Georgia February/March 2021 by ITG Next Magazine

THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG Alexandra Greenfield

ON PACE TO BE GREAT Matthew Cleveland | Pace Academy

LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON

HAMMER TIME Reed Walker | West Forsyth

FEB/MAR 2021

Jabari Smith Sandy Creek

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Like Father, Like Son Jabari Smith Sandy Creek

Born to Coach Rogers Won at Jones County and Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Off to a Great Start at Colquitt County

Ready to Take the Next Step Ousmane Kromahlee Lee County East Middle

Wins and Losses Warner Robins Earns The Ring After Three Heartbreaks

24 The Tip of the Iceberg Alexandra Greenfield

8 | itgnext.com

On Pace to be Great Matthew Cleveland | Pace Academy

Finding Her Way Back Home

Believing in Brooks

A Dream Come True

Is Georgia Football or Basketball Country?

Built from the Ground Up

Never Stop Believing

Player Profiles

Julie Connor | Tift County

Elijah Stephens | Turner County

Lyndon Cooper | Carrollton

Javonte Sherman | Valdosta

Chris Paul Jr. | Crisp County

Tori Hedgecock | Lowndes

Antonio Delvecchio | Valwood

Crystal Henderson | Kell

East Cobb Baseball: Its Impact on Travel Baseball

Jameel Rideout | Berkmar

The Kid That Can Do Anything

Hudson Tucker | Camden County

Daejon Reynolds | Grayson

Austin Thiel | Perry

Cecily Livingston | Berrien

Kaleb Washington | Wheeler

Josh Price | Brooks County

Kai Roberts | Fitzgerald

Doug Jones | Mill Creek

Ja’Mauri Williams | Bainbridge

The 12th Man: Northside Ball Boy Pivotal to Success

College Football Rushing Leaders’ High School Origins

Ricky Rack | Northside (WR)

+ Heisman Trophy Finalists' Beginnings + Perry Wrestling Dynasty to be Featured in Documentary

What’s Next For Frederica?

Resurgence in Georgia Basketball

BFF Turner Teammates Best of Friends On and Off the Court

+ Kings and Queens of the South

Yakia Temple & Jaylasia Office | Turner County

A Kicking Dynasty

Lowndes Middle Three Sport Star

Change is Good

Football Class of 2014:

Leaving Behind a Legacy

Hammer Time

Grayson Rams Vs Thompson Warriors: Who Wins?

Seasons and Sports Change

Parkview Soccer

Coleman Lewis | Lowndes Pierce County

Where Are They Now?

Rick Tomberlin | Appling County Reed Walker | West Forsyth

+ Building the Ultimate Starting 5: 2021 vs 2022 + State Interceptions Leader + Top 5 Players in Blocks Per Game Nationally

ITG Next | 9

Our Team Contributors Publisher Mark Dykes Editors Phil Jones Gerald Thomas, III Graphics Mandy Douthit Cover Photography Micki Krzynski Micki K Photography Player Profile Photography Eric Vinson Dreaming Wild Photography Madison Tucker Feature Photography Micki Krzynski Micki K Photography Brandon Pham Eric Vinson Dreaming Wild Photography Feature Writers Phil Jones Gerald Thomas, III Advertising/Marketing Andrew Pipkin andrew@itgnext.com Mark Dykes mark@itgnext.com Digital Manager Mandy Douthit

ITG Next is published bi-monthly. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in part or in full without written consent from the publisher. Dykes Media Group LLC makes no representation or warranty of any kind for accuracy of content. All advertisements are assumed by the publisher to be correct. Copyright 2021 Dykes Media Group LLC. All rights reserved. ISSN 1945-1458.

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Mark Dykes

Mandy Douthit

aNNA Limoges

Chief Executive Officer

Creative Director

director of operations

Founder Mark Dykes is the entrepreneur and mastermind behind the In the Game vision. Back in 2007, Mark set out to create a company that captured the passion, intensity, and unrivaled commitment toward high school athletics in the South Georgia area. Today, that vision has become a reality, and he continues to be the leading influence in what lies ahead for In the Game, despite his annual prediction that UGA will win the National Championship.

As a Pine Mountain, Georgia, native, Mandy’s move to Valdosta has brought enhanced artistry and intricacy to the ITG design team. The University of West Georgia alum graduated with a Bachelors of Fine Arts in art with a concentration in graphic design. Her artistic nature has allowed her to use graphic design to win national and international design competitions, all of which are meant to serve as diversions and coping mechanisms for Alabama’s loss in the National Championship.

Anna became a member of the ITG Next team in 2016, serving as an intern for three semesters. After graduating from Valdosta State University in 2017, she remained with the team as an editor, devoting her editorial eye to the company for two years before becoming the Director of Operations. In her free time, Anna enjoys reading and writing. More importantly, although she claims to be a fan of the New Orleans Saints, there is fortunately no other sign of such irrational fandom.

Andrew Pipkin Account Executive

Phil Jones

Tyrah Walker

Broadcaster/Writer

Broadcaster

Born and raised in South Georgia, Andrew attended Valdosta State University where he obtained a degree in marketing and business. He is passionate about sports, especially high school football (Go Cats!). Andrew’s focus is to develop and cultivate relationships with businesses all around South Georgia. Like so many other Georgia Bulldogs fans, his hopes of a national championship increase every year, but in the end they are just long lost dreams.

Phil Jones is a native of South Georgia and calls Valdosta home. He is a 19-year veteran of the newspaper business, during which time he served as chairman of the Georgia Press Association’s Sales and Marketing Committee. He was also recognized as the state’s top newspaper circulation and sales director in 2002. Phil has worked in the radio industry for the last 12 years as host of The Afternoon Sports Drive, a daily sports show devoted mostly to high school football and other local sports.

Born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida, Tyrah Walker is excited to join the ITG Next family as one of the on-air hosts. A graduate of the preeminent University of South Florida, she received her bachelor's degree in mass communications with an emphasis in broadcast news (Go, Bulls!). Tyrah is also an author. She is looking forward to sharing sports stories with the community. When she's not hosting or blogging, Tyrah enjoys reading, photography, and spending time with family.

Max Steel

Brandon Pham

Micki Krzynski

Videographer

Contributing Photographer

Originally from Decatur, Georgia, Max attended Valdosta State University and graduated with a degree in mass media. A former college cross country runner, Max now works at ITG Next as a videographer. When not at ITG Next, Max enjoys working out and creating short films.

Brandon recently graduated from Valdosta State University with a degree in mass media. He is a sports videographer ready to get back into the action. He prefers to use Sony cameras. He currently uses a Sony 6300 but will be getting the new Sony A7siii. His dream is to be a videographer for the NFL or any sports team. His favorite sports team is Orlando City SC even though they’ve never been to the playoffs.

When it comes to loyalty to In the Game, it is hard to top Micki. Since the very beginning of In the Game, Micki has provided strong, creative, and highly professional photos. Consequently, Micki and her son/assistant, Jake, have become our go-to photo duo. With enough talent, equipment, and experience to make her dangerous, she continues to push ITG’s photography forward.

Want to Join the Intern Team? Apply online at itgnext.com

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Like Father, Like Son Written by: Phil Jones Photography by: Brandon Pham

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They say that first impressions are everything, but in the case of Sandy Creek standout basketball player Jabari Smith, that was not necessarily the case when it came to his basketball prowess. “When I first arrived at Sandy Creek, my first encounter with Jabari was during his freshman season,” said Patriots head basketball coach Jon-Michael Nickerson. “He was very much still developing, and to be honest, he was skinny, weak and slow.” That did not mean, however, that the potential was not noticeable. Nickerson saw that in certain areas and in places that may not have been noticeable to the average fan.

season, Jabari’s freshman year, he saw very limited playing time. In 25 games that 20172018 year, he scored a total of 50 points. “I played him during the second and fourth quarters during games that season with the varsity. But I tried to make him the ‘Alpha’ with the ninth-grade team to develop his confidence.” Between the times spent with the different levels of talent around him, Nickerson says you could start to see it all coming together with Jabari. “Along with the great footwork, Jabari had a great stroke with his shot. It was effortless, even though he was still somewhat weak, he wasn’t having to force the “You can always tell in a ball up to the player’s feet if they have basket because his meit or they don’t,” says chanics were Nickerson. “And Jabari so solid.” had it. Even though he W h a t about the one was a little slow, his attribute that footwork was excellent. great players It’s all in the feet because normally possess? everything will follow “We knew the footwork,” he said. because of his father’s Sandy Creek was pre- height, that Jabari would paring for the upcoming grow to be around 6 2017-2018 season, and foot 10 said the coach. even though he knew Speaking of his fathat Jabari was still very ther, Jabari Smith Sr. is much in the development a former professional stage, he wanted Jabari basketball player. He to learn from and along was drafted by the Sacwith the best players. ramento Kings in the “We knew Jabari was 2000 NBA draft before the future, so I put him in stints with the Philadela four-man group with phia 76ers and New Jerour best players. It was sey Nets. He also spent a a test of his toughness short time playing proand I kept him with that fessionally in Spain. group during the entire So, what does his preseason. He didn’t father think about Jascore a single point bari’s abilities growing against those guys the up and now? whole time, but it did His thoughts are in so much to build up his line with Coach Nicktoughness and stamina,” erson’s: “Jabari never says Nickerson. was the highest jumper, That first high school quickest kid, or the best

ball handler growing too large for anybody,” right fit for their son. up,” says the man the said Jabari. “I love him “We just felt like Jafamily calls ‘Big Jabari.’ to death and will do any- bari needed to be with “He was just an average thing for him.” a bigger and more comkid, who wasn’t stuck on Jabari carries a literal petitive organization,” himself.” reminder of his brother said Big Jabari. But, like his high when he is on the court. So, they moved their school coach, Big son to The AtlanJabari started to ta Celtics, one “I wear number 10 and notice when his of the most wellnumber 5 because of him. son began to reknown AAU proally blossom with grams not only in Those are both his former the skills of an the Atlanta area, numbers when he played elite player. but in the entire basketball. He is a huge “We began southeast. Big reason why I am who to see it during Jabari knew all I am today.” the end of his 9th about the Celtics, grade season,” as he himself had says the father. “That’s Those influences of played for them 25 years when we really started the family’s basketball ago. He also knew the to notice Jabari’s devel- background began to current version was run opment.” show through after Ja- by great basketball peoHaving a father who bari’s freshman season ple, which would help his played in the NBA was and before his sopho- son’s progress as he conobviously an influence, more year. tinued to mature. but only to a certain deThings started to “I think Jabari gogree. change with his maturation, ing to the Celtics was a “Jabari was only two his skill set-everything. big part of his developyears old during my last “Going into his soph- ment,” says Big Jabari. year in the NBA, so most omore season, you could “They kept the ball in of what he saw and re- really start to see the Jabari’s hands while he members comes from transformation with Ja- played with them, and highlights and from his bari. His body began to they’ve got some really older brother, AJ,” says fill out, he grew taller, and good basketball peobig Jabari. “His brother he really began to blos- ple who understand the remembers a lot of the som overall as a player. game like Corey “Hulio” NBA stuff, and would tell In every area,” says coach Smith, and Patrick HarpJabari. But it was AJ who Nickerson. “His improve- er. Smith is the Boys also was an even bigger ments were drastic.” General Manager for influence on Jabari. In Nickerson recalls the Celtics while Harpfact, AJ is as responsible one of the earliest mo- er is the Head Coach for Jabari’s success as ments of Jabari’s soph- of the 17U Celtics team anyone,” says Big Jabari. omore season. that Jabari played for. AJ Freeman is Ja“I remember we were He played for the Celtics bari’s older brother and at a showcase event at a during from sophomore played basketball in high Holiday Hoops tourna- to senior year. school and at the JUCO ment, and it was only the With AAU ball behind level. Big Jabari says that second or third game of him, it came time for JaJabari would tag along the season. I had col- bari and his family to with his older brother lege coaches approach- deal with the many colwherever he went, in- ing me, asking about leges that were recruitcluding the neighbor- Jabari. I knew then that ing him. But, they would hood pickup basketball he was turning into a not let that become a games. special player right be- distraction like it can be “Jabari would try to fore my eyes. He was with so many high-proemulate everything his becoming a “Mickey-D’s file players like their son, brother would do. AJ type player (McDonalds as Big Jabari explains. would let his little broth- All-American).” “The DNA of his er join in on the games In addition to his San- mother really came into with he and his friends,” dy Creek school team, play with Jabari choossaid their father. Jabari began playing ing his future path,” he “My older brother AAU basketball in his said. Taneskia Purnell is has helped me more ninth-grade season. He Jabari’s mom, and she than words can express. played with EYA Sports, has always told her son He teaches me every day a local organization. But to focus on the things to always push myself his parents felt like the that are happening now. and that no challenge is team was not quite the Jabari is quick to ITG Next | 15

“I’ve told him that we can’t worry about what the next step is going to be,” she says. “I tell him that he has to conquer what he’s doing now in high school. You can’t skip over what is happening at this moment.” give credit to his mom and dad. “My parents have meant the world to me growing up. They taught me how to be a man, and always do my best

16 | itgnext.com

in everything. My dad has taught me almost everything I know about the game of basketball and always expects the best out of me. I love and thank him for that.”

Jabari also agrees with what his mom said. “My mom has always taught me to look ahead and to keep looking forward. She always tells me to try my best in everything I do, and there is always a bright side in every situation. They have molded me into the young man that I am today.” So, with the support of his family, coach, and teammates, and not allowing the process to

overwhelm them, the five-star recruit chose Auburn University as the program where he’ll continue to shine on the basketball court. “Auburn made sense for all the right reasons,” said his parents. You can bet that Auburn is about to find out that Jabari made a lot of sense for them, too.

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ITG Next | 17 Carrollton Football OG

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Ready to Take the Next Step LEE COUNTY EAST MIDDLE

Written by: Phil Jones | Photography submitted by: Russ Hayes

The name ‘Ousmane Kromah’ may not exactly roll off the tongue when you first say it, but chances are you will most likely get many more opportunities to say the name of the Lee County resident and student athlete. The eighth grader is a standout two-sport athlete at Lee County East Middle School. He plays football and basketball, excelling at both sports. In fact, his coach at Lee County East, Russ Hayes, says Ousmane may very well be the best he’s ever seen.

“Yes, He’s an exceptional athlete, the best I’ve ever seen,” says the coach. “The truth is I don’t even know who would be the second best player behind Ousmane. He really is a good player.”

Hayes said he first noticed the potential in Ousmane when he saw him play for the first time as a 6th grader. “Ousmane’s older brother, Omar, played for me when he was in the eighth grade. Omar brought Ousmane to practice one day and asked me if he could play. I usually don’t let 6th graders play, but I decided to let Ousmane hang around. Well, one thing led to another and Ousmane impressed the coaches enough to let him play in a handful of games as a sixth grader. Then, last year, he played in every game for us. He was our QB on offense, and he played on defense,” said Hayes. In the weight room, Hayes says Ousmane is one of the strongest players on the team. “He weighs only 187 lbs., but can squat 370 lbs.” Ousmane’s athletic ability isn’t just limited to the football field. He is a talented basketball player, and has been a big reason for the Middle School Trojans recent success. Lee east Middle School Basketball coach Reggie Boone raves about Ousmane, and agrees with his football coaching counterpart when it comes to describing Ousmane. “Ousmane is a very special young athlete,” says Boone. “He is one of the best I’ve ever coached. His upside is unlimited. He can go as far as he wants to, in either sport.” Boone says that Ousmane was ‘raw’ when he first met him last year, but that he just got better and better. 20 | itgnext.com

“I think Ousmane is good enough to play for us next season. We haven’t had very many true freshmen ninth graders play for us on the varsity. It takes a pretty special player to see meaningful playing time as a freshman, but Ousmane is different. I think he’ll be able to help us this year.”

So good, in fact, that Ousmane became a main reason for the Middle School Trojan's basketball team 14-5 season and making it to the Conference Championship game, against Albany Radium.

“We couldn’t have made it without Ousmane.” says Boone. “In that game, Ousmane did what great players do: — Dean Fabrizio He rose to the occasion, pouring in an incredible season-high 34 points and 22 rebounds. Then there is a very special feat that one doesn’t see a whole lot at the middle school level. Ousmane can dunk,” says Boone. Despite the fact that Ousmane is just six feet tall, Boone says that he has dunked in three games this year. “I’m telling you, he can do it all.” Boone also thinks that its basketball, not football, that is the sport Ousmane is more suited to play. Of course, the football coaches probably would have something to say about that, starting with the head football coach, Dean Fabrizio. “I think Ousmane is good enough to play for us next season,” says the head coach. “We haven’t had very many true freshmen ninth graders play for us on the varsity. It takes a pretty special player to see meaningful playing time as a freshman, but Ousmane is different. I think he’ll be able to help us this year,” Which sports does Ousmane himself prefer? “I really like both sports equally,” says the soft-spoken young man. Ousmane’s family is originally from Liberia West Africa, but fled to the Ivory Coast due to the civil unrest. In 2004, the family moved to the United States, arriving in Boston. According to Ousmane’s Mother, Elizabeth Teah, Ousmane was born in Minnesota in 2005, but the family soon moved to Georgia, settling in Lee County when Ousmane was in the 2nd grade. In addition to Omar, Ousmane has another brother, Mustafah. According to Lee County Athletic Director Hank Wright, the family is very supportive of each other, and he has fond memories of Mustafah. “He was a great student while he was here at Lee County High, and was a major contributor to our Soccer program and a solid football player” said Wright. “We’re looking forward to having Ousmane join us at the high school.” Remaining members of the family includes older sister Kadiatou, who ran track at Lee County High School and graduated in 2007, and younger sister Fanta, who attends elementary school in Lee County. Along with the great athletic abilities that Ousmane obviously is blessed with, there’s another trait that some will find the best of them all. “I’ll have teachers who send me e-mails telling me that Ousmane has stopped by their Special Ed classes and spent time with the kids,” explains Hayes. “I think that kinda sums up what type of young man we’re talking about with Ousmane.” I’d say you’re spot on Coach.

ITG Next | 21

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ITG Next | 23 Valdosta Football WR

WINS AND LOSSES Warner Robins Earns The Ring After Three Heartbreaks Written by: Phil Jones | Photography by: Eric Vinson

24 | itgnext.com

Finally. They did it. Warner Robins football Demons won the big one. This past December the Demons took on Cartersville in the GHSA 5A State Championship and won in convincing fashion, prevailing over the Hurricanes 62-28 at Center Parc Stadium in Atlanta. The win snapped a three consecutive state championship losing streak as the Demons have been making it to Atlanta since the 17-18 season but left with the runner-up trophy. Their championship losses came against Rome, Bainbridge, and Buford before turning the unusual COVID-19 stricken 2020 into their year that they would break through and change the narrative of that Demon football could not win on the big stage. The Demons did it under the leadership of second year Head Coach Marquis Westbrook. Westbrook, a Cordele native along with a Crisp County and Florida Gators football alumni took over head coaching duties after former Demons Head Coach Mike Chastain left Warner Robins to take another head position with Jones County in 2019. Previously the defensive coordinator under Chastain, Westbrook was promoted to the top guy on the staff after three years with the school. Before coming to Warner Robins, Westbrook worked at Veterans High and Macon County. And it only took two. Losing in the championship in the 2019 season to Buford in his first year at the helm, Westbrook decided that losing was not an option anymore. They went and dominated 5A football in 2020 on the way to getting to hoist the trophy and getting sized for rings. Since Westbrook took over, he has put up a 26-3 record for the Demons, including a nine game winning streak after suffering their sole loss of the season against Lee County in October. But he has had some help from a few friends as his team averaged 39.4 points per game and allowed 15.4 points per in 2020. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s start with Jalen Addie. The senior quarterback scored six total touchdowns in the state championship (3 rushing, 3 passing). He passed for 2,203 yards and 24 touch-

Jalen Addie went OFF in his final three games with Warner Robins.

downs along with rushing for 1,054 yards with 14 touchdowns while having a memorable playoff performance, as the pro-style quarterback will most likely be heading to a Division I school after he graduates in the spring. Their backfield is dangerous. Along with Addie’s 1,000-yard rushing season, senior and sophomore running backs Jahlen Rutherford and Malcom Brown combined for over 2,000 yards and nearly 20 touchdowns in the state championship season. Rutherford will be headed to play for Air Force in the fall of 2021 while Brown still has two years left in a Demons uniform. The defense is headed by sophomore defense end big Vic Burley and his 11 sacks on the season as he holds offers from the Alabama, Arizona State, Auburn, Florida, and Florida State according to 247sports. Demarcious Robinson served as the middle linebacker for the Demons and hauled in 118 tackles in his senior year

and will play for Army next season. His running mate at linebacker was Jay Carter who brought in 102 tackles in 2020 during his junior year. And lastly, the secondary made it hard for opposing quarterbacks led by senior cornerback Xavier Hill, who will likely be heading to a Division I school and junior safety Deuce Petty as the duo combined for 6 of the Demons’ eight interceptions in 2020. Warner Robins’ football program knows heartbreak by losing those three straight championships. It’s what makes the victory so much sweeter. You must take some losses before you can get the ultimate win and they went out and did that. Congratulations to the Demons for going to Atlanta and finishing the job.

ITG Next | 25

Finding Her Way Back Home TIFT COUNTY Written by: Phil Jones | Photography by: Micki K Photography

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Coach Julie Connor Made Her Way Back to Where it All Started for Her - at Tift County High

Some people are destined to do one certain thing in life. For Julie Conner, that thing was basketball. She grew up in a basketball family, the daughter of a basketball coach and a standout high school player. The coach was her father, Johnny Rutland, who also coached at Tift County. He coached the Blue Devils boys’ basketball team from the fall of 1971 through the spring of 1979. Her mother, Freida, was a four-year starter for the Lowndes High Vikettes basketball team in the mid 1960’s, helping lead Lowndes to the final four of the state playoffs in 1965. Julie herself was a standout player at Tift County. She played for the Lady Devils from 19851988, and despite the team not performing very well during her time there, it wasn’t because of Julie’s efforts. Her efforts attracted the attention of college coaches, including Division 2 Georgia College and State University (the current Georgia College), who gave Julie a partial scholarship to attend and play basketball for the Lady Bobcats in Milledgeville. Her first experience in coaching would actually come during her freshman season at Georgia College. Julie broke her pinky finger during one of her first practices, which forced her to take a redshirt, meaning she would not be able to see any action as a player. But, Bobcats head coach John Carrick knew Julie could help the team, so he allowed her to act as an assistant coach of sorts, and video the team.

“I was glad that I could still help the team in some way, but I really missed playing. I had been looking forward to it,” Julie said. That small role actually grew into a larger role following her playing days at Georgia College. “I became a graduate assistant during my senior season,” explains Julie. That was the beginning of Julie’s coaching career. After graduating, Julie actually made history when she was hired as a full time assistant coach for the Georgia College Men’s basketball team. “I was the first-ever full time assistant coach hired at Georgia College. Before that the position was only part time,” Julie explains. She says she felt like she had hit the big time. “I went from making $3,000 a year to making six times that,” Julie says with a laugh. She served in that role as a full time assistant for one year before returning home to Tifton, where she accepted an assistant head coaching position under Tift County head coach John O’Brien. She also took over the eighth grade Tift County girls basketball program as head coach, leading the Lady Devils to an undefeated record in the 19941995 season. That was also the year that Julie married Tom Conner. Julie’s first head coaching opportunity at the high school varsity level would come the next year, when she accepted the position as head coach at Mariner High School in Cape Coral, Florida. Julie would enjoy a stellar first season at ITG Next | 27

schools, Julie won over 100 games in just five total seasons. However, certain events in her life forced Julie to re examine a few things, and she decided that she wanted to return home to Tifton. “I really wanted to be closer to my family at that point of my life,” she explains. When Julie came back to Tifton, ABAC was announcing the return of women’s basketball to the college after having shelved the sport for the past 15 years. They turned to Julie, and she became the Fillies Head Basketball Coach. When she accepted the job, Julie was first told that there would be a one-year recruitment period to build up the new roster. But, as Julie explains, that quickly changed.

“Tift County approached me in 2007 about taking the Tift Co Girls Basketball Head Coaching position, but I turned it down. Then, in 2008, they approached me again. My husband, Tom, convinced me that this would be the right thing to do.” — Julie Conner 28 | itgnext.com

Mariner, leading the Fightin’ Lady Tritons to the Florida High School Playoffs Elite Eight in the 1995-1996 season. “We had a very good season that year,” said Julie. She was rewarded for her performance that season, being named as “The SW Florida Coach of The Year” for the 1995-96 seasons. The following year, Julie would accept a position to become the head coach of the LaBelle High girls’ basketball team. “That was a smaller school than where I had coached previously, but it seemed like a really good opportunity, and we did really well there,” says Julie. She would coach at LaBelle from 1996-2000. Between the two

“I was thinking I had one year to recruit the players we wanted, but the college hired a new president, and he came in and announced that ABAC would start playing women’s basketball THAT year,” Julie remembers. “So, there I was with no players, and a team to put together in a hurry. So, I literally went around the campus there at ABAC and asked any girl that looked like they maybe could play basketball if they wanted to come play for us!” Julie said. “I actually had two players that had played for me down in South Florida, but the rest of the roster was literally the girls we had picked out from around the campus.”

Not surprisingly, Julie and her new team went 2-23 in the first season. But, with experienced players coming in to play the next season, Julie and her ABAC team finished .500. Then, the next season, in 2002-2003 Julie led ABAC to the State Conference Championship and a #19 national JUCO ranking. She was recognized as the Georgia Junior Collegiate Athletic Association Coach of The Year in 2003. Julie would remain as the coach at ABAC through the 2008 season. She was recognized for her successful career at ABAC and was inducted into the ABAC Athletics Hall of Fame in 2013. Then, following her final season at ABAC, her Alma Mater would come calling. “Tift County approached me in 2007 about taking the Tift Co Girls Basketball Head Coaching position, but I turned it down. Then, in 2008, they approached me again. My husband, Tom, convinced me that this would be the right thing to do,” said Julie. So, Julie was hired, and took over as the new head coach of the Lady Devils basketball program effective with the 2008 season. So, here she was, back coaching for her hometown team, the school that she had played for, and the same school that her father had coached. Yet, Julie wasn’t sure if she had made the right decision. “Our first two seasons were ok,” recalls Julie. “But, I can remember thinking what have I done?” Those initial fears and self-doubts would be wiped out in year three. That was the 2011 season, and that would

“Our girls are so hungry right now. We want the final four, and more, of course.” — Julie Conner

be the first of five region championships for Julie Connors as head coach of the Lady Devils. Her team finished with 22 wins and a trip to the “Sweet 16” of the state playoffs that 2011 season. Julie has continued to enjoy a great run at Tift County. In addition to the five region titles, Her Lady Devils have played for the region championship a total of 7 times. She has led Tift County to the state playoffs in 10 of the past 12 seasons. That includes sevem trips to the Sweet 16, and one trip to the Elite 8. There are a total of 32 players that Julie has coached while at Tift County that have received college athletic scholarships.

So far this season, the Lady Devils have battled through a familiar foe: a team-wide quarantine due to concerns about the COVID-19 virus. They went almost a month without playing a game, from late November to late December. But, that is one of the few snags in an otherwise stellar season for Julie and her Lady Devils. They are 10-1 and 3-1 in region play. They currently sit atop Region 1-AAAAAAA standings. The coach says she likes her team a lot. “We are set to have our best team ever here at Tift,” she says. That would be quite the accomplishment considering the teams she has had in her career

at Tift County. This year’s squad has just two seniors – Shavonna Morris and Julie’s daughter, Cali. They provide great leadership for the rest of the girls, says the head coach. Tift’s top scorer is junior Shakiria Chaney, who is averaging 17.9 points per game. Julie Connors is in her 13th year at Tift, where Julie has led her teams to a total of 215 wins so far. Just as any great coach does, however, Julie is quick to give credit to those around her.

“So much credit goes to my assistants. I feel like I have the dream team of coaches to work

with every day, I’m so blessed,” says Julie.

Her staff consists of Chris Wade, Anthony Dennard, Ricky Frambo, and Mike Beeman. In addition to basketball, Cali plays for the Tift County Volleyball team, where she excelled. Cali was named the Region Player of the Year Award in Volleyball for her performance this past season and will attend Santa Fe College in Gainesville next year where she will continue her volleyball career. Julie also has a son, Tye, who played basketball for the Blue Devils boys’ basketball team. He is also playing sports at the collegiate level, as he is attending South Georgia State College in Douglas, where

he’ll redshirt in basketball this season, and begin playing next season. Cali and Tye’s father, and Julie’s husband is the late Tom Connor, who passed away from cancer last year. Will this be the year for Tift? Coach Julie sure hopes so. “Our girls are so hungry right now,” she says. “We want the final four, and more, of course,” Julie says. Of course she does. Great coaches always want more.

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Believing in Brooks Josh Price has Young Trojans Players Thinking Playoffs-again Written by: Phil Jones Photography by: Micki K Photography

Coach Josh Price feels fortunate that he’s been able to come back to his hometown of Quitman and the high school that he graduated from, Brooks County High School. Price played baseball for the Trojans under former coach and local baseball legend Robert “Shippy” Shipman. Speaking of fortunate, Price is grateful that he was able to not only play for but Shipman, but was able to learn so much of the game of baseball from a guy that’s considered one of the top baseball minds around our area – and anywhere. “Shippy wasn’t very complicated when it came to the game of baseball, and that’s my philosophy and approach here at Brooks County,” says Price.

“Just keep things simple, and focus on winning baseball games. I’m big on good pitching and playing defense.” Much of the time, that’s what it all boils down to.” Coach Price played baseball at Brooks County from 2002-2006. He wasn’t able to land a scholarship to keep play collegiately, but continuing his education was important, so he enrolled at Georgia Military College, and from there transferred to Valdosta State, where received his degree in Kinesiology and Physical Education. Price then returned to Brooks County High School, where he taught for one year. He moved over to the elementary school to

teach, but stayed at the high school to coach. He initially became an assistant under former head baseball coach Alex Robinson, before assuming the head coaching duties in 2018. While Price’s goal is to keep things simple, and to win games, that’s been a challenge in recent years with the Trojans baseball program. Before Price took over, the team had missed the playoffs for four straight years and only won 16 games during that stretch. Price was determined to at least make his team play competitive baseball-again, going back and doing the basic things the right way. In 2019, when the team broke the long play-

off drought, it was those basics that got the team into the playoffs as the number 4 seed, and will hopefully give the team confidence as it moves to prepare for this season. Speaking of which, how does Price feel about his team this season? “We have all of our pitching back this year, which is great news for us, I believe. Plus, we have good team speed,” Price said. As far as those fundamentals, Price says, “I want these guys to know what to do with the baseball. Its all about the simple

things.” He acknowledges that part of being a baseball coach at a school known for having a top football team, as well as one of the best football coaches in the state: “Hey, I get it, we are a football town. Its no secret that Coach Freeman and his guys have had a great deal of success year in and year out. I want my guys to know and understand that with hard work and paying attention to the small details, that we can be successful, too.” At the end of the day, it’s that simple. Just win.

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A Dream Come True FITZGERALD

Written by: Phil Jones Photography by: Brandon Pham

The passions of high school football throughout South Georgia are well known. Families grow up to love the local high school football team, and those loyalties run deep from one generation to the next, and so on. Fathers talk about their fathers that played, and sons talk about their grandfathers, and the stories never end. The Roberts family in Fitzgerald is one of the greatest examples of this passion. Kai Roberts is a sophomore at Fitzgerald High School, and his story certainly underscores and exemplifies what that passion is all about. Kai is the son of Alexander Kane and Jamie Nichols, and his step mom is Britany Roberts. His step mom is Brittany Roberts. Kai's family has deep roots in the Fitzgerald football community, with his dad having played sports at Fitzgerald High School, as well as his uncle, Jimmy Alexander. Jimmy was the QB for the Hurricanes for the 1964 state runner-up purple hurricane football team. He played for legendary coach Joe Compton in the ‘Canes vaunted “Notre Dame Box” offense. Then you have Kai’s Granddad, Leo Roberts, who played on the 1972 Fitzgerald football squad. They too, finished as state runner-up that season. Those family members that weren’t on the field as players were in the stands showing their support for the ‘Canes. Kai was born in 2005, and when his parents split two years later, Kai lived with his mother in California. He would come to Fitzgerald and visit with his father over the summer and during Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, maybe for a total of 50 days or so, give or take. While his time spent in Fitzgerald was relatively brief, Kai would spend a lot of his time talking about Fitzgerald High School football.

“He just embraced the whole Fitzgerald Purple Hurricane culture from an early age,” said his father, Alexander. “He definitely had the passion, and just fell in love with the Fitzgerald Purple Hurricanes, When Kai would go back to California, he would send me pictures of himself dressed in Purple Hurricane jerseys, shirts, you name it. Kai even found the Purple Hurricane games on the internet, and would listen to the radio play by play of the game. Kai had Purple Hurricanes fever,” said Alexander.

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That fever really came to a peak last year when Kai was in town for the summer break. He and his father went over to Jaycee Stadium, the football home of the Purple Hurricanes. While there, they stopped by the weight room and watched players working out and lifting weights. They also ran into Head Coach Tucker Pruitt, who took the time to show Kai and his father the facilities. According to Kai’s father, his son was star-struck.

“You could just see the excitement on his face. Here’s a kid who had always wanted to play for the Purple Hurricanes, and here he was in the locker room, surrounded by players, and face to face with the head football coach,” Alexander said. “Coach Pruitt took him to the where the uniforms were hanging up. Kai was just staring at the jerseys, and the helmets. It was a great thing to see,” said the proud father.

Once Kai returned to California, all he could really think about was the visit with Coach Pruitt, and talking Hurricane football with the head coach. After thinking about his situation long and hard, Kai approached his mother about the possibility of moving back to Fitzgerald to live with his father.

“Being a Purple Hurricane is all I’ve ever wanted to be,” said Kai. “Wearing that Purple and Gold is what I’ve always wanted to do.”

So, the family got together and worked it out and finally made it possible for Kai to spend the rest of his high school years with his father in Fitzgerald. That meant Kai was going to realize his dream. Kai was finally going to be a Purple Hurricane. So, on September 4, 2020, Kai’s dream became a reality. With dozens of family members watching from the stands, he ran onto the field for the first time along with his teammates for the ‘Canes season opener. As his step mom, Brittany Roberts recalls, it was a glorious day for the entire family. “It was so much fun watching Kai run through that banner with a Purple Hurricane logo on the side of his helmet and his point of pride sprayed across his chest,” she said. So, how about Kai’s memories of his first time seeing action on the field?

“My first game was against Dodge County in a JV game. I stood up after the first play and just said, ok, here we go,” said Kai.

His first time seeing live action in a varsity game was against Berrien County. What does his head coach think of Kai? “Kai has a chance to be a special player for us,” said Pruitt. “He’s able to play just about anywhere on the field, he just that good. We plan to use him some at QB, and on defense, maybe at safety. He’ll definitely see action in his remaining time here at Fitzgerald. We’re glad to have him.” And you can bet Kai is glad to be here, Coach.

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The Tip of the Iceberg Written by: Gerald Thomas, III Photography submitted by: Annah Kreyling Hoag

Alexandra Greenfield is not your ordinary eighth grader. The 13-year-old is the first ice skater in Columbus, Georgia to earn Senior Level Gold Medalist honors. Greenfield has always been a straight A student and has a black belt in karate. She is also a member of State Superintendent's Student Advisory Council, a violinist for the Greater Columbus Orchestra, as well as member of the All States, and Honor Chorus. Greenfield has been skating when she was seven years old. She fell in love with the sport when her father took her to a session and when she watched Olympic and national skating on television.

“My dad took me to this public session when I was seven,” she said. “Growing up, you watch these people on television in the Olympics and nationals and it looks like such a cool sport. I did not really know what I was really getting into, but I knew that I liked it. I’m still here skating now.” Robbie Przepioski was Greenfield’s former local coach before he moved from Columbus, Georgia this year. He met the young skater in 2017 back when she was nine years old. “When I met Alex, she was in the lower levels and I told her a story to inspire her,” Przepioski said. “I told her about how I passed my tests in a short amount of time of two years. She did it in three.” Seeing the work and training pay off when she passes tests is what keeps her going in the sport. “You can see all the work that you put in pay off like passing tests,” Greenfield said. COVID-19 put a stop to nearly everything at a certain point. So, this called for Greenfield’s mother to commute her to Atlanta twice a week to practice since Columbus rinks were closed. “It was hard to train with COVID-19 because our rinks closed,” Greenfield said. “My mom had to take me to Atlanta two times a week so I could skate for two or three hours to practice.” 38 | itgnext.com

Przepioski felt that Alex could have passed her tests faster if the pandemic did not affect the daily time so heavily. “I bet she could’ve finished her tests in two and a half years but because of COVID, it took a lot longer.” Entering high school in the fall of 2021, Greenfield plan on continue her skating while using the lessons she learned in skating in her academics.

“I really want to keep improving with skating because you can never be perfect,” she said. “Personally, I want to have a smooth high school year academically. I want to translate the work ethic from skating to my future.”

The rarity of figure skating in Columbus made it a challenge for the widespread of the sport but Przepioski and Greenfield worked together to make it work. “There’s not a huge demand,” Przepioski said. “She went from being unsure to getting it done. Her parents gave her the support and push her to something very rare and unique in Columbus, Georgia. When I first got there I thought, ‘how am I going to inspire people in this area that is so military style?’ I was very concerned. Alex was one of my favorite students because she was so smart that she made me feel dumb. We had a good connection because we could see things that others could not.” Younger children boost her confidence when she is complimented by one when practicing. “The main thing is when a kid comes up to you in a session and say, ‘Wow, you are so good. How long have you been doing this?’ It is like ‘wow, I didn’t know that’ what other people thought.’” Greenfield has no thoughts about joining the Olympic team in the future but instead wants to go into the coaching field when she gets older with a coaching philosophy of patience. “I don’t think that’s the track I really want to go because it would take a lot more commitment,” she said. “We would have to move somewhere to get more ice time. For now, I just want to keep going on the track I am going to help others around me. I wish the figure skating program were bigger in Columbus but there have been some dry patches without coaches that I really could have used. I would tell my skaters to trust the process because nothing comes easy. It’s natural for people to want to quit or give up after something gets hard but they’ll steadily improve if they practice.” Przepioski is proud of Greenfield while also sad to go but he will always watch and keep in touch with his players.

“All my students know that I’m watching them,” he said. “As a coach, you’re kind of like another parent. I want them to know that I am always going to be there to help them, so they are not alone. If they feel like they need to reach out to me, they can.”

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Is Georgia Football or Basketball Country? Written by: Gerald Thomas, III

When thinking of the state of Georgia’s high school athletics, we initially think of football. Football has been a staple of the south for as long as we can remember. Though I think football may have the slight edge over basketball, there is a fair divide and parity between the two. There are so many schools in the Atlanta area that people may say that they own football. But I don’t think so. Football belongs to South Georgia in my opinion. I say this because the area is smaller than Atlanta but the same schools stay on top of the standings. Programs such as Colquitt, Lee County, Lowndes, Valdosta, Pierce County, and Fitzgerald all hold down the fort on the gridiron for South Georgia as they all finished in the Top 25 of the final 2020 Rankings by MaxPreps. Even schools on the smaller level such as Brooks County, Irwin County, and Clinch County are top dogs in South Georgia football. Don’t get me wrong though because those Atlanta and Macon schools are not any slouches. Schools like Grayson, Buford, Warner Robins, Norcross, Collins Hill, and Marist all finished in the Top 10 following the 2020 season with state championship wins and appearances coming from some schools listed. You can even add in Westlake, Prince Avenue Christian, Cartersville, Blessed Trinity, Milton, and North Cobb who all saw success this season. When it comes to basketball, there’s no question that Atlanta run things in that aspect. Milton, Pebblebrook, Grayson, McEachern, Wheeler, Chattahoochee, Berkmar, Kell, and Pace Academy are nine of the ten teams in MaxPrep’s Top 10 this season with Southeast Georgia’s Richmond Hill being the only outlier. The only school in South Georgia in the Top 25 is Monroe but Valdosta sits right outside at the 26 spot. For Georgia, there’s no real drop off from sports. South Georgia and Atlanta both have their difference making programs that have hoisted championships and made noise in the GHSA playoffs especially in football. Since the focus is more on football with lesser the population in South Georgia, of course something will have to take the fall and basketball is the faltering option. But that doesn’t mean that schools aren’t capable, it simply means that there’s a different focus. There’s no shortage of talent in any sport in the state of Georgia.

The top Georgia basketball teams are asserting their dominance on the national level. Teams like Milton, Grayson, and Kell have established Georgia as a premier state for hoops nationally this season. Kell defeated Lake Norman Christian (NC), a team notorious for five-star recruit Mikey Williams. Both national losses for Georgia top ten teams came against Wasatch Academy (UT), the 11th-ranked team in the nation. Most of the 11 wins have come against teams from neighboring states such as South Carolina, North Carolina, and Florida, as the coronavirus has limited travel to states farther away.

In an already outstanding year for Milton basketball, the Eagles have defied odds once again by scoring 109 points in a tournament game against Myrtle Beach. That total is the most points in a Milton basketball game since 2010, when the Eagles won by 65 over North Forsyth. If this season is any semblance to that 29-3 Milton team in 2010, fans should be thrilled of what is to come in region play and class playoffs. The Eagles have already scored wins over 7A titans Berkmar and Grayson so far, with their two close losses coming to McEachern and Sandy Creek.

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Built from the Ground Up MILL CREEK

Written by: Gerald Thomas III | Photography submitted by: Doug Jones

Being a relatively new school, Mill Creek has a mainstay of Doug Jones as the head baseball coach of the Hawks. Opening their doors in Hoschton back in 2004, Jones have been there since the beginning. Jones was born in Gwinnett coach and has been a public educator and coach for 31 years. He played baseball at Parkview High School under Hugh Buchanan before continuing his athletic career at Mercer University. Graduating from Mercer, Jones knew he wanted to be a coach and educator. Building the baseball program from the ground up for 17 years, Jones credits his allies for the success of Hawks baseball as they went 14-1 before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the season to conclude.

“You got to surround yourself with great people and I’ve been fortunate to do that over my entire career wherever I was at,” Jones said. “Mill Creek has great assistant coaches, men, kids, and parents with the support that we’ve received. I take my job very seriously and it is like a ministry to me. I take a lot more pride to develop great young men that will be great husbands, fathers, and great men in society.” The 17-year coaching veteran shared the process of building the program. “I’ve been the head coach since we started. I’ve got to build the program so it’s a cool deal,” Jones said. “Building the program was probably

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the hardest but also the most fulfilling thing I’ve ever done being a coach. To take something and start it from scratch like building a practice facility and coaching staff was exhausting but it was fun to put my fingerprints on something.” Starting from scratch, Jones knew that the practice facility was not going to be top tier but now he feels like Mill Creek is home to one of the best facilities that you can find. “Facility-wise, I think we have one of the best in high school that you can find anywhere, and we take a lot of pride in that,” he said. “We had humble beginnings with a field, lights, and a scoreboard. But we did not have bleachers, so we borrowed a sizeable amount of money and built four dugouts, two press boxes, and our indoor hitting facility. From there, we added a 2,600-foot clubhouse for the kids. Our kids enjoy where we play, and I think our opponents feels the same when they come over here.” Coach Jones is grateful for the higher ups for believing in him despite a rocky start to the baseball program. “I’m blessed to have administrators that allow you to do the job and believe in you,” he said. “We played a region schedule from the get-go, so we came out got after it. The first year was trying but I am very proud of the kids for the foundation and the bricks that they laid in building the program. Over time, you are fortunate enough to have a little bit of success and build tradition and culture. The

kids have bought in and our rigorous schedule has taught us about ourselves. It is simpler as time goes on because you don’t have those large projects to fulfill.” Mill Creek baseball reached the GHSA 7A state championship in 2018. Jones credits his players for being a motivation factor for his coaching success. “They’re great kids and great student-athletes,” he said. “That’s what they’re here for. When you have your priorities in order, things will take care of themselves. They bust their tails in the classrooms and not embarrass you in the community. These kids have always been a beacon of what it means to be an athlete here. That is what motivate me because they want to be coached, to be better, and will buy in. Once they know you love them, they’ll lay it on the line for you.” With their 2020 season being cut at the beginning of the COVID-19 spread, Jones feels that it put a strain on things as seniors final curtain call was cut short. The Hawks also saw their baseball diamond have some problems. Jones acknowledged how the new season will have to navigated through to be able to reach the end. “It was a very interesting year for sure,” Jones said. “It was a special group of players. Six of them went to go play at the next level. We had good chemistry. We did not practice a whole lot because we had some field issues with drainage and the amount of rain.

We never talked about it and just played. Out of those 15 games, 14 were on the road. We did not feel sorry for ourselves and just controlled what we could. They did a tremendous job of staying focused and positive. When COVID came in, I tried to keep the player’s spirits up but when the finality hit that it was over, it was the most gut-wrenching thing I have gone through as a coach. There was a lot of baseball left to play. But we did not get to have a senior night and last game that is a culmination of a senior’s career. That is a big thing at Mill Creek because we want to let them know how much we appreciate them. We could not even have a banquet. It was hard on them and me. I hope no one has to go through that again. It took me a while to get over it, but I still stay in touch with the kids. Before they left for college, we were able to get some closure, but it wasn’t what we were accustomed to.” Jones biggest feat as a coach was coaching his

son, Beau and he wants to be remembered for caring for his players.

“I was able to coach my son and see him contribute to the ball club and go on to play on the next level (University of North Georgia). That was the highlight for me individually for me,” he said. “I want to be remembered for loving my players regardless of their ability, talent level, skin color, height, or weight. They were asked to do a lot because much is required to be a baseball player here. Each year I am thankful for what they give and what they do in their quest to be the best they can be. If they leave here doing all they can to be the best they can be then that is all you can ask. I’m super proud and honored.” The Mill Creek Hawks’ season will begin on February 23 against Flowery Branch.

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The ADC Team is Proud to Support Breast Cancer Awareness Month

We want to recognize a few members of our ADC family who are in different stages of beating breast cancer: Georgia Kelley, Julie Burt, Barbara Kirk, Angela Harrell, and Tracee Brown. Breast cancer has affected many others in our ADC family. We want to lift them all up in prayer and offer our continued love and support. Please join us in praying for all breast cancer patients, affected families , and survivors of breast cancer. We will be raising awareness for Breast Cancer Research the entire month of October. We hope that you will join us so that one day breast cancer will be eliminated.

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At first glance, when one sees Antonio Delvecchio’s 115-41 wrestling record and accomplishments, you’d think the sport of grappling has always come easy for the Valwood Junior. But after taking a closer and deeper look at his back story, you see that the path to his current success has been anything but easy. Antonio was born in Valdosta but has traveled around the country with his family due to his father’s military service. He eventually found his way back to Valdosta and has wrestled for Valwood, along with club and AAU wrestling.

Antonio’s father, who goes by Tony, has been involved with wrestling since he lived in New York and now owns and operates Titletown Wrestling Academy in Valdosta. Antonio’s accomplishments are amazing: Overall record of 115-41 at Valwood, 9-1 so far in the 202021 season, state champion, state runner-up, (once in folkstyle and once in freestyle wrestling), and has earned All-American honors four times. He won the AAU state title as a freshman, going 7-0 while allowing zero points to be scored against him. In his sophomore

season, Antonio came up a little short in the GISA State Tournament 120 pound class, finishing as runner-up at the Dixie Nationals in Atlanta that same year. In November of last year, he earned second place in the freestyle category at the Bear Nationals. His athletic and intellectual ability is drawing interest from several schools including The Coast Guard Academy, Princeton, The Citadel, Emmanuel College, and Brown. Antonio has a 4.0 GPA, and would like to one day become a pediatrician. If this story sounds like its all

Never stop believing Written by: Phil Jones Photography by: Micki K Photography

va lwood

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come easy for Antonio, it really hasn’t. Antonio started wrestling when he was in the fourth grade. “I was somewhat overweight and just not athletically driven,” Antonio admitted. Even though his dad was a wrestling coach, he wanted Antonio to take his own path. “I wanted Antonio to find his own sport that he liked,” said Tony. Antonio said it was very rough in the beginning. “I really struggled with it,” he said. When Antonio was in middle school, he was wrestling in a tournament against a wrestler from another local school. He was attempting to spin out of his opponent’s leg lock as he was standing, but it went horribly wrong as Antonio twisted everything from his ankle up. Antonio had suffered a severe leg injury, snapping his tibia, fibula, and breaking his growth plate and 46 | itgnext.com

would go through two surgeries that involved trying too put his leg back together. He would be out of wrestling for eight months, not even sure if he’d ever recover enough to return. As it turned out, Antonio not only returned, but he was more driven than ever to make himself a better, more confident wrestler – and he did. “Breaking my leg was the worst and best thing that could’ve happened to me,” Antonio said. His father agrees. “What really drove Antonio was when he broke his leg,” says Tony. “He came back from that injury more determined to be the best person and athlete he could be, and he has been both. My son has built himself back up athletically and intellectually, and I couldn’t be more proud of him.”

“Breaking my leg was the worst and best thing that could’ve happened to me.”

— Antonio Delvecchio

Southeast Georgia Fellowship of Christian Athletes

At FCA, we ended the year with several memorable events. In November we were able to have our Donor Appreciation Luncheon. This is always a special time at FCA when we can have a little something special for the people that are so supportive of us throughout the year. We had a great turnout, delicious food and a wonderful message from our guest speaker, Greg Guilliams. In December we attended a Huddle at Valwood where Bobby Willis and Dr. Ashley Moorman presented a plaque to the Girls Volleyball Team. They are the GISA AAA State Championship Winners. Congratulations to all these young ladies and to Coach Val Gallahan. We have also held a Meet and Greet in Tifton and one in Fitzgerald for our new Area Representative, Stanton Moore. Stanton will be working the four new counties added to our area. They include Tift, Turner, Ben Hill and Irwin. We are looking forward to seeing great changes and growth for FCA in this area. Camps are currently being planned for the summer. We hope to have weeklong camps similar to what we have had in the past. If it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t work out, we will try to have day camps on a more local level. Our goal is to reach as many students, coaches and communities as we can. We appreciate everyone who volunteers and donates to help support FCA.

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It started out as a simple idea for Guerry Baldwin.

East Cobb Baseball: Its Impact on Travel Baseball Written by: Phil Jones

He was a youth baseball coach in Cobb County, born and raised in the Atlanta area. Baldwin formed the first East Cobb team that was made up of a group of talented players who had played in and won the Little League World Series in 1983. He loved coaching youth baseball and enjoyed coaching all skill levels of youth. But he noticed that the concept of a “one size fits all” really did not work. “We were doing a lot for all the kids, regardless of their skill set and abilities. But we noticed that the kids that were missing out were the kids who were the elite or above average, kids. The ones that really stood out were the ones missing out,” Baldwin says. “They were grouped with kids who weren’t at their level, and it wasn’t any good for either group of kids. So, we wanted to start a system that would address that and could work for the kids on all levels of talent. That’s how East Cobb started”. Baldwin officially established the East Cobb program in 1985. What has followed has been a nationally recognized baseball program that is multi-faceted. The East Cobb Baseball Complex is an eight-field facility complete with batting cages and other areas where teams can focus on team and individual instruction. The fields are all turf and play host to a larger number of teams each summer. Baldwin says that there are currently between 70 and 80 teams that call East Cobb home. “We are a conglomeration of teams and players here at East Cobb. We work really hard to make certain kids understand how to play the game, and that they know how to become a good teammate, regardless of their skill level or ability.” Baldwin said. “East Cobb is about the purity of the game of baseball, understanding how the game is supposed to be played, and making sure our coaches are teaching from the ground up,” he says. East Cobb offers kids from ages 9 to 18 the chance to play, and tryouts are held each summer. Baldwin says the tryouts serve the purpose of grouping players within the same skill level. What has been the biggest advantage of East Cobb Baseball?

“The fact that it has allowed so many more kids to start playing baseball,” Baldwin says. “Young people are playing the game, which is a great thing to see.”

He says that parents bring their kids to play at East Cobb, with the intention that there child is going to be a professional. “The perception among most of the parents are that their child will be able to play professional baseball one day because they came through the East Cobb program,” says Baldwin. “We do see some very successful players that come through East Cobb, but very few will ever play pro baseball. That is the harsh reality.” Baldwin says that the coaches are recruited from the high school and college level, and even some that have played and or coached professionally are a part of the coaches and instructors at East Cobb. While Baldwin and the East Cobb baseball organization is recognized as being one of the early trailblazers of travel baseball, there have since been dozens of other organizations and individuals that have followed their lead. In 2000, Perfect Game Baseball took over the scheduling and hosting of tournaments at East Cobb, and today hosts over 60 tournaments at East Cobb annually. Perfect Game has become one of the premiere travel ball organizations, along with 5 Star National, Team Elite, Team Georgia, and Prep Baseball Report. There are several travel ball organizations in Georgia such as South Georgia Sports Academy, Meridian, SEC Baseball, and The Pines that have made a huge impact on attracting talented players, which Baldwin says is the biggest advantage that travel ball has offered players. “Travel ball has allowed a lot of kids to play baseball and stick to it. They now have the opportunity to play with players that are on their same level,” he says. “That keeps them playing the game.” Travel ball is a large part of the overall rise in popularity and participation of youth baseball, with an increase of nearly three million youth baseball players from 2013 to 2019, according to the Sports Fitness and Industry Association. While that is not all travel ball players, it is a big part of a promising trend of youth baseball participation. And that is a good thing.

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Born to Coach

Rogers Won at Jones County and He’s Off to a Great Start at Colquitt County Written by: Phil Jones | Photography by: Micki K Photography

When Justin Rogers was a junior at Greenville High School in Greenville, Al he began to understand what he wanted to do with his life. “I wanted to be a high school football and basketball coach,” Rogers said. And so began the path that would take him from a small farm in rural Alabama to becoming one of the most successful high school football coaches in Georgia. Rogers was born in tiny Greenville, Alabama on the family farm. “There was nothing but plenty of chickens, cows, and Rogers family members around us,” Rogers said. “In fact, where I

grew up became known as Rogers Hill.” He would live in Greenville his whole life, attending and graduating from Greenville High School, where somewhat surprisingly, football wasn’t a big part of his life. “I played a little, but just wasn’t an elite player,” Rogers said. “But, that didn’t diminish my love for wanting to coach sports. I just loved the game, so I decided in my junior year of high school that’s what I was going to do.” Rogers would go on to attend Troy State University, graduating in 2002. It didn’t take long for Rogers to land his

first coaching gig. He had a couple of offers for entry level coaching positions, including one at his alma mater – Greenville High School. “It was tempting, but I was hoping to find a coaching job in Georgia.” Rogers had a sister who was involved in education in Georgia, and had told her brother about how Georgia could offer him perhaps a few more opportunities, and more money. So, in the fall of 2002, Justin Rogers accepted an offer to become an assistant football coach at Harris County High School.

“I played a little, but just wasn’t an elite player. But, that didn’t diminish my love for wanting to coach sports. I just loved the game, so I decided in my junior year of high school that’s what I was going to do.” — Justin Rogers 50 | itgnext.com

But it wasn’t just football that Rogers wanted to coach. “I really wanted to be a head basketball coach. My goal was to coach boys basketball and become a play caller in football,” Rogers said. He would get his wish during his final three years at Harris County, coaching the Tigers boys’ basketball team while serving as the QB coach. Rogers would leave Harris County in 2009. His work at Harris County had gotten the attention of head coach Steve DeVoursney at Griffin High School. Rogers was hired as QB coach at Griffin, and soon afterwards became the head boys’ basketball coach for the Bears. This was his second straight opportunity to coach football and be a head basketball coach. However, Rogers decided it was in his best interest to focus on coaching just one sport, so he stepped away from the basketball position after just one season. The move paid off in his quest to move up in the football coaching ranks at Griffin, as DeVoursney promoted him to Offensive Coordinator in 2011. While the Harris County stint took seven long years to get that program turned around, it didn’t take long for Rogers to make an impact at Griffin. In just his third season at Griffin, Rogers was part of a staff that led the Bears to an undefeated season and a state championship. “That’s when the opportunities really started popping,” says Rogers. Jones County came calling, and that became Rogers’ first head coaching job. He went 45-15 in just five years as head coach of the GreyHounds. When Justin Rogers heard the news about Rush Propst leaving Colquitt County, he never would imagine that they would call. But, they did. Rogers received a call from the folks in Moultrie, asking if he’d come down and talk to them. “I was reluctant at first,” Rogers said. “I was very happy at Jones County, my family was happy there. The people were great.” But, the calls kept coming from the Colquitt County folks, and finally Justin Rogers answered the calls.

“Colquitt County is one of the best jobs in the state, and in the entire country, and I wanted to chase a dream." — Justin Rogers

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“Colquitt County is one of the best jobs in the state, and in the entire country, and I wanted to chase a dream,” said Rogers. But, he knew that he would be coming into a job with high expectations, and following one of the top coaches in the country. “I knew that it would be a daunting task-no doubt. But, me and my wife prayed about it and decided that we were going to do it, so we jumped on this bull,” Rogers said. In his first season as head coach of the Packers, Rogers would lead his team to a 9-3 record and a 2nd round playoff game, losing to Parkview. His 2nd season just wrapped up, with Colquitt finishing 9-1, and winning the region title. But this was no ordinary season. Colquitt’s season got derailed before it even began due the COVID-19 Pandemic, forcing Rogers and his Packers to miss their first two games. Colquitt would have two additional COVID-related episodes that caused the team to miss several days of practice time and additional games. Still, even after so many delays and missed practice time, Rogers rallied his team to an incredible string of victories over Valdosta, Dothan (Al), Northside Warner Robins, Camden, Tift, Lowndes, then Brookwood and Walton in the playoffs before losing to Norcross. That one loss was a 10-point defeat against Norcross, a team that the Pack was favored to beat. But, starting QB Xavier Williams, the Region Player of The Year, went out in the final regular season game with a knee injury. Without their star player available, and on a sloppy field at Norcross, the Pack had no answer for the Blue Devils. So, 9-1 and 9-3 in his first two seasons with a championship in a region with the likes of Lowndes, Camden County and Tift County. Not too bad. But, Justin Rogers is a coach, and if you’re not winning THE championship, it’s always over too soon. “The season ended shorter than we wanted it to, but we’ll be back. The Pack will be back.”

“The season ended shorter than we wanted it to, but we’ll be back. The Pack will be back."

— Justin Rogers

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Breaking your humerus isn’t funny. { We fix broken bones. }

Breaking your arm is no laughing matter. But when it happens, we’ll get you up and laughing again – fast.

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The Kid That Can Do Anything BAINBRIDGE

Written by: Phil Jones Photography submitted by: Jill Holloway With Bainbridge Post Searchlight

When Colby Williams became pregnant in 2004, the Bainbridge native was like any other first time Mama. “It was scary and I was nervous. I really didn’t know what to expect,” Ms. Williams said. “It was not knowing what to expect that made it so scary.” Despite her natural apprehension, Williams made sure that she kept up with all of her doctor appointments, and scheduled tests. That included the usual sonograms, ultrasounds, etc. During each of these tests, everything appeared to be perfectly normal according to her doctor. “The doctors all told me that everything looked just fine.” The only problem was that everything was not normal. “The nurses wouldn’t let me see my baby at first,” she said. It turns out that Colby’s first child was born with a birth defect that affected the level of amniotic fluid, which surrounds the fetus during the pregnancy. This imbalance of the protective fluid resulted in her newborn son being born with 56 | itgnext.com

basically no hands. Williams admits that when she first heard the news, she cried nonstop for two days. That was until she finally laid eyes on her new baby. “I finally went to the nursery with the nurses,” she said. “When I looked through the window of the babies lying there, I saw him. I saw Ja’Mauri. When he and I made eye contact, I could actually hear my baby talking to me, telling me to ‘stop crying mama.’ So, I did,” says Colby. When Mom and baby left the hospital, Colby says she wanted to make sure that her baby learned to live “a normal life.” That meant falling down and not relying on help to get back up. “I thought it was very important for Ja’Mauri to learn to live with his issues. I would not let anyone run over and try to pick him up. I thought it was important that he learned how to do it himself. I never treated him any differently.” Not only did he learn to live with having only part of his hands, but also Ja’Mauri was determined to show

“I thought it was very important for Ja’Mauri to learn to live with his issues. I would not let anyone run over and try to pick him up. I thought it was important that he learned how to do it himself. I never treated him any differently.” — Colby Williams

“Ja’Mauri is a hard worker and does not ask for any special treatment because of his disability. He makes no excuses and does not complain about his surroundings. His teammates really like him, and we look forward to having him back next year. He's a joy to coach.” — Jeff Littleton

everyone that he would not let that slow him down or keep him from playing sports. That included Ja’Mauri playing baseball when he was five years old, with football to follow in just a few years later. Colby Williams remembers when Jamari first picked up a baseball. “It was really the first time that I let him try sports. He was five years old, and I dropped Ja’Mauri off for baseball practice,” says mom. “Then, later on, that day, I get a call from his coach telling me how good of a player Jamauri was! He was just going on and on about how surprised he was at how good my son was at baseball. He said Ja’Mauri could throw the ball and could hit! I was so proud, and it was at that moment that I realized that Ja’Mauri could do anything anyone else could do,” she said. From that day, Colby Williams was determined to make sure her son was involved in sports. “I thought Ja’Mauri was going to play soccer, based on his condition, but that wasn’t something he wanted to do. Which was ok with me, but I did tell Ja’Mauri that we were going to do something with sports, son,” she said. Ja’Mauri continued to play organized baseball from the age of five until he turned ten years of age. Then, at the age of ten, Ja’Mauri began playing football for the Bainbridge Saints, a travel football team. When he turned eleven, JaMauri started

playing for the middle school football team. At first, Ja’Mauri didn’t see much playing time as a sixth grader. “I think a lot of the coaches probably thought he couldn’t play,” said Williams. “But, the next year, in his seventh-grade season, Ja’Mauri finally started seeing more playing time. Ja’Mauri could really run! He showed them that he could play,” said his mom. Bainbridge Head Football Coach Jeff Littleton says Ja’Mauri is a solid player that fits right in. “Ja’Mauri is a hard worker and does not ask for any special treatment because of his disability. He makes no excuses and does not complain about his surroundings,” says Littleton. “His teammates really like him, and we look forward to having him back next year. He's a joy to coach.” This past season saw Ja’Mauri make perhaps his finest accomplishments since he began playing sports, and it came on three separate plays. The first special moment came during a 9th grade football game early this past season against Thomas County Central. Ja’Mauri entered the game as a Wide Receiver and caught a TD pass. According to Ja’Mauri, it was tougher than it looked. “It was a short pass, and I had to come back to the ball to make the catch”, he said. “But, when I did, I knew I could score.” His next big moments both came with the varsity squad. In

a road game against Dougherty High in Albany, Ja’Mauri asked the coach if he could kick off after the next Bearcats TD. “I reminded my coach that I kicked some when I played for the middle school, so he let me do it,” said Ja’Mauri. Finally, his third big opportunity came under a big spotlight. During the Bearcats first round playoff game versus Westside-Macon, Ja’Mauri entered the game in the fourth quarter and the play called for a screen pass to the speedy WR. He made the catch near the home sideline and was able to get a tough five-yard gain. “I was excited about making the catch, but I wanted to score,” said Ja’Mauri. Mom was pretty excited, too. “I wanted to cry. I was so happy for him,” she said. Go ahead and cry, mom. You’ve earned it.

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The 12th Man: Northside Ball Boy Pivotal to Success Written by: Gerald Thomas, III | Photography by: Brandon Pham

Every role matters for any entity. Regardless if the roles are in the job setting or on a sports team, if everyone buys in and play their part it will turn into successes. For Northside Warner Robins, they have had the same football ballboy for nearly 50 years. Ricky Simmons, known as ‘Rick Rack’ has been the caretaker of the Eagles’ footballs since graduating from the school in the 70’s. He began his job as ballboy under former Northside under former Eagles head coach Conrad Nix, who took over the head coaching duties in 1973. Rarely missing games, even in a fight with cancer, Rick remains 58 | itgnext.com

a reliable piece of the team with even being considered as a member of the coaching staff.

“He started working for Coach Nix in the 70’s while he was a student,” Eagles head coach Alligood said. “His attitude never changed. This past year he battled cancer and it never slowed him down. His only worry was not missing a football game.”

Rick has seen the highs and lows of Northside football with their championship wins in 2006, 2007 and 2014 along with their 2009 and 2018 state losses. “He’s just as much a part of us winning a state championship as any player,” Alligood said. “He’s had a couple kids

that have played for us here. When we lose, the players see a guy with a broken heart and when we win they see an elated guy who has poured time and energy into this program. They don’t like to disappoint Rick.” Rick showed the epitome of ‘once an Eagle, always an Eagle’ when Alligood left Northside to take on a head coaching job at Washington-Wilkes High School by making sure that they stayed in touch while the playcaller was at another institution.

“When I left Northside after the 2016 season to go be the head coach at Washington-Wilkes, Rick Rack called me twice a week to make sure I was doing fine,” Alligood

said. “He just cares about the people of Northside High School and would do anything for you and this school. He’s a true Northside Eagle.”

Sticking around for so long, Rack is a staple for the program as referees and just about every coach to come through the Northside program knows who he is. “Everybody knows him,” Alligood said. “If he’s not there, everyone will ask ‘Where’s Rick?’ When we go on away trips, if Rick is not on the bus, we’re not going to leave the school without him. When the officials inspect the balls before games, they would say, ‘we know Rick’s got it. We don’t even have to look at them.’ He’s been

doing it for so long that no one has to tell him how to do his job. It’s amazing how one guy has been here for so long. Just like clockwork, he’s here when football season rolls around.” Being in the position of Northside students before, he helps keep the morale high and show them the importance of knowing your role to be an asset for the betterment of the team.

“The kids treat him with the utmost respect,” Alligood said. “They also see how important their role is and someone who cares about this program. The kids understand what it means to Rick.” There’s no worries about the care for the

game balls Rack is trusted in his job and is heavily experienced with the task. “He’s got a certain way he sets the field up and care for the balls,” Alligood said. “Rick gets to know the quarterbacks more than anybody because he talks to them to know what balls they want to use for the game and how often they want to change the balls to make sure the balls are perfect and where they need to be so the quarterbacks can play like they’re supposed to. A lot of people don’t understand that the balls have to be at the stadium and scrubbed clean. That’s one thing I don’t have to worry about. It’s hugely important that he takes one whole task off my plate without having to be called and reminded. We never have to worry about the football and that’s a huge deal. I never have to think twice about just like Coach Nix and Coach (Kevin) Kinsler.

He takes a lot of pride at his job.” When newly-hired coaches join the program, they are given a warning to not bother the footballs since Rick is very particular about the preparation of the footballs.

“I consider Rick as a coach,” Alligood said. “It’s always a funny thing telling the new coaches that want to get around and help to not touch the footballs or Rick Rack will go off on you. That’s just the way he is because he want to make sure it’s perfect every single time.”

is with his job. Our lives are so much simpler because a program this big takes 40 footballs to a game to get 12 ready for kickoff. After the game, he’s going to hunt and make sure every ball is put back in the bag to get back to the school. His willingness and desire for 50 years is what I enjoy. I’ve been around Northside since 1999 and Rick hasn’t changed a bit.”

Alligood says Rick is a dear friend of his and seeing him more than a ballboy as he takes a lot of weight off his shoulders from being a head coach. “Rick Rack is a caring a passionate guy,” Alligood said. “My appreciation for him is that he takes his job seriously. I admire him for how serious and diligent he

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ITG NextWR | 60 Grayson Football

A Formula for Success FLOWERY BRANCH Written by: Phil Jones Photography submitted by: Ben Hall

Education and football have always been a big part of Coach Ben Hall’s life, so it is no surprise that he has remained in both areas for most of his life, as a player and as a coach. Today, Hall serves as the head football coach at Flowery Branch in Hall County, where he has led the Falcons program since 2017. He served as an assistant at Flowery Branch beginning in 2008 after spending a short period of time away from education and coaching. “After getting married, I thought it may be a good idea to try to make a little more money, so I got into private business down in the Tampa area. But after two years I missed coaching, so I decided that I wanted to get back into it,” says Hall. That love for education and coaching came from his early life as a child, then as he grew older.

“My parents were teachers, and my dad was a high school football coach, so I was able to experience the relationships he had with other coaches and players,” said Hall. “I knew at an early age that the coaching profession was special and something I was drawn to.”

Hall would attend and play football at Franklin County High School, where he played offensive line under his father, line coach Bill Hall. He then moved on to Furman University on scholarship, where he played offensive line for the Paladins. It was there during his time as a player that his college coach could see his potential as a coach. “My head coach at Furman was Bobby

Johnson, and he asked me if I would like to stay with him as a coach after I graduated in 1999,” said Hall. “So, I became a full time assistant as the Tight Ends coach.” After four years as a coach, Hall got married to college girlfriend Diane, and decided that maybe trying to make more money would be the better path to take as a newlywed. He would move to Tampa, where he entered private business. After a few years of being away from the game, Hall was ready to get back to the game he loved. So, in 2008 he moved back to Georgia and returned to coaching, this time at the high school level. “I moved to Flowery Branch and began coaching offensive line for the Falcons under coach Lee Shaw,” said Hall. His first high school coaching job was quite successful. “We finished 12-3 and advanced to the state championship, where we lost to Cairo.” The next season, Hall would change schools, moving over to coach offense for three years at Jefferson High School under legendary Georgia high school football coach T. McFerrin. Then, in 2013, Hall would get his first opportunity to become a head coach when McFerrin decided to retire. Hall was named as his successor at Jefferson, becoming the head coach for the Dragons, a position he would hold from 2013-2017, until Flowery Branch came calling once again.

Hall’s love and passion as a coach has shown through during his career, leading to success. In that first year at Flowery Branch in 2008, and a trip to the title game under Shaw; Then, in 2012, as the offensive coordinator under McFerrin at Jefferson, when he helped lead the Dragons to a 2A state championship. Then, as a head coach, Hall led Jefferson to a 44-8 record with trips to the state playoffs each year. So far at Flowery Branch, Hall is 33-13 through four seasons. In eight total years as a head coach between Jefferson and Flowery Branch, Hall is 77-21 overall. He is married to Diane, who teaches in Gwinnett County. His children are Mason, who is 12 and plays football and basketball; Anna Clair, who is ten and plays soccer at Gwinnett Soccer Academy, as does Burton, who is eight and plays soccer at Gwinnett Soccer Academy. Hall attributes his success to coaching under legends like McFerrin and playing and coaching under his father and then Johnson. “I was blessed to have worked for and learned from under such great men, and coaches,” said Hall.

“We loved it at Jefferson, but Flowery Branch was literally home for us; we never moved from my time there before,” said Hall.

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What’s next for Frederica? Written by: Gerald Thomas, III Photography submitted by: Caleb Shorthouse

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Since going 10-3 winning the GISA 3A state championship back in 2018, Frederica Academy saw one season of drop off in the following season. But the Knights would rise again in the 2020 season, seeing victories regularly before dropping the state championship 49-0 to John Milledge Academy. Heading into the 2019 season, they lost a trio of offensive weapons to graduation. Wide receiver Jashawn Sheffield and Jaylin Simpson both took their talents to Auburn to play football when they graduated in the spring of 2019. Sheffield is now at Middle Tennessee State University. Along with those two, 1500 rushing yard running back Isaiah Jackson signed to play at Kentucky State University. On the defensive end, outside linebacker Harry Veal, who had 129 tackles and nine sacks in 2018, also went to Auburn with his teammates from the other side of the ball. Veal’s defensive running mate defensive end Camron Gardner also graduated out of the program and turned in his football cleats for baseball spikes as he signed to play at Lagrange College. That’s a lot of talent leaving out at one time. In 2019, they had a freshman quarterback in Tyler Devlin and went 4-6 on the season before the young play caller transferred to Glynn Academy. Talented players such as running back Denver Anthony and linebacker Deke Jernigan graduated as the back went to play at Division II’s Gardner-Webb University and the sure tackler chose baseball over football

for college, inking with Tallahassee Community College. That was only year they needed to regroup, though. Head Coach Brandon Derrick stayed patient with his team and they saw success in 2020 by going 9-4 and making it back to the state championship. Junior Thomas Veal was called upon to be the starting quarterback for the Knights and he went on to pass for over 1,000 yards for the season. The brightest spot was the young freshman running back Jordan Triplett, rushing for nearly 2,000 yards for his first act in high school. On defense, linebackers Josh Elliot, Joshua Elliot, and Jacob Elliot combined for over 250 tackles. But we all know these numbers weren’t enough, as the Knights didn’t play well in the championship game. But there still can be a bright future for them, having Veal at quarterback for one more year, Triplett at running back for three more, and calling up Aiken to be the defensive anchor for his final season with the Knights in 2021. It was a big turnover of talent with the 2019 graduation class being highly skilled plus more players heading out of the program the following year to give the team nearly an overhaul. But a state championship appearance is a good start. Let’s see if the Frederica Academy Knights will avenge that loss and take the crown in 2021.

Resurgence in Georgia Basketball Written by: Gerald Thomas, III

The state of Georgia has its fair share of basketball legends. Headlined by Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Walt ‘Clyde’ Frazier (from Atlanta), the Peach State has put out some quality players. Other players that have come out and made an impact in the NBA are: Shareef Abdur-Rahim (Marietta), Pervis Ellison (Savannah), World B. Free (Atlanta), and Dwight Howard (Atlanta), who still could possibly get some Hall of Fame nods from his reign as arguably the best Center in the league during his time with the Orlando Magic. But some could say that Georgia hoops have fallen off and that Georgia high school phenoms haven’t lived up to the hype that were expected of them. But in 2021, we have some players in the Association who have something to say about that. Anthony Edwards, from Atlanta was drafted No. 1 overall in November 2020 out of the University of Georgia by the Minnesota Timberwolves to take over some of the shooting guard duties. The Holy Spirit alum has been making an instant impact as he’s been paired with young center Karl-Anthony Towns to build upon the Wolves’ future. So far, the Ant-Man has averaged 13.6 points per game, 2.9 rebounds, and 2 assists per game in his rookie season. Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics has been having the breakout year that the league expected when he was picked third overall from the University of California, Berkley in the 2016 NBA draft. The small forward out of Wheeler in Marietta has put up a career high 26.3 points per game, five rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.7 steals while leading his team to the top of the Eastern Conference with a 7-3 record.

Collin Sexton, nicknamed ‘Young Bull’ had high praises coming out of Pebblebrook in Marietta as basketball heads watched in awe at his basketball highlights. In 2018, the Cleveland Cavaliers selected Sexton eighth overall out of Alabama, officially beginning the post-LeBron James era as the 4-time champion left to the Los Angeles Lakers that same offseason. In his third season, Young Bull is posting a career high in points and assists with 25.1 points per game and 3.5 assists per game while playing both guard positions. Malcolm Brogdon, Greater Atlanta Christian alumni in Norcross headed to the University of Virginia after graduating in 2011. The combo guard stayed all four years at Virginia and still was drafted and came into the league in 2016 and won Rookie of the Year while on the Bucks as a first year guy at 23-years old. Brogdon is now on the Indiana Pacers averaging career highs 23.5 points per game and 7.4 assists per game while his team is fourth in the conference. And lastly, the Fairburn native Wendell Carter attended Pace Academy in Atlanta before committing to Duke University. Carter was drafted one pick ahead of Collin Sexton at No. 7 by the Chicago Bulls. The center is still in the Windy City averaging career high 12.8 points per game and 7.8 rebounds. Georgia has gained some big names in the league as of late, with the majority of them being early picks to transcend the franchise that drafted them. Georgians, keep your eyes on these hoopers.

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On Pace to be Great Written by: Gerald Thomas, III Photography by: Brandon Pham

The love of sports come at an age of remembrance for most people. But Pace Academy senior forward Matthew Cleveland became enthused with the athleticism of sports figures from nearly toddler age. Before transferring to Pace, Matthew went to Cambridge High School during his freshman and sophomore seasons. But since becoming a joining Knights basketball, he has been a star averaging 22.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 2.9 steals per game with a 3A state title in 2020 while racking up a plethora of athletic scholarship offers. His father, Ralph Cleveland notes when he noticed the interest in sports for Matthew. “Matthew has always gravitated towards sports in general,” Ralph said. “You would think a two- or three-year-old would barely watch tv but he would be enthralled with sports. We had a mini goal in the house that he would play on. It’s never not been a thing with him.” Though a quiet and reserved kid, Matthew is a fierce competitor his dad says. He said that though you may have to pull Matthew to communicate, the talent and smarts were evident from a young age. “Matthew has hit his stride from an academic standpoint at Pace Academy and is an extremely bright kid,” Ralph said. “He was identified as talented and gifted early on. He is very much an introvert. You are going to have to get to know him because he is not going to be overly expressive. But I know there is a fire that burns in his competitive nature. I remember when I used to play him in video games when he was a little kid, he would still want to win. It would drive him nuts not to win. He is also kindhearted. Outside of sports, he is very protective of others. Once you get to know him, he is very loyal and wants to be there for the people he cares about. He has a great sense of humor, too. You just have to get him talking.”

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During his preteen years, Matthew had a decision to make of if he wanted run with basketball or baseball for the future. Ultimately, he left the diamond to focus solely on basketball. “I didn’t really have fun playing baseball in my last season when I was 11,” Matthew said. “I used to have a bunch of arguments with teammates. I went and tried out for the same team the next year even though I did not really want to play for them, and I got cut. So, my parents asked if I wanted to tryout for another team and I said that I would just play basketball. I also saw people playing basketball year-round and wanted to experience that.” Ralph feels that he has done everything in his power to help Matthew elevate on the hardwood. All he needed Matthew to do was stay true to his commitment of the sport. “It’s been a journey,” Ralph said. “Once Matthew made commitment to basketball when he was 12 or 13, I told him that I would commit to doing everything I could to help him. But he had to stay committed to the sport. And we have been true to that. Every step along the way, I had progressive goals in mind, and he has exceeded those. I see a lot of kids that do not want to put in time in the weight room. But I think that did a lot for him knowing that he has the strength to handle the physicality. He was progressive his skills to quickly that I had to see things bigger. He had flashes between ninth and tenth grade where he would be in that zone in a game. As he continued to progress, I had to learn about how to support him and the next step. I knew nothing about AAU basketball or the recruiting process. I saw the growth, but he was not on anybody’s radar screen. He had a growth, and his confidence grew. I saw it coming but no one else did. But everyone started to take note in his sophomore year and that’s where things took off externally. He won the state championship in his junior year and was able to go to the USA Basketball summer camp, and the NBA Player Association’s Top 100 camp.” Like a prospect of any sport, Matthew has NBA players that he looks up to along with taking pieces of their game to boost his skillset. “My favorite player right now is Giannis (Antetokounmpo), but I take moves out of Bradley Beal’s game. He’s patient with the ball and controls the offense is the game.” Basketball took much sacrifice with Matthew having to put off plans with hanging out with friends along with pushing himself to train even during the times he was not in the mood. “Sometimes you can’t hang with friends and do what you want to do because you have to get better,” Matthew said. “Even when you are in the gym and do not feel like trying or in the right headspace to give it all, you still have to sacrifice your energy because those are the times that you really get better. I’ve gotten better with the mental part from my freshman year to now.” While trying to make his college commitment decision, Ralph tried to give Matthew some things to

consider and get him enough publicity when choosing but also wanted to fall back and support whatever decision he made. “Matthew has been very thoughtful throughout the process,” Ralph said. “He could be quiet about it until you get him to start talking and sharing his own thoughts about what is important to him. I tried to share with him some things he might want to consider. I wanted to get him around to enough schools so he could do enough comparative analysis to decide. He knew he had to find the best fit for basketball, but I wanted to him to also go to who would help him the most academically. We spent quite a bit of time helping him to sort through that and talked to his school counselor to clarify what he wanted.” On November 11, 2020, Matthew would sign his letter of intent for Florida State University Seminoles basketball. He credited the family feel of the program during his visit that lured him to the university in Tallahassee, Florida. “We went on a visit during March of my sophomore year and was there for two days,” the Seminole commit said. “I’ve gone to visits before but none of them were two days and no other coach had interest in eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner with my family. Every single player would come introduce themselves after practice. That was the first time that a visit felt like I could have fun, be myself, and feel welcome. Seeing players being drafted from there and how wings like me were developed by Coach Ham (Leonard Hamilton) and Coach (Stan) Jones was a deciding factor.” Matthew wants to leave a memorable legacy behind at Pace and Florida State in his journey to eventually make it to the NBA. “I want to be remembered as the best player to play at Pace and being on the best team. That would be a big accomplishment because Wendell Carter from the Chicago Bulls played here,” he said. “At Florida State, I want to be known for winning. I want to win a national championship and ACC championship. I feel like if you win, it will make declaring easier to because most teams want a winner. So, if you put yourself in a position that you are a factor on a winner team, it would make your decision to declare easier.” ITG Next | 65

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Turner Teammates Best of Friends On and Off the Court Written by: Phil Jones Photography by: Brandon Pham

“Where you see one you see the other.” That’s how Turner County Girls Head Basketball Coach Yachika Wilson sums up Turner basketball teammates and best friends Yakia Temple and Jaylasia Office. The two seniors are team leaders on the court for Wilson, and are best friends off the court. “They’re thick as thieves,” jokes Wilson. But, their performance on the court is no joking matter. The two teammates are a big reason for Turner County’s success on the hardwood. This is Coach Wilson’s first season as the head coach of The Lady Rebels (she also serves as the middle school head softball coach at Turner), but she has known about the talents of both Yakia and Jaylasia since they played as freshmen. “I was the Head Basketball Coach at Irwin County for three years, so I’ve had to coach against them ever since they were freshman,” says Wilson. “Believe me, I knew all about Yakia and Jaylasia before I got here at Turner. I’m just glad I now get to have them on my side,” says the coach.

While Coach Wilson knew just how talented the girls were on the court with their pure athletic abilities before arriving at Turner County, it was during one of her first team meetings with her new squad that she discovered just how much of an influence they were with their teammates. “I wanted to select team captains for this season, so I asked the team if they wanted to talk about who they all felt the captains should be, and it didn’t take long at all. The team immediately selected Yakia as team captain and Jaylasia as her co-captain,” said Coach Wilson. So far in the early part of the current season, the Lady Rebels are 9-2 overall and 5-2 in region play, and are ranked in the top 10 of most high school state polls. A big part of the great start to the season has certainly depended in large part to the play of the two friends. Yakia is leading the team with an average of 21.7 points per game, and is shooting 45% from the field. She’s also averaging 5.9 rebounds per game, with 2.8 assists per. Remember that ITG Next | 67

comment about “thick as thieves” from coach Wilson? Yakia has certainly been a thief against opponents on the court, as she is second on the team with an average of 4.7 steals per game this season. Her teammate Jaylasia is right behind her teammate in scoring, with an average of 20.8 points per game. She shoots 48% from the field and is the Lady Rebels’ second leader with a 6.8 rebounds per game average. She is also the team leader in assists with 3.8 assists per game. Last season, the teammates led Turner County to a 20-10 overall record and a trip to the GHSA Final Four in the Class A Playoffs. They would fall in the semifinals to the eventual state champion Wheeler High Lady Wildcats. The stats are great for each player, but the numbers only tell part 68 | itgnext.com

of the story about what makes both Yakia and Jaylasia special players. “Yakia is the general on the court,” says Coach Wilson. “She is the point guard this season, and she kinda runs the show. She is very vocal, and is one of the most passionate players about the game that I’ve ever coached.” And her teammate? “Jaylasia’s biggest strength is her ability to read the court completely,” says Wilson. “She can see everything in advance and able to see it all develop before it actually does. She is gifted with that ability.” Not surprisingly, Wilson says both Yakia and Jaylasia are always trying to set their teammates up for success. “They’re not just about doing it all themselves. They’re both very good about involving every one of their teammates,” said the coach. Jaylasia and Yakia both agree that they have known each other

for a long time. “We met in the 4th grade,” says Jaylasia. Her friend agrees. “Yep, we met in elementary school,” says Yakia. While the girls are best of friends and play on the same team now, they were on opposite sides at one time. “It was in middle school. We played against each other before becoming teammates,” says Yakia. Jaylasia also plays softball for the Lady

Rebels, and according to coach Will Williford, is an ‘exceptional player.’ Jaylasia is the daughter of Elisha and Shedric Office. He is the head coach of the Turner boys’ basketball team. Yakia’s mom is Toquetta Temple and her father is Decoeian Thomas. As far as their future plans, both Yakia and Jaylasia would like to not only play college basketball, but they would like to hopefully land at the

same place and continue to be teammates once their high school playing days are over. Yakia summed up the girls close relationship both on and away from the court with a very fitting description: “We’re two different players individually, but together we are a dynamic duo.” Dynamic indeed.

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A Kicking Dynasty Written by: Phil Jones | Photography submitted by: Danny Klinect

When you hear the name of a certain high school, it can invoke the memory of one or more of their athletic teams, especially ones that have enjoyed success in those sports, perhaps. At Parkview High School, this could be said in any one of the sports they play. The Lilburn high school has captured a total of 58 state championships among their sports programs. This includes current back-to-back state championships in baseball, with eight total state titles for the ‘Diamond Panthers.’ They have also claimed titles in virtually every sport including boys and girls track, wrestling, cheerleading, football, and tennis. Then there are the Dive and Swim teams with 12 total boys and girls combined championships, and nine boy’s and girl’s cross country state titles. Then, there is the Parkview soccer program. Their dominance of the sport is unheralded, with a total of 16 state championships. That is split between nine for the girls, and seven for the boys. There have been many reasons for the success of these programs. The current coaches, Danny Klinect, who is the head boys’ soccer coach, and Judson Hamby, who coaches the girls, have been a big part of the program’s success.

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Hamby has been the girl’s coach for 13 years, while Klinect is in his 6th season as head man of the boys’ soccer team. But each coach talks about the men they believe are responsible more than anyone for Parkview’s success in soccer. “Karl Bostick and Mark Albertus built the soccer program here at Parkview,” said Panthers Girls soccer coach Judson Hamby. Klinect agrees with his soccer counterpart. “Coach Bostick and Mark Albertus really made soccer a top sport here at Parkview,” said Klinect. “Those two gentlemen set us up to be successful and carry on the standards here at Parkview.” As Athletic Director for 25 years, Bostick oversaw a total of 44 state championships at Parkview, including ten that he coached himself in soccer and cross country. Albertus led the Parkview girls’ soccer to two state championships, in 2003 and 2005. When Bostick decided to step down as the school’s AD and girls’ soccer coach, Parkview reached out to Hamby, and he was hired as an assistant for the boy’s team in 2004. The next year, Hamby got his first taste of a state championship. “Coach Bostick had left us with 15 talented seniors, and we won

the state championship in 2005,” said Hamby. Then, two seasons later, lady luck would once again shine down on Hamby. He would take over for retiring coach Mark Albertus, and again, blessed with a great class of players, Hamby would be a part of a state championship soccer team, this time as the head coach. And this time, it was with the girls’ soccer team, which would also claim the title in 2008 and 2009. The 2008 team was recognized as the national champion. “We went undefeated that year,” said Hamby. Under his guidance, the Parkview girls’ soccer program has won five state championships. In addition to the 2007, 2008, and 2009 titles, his teams have also won the state championship in 2013 and 2018. The 2018 team was also recognized as national champs. In addition to the state and national titles, Hamby has led the girls Parkview soccer team to a 251-47-4 record in 13 seasons. Klinect is in his 6th year as the boy’s head coach at Parkview. He has racked up a total of 48-30-1 during his time here, after serving head coaching stints at Brookwood (10 years), Grayson (4 years), and Duluth (5 years). Klinect played soccer and received a degree in Political Science at Georgia State. After college, he played professional and semi-pro soccer before he became a high school soccer coach. After 19 years, Klinect arrived at Parkview armed with a ton of coaching experience and inheriting a load of talent in 2016. He would lead the Parkview boys’ team to a state title that first year. With COVID-19 bringing a premature ending to the Parkview soccer seasons last year, each coach is looking forward to hopefully having full seasons for the upcoming seasons. On the girl’s side, Hamby says he will look to senior Goalie Timmie Peters and senior midfielder Molly Hickman for leadership on the pitch this season, while Klinect says Senior Midfielder Eduardo Simon will be counted on along with Josh Taylor to lead the Panthers this season. Parkview has quite the alumni that have gone on to be some of the most recognizable names in soccer in the USA and internationally. Josh Wolff went on to play at South Carolina, then professionally with several clubs. He now coaches FC Austin in the MLS. Jason Moore played for the University of Virginia, and the Parkview girls soccer program has produced names like Kim Spence, Ashley Baker, and Nieva Gaither, all Georgia Gatorade Players of the Year. Both Hamby and Klinect also credit the support that the Parkview fans, its parents, and the entire Parkview school family of students, teachers, faculty, and administrators for their support for all sports. “That’s why you see our sports teams perform so well,” says Klinect. “Some of our games have 1,0002,000 fans in the stands. It’s unbelievable”. Unbelievable may be the right word to describe Parkview soccer.

How the Other Friday Night Stars Adjusted Written by: Dhruv Mohan

The uncertainty surrounding high school football in 2020 peaked in July and August, ultimately resulting in a two-week delay to all season openers. As the year progressed, COVID-19 protocols such as sanitizing locker and weight rooms and consistently wearing masks on the sideline helped nudge Georgia’s beloved sport in the right direction. Now, just under a month after eight teams hoisted their respective state championship trophies, it almost seems unbelievable that 16 weeks went by without a large hitch. However, these weeks do not exclusively belong to football. Recently, I interviewed a couple of the lesser-known Friday night stars, band members and cheerleaders on the coronavirus’s impact on their seasons: Q: “As the leader of the band, what were some challenges you faced this year that didn’t exist in years past?” Josh Murzello, North Gwinnett Marching Band Drum Major: “As the drum major, one of our biggest struggles was ensuring everyone was wearing a mask and was socially distanced. First of all, it is nearly impossible to play an instrument with a mask on, let alone to have more than a hundred members socially distance among ourselves in cramped stands. Our band directors, section leaders, and most of all band parents did an absolutely incredible job to create instrument coverings, ensure social distancing, and providing sanitizing stations at all times to make sure we still got to enjoy those Friday nights supporting a phenomenal football program. Go Dawgs!” Q: “In cheer, there tends to be a lot of close contact. During practices, what measures did your squad take to stay safe?” Keaton Turcotte, Cherokee Cheerleading Captain: “Before practices started, temperatures were taken, and each girl was required to answer a set of questions. While masks were not mandatory, many of our girls decided to wear them. When practicing cheers, we are already spread fingertips apart to prevent collision. These ‘windows’ really helped with social distancing. Painting banners got a little tricky but we did rotations to make sure everyone wasn’t on top of each other.” Q: “This year, Lowndes’s band had over 400 members and naturally that led to a quarantine as many students got the virus. What was changed after this quarantine period to ensure that it would be safe going forward?” Ty Kenney, Lowndes Baritone Section Member: “So for one, once the band got quarantined, everyone was freaking out and were worried because being quarantined isn’t a fun time. And I do not think it was fun for the director as well. As soon as we came back, we were 100 times safer. Social distancing was implemented more, and masks were suggested heavier than before. Mr. Bowman, the director, was as careful as he could possibly be.” This season was one unlike any other, both for football players and their Friday night counterparts. The word “miraculous” does not even come remotely close to describing the rollercoaster that schools and programs went through. In the end, through all the quarantines and cancellations, all that remains is being thankful for what we have been given.

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Lowndes Middle Three Sport Star Written by: Phil Jones | Photography by: Micki K Photography

Coleman Lewis comes from an athletic family, so it’s easy to see where the talented eighth grader got his athletic ability. Coleman attends Lowndes Middle School, and is a three-sport athlete. His parents both played sports at Lowndes. His Mom, Aliana, was a cheerleader and played softball for the Vikettes, while his Dad, David, played baseball at Lowndes before going on to play at Valdosta State University. However, David Coleman admits that his son is a lot better than he ever was. “Coleman is very gifted in all three sports, but he’s really good in baseball. He’s way better than I ever was,” he says. David Coleman was a part of The Vikings 2000 State Championship Team. In addition to playing baseball for Lowndes Middle School, Coleman also plays travel baseball for local travel organization South Georgia Sports Academy and Team Elite’s national travel ball team. His list of achievements are long: Perfect Game All-Tournament Team in the 2017 Super 25 10 and under North Florida Super Qualifier Tournament, the 2019 Perfect Game 12-U Central Florida Super Qualifier All-Tournament Team as well as the Perfect Game Super 25 Champion of the same tournament, and the MVP of the 2019 Perfect Game 12-U Major Invitational Tournament. And the list of achievements continues. You can see that Coleman is quite the talented baseball player, but baseball isn’t the only sport that he participates in. 72 | itgnext.com

He also plays football and basketball for the middle school teams. So, how is he with his other sports? Lowndes Middle School Athletic Director Chris Tindle, who also is Coleman’s football coach, says that the eighth grader will do well whichever sport he chooses to do as he moves to high school. “Coleman leads by example, and is a game changer-type player. This past season he was our quarterback, inside linebacker, and kicker. He could probably pay any position, to be honest. He’s also a smart kid, a competitor, and he works hard at his grades in the classroom, and in the weight room,” says Tindle. Coleman also helped lead his team to the Middle School Big 5 Championship. His father says that if Coleman was to stick with football, “he’ll probably play either linebacker or quarterback.” So, what does Coleman say about which sports he likes the best, and which does he want to pursue? “All three have given me opportunities to compete. I have played baseball at a higher level than the other sports, but my intentions are to give all three sports a chance to grow once I get to high school,” he said. In basketball, Coleman plays small forward, but as his dad points out, Coleman has quite an advantage that is very important to the sport of basketball. “He is already six foot tall,” says David. Coleman’s older brother, Grayson is a senior at Lowndes, and wrestles and plays football.

His younger sister, Molly, is involved with gymnastics, and younger brother Deacon is only six. So, which sport does Dad think his son will wind up playing? “The older he gets, I think it’s going to be tough to keep playing all three, but he’s so gifted. Everything comes so easy for him, but I think baseball will probably be his sport.” I bet the football and basketball coaches will try to change his mind.

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Change is Good Written by: Phil Jones Photography by: Brandon Pham

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Ryan Herring was at home and had it made. He was the head coach of the Oxford Yellow Jackets, and was having great success. It’s where he played his high school football and won a state championship in 1993 with his father, who was the head coach of that state championship team. And now here he was, the head coach at the program that loved him, and his family. He coached winning teams during his tenure at Oxford, finishing 50-21. But at the end of the 2018 season, after leading Oxford to a 10-3 season, Herring stunned everyone when he announced that he would be leaving to take the head coaching job at Pierce County, Georgia. Where? “That seemed to be what everyone was asking me,” said Ryan Herring with a hearty laugh. “You will forgive most of the faithful in Oxford for asking that question, and you can probably forgive most of the folks in Georgia for asking exactly where Pierce County was located.” After all, Blackshear, Georgia wasn’t exactly the destination for winning high school football coaches. “I can remember everyone from coaches, to football people that I knew telling me that you don’t leave a place like Oxford, Alabama to come to Pierce County, Georgia,” Herring recalls. “They thought I was crazy.” But, Herring knew a little bit about Pierce County. He had coached there before in 2002-2003 as the team’s defensive coordinator. “I loved it when I was there before,” said the Bears head coach. “We had great kids then, and still do. I loved the way the kids there are raised and how they love to play the game of football. Their whole approach just reflects the community around them. It’s just a blue collar, hard working group of people in Pierce County.” Still, people were telling Herring that he was making a mistake. “I really prayed about it,” Herring admits. But, Herring and his family followed their calling, and in just his second season as head coach at Pierce County, Ryan Herring led the Bears to the state championship in Class AAA. This comes one year after Herring’s debut season in which the Bears finished 11-1, with that lone defeat coming to Hart County in 2OT. Herring knew that, despite that loss, he had a pretty special group.

"We had great kids then, and still do. I loved the way the kids there are raised and how they love to play the game of football. Their whole approach just reflects the community around them. It’s just a blue collar, hard working group of people in Pierce County.” — Ryan Herring “Yeah, I knew after that loss we had a special group coming back. They were just a real special group. Then, in the weight room over the winter and off season, you could see this group coming together,” said Herring. Despite the great first season, Herring said he knew they had the team to have gone farther. “This was the worst offseason I’ve had in 24 years. I wanted so much for those kids to feel better, so I knew I had to do something.” So, he did. “I changed the offense from the Wing-T that we had ran here at Pierce County for a few years to a more north-south offense. I also took over the offense,” said Herring. “We had the personnel to be a more explosive offense, and to push the ball down the field. We had a true zone back, we had the quarterback, and we had the offensive line. So, I knew I needed to make a change in my offense.” Herring points to the Appling County game as the turning point. “That game was a battle of two really good teams, and we were down 14-0 in that game. We battled through a lot of adversity in that game, but our kids just fought, fought, and fought. That win was so important because it really clinched the #1 seed, which

meant everything. It meant we didn’t have to travel to Atlanta, and those long bus rides. So that game was important from a lot of different ways.” But, as important as that game was, Herring says that the start of the season really went a long way to establishing the Bears confidence. “We started off by beating a 6A and 5A team (Brunswick and Wayne County), and that had never happened here before. It gave us the confidence for the rest of the way.” In the state championship game, Herring said he knew exactly the type of game his team was going to be facing. “They had all of our game film, and we had theirs,” Herring says about Oconee County. “I told our coaches that this was going to probably be a 7-7 type game, and that it would come down to just simple football-blocking and tackling, and that’s exactly what we got,” says Herring. What does Herring have to say to those people that were telling him he was crazy for taking the Pierce County job? “Look at us now.”

Football Class of 2014: Where Are They Now? Written by: Dhruv Mohan

It seems like just yesterday that Norcross hoisted their second consecutive state championship trophy. The 2013-2014 high school football season in Georgia provided both exciting play and players who lit up the gridiron every Friday night. But how have they fared since then? Let’s revisit the ten highest-rated recruits from the Class of 2014: 10. Cortez McDowell (Locust Grove, S) – A Tennessee commit, McDowell promised excellent talent but never lived up to expectations. In four years, he only managed to intercept one pass and total 60 tackles. 9. Kalvaraz Bessent (Camden County, CB) – Bessent redshirted his first season at Auburn, primarily due to serving a probationary period following an arrest. He left the Tigers in 2015 and eventually played for a short time at Eastern Arizona College. 8. Dante Sawyer (North Gwinnett, DE) – After a prolific high school career, Sawyer struggled at South Carolina. Despite forcing 5 fumbles in his junior season, he barely amounted 70 tackles and 6 sacks in three seasons with the Gamecocks. He went undrafted and only played in the NFL preseason with the then Washington Redskins. 7. Bryson Allen-Williams (Cedar Grove, LB) – Following Sawyer, Bryson attended South Carolina for 5 years. After 176 tackles and 6.5 sacks in his college career, he went undrafted and signed with the then-Oakland Raiders before being cut. Allen-Williams now is a grad assistant on Georgia State Panthers’ football coaching staff. 6. Deshaun Watson (Gainesville, QB) – By far the most successful of these ten players, Watson won Clemson a national championship over Alabama in 2016. The Texans drafted him with the 12th overall pick and he continues to impress, leading the NFL in passing yards for 2020. 5. Malkom Parrish (Brooks County, CB) – Parrish stayed close to home at UGA but only intercepted 5 passes in his four years. In 2019, he was arrested on gun-related charges, effectively ending his football career. 4. Nick Ruffin (St. Pius X Catholic, CB) – Like Bessent, Ruffin played defensively at Auburn. Disappointingly, he intercepted one pass in four years and made 95 total tackles. 3. Raekwon McMillan (Liberty County, LB) – McMillan had an impactful career at Ohio State, racking up 275 tackles in just 3 seasons. He was drafted in the 2nd round by the Miami Dolphins and played relatively well for 2 years before being traded to the Las Vegas Raiders in 2020. 2. Lorenzo Carter (Norcross, DE) – Carter was a force for Georgia, forcing 7 fumbles and sacking opposing QBs 14 times in his Bulldogs career. The New York Giants selected him in the 3rd round of the 2018 NFL Draft and he has remained with the team since. 1. Nick Chubb (Cedartown, RB) – Chubb and De’Andre Swift formed a great duo at UGA. Chubb surpassed the 1,000-yard mark in 3 of his 4 seasons and averaged 6.3 yards per carry. The Browns stole him in the 2nd round of the 2018 draft, and he has been excellent for them, racking up at least 996 yards in each of his first three years in the NFL.

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Leaving behind a legacy Written by: Phil Jones | Photography submitted by: Angela Tomberlin

“Just when I thought I was out, they pulled me back in.” For movie buffs, they’ll recognize that memorable line from the third installment of ‘The Godfather.’ But in the real world of high school football, it can also be a phrase used by Rick Tomberlin. The veteran football coach began coaching in 2000, and has retired twice – make it a third time. Tomberlin recently announced that he was stepping away from the game following a three-year coaching stint at his Alma Mater, Appling County. So, you can now perhaps understand the line from the mob movie that would at least fit how Tomberlin must feel. “I had stepped away, thinking that it was done,” says Tomberlin. “But I am so happy that I came back and finished up here in Baxley.” You can bet that Pirates fans are grateful as well, having snagged one of the winningest coaches in the history of high school football in Georgia. Tomberlin coached nine different football programs over a 34year career, winning 270 games. That included stops at Valdosta and Lown78 | itgnext.com

des (Tomberlin remains the only coach to have ever served as the head coach of both schools), and Washington County, where his storied career began. But, it’s at his alma mater of Appling County that Tomberlin wants to talk about today. “We finished 25-10 during my three years here. I think we did a pretty good job,” he says. There is one thing that just bugs him, and he can’t seem to shake. “We were region runner-up every year, and just couldn’t get over that hump,” recalls Tomberlin. That includes a 4-1 region record in Tomberlin’s first two seasons at Appling, coming up right behind region champion Pierce County. Then, this past season, with a 9-2 overall record and a 2-1 region mark, Appling County once again found themselves in a familiar spot: as the #2 seed coming out of Region 1-AAA. “I thought we had ‘em this past year. We were up 14-0 in that game,” said Tomberlin. “But, it ended up 28-21 with us coming up a little short.” Tomberlin mentions COVID, and the problems it caused, but admits that everyone had to deal with it. So, no matter what

obstacles the pandemic placed in front of his football team, he admits. “Hey, we all had to work around that stuff. We were not able to get in the weight room in March, April and May, so I had to improvise,” remembers Tomberlin. “Anyone that knows the coach and his style will know that weightlifting and conditioning are a big part of his overall success. I got on Facebook and created our ‘Bigger, Faster, Stronger’ workout plan, and sent it to each player,” said Tomberlin. “We tried to monitor each players progress, but it’s a challenge if you don’t have them in a more controlled environment.” He says that it was mid-July before he was able to get the team back to doing team-related workouts, and he really pushed his team with as much room to work with under the GHSA mandates. “We really got after it, because we had so much catching up to do,” he said. With the season about ready to begin in just a few days, Tomberlin remembers the call from Vidalia High School. “They were calling to opt out due to COVID-related stuff. So, we scrambled to find a replacement opponent, and found a willing

partner in Clinch County. Then, soon after we had ironed out all the details and was ready to play Clinch to open the season, we had several positive tests for the virus. So, we wound up playing South Effingham, and won 42-7. Beating a 6A team did a lot for our confidence,” says Tomberlin. The Pirates would go on to finish 9-2, advancing to the third round of the state playoffs, where they lost to Greater Atlanta Christian. Tomberlin pointed to the play of Defensive Player of the Year Tyrell Gibson as a big reason for the Pirates success. “He also runs track

and plays basketball for the school, and he’s a great leader for us.” Will there be another return from retirement for Tomberlin? “Nope, this is it. I’ve got grandbabies to enjoy. Its time to transition from football coach to ‘PawPaw’”, said Tomberlin. Is there anything Tomberlin wants to say to the players and fans at Appling? “Power Up….just Power Up.” We hear you, coach.

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Hammer Time Written by: Phil Jones | Photography by: Brandon Pham

There are some guys and gals that are just born to play a certain sport. For Reed Walker, that so true with him and wrestling. Reed was born and raised in Cumming, Georgia and is a ninth grader at West Forsyth High School in Cumming, and wrestles for the Wolverines. He became interested in wrestling at an early age when he started watching his older cousin’s wrestle. Todd Carter, a three-time state champion at Pierce County who now wrestles for Gardner-Webb and Luke Littlefield, who was a Georgia High School State Runner-up are his cousins. “Reed enjoys watching Todd wrestle on television every Sunday,” says his father, Ben Walker. “All three of them love to get together during the holidays and share wrestling moves on their

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great-grandmother’s living room floor.” Reed began wrestling at the age of six with West Forsyth’s youth wrestling program. He loved it so much that he began wrestling with Morris Fitness and their private club team under head coach Charlie Morris, a former Division III All-American wrestler. It was under Morris that Reed began to master the art of wrestling and the pin. “We don’t call him Reed; we call him ‘The Hammer,’” said Morris. “I named him that when I first saw him wrestle. The Hammer is the Mouse Trap king and the Bull Dog Master. Reed is an amazing human being,” said Morris. Throughout elementary and into middle school, Reed traveled with Morris Fitness to several national

duals, including The Dixie Nationals in Atlanta, Virginia Beach, Deep South in Birmingham, the AAU Kingsport Elementary Duals in Kingsport, TN, and The Smoky Mountain Duals in Tennessee. According to Reed’s father, participating in the dual matches was something that Reed really enjoyed. “Traveling and competing in these duals has given Reed the opportunity to wrestle against some of the best competition all over the country. They are tough, but it’s given Reed a valuable lesson in winning and losing,” he said. Reed has wrestled at the lower weight classes but has gained a little bit of weight over the past few years. “As Reed finished up middle school wrestling, he was 85 pounds,” says Ben. “He was concerned

about weighing enough to make the high school team. He wrestled the 97-pound weight class at the 2020 Southeast Summer Championship Nuway Nationals last July, bringing home the gold medal,” he said. Reed focused on gaining weight, and that along with a bit of a growth spurt has him at the 106-pound weight class. Reed is building on his earlier success as a club and school wrestler. He was a state champion as a seventh grader, which to this day remains his favorite memory in his young career. He finished in second place as an eighth grader. So far as a freshman wrestler at West Forsyth, he is undefeated with a 23-0 record. His high school coach says it is easy to see why Reed is such a good grappler.

“He has the right technique, and he has the right demeanor,” says Wolverines head coach Evan Goff. “He never panics and seldom does he get out of position. Reed is very crafty, and as his opponents have found out, it’s really hard to make it through a six-minute match with Reed,” says Goff. Reed says his goals moving forward are simple. “I want follow in my cousin’s footsteps and win another state title,” he says. When wrestling is over this year, Reed will embark on another love of his: Fishing. Reed will join Goff on the West Forsyth Bass Fishing Team in GHSA’s first year of sanctioning competitive Bass Fishing as a varsity event.

GRAYSON RAMS VS THOMPSON WARRIORS: WHO WINS? Written by: Reagan Cofield

Two high-powered offenses led by talented upperclassmen at the quarterback position. Two multiple-time state champion teams in large classifications. Two perfect, unblemished records at the end of the 2020 season. One dominates the state of Georgia. The other dominates the state of Alabama. What would happen if the Grayson Rams and the Thompson Warriors squared off in an epic battle of high school football royalty? First, let’s examine this year’s Grayson team. By now, everyone is familiar with high-profile transfer quarterback Jake Garcia. Garcia originally transferred to Valdosta by way of California, until it was ruled that he could no longer play for the Wildcats due to eligibility requirements. After somewhat limited action to begin the season, he became a force in the Rams’ passing game. Amassing over 1,000 yards and 25 touchdowns, Garcia could be counted on when the Rams needed a spark. He had plenty of help from athlete Jayvian Allen, who contributed on both sides of the ball with game-winning touchdowns and game-saving tackles. The Rams’ defense was stellar as well. Grayson gave up more than two touchdowns just once this season on Sept. 11 against McEachern and pitched four shutouts. Those statistics are impressive on any level, but particularly in the high school game. Now, let’s dive into the 2020 Thompson team. Thompson has a similar style of offense compared to Grayson. Led by junior quarterback Conner Harrell, the Warriors were prolific each time they had the ball this season. Although Harrell was injured in the second quarter of the state championship game, he was still a major part of the Warriors’ run to a title with an absurd 40:3 touchdowns to interceptions ratio and over 3,000 yards passing. The Warriors’ defense is just as, if not more, impressive than the offense. With powerful weak-side defensive end Jeremiah Alexander on their side, Thompson allowed just under 20 points per game. Alexander had 29 tackles for loss in 14 games played this season. If these two teams were to compete in a game in the 2020 season, I believe the kings of Alabama would come out on top. The combination of a Harrell-led offense and deadly, stingy defense gives the Warriors the slight edge over the Rams. The score would be a close one, think somewhere along the lines of 35-28 or 28-24. The heavyweights would trade blows back and forth until the Warriors finally landed a knockout punch in the fourth quarter. I think any fan of high school football would thoroughly enjoy the matchup and be interested to see a game of this magnitude actually happen. Despite not even making it past the 1st round of the playoffs, Habersham Central’s Austin Wood leads Georgia in interceptions. Two 3-interception games against Lanier and Central Gwinnett helped Wood overtake previous leaders late in the season. Austin’s game against Lanier was by far his best performance of the 2020 season, as he defended 2 passes and caused a fumble to add onto the 3 clutch interceptions. Wood was named Co-Defensive Player of the Month by BLITZ Sports for November. He doesn’t have any stars to his profile but has been a key player for the Habersham Central Raiders all season long.

If we were to create the best starting five from the class of 2021 and the class of 2022, who would win if these two teams played? The 2021 team has almost everything you want; size, athleticism, shooting, and play making. The 2022 team has size, the ability to score, and arguably the best overall player in Emoni Bates. Where should this game be played? A high school gym? College campus? An NBA arena? Would one of these starting lineups be the greatest starting lineup of all time? One thing though is for certain, this game if it ever happened would be must see at any time, any place.

With the national average being just 0.28 blocks per game, these five talented players are not only leading the way for their team in blocks per game – they are also leading the nation. Every time these players step onto the court, expect some big-time blocks.

College Football Rushing Leaders’ High School Origins Written by: Dhruv Mohan

This season, nine college football running backs have already eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark with conference championships and bowl games still remaining. Let’s take a look back and explore the high schools that produced the explosive talents that are the college football rushing leaders. 9. Kyren Williams (Notre Dame) – Williams has tallied 1,011 rushing yards for the Fighting Irish this year. He attended St. John Vianney High School in Kirkwood, Missouri, where he rushed for 2,035 yards and 40 touchdowns his senior year. 8. Jaret Patterson (Buffalo) – Patterson’s 1,025-yard season for the Bulls was aided greatly by his infamous 409-yard and eight-touchdown performance against Kent State. At St. Vincent Pallotti High School (Maryland) his senior season, he earned an All-State Honorable Mention by grinding 2,045 yards and 23 touchdowns on the ground. 7. Najee Harris (Alabama) – The Crimson Tide are known for developing running backs and have done well with Harris, as he totals 1,084 yards. Harris was a five-star prospect out of Antioch High School (California), where the 2017 U.S. Army All-American Bowl selection accumulated 7,973 total yards and 99 total touchdowns in his career. 6. Kevin Harris (South Carolina) – Harris, a native of Hinesville, Georgia, has the longest run of anyone on this list, which was an 88-yard scamper against Vanderbilt. He has 1,138 yards rushing this season. Harris attended the Bradwell Institute and rushed for 3,236 yards and 38 TDs in his junior and senior years.

This year’s Heisman Trophy winner has been announced, and Alabama WR Devonta Smith took home the award. Let’s take a look at the beginnings of the four finalists. Smith was a consensus top-100 player and top-10 WR out of Amite in Louisiana. Alabama QB Mac Jones was not the highest recruited, but was one of the top-30 QBs nationwide out of The Bolles School in Jacksonville, Florida. Trevor Lawrence was the consensus No. 1 overall player in the country in 2018 out of Cartersville, Georgia, while the opposite can be said of Kyle Trask, who wasn’t even ranked nationally out of Manvel, Texas, in 2016.

5. Javonte Williams (North Carolina) – Shockingly, Williams is the first of two UNC backs on this list. He slightly edges out Kevin Harris with 1,140 rushing yards this season. Javonte started for Wallace-Rose Hill High School (North Carolina) as a three-star recruit and racked up 27 touchdowns on the ground to accompany 2,287 yards and a state championship victory. 4. Khalil Herbert (Virginia Tech) – The transfer from Kansas has 1,182 yards rushing but only eight rushing scores this season. He served as the leading rusher in a three-back committee for American Heritage High School in Plantation, Florida, collecting 861 yards on 7.3 yards per carry. 3. Michael Carter (North Carolina) – Carter is the second half of the Tarheels’ dynamic rushing attack, running for 1,245 yards. Carter had a monstrous senior campaign at Navarre High School (Florida), as he bulldozed for 2,536 yards and 41 TDs solely on the ground. 2. Sincere McCormick (UTSA) – The sophomore Roadrunner has scampered for 1,345 yards this season, good for second in all of college football. The threestar prospect from Judson (Texas) rushed for 1,489 yards his senior year, contributing to an explosive Rocket offense. 1. Breece Hall (Iowa State) – College football’s leading rusher has 1,357 yards and added 2,127 more yards to his career total in 2018 at Northwest (Kansas). Hall is no stranger to competition at the running back position, as he was one of three backs who rushed for over 1,000 yards for Northwest in 2018.

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The Perry High School wrestling team in Perry, Oklahoma, is known as the “greatest high school wrestling dynasty of all time,” and soon more people will know of their dominance. Chance Leonard, a former Perry wrestler, is creating a documentary titled “The Price of Legacy: Wrestling with a Dynasty.” Since the program’s inception in 1992, Perry has a national-record 43 state teams titles, 184 individual state champions, 1,018 dual wins at the end of the 2020 season, and so many more impressive statistics. Leonard described the film as a way to “tell the story of wrestling, present the sport’s value proposition and attract young boys and girls to the sport.” The documentary is set to be released sometime in early 2021.

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seasons and sports change Written by: Jon Nelson

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It is on to the next steps for high school sports with football season ending right before the end of the 2020 calendar. Soccer, baseball, and all the other winter sports are ready to roll with the caution and forethought we saw to pull off the previous seasons for all the schools and student-athletes that played football. And it is also part of the calendar where the football coaches we saw in the fall and winter take what they have known and apply it to the sports they are in to start 2021. For Drew Tankersley, he has traded in his whistle for a diamond at Irwin County. He was a part of the coaching staff that went back-to-back for the Indians football team in Class-A public. It is on to the next with the lessons of one season brought to the new one. “In football, we were in individual groups while drills were going on,” Tankersley said. “And when the drill was over, we would separate. In baseball, it is easier. If there is a glove drill, for instance, the proximity is not there. It’s only there if there are runners on base or if you’re the catcher during an at-bat.” Batting practice, as an example, has group numbers down from 4 to 2. In action, Tankersley admits, you are never close. But you still must be on full guard. “You encourage the players to stay as apart as they can off the field, too,” Tankersley says. “When we got back to school during football season, the teachers at the school worked with us to make sure our players sat together. It’s the same now with the baseball players in their own pods to try and avoid having any problems off the field.” For Mark Ledford, he moves from one school in South Georgia to another. He was a middle school coach at Tift whereby his own admission, he was teaching younger players about fundamentals in the Blue Devils system. He has moved from Tifton to Cordele and is baseball coach as the season has started with the Cougars. It is a full circle moment for Ledford as he returns, and he knows about the difficult times we are in. “When you think about it, it’s a reminder that no part of this is guaranteed. Anything can change from one moment to the next,” Ledford said. “The kids are the same from sport to sport. They want to perform, and you want to get them in their groove. They only played 12 games last year before everything stopped. They’ve been through a whole lot and we’ve having to cram in a whole lot in a short period of time with the new coaching staff I’m a part of here.” As seasons and sports change, coaches have a lot of knowledge for us all going forward. They always do. Play it safe, everyone. I will talk to you soon.

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