The Fannin County football team has won the 7AA Region Championship for the first time since 2007, under the leadership of Head Coach Chad Cheatham. Cheatham is in his third year as a head coach and is in his third season as the Rebels head coach, and has led the Rebels to an undefeated season so far, as they are 7-0. The Fannin Rebels have also won every game they have played by double digits except for the win against the Panthers where the Rebels won in Union County for the first time since 2007, the same year Fannin won their region.
When it comes to planning for a season like this, Cheatham said, “I wish I could tell you, but I would have to write a book as big as Webster’s Dictionary. You can usually plan your practice and your games to the playoffs a year out, and you can almost follow it minute by minute, but this year is completely different. Now you take it a class block or a practice at a time. This year is about staying healthy, what you have done up to this point in the past to have enough mature leaders to get the job done, but then everyday you are working not just on the game of football, but on everything around you to keep kids safe.”
Cheatham also spoke on how tough it is to win a region title saying, “As rewarding as it is to win a region championship and be undefeated, I would say it is one of the toughest battles that we have had, or that I have had to face in my 25 years of coaching.”
Since the Rebels are the region champions they will get to host at least one playoff game. Cheatham said, “It is a big accomplishment to host a playoff game. That was a goal that we set three years ago.”
Fannin going undefeated this year says a lot about the discipline of the players to stay healthy and focused. Cheatham said, “It is just a tough year. These kids are so resilient and so tough and mentally they have had to become tough, not just physically tough.”
When asked about how it feels to come back to the school he had graduated from and lead them to their first region championship since 2007, Cheatham said, “Gosh, I have not thought about that one, have not had the chance yet.
“It is obviously special, and I know it will be more special when I get that trophy in my hand, but it is not about me. It is about the kids. This is about these kids and what they have done the past three years. We have gotten better every year, and it is true what they say about building a program and building tradition. Tradition does not graduate.We have got to continue to do what we have started and, most importantly, we have to finish to the best of our abilities.”
The Rebels will wrap up the regular season Friday, November 20, as they travel to Dade County to take on the Wolverines. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.