VALDOSTA, Ga. (WTXL) - On Tuesday at SEC Media Days, Georgia head coach Kirby Smart talked about how the state of Georgia has the best high school football in the country.
Few would argue with him. Valdosta High School won State last year in AAAAAA, and was one of four teams nationally to be invited to the Geico State Champions Bowl Series.
The Cats are looking to build off that success, and it starts now in the summer. Head coach Alan Rodemaker notes they have a lot of new faces on the field, but says the summer allows them to catch up.
In Georgia, they are allowed up to three padded camps, and in Winnersville, they go shorts and helmets every day.
Coach Rod added they embrace the target on their back, and while there's been chatter to repeat, that's not a bad thing.
"For me, I'm not scared of a sophomore flop," he said. "Whether we win it or not, I think winning a State Championship certainly has helped us in the offseason get more kids out from the hallways. I think it's helped us know that there's some really good things if you go out there and work really hard. Those last five weeks of the season were a lot of fun last year."
Valdosta gets the season started with a bang. They take on Lowndes on the road for the Winnersville Classic on August the 18th.
