By Christian Malone
VALDOSTA — Valdosta High’s football program celebrated its 2008 season at its annual banquet Monday night at the school.
The Wildcats bid farewell to 35 seniors, while also looking towards the 2009 season.
The group of seniors received a standing ovation from the audience at the VHS Performing Arts Center. They were called up one-by-one to the stage and given a helmet plaque, a certificate, a program and a highlight video of the 2008 season. The underclassmen were later recognized in a similar manner, but did not receive a plaque.
Valdosta handed out 21 awards at the banquet, including three college scholarships.
Senior defensive end Rob Morrison received three awards, the Pipkin Motors Scholarship, the Howard Bridges Scholastic Award and the Most Loyal Award. Morrison has a 93.1 average in the classroom, the highest on the team.
Senior center Allen Scruggs added to what has been an amazing 30 days. Scruggs was given the Nick Hyder Foundation Scholarship Award and was named the Nick Hyder Memorial Offensive MVP. It was the second time in three years that a center has received the Offensive MVP award (Alex Hall won it in 2006). Since Feb. 4, Scruggs has won a state wrestling championship, earned both the Region 1-AAAAA and the West sectional wrestling titles, signed a football scholarship to Valdosta State and now won two awards at the Valdosta football banquet.
A new scholarship was awarded for the first time Monday. The Wright Bazemore Scholarship Award was founded last year by a group of the late Valdosta coaching legend’s former Wildcat players, with the idea of handing out a scholarship every year to a deserving senior. The first recipient was offensive lineman Tanner Herrington. Bazemore’s son Curt drove down from Gwinnett County, braving the winter storm, to present Herrington with the scholarship.
The other award named for the legendary coach, the Wright Bazemore Defensive MVP Award, was likely an easy choice. All-State linebacker Mike Gilliard led the Wildcats with 106 tackles and was rated the No. 14 outside linebacker in the country by rivals.com. The Georgia-bound Gilliard accepted the award wearing his UGA tie, the same one he wore when he signed his letter of intent on Signing Day.
The Mark Stevens Memorial Sportsmanship Award was shared by running back Tim Kier and linebacker James Stokes. The Julian Lefiles Memorial Spirit Award went to wide receiver Travoris Belcher and defensive back Jonathan Mitchell. Defensive lineman Troche Roberts received the Dynamite Goodloe Memorial Most Improved Award.
The Best Offensive Lineman Award was shared by two college-bound players, Antonio Foster (Georgia Tech) and Willis Fussell (St. Augustine). VaShun Johnson, Fussell’s future college teammate, won the Best Offensive Back Award. The Best Receiver Award was awarded to sophomore Jay Rome. The Best Defensive Lineman Award went to Parker Mathis. Jermaine Holmes, a sophomore, won the Best Linebacker Award. Terry Belcher earned the Best Defensive Back Award.
The Super Skinner Awards, given to scout team players, went to Ryan Whilden and David Ward.
Valdosta head coach Rick Tomberlin and the Valdosta Touchdown Club, which is in charge of the banquet, also honored a number of people associated with the program, including the Valdosta cheerleading squad, the trainers, the faculty that help out the team in various ways and, of course, the coaches. The Valdosta ninth grade team was also honored for its undefeated season under first-year head coach Justin Henderson.
The banquet was missing one of its two speakers, thanks to Mother Nature. University of Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo was supposed to speak at the banquet Monday. But then 6.5 inches of snow fell on Athens Monday, knocking out power at Bobo’s house and making travel difficult. With five children, including a set of triplets, under the age of four, a babysitter who was unable to make it to his house because of the snow and no power, an apologetic Bobo told Tomberlin he felt he needed to stay with his family in Athens.
“I told him, ‘Coach, don’t leave those five kids and your wife stranded. We understand,’” Tomberlin said.
The other speaker was former Wildcat John Nitschke, who spoke like a fire-and-brimstones preacher, as he talked about why one should be proud to be a Wildcat.
“Being a Valdosta Wildcat is special,” he reminded them. “When you say you played for the Valdosta Wildcats, that’s a big deal.”
Nitschke also told the players that “the true defining moment will be what you become after football,” and reminded the audience that the current Wildcats “are our future educators, doctors, lawyers (and other prominent members of our community).”
“Players, you are not going to be judged by wins and losses, but by the men you become,” Nitschke added. “Coach Hyder once said, ‘Whatever you do, be the best you can be.’”
Nitschke also encouraged the Valdosta community to support the Wildcats, win or lose.
The meal was catered by Outback Steakhouse, as it has been for many years. Outback’s John Moon has been a longtime supporter of local sports.
After the meal, the crowd moved to the Performing Arts Center, where they were shown a highlight video from the 2008 season, before the program began.
