Creekside coach on 70-0 loss last season: ‘We became a better team’
Today’s Four Questions interviewee is Creekside coach Maurice Dixon, whose team defeated DeSoto (Texas) 70-28 on Saturday. The victory avenged a 70-0 loss from 2024. The ’24 Creekside team went on to reach the Class 4A semifinals. This year’s team is ranked No. 2. DeSoto entered the game ranked in the top 25 of four national polls.
1. How do you explain the events of Saturday, the remarkable turnaround from the 2024 game?
“I think it’s more of a story on the growth and development of the team. Last year they were young and not prepared for the moment. This year it was about seizing the moment and taking the opportunity to do something special. We learned a lot about our team last year in that loss, from style of play to physicality of the game. We became a better team.”
2. Not many teams can absorb a 70-0 loss and not be damaged by it. Did they need picking up after that 2024 game? What did you and the staff do that made them believe they were still good enough to contend for a state title?
“The year before, we went out to Mater Dei (California) and got thumped pretty good (62-0 by the eventual consensus national champion), but we still found ourselves playing for a state championship at the end of that season. So our kids already understood the bigger picture. Now, when we went to Dallas (Texas) last year, a few guys didn’t handle the trip the right way, and I had to set the standard by suspending them before the game. So, in reality, we were playing with one hand tied behind our backs. DeSoto was an experienced team, and they made us pay for every mistake.
“But even in that 70–0 loss, there was value. We saw things on film that made us better, and we learned firsthand what ‘Texas speed’ looks like. It’s a different gear than most teams we face in Georgia. That kind of loss could break a lot of teams, but for us, it built something. We didn’t sugarcoat it. We told our kids exactly what happened: ‘This is the standard at the top. If you want to be champions, you’ve got to respond.’ And they did. We doubled down on culture, details and preparation. By the playoffs, that same group who took that 70-point beating was in the semifinals fighting for a ring. That’s what resilience looks like.”
3. How much of Saturday’s game was about revenge/vengeance? There had to be some satisfaction in hitting 70 points.
“We don’t use the word revenge. It’s more about respect, for ourselves and for the work we’ve put in. Last year’s loss stayed with us, no question, and it fueled an offseason of growth. But Saturday wasn’t about settling a score. It was about showing who Creekside is right now. We didn’t walk in saying, ‘Let’s get 70.’ We walked in saying, ‘Let’s play fast, execute and be relentless for four quarters.’ The points came because the standard is the standard. Was it satisfying? Absolutely. But not because of the number on the scoreboard — because it proved how much this team has grown and matured.”
4. Despite your run to the semifinals last year, and returning many key players, not sure folks around the state really know your team very well. What does Creekside do that presents problems for other teams?
“We like it that way. Let folks underestimate us. What makes Creekside tough is our balance. Offensively, we’re multitempo and formation-heavy. We can spread you out, pound the ball, hit you with RPOs, and we’ve got the athletes to score from anywhere. Defensively, we’re fast, physical and disruptive — we make you earn everything. But more than schemes, that’s Creekside football. We play with passion, energy, with tribe mentality and with belief. Our kids buy into the culture we have built over the last nine years, and it shows up on the field. If you line up across from Creekside, you’re not just facing athletes. You’re facing a program that’s built to compete for 15 games. We believe we are one of the best teams in the state, any class.”
About the Author
Todd Holcomb has been a contributor to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution since 1985. He is currently co-founder and editor of Georgia High School Football Daily.
