Dave Svehla, West Forsyth head coach
Today’s interviewee is West Forsyth coach Dave Svehla, whose team is in the Class 6A quarterfinals for the second consecutive season, each time while unranked. West Forsyth beat Hillgrove 20-17 in the second round and will play at home against No. 8 North Gwinnett on Friday. Svehla is in his sixth season as the Wolverines’ coach. His teams are 45-25 with two region titles and three quarterfinal finishes. Friday’s game will be the first quarterfinal that West Forsyth has played at home.
1. What were the key moments in the Hillgrove game? What gave your team the edge? “Probably the key factor was that our defense played a lot better in the second half and got a couple of key stops. We got a third-down stop in the third quarter after they had a first-and-goal at the 3. They kicked a field goal to go up 17-13. We came back and scored to take the lead 20-17, and they got the ball back and started a really good drive and had a pass across the middle. Mason Page came over and stripped him of the ball, and Miles Hasty recovered, probably around the [West Forsyth] 30. We were able to run out the clock. It was a low-scoring game, but I wouldn’t call it a defensive battle. Both teams possessed the ball quite a bit.”
2. How does this year's team compare to last year's as far as strengths/weaknesses, style? “We have some good players that we’ve had in the program that are in their third year starting, but we also lost some good players, especially on defense. We have our starting quarterback back. Max Walraven is a three-year starter and started a game as a freshman. He’s a heck of a good football player [with 5,515 career yards passing, 1,189 rushing yards, 68 total touchdowns]. We have a couple of linemen who have started for three years. So, we’re a little bit older now, and their understanding of the offense makes us more efficient.” [West Forsyth averages 35.1 points per game compared to 30.4 last season.]
3. How do you feel about making the quarterfinals for the second straight season, and with it surprising some people each time, as an unranked team? “I think it’s a credit to the coaches on staff. I mean that sincerely. I don’t do that much anymore that impacts Friday night like these assistant coaches do. Those are the guys you have to believe in and trust, and I feel fortunate we have that. I coached in Cherokee County before coming over here to Forsyth, and we [Etowah] were in the semifinals in 2014. I get that the perception of others outside the county is that we’re not one of the top counties in Georgia, and all we can do is prove that we belong.”
4. How do you assess North Gwinnett? What is the challenge with playing them? “Obviously they have tremendous players, but their coaching staff is outstanding. It’s top-notch. From top to bottom, they’ve got guys that know the game. You can tell with the way they play with discipline. The players have bought into the way they do things, and they’re really good at it. Some teams have really good players, and some have really good coaches, and they’ve got a combination of both.”
