Mount View head coach Maurice Gravely admitted he has had a bad taste in his mouth since the end of the 2022 football season.
Gravely had high hopes last year which did not pan out in a disappointing 3-7 season.
“I hope it has left a sour taste for the players as well. We had just came off of the playoffs and all. With the guys that we had returning, I just felt like we could get it done,” Gravely said. “But from what I assessed from last year, there were some areas that we didn’t cover, so we want to go back to the drawing board with this group.”
Although the season was not what the Golden Knights had hoped for, it clearly has not discouraged the turnout this year.
“The numbers are really looking good from what he have had in the past. Even on the playoff team, the numbers weren’t like this,” Gravely said. “I thought we had a really good off-season. We also have some solid returning players and some kids that got some experience last year. They have grown some and their confidence is better.”
One of the biggest positives this year comes from the young men in the trenches where Mount View has an abundance of players and plenty of size.
“We are big and we look good on paper, but at the end of the day it is about what we can do on Friday nights. I have seen it happen,” Gravely said. “They have to give 100 percent every Friday night and everyday in practice. We will see how much heart they have and how bad they want to play.”
David Harman is back at the center position along with Keishawn Lewis who played on the playoff team two years ago.
“David has grown a little bit and he anchors the offensive line. His dad is one of my assistant coaches, so he knows what we expect,” Gravely said. “Keishawn has so much potential and he does a really good job. He could be a force.”
Jonathon Greg stands 6-foot-4 and 285 pounds. He is projected to go both ways for the Golden Knights, along with Samuel Pounds who is 6-foot-4 and 274 pounds.
“I have several kids that we can play on both sides of the ball. This group will be well rested,” Gravely said. “We have more depth on the offensive line than we have had in the past. We should have a good rotation.”
Mount View will be solid at linebacker and safety on defense, but just not deep like in the trenches.
“I have some guys as we say. We have good days and bad days in practice. I am looking for that guy that is a beast,” Gravely said. “A guy that is just going after it everyday in practice. His motor is always running. Right now I have some guys that look part like Travious Richardson and Jayoun Scott. We also have some rangy guys outside.”
Although the Golden Knights are planning to mix it up some this year, they once again have talented players at the skill positions.
“Jaron Hale is a dual threat type of guy. He can play defensive back, quarterback, wide receiver or even running back,” Gravely said. “He is just an athlete that can make plays in space. He can cause some problems for the defense.”
Hale did not touch the ball a lot last year, but when he did, he averaged almost 14 yards a pop.
Breathing down his neck at quarterback is Jackson Rose whose dad is on the Mount View staff and whose brother played for Gravely.
Gravely says he has some players at the wide receiver position that can create some problems for opposing defenses.
“It will be a work in progress, but we have the potential to score and cause teams problems. Hale, Richardson, Scott and Trey Greggory have some upside when they get the ball in space,” Gravely said.
Mount View opens up at home against county rival River View the first Friday of the season. The schedule also includes an always tough squad from Man and four Class AA opponents.
“There can be a lot of positives with wins on that schedule. I expect River View to be really tough and it could gauge how the season goes with a tough Man team coming in. I feel like we can surprise some people,” Gravely said. “This group has some good attitudes and they have a chip on their shoulders. We didn’t think that should have happened last year. If we want to make it to the big dance, we have to treat each game like a playoff game. We have to fight every battle, no matter what the team is on our schedule.”
