Madison County Red Raiders

Reprinted from the Athens Banner-Herald August 27, 2006, edition

Once Again, Quarterback Jarrod Owens is Ready to Guide Passing Attack
By Jon Page
Story updated at 5:39 AM on Sunday, August 27, 2006
 
DANIELSVILLE - It started out like any other ride home from practice. Madison County coach Randell Owens outlined the Red Raiders' game plan for a regular-season finale with region rival Cedar Shoals while quarterback Jarrod Owens drove. With a playoff berth on the line and several players injured, Randell favored a conservative, smash-mouth, running attack. The Raiders lined up with a similar game plan the week before in a loss to Rockdale County.

But on this particular trip, the coach could tell something was bothering his son, so Randell asked Jarrod what he would do against the Jaguars. "Jarrod said, 'If you just take the handcuffs off me and turn me loose and let my boys run, we'll win this game. The only thing that's going to get us beat this week is you going Joe Conservative,' " Randell said. "And in only the way a son can talk to his dad when they're alone in the car, and he's got both hands on the wheel, I said, 'What the heck? What do we have to lose?' "

Sure enough, the Raiders defeated Cedar Shoals 27-13 and earned that spot in the playoffs. As Jarrod resumes control of Madison County's spread offense for his senior season, those handcuffs will not be off at all times, but they will be loose. The third-year starter figures to be even more confident than a season ago when he threw for more than 2,000 yards and 15 touchdowns. And perhaps more important, Randell's confidence in Jarrod continues to grow.

Look to the Raiders' Red-White game in spring practice for evidence. At Jarrod's request, Randell allowed the quarterback to call all the plays for the victorious Red team. "He let me call a lot more of my own stuff, saying, 'If you see this, do what you feel comfortable doing,' " Jarrod said. "I was kind of uneasy about it at first because I was like, 'What if I'm wrong?' After you start seeing stuff, you get more confident, and really it's a lot of fun."

With last season's top receivers - Josh Mattox and Metric Shivers - lost to graduation, Jarrod will break in an all new receiving corps this season. He said Marcus Duran, Aldreakis Allen, and Marcello Lattimer are as athletic as any backs he's played with at Madison County. At a 7-on-7 passing camp at West Georgia this summer, the Raiders lost only one game.

That experience - coupled with his breakout season a year ago - has Jarrod dreaming of a region title. He's prepared to get there through the air or on the ground. "I'm hoping that (coach will) open it up for me as much as it lets us win," Jarrod said. "If it means throwing it every down, that's cool with me. If it means running more or running the option, that's fine, too. I'll do whatever it takes to win."

Published in the Athens Banner-Herald on August 27, 2006.

Reprinted from the Madison County Journal August 25, 2006, edition
Owens says Atlanta-area school taking Friday exhibition with Raiders very seriously BY BEN MUNRO

Like Allen Iverson, Chamblee might not be talking about practice. The Bulldogs might be talking about the game.

With the GHSA granting schools one 48-minute preseason scrimmage in order to simulate a real game, the Bulldogs appear to be taking advantage of that opportunity with tomorrow night’s (Friday’s) warm-up with Madison County.

“They’re taking it real serious,” Raider head coach Randell Owens said. “They came up here and scouted our (intra-squad) scrimmage.” The two teams will meet at 7:30 p.m. at Red Raider Field as they tune up for their season openers. Madison County opens with Franklin County Sept 1. Chamblee takes on South Atlanta Sept. 2.

But Chamblee might be ready to pull out all the stops this Friday. The two teams exchanged film last Wednesday and Owens said Chamblee was eager to get footage of the Raiders. “They were chomping at the bit to get film swapped,” he said.

Owens said he expects the Bulldogs to leave their starters in longer Friday than he plans to leave his. “They‘re approaching it big-time serious,” he said. “We know they’re coming with the attitude that they’re approaching it like a ball game,” Owens added.

The Raiders are certainly getting a quality foe to spar against. Chamblee, now a Class AAA team, went 9-3 and advanced to the second round of the Class AAAA playoffs last year. In fact, Madison County would have matched up with Chamblee last year in the postseason if the Raiders had gotten past the first round.

Owens joked that the Bulldogs look like they might be trying to play out that scenario Friday night. “They’re like, let’s look at it like what would have happened if we (the Raiders) had beaten Rome,” Owens said.

One scenario is clear: Chamblee will test Madison County’s ability to slow a speedy team.

The Bulldogs are led by tailback Roddy Jones who ran for 1,654 yards last year and 24 scores. Jones, who clocks a 4.5 in the 40, has been offered scholarships by Georgia Tech, Duke and Maryland. Owens also noted that four Chamblee players attended a college combine that his son, Jarrod, attended this summer. “The college coaches are looking at more of their guys than our guys,” Owens said.

As for Madison County, there’s mixed emotions about the weight of Friday. While Owens said his team wants to compete every time it steps on the field, the Raiders’ main focus is on personnel and preparation. The third-year coach said

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