Walker Valley High School 2021

Team Profile

Photos Courtesy of Walker Valley

Q&A with Coach Drew Akins

walker valley high school football coach drew akinsQ: How would you characterize this year’s team?

A: Athletic, exciting, passionate.

Q: What will be the keys to your success?

A: Growing in maturity, handling emotions, and leadership.

Q: Who will be your key leaders on the team?

A: Spencer Jackson (RB/DB), Eli Denton (WR/LB), Kade Tjaarda (WR/DB), Aiden Gibson (WR/DB), and Kyler Parris (WR/LB).

Q: What are your biggest reasons for optimism?

A: We have more athletes on the field than we have had in my career here, and team speed is high.  

Q: What will keep you up at night?

A: Injuries. Always injuries (depth).  

Q: What can you build on from last year?

A: We have a ton of program momentum, and this group wants to keep that going. 

Q: Any lessons learned from last year?

A: We are always learning more about ourselves. As a coaching staff, we really grew last year.

Q: Will we see anything different this year?

A: We have our menus and will find what we are good at from those menus.

Q: How would you characterize your team’s speed?

A: It’s the best we have had in my time here.

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Stats

Coach Name: Drew Akins (3 yrs. as a head coach, 3rd as head coach at Walker Valley)

Division/Class: TN I-5A

2020 Overall Record: 8-3 

2020 District Finish: 2nd 

Mascot: Mustangs

 

2021 Schedule

August

20 Notre Dame (H)

27 Bradley Central (H)

September

3 Ooltewah (H)

10 Carter (A)

17 Smith Co. (A)

24 Cleveland (A)

October

1 Rhea Co. (H)

15 McMinn Co. (H)

22 Upperman (A)

29 Howard (A)

 

Coach’s View

I’m excited about the schedule we have built for the next two years, including playing against my high school OC Charles Fant (Notre Dame) to open the year. We have big-time out-of-region games against area opponents Bradley Central and Cleveland. Our region games are going to be battles and should prepare us to be very competitive in the playoffs. 

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