Conor Foster, Cartersville head coach
Today’s interviewee is Cartersville coach Conor Foster, whose second-ranked Class 4A team defeated fifth-ranked Cedartown 19-14 last week in a game between undefeated teams that decided first place in Region 7-4A. Foster played on Cartersville’s 1999 state championship team and was promoted to head coach from defensive coordinator in 2019. Foster’s Cartersville teams are 68-7 in his six seasons.
1. What would you say about Friday’s game for those that didn’t see it, and what allowed you to come out on top? “First, I’d say it was two great communities that love their football teams. It was a huge crowd and just an awesome high school football environment. It’s two teams with great coaching staffs and an abundance of talent. It’s an old rivalry, and I’m honored to be involved in a game like that. We were just able to generate a couple more big plays than they did. Right at the start of the second half we were able to force a fumble and a scoop and score. It was 7-7 at that point. Credit to them, they scored on a big play of their own. We responded to their score, and that was huge. But to start the half on defense and get that turnover to create momentum was a turning point.” [Reed Ezell scored on the fumble return. Cedartown’s Tae Harris scored on a 59-yard run after Cedartown picked up a fourth-and-1 conversion. Cartersville scored the game-winning touchdown on Nate Russell’s 28-yard pass to Brady Marchese with 7:53 left.]
2. Cartersville is coming off a Class 5A semifinal finish, but some might’ve viewed this as a rebuilding year. How did you view this season going in? “I think we have five returning starters from the Coffee County semifinal game. This team is a reflection of a lot of program players that love their team. They stuck it out and were eager for their moment, and they’ve made the most of it. It’s a credit to our guys for staying the course. We’ve been intentional about rotating players over the years so that when there’s a year like this with five returning starters that we still have guys who have played in big games.”
3. What is this team’s identity? What do you do well? “We’re playing well at the right time. Our leadership is coming together. Down the stretch, our culture and chemistry will either define us or be the reason that it falls apart, so we’ve been intentional about developing culture and chemistry. On offense, we’ve had to shift from a run-heavy approach to this year being more perimeter-based. It’s exciting for our staff to recreate ourselves and great to see kids buying into it. On defense, it’s a group that’s not real flashy. They just do their job and play really hard, flying to the football and taking pride in playing for Cartersville.” [Russell is averaging 164.8 passing yards per game compared to 120.0 last season. Marchese, used sparingly last season, has 738 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. Both are juniors.]
4. As an alumnus, you must consider this your dream job, but there’s also the saying about following a legend. Previous coach Joey King won two state titles and rarely lost a game before you. What are your thoughts on taking on that kind of challenge? “First, I’d say glory to God. His provisions are perfect. I’m thankful he brought me back to Cartersville. I lean into my faith. I also lean into this coaching staff. There are guys here who have been around a long time and love this place. I lean into Joey and some of the mentors I’ve had. We take a collective approach to growing the program. I’m challenged by the guys I work alongside to get better each day. We didn’t try to reinvent the wheel, not just things Joey did, but Frank Barden [coach of the 1999 state champion] and Mike Earwood [coach of the 1991 state champion] many years ago. This program has been successful for a long time.”
