By Kris Freeman
White House Football, as published for The News Examiner

One thing is constant in the freshman and middle school levels for prep football - success is only extended one season at a time.

Success is certainly something the White House Blue Devils have enjoyed at each level of those programs in the past few years, with an undefeated freshman season in 2005, and two straight unbeaten seasons at the middle school level. That group of Blue Devils makes it way to high school for 2006 and presents a challenge for the White House freshman team and coaching staff.

"These kids know how to win, but they are going to have to earn success at this level," said White House freshman assistant coach Ryan Hamilton. "We have several guys who played a lot at the middle school level, but we also have some that moved and a couple of new guys to mix in.

"This is going to be a challenge in numbers also," Hamilton added. "Last year we fielded 34 kids and right now we're at 21, so everyone is going to get a chance to contribute. We're going to have to be in shape to go four quarters every night."

Among those 21 is expected starting quarterback Trox Greenwade, a 6-foot-1 signal caller at the middle school level who showed the ability to run the offense on the ground and through the air. But an early elbow injury leaves a question mark for his position in 2006, and certainly steps up competition. Backup is Aussie Light who is certain to see playing time early.

"This is not something we are not accustomed to," said Hamilton, whose team lost starter Matt Parker in a scrimmage last year only to see Zack Duty step in and lead the team to success. "We had a kid step up last year and hopefully this year we can do the same."

The Blue Devils run a similar offense in both middle school and high school and tailback Bryan Dixon and fullback Jeff Edgar were Sumner County's top offensive combination last year as eighth graders. Transfer Zach Byrd is also expected to see time running the football.

Rob Poindexter was a tight end for the middle school Devils, but he and Jacob Upchurch will play split end for the 2006 freshmen, with Jacob Knight and Austin Head at tight end. Tackles are Walt Wages and Taylor Parks, with Chase Vaughn at center, and Jacob Lamberth and Will Banks at guard.

On defense, one of the key changes is a switch from the middle school 4-4 to the 5-2 defensive front of the high school. Edgar, Banks and Byrd are linebackers with Poindexter and Upchurch at corner and Dixon at safety. Light and Corey McKenzie will be at defensive end with Wages, Parks and Greg Wolfe on the line.

"We're doing some of the same stuff they did at the middle school level, but there are various changes and some kids who are new or swapping positions," Hamilton said. "We want to win, but we also want to get kids ready for the responsibility of playing at the varsity level.

"We have several kids from last year who are going to step in play key roles for the varsity as sophomore, and that's what our job is to do. We have a lot of guys with the potential to be contributors to the varsity in the future and we have to do our part to get them ready."

The competition for the White House freshmen is solid, and they will face many of the kids they saw in middle school, but in a little different environment.

"One of the challenges we have is playing a tough schedule," Hamilton said, "against teams that these kids have seen before. But instead of playing separated middle schools, they are now combined and feeding into a high school freshman program - so it's like taking playing Hawkins and Ellis when you face the Hendersonville freshmen.