitch Rider texted me after the loss to Jackson and said, ‘Hey coach, we met every one of those goals we set in the spring.’ You cannot be happier than to have done what you have set out to do, and this group certainly did it,” Adams said.
The season also marked five years of hard work for Adams and his staff. When he took over as head coach in 2007, the Bulldogs were coming off back-to-back 1-9 seasons, and the program was struggling as whole.
Adams said a new approach was necessary, starting with some stability at the top.
“You look at any solid football program, and you’ll almost always find there’s been a lot of consistency as far as the coaching ranks. It’s not something you can really do overnight in our situation,” Adams said. “It’s taken time to really get things consistent, and it’s been a lot of work but also a lot of reward, especially this year.”
Another huge point of emphasis has been put on the weight room. Using their version of the “Bigger, Faster, Stronger” program, the Bulldogs’ coaches have taken their athletes to the next level. “Bigger, Faster, Stronger” is a comprehensive program designed for high school athletes that includes weight, agility, speed, endurance and plyometric training to go along with proper rest and nutrition.
“The game isn’t rocket science. Bigger, faster and stronger athletes in this sport tend to be the ones that can get their responsibilities done,” Adams said. “We recognized initially that there was going to have to be a big emphasis put on our weight program and speed and conditioning programs.”
Standouts this year for Athens included running back DeVon Sharp, Rider at linebacker and defensive back Chris Russell. All three were crucial in Athens’ undefeated run.
“It’s almost like a storybook ending to everything that you wanted to see happen this year,” Adams said. “We’ve come an awful long way in the five years we’ve been at this.”
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