Adam MacDonald
The Valdosta Daily Times
VALDOSTA —
VALDOSTA — When Brannon Tidwell arrived at Valwood as head football coach in the spring of 2009, he knew he had an uphill climb.
The Valiants were three seasons removed from losing the GISA AA championship game and were heading for a rough season with no seniors and three juniors on a roster of 16 or 17 players.
Valwood went 1-9, which was about as good as could be expected.
“Knowing that we had 16-17 players on the team, I didn’t expect to win any,” Tidwell said. “We came out and we won a game and we got better each week. It was difficult, but Coach (Brett) Martin told me when I took the job that the talent and numbers were down. But it’s a good school to be at with good facilities and it’s up to me to build it.”
And so Tidwell and the Valiants march on. This season they return five seniors and nine juniors. Tidwell said he is the only coach that he knows of who will return every starter from last year’s team. What he doesn’t know is what that necessarily means.
“I don’t know what to expect,” Tidwell said. “I had a good idea last year what to expect. I mean, I don’t know whether to expect 3-7, 7-3 or 10-0. I have no clue. But I know our guys have worked really hard and so have our coaches. If we stay injury-free we’ll compete. If we go out and get guys hurt we’ll have a lot of trouble. That’s anybody.”
One thing Tidwell said he has learned between year No. 1 and year No. 2 is what his players are capable of doing. He noted how last year he started junior Troy Woodward at cornerback. Now he knows Woodward is better suited at strong safety.
The changes are much more than that, though. Tidwell came to Valwood with the intentions of installing a spread offense and a 3-4 defense. In year No. 2, he’s changed the offense to the multiple I and the defense to the 50.
Both, he says, fit his personnel better.
The Valiants will be big up front on the offensive line with four linemen who are 6-foot-1 and at least 245 pounds. Griffen Clyatt (6-foot-2, 287 pounds) and Matt Barnes (6-foot-4 and 270 pounds) are the tackles. Aulden Bynum (6-foot-4 and 245 pounds) and Alan Taylor (6-foot-1, 245 pounds) are the guards. As a freshman last year, Bynum was 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds. He’s added 65 pounds in a year and Tidwell said he could be up to 6-foot-7 and 320 pounds by the time he stops growing.
Jackson Pegg (5-foot-11 and 200 pounds) is the center, and senior Cameron Feinberg is expected to be a major contributed on the offensive line as well as the defensive line.
Senior J.B. Bahnsen will be a three-year starter at quarterback and junior Alex Waldron returns as a starting running back. Both players will run behind the big offensive line.
On defense, the 50 is similar to the 3-4 except that in the 50 there is less focus on shooting through the gaps. Tidwell wants to keep it simple and just line up and play.
“With the personnel we have, that’s the best thing,” Tidwell said. “It was either the 3-4 or the 50. It’s basically the same thing. The only difference is in the 3-4 their heads are up and they’re shooting the gaps. In the 50 they just line up. It’s pretty much what I wanted to do, but we’re not ready to rock and shock and play gaps. We’re not at that point. I just figure line them up and teach them the game. Maybe by the time we have more juniors and seniors a year from now we can maybe go back to the 3-4.”
Taylor is slotted as the nose guard and Bynum will serve as the tackle while Griffen Allen will be the defensive end.
Waldron will be the weakside linebacker and Rob Blanton will be the Sam linebacker. The Mike linebacker will be John Akins and the Jack linebacker will be Jake Reeves.
Fienberg will play linebacker and on the line.
In the secondary, Bahnsen and Reynolds Henry will be the corner backs. Woodward will be the strong safety and Rashad Mathis will be the free safety.
Despite having around 24 players on the team and five seniors and nine juniors, the Valiants remain a young squad that’s still learning. There will be about 10 sophomores on the roster and five or six freshmen.
Eventually, the day will come when the Valiants aren’t a team of 16-year-olds playing 18-19-year-olds.
“One day we’re going to be on the other end,” Tidwell said. “We’ll be on that end, it’s just going to take a little time to do it. It’s up to me. I need to build the program.”
