Chris Prewett, Dalton head coach
Today’s interviewee is first-year Dalton coach Chris Prewett, whose team is 3-7 overall, 3-3 in Region 7-4A, and playing at No. 1-ranked Creekside (10-0) in the first round Friday night. Dalton was 0-10 last season. Prewett spent the previous five seasons at Roswell, where his teams were 50-13 with two region titles.
1. How do you assess the regular season, the accomplishment of making the playoffs coming off an 0-10 season with a new coaching staff? And what was the biggest change that you and your staff made at Dalton? “I was well aware that this would be a challenging season for our program, not because of the wins and losses, but keeping a program together through the adversity. Last season going 0-10 hurt on many levels, but the unseen issues that a player goes through during that season is much tougher to battle than any opponent. This season has to be viewed as a success in that our win total increased, and we have been able to execute a full JV schedule as well as develop these young men inside the weight room. Our players and our staff have created and cultivated a culture that cares for one another and will stick together and believe in one another. Being able to get to Dalton in January was incredibly helpful, and it allowed me to take inventory of the players, the coaches and the procedures that went into this season. I’m excited to see the growth of our program from January 2025 to today, and I know we still have a long way to go to get this program to the top of the state once again. We have all the necessary pieces to be successful at Dalton, and I know it’ll be an exciting time at Harmon Field when we arrive in the 2026 season.”
2. What has been the most memorable event of this season? Maybe a game or a turning point? “The first thing that comes to mind when you talk about the most memorable event of our season would be our first win this season against Allatoona. Coming into this season, we were on an 11-game losing streak dating back to losing in the 2023 GHSA playoffs. Before playing Allatoona, we had some really good performances in non-region but still needed to get over the hump and breakthrough that streak. It was a tough game that was back and forth, but we were able to get a stop on defense late in the fourth quarter and score a touchdown to put us up 44-35, which ended up being the final score. Seeing the relief and the joy amongst players, coaches and our fans was something that I will always remember. I was not here for all 16 of those consecutive losses, but seeing our team come so close in non-region to get that winning feeling was a special moment in my coaching career. These players earned the right to win, and watching them see their hard work pay off was incredible.” [The Allatoona game ultimately determined the fourth and final playoff berth in the region.]
3. Your offense has been first rate all season. Can you talk about what you found at Dalton in terms of raw talent in offensive players and how you used it or fit it into the system you wanted to install? “There was so much excitement when I got to Dalton because I knew there was a lot of offensive firepower that just needed to be put towards the right direction. Any offensive discussion has to start with sophomore quarterback Caine Woods and how much growth he has had in our offense and in our program. He was thrown into the fire last year and started all 10 games as a freshman. I believe it made him tougher and more resilient to lead this season. Being the leader in total yards [2,555 passing, 687 rushing] throughout the entire state of Georgia as a sophomore is one of the most impressive feats I have been able to witness. I would stand on the table and say that I would put Caine Woods up against anybody in the state on a Friday night and would love my chances to win if Caine is taking the snaps.
“Our offensive coordinator, Patrick Carlisle, has been with me for the past five seasons dating back to 2020 at Roswell, and I believe he does one of the best jobs every single season because our offense may not have a system, but we have players that learn the offense and we tailor our concepts to what they do best.
“Wide receivers Havyn Searels, Isaac Summey, Kam London, tight ends Ayden Ashlock and London Cox and running backs Nash Smith and De’Mari Mason have stepped up huge and have been extremely productive fitting into our offensive scheme. [Only Nash among those is a senior.] I would be a horrible coach if I didn’t mention how good of a job our offensive line has done this season as well. All of the yards look great but if there’s no blocking or protection, none of this is possible. Seniors Weston Sumner, Ethan Dempsey, Andrew Rivera, sophomores Kane Sarmiento, JD Carroll, Marshall Hammond and freshman Tucker Easterwood have been rock solid all season long.”
4. What are your goals for Creekside? How do you prepare your team physically and mentally for such a formidable opponent? “I don’t want our team to treat this game any differently than we have all season long. Creekside is absolutely a stacked team and Coach [Maurice] Dixon, who I have a ton of respect for, has his guys rolling this season. They play hard and they swarm to the football, and I know that playing at Creekside is a challenge because of what Coach Dixon and his program have created. I want our guys to compete and play our game. The scoreboard has to be irrelevant, and I want our team to play like each play is the most important play of the game and see where the chips fall at the end of the game. We’ve had a tough schedule this season, playing North Oconee and Cartersville early in the season, so I think our team is up for the challenge.”
