Today’s interviewee is Stephens County coach Wesley Tankersley, whose team is 5-1 and ranked No. 7 in Class 3A after a 27-24 victory over Monroe Area. This is Tankersley’s fifth season in Toccoa after previous coaching stints at Ridgeland and Gilmer.
1. What did your team do vs. Monroe Area that made the difference? “We just did what we have been doing. Our players have been playing well. We really didn’t change very much from what we have been doing. We just focused on executing what we do well. We did have a really good game in the special teams department. We blocked a punt and scored off that a few plays later. We hit some clutch field goals and caused a turnover in the kicking game as well. So it was a big part of the win.” [Colton Bartmas kicked the three field goals, including a 20-yarder for the game-winner in the final seconds. Javin Gordon rushed for 156 yards, his third 100-yard game. And while Tankersley didn’t volunteer this brag-worthy information, his youngest son, Brock Tankersley, scored the first touchdown of his varsity career.]
2. You’ve made steady progress with the program, especially since your senior’s freshman season (1-9 record). What do you feel that you and your staff have done that’s made the biggest difference? “We have a lot on continuity on staff since that season, and I think that is huge. Also a lot of our seniors got a lot of playing time that year and in the years since. Experience is a huge bonus for a football team. They have experienced a lot of different things over the last four years that they can use during close games to help them be successful.”
3. What’s the scouting report on your team for those who haven’t seen you play? What do you feel your team does well? “We have been playing really well on defense for most of the year. We have been pretty close to the top of 3A in points allowed this year [at 12.7 per game]. Offensively, we have a variety of experienced and young skill players that can make a play when needed.” [Stephens’ only loss came to Rabun County in a 14-7 game that held Rabun to 23 points below its average.]
4. You’ve coached at Ridgeland and Gilmer and now Stephens County, all different parts of north Georgia. Is there something about Stephens County that’s a little different? “Stephens County has a rich football tradition. And not one of just having a football team but having a successful football team. That comes with high expectations and more pressure. Also I do think our region is really, really tough. Every week is a football game that you could lose. One thing that makes it fun is that we also have a lot of rivalry games. Habersham, Franklin and Hart being the main three, but I also think we have developed healthy rivalries with others in our area as well. This makes every week very exciting.” [Stephens County played its first recorded game in 1923. The Indians have played Franklin County, Hart County, Habersham Central, Madison County and Elbert County more than 50 times each.]
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