Leicester – Erwin Warriors are the Mountain Athletic Conference’s most notable wild card, as a team that can knock off other contenders but which is pursued by improving teams.
Erwin returns seven starters on offense — compared to merely two in 2022 — and five on defense. The defense shut out Daniel Boone (Tenn.) Trailblazers on the road last Friday to open the season. Head coach Rodney Pruett credited that his “stingy” defense’s making many fourth-down stops, including one in the final minutes.
The Warriors have often finished third behind A.C. Reynolds and Asheville in the MAC, but also behind T.C. Roberson recently. They were 10-2 overall in 2018 and MAC runner-up. They were 6-6 (3-3 MAC) last season. Erwin is projected to end up as the league’s second playoff seed among 3A schools.
Super-Marketing of Ingles
Freshman Caden Ingle (6-1, 202) is the newest quarterback in a succession of star Warrior passers. “We’ve been blessed” with the QB pipeline, Pruett said. The QB coach is former Erwin great Damien Ferguson. He became WNC’s all-time passing yardage leader as a senior in 2016. He is also the JV offensive coordinator.
Erwin literally has big shoes to fill behind center — those of big-footed, 6-foot-6 star QB Iggy Welch who graduated in May. Welch threw for 2,753 yards and 31 touchdowns in ‘22. Also gone are top two receivers Ty Johnson (now at Reynolds) and Meechie Graves. They combined for 20 TDs and nearly 2,000 yards.
Ingle has superb potential. “Cade has a live, active arm. He can get the ball down the field,” Coach Pruett said. “He’s done amazingly well. We’ll try to enhance the offense with what he has to offer,” and throw deep more often than usual.
Throughout the preseason, Ingle “improved his ability to read defenses, and make his progressions” to look for secondary receivers if primary ones are closely covered, Pruett said. For decades at Erwin, “we’ve used timing routes” on short passes that need to be on time and on target to the receiver breaking free on a crossing pattern. “You can’t wait for the receiver to make his break and to be open, or the defense has time to recover,” Pruett explained. Ingle showed a strong arm and mobility in rolling and fluidly passing downfield, versus Hendersonville in a scrimmage tune-up.
On one hand, “we’ll have growing pains with a new quarterback,” Pruett said. “Defenses will put the heat on us. They’re gonna blitz. We’re working on our pass protection.” But Ingle has the nerves and “the body” to withstand hits, and is bound to grow bigger, Pruett said. Ingle “stood in the pocket” versus HHS’ vaunted pass rush and withstood hits well.
Coach Pruett said, “His work ethic and skill show me he has a chance to be a real good one.”
Wide receiver Hunter Cromer (5-10, 135 jr.) had one-fourth (6 of 24) of his catches go for TDs in 2022. Erwin typically lines up four receivers at once. Others are new starters. De’Aijaha “Milky” Ray (5-9, 153 jr.) and Lawson Reynolds (5-10, 151 so.) are inside slot receivers/RB hybrids. Aaron Dover (5-9, 141 sr.) and Tristan Moore (5-9, 144 sr.) back them up. WRs include Brandon Phelen (6-1, 169 jr.) and Ethan O’Connor (6-0, 156 sr.).
Rushing ‘Petty Officer’
Erwin shifts from mostly passing to a more even run-pass balance. Tailback Michael Petty (5-11, 158 jr.) was “phenomenal” in the opener, Coach Pruett said. Petty ran 46 yards for the game’s sole TD that counted. His 65-yard TD jaunt was negated by a very questionable holding call. Pruett said that athletic, quick Petty is both quick of mind and feet. “He’ll make a cutback for the ‘home run’ (TD),” as he did twice on Friday. Aaron Dover (5-9, 141 sr.) is also “shifty.”
Team co-captain Nicholas Sharpe (5-10, 171 sr.) is a “phenomenal player,” a downhill runner who will gladly “run over you” and blends speed and power, Pruett said. “Pound for pound, he’s our strongest.” Rex Miller (5-10, 186 jr.) is another “bruiser,” Pruett said.
Brute Warriors
Four of the five blockers return. They started in ‘22 as sophomores. “We’re bigger and stronger up front,” yet still mobile, Pruett said. The four returnees are center Nathaniel Brown (6-0, 258), son of OL coach Chris Brown; RT Cody Luther (6-2, 275), RG Judd Woody (6-0, 220); and LG/LT Ulysses Rea-Nunez (5-8, 227), who is nursing an injury. Mikey Miller (6-0, 211 jr.) and Daveon Hill (6-4, 274 jr.) are starting now. There is extra depth with eight linemen.
Kicker-punter Daniel Podgayetskyy (5-11, 152 sr. ) has a reliable field goal range of 45 yards.
Erwin’s 3-4 base defense got after the Boone quarterback all night. “We forced incompletions and sacks,” Pruett said. “We controlled the line of scrimmage, on both sides of the ball. That was the difference.” The “strong, agile” D-line rotates Kweli Crawford (5-10, 255 sr.) and Jordan Ellis (6-1, 301 jr.) at NG; and includes DTs Jake McAbee (6-2, 234 sr.) and Nick Schultz (6-0, 250 sr.). ILB Judah Dayton (5-11, 213 jr.) and OLB Dravin Ferguson (5-10, 152 jr.) are also keys.
The MAC is as “balanced as it’s been in a while,” Coach Pruett said. “It’s not ‘blowout city.’ Last year, we were down only 21-14 to Reynolds at the half. It could have been 28-14, us. But we didn’t capitalize in the red zone.” Pruett vowed, “We can compete. We’re right there” in the race.