Last season did not start well for the Tipton-Rosemark Academy football team. There’s really no debating that.
The Rebels lost their first six games. They still managed to make the playoffs, but the early season stumbles affected the team’s morale.
That hasn’t been a problem this season. After the Rebels beat South Fulton 21-14 on the road Friday night, TRA is 3-0 for the first time since 2019, the year before head coach William Dean was promoted to the head position.
“It feels good,” Dean said when asked about his team’s 3-0 start. “During the offseason we decided to take the stuff head on that went wrong last season … It’s been a challenge to get the kids to understand that playing all four quarters is what you have to do every game. They’s taken to it, though.”
The Rebel started the season with an impressive 49-7 road win vs. Halls. In week two, the Rebels took down Gibson County 28-20.
Last week, facing powerful Class A team South Fulton on the road, the Rebels rallied from a deficit to win 21-14.
Rosemark (3-0) scored on its first drive to go ahead 7-0. They trailed 14-7 in the second quarter before evening the game at 14-14 just before the half.
With two minutes left in the game, Jackson Fullen hit Aiden Petrowski on a slant that went 68 yards for a TD and a 21-14 Rosemark lead.
South Fulton moved the ball to the Rosemark six-yard line, but the TRA defense held and the Rebels moved to 3-0.
Several Rebels are enjoying big seasons. Nix Fullen has 330 rushing yards and Dom DeLucco has three interceptions.
“I told them last year that we weren’t a bad team, we just had bad luck,” Dean said. “This year is basically the same team, we’ve just executed more. It’s been fun to watch.”
