Valwood players, from left, Matt Register, Jason Popadopolous and Ben Crump are among the Valiants who volunteer their time to the First Baptist Church Food Ministry.

HAHIRA — The clock struck zero on Valwood’s hard-fought win against Southland Academy around 10 p.m. on Friday in Americus. The team bus departed for home 30 minutes later before finally reaching Hahira at 12:30 a.m.

But by 9 a.m. Saturday morning some of the Valiants were already back at work, not on the football field, but at the First Baptist Church Food Ministry in Valdosta.

Seven years ago the parents of 2002 Valwood graduate Jamie Clary began the food ministry as a way to keep the memory of their deceased daughter alive as well as help others in the community. For the past two years members of the Valiant football team have assisted them in their goals.

The First Baptist Church Food Ministry provides bags of groceries to people in need on each of the first two Saturdays of every month — 199 people were served last Saturday alone. But with a finite number of volunteers and a overwhelming number of those in need, the food ministry needed some extra help.

That’s where the Valiants came to the rescue.

Throughout the week three to four members of Valwood’s football team volunteers to spend their Saturday morning helping to bag groceries before assisting customers to their cars.

“It’s definitely pretty tough getting up those early mornings, especially coming back from a road game,” said sophomore tight end Ben Crump. “I can remember one time when I did it, we were coming back from Albany after playing a game, we got back around maybe 12:30 a.m. and we had to get up that next morning.

“But it makes me feel good to know I helped out someone in need.”

Instead of enjoying a rare day off on Saturday morning like most high school athletes, you can find the Valwood football players at First Baptist from 9 a.m. to noon helping the food ministry serve between 1,100-1,200 underprivileged families each month. It’s something that has resonated within the players.

“I just think us being at Valwood, we have a lot of opportunities that some people may not have,” said junior center Matt Register. “It’s just a good thing to keep us humble, and to make us realize there is a lot we can do to help people.”

Jason Popadopolous, a junior guard, added: “I think at Valwood, a lot of people here might be sheltered from the media of our community. As a team, when we can all go and help the needy, we really learn what it is to do service.”