ITG Next South Georgia April/May 2023 Magazine

Baltimore Ravens WR Rashod Bateman Honored by Hometown Tifton Crisp Baseball Standout Faced with Decisions The Multitalented Madi McMahan: McIntosh County Academy’s Six-Sport Star

APR/MAY 2023

No Such Thing as an Offseason for Georgia High School Sports

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Brook Bearden, MD L. Fielding Callaway, MD Kevin J. Collins, MD Michael E. Davis, MD

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Contributors Publisher Mark Dykes Editor Anna Limoges Copy Editors Phil Jones Anna Limoges Allen Allnoch Graphic Design Mandy Rodriguez Player Profile Photography Brandon Pham Sean Perry Feature Photography Brandon Pham Sean Perry Aaron Musgrove Feature Writers Phil Jones Advertising/Marketing Mark Dykes mark@itgnext.com

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Feature Stories 6

Brooks County Standout Wears Ball Cap, Farmers Hat Equally Well

8

Baltimore Ravens WR Rashod Bateman Honored by Hometown Tifton

10

Lee County Duo Just Looking for an Opportunity

14

The Multitalented Madi McMahan: McIntosh County Academy’s Six-Sport Star

21

Massillon vs.Valdosta: Top National Programs to Meet in 2023 Season Opener

24

Felton Explains How Valdosta vs. Massillon Game Came Together

27

Crisp Baseball Standout Faced with Decisions

30

Georgia High School Football Showcase Events Attract High-Profile Programs

36

No Such Thing as an Offseason for Georgia High School Sports

38

Andee Fafard Leads Valwood Tennis Title Hopes in ’23

40

4 Questions With Richmond Hill Football Coach Matt LeZotte

42

Head Football Coach Chad Campbell Moves on After 30 Years at Peach County

45

GHSA Executive Director Says Instant Replay Likely to Be Approved

Matthew Ferrell

Harrison Skinner & Christian Brown

Dylan Davis

Player Profiles: 13 Ryan Renfroe | Thomasville 18 Griffin Taylor | Thomas County Central 23 Tamerian Terry | Turner County 29 Matthew Malone | Tiftarea 34 Ny Carr | Colquitt County

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Honoring South Georgia Athletes No Matter the Sport

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Brooks County Standout Wears Ball Cap, Farmers Hat Equally Well

Brooks County High School baseball standout Matthew Ferrell is enjoying his final season as a member of the Trojans program. Head coach Shawn Sharp said Matthew is a joy to coach, and he doesn’t mind showering the senior with praise.

Written by: Phil Jones Photography by: Sean Perry

Sharp said Matthew can play any position, and the coach puts him wherever he is needed in any given game.

“I am comfortable playing him anywhere on the field, although we play him mostly at pitcher, catcher, and shortstop,” the coach said.

At the plate, Sharp said Matthew rarely gets a sign with runners on.

“Matthew is truly the poster child for the ultimate baseball player,” Sharp said.

“He is one of our team leaders. He has a great head on his shoulders, is very easy to coach, and he works very hard. We never have to worry about his grades.”

“I never give him a sign,” Sharp said, acknowledging his confidence in Ferrell’s ability and baseball IQ. “He always has the green light. He’s just the kind of player that you don’t take the bat out of his hands.”

In addition to his contributions to the Brooks County squad, Matthew played travel ball for two seasons with Five Star Sports of Valdosta, and he played on their national team based in Tifton.

“I love the game of baseball,” Matthew said. “It’s all I’ve ever done.”

Following his graduation from Brooks County, Matthew will attend Black Hawk College in Galva, IL. He has received a full scholarship to attend one of the top-rated colleges in … livestock.

That’s right. In addition to being a talented high school baseball player, Matthew raises and shows pigs in livestock judging competitions. As with baseball, he’s good at it.

Matthew lives with his parents, Ben and Jennifer Ferrell, on a 300-acre farm in Quitman, where he has been raising and showing pigs for the last 12 years.

“I grew a passion for livestock when I was younger,” he said.

In addition to batting over .400 and lighting up opposing hitters on the baseball diamond, Matthew had a great showing at one of his final livestock shows before heading off to college.

At the Georgia Junior National Livestock Show, held February 22-25 at the Georgia National Fairgrounds in Perry, Matthew took first place in both the Barrow Show and the Gilt Show. He also was crowned Division 7 Champion and Overall Champion, Market Gilt, in the Gilt Show category, while capturing third place overall in Division 6 and fifth overall in Market Barrow in the Barrow Show category.

Matthew is wrapping up his senior season with his Trojans baseball teammates, also.

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Baltimore Ravens WR Rashod Bateman Honored

by Hometown Tifton Written by: Phil Jones Photography by: Aaron Musgrove

“This is definitely special for me, growing up here in Tifton.

To have a day like this and to have all these people behind me definitely means a lot to me.”

— Rashod Bateman

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Baltimore Ravens standout wide receiver and former Tift County two-sport star Rashod Bateman was recently honored by the City of Tifton, with February 18 declared “Rashod Bateman Day.” Tifton Mayor Julie Smith presented him with the key to the city. Bateman took pride in soaking in the accolades from his hometown.

“This is definitely special, to come back to my hometown and be recognized,” he said.

Following the ceremony held at the Anthony Bateman Center, Bateman took time to sit down with ITG Next Georgia for an exclusive one-on-one interview, during which he talked about growing up in Tifton and playing for the local high school team, the Tift County Blue Devils. He also talked about his decision to leave his hometown for the cold Minnesota fall, where he played collegiately for the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers, and his journey to become one of the most talented wide receivers in college football.

“This is definitely special for me, growing up here in Tifton,” Bateman said, soaking in all the admiration from a large gathering of family,

friends, and fans who remember him from his days as a Blue Devil. “To have a day like this and to have all these people behind me definitely means a lot to me.”

Bateman played for Tift County from 2015 to 2018, the year he graduated. While Bateman is mostly known for playing football, he was also a standout basketball player at the Tifton school. In fact, he received quite a bit of attention from colleges for his basketball skills, just as he did for his football prowess.

But football was where Bateman decided he wanted to stay, and it would be his performance on the football field as a standout receiver in his junior season that started attracting attention from college recruiters. In 11 games that year, he caught 56 passes for 825 yards and 5 TDs. That was enough for Georgia Southern to offer him a scholarship, and Bateman committed to the Eagles.

However, a satellite camp at Mercer University changed that. The camp was attended by college coaches from all over the country, and Bateman had received an invitation to attend the camp.

“Minnesota wanted me to come to the camp,” Bateman recalls.

He was one of several top players who was there to show off their talent, and Bateman did not disappoint.

“I went to the camp and performed well, and they offered me on the spot, and I committed without visiting yet,” Bateman said.

Admittedly, his commitment to Minnesota caught many people by surprise – perhaps even Bateman himself.

“I had never even left Tifton or the state of Georgia, so going to Minnesota was definitely a big culture shock for me,” Bateman said.

Bateman said he began researching Minnesota online, trying to learn more about the school that he had committed to sight unseen. He recalls there were moments of second-guessing himself about the decision.

“I thought, what did I just do?” he admitted.

But Bateman had made a promise to Gophers coach P. J. Fleck at the camp that if he would make an offer, Bateman would accept. In the end, Bateman knew he had made the right decision.

“I had a good relationship with the coaches, and they treated my family well, so it was an easy decision for me,” he said. “I was definitely committed to Minnesota 100 percent.”

Armed with the confidence of knowing a Power 5 school scholarship awaited him following his high school graduation, Bateman returned to Tift County for his senior season and showed Fleck and the Golden Gophers

the type of playmaker they would be getting.

He had 83 receptions and nearly doubled his receiving yards from the previous year. He finished with 1,539 yards and 21 touchdowns.

Once he got to Minnesota, it didn’t take Bateman long to make an impact.

“Coach Fleck told me that I had the opportunity to come in and be something special, but at the same time, I still had to come in and prove myself,” Bateman said.

The new receiver on campus did just that.

“I started in my first college game as a freshman, earned the team’s trust, and from there, we had fun,” he said with a grin.

After a solid first season at Minnesota – Bateman caught 51 passes for 704 yards and 6 touchdowns – he came back with a breakout sophomore season.

That’s when Bateman began to realize that his lifelong dream of playing in the NFL might become a reality.

“My sophomore year, I started out pretty hot,” Bateman said, “and I just continued to build up … seeing my name [mentioned as a potential NFL draft pick] and my teammates telling me that I had a shot at it, and as the season went on, we kept playing in bigger games, and I just kept performing well. My coaches allowed me to lead the way I wanted to.”

That sophomore season would see Bateman emerge as a top receiving prospect with 1,219 yards receiving and 11 touchdowns on 60 catches. The NFL was right there.

Then 2020 came

around. It would be Bateman’s junior season and the world was his for the taking.

But, as Bateman recalled, “A lot of things changed.”

COVID-19 had a way of making things change for a lot of people, including Rashod Bateman.

“We had a COVID spike on our team, and I have asthma,” Bateman said.

He said he and his family decided sticking around was not the best thing for him.

“I opted out halfway through my junior year,” he recalled.

Despite playing in just five games, Rashod finished with 36 catches and 472 yards receiving with 2 TDs. It was time for his next step.

Rashod decided to declare for the NFL draft. A standout performance at his Pro Day workout, along with his stellar college stats, solidified Bateman as a first-round pick.

Bateman said he spent draft day with his family in Tifton. And what did he do while waiting for his name to be called?

“I fell asleep,” Bateman remembered.

Then the moment came. The moment he had waited his whole life for was here. The Baltimore Ravens were on the clock.

The phone rang. Ravens general manager Eric Decosta was on the line.

“Do you want to play with Lamar Jackson?” he asked Rashod. “[Heck] yeah,” Bateman replied.

“It still feels surreal for me,” said the Baltimore Ravens 2021 firstround draft pick.

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PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEYS

Proud to Honor ITG Next’s Most Improved Player

Lee County Duo Just Looking for an Opportunity Written by: Phil Jones Photography by: Sean Perry

Lee County’s boys basketball team has been on a mission this season. At the time of publication, the Trojans were enjoying one of their most successful seasons in school history, with a 26-3 record and a deep postseason run that put them in the Elite Eight of the GHSA Class 6A State Tournament Regardless of the outcome, it was a magical season for the Trojans of head coach Kervin Davis.

Many players had a big role in the team’s success this season. As Davis told us in an earlier story, “We may not pass the eye test, but we have several guys that know their role and do it well.”

Two of those role players who have been major contributors in so many ways are seniors Harrison Skinner and Christian Brown. However, as Davis recounts their journey over the past two years, from when they first arrived as sophomores with little to no experience, to where they are today, you learn to appreciate their value to the Trojans program that much more.

“They both transferred in from another school, where they hardly played at all,” Davis said. “They came here with no varsity experience [and became] First-Team All Region.”

To go from zero experience at the high school level to performing at such a high level is unheard of in any varsity sport. Most high school standout athletes have been playing their respective sport since a young age.

So when Skinner and Brown came to Lee County, Davis wasn’t sure what level of player he was getting.

But, as he explained, he quickly learned how special these two were.

“They both came in, worked really hard to make themselves better, and they got better,” Davis recalled.

“You could see the improvement that each one was making with their allaround game.”

Then, one of the players was hit with a setback.

“Harrison started the [2021-22] season, played three games, then tore his ACL,” Davis said.

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minutes, but the knee injury was devastating. Still, though his season was over almost as quickly as it had started, the junior guard didn’t sulk.

“He became an assistant coach with the JV and ninth-grade teams, and just dug in and created value, even though he wasn’t able to play,” Davis said.

Fast forward to this season. Harrison was back and Christian was coming off an All-Region season after not being able to get on the court at his previous school a year earlier. The two seniors were ready. Then, just as the season was starting, disaster struck again. Harrison Skinner tore an ACL, just five games into the season.

This time, it was in the other knee.

Would Harrison miss yet another season? While Davis and the team waited to see what the doctors said, his teammate stepped up.

“Christian Brown is the main reason for our success in the first half of this season,” Davis said. “He took over when we thought Skinner was lost for the season. Christian was a high-energy defensive guy who could knock down the open shot when he got the chance, but when his teammate went down, he really stepped up big-time.”

But Skinner couldn’t bear the thought of missing another season. He had worked hard to show his new coach and teammates that he belonged on the court. So, with the doctor explaining that no further damage was possible, and if he could withstand the pain, Skinner could play.

That was all he needed. An opportunity. So he returned, and he and Brown joined their teammates in making this a truly memorable season for Lee County basketball.

All Skinner needed was an opportunity to show he could play, despite the pain. All he and Christian Brown ever needed was an opportunity. Period.

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The Multitalented Madi McMahan: McIntosh County Academy’s Six-Sport Star Written by: Phil Jones | Photography: Jamey McMahan

When ITG Next Georgia readers selected Madi McMahan as our Athlete of the Month in April 2022, it was obvious then that the word was beginning to spread about this incredible multisport junior at McIntosh County Academy in Darien.

But for the people who have known her best, there was no surprise about the things she was capable of on the soccer pitch … or the track … or the basketball court … or the football field on Friday nights.

Forget what you thought you knew about multisport student-athletes. Madi McMahan is more like an “every sport” athlete. Try to follow along.

Madi is the starting kicker for the McIntosh County Academy football team. She is McIntosh County Academy’s flag football starting quarterback, a two-time First Team All-Area selection, and a two-time team MVP. She’s a two-time region champion and four-time state qualifier in cross country. She was the Buccaneers’ soccer MVP in 2021, the Region 3A Offensive Player of the Year, a First Team All-Region pick, and the 912 Sports Girls Soccer Player of the Year. As a member of the Buccaneers track squad, she has won three region championships and qualified for state three times. She is a twoyear starting guard for the McIntosh basketball team.

According to McIntosh County Academy head football coach and athletic director Bradley Warren, Madi is on pace to have 20 high school letters by the end of spring of this year: four in track, four in soccer, four in cross country, four in basketball, two in flag football, and two in varsity football.

Warren says he can’t confirm whether the 20 letters are a state record.

“The closest we have been able to find is 16 letters so far,” Warren says.

Whatever the case, Madi’s achievements are rare.

“I’ve never seen or heard anything like this – it’s just amazing,” says Warren.

Warren says his first memory of Madi was watching her run and noticing her speed and stamina.

“I have a daughter [Taylor], who ran in high school and college, so I have a good understanding of competitive times for a runner, and Madi’s times were not bad for a young runner,” Warren says.

Madi’s father is Jamey McMahan, who serves as the school’s head soccer coach and assistant head football coach. He was 14 | itgnext.com

a competitive runner himself, including running marathons.

But he says it was Taylor Warren who was inspired Madi more as a runner.

“Madi really looked up to Coach Warren’s daughter,” he says.

As much as Madi liked running, her father says it was another sport that she initially became drawn to.

“The first sport that she really took to was soccer, at age seven,” he says.

But that didn’t come without a little bit of doubt.

“Madi hated soccer at first,” he remembers.

But McMahan says he encouraged her to stick with it, and like every other sport she played, she got better and better at it.

“She played and saw how good she was and fell in love with it, and she began to excel at it pretty quickly,” he says.

McMahan says just as Madi had drawn inspiration from coach Warren’s daughter for her running abilities, it was Alex Morgan, starting forward for the U.S. women's national soccer team, who she looked up to for her drive to succeed in soccer.

“Once Madi started to really like soccer is when she became influenced by Alex Morgan,” he says. “I think that Alex was kind of a hero for Madi.”

Included in our Athlete of the Month story on Madi is the following line, which underscores the success she has enjoyed at MCA: Madi “leads her team with 41 goals and 87 points … she also led her team last season with 24 goals, which set the school record at that time for most goals in a season.”

While soccer became her first love, Madi turned her affection for running into yet another sport: cross country.

“Madi started running in the sixth grade and had immediate success there,” her father says.

Indeed, Madi would go on to a successful stint in cross country, becoming a two-time region champion and a fourtime state qualifier.

Armed with the momentum of success she gained in her sixth-grade year, Madi decided to play basketball for the first time.

But there was no need to stop there. So what was next for the talented lady Buccaneer?

That would be football. She joined the Buccaneers as place kicker, as well as the school’s newly formed flag football team

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as quarterback. Holding spots on both of the school’s football teams made her a member of an exclusive club of one.

Jamey McMahan says that Madi’s combined love for running and soccer was the foundation for the making her such a great multisport athlete at McIntosh County Academy.

“As a parent and as her coach, it has been amazing watching her grow into such a great athlete,” he says. “She is the hardest-working person I know.”

That hard work is paying off, too.

“Madi has an offer from Brenau University for soccer and track,” McMahan says. “She has an offer from ABAC for soccer, and she has an offer from Brewton Parker for soccer.”

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He adds that Madi has a few other verbal offers from smaller schools as well.

As great as Madi has shown she can be on the court, pitch, field, and probably on a patch of dirt somewhere, it’s the combination of smarts and athletic ability that her dad truly appreciates.

“Probably the greatest thing about Madi is that she will graduate with 20 athletic letters while having a 4.2 GPA and being ranked second in her class,” says the proud father and coach. “She has inspired me.”

You and a lot of others, Dad.

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Massillon vs. Valdosta: Top National Programs to Meet in 2023 Season Opener Written by: Phil Jones | Photography by: ITG Next

Two of the nation’s top high school football programs will finally play each other as part of a 2023 season-opening showcase event in Ohio.

The Massillon Washington Tigers will take on the Valdosta Wildcats in one of four games that will make up the Northeast Ohio vs. America Showcase on August 18 at the Tigers’ home venue, Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.

The schedule for the remaining games includes Ohio’s Archbishop Hoban, St. Edward, and Glenville High. Their opponents are yet to be named, but it’s likely the Valdosta vs. Massillon game will be the headliner, given each team’s win totals are among the top five in the country.

Valdosta remains the

winningest high school football team in America, although the exact number of all-time wins is disputed. The Massillon Tigers website credits Valdosta with 944. Most other “official” sites, including the Valdosta High Wikipedia page, shows the Cats with 941.

What everyone can agree on is that Valdosta has the most wins of any high school football program in the country. Massillon ranks No. 4 with 932 wins.

Clearly both schools have a long history of fielding winning football teams, and each side is glad to see this game finally see the light of day.

“We’ve been trying to play this game for a while now,” says Massillon Booster Club president Rob Maylor.

Indeed, the teams were close to securing an agreement to play back in 2007 as part of the Kirk Herbstreit Challenge, according to a story that appeared in the Massillon Independent, a daily newspaper serving Massillon and the surrounding area. The story said the schools were close to finalizing a contract to play each other, but it never materialized.

Johnny Holcombe, a longtime Valdosta booster who serves on the Board of Directors for the Valdosta Touchdown Club and as manager of the David Waller Valdosta Wildcat Museum, says the subject had been raised almost every year, but had lost steam recently.

“In the past, we had tried to make this game happen multiple times,” Holcombe explains.

“But for the past four or five years, I hadn’t really heard anything about it.”

Then, he says, at the team’s December booster club meeting, head coach Shelton Felton dropped a hint that “something big may be coming” with the 2023 schedule. A January 21 announcement from the group organizing the four-game event, NE Ohio Big School HSFB, confirmed via its Twitter account that the two teams were finally going to play.

Holcombe says he’s glad to see that the game is finally going to happen.

“I’m excited about it, because Massillon is one

of the top teams in the country, and of course, so are we,” Holcombe says. “This will be one of the biggest games we’ve played against an out-of-state team since Jordan, Utah.”

That was a two-game agreement between Valdosta High and Jordan High in 2006 and 2007.

The Beat Diggers traveled to Valdosta and defeated the ’Cats 22-13 in the 2006 game. Valdosta turned around and evened things up the next season, defeating the visitors from Utah by a 23-21 final.

Maylor, a longtime supporter and booster of the Tigers, says the Massillon fan base is excited to play Valdosta. A few of the booster club members made scheduling

ITG Next | 21

the game a top priority.

“We talk about this game every year,” he says. “We had some guys get together and I believe started reaching out to the folks down there, and we weren’t sure if it was going to happen or not.”

Maylor says that the Tigers’ head coach, Nate Moore, made the announcement at the most recent Tigers booster club meeting.

“We were really excited when the game was finally confirmed,” he says.

“Everyone at the meeting was cheering.”

Maylor says keeping up with the Valdosta win total has become an annual ritual at the Massillon booster club meetings.

“At every one of our first booster club meetings of the year, we post

22 | itgnext.com

the win totals for Valdosta and the top five teams in the country,” Maylor admits. “We could see that the number between us and Valdosta was getting a little closer, so at least we were getting within striking distance.”

Maylor says the win totals at this year’s first booster club meeting showed the following and were from Massillon football team’s official website: Valdosta: 944, Male (KY): 937, Mayfield (KY): 933, Massillon (OH): 932, Ft. Thomas Highlands (KY): 920, Mt. Carmel (PA): 890.

Despite the many years of trying to match up these two nationally known high school football programs, credit should be given to the organization that finally played a big part in

making it happen. NE Ohio Big School HSFB is a nonprofit organization and recruiting brand that is primarily dedicated to promoting high school football programs and prospects in Northeast Ohio, according to the group’s founder, Matt Hankins.

Hankins told ITG Next that just about everyone surrounding the Massillon program talks about playing Valdosta every year, so he decided to give it another shot.

“I went to coach Moore and asked him if there was one team you’d like to play, who would it be?” Haskins says. “I knew he would say Valdosta, which he did, so I started making some phone calls to the folks down there.”

Hankins says he called someone with the Valdo-

sta program every day for at least a month until things finally began to materialize.

It has not been announced whether Valdosta and Massillon will make this a two-year, homeand-home arrangement or if this is a one-year-only agreement.

Last season, just as they have done many seasons before, both Valdosta and Massillon did well. Valdosta finished with an 8-3 record after an 8-0 start. The Wildcats lost in the first round of the GHSA state playoffs.

Massillon finished with a 12-2 record, advancing to the semifinals of the Ohio Division ll state playoffs. Moore became the school’s all-time winningest coach, passing legendary coach Paul Brown.

Valdosta has won 24

state titles, with its most recent coming in 2018.

The Wildcats also have won six national championships, although there is no contest to decide a true national champion.

Massillon has won 24 state titles.

We’ll have to let this game be as close as we can get to deciding who the best high school football team in the country is. Until then, Valdosta can continue to claim supremacy as the top team in the country with its overall win total.

But lookout Valdosta.

Massillon is gaining on you.

Turner County – Basketball – SF

ITG Next | 23

We recently spoke with Valdosta head football coach Shelton Felton about his team’s 2023 season opener against Massillon and how it came together. We also spoke about the defense, the potential for an improved offense, and the overall outlook for the 2023 season.

ITG Next: Coach Felton, everyone is talking about the big game between your Valdosta Wildcats and the Massillon Tigers to open the 2023 season. I spoke with members of both teams’ booster clubs last week, but I want to get the inside scoop from you on how the game came together.

Felton: I was at a coaches convention when me and their head coach were just joking around about how we should play each other. The next thing I know, Matt Hankins [from NE Ohio Big School HSFB] reached out to me and told me he was organizing this event called “NE Ohio vs.

America.”

I told him then that I would love the opportunity to play in the event, but that we were in a contract with a team for the season opener. So, we stayed in touch with each other. Then it took a little bit of lady luck. The coach for the team in Miami that we were supposed to play next year called me to say his team would not be able to travel out of state. So that kind of opened the door for the opportunity. Everyone in Valdosta and Massillon has been wanting to play this game, so I thought why not make it come true?

ITG Next: Coach Felton, it sounds like everything came together to make this Valdosta vs. Massillon game happen.

Felton: Yes, once we got the approval from the GHSA, that allowed us to get a contract with Massillon, and we are thrilled to play them. Plus, it’s so hard to find games, so we were glad things worked out.

ITG Next: Coach, will Massillon come to Valdosta next year with a home-andhome agreement?

Felton: Well, that’s something we want to talk about, but right now there’s a lot of talk about reclassification for next year, and that could affect us as far as the number of games we have, so a home-andhome agreement with them is something still to be determined.

Felton: First of all, I think our offense will be more explosive this year. We had a lot of older kids on our offense last year, but they didn’t have a lot of experience. People don’t realize that last year was Todd Robinson’s first season starting at quarterback since the seventh grade. He is a rising junior, so he’ll continue to grow and get better. We’ll have everybody back on the offensive line except for one starter, which helps our running game. We have most of our defense coming back this season. I think this defense is the best I’ve coached since the 2015 season when I was at Colquitt.

I also want to mention that I have the best booster club president in Marci Ragin.

Everyone remembers what happened around here when a lot of people jumped off the ship. Marci came in and has helped put this thing back together.

ITG Next: There’s a lot of excitement about the Cats with a lot of talent returning.

Can you talk about the team you will have in 2023?

Felton Explains How Valdosta vs.

Massillon Game Came Together Written by: Phil Jones Photography by: ITG Next

24 | itgnext.com

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Crisp Baseball Standout Faced with Decisions Written by: Phil Jones Photography by: Brandon Pham

Crisp County senior Dylan Davis is a standout outfielder for coach Kyle Kirk’s Cougars baseball team. As a sophomore in 2021, he was recognized for his defensive prowess by being named to the Region 2-3A All-Region Second Team, and he was Outfielder/Defensive Player of the Year. Then in 2022, he was selected as the Region 2-3A Offensive Player of the Year after an outstanding season at the plate that included a .558 batting average.

According to Kirk, Dylan had 24 hits, 16 of which went for extra bases, including 8 doubles, 2 triples, and 6 home runs. Additionally, he scored 24 runs and had 29 RBIs. Davis was a two-sport star at Crisp, serving as the quarterback for coach Lawrence Smith’s football team. A thumb injury incurred on the football field forced Davis to make a decision. He chose to play baseball only, bringing an end to his football days.

But no need to worry about Davis. He has a plan – even if baseball doesn’t work out, either.

ITG Next | 27

“I hope to have a future in baseball, but if that doesn’t work out, my plan will be to finish tech school and go to Oklahoma and weld on the pipeline,” Dylan said.

Davis is already preparing for that possibility, just in case: He is a dual enrollee at South Georgia Tech, where he studies welding.

Dylan said he got the idea of heading to Oklahoma for pipeline work during a welding class he took his freshman year.

“The instructor of that class told me about opportunities to go out there and weld on the pipeline, and that people could make really good money,” Davis recalled.

His instructor told him he had the talent to be a very good welder.

“There’s an art to it, and he told me I had a knack for welding,” Davis said.

Of course, Dylan has a knack for baseball as well.

“Dylan has developed the skills and work ethic to have shot at playing baseball at the college level,” Kirk said. “With Dylan, whomever he signs with will get a well-rounded young man. He will be a steal for the program that is able to sign him.”

While Kirk is his baseball coach, he also recognizes that whatever Dylan decides to do, there’s no doubt he has what it takes to succeed.

“I’ve had the pleasure of coaching Dylan for almost two years now, and in that time I’ve watched him mature into a strong leader, not only for his team, but in his school and community,” Kirk said.

“Dylan’s teammates voted him into our first Leadership Council that helps the coaches make decisions for the program. We strive to build strong men into our program here at Crisp, and Dylan will become one as an adult.”

Dylan’s father, Jeff, said if baseball or welding doesn’t work out, then he can stay where he is.

“If he wants to stay at home, we’ll support him all the way,” Jeff Davis said. Dylan’s family support network also includes his mother, Aaron, and his sister, Joy.

However, something tells us Dylan won’t be sticking around at home. But thanks for the offer anyway, Dad.

28 | itgnext.com

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Georgia High School Football Showcase Events Attract High-Profile Programs Written by: Phil Jones Photography by: ITG Next

It wasn’t long ago when Georgia high school football fans had to wait until their team’s region schedule began to watch competitive football.

Many teams’ non-region schedules were littered with matchups that were over by halftime. Teams played each other that really had no business being on the same field. While a few of those games remain, they are few and far between, thankfully for the fan. Replacing those snoozers are games featuring top-caliber teams facing off in showcase football events. That’s exactly the treat that awaits many fans of Georgia high school’s top programs in 2023.

Week One’s showcase football events include one of the most successful teams in GHSA history taking on a team nationally ranked year after year.

The Buford Wolves will host St. Frances Academy in a marquee matchup that will feature two high school football heavyweights against each other to start the 2023 season.

Buford head football coach Bryant Appling talked about the challenge as well as the opportunity of playing a game of this magnitude so early to start the season.

“Games like this will let you know right off the bat what kind of team you’re going to have, and that prepares you for the rest of the season” Appling said.

The Wolves head man said this will mark the third straight season that his Buford team has scheduled a formidable out-of-state opponent to start the season, and he feels it has helped his team, win or lose.

“Everyone knows about Thompson [Alabama] and Coach Freeman with the success that they’ve had [including winning the Alabama Class 7A state championship last season],” Appling said.

In addition to opening against Freeman’s Warriors last season, Buford scheduled Florida powerhouse and state champion Chaminade Madon-

na in the opening month of the prior season. Although the Wolves dropped the defensive battle 7-0, Appling said it helped his team tremendously. Buford would go on to win its third straight state title that year.

“Hey, we know we’re going to have to play tough teams at the end of the season, so why not play tough teams at the start of the season?” he said.

While that game will be an attractive standalone affair, one of the newest large-scale showcase football events, the Georgia-Florida Border Classic, will return for a second season at Glynn County Stadium in Brunswick. This will be a multiteam showcase featuring a total of 14 teams, with seven apiece from Georgia and Florida.

The event is the brainchild of Glynn County athletic director Steve Waters, who said, “It’s always been in the back of my mind to do something like this, and I felt with us here in Glynn County being on the state line, it would make sense to get teams from the two states together.

But we had to have the right venue to make it happen.”

Glynn County Stadium certainly made sense from a fan support standpoint, with a seating capacity of 12,000.

But there was more that needed to hapITG Next | 31

pen to make it worthy of hosting a true showcase event.

“In the last five years, we added new turf, built new locker rooms, and added an area in the end zone that includes a VIP area, along with offices,” Waters said.

Other renovations included new lighting and a new scoreboard, all of which has made Glynn County Stadium one of the nicer venues in the state – one fitting of hosting the very event that Waters had envisioned.

“Everything we did with the renovations was done with hosting an event like the Border Challenge in mind,” he said.

The event will return in 2023 with all 14 teams returning. They include Georgia teams Brunswick, Charlton, Fitzgerald, McIntosh County Academy, Glynn Academy, Richmond Hill, and Coffee. Waters said he fully expects to renew the event while adding even more teams in years three and four.

“I’d like to see us add more South Georgia powerhouse teams, because these are the teams that need an event like this,” he said.

Perhaps two of those teams that could be future participants in Waters’ event will be participating in the all new Georgia-Carolina Challenge. Lowndes and Colquitt County will each host teams from North Carolina and South Carolina, respectively, to start the 2023 season, and the games will be played at Mack Tharpe Stadium in Moultrie, home to the Packers.

This will be the back end of what started as the Georgia-Florida Challenge last season, with the Vikings and Packers facing teams from Florida, but those two teams elected not to play this year, opening the door to rename one of the newest of the showcase football events.

Colquitt County will play South Carolina traditional power Dutch Fork, while the Lowndes High Vikings will open the event by hosting Christ School from Arden, NC. Adam Carter, the new Vikings head coach, told ITG Next that big games like this one creates more of a sense of urgency in the offseason preparation.

“Playing on a big stage to open the season gives summer so much more to work towards,” he said. “It’s a great opportunity for our kids and the community.”

Packers head coach Sean Calhoun, who is entering his second season at Colquitt County, said when athletic director Cleve Edwards asked him about playing the game, he was all for it.

“I was excited when Cleve asked me about playing Coach Knotts and Dutch Fork,” he said.

“He has won a lot of games and championships

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Georgia-Carolina Challenge Participating Teams

Colquitt County

Dutch Fork (SC)

Lowndes

Christ School (NC)

there, and it’s going to be a great test for us to kick off the season.”

Valdosta will travel to Northeast Ohio to start its 2023 season, taking on the Massillon Tigers in the inaugural Northeast Ohio vs. America Showcase Event. The Tigers are No. 4 all-time in wins nationwide, while Valdosta remains the winningest football team in the country. The Wildcats and Tigers are two of the eight teams that will take part in the event at Paul Brown Stadium in Massillon, Ohio.

Tigers head coach Nate Moore told ITG Next Georgia that the game is an attractive matchup on several fronts.

“With the University of Georgia and Ohio State playing in the College Football Playoff semifinals, I feel that adds a bit of intrigue to our game with the whole Georgia versus Ohio thing,” Moore said.

Valdosta head coach Shelton Felton told ITG Next that he also likes that aspect of the matchup, especially at their stadium.

“We are looking forward to the challenge of representing Georgia in this game and at their place,” Felton said.

“It’s going to be great for our kids to go up there and play.”

ITG Next | 33

COMMITTED

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No Such Thing as an Offseason for Georgia High School Sports Written by: Phil Jones

Atlanta Journal-Constitution high school sports beat writer Stan Awtry was interviewed on a recent episode of the Next Take Georgia podcast, and there was plenty to talk about regarding Georgia high school sports. Here’s a quick look at the topics we covered.

Georgia High School Basketball

While the state of Georgia is mostly recognized for producing top-tier talent in high school football, the Peach State also has some of the top high school basketball talent in the country. Georgia is routinely included in the top states that produce top college-bound basketball talent, with several recruits also among the top picks in the NBA draft each year.

Interestingly, however, while the state’s colleges and universities benefit greatly from many of the homegrown high school football talent, the same cannot be said of the high school basketball talent.

Many of the top Georgia basketball recruits take their talent out of state and the result is mediocre basketball programs at institutions including the largest two schools, the University of Georgia and Georgia Tech, who together haven’t regularly made the NCAA tournament. Georgia Tech has advanced the “Big Dance” only twice in the last 12 seasons (2010, 2021), while UGA hasn’t advanced to the tourney since 2015.

Georgia High School Football

Despite the high school football season having ended almost two months ago, there remains plenty to talk about with the sport.

One of the hottest topics in Georgia high school sports is the addition of instant replay in football, which everyone seems to agree is needed, especially after yet another controversial call in the state finals this past season, when a Sandy Creek running back was ruled to have scored a TD despite the TV replays clearly showing the runner having been stopped several yards short of the goal line. This was the most recent in several blown calls that have occurred in the state championships over the past decade.

The GHSA is expected to finalize plans to move forward with video replay at this year’s state finals. That move would coincide with the championship games being moved to Mercedes-Benz Stadium, where the technology already exists to facilitate the use of replay, with the NFL’s system in place for use at Atlanta Falcons home games.

In recent years, inclement weather and declining attendance at the Georgia high school football state title games forced the GHSA to consider a return to the indoor sports facility. An agreement was reached with AMB Group, parent organization of the Falcons and Atlanta United, the city’s soccer franchise.

36 | itgnext.com

NIL

Also discussed in this week’s podcast was the NIL agreements that began at the collegiate level, but have predictably trickled down to the high school student athlete level. Stan says the topic of NIL will be discussed at the next meeting of GHSA’s board of directors in April. Twenty state high school athletic associations currently have approved student-athletes to use the benefits of an NIL agreement. In last week’s Next Take podcast, Dr. Robin Hines, the GHSA Executive Director, acknowledged that “NIL is here.”

Georgia High School Flag Football

Flag football continues to be the GHSA’s fastest-growing sport, with more and more Georgia high school athletic programs adding the game to their lists of varsity sports. Discussed in the podcast was the desire to see more schools south of Macon add flag football. According to Dr. Hines, 227 schools field varsity flag football programs, along with 47 junior varsity teams.

Be sure to check out our Next Take Georgia podcast with host Phil Jones and a different guest each week at www.itgnext.com/ next-take-georgia-podcast.

Valwood tennis player Andee Fafard has made the leap from playing doubles in middle school, to No. 3 singles, where she played as a sophomore, then into the No. 1 singles slot, where she plays now as a senior on the Valiants tennis squad.

“Andee has made a huge improvement in a relatively short amount of time,” Valwood tennis coach Brian Beland said.

Andee herself realizes just how far she has come in such a small window.

“It is tough going from having a partner playing with me [in doubles] to being by myself at number one singles,” she admitted. “It has been totally different. I was really nervous.”

Andee recalled receiving her first tennis racket.

“My dad bought me a tennis racket when I was in the sixth grade,” she said.

It didn’t take her long to begin using it.

“I started playing right away, and in middle school I started taking it a little more seriously,” she said.

Breland said he first saw Andee play in her 10th-grade season.

“When I first arrived here at Valwood, Andee was a sophomore,” he said. “She was very raw at first, but you could see the potential was there. She was just really starting to come into her own as a player.”

The Valiants coach said Andee worked hard to make herself better, and her game showed that.

“She’s a really competitive player who will stay with it as long as she can,” Breland said. “She has some of the longest matches simply because she doesn’t give in – she’ll force her opponent into making a mistake.”

But that’s nothing compared to the expectations Andee is facing this season. Her coach is expecting big things from his best overall player after she just missed state as a singles player last season.

“Andee led us to a region title last year, and I think team-wise we will compete for a region title again,” Breland said. “But this year we expect her to get to state as a singles player, and eventually she will lead us a team to the state championship also.”

Last year, Andee finished 8-3 overall and fifth in region matches.

Breland considers Andee the team’s top player, and while it appears she has a bright future in tennis, Andee said she has other plans.

“I ride horses and have been doing that since I was eight years old,” she said. “Truthfully, that is my main focus.”

Andee said she wants to study to become an equine veterinarian.

“I may go to ABAC [in Tifton] for their pre-vet program, then transfer to the University of Florida,” she said. “That’s my end goal.”

38 | itgnext.com

Andee Fafard Leads Valwood Tennis Title Hopes in ‘23 Written by: Phil Jones Photography by: Brandon Pham

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4 Questions With Richmond Hill Football Coach Matt LeZotte Written by: Phil Jones

Richmond Hill head football coach Matt LeZotte has been leading the Wildcat football program for the last eight seasons, including the 2022 season, which welcomed him and the ’Cats to GHSA Class 7A, the largest in the state.

Richmond Hill had a tough first season, finishing 3-7 overall and 0-4 in rugged Region 1-7A. The Wildcats are returning several starters and contributors to the 2023 squad, so look for a very much improved Richmond Hill football team this upcoming season.

Here’s more from Coach LeZotte on which players he expects to have

40 | itgnext.com

breakout in 2023.

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Q: Coach LeZotte, thanks so much for joining us. Let’s talk about the journey from your hometown, all the way through where you are today as the football coach at Richmond Hill High School?

A: Thanks for including Richmond Hill in this. It’s been a fun eight seasons at the helm, but man, the road here was an awesome one full of experiences that I’m so grateful for. I played quarterback at James Madison University from 20002004, winning a national

championship in 2004. I left school and worked in pharmaceutical sales for two years before moving back to my hometown of Augusta. I cut my teeth at Aquinas High School, beginning as a part-time assistant on the football team. I was in charge of strength and conditioning and really acted as an assistant head coach.

I finished my tenure there as the head football coach and athletic director, hosting our first playoff games, winning our first playoff games, and reaching as far as the quarterfinals in 2011.

I left Aquinas and headed to Wayne County High School. In 2013, we

played in the state semifinals and in 2014 we were region champions and made it to the second round.

I saw what it meant to coach at a South Georgia school where athletics matter and accommodations are made to make everyone in the building successful. I began as head football coach at Richmond Hill in 2015.

Many of my friends wondered why I took the job, but I saw the potential.

Over eight seasons, we played six straight years in the playoffs, reaching the semifinals in 2019 after becoming region champions, and the rest is history.

Q: As the community of Richmond Hill has grown, so has the high school’s enrollment, which is a great thing.

Of course, that meant joining Region 1-7A. I know you’ve mentioned to us previously that you and the administration at Richmond Hill have been preparing for this explosive growth and movement up through the rankings. Coach LeZotte, how what was this first year competing in Region 1-7A like for your Richmond Hill football team?

A: It was great. Extremely professional.

Like I’ve mentioned be-

fore though, ball is ball.

T major difference in this region is resources and allocation of those resources. Those [other teams] don’t have to fight battles we have to fight at Richmond Hill. They’ve been competing at a high level for decades upon decades.

Here at RH, everything we have done has been new to everyone in the system. We are still in the process of growing and educating so that we can continue to grow to be as competitive as the teams on our schedule.

We are building a new school, opening in 2024, that will be the premier high school in coastal

Georgia – state-of-the-art everything. It’s going to be a huge upgrade from where we are now.

Q: Let’s talk about the team. Who will be the key members returning this season, as well as the key losses to graduation?

A: Our biggest loss is going to be Ravon Grant, one of the best wide receivers in our region and state. We feel good about the guys coming in to replace our other senior losses. We only had four who started in 2022.

On offense we return our entire offensive line.

They really started play-

ing some good ball late in the season, but their youth still showed matching up against some of the best defenses in 7A. Nick Bliss is our top returning skill player. He and Caleb Easterling will line up at a variety of positions this year. We plan to be creative getting the ball in these guys’ hands.

Defensively, we lose one starter. I feel good about being able to exceed the production at that spot this year with the guys returning. Brian Ruland is one of the most fundamentally sound football players I’ve ever coached. Gabe Bauman is a tremendous leader at linebacker. We return a

First Team All-Region cornerback in Brandon McDonald, along with Caleb Easterling, who has been a two-year starter at DB. Our kicker, Blake Williams, is nationally ranked and set to have a huge season.

Q: Coach LeZotte, as you looking at the 2023 Richmond Hill football schedule, who are some of the key opponents and games that fans are going to enjoy attending?

year – pick your matchup. I doubt there will be enough seats in the stands for those games.

We have two tough local opponents, Jenkins and New Hampstead, along with a Border Classic game against a to-benamed Florida school played down at Glynn County Stadium.

A: I think every single game on our schedule is big. We play Ware, Coffee, Valdosta and Lowndes at home this

ITG Next | 41

Head Football Coach Chad Campbell Moves on After 30 Years at Peach County Written by: Phil Jones Photography by: Brandon Pham

So far, since the 2022 Georgia high school football season ended roughly a month prior to the time of this writing, there have been 71 – yes, 71 – head football coaches who are no longer at the school with whom they began the season.

With another six months of offseason remaining before the 2023 campaign comes around, more head coaches are likely to leave their posts.

However, every year for the past 30 high school football seasons, as such coaching changes would be announced, there was one name you never heard: Peach County coach Chad Campbell.

Campbell spent those three decades in the

42 | itgnext.com

same school system, but he recently announced he is leaving Peach County High to take over the head coaching job at Perry’s Westfield School, a private school and member of the GISA. Campbell was hired in 1993 to coach the middle school football team in Peach County.

That began a long stretch that saw him serve as just about every position coach on the field, culminating in his promotion to head coach of the Trojans in 2007.

Campbell says he never considered leaving throughout those three decades.

“Never once did I go looking for another head coaching job,”

Campbell says, stoic as always. “I never felt like I needed to.”

But Campbell admits he never thought he’d spend 30 years at one school, either.

“You saw the coaches all around you at other schools coming and going, so you couldn’t help but think if that was ever going to be you one day,” Campbell says, acknowledging the reality of the situation that comes with coaching at any level.

It wasn’t as if there was no pressure, because as Campbell says, he was at a school where you were expected to win.

“Believe me, the folks here expected to win every game,” he says with a laugh.

He may not have won every game, but he won a lot. Campbell’s record in his 16 years as the Trojans’ head coach was 168-38. That’s more than 10 wins per season and between two and three losses per year.

Yes, that will keep you around for a while.

Under Campbell, the Trojans advanced to the state championship game four times, winning a state championship in 2009. Peach County and Campbell also played for the title in 2011, 2017, and 2018.

Campbell knows that a coach is really as good as the players who surround him, and he says he was blessed to have coached some good

ones at Peach County.

“Man, we had some really good players come through the program,” Campbell says, naming a few of the many greats who played for him at Peach. It is an impressive list, for sure. He mentions Randy McMichael (UGA, Miami Dolphins), Jacquez Green, (Florida, Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Chris Slaughter (Auburn), Demarcus Robinson (Florida, Kansas City Chiefs), and those are just a few who come to mind.

“There are so many great ones that played for me here at Peach,” Campbell says.

That’s OK, Coach.

Thirty years is a long time.

ITG Next | 43

YOUR GO-TO PODCAST FOR HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS Interviews With Coaches Interviews With Top Players Hot Topics

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GHSA Executive Director Says Instant Replay Likely to Be Approved Written by: Phil Jones

Dr. Robin Hines was our guest on the latest edition of Next Take Georgia, a weekly podcast brought to you by ITG Next. During the roughly 30-minute session, the GHSA executive director talked about the biggest topics making headlines this offseason.

Included was the issue of video instant replay, which Hines said is likely to be approved for use in 2023 GHSA state football championships. That decision would be made during the GHSA executive committee meeting coming up in mid-April of this year.

While use of instant replay in GHSA football games has been talked about for years, it gained momentum following the Georgia High School Class 3A state championship game between Sandy Creek and Cedar Grove. In that contest, a Patriots running back was ruled to have scored a touchdown by the line judge, despite video replays of the back being stopped well short of the goal line. That call was the latest in a line of several controversial on-field decisions during previous state championship games, all of which led to an outcry among high school football fans and coaches for the association to consider using active replay.

The move to begin using replay coincides with the championship games being moved to Mercedes-Benz Stadium, another offseason decision by the GHSA that Hines talks in-depth about on Next Take Georgia. With the state title games moving from Georgia State University’s Center Parc Stadium to the home of the Atlanta Falcons, the equipment in place at the new venue, which is used by the NFL instant replay system, would facilitate instant replay with a high degree of confidence for both the boys tackle football games and girls flag football championship games.

Speaking of flag football, Dr. Hines talked about the growth of the sport being a top priority for him and the GHSA, with the hope that more schools south of Macon will decide to add flag football to their list of varsity sports.

To hear more about these topics and the rest of the discussion with Dr. Hines, listen to the entire podcast at www.itgnext.com/next-take-georgia-podcast.

ITG Next | 45

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_

- MAINTAIN A 3.0+ GPA (UNWEIGHTED)

- PARTICIPATE IN A JV OR VARSITY SPORT (OR IT’S EQUIVALENT (DANCE/GYMNASTICS/TAEKWONDO)

- PARTICIPATE IN EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES THROUGH CHURCH, SCHOOL OR THE COMMUNITY

S ch o l ars h i p O pen s A u g u st 1 st

TO A P P L Y V I S I T :

TAXSLAYERGATORBOWL.COM

46 | itgnext.com

AWARD WINNING HOTEL

♦ Azalea’s Restaurant & Lounge ♦ Full Service Amenities ♦ Meeting & Reception Facilities ♦ First Class Accommodations ♦ 49” Flat Panel HD Televisions ♦ Family & Executive Suites ♦ Fitness Center & Business Center ♦ Large Swimming Pool & Palm Terrace ♦ Complimentary Airport Shuttle

HOLIDAY INN HOTEL & CONFERENCE CENTER

I-75 (Exit 16) ♦ 1805 West Hill Avenue ♦ Valdosta, GA (229) 244-1111 (800) 465-4329 Ideal Hotel and Meeting Venue for Sports Teams! www.WilliamsHotelGroup.com

Exit 18 229-249-8900 Valdosta

Exit 18 229-245-1700 Valdosta

Exit 22 229-244-4460 Valdosta

Exit 62 229-382-3300 Tifton

Exit 62 229-382-8100 Tifton

Exit 62 229-382-8500 Tifton

Exit 18 229-249-2000 Valdosta

Exit 16 229-249-1000 Valdosta

Exit 16 229-249-8000 Valdosta

Exit 62 229-382-8505 Tifton

Owned and operated by Williams Investment Co. A proud part of South Georgia’s growth since 1963

Exit 62 229-382-8250 Tifton

Exit 39 229-896-2244 Adel

Exit 39 229-896-4574 Adel

Exit 18 229-249-8880 Valdosta

Exit 16 229-249-8800 Valdosta

ITG Next | 47

Keep going.

. g n i w o r g p Kee 2022

HONORING ITG NEXT’S

MOST IMPROVED PLAYER

YOU CAN’T PLAN FOR EVERYTHING LIFE THROWS AT YOU. At Farah & Farah, the name of the game is to never stop fighting for you. We are proud to provide you and your family with the expertise and grit that your case deserves. With 6 offices across Georgia, we are at your service. ®

PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEYS 800-500-5555 ATLANTA | ALBANY | BRUNSWICK | SAVANNAH | VALDOSTA | WAYCROSS 48 | itgnext.com

1841 Norman Drive, Valdosta, GA