GATLINBURG – The North Greene football team went to Gatlinburg on Monday to get in some 7-on-7 work as it prepares for the 2026 campaign.
The Huskies will have a lot of new faces on the field this season and some familiar faces will be asked to take on bigger roles. On Monday the focus for North Greene was to get that new-look group working together in a competitive environment.
“We have a lot of guys stepping into roles that they haven’t been in before and it was good to see those guys compete as leaders,” Tilson said. “It was good to see these guys scoring against a state runner up team. We saw a lot of good things and we saw a lot of things we need to work on.”
The Huskies took on Gatlinburg-Pittman, Cumberland Gap and Sayre School from Kentucky in three passing scrimmages. Tilson felt his squad got better taking live reps against some quality opponents, including the Class 3A state runner up.
“One of the biggest things we got to work on today is our communication from the sideline,” Tilson said. “We got to see how our play calling from the sideline works in a game, and they got to work on that communication on the field. We can’t simulate these types of live reps in practice, and that is why we come to things like this. We wanted to see how we communicate and who is going to compete, and I saw some really good things today.”
The most noticeable change in North Greene’s lineup was at the quarterback spot where Jared Swatzell has taken over for the departing Thomas Darnell. The junior made one start last year when Darnell was injured, but now the offense is fully under his command. Tilson has liked the growth he has seen from Swatzell in the offseason, and is confident in his ability to lead the Huskies this year.
“Jared took care of the ball today, and we have put a lot of emphasis on how important possessing the ball is,” Tilson said. “Jared is really refining himself, and each day he is improving at something. I’m really looking forward to seeing what he progresses into, but the big thing for him to remember that he has to be Jared Swatzell. He can’t be anybody else. If he is the best version of himself our offense will be just fine.”
One thing that will help Swatzell in his transition to the starting the role are a few key veterans returning at the Huskies’ skill spots. On Monday receiver Matt Boyd got behind the defense a few times for impressive scoring catches, and running back Leon Johnson found the endzone a couple of times as a check-down option.
“Where we are in our program is we have guys that have been here and are now ready to step into leadership roles,” Tilson said. “We have guys that know what to expect and they can help those younger guys along. When you lose so many leaders, you want to see who is going to step up, and those guys have done a great job.”
Now the regular season is just over a month away the focus for the Huskies will be getting those new faces in the huddle playing as a one unit. North Greene will open the regular season on August 21 against Chuckey-Doak on The Tundra.
“We just need focus on learning how to communicate with each other on the field and how to compete as a new group,” Tilson said. “We have a lot of guys that are in new positions and they have to learn how to grow in those new roles. It’s not about the old role anymore. That is what we are looking for over the next few weeks.”
