Alan Chadwick Works to Make History

For 28 consecutive years, , led by head coach Alan Chadwick, has made a post season appearance in the state playoffs.

Chadwick - who played football for Decatur High School and went to Georgia for two years, then East Tennessee State before being drafted by the Chicago Bears - joined Marist 36 years ago after learning of the opening from his father.

Chadwick has coached numerous players that have continued to have college and pro careers. He has also been awarded numerous Coach of the Year awards. Now the father of two daughters, and coach to hundreds has the opportunity to earn another prestigious accolade.

If the War Eagles defeat Marietta's Kell High School tonight in the first round of the playoffs, the victory will mark Chadwick's 300th career win and put Marist one step closer to becoming Georgia's AAAA Football Champions.

Coach Cahdwick spoke with Patch before Thursday afternoon's practice about Marist's big day.

--

SA: After 28 straight state appearances, does it get old?

Chadwick: No. It never gets old. It’s part of the thing I live for, the competition of Friday night. A lot of people get up, and they go to work and they do the same thing every day, then they go home. And they get up the next morning, and they do the same thing every day. I don’t do that. I get to mingle with the kids. I get to scream, yell, and laugh, and move around, and plan and scheme with coaches. I enjoy that more than anything, just the scheming with coaches formulating the game plan, bouncing ideas off one another. Then Friday night comes around and it’s what you work for.

--

SA: What is it about Marist that contribute to the team being successfu year after year?

Chadwick: We challenge our kids and they accept the responsibility of those challenges. They want to be a part of  the winning tradition. They don’t want to be that one group that breaks that line of tradition. We talk about that with them - about playing to the level of former teams and former players, and being a part of the long blue line.  

 --

SA: I know every kid and every team is special to you, but is there something special about this team that the other teams didn't have?

Chadwick: We’ve got a better team chemistry overall. This particular group of seniors did not win as seventh, eighth, nineth graders or as JV players. As juniors they started to feel some success. This team is just enjoying everyday so much. I have to run them out of the locker room at night. I have to tell them to turn off the lights, turn off the radio and go home. They just love being around one another.

--

SA: Do you think it helps that the kids start here in middle school and continue on all the way through high school?

Chadwick: No question. They’re adjusted to the school, the academic workload, the athletic aspects, especially football, and running our systems offensively and defensively. We try to do the same thing all the way through, and they’re at an advantage because they get those extra years.

--

SA: So, Coach, can you talk about the strategy for Friday night?

Chadwick: When are you going to publish? (laughter)

SA: Tomorrow morning (Friday)?

Chadwick: Then I'm not talking about anything. (laughter)

Seriously, we’ve got to do what we do. We have a system offensively and defensively and we just try to stay in that system and doing what we think our kids are capable of doing.

 --

SA: So tomrorow’s game is the big 3-0-0 for you? 300 wins...

Chadwick: I’m not even thinking about that, to be honest with you. To me, this game tomorrow night is not about that. It’s about this team. Having a chance to advance in the playoffs and meet their goals and their aspirations in the end is what it's all about for me. I don’t even think the kids know about it.  

--

SA: Everyone by now knows about the Penn State tragedy with those victims and the fallout surrounding Coach Joe Paterno. Has those events at all affected or will effect anything here. Is it a cue to look a policy maybe or how you all deal with team members?

Chadwick: That’s not something that’s really an issue around here. We’ve got great respect from our players and we have great respct for our players.

--

Catch the game: Tonight's game will be broadcast live over the internet on Marist’s own IP TV channel at www.ghsatv.com as well on TV by GPB.  Tune in at 8 p.m, as Marist takes on the Kell Longhorns in the first round of the state playoffs at Marist's Hughes Spalding Stadium.