Last year, the Newton County Academy Generals put two 1,000-yard rushers on the field.
And if head coach Stevie Nelson has anything to say about it, they will put two more on the field this season.
The Generals are coming off an 11-3 season where they lost in the semifinals to DeSoto School, a year after losing to them in the 2A championship game.
“We are excited about the season and the kids are working hard,” Nelson said. “We might not be as explosive as we have been in the past but I think we will be able to run the football and play good defense. Generally, if you can do those two things, you have a good chance to win.”
On offense, Nelson will lean heavily on the combination of Taylor Burt and Cooper Savell. Nelson said Burt will likely start at quarterback but both will take snaps there. Savell had 1,322 yards on 162 carries while Ty Thrash ran for 1,829 yards and threw for 1,167 yards and 14 TDs.
On the outside, Brady Thorne and Max Ferguson will see most of the action. On the offensive line, Cooper Thrash will be the center while Ethan Woodham and Andrew Boothe will be the guards.
“Last year, we had multiple 1,000-yard rushers and we need that again this year,” Nelson said. “Both of them are really running backs playing quarterback. Cooper is coming off a 1,300-yard season and we need that kind of output from him again. We are asking for more out of Taylor this year on offense than we have in the past couple of year. We have to block and hold onto the football. We need to be able to complete a pass or two to be able to keep the defense honest.”
On defense, the Generals will have a familiar face on the sideline in Mike Spence, who was the defensive coordinator two years ago when NCA made the championship game.
“Coach Spence helped us two years ago when we made it to the state championship,” Nelson said. “He’s coming back to help. It probably motivated him a little bit that he will have a grandson playing here this year. We are very excited to have him back on staff, he brings a lot of experience.”
On the defensive from, Ethan Woodham will be the nose guard while Burt (70.5 tackles) and Amos Castillo (72.5 tackles) will be the defensive ends.
At middle linebacker will be Josh Fletcher (56 tackles) while Brody Reese will be the weak side backer and Savell (54 tackles) will be the strong safety. Thorne and Ferguson (40.5 tackles) will be the defensive backs.
“We have a little more experience on the defensive side of the football,” Nelson said. “We have five out of the eight guys back. Those guys are going to have to carry the load for us. And you always worry when you have a rookie quarterback but they will be able to handle it. We just have to believe in what they are doing. These seniors have dressed out for five years now. They know what we do and have fun doing it. It’s just some new folks leading us now.”
The Generals will compete in district 3-1A with Ben’s Ford, Sylva Bay and Prentiss Christian.
“It’s really had to tell where we stand because we really don’t know what the other teams have,” Nelson said. “One guy can make a huge difference in this eight-man game. If somebody picks up one of those guys, it can be difficult. But our goal is still the same and that’s to win the district.”
The Generals opened the season on Aug. 22 at home against Benton Academy, winning 36-18.
2025 Newton County Academy Schedule
Aug. 22 Benton
Aug. 29 at Russell Christian
Sept. 5 at Christ Covenant
Sept. 12 Humphreys
Sept. 19 Central Holmes
Sept. 26 at Prentiss Christian
Oct. 3 Open
Oct. 10 at Kemper
Oct. 17 at Sylva Bay
Oct. 24 Ben’s Ford
Newton County Academy Roster
1 Brady Thorne CB/WR Jr.
2 Taylor Burt DE/QB Sr.
3 Cooper Savell LB/RB Sr.
6 Gabriel Spangler RB/K/LB Fr.
13 Caleb Chambers DE/TE So.
16 Eli Herrington SS/QB Fr.
18 Huck Newman DE/TE Fr.
21 Brennan Dorsey DB/RB So.
22 Maddox Jackson DB/WR Jr.
23 Max Ferguson DB/RB Jr.
26 John Hardy DB/RB So.
40 Parker Rutledge DB/RB So.
44 Brody Reese LB/RB So.
50 Josh Fletcher LB/OL Jr.
51 Cooper Thrash DL/OL So.
52 Amos Castillo DL/OL Sr.
57 Ethan Woodham DL/OL Jr.
68 Cole Bagley DL/OL So.
75 Andrew Boothe DL/OL Sr.
76 Cruz Pace DL/OL Jr.
Head coach: Stevie Nelson
Last year: 11-3 (lost in the third round of the Class 2A playoffs to eventual champion DeSoto School)
Assistant coaches: Mike Spence, Tyler Castillo, James Williams
Players to Watch: Taylor Burt, Sr., DE/QB/RB; Cooper Savell, Sr., LB/RB/QB; Amos Castillo, Sr., OL/DL.
District: 3-1A (Prentiss Christian, Sylva Bay, Ben’s Ford)
Three Things to Watch
The Generals don’t have a true quarterback as Taylor Burt and Cooper Savell will both take snaps. Coach Stevie Nelson said he hopes both players can exceed the 1,000-yard mark this season. If that happens, look for the Generals to make another deep playoff run.
While the Generals may have a vaunted rushing attack, Nelson admits they have struggled throwing the football in pre-season practice. If the Generals can loosen up opposing defenses with the passing game, the offense will once again put up big numbers.
Coach Stevie Nelson said the defense could be the strength of this year’s squad. The Generals must replace their top two tackles in Logan Usry (111.5 tackles) and Harrison Wall (92.5 tackles). Filling those shoes will be a big task for the Generals.
