Christian Malone
The Valdosta Daily Times
VALDOSTA —
— Radio show co-host Bobby Scott congratulated Valdosta High head coach Rance Gillespie after his first win as the Wildcats’ football coach. Valdosta defeated Brooks County 35-0 last Friday at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium.
— Gillespie was pleased with the way Valdosta played in its first game last Friday, although he also mentioned that the team still has things they can improve.
— Gillespie said he was excited about the direction Valdosta’s offense was headed in. He felt like the Wildcats did some good things on offense, and that some of the team’s playmakers stepped up in the win.
— Gillespie felt like senior Ryan Whilden, making his first career varsity start at quarterback, did some good things. Whilden completed 12 of 20 passes for 245 yards and three touchdowns. But the coach also said that there are some things that he needs to do a better job of helping Whilden prepare for.
— Gillespie felt like the Wildcats’ running game improved a good bit between the team’s scrimmage with Ware County on Aug. 13 and its game with Brooks County two weeks later. He also said that the offensive line’s pass protection has gotten better.
— After the second touchdown on Friday, the Wildcats tried an onside kick. Valdosta recovered the kick, but an official ruled that the Wildcats had touched the ball before it went 10 yards, and awarded the ball to Brooks. Gillespie felt that the official missed the call and also missed a Brooks player being offsides, and fiercely argued the call, which got him a nice ovation from the Wildcats’ fans (“We love seeing a coach with some fire in his belly,” Scott said). Radio show co-host Monty Long said that he watched the film, and Gillespie was right: the ball traveled the necessary 10 yards before it was touched by a Wildcat.
— Gillespie said he was real pleased with his defense. He feels that the defense has made some strides since the Ware scrimmage, especially on the defensive line. He said that the Wildcats’ defense played very disciplined against Brooks’ dangerous option offense.
— Gillespie praised Brooks County. He said that Brooks was a physical team that played hard. He was impressed with the Trojans’ quarterback, Malcolm Parrish, and a number of other players. He predicted that the Trojans would have a good team this year.
— Gillespie said the thing that he was most pleased with last Friday was the Wildcats’ effort throughout the game. He said the one thing the team needs to work on the most is being a more disciplined team, and cutting down on the number of penalties.
— Gillespie said that having a big crowd in the stands supporting them at a game gives the players a huge boost, and he thanked the Wildcats’ fans for showing up last Friday. He said the crowd was “second to none.”
— Gillespie was also pleased with the size of the crowd that gathered for the first-ever Cat Walk last Friday. At around 6:20 p.m. (about 100 minutes before each home game begins), the Wildcats arrive by buses at the parking lot of the Valdosta City Schools’ Central Offices. The players and coaches get off the buses, and walk down the sidewalk next to Williams Street and through the Valdosta Touchdown Club parking lot to the stadium. Fans are encouraged to be there to offer their support for the team as they walk to the stadium. A lot of people showed up for the first Cat Walk, including Valdosta’s cheerleaders. Gillespie said that when he saw the size of the crowd, he got cold chills up and down his arm. He appreciated the support that the fans were already showing for the new tradition.
— Valdosta wide receiver Charone Gatlin said that when you pull up to the stadium on the bus before the game, and see the cheerleaders and the fans lined up for the Cat Walk, there’s no better feeling for a Wildcat.
— Gillespie said that the Wildcats practice with a quick tempo. He feels that if the team practices with a quick tempo, it will help keep their conditioning up, and it will force the players to process things quickly.
— Gillespie said there are a lot of things he likes about being a football coach, including working with kids and working with his fellow coaches. He said he loves the game, and back when he was playing, he knew he would have a hard time stepping away from the game. He said he knew from a young age that coaching was what he wanted to do. His freshman year at Georgia, he had briefly decided to be a Pre-Med major, but changed his mind, followed his heart and went into coaching instead.
— Gillespie introduced his daughter Kennedy and wife Claudette, and said he appreciated the way they have both supported him as a coach.
— Gillespie believes that Hardaway, Valdosta’s opponent this week, was better last year than its 5-5 record indicated. He said he expects a tough game.
— DaShay March was the Special Teams Player of the Week, linebacker Justin Williams was the Defensive Player of the Week and running back Phillip Moore was the Offensive Player of the Week.
— DaShay March was Valdosta’s Special Teams Player of the Week. March won the award for his effort on special teams, including recovering the onside kick that Valdosta was not awarded, having a kick return and blocking well on punt coverage. March also scored Valdosta’s first two touchdowns, one on a 46-yard tunnel screen and one on a 1-yard run.
— Linebacker Justin Williams was the Defensive Player of the Week. Williams made nine tackles against Brooks. Gillespie said that Williams’ overall play is what earned him the award.
— Gillespie said that running back Phillip Moore was chosen the Offensive Player of the Week as much for his pass blocking as for his ball carrying. Moore led the Wildcats with 55 yards rushing.
— This week’s Student-Athlete of the Week is wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell. Mitchell was one of the team’s best players last Friday, catching three passes for 105 yards and two touchdowns. Gillespie said Mitchell is a good kid who has made a lot of progress since the coach arrived. He believes the college that signs Mitchell will be getting a great player.
