Northside preparing to defend state riflery championship

There’s a lot to like about the Northside riflery team’s chances to repeat as state champions on Saturday at Fort Benning.

For one, it is the defending champion. No matter what other teams have done this year, the Patriots are still the team everyone is trying to catch.

For another, the Pool International Shooting Complex is something of a home-field advantage for Northside, which spends a good deal of time practicing on that range.

Lastly, and most importantly, the Patriots have five seniors who will shoot at the competition, each of whom participated in last year’s state championship competition and have a good idea of what to expect.

On a day that most coaches think you can automatically subtract 10 points from your season average the moment you walk in the door, that kind of experience will be a key factor in the Patriots’ title defense.

“It’s the best out of four, and they have the maturity and the calmness needed to perform well at state,” coach Richard Brewer said in an email. “They are mature and, importantly, work well together. In my view, they are every bit as good, if not the best team Northside has ever produced.”

It’s high praise for a team that has won four state championships, including three straight from 2005-07. He has reason to believe that, though.

Shelby Huber is the team’s top scorer for the year at 292.11. Jade Gallahair follows at 287.91, Cason Borum at 286.71, Hunter Gallahair at 282.40 and Drew Rogers at 277.67. Each are capable of topping 290, Brewer said, and have done so frequently in practice.

That may be the kind of day they need on Saturday to hoist the trophy at the end. East Coweta is a heavy favorite, having won at the JROTC Nationals and regularly shoot over 1,170 during the regular season. Other teams like previous state title winners Allatoona and Woodward Academy figure to be in the conversation, as well as upstarts like Ware County and Walton.

On the big stage, though, Brewer said it’s anybody’s game.

“There is something about the Pool range that tends to put pressure on the teams that is unlike anything we experience anywhere else,” he said.

For Northside to win, Brewer said it will require focus and a mistake-free day.

“If we shoot as well as we have in our best practices over the past two weeks, it will be enough,” he said.

Competition will begin at approximately 10:45 a.m. on Saturday. Northside will have two shooters in the first relay and three in the second.

This story was originally published April 15, 2016 at 3:31 PM with the headline "Northside preparing to defend state riflery championship."