The Blue Ridge High football team already has its motto for the 2027 season.
“One foot away.”
The Tigers were unable to score on the goal line late in Friday’s 13-7 Class 3A first-round playoff loss to Palmetto, and they’re taking that motivation directly into the offseason.
“We’ve made the playoffs six straight years after a five-year drought,” Blue Ridge head coach John Boggs said. “There were some blowouts in those first rounds, then some competitive games, and this one was the most competitive we’ve had. So we’re getting closer to turning the corner. I feel like we have guys who have learned how to compete and learned how to win.
“Now it’s time to learn how to win consistently.”
And if any team knows how to bounce back after adversity hits, it’s Blue Ridge.
The Tigers started the 2026 campaign 1-6 and were left for dead in what seemed like a lost season.
Instead of folding, the Tigers clawed back.
The team won its final three games to not only qualify for the 3A playoffs, but host its first-round matchup. The resilience shown wasn’t lost on the coaching staff, which credited team leaders for righting the ship.
“I think a lot of folks outside of our inner circle felt like we were done,” Boggs said. “We had senior leaders, junior leaders, all step up. They showed mental and physical toughness to battle through everything and avoid the negativity. They ignored excuses. There were a lot of reasons they could’ve chosen to not press on and win games, but it’s a credit to them and the kind of people they are. That’s life. Football is just a microcosm of life and the way you have to handle tough stresses to eventually be successful.”
Turning their focus to the offseason and 2027, the Tigers have plenty of reason for optimism despite this year’s disappointing playoff loss.
Outside of senior Dylan Duty, Blue Ridge broke in an entirely new offensive line in 2026, which will have a year’s worth of experience under its belt.
“They got better as the season progressed,” Boggs said. “Now it’s about getting bigger, faster, and stronger through our weight program.”
Junior quarterback Holden Powell will return for his senior season after accounting for 2,082 yards passing and 21 touchdowns. He’ll also return his playmaking target in junior wide receiver Marquiel Troupe, who finished with 1,162 all-purpose yards and nine touchdowns, including a punt return score. A late reception from Troupe on Friday night nearly gave the Tigers the victory.
Junior tight end Jack Carter played the majority of this year and has improved both on the field and as a leader, according to Boggs.
“His maturity and toughness are great,” Boggs said. “He’s battled through a lot of injuries and hasn’t missed a start.”
On defense, junior outside linebacker Cooper Smith and defensive backs Tyus Repshis, Asher Forrester and Kadon Allen will all return.
Boggs said junior Avery Wyatt will also turn some heads next season.
“He’s the swiss army knife,” Boggs said. “I’m looking forward to seeing him develop. People will be repeating his name all next year.”
One thing that Boggs supports is seeing his players participate in multiple sports in the offseason. Instead of focusing on football year-round, the head coach believes it’s healthy and advantageous for his players to get opportunities on a variety of fields and courts.
“Wrestling, basketball, track, baseball, I just look forward to seeing them all compete,” Boggs said. “The competition elements of different sports, the different disciplines, competing is competing. Winning is winning. And that goes beyond the field and court and into the classroom and everything else you do. We’re here to develop the whole person.”
And after 33 years as a coach, Boggs said his fire is burning hotter than ever.
“I don’t know that I’ve ever been more excited to get going again,” he said. “And we just ended.”
