VALDOSTA — No current Valdosta player knows more about playing in the Winnersville Classic than Michael Turner.
Turner, Valdosta’s senior quarterback, knows this will be his last Winnersville Classic, and his last chance to beat his team’s archrivals. But he’s more focused on trying to win another region game, and move the Wildcats closer to a potential region championship.
“We all want to win this game badly. The winner of this game may be the region champions,” Turner said. “It would mean a lot to this team to win.
“It’s going to be intense. We’ll have a large crowd, as usual. It ought to be a good game.”
If Valdosta (6-1) is going to beat the No. 5 Vikings (5-1), Turner will probably have to play a good game. He is a huge part of the Wildcat offense, having thrown for 501 yards and two touchdowns this season.
“Mike’s experience, athleticism and leadership are vital to us,” Valdosta head coach Rick Tomberlin said. “Mike’s a winner. I think his best days are still yet to come. He’s getting better every game, and every day.”
Turner has had the misfortune of quarterbacking Valdosta during a time when Lowndes has been one of the state’s premier teams, and when the Wildcats are slightly down from their usual high standards.
But he’s still enjoyed being a Wildcat, in both the good times and the bad times.
“I’ve enjoyed it a lot,” Turner said. “It’s something I always wanted to be when I was growing up and going to the games. It means a lot to play for Valdosta.”
Turner is only the second Valdosta quarterback to start four Winnersville Classics. Wildcats legend Buck Belue started in 1974-77.
The past three years, the Winnersville Classic hasn’t been a source of good memories for Turner and the Wildcats. His freshman and sophomore seasons, they ran into a dominant Lowndes program in the midst of winning back-to-back state championships. In 2005, Turner broke his leg in the fourth quarter. In 2006, he drove the Wildcats down the field in the final minute, only to see his 21-yard run to the Lowndes 11 wiped out by a holding penalty behind the play.
“I won’t lie, most of my memories (of Winnersville) haven’t been too good,” Turner admitted, with no need to explain why.
He’s still excited to be playing in a game as big as the Valdosta-Lowndes game, though.
“It’s very fun,” he said. “It’s hard to describe how much fun it is. It’s one of the games you look forward to.”
Last year, Valdosta struggled through a difficult 1-9 season. This year, the Wildcats come into Friday’s game at 6-1, and 3-0 in Region 1-AAAAA.
“It’s been a total turnaround,” Turner said. “We want it. We’re working hard every week, every day, every practice. You can just tell we want to win more. We’re more of a team. We’re more unified. This year has been a great experience.”
Turner essentially became Valdosta’s starting quarterback two months before he even became a student at VHS. In summer passing league games, he outshined older, more-experienced quarterbacks, and moved the Wildcat offense effectively. When it came time for the first snap of the 2004 season, that snap was taken by Turner.
“It was a big responsibility,” Turner said. “I knew I had to step up to the plate. “I’ve enjoyed (starting four years) here. I’ve played with a lot of good players, and made a lot of friends on the team. I’ve really enjoyed it.”
The freshman quarterback led the Wildcats to an 8-5 record, and the state quarterfinals. He helped the team pull a big upset over a loaded Douglass team in the second round, throwing two touchdown passes.
His sophomore year, Turner was having a potential All-Region season when he broke his leg against Lowndes (he still wound up being the second-team All-Region quarterback). Last season, the team had to adjust to a new offense brought in by Tomberlin, but Turner still passed for 966 yards and six touchdowns and ran for 137 yards.
“Mike’s done a good job for us,” Tomberlin said. “He’s all about winning. Like any quarterback, he wants to throw the football. But if we’re running the ball well, he’ll say we should keep running it. He wants to win.
“The players look up to him. He’s a natural leader. I’m real proud of Mike. I think he can play at the next level.”
But before Turner considers the next level, he hopes to end his Wildcat career with a great 2007 season. A win Friday would certainly help that happen.
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Turner leads Wildcats' offense
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