Walking into Cartersville High School’s stadium on a crisp Friday night, you can almost taste the anticipation in the air. I’ve been covering high school football across Georgia for over a decade, and I’ve got to say—there’s something special happening here. The Cartersville Purple Hurricanes aren’t just winning games; they’re rewriting expectations. Much like Indiana coach Rick Carlisle, who recently voiced comfort in his team’s underdog status, Cartersville’s players and staff carry that same poised, almost serene confidence when facing opponents who, on paper, should dominate them. It’s a mindset I first noticed years ago, but this season, it’s crystallized into something remarkable.
Let me take you back to their week three matchup against the three-time defending state champs, the Northgate Vikings. Everyone had written Cartersville off before the opening kickoff. The Vikings boasted a roster with four Division I commits and an average margin of victory last season of 28 points. Cartersville, meanwhile, had lost 12 seniors to graduation and was starting a sophomore quarterback. Sound familiar? It reminded me of Carlisle’s 2011 Dallas Mavericks squad, which faced down LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, and the star-studded Miami Heat in the NBA Finals. Nobody gave the Mavericks a chance, just like hardly anyone outside Cartersville’s locker room believed they could topple Northgate. But belief, as I’ve learned, is a powerful playbook in itself.
So what exactly sets Cartersville High School football team’s winning strategies apart? It’s not just raw talent—though they certainly have skilled players. It’s a blend of disciplined execution, situational awareness, and psychological resilience. Their head coach, Mark Thompson, whom I’ve spoken with several times over post-game sodas, emphasizes what he calls “the invisible drives”—those moments in a game when momentum could swing either way, and his team’s mental preparation makes all the difference. Against Northgate, for instance, Cartersville was down 14-0 early in the second quarter. Instead of panicking, they leaned into a possession-heavy offensive scheme, grinding out first downs with a mix of inside zone runs and quick, high-percentage passes. They controlled the clock for over 18 minutes in the first half alone, a stat that still blows my mind. By halftime, they’d trimmed the deficit to just three points, and you could see the doubt creeping into the Vikings’ body language.
Analyzing their approach, I see clear parallels to how Carlisle’s Mavericks dismantled the Heat. Both teams embraced the underdog label, using it as fuel rather than a burden. Carlisle famously adjusted his defensive schemes to limit Miami’s transition opportunities, forcing them into half-court sets where their stars were less effective. Similarly, Cartersville identified Northgate’s reliance on big plays and deliberately slowed the game’s tempo. They ran 73 offensive plays compared to Northgate’s 48—a staggering difference at this level. Defensively, they mixed coverages, showing quarterbacks disguised looks that led to three critical second-half turnovers. It wasn’t flashy, but it was brutally effective.
Now, I’ll be honest—I’ve seen plenty of teams try to replicate strategies like these and fail miserably. Why? Because they focus only on the X’s and O’s and ignore the human element. Cartersville’s coaching staff spends as much time on building trust and accountability as they do on play installation. During summer practices, which I observed on a scorching July afternoon, they ran leadership workshops where players shared personal stories of adversity. That vulnerability, oddly enough, translates to fourth-down grit. When your teammate knows you’ve overcome bigger challenges than a third-and-long, suddenly that play feels manageable. It’s something Carlisle alluded to in a press conference last month, noting that underdog teams often have a tighter bond because they’ve faced skepticism together.
Looking at the broader picture, Cartersville’s season highlights offer lessons that extend beyond the gridiron. Their 11-2 record, including that stunning 24-21 upset over Northgate and a playoff run that took them to the state semifinals, underscores the power of cohesive culture. Offensively, they averaged 34 points per game while allowing just 14 on defense—numbers that would make any coordinator proud. But the real story, in my opinion, lies in their response to setbacks. After a mid-season loss to rivals, they didn’t fracture; they recalibrated, winning their next five games by an average margin of 22 points. That resilience reminds me of what Carlisle described about the Mavericks’ mindset: embracing each game as its own series, never getting too high or too low.
If there’s one takeaway I hope other coaches and players absorb from Cartersville High School football team’s winning strategies, it’s this: underdog status isn’t a limitation—it’s a strategic advantage. You’re freed from the weight of expectation, able to experiment, adapt, and play with a chip on your shoulder. As someone who’s watched hundreds of teams cycle through peaks and valleys, I’ve come to appreciate how the most memorable seasons often belong to those who weren’t supposed to be there in the first place. So next time you’re counting out a team because the odds look grim, remember Cartersville—and maybe Rick Carlisle’s 2011 Mavericks, too. Sometimes, the best game plan is believing you belong, even when nobody else does.