DAHLONEGA, Ga. — Success and Lumpkin County football haven't been used in the same sentence in a long time.
It's been more than a decade since their last winning season, although they finished 5-5 in 2016 with a first-round playoff berth.
So when a program that has struggled so long starts the season with two impressive wins, the hype train has refused to leave the station.
The Indians are 2-0 for the first time since 2011, and with a win over Franklin County Friday night at home, they'll be 3-0 for the first time since 2003.
New head coach Heath Webb and his all-star coaching staff have the Indian revitalization project ahead of schedule and very well could be knocking on the door of the Class 3A playoffs come October.
"Our guys have done a very good job of buying in," Webb said. "It was not difficult to get them to buy in at all. A huge part of that, too, is the coaching staff. I would put our coaching staff up against anybody in our region."
The early season success has the Gold City fan base buzzing, which begs the question, how are the players handling it? Webb said he's not trying to quell any of the excitement either.
"We've told them to enjoy it," Webb said about the early season success. "They've been beaten down for so many years, so we want them to enjoy the noise and hype -- kind of relish in it. But, at the same time, let's flourish within the success. Don't let it get to your head, but don't pause; thrive within it. Based on our practice this week, I feel like that's exactly what we're doing. Things seem to be getting better."
Things are way better for the Indians. They are top five in both points scored and fewest points allowed in Class 3A. In all of 2021, they totaled 145 points. Already this season, they've put up 89. In the first two games last season, the defense gave up 74 points. This season, only 13.
Webb attributes the change to the team's new approach, which isn't rocket science, but a key component of any successful program: the weight room.
"We've spent a lot of time on getting bigger," he said. "We weren't very big when I got here, so we spent time on bulking up in the offseason. A lot of what's happening right now was done in January, February and March when nobody was looking."
The Indians' off-season preparation has shown up in the stat and win column. They held Riverside to less than 100 yards of offense while racking up 61 points. Against Union County, who came off an upset win over rival Fannin County in Week 1, the Indians held the Panthers to just six points. They also forced Union to turn the ball over on downs five times.
"Union is going to win a lot of games," Webb said. "They are a good team. We knew we were going to give up some yards, so our deal was to get some critical stops. If you go back and look at it, they were 1 of 6 on fourth downs. We've got to take the same plan into the Franklin County game."
The Indians will face a Franklin County team that has struggled this season. The Lions have only mustered 294 total yards of offense in their first two games -- 117 passing and 177 rushing against Madison County and Pickens, SC.
According to Webb, however, they have the potential to be explosive on offense and can't be overlooked.
"We've got to keep them in front of us," Webb said. "They've got a couple of speedsters that can break it open at any time. So, we've got to play good sound defense. The biggest thing for us is don't give up that big explosive play they're capable of, and let's see if Franklin County can drive the football. I don't know if they can, but they certainly can make the explosive play.
"Their quarterback is really good. They give you some threats with the quarterback run. For us, we've got to be able to recognize formations and get lined up."
The Indians have been a balanced team on offense. With Cooper Scott leading the team at quarterback. The senior compiled 208 yards of the Indians' 300-plus last week, both rushing and passing.
Mason Sullens is a threat out of the Indians' backfield, and Cal Faulkner and Harper Davenport are solid targets at wide receiver.
"We have done a really good job of spreading the ball around," Webb said. "If a team puts eight in the box to stop Mason Sullens and Cooper Scott, then we've got two solid receivers in Cal Faulkner and Harper Davenport. If you want to cover, then that's when those two guys in the backfield can do some damage. The balance helps us a bunch."
