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While much has changed since 1913, some things apparently have not.

One day before Valdosta High School played the first football game in school history, the Oct. 16, 1913, edition of the Valdosta Daily Times described the VHS team as such: “They have good weight, plenty of speed, and are nervy to the limit. They have developed into one of the fastest and grittiest high school squads in this part of the State and can be counted on to give a good account of themselves Friday.”

Grit has definitely been a quality the Wildcats have maintained over the past 103 years. And more times than not, VHS has given a good account of itself on Friday nights.

So much in fact that Valdosta High is on the precipice of yet another gridiron milestone. Whether it comes Aug. 19 in the season-opening Winnersville Classic or at some other point during the 2016 campaign, the Wildcats sit just one win away from 900 in the storied program’s history. 

When that milestone win comes it will make Valdosta the first high school program to reach 900. Only the University of Michigan has won more times on the gridiron with 925.

The Wildcats have gotten to the verge of 900 wins in a number of ways. Here’s one way to look at the 899 wins Valdosta has accumulated so far.

6 — national championships awarded the Wildcats. The nation’s winningest high school prep program is nationally renowned and as such has been named national champions on six different occasions, staking its claim to the best team in the country in 1962, 1969, 1971, 1984, 1986 and 1992.

13 — the number of players on that first Valdosta High team back in 1913. In the team picture from the Lowndes County Historical Society and Museum, VHS’ first team included Carl Blair, Jim Tom Blalock, Will Collier, James Cranford, Tom Cranford, West Cranford, Osborne Hotzendorf, Eric McIntyre, Lewis Pindar, Frank Roberts, Frank Rose, Albert Saunders and John Stevens in addition to coach Turner Rockwell.

15 — head coaches in Valdosta history prior to Alan Rodemaker’s debut this August. In addition to Rockwell, who had two stints as VHS head coach, other ‘Cats coaches were Robert Stevens, JL Newbern, Arthur Cox, MM Parks Jr., Mike Herndon, Bobby Hooks, Wright Bazemore, Buck Thomas, Charlie Greene, Nick Hyder, Mike O’Brien, Rick Darlington, Rick Tomberlin and Rance Gillespie.

22 — seasons of Hyder at the helm. The second of Valdosta’s legendary head coaches, Hyder came to Valdosta with 53 wins already on his resume from six seasons at West Rome. But Hyder became a legend in Titletown. Hyder’s reign included 249 wins, seven state titles and three national championships before he passed away after suffering a heart attack in the school cafeteria May 16, 1996.

23 — state championships. Outside the sheer volume of wins the Wildcats have accumulated, nothing symbolizes Valdosta’s dominance like the 23 state crowns starting with the 1940 title under Bobby Hooks, who then left to become Mercer’s head coach, and adding 13 titles during Bazemore’s run (1947, 51-53, 56-57, 60-62, 65, 68-69, 71), the seven with Hyder at the helm (1978, 82, 84, 86, 89-90, 92) and the program’s final title in 1998 with Mike O’Brien leading the way.

28 — seasons with Bazemore in charge. The gold standard of coaches in the state, Bazemore made Valdosta into Valdosta. In addition to the 13 state championships, Bazemore’s ‘Cats won 268 games and three national championships before he retired after the 1971 state and national title run.

41 — region championships captured along the way, the most recent coming in 2011 and at least one coming in every decade dating back to the first one arrived in 1920.

77 — the number of catches hauled in by Malcolm Mitchell during the Wildcats’ 2010 season, setting a new school record. Mitchell’s huge senior season led him past the 72 hauled in by the legendary Stan Rome during Valdosta’s 1971 season.

102 — seasons played so far since that 1913 debut — or every year since aside from 1918 when the ‘Cats didn’t play due to the first Wold War and a flu epidemic.

220 — all-state players recognized from VHS according to the Georgia High School Football Historians Association. Starting with Gary Phillips and Jake Fleming in 1950 to Seth Shuman and Antwon Kincade last fall, VHS has had stars throughout its history including Mitchell and Rome.

352 — weeks ranked at No. 1 in the state polls, according to the GHSFHA, yet another indicator of the dominance Valdosta High has shown throughout its history.

Add it all up and it’s 899 wins. And starting with win No. 1 — a 14-0 decision against Sparks College on Nov. 1, 1913 — the VDT will spend the next two-plus months looking at the milestone wins VHS has already notched along the way as the ‘Cats work towards the next number to fall.

Jamie Wachter is the sports editor of the Valdosta Daily Times and can be followed on Twitter @jlwachter.