Southmont coach Baylee Adams knows what being so close to a sectional title feels like. Adams graduated from North Montgomery in 2015 where the Chargers went 8-4 that season. That year the Chargers played No. 1 ranked West Lafayette in the sectional championship game and fell short 35-28. Fast forward eight years to last Friday and now life has come full circle for Adams as he helped guide the Mounties to their first sectional title in school history last week.
Adams, who has been with the Mounties, the last three seasons still remembers that night eight years ago and now as a coach can say he’s a sectional champion.
“Last Friday was a full circle moment for me,” Adams said looking back on both sectional championship games. “That year at North we felt like we had the team that could go in and win that football game. Being in that exact same position as a player I was really able to tell the guys last week about what it’s like to play for a championship. It was telling them that they can go down to Linton and win and not let the moment get the best of them. What the best part what was seeing the guys grow throughout the season and sticking with each other. Then you add on that we won and in the fashion in which we did it and it made it that more special.”
The path to the sectional title was challenging to say the least for the Mounties. They went through the gauntlet of the final four games of taking on Lebanon, Western Boone, Danville and Tri-West. In the sectional vs Sullivan they faced adversity with multiple players getting hurt and having to rely on some new faces. Then the nail-biting back-to-back overtime wins over Cascade and Linton. South the past two months has been through it all and have come out better because of it.
“I’ve seen the progress we’ve made over the last three seasons to get to where we are now,” Adams said. “We stayed the course and were in all of those games down the stretch. Coach Hannum tells the guys every week how they can come out on top and games like at the end of the year set us up well for the sectional. As coaches we’ve set up our guys in positions all week long to be in the close battles that we’ve been in the last two weeks. Thankfully for us we have three senior lineman we can get behind. Nolan has played really well this year down the stretch and then of course Wyatt, Kyler, and Aaron have all stepped up when we need them to.”
Southmont now turns its focus to Eastern Hancock and will look for its first Regional title in school history. Adams notes how while the Mounties enjoyed the sectional title, it’s been back to business this week as they look to make more history.
“Our coaching staff has told our kids ever since the sectional started that this Wednesday isn’t our last Wednesday practice of the year,” Adams said. “The guys have really bought into that and it’s what been in our minds. At this point you win or you go home and put your pads up. We’ve hit the fundamentals hard and really studied the film well. This entire process and run we’ve been has been an entire program coming together for one goal. It’s been really exciting and fun to be a part of no question.”
Adams is Montgomery County person through and through. Through a post on Facebook earlier this week, he’s encouraging all of Montgomery County to come out Mountie Stadium and support them as they chase a Regional title.
