DALTON, Ga. — Dalton’s Garren Palmer doesn’t come across as maniacal. He doesn’t seem to have a nasty disposition.

Actually, his high school football coach, Adam Winegarden, throws around words like “great student” and “role model” when asked to describe him.

But ask the Catamounts’ opposing ball carriers about Palmer’s temperament, and their responses would more likely include things along the lines of maniacal and nasty.

Palmer is in his second season as a starter at one of the Catamounts’ two inside linebacking positions. He may be mild-mannered and a good student by day, but where the 6-foot-2, 200-pounder excels on Friday nights is figuring out who has the ball and greeting him with not such a good humor.

“I just like to hit,” Palmer said. “I go to my position; I try to be aggressive; I try to lead the defense and win games.”

Dalton has won seven of its nine thus far and will need a road win over Hillgrove tonight to advance to the GHSA postseason. Kickoff for the Region 7-AAAA crossover game is 7:30.

“It’s going to be a grind,” said Palmer’s position coach, Kit Carpenter. “We’ve got to play assignment football because of the offense they run. That’s something Garren does well. He’s not only athletic; he’s also a smart player.

“He’s got a great nose for the football. That’s something you just can’t coach. He sets the tone when he makes big plays.”

Palmer received significant playing time as a sophomore for the Catamounts, but it was late last year when his career began to flourish. It happened after teammate Jake McIntosh, now a freshman linebacker at Tennessee Tech, suffered an injury.

“I had to step it up then,” Palmer said. “I guess that’s when I started playing better. Jake was a great mentor to me.”

Now it’s Palmer doing the mentoring. Winegarden’s praises of Palmer also include that he’s an encourager to others, and that he leads by doing things the right way.

Another thing the coach likes about Palmer is the 114 tackles he’s made so far this season.

“He brings a lot of energy,” Winegarden said.

The Catamounts will need that energy to be infectious throughout the team the rest of the season. It could end tonight against the Hawks, who started 1-2 but have have averaged 26 points per game while going 5-1 since.

Palmer is also a standout catcher on Dalton’s baseball team, but he doesn’t want to think about getting that equipment out just yet. He’s got a few more pops to deliver on the football field. He hopes a lot more.

“I think the sky’s the limit for this team, as long as we go out and give our very best effort,” Palmer said. “We can go out and win a state championship. That’s our goal every year.”

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