White, Tharptown hoping transition period leads to future success
THARPTOWN – The Wildcats may not be competing for a region title or playoff berth this season, but the message for head coach Brian White and his team remains the same regardless: continue to get better each day.
Due to a ruling from the AHSAA regarding competitiveness amongst programs, Tharptown – along with county rival Vina – will field a varsity squad, but will not be eligible for postseason play for two seasons. The Wildcats will also not participate in region play during that span.
This is done to allow a program that has struggled over a stretch of seasons to focus on building a firm foundation to hopefully propel the team toward success in the future.
While it would have been easy for his players to be dejected following the news, White said his team has taken it in stride and is using the move as motivation for the upcoming season.
“I think it actually lifted them up a lot,” White said. “They understand the process we’re going through and they’re growing along with the process and they’re doing so with a lot of perspective.”
When the Wildcats kick off in their season opener on Aug. 21 against Cherokee, they will rely on a plethora of returning talent – particularly on the offensive side of the ball.
Freshman Wyatt Harrell will be tasked with quarterbacking duties for the Wildcats once again. Last season, Harrell was under center for a handful of games before suffering a season-ending knee injury.
On defense, he will also play cornerback and pull occasional linebacker assignments when necessary.
Behind Harrell will be junior running back Cody McCluskey who paced the Wildcats’ offense in 2025, which featured a career-high 151 rushing yards on 12 carries in Tharptown’s lone win of the season over Vina. McCluskey ran for three touchdowns and even threw for one in the victory.
McCluskey will slot in at outside linebacker when on defense.
Up front on both offense and defense, the Wildcats will be led by junior center and defensive tackle Jesus Lopez and sophomore Daryan McCaig, who will line up at center and defensive tackle as well.
A key building block for getting the program on track, White said, is ensuring his players adhere to a consistent strength and conditioning schedule.
While the Wildcats have yet to play a game, White said he has already seen an improvement in the team’s physicality during summer practices.
“Last year you saw some guys that were kind of small,” White said. “But when you look at us now, you can see we’re a bit bigger and stronger than we were this time a year ago.”
White said the biggest issue he and his staff will have to address, is simply getting students to commit to the program and see the season through to the end.
In spring practice, White said it’s not uncommon to have 45-50 kids interested in the program and on the field. However, when the calendar flips over to the summer and fall months, that number dwindles significantly.
All of this, he said, is part of the process to getting the program where it needs to be in order to be successful.
“There’s a standard we’re trying to set that’s never been at Tharptown,” White said. “We feel like in the long run, the system will pay off and we’ll be able to grow and develop a good, solid program.”
For McCluskey, who has essentially been the go-to guy for most of the big plays during White’s tenure as head coach, he understands the challenges that await he and his teammates this season.
But he’s also ready to face them head-on.
“Coach White has been here two years now and he’s been teaching us and getting us in the weight room and I really like where things are going,” McCluskey said. “I’m ready for that first game against Phillips.”
