After two tumultuous seasons that included a sudden head coaching change and a 9-13 record, plus a pair of first round road playoff losses at Waverly, the Forrest Rockets have circled the wagons and come together as a unit in preparation for the upcoming season.

“We are looking forward to get ready to play football again, the past couple of seasons has not been traditional Rocket football,” second year head coach Eli Stephenson said. “We have to get back to playing basic hardnosed football and playing with class, pride, and tradition and that is what we have to get back to and I’m looking forward to that.”

Stephenson was thrown in to the fire late in the preseason process in 2017 and is much more comfortable and confident with a year of experience under his belt.

“There is still stress in the job, but I know what’s coming, I don’t have anything that is going to blindside me now, so I think we are going to have a great season this year,” Stephenson said. “We have a great senior class, we have had great attendance, a great work ethic, and these kids have come to work and want to have a great season.”

Although the numbers are down, the want to is way up behind a core group of seniors that are determined to recharge the program and get back to the winning ways of back-to-back region titles in 2015 and 2016.

McClendon, one of many two-way stars

Nick McClendon is one of those seniors and the talented, bruising running back will be the key to the Rockets’ success in 2019 on both sides of the ball.

McClendon, who has 2,674 career rushing yards and 27 touchdowns, ran for 891 yards last season, almost 500 yards under his sophomore season rushing mark of 1,388 yards.

“I’m feeling really healthy this year, I feel good, and I trust my linemen, we have been together for four years now,” McClendon said. “The thing about our offense this year is the way we can move guys around, if they key on me we have two or three other guys that we can give it to and they are just as good.”

Nick McClendon is also chasing his brother Zach, who holds the all-time school rushing mark at Forrest and has single season records of 28 touchdowns and 1,948 yards in 2014.

“I want that record so bad,” a smiling McClendon said. “But if we have a good season and I don’t get, I will be fine with that.”

Nick also won a state wrestling title last year, matching the eldest McClendon (Tyler), who became the first Forrest male athlete to ever win a state championship in any sport when he took home a state wrestling title in the 2013-2014 campaign.

Not to worry, there is still one more McClendon left in the stable as freshman Micah is on the varsity squad this season and older brother Nick is looking forward to his only opportunity ever to play on the same team with his younger brother.

“It’s kinda weird, but it’s fun at the same time,” McClendon said. “He has moved to high school ball and I’ve been in it for so long I can take him under my wing and tell what’s right and what’s wrong when it comes to football in high school.”

Rocket defensive coordinator Matthew Delk has thrown a monkey wrench in to the works this season as McClendon has been moved to the strong safety spot on defense.

“Nick has played a lot of football in his life and is gifted with a high football IQ and the ability to play all 11 positions if we asked him to,” Delk said. “As a staff we wanted to put him in a position that would not only help him succeed, but allow his teammates to succeed as well.”

“He has shown the ability to play strong safety at a high level and we are excited to see him continue to grow.”

It is a position that he relishes as he gets to play downhill behind the “Bash Brothers” middle linebacking duo of senior Blaize Sweeney and junior Noah Hill.

“If they get past Hill and Sweeney and me, I’ll tell you what, they are going somewhere to play some football,” McClendon said.

Experienced reliable defense

Hill’s move back to linebacker last season solidified the unit and along with Sweeney, the Forrest defense should have a return to dominance.

“Me and Sweeney in the middle will be keying on the guards at the top of the triangle and flowing downhill quick,” Hill said. “I think everybody on defense has had a step up this year, we have a lot of potential, so we just have to push through every week and push each other in practice, keep a high intensity in practice and have some fun.”

Sweeney is also one of the key spokes in the wheel for the Rockets in his middle linebacker position and the senior is returning to the backfield for the first time since middle school.

“Hill kinda makes me look a little better than I should,” a smiling Sweeney said. “Me and coach (Kyle) Stacey and Hill are just a good team and we are gonna get the job done.”

Sweeney is very excited about returning to the backfield and feels it mixes up things and makes it hard for defenses to key on one player.

“It feels good, for a little bit I was over there at tight end, you know, what is best for the team, but being back on the wing I was pretty excited about that, bringing back those middle school days with Nick,” Sweeney said.

Villazon moves to backfield

The offense also has a new wrinkle this season as senior Cole Villazon comes in from wide receiver to a spot in the backfield.

Sweeney and the rest of the squad are excited about the move and said, “His speed is ridiculous, he can cut on a dime and he is going to be an essential tool this year. We haven’t had anybody like Cole here in a little bit.”

Sometimes you wait a long time for what you want and it remains out of reach, but sometimes the things you yearn for come true and that’s the case for Forrest quarterback Max Kirby, who will get his shot behind center this season.

“I’ve been looking forward to this since I was in kindergarten,” Kirby said. “Over the weeks we’ve really came together and meshed as a team well.

Kirby, who also starts at cornerback added, “We can see how good we can be and we can also see how average we can be, so we are always trying to take that next step to become great and get some home playoff games and it’s not gonna take two people, its gonna take all of us and that’s what we have had in our minds these pasts weeks.”

Air it out?

Kirby has plenty of targets to throw to this year in senior wide receivers Spencer McCown, Cody Sisk, and Charlie Edmondson.

“Hopefully, they can stretch the field for us,” Stephenson said. “It’s one thing we haven’t had in a long time around here and we are looking forward to it this year.”

Senior Joel Burton will line up in several positions, including the tight end spot along with sophomore Christian Hammond and McCalister Wilson, a sophomore transfer from MCHS.

Freshman Tayton Swift has been pushing hard and will also get some playing time at tight end.

The bevy of talent at the skilled positions can only be utilized if you have the horses up front and the Rockets seem to have found the right combination, led by senior stalwart Tate Garvin, who is the only returning starter on the offensive line.

“My goal is to beat our record from last year and get some home playoff games,” Garvin said. “I’m the last Garvin and I want to make this season a good one. I’ve been preached and taught all my life Forrest football, Forrest football and now that I see what they were saying, it’s all true. I got 10 games left as a Forrest Rocket and I want to win all 10 of them.”

Kody Patin is the other tackle and Hill moves to the offensive line and joins Alex “Biscuit” Allen at the guard positions with Anton Overstreet under center.

A pair of sophomores join the depth chart in Brayden Boyer and the injured Layne Strasser, who may be ready for the opener.

Sturdy defense

Garvin, Patin, Overstreet, Aden Freeman, and Sammy Williams are the starters on the defensive line along with Boyer, Strasser, and Allen in the rotation as well.

Outside linebackers Burton and McAllister are backed up by Hammond and Swift.

“The emergence of Wilson McAlister has been a big surprise over fall camp,” Delk said. “Mac is a sophomore playing outside linebacker who has worked his way into the starting rotation.” “Mac is extremely coachable, has a great attitude, and amazing work ethic. I'm excited to see what he can do.”

Bash Brothers

In the middle is the dynamic duo of Sweeney and Hill, who will be giving opponents nightmares and headaches.

“We are really good at the linebacker corps, that is our strongest position along with our defensive backfield,” Stephenson said.

Delk has also utilized another year of experience to hone his craft as defensive coordinator.

“I would like to thank our coaching staff for helping me through the transition last year,” Delk said. “Special thanks to Homer Jones for always challenging me as a young coach.”

“Having a full football season and off season under my belt has really helped. Our coaches know our defensive philosophy and so do the players.”

Strong in the back

The defensive backfield may be the strongest unit on the squad with three-starter Villazon and McCown at the cornerback position with McClendon at strong safety and Kirby manning the free safety spot.

“I knew we were going to be good, going into the 7-on-7s camps we were going to be facing some big teams like Blackmon, Gallatin, and some of the best people in the state like Trousdale County and it just clicked,” Kirby said. “I felt like we knew what we had to do all the time, it was like ok I know I can do my job and if I’m doing my job than either McCown, Nick, or Cole is going to get a pick or a big pass breakup.”

According to Stephenson, the Rockets’ defense is somewhat ahead of the offense at this point and he likes it.

“I would rather have it that way and my main goal as a coach is to get better every week and that tests what we got,” Stephenson said. “Coach Delk is doing a good job, he’s got the kids playing hard and he has come in and brought some of his own ideas and we are running with it.”

The Forrest defense faltered last season as they surrendered more points (267) than what they scored (248) for the first time since 2005, but a resurgence on that side of the ball looks like a certainty this season.

“Our philosophy is simple, we play fast, play hard, and play for each other,” Delk said. “It’s hard to move the ball when 11 men do their job and believe in their teammates.”

Delk added, “We are fortunate to have 7-8 kids on the defensive side of the ball that have played a lot of snaps over the last four years. Our defense is senior and junior led, these kids hold each other accountable and simply love playing football. I'm so excited to see what they can do if they play to their full potential.

Special Teams

Kicking duties on special teams this year will be split with McCown handling kickoff duties and Zoe Long will be booting PATs and field goals and Hammond is the punter.

Long is a member of the 2018-2099 state champion Lady Rockets’ softball team and a four-year player on the soccer team, so the senior can boot the ball.

“I was kind of nervous about it at first, but after the scrimmage last Friday night, it wasn’t that bad,” Long said. “It’s kinda cool, just because nobody thought I could do it, but I did it.”

Long, who went 1-for-2 in PATs last week added about what she will be thinking when the first regular season game comes and she gets to try for real and the opposing team is trying to block the kick.

“I just don’t look at them, I just follow the ball from the time it’s snapped until I kick it.”

Forrest has a lot of speed and talent in the return game with McClendon and Villazon returning kickoffs while McCown and Villazon have punt return duties.

Favorable Schedule

The regular season begins next Friday with a long road trip to Cross Plains for a non-region tussle with old foe East Robertson.

The Rockets have won three games in a row over the Indians, who last beat Forrest 41-7 in 2005.

East Robertson went 5-6 last season with the five wins the most since 2009 when the Indians last posted a winning season.

Last year’s 35-13 first round playoff loss to Tyner Academy was also their first postseason game in nine years.

The Rockets play their home opener in Week 2 as they entertain Portland at the Murrey E. Holton Memorial Field in Chapel Hill as the take on the 4A Panthers.

The 2000 3A state champions went 5-6 last season and have not posted a winning mark since 2005 when they went 7-4.

If the Rockets can garner a couple of early wins they would have some serious momentum going into the Region 5-AA opener at longtime rival Eagleville on September 6.

“I think we should be good and be able to get the ball rolling early and if we do, we could get a good head of steam,” McClendon said. “If we get some momentum I think we will be able to take it and turn it into something good.”

Forrest has lost each of the last two meetings by one point, but handed Eagleville a 39-14 loss on the Eagles’ home field in 2016.

“That’s always a tough game, it’s something special,” Hill said. “I got some friends on Eagleville, so I’m looking forward to it, but it’s all about winning that game.”

Week 4 will be a rivalry renewed as the Rockets travel to Lynchburg to play the Moore County Raiders for the first time since 2016.

The rivalry dates back to early in the 20th Century with Forrest winning the last four in a row with the 23-0 win in 2013 just the second victory in 26 years over the Raiders.

“That used to be a rivalry game and we are looking forward to getting that rivalry started back up.” Stephenson said.

Week five starts a two-game home stand as the Loretto Mustangs travel to Chapel Hill for Homecoming where they will try break an 0-2 record versus the Rockets since the formation of the new region in 2017.

4A Lawrence County makes the trip north in Week 6 in another winnable game for the Rockets as the Wildcats have had only one winning season in the last 10 years, posting an 8-3 record in 2014.

Lawrenceburg is 10-31 over the last four seasons.

The Rockets finish the regular season with a road game at Summertown, a home contest versus Community, another bus trip to longtime rival Cascade, and they wind up the campaign with a home game versus defending region champ Lewis County on November 1.

“The key is to win your region, the first thing we have got to do is win week one and beat East Robertson and then we have to get some momentum and when we get into region play we have to win and get a home playoff game and that is the key to our success,” Stephenson said. “We have to win the region, that has been the goal here ever since I got here and I think these boys are up to it this year.”

2019 Forrest Rockets Roster

# Name Grade Position

1 Zoe Long 12 K

2 Tayton Swift 9 QB/LB

3 Cole Villazon 12 RB/CB

5 Max Kirby 11 QB/FS

6 Nick McClendon 12 RB/SS

8 Hunter Pendley 11 RB/LB

9 Spencer McCown 12 WR/CB

10 Brayden Jones 10 RB/LB

11 Micah McClendon 9 RB/SS

12 Joel Burton 12 TE/LB

13 Chris Davis 9 RB/LB

14 Blaize Sweeney 12 RB/LB

15 Christian Hammond 10 TE/LB

20 Brenton Burchell 9 WR/FS

21 Cody Sisk 12 WR/FS/K

22 Kory Spires 9 WR/CB

23 Layne Bowman 11 WR/CB

25 Aden Freeman 11 RB/NG

27 Charlie Edmonson 12 WR/CB

30 Jamie McDaniel 9 WR/CB

33 Asa Nance 10 WR/CB

35 Joseph Whitaker 11 RB/LB

50 Walker Housch 9 OT/DE

51 Dominic McKnight 10 OT/DE

52 Cason Bennett 9 OG/DE

54 Austin Williams 10 OG/DE

60 Layne Strasser 10 C/NG

61 Riley Durbin 9 OG/DE

62 Tate Garvin 12 OG/DE

63 Brayden Bowyer 10 OT/DE

64 Noah Hill 11 OG/LB

65 Reese Thrasher 11 OT/DE

66 Anthony Krawczyk 10 OG/DE

70 Matthew Bivens 11 OT/DE

71 Alex Allen 11 OT/DE

72 Anton Overstreet 12 C/NG

76 Kody Patin 12 OT/DE

78 Sammy Williams 12 OT/NG

79 Mikey Stoddard 9 OT/DE

80 McCalister Wilson 10 TE/LB

Coaches

Eli Stephenson-Head Coach (2nd year)

Kyle Stacey-Special Teams

Matthew Delk-Defensive Coordinator

Tony Johnson

Jason Hill

Jacob Daughrity

Larry Chatman-Kickers

Athletic Director-Oaky Gaskill

Athletic Trainer-Gaby Lampley

Student Assistants

Gaitlin Taylor-freshman

Drew Piper-junior

Mychel Meher-sophomore

Managers

Riley Ward-senior (Homecoming Queen)

Julie Williams-freshman

Baylee Fuller-freshman

Madison Cormier-sophomore

Mackenzie Pratt-sophomore

Schedule

Date Opponent Venue

8-23 East Robertson Away

8-30 Portland Home

9-6 Eagleville* Away

9-13 Moore County* Away

9-20 Loretto* Home

9-27 Lawrence County Home

10-4 Summertown* Away

10-11 Bye

10-18 Community* Home

10-25 Cascade Away

11-1 Lewis County* Home

*Region 5-AA

All games begin at 7 p.m.