Sixth-Year Coach Seeks to Win “15th Game” This Season
Creekside head football coach Maurice Dixon is getting ready for his sixth season in charge of the Seminoles football program. He talks about his expectations for this year’s team and the goal to play and win that 15th (i.e., state title) game.
Q: Coach, can you reflect on last season, finishing 11-3, winning eight of your first nine games, and what was an otherwise great season ending with a tough loss in the semifinals to Warner Robins?
A: At the beginning of the season we set the goal of playing and winning the 15th game of the year. We fell a tad bit short, losing in the semifinals against a talented, well-coached Warner Robins football team. Overall I think it was a great season. Beating nationally ranked Grayson at their house definitely put us on the national stage, but honestly, I loved the way our guys got better every week.
Learning from losses at Cartersville and Woodward Academy helped us win tough games in the playoffs against Coffee, St. Pius, and Whitewater. Our kids showed toughness, grit, and pride, and as coaches we did a great job in preparation to give us the best chance to be successful.
Q: How has this offseason been so far before the last dead week?
A: It’s been great. We return a lot of guys who understand it’s all about the work you put in preparation for the season. I’ve watched guys like Javeon Miller, Daiquan White, Roderick McCrary, and Bam Williams grow into leadership roles on the football team through the consistency, hard work, and pride they take in pushing their teammates to be better. At Creekside we believe in the WORK, clocking in everyday and giving a consistent effort in all aspects of your life. We’re definitely going to be bigger, stronger, and faster.
Q: Speaking of the 2021 team, you will have several key members from that team last year coming back in 2022. One player I’m anxious to see is junior Rod McCrary. I think the best is yet to come from him. Do you plan on him having more of a role on offense this season, especially with the graduation of wide receiver Derrick White?
A: Rod is a guy who’s been around the program since he was in seventh grade. He’s definitely one of the leaders on our team. He’s always been a two-way player, but we’ve had some good running backs in the past who’ve allowed him to concentrate on defense. This offseason we all knew that Rod would take over at running back, so we have been pushing him in the weightroom and on the track, and teaching him how to properly take care of his body so he can play 100+ plays per game.
As far as wide receivers, this might be one of the more talented groups that I’ve had since I became the head football coach in 2017. Guys like Lorenzo York, Josiah Cotterell, Shane Kelley, Josh Vigne, and Krishon Lett are going to do a great job taking the pressure off of our running game. I know a lot of people talk about our defense, but I believe our offense will surprise a lot of people this year as well.
Q: Coach Dixon, you have turned Creekside into a football team to be taken seriously year in and year out since you arrived in 2017. That first year was a transition season of getting players to buy in to your method and approach, and we finally saw the hard work pay off last year, as you were so close. Does this 2022 Seminoles team have the talent to go one step further?
A: The goal every year is to be better that you were before. Last year we played 14 games; the goal this year again will be to play and win the 15th game. I think our tough non-region schedule [at Rome, Dutch Forks, and East St. Louis] combined with tough region opponents like Lithia Springs, Mays, and Villa Rica will prepare us to achieve our goals.
