Crusaders Look To Make Playoff Run
The Crusaders of Robert Toombs Christian Academy are coming off a season that took them all the way to the GIAA State Championship Game. This will be the second year under Head Coach Matt Meeks, and although they lost 10 seniors off last year’s team, they have been able to fill many of those spots with underclassmen and transfers. So RTCA is looking to make a solid run in the playoffs again this year.
RTCA had a good summer as they continued to work out and work towards this season. They took some time off to let the kids enjoy their summer but got back to work and have been doing well. In June they mainly just worked out in the weight room and kept up with their conditioning. They did have a few kids head to some camps at Valdosta State, Kennesaw State, Savannah State, and a Shorter University camp. Coach Meeks said that everyone learned from last season’s run to the Championship and that even the coaches have been working on their system to have a better chance of bringing home that title. Once they hit July the guys started hitting it hard and have been to camps, 7 on 7’s, and are getting ready for the season.
The coaching staff is small as usual at RTCA with Coach Meeks as the Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator. Kevin Robbins will still be the Defensive Coordinator along with the strength coach and the receivers and defensive backs. Jared Durden will be the line coach and special teams. Benny McLendon will be around on Friday nights to help as will Britt Tabor. Steve Masterman-Smith will help on the team with many different things such as equipment, videos, and as a team manager.
On the offensive side of the ball, the Crusaders will be looking to Blake Durden and Christian Mixon to rotate in at quarterback. Durden will get most of the snaps as that will free Mixon to be a playmaker at other positions. Both have their strong points and will be used.
Justin Powell will be the main guy in the backfield and is a special player for RTCA. He has great size and strength and will be a force this year. Mixon will also get carries and is a solid athlete and will make some big plays for RTCA. Two freshman, Seth Holton and Riley Hinson are also going to be looked at to step in and contribute as running backs for RTCA this year. Adrian Avila is a skill player that will move around the offense filling in several roles as needed and brings a lot of athleticism.
Out at receiver, Mixon will get some time there as well along with Jayden Toole. Britton Tabor will make plays as will Anthony Cook at receiver for RTCA. Cook is a transfer that comes in at 6’4” and is going to create some great matchups for the Crusaders.
Up front for RTCA, they will be led by Bishop Lampp, who is a big guy and will take on the role of center and anchor the line. He comes in at 6’3” and over 300 lbs. and is a force in the middle. At guard, RTCA will look to Isacc Holton at left guard, who is a returning starter who has continued to grow. Over at right guard, they will have Alijah Hodges, another transfer, that will fill a role that was left by a senior from last season. He has a great motor and has gotten much stronger since he arrived at RTCA. At left tackle, they will have Bray Williamson, who is another transfer that is stepping in to fill a role. He arrives from Montgomery County but has family that has been at continued from page
RTCA and moved in and made a big impact. Gage Brantley is a four-year starter in Gage Brantley. He has been a key for the Crusaders and will be again this year.
Up front on the defense, they are looking to put three guys on the line with their hands in the dirt. Nose guard will be Lampp, who can fill up the middle. He has worked hard to turn into a player that will have a chance at the next level. At the end on the defense will be Holton and Hodges to seal off the ends.
At linebacker on the outside, they have Brantley and Powell, who can also come up to the line on certain plays. Both are strong guys that have good ball skills and will make a lot of tackles. Williamson will fill in the role at middle linebacker, and Durden and Mixon will rotate at the other linebacker position. Holton is working back from an injury and will fill that role.
In the secondary, Toole is a returning start at cornerback and has chip on his shoulder and is set to make a big impact on the defense. Brody Randall is a sophomore that has stepped up and will set at the other cornerback. He has worked hard over the summer and has come a long way. Avila will also play cornerback and will use his athletic ability. At safety, Cook will be at strong safety and is very good against the run. Mixon and Durden will rotate back and forth from linebacker and safety. Tabor will also get time in the secondary as will Hayden Meeks.
On special teams, Meeks will be the kicker for RTCA handling the kickoff and PAT’s. Punting the ball for RTCA will be Powell, who has a good leg. The long snapper for RTCA will be Williamson, who has come in and taken over that roll for the Crusaders.
Coach Meeks stated, “After losing so many guys, we have really had Bishop step into one of those leadership roles. He has found his voice and is making an impact as a senior for us. He is making the call on the line and has been big for us. Justin Powell is a quiet guy, but he leads through his example and gets everyone on the same page. Blake is learning how to be a leader for us. He has had some missteps in camps this summer and that has put him on a mission to get better.”
Coach Meeks added, “We get such great support from the administration, the faculty, the community. My wife and I talk about it all the time how great the people here are and how much they care about these kids. Scott Tuck, as Head of School, has been great with us in his first year. He has our back, and they have our support as well. He is going to hold us accountable, but he is going to help us along the way as well.
“All the parents and alumni, they just do so much for us. They are truly involved in what we do on our campus and we are so happy with all that they do for us. They do so much for us. Our board with Mitchell Pittman as the Chairman, he is our voice on Friday nights, he lets us know what he sees that we can do. His family is just vested in our program and our school.
“Since I started here five years ago as an assistant, we have grown from 13 kids on the team to 24 on the team last year and 21 this year after losing 10 seniors is just wonderful.”
The Crusaders are going to be in Region 3 in the GIAA Single A Division. They will have three other teams in the Region with Southland Academy, Southwest Georgia Academy and Trinity Christian. It will be a competitive Region this year, and RTCA is going to have to play well in those final games of the season to get a good seed in the playoffs.
RTCA will kick off their season on Thursday, August 15, against Pinewood Christian in Bellville at 7:30 p.m.
