Pepperell coach: Reaching semifinals ‘a surreal feeling’ after 2-8 in 2024
Today’s Four Questions interviewee is Pepperell coach Brandon Haywood, whose team defeated Rabun County 34-0 last week in the Class A Division I quarterfinals. Pepperell is in the semifinals for the first time since 1998 and will play at No. 1-ranked Worth County on Friday. This is Haywood’s second season at Pepperell, his first head coaching job. His 2024 team was 2-8. Haywood is a former star quarterback at Carson-Newman who worked on coaching staffs at Woodland of Stockbridge, Cass, River Ridge and alma mater Rockmart.
1. What has been the reaction in the community and school to making this historic playoff run?
“It’s humbling for sure. I didn’t even know what to say after the game Friday night because it was such a surreal feeling. We were 2-8 last year. To be in this position is a testament to the staff and the kids doing what was demanded. It’s really a good feeling to give this community what they deserve and have been longing for. It’s a ton of people involved in our program from stakeholders to community liaisons to booster club. It’s been all hands on deck. There’s a small community feel here. We’re a Floyd County school, but we’re like a small city, in Lindale, and everybody helps each other out. We had meals delivered to our team every day last week, including Thanksgiving. We’re taking donations for a chartered bus to take down to Worth County, and we’ve almost hit our goal. Everybody has been extremely helpful.”
Note: The drive from Lindale to Sylvester is about 250 miles.
2. We weren’t shocked you beat Rabun County, though you were a four-point underdog by the Maxwell Ratings, but we didn’t expect 34-0. How do you explain that? What was the defensive game plan?
“I’m like you and everybody else. I didn’t expect a shutout. It’s just a tip of the hat to our kids. They executed the plan. They went above and beyond. We thought No. 15 (all-state running back Reid Giles) was a huge part of their offense, and they wanted to run the offense through him and their quarterback, No. 2 (Ty Truelove). We wanted to stabilize their slot athlete (Giles) as much as possible and make the quarterback use his arm rather than his feet, and we created different looks and pressures to try to confuse him. We got three interceptions.”
3. Was there a critical game this season, maybe a turning point, a big win, where you saw yourself as a different team this season?
“It was actually a loss. We played Cedartown in the fourth game. Cedartown beat us 44-0 last year. This year, it came down to the last play of the game. It was 28-27, and we were about to kick a PAT to tie the game. I called timeout. We had a chance to win in a hostile environment, so I said let’s go for it. It changed the complexion of our season and the attitude of our players and fan base in a positive way. We believe if there’s a chance to win a game, always take it. We’re not playing to lose but to win. We lost that game, but now we’ve won eight of our last nine.”
4. You worked at four schools before becoming a head coach. You were the quarterback on a good college team. What coach through all those stops influenced your style the most?
“I have to go back to college for that to Ted Sparks, legendary Hall of Fame coach, fifth all-time winningest coach in college football. It was just his philosophy of building men through the sport of football. That’s the same philosophy I want to take, to use this game, this platform. He always preached winning lives and winning souls. Today there’s NIL and instant gratification in football. I pride myself on building relationships. We don’t have that much. We’re not Rome. We don’t have an indoor facility. We have kids who will play hard for you and do what you ask and who understand we’ll do the same for them. That’s our success right now, kids who trust their coaches and play hard for one another.”
Note: Sparks, who died in 2017 at age 73, was Carson-Newman’s coach from 1980 to 2016. He retired with a 338-99-2 record. His victory total is now sixth-highest in NCAA history, 15 ahead of Bear Bryant’s. Haywood was the first-team All-South Atlantic Conference quarterback and SAC co-offensive player of the year in 2012.
About the Author
Todd Holcomb covers high school sports across the state. He rejoined The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2025 and has worked with the AJC in varying capacities since 1985. He is a co-founder and editor of Georgia High School Football Daily.
