Valdosta ready for Wildcat battle

The Valdosta Wildcats claimed the Region 1-AAAAA title after a 27-24 victory over rival Colquitt County in the last game of the 2011 regular season. If the Wildcats want to be region champs in 2012, they will have to beat another 2011 region champion group of Wildcats. With a 2011 region title of their own as well as three Class AAAAA state championships, Georgia’s other storied Wildcats, Camden County, will enter the same region with Valdosta in 2012.

“This is a region where any of the teams can win,” says Valdosta head coach and offensive coordinator Rance Gillespie. There is certainly truth to that with Lowndes, Colquitt County, Brunswick, Coffee and Tift County making up the remainder of this region.

With spring practice in the rear view mirror, it’s the work done between now and the end of summer that Gillespie hopes will prepare his Wildcats to claim the 2012 Region 1-AAAAAA title. Gillespie is satisfied with spring practice and described it as being a quality 10 days of work. ”Our install was great this spring and we worked to retain the good and fill any vacancies left from last year,”said Gillespie.

Handling the pressure of the importance of each week this season will be the biggest challenge according to Gillespie. “Teams tend to play their best ball against us and we have to know this and be ready.”

Valdosta opens the season with four quality non-region opponents including South Carolina’s North Augusta in the Gwinnett Classic, a matchup with local rival Brooks County, and then it’s Crisp County, and Newton. Six straight region games starting with the awaited matchup versus the Camden County Wildcats make up the remainder of their schedule.

The importance and appeal of this game has been clear since the GHSA reclassification positioned the two powerhouses in the same region.

“All the games are important but this one is huge, it’s at home and it’s our first region game of the season,” said Gillespie. “Not to mention it is against Camden County, a team that has won multiple state championships before.”

Camden County’s trip to Valdosta Sept. 28 is one of the many must-see games that this region is certain to bring in 2012.

“This is one heck of a football region and we are going to have to handle the mental pressure each and every week if we want to be champions,” says Gillespie.