Shane Thomas | The Valdosta Daily TimesValwood quarterback Dru Womack (2) throws under pressure during the team's intrasquad spring game May 14 at Goddard Field.

HAHIRA –– Save the best for last.

The Valwood Valiants’ new starting quarterback, Dru Womack, looks to do just that.

After an impressive junior year playing wide receiver for the Valiants, Womack was called back to his old position.

Womack had played quarterback his entire life until he had to give the position up to help the team in other aspects of the game for two years.

Going into this season without any stops from COVID, and having a full offseason to prepare for the upcoming season is beneficial for a quarterback after so much time off.

“At first, it was a little tough knocking the rust off because of not playing in 3 years, but as we practiced through the summer and going to camps, with more opportunities to compete really helped a lot,”  Womack said.

Head coach Justin Henderson has made it a point to get his quarterback back in the groove of being the signal caller for the Valiants.

“Coach Hen has helped me go to multiple camps this summer,” Womack said. “He has also given me and the whole team the opportunity to attend both University of Florida and the University of Florida State 7-on-7 tournaments. I also got a lot of help from my quarterback coach Craig Berry to help me prepare for my last year.“

Womack looks to have an impressive year after making a couple of promising plays last year, showcasing his talent and arm strength.

Every season is filled with nerves and even Womack knows he is going to have them.

“There are definitely going to be some nerves going into the year, but everyone has those nerves,” Womack said. “I have to say I feel we are definitely prepared as much as we could be for this season.”

Womack will get his first taste of the starting job this Friday as the Valiants take on the Deerfield-Windsor Knights in a scrimmage in Albany.

Like any other player, Womack has set lofty goals for himself and the team this upcoming year.

“My goals are to help lead this team go as far as we can go and hopefully win region first and then push on to win state,” Womack said. “My goal is to achieve All-state honors for the season.”

Jarell Kimble is a special contributor to the Valdosta Daily Times.