Score Atlanta reporter Zander Lentz sat down with Meadowcreek head coach Terrone Owens to talk about the Mustangs’ momentous win over Duluth last Friday. Read the full interview below:
Lentz: Where did you grow up? Here in Atlanta?
Owens: I graduated from Tucker High School. I came out in ’99.
What did you do after going to Tucker?
I went to Georgia Southern and transferred to West Georgia.
Did you play football there?
Actually I didn’t.
What position did you play in high school?
Offensive tackle
Is the offensive line a special group for you?
It really is just the offense as a whole. Actually, I coached the receivers.
Who are some of your big football influences?
Herm Edwards, coaching-wise, Tony Dungy, Bill Parcells
Who had the biggest influence on you personally?
I would have to go with two people on that one. You know my mom was [a really big influence], single parent. And my uncle.
Why your mom and your uncle?
My mom did a lot by herself. She sacrificed a lot of things. My uncle was a football player, so lot of my football knowledge came from watching him play and going to his games and hanging around him all the time. He played at Towers and Morris Brown.
How did you find out that Coach Perry was leaving the program?
He pulled the staff in and just told us.
How did you find out you were going to be the head coach?
We went through an interview process, and … hard work paid off.
Did you change anything to put your own stamp on the program? Same offense? Same defense?
Same offense. Man, we worked hard on that offense. We went to a couple camps, coaching clinics, up in New Jersey. Went to the camp in Troy, Alabama. Went to a 7-on-7 passing tournament – we actually lost in the championship game at UTC. That’s all offense – I love it.
So you guys are running the spread?
Yes.
When did you realize in the game against Duluth that you were going to win?
I would probably say that Monday in practice. That’s just the way we feel. Everybody knows about the “has-been” streak, but we prepare on Mondays as if we are an undefeated football team. My kids worked hard all the time and we work on Mondays as if we are going to win every game, so we felt on Monday that we were going to win against Duluth, the same way we felt when we played Luella. That Monday we felt we were going to beat Luella. The outcome wasn’t what we wanted, but we knew what we had to do: come back and work hard and go get one.
What was it like on the sidelines when it was apparent that the game was won?
I don’t know … I think that 1:12 was probably the longest 1:12 of my life, but it was a real emotional moment. My kids really deserved this. They worked so hard and people outside this program don’t understand how hard these kids have worked and what these kids go through on a daily basis. And to remain focused and come out and play the way that they played, it shows a lot about them.
You called it the “has-been streak”, what does it mean to the players and to you to have it behind you?
It’s already gone. We didn’t even watch film on this game because we wanted to let it be known that the Duluth game is done and over with and it’s time to get ready for South. So, yeah we were happy Friday. Saturday, me and my coaches were in here breaking down film for South Gwinnett. Monday we watched film on South Gwinnett, we didn’t even put in the Duluth game. That is done and over with.
How aware are the players and the fans of the streak? Is it something that weighed on them?
I think everybody knew. You can’t help but know about it. Anybody who lives in Gwinnett County and follows high-school football knows about it. You have people that write all these little reports about it: “You know, Meadowcreek hasn’t won a football game since gas was $1.50 and Lord of the Rings was number one,” and things like that. And it weighs on the kids. I understand that people have to report, but they’ve still got to think about those kids – and it weighs. And it really felt good to just be able to reach back and pull that monkey off (of our backs).
Was there a moment in practice or in the game itself that, specifically, the kids knew the streak was over?
We preach to the kids that you have to play four quarters of football so until that clock was 0:00 they never really thought that, “Hey, it’s really over.”
How much more special was it that it happened on your home field?
That was big time. One of our sayings that week was, “What better way to end the streak than here at The Creek?”
What kind of things were the players doing and saying after the game?
It was emotional, man. There were really no words to be said. Everything was just … it was just a happy time. I don’t even know how to explain it. Right now I still get goose bumps thinking about Friday night. It was emotional because we worked so hard. And I am just so happy that a lot of these kids were able to see what it feels like – my seniors, if they hadn’t won, they would have gone their whole career at Meadowcreek without winning a high-school football game. And that was pretty big – to make sure that those kids were able to see what a high-school victory felt like.
Your defense shut out Duluth in the second half; was that the key to the victory?
Yeah, that was pretty big. I have to put that one on my defensive coaches. We saw things from the top, we came in at halftime, we made an adjustment, and then my kids listened to what was being coached. My coaches drew it up, they listened to it, came back, and held them to, what? I think it was 29 rushing yards in the second half?
Athletic director Jason Dopson was excited about the team coming into the year and excited about your prospects as a coach. How does it feel to repay Dopson’s faith in you and your team with a win and a 1-1 start?
First of all I’d like to thank him for even giving me the opportunity because some people would be afraid to take a chance because of coaching experience or things like that. But I love this game, I love where I coach at, and I love my kids. And my kids know that I am here for them and (they) show me that they are here for me. And they play like it all the time.
How long have you been coaching football?
Since [Dopson] hired me to begin with, so this is my third year.
How are you going to build on this win?
We’re just focusing. We have a game plan put together already. My coaches, we worked pretty much all day Saturday preparing for this game. And we went into it today. We actually got most of our practice in today [thunderstorms in the area ended practice early]. We didn’t miss a beat.
Is there a difference in the players on the practice field or even around school?
There are a lot of people talking to us around school, but we have to keep it to our kids to remain focused. We still have a goal at hand and that’s to make the playoffs. That’s our goal: to make the playoffs.
What do you have in store for South Gwinnett?
We’re not going to change anything we do. We’re going to continue to do what we do, and that’s work hard and show up on Friday night and play four quarters of football.
What are your expectations for the rest of the year?
My expectation is to make the playoffs. I don’t see why not. Why not ask “why not?” We have a good group of kids that believe in what we are trying to do, we have some leadership, we have just as good a group of athletes as anybody else around here, if not better. And that is our goal.
Who are some of those leaders?
My quarterback Sean Frezell, my offensive tackle Phillip Pickens. Our receiver, he stepped up and had a big game, Dedric Shipman. Cory Huck [wide receiver/safety]. Jalanni James, my free safety. My MIKE linebacker, Maleek Allen. I’ve got a team full of leaders. I have a team full of leadership.
Sean Frezell led the team on a 91-yard drive to take the lead in the second half. When you got the ball at the 9-yard line, did you think you were going the distance on that drive?
With the offense we have, we feel like any time we touch the ball we’re supposed to score. And we don’t accept anything else. On the drive – I think we went 61 yards – where we had to settle for a field goal, it was not enough for us. We feel like whenever we touch the ball we’re supposed to score (seven points).
How have things changed for you this week after snapping the streak?
Things have been pretty busy for me. It comes with the territory though. If I have to be this busy for my kids to feel that good, I don’t have a problem with it.
Lentz can be reached at zlentz@scoreatl.com.
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