By Thomas Sellers Jr.
The William Dean Era is about to begin at Tipton-Rosemark Academy… kind of.
Later this month when the Rebels hit the gridiron Aug. 20, it will be the first game under the leadership of new Head Coach William Dean for the varsity program. But for most of his players, they have experienced the direction of Dean through the middle school program. Three of those players who will see action for the varsity Rebels are sophomore Cole Devitt and juniors Sam Cannon and Ellis Fullen.
“We’ve had Coach Dean in middle school as our head coach,” Fullen recalled. “I think we’re real familiar with him and what he wants to do as a coach.
“Coach Dean is pretty much a quiet guy but he has really taken charge as the high school coach this year,” he added.
Dean is a Mississippi native who attended a school similar to the size of Rosemark. Dean was a standout as a wide receiver and cornerback. After college at Ole Miss, Dean arrived at TRA four years ago.
He was promoted to varsity head coach earlier this year replacing Shannon O’Brien. Dean said he will keep a lot of the concepts from last season but mix the Spread Formation. With the transition period going smoothly, most of the TRA players are just happy to see normalcy.
“A normal season with nothing going on crazy, people just catching the virus and us having to be out for two weeks,” Devitt noted. “We just want a normal season and be able to play 10 games.”
If the Rebels play 10 games, Devitt will be a fullback on offense and middle linebacker on defense. He said the six senior leaders have made sure he is ready for the varsity level especially Payne Fullen.
“Payne is a great leader and he’s always helped me out with football,” he said. “I remember in middle school he was the top dog. He was in the eighth grade and I was in the sixth grade. He used to hit me hard all the time. He’s a really good leader and he’s not a cocky guy. He keeps his mouth to himself. He goes out and plays.”
Fullen is listed as the senior quarterback on the Rebel roster. And he will play inside linebacker on defense. Fullen’s cousin Ellis will be a weapon in the TRA offensive scheme as an athlete.
“I feel like I am one of the fastest on the team,” he said. “I feel like I can make big plays. I really don’t know if I am faster than my cousins.”
His other cousin Mac Fullen is the all-time leading rusher in TRA history and graduated a couple of years ago. Ellis will share the backfield in 2021 with his fellow junior Cannon.
“It feel great that (Coach Dean) has that trust in me to do great things,” Cannon said. “He has me at quarterback and I feel I am more of a passer and Payne is more of a runner. I feel like we’ll be able to compliment each other very well.”
Cannon is the backup quarterback and specializes in passing the ball. Payne was the leading rusher for TRA in 2020. Cannon said there are packages in the scheme that feature both signal callers.
Along with the offense having some new looks, the Rebel league is different was part of the West Region with teams like FACS and Harding joining the mix. The Nashville teams are now in the new Middle Region.
“It feels great that we don’t have to travel far,” Cannon acknowledged. “We know these schools we’re about to play and we know we can compete with all of them.”
With new blending with the familiar, Devitt said the Rebels are ready to make some noise in 2021.
“I feel like its going to be a great season for us,” he concluded. “We’re real close as a team. With Coach Dean, he hangs out with us and he is definitely a great coach for us at this time.”
