Today’s interviewee is Sequoyah coach James Teter, whose team defeated sixth-ranked Gainesville 38-28 in the Class 5A playoffs. Teter has been Sequoyah’s coach for 16 seasons. His team has 10 victories for the first time since 2018 and can become the first since the ‘18 team to reach the quarterfinals with a victory this week at Woodward Academy.
1. What was the game plan against Gainesville? “We’ve been good up front all year, so our plan was to eat up as much clock as possible and keep Gainesville’s athletes off the field and give them a heavy dose of Will Rajecki [a junior fullback who rushed for 216 yards and four touchdowns on 32 carries]. Our defense played a whole lot better than we thought and forced four turnovers and gave us short fields. That helped a bunch.” [Sequoyah led 24-7 in the first half but trailed 28-24 midway in the fourth quarter. Sequoyah then put together two touchdown drives. After the score that put Sequoyah ahead 31-28, Brooks Darling pulled the ball out of a Gainesville receiver’s hand, setting up the clinching score.]
2. What was the reaction of your players and the fans and community since? “Obviously people were all excited. People were all over the field going crazy. For our kids, they pretty much expected it, to be honest. Some people feel like we won in an upset, but our players felt like we had played well all year and that our region was tough enough. Everything we’ve done all year set us up for this game. We’re talking to the kids now about turning the page to Woodward.” [Sequoyah was the region runner-up to Sprayberry, which also advanced in the first round.]
3. What is the style or identity of this year’s team, and what were the expectations coming into this season after going 8-4 last year? “We didn’t lose as much off offense, so we felt like we’d be really good there. Our defense lost some good people, including our safeties Jackson Hancock [now at Missouri] and Bretton Darling [leading tackler]. Every game this year that’s where people attacked us, but they’ve gotten better every week and become a really good defense. Our style is we blitz a lot. We’ve put pressure on people, and that’s helped. We’re plus 18 turnover-wise, which is good. Style-wise, we’re a gun wing-T team we get under center and run a few things from multiple formations. I’d say we’re run-oriented, but we’re really balanced with about the same rushing and passing yards. We’re going to pound you, and we’re going to formation you to death to get you misaligned.” [Sequoyah entered the playoffs averaging 176.5 rushing yards and 186.0 passing yards but ran for 358 and passed for 36 against Gainesville.]
4. Sequoyah, a Cherokee County school, has had only three coaches in 35 seasons, and you’ve been there for 16. What has kept you there all these years? “I’ve been lucky to have only two administrators in 16 years. Both were really good at letting us run our program and run our program the way it’s supposed to run. It’s a great community, we’ve got support, and we’ve got a great youth program. It’s a great setting all around for families. I’ll be there as long as they’ll keep me.”
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