August 13, 2026 • 23 mins
Worth County football head coach Jeff Hammond discusses the challenge of defending a state championship as the Rams move up to Class 3A.
Coach Hammond also breaks down what Worth County learned from its preseason scrimmage against Valdosta, the return of four-year starting quarterback Lyndon Worthy, and how the Rams are preparing for a season-opening showdown with Brooks County.
Presented by Phoebe Orthopedics & Sports Medicine #sponsored
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Coach Hammond also breaks down what Worth County learned from its preseason scrimmage against Valdosta, the return of four-year starting quarterback Lyndon Worthy, and how the Rams are preparing for a season-opening showdown with Brooks County.
Presented by Phoebe Orthopedics & Sports Medicine #sponsored
For more great coverage of high school sports in Georgia, Florida, and across the country, visit www.itgnext.com.
Follow us on socials!
Instagram: @itgnext.georgia
Facebook: @itgnext.georgia
TikTok: @itgnext
X (Twitter): @itgnext_georgia
YouTube: @itgnext
Are you a business that wants to work with ITG Next? Email us at info@itgnext.com or visit our website to learn more about advertising and sponsorship opportunities.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
All right, guys, welcome into another year of talking Worth
County Rams football. We are absolutely delighted to have back
with us the head coach of the defending.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
City champion Worth County Rams.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
And here he is, Jeff Hamond coach. First of all,
congratulations on a great season last year. Glad to have
you back for another year of talking Rams football.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
I appreciate it having me backfield, so it's always fun.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
It really is.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
I want to start off by giving a big shout
out to our sponsor this year. It's Phoebe Orthopedics and
Sports Medicine. Whether you need complex orthopedic trauma, surgery or
treatment for a minor pickleball injury, the team at Phoebe
Orthopedics and Sports Medicine has got you covered. We have
the largest orthophedics team in Southwest Georgia. That's pretty good.
(00:47):
Our experienced physicians, advanced practice providers, certified athletic trainers in
physical and occupational therapists focus on restoring mobility, relieving pain
and getting you back.
Speaker 4 (00:59):
To the activities you enjoy, like coach in his big
pickleball game that he's got going on. So learn more
at Phoebe Phoebe a better way to orthopedic care coach.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
I'm not a pickleball or I paid tennis, but that's
that's probably gonna get me hurt before anything. But h
but a lot of people are playing pickleball, so all right,
but we're not here to talk pickleball. We're here to
talk football. Coach, great year last year, of course, and
but it's a whole new season now. Uh, talk about
having to live up to the expectations, uh, you know
(01:34):
of coming off of a state championship season.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
That's the thing a lot of people don't realize.
Speaker 5 (01:39):
Well, it's hard to get to the top, and it's
even harder to stay there. Yeah, And the expectations in
the community is they experienced it and they want to
experience it every year, and they should. But the battle
you find is the complacency of of what it took
(02:03):
us to reach that milestone. Is it's going to take
even more hard work to do it again. And that's
always a challenge.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
Yeah, one hundred percent.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
You know, that's what they say about raising the bar,
you know, or whether it's sports or business, you know,
whatever you reach, if you go above and beyond what
you're expected to do, that and better the following year.
Of course, you're not gonna be able to do much
better than you guys did last year winning the state championship,
but you guys are in a new region this year,
(02:35):
so they're with that comes a lot of challenges for
the fans out there that may be uneducated on what
happened this offseason as far as the new classification changes,
that kind of thing. Tell the fans where you guys
are now this year heading into twenty twenty six.
Speaker 5 (02:50):
Well, last year we were basically to a single leary
Division one and this year we bumped up three. A
don't ask me how or why our enrollment went down and.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
We went up.
Speaker 5 (03:06):
Uh, So it's it's gonna be a new challenge, all right.
It's gonna be a it's a very very good football
league across the state.
Speaker 3 (03:16):
Uh.
Speaker 5 (03:16):
It's gonna be some new faces that we haven't played
before and some and an old face that we have
played before. So it's and we're going to be tested
in our region. So we're going to do a really
good job to be able to compete and try and
try to do what we've done in the.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
Past here in the last couple of years.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
All right, So it's a new region. Uh yeah, that
don't make any sense. You class, your your enrollment goes down,
but you you go up in region. But hey, anyway,
it is what it is. Uh, you still got to
play it. So who are some what the region is new?
Speaker 2 (03:50):
Who were the new region opponents?
Speaker 3 (03:53):
Uh?
Speaker 5 (03:53):
The top of the list, you've got Carver Columbus, who's
depending the state championship back to by Chris County.
Speaker 3 (04:02):
I think coach over there has done a really good job.
Speaker 5 (04:04):
I got to see him a couple of times on
film because we had common opponents. Uh, Will Americas has
really done super h We we were in region with
them my first year, my first two years here, and
he's taking that place out of out of the darkness.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
And really he was.
Speaker 5 (04:24):
He was one or two plays away last year from
playing for a state championship, just like us.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
Ye. So uh that those are gonna be really challenge
of ball games.
Speaker 5 (04:34):
And and and and getting to those games is gonna
be challenging too. This this group of wherever we stand
at the end, we're gonna be battle testing when region
time gets here.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
Yeah, no question about that.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
So before you get there, obviously, you guys have already
got one game, so to speak, under your belt went
up against Valdosta at Valdosta. Uh, that's about as good
a child challenges you can go take your team into.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
Well, I mean, Shelton's got a heck of a football team.
Speaker 5 (05:05):
I mean they're they're seven eighty semi finals from last year,
and they might be better this year they were last year.
I thought they do a lot of good things. Well,
they're very disciplined.
Speaker 3 (05:19):
Uh.
Speaker 5 (05:19):
Their their pace of play they play offensively is as
fast as I've seen. And I've always thought I was
pretty fast when when I was rolling, but I thought
they were actually on another level. They do a really
good job with tempo. Their defensive boxes is very very good.
But it was a good measured stick to see where
(05:42):
we are. Uh. And and moving forward in these next
two weeks to getting ready for the first game.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
Yeah, absolutely, And so again that's what I said.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
So it is the game, it didn't really matter, you know,
why not go up against the best opponent and the
best talent to give yourself a measuring stick, like you mentioned.
So you've been able to do that. I'm assuming you
guys come out of the thing. I know this is
the number one goal you guys come out of the
scrimmage healthy.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
I see.
Speaker 5 (06:08):
Oh yeah, well that was that was the brightest spot
of it is is we've got a lot of good
reps and against the quality opponent, and everybody's practicing on money.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
Uh.
Speaker 5 (06:18):
And that's that's always your fear in the summer and
scrimmage games, is you don't want to lose anybody. And
if you lose them in during the season in.
Speaker 3 (06:29):
The game, that's football. It happens.
Speaker 5 (06:31):
But you kind of hold your breath when you when
they don't when the games really don't have any effect
on the season whatsoever.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
Yeah, you're right holding your breath. And certainly the key
phrase there. So uh, let's talk about now we'll move
into the regular season. Uh.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
You guys are going to start win and against whom uh.
Speaker 5 (06:50):
Next right night we have Brooks County at home. Uh
and and we've we've played them last two years. We're
very familiar, they're very athletic. H. It'll be a rate
game one. So we we're gonna have to come out
and play solid football and grow up at certain spots.
(07:10):
And because the challenge is we're not sneaking up on anybody. Yeah,
and it's almost to a point that the teams you play,
have you surpled on their calendar.
Speaker 1 (07:26):
Uh.
Speaker 5 (07:26):
And and beating us right now is is something they
go brag about.
Speaker 3 (07:31):
And beat the chest out.
Speaker 5 (07:33):
And so the guys that I coach and the coaches
and the community just has to understand we're gonna get
everybody's a game. Uh and nobody is. Everybody's gonna be
inside to play us. So if we if we don't
execute and play with poise and do things the right way,
(07:54):
we can stump a.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
Toe a couple of times. And that's what we're trying
to prevent.
Speaker 5 (08:00):
That.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
You're right, the bulls eye on your back just got
a lot.
Speaker 5 (08:04):
Bigger, well, I mean much when we're in this business.
I mean, we don't want to be everybody's homecoming either.
So let's let's go out there and get there, get
people's best best.
Speaker 3 (08:17):
Shot, and play as good and hard as we can play.
Speaker 5 (08:22):
And and after after each game, how can we get
better to go to the next week.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
What was it like after the state championship?
Speaker 1 (08:31):
You know, because we had your last we had our
last conversation with you, you know, the week after the
state title game, and you know, then you went and
did your thing, and and of course I saw some stuff,
but talk about how a community reacts, you know, after
having not been in that position of a state champion
in you know, in their community for their team, you know,
(08:51):
talking about yeah, talk about what that means, coach, how
it brought everybody up, talk about it.
Speaker 5 (08:56):
Was very surreal and the things that came to fruition
that I tried to instill when I got here, uh,
and we followed through them. And having having a community
that really bought in supported us because when I like,
(09:23):
our stadium is built for sixteen hundred enrollment.
Speaker 3 (09:28):
And when I took over this job and I.
Speaker 5 (09:30):
Looked at it and I said that, well, the only
one negative I can see is it's too big for
a small school and we'll never pack this thing out.
And that last five or six home games, it's been full,
and people they we know what kind of community we are.
(09:52):
We're in South Georgia. I mean we don't we have
a We have a group of people that are not
well off money wise, and it's getting more expensively come
to the games and watch opponents, and so they're saving
every dime they get just to come watch these kids play.
And seeing that no one, No one are our sociate
(10:13):
economic dynamic. I mean, that's that's something that that makes
me proud and let our kids understand that they're not.
Speaker 3 (10:22):
Alone in this thing. And so it was it's we.
Speaker 5 (10:26):
It's amazing, it is I mean that we can actually
build something from the ground up and do something special
and not just my boys or my coaches or my school.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
But everybody in the community gets to be involved.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
In well so well put, so well put and uh man,
that's such a thing of pride as you just described,
you know, uh and really, you know, it's good to
want to say championship no matter what team you are,
what level you are, and there's just something really that
much more special doing it in a place like Sylvester, Georgia,
(11:05):
Worth County, Georgia, where that football team is everything to
these people.
Speaker 3 (11:10):
Coach and you and you saw it in the in
the game.
Speaker 5 (11:16):
If you watched all every state championship game that all
classifications played, our crowd size was better than everybody. And
like if anybody that can that can get up there
made it. And when we got back because we had
the early game, the ones that couldn't get up there
(11:38):
were lining the streets waiting on us to get home
and it it chokes.
Speaker 3 (11:43):
You up and it makes you.
Speaker 5 (11:44):
Happy that that I know, it's happened before, that had
happened a long time.
Speaker 3 (11:49):
But people can fall back on that I was at
the game. Wouldn't Worth County want the state championship?
Speaker 2 (11:55):
Or that was one.
Speaker 5 (11:56):
Of my groups that I know this kid, I know
that kid. It's it's a it's a really good deal.
Speaker 3 (12:02):
Yeah. All right, so coach, a lot.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
Of good things come out of last year. But you
guys had some players move on. Uh, but talk about
some of the key components, some of the key players
that are back this year.
Speaker 5 (12:16):
We got a good core nucleus coming back kid, a
lot of guys who had a lot of experiencing games
and made a lot of big plays and big moments.
Speaker 3 (12:27):
Uh. We've got a four year starter quarterback with London
that he is. He has done, had an amazing career.
Speaker 5 (12:38):
You've lost some skilled kids, but we have good skilled kids.
Speaker 3 (12:44):
In our old line.
Speaker 5 (12:47):
We got majority of them back and offensively so we
we're not far off from where we were last year
at this time. Defensively, we we we lost a good bit,
but we played a lot of kids last year and
you have our d line and our linebacker corps is
(13:08):
still really strong. Our secondary is is kind of the
point right now where.
Speaker 3 (13:14):
We've got some green out there.
Speaker 5 (13:16):
We we had we lost four seniors in the secondary
and we played six kids, so we've got to get
the experience on the back half where we're where we're
we're moving in.
Speaker 3 (13:28):
The right direction.
Speaker 5 (13:29):
But it means I haven't been a part of a
team that didn't play really really good football to around
week five, week six, so we've got plenty of time
to get there. It's just it's going to be hard
work every day and focus and understanding how how I
(13:49):
do my job. So I'm I'm I'm really optimistic about
this group.
Speaker 2 (13:55):
That's fantastic.
Speaker 1 (13:56):
That's good because you know, the the natural cycle of
high school sports, you're gonna have some good players leave,
but that gives opportunity for some of the younger guys
to step up and make a name for themselves.
Speaker 5 (14:08):
Right well, you think about it, and Rush used to
talk about this all the time.
Speaker 3 (14:15):
When we got our stretch of cop with is.
Speaker 5 (14:19):
All these kids that were on the team last year
got five extra weeks of practice and with the state
adding a week before the playoffs started, that's six extra
weeks of practice. So they making deep runs in the playoffs,
and the year before going to the quarters, last year
going to the finals. I mean, we've really almost played
(14:43):
an entire season extra.
Speaker 3 (14:44):
Night in two years.
Speaker 5 (14:46):
I mean, that's nine weeks of preparation and things like that,
which they are going to progress for because they even
when they if they're running scout team and doing other.
Speaker 3 (14:58):
Team stuff, they're still play a football, all right. And
and I think that.
Speaker 5 (15:03):
Gives us an opportunity to grow and be the next guy.
Speaker 3 (15:09):
And you're right, I mean everybody, we have.
Speaker 5 (15:12):
Some key names that are won't be with us that
were with us for three or four years that everybody
knew who they were. Always those guys leave, somebody else
has to fill the shoes, and and and the beauty
about it is is they don't have to be that
guy that left. They can be their own person. And
we have to as coaches, we have to do a
(15:35):
good job of maximizing to their ability and and and
not being hardheaded to say, all right, this worked last year,
so it's gonna work this year.
Speaker 3 (15:48):
All right.
Speaker 5 (15:48):
We might be totally different in certain avenues where it's
better for our football club and from year to year,
that's the decision we have to make as the decision makers.
Speaker 1 (16:00):
YEA one hundred percent of closing out with Jeff Hammond,
head coach of the Word County Rams.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
We're gonna be talking to coach himm.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
And all season long, every week, bringing you up to speed,
keeping you up to dat on what's happening with the
Rams as they get ready to open the season against
Brooks County.
Speaker 3 (16:15):
That when is that first county game again?
Speaker 2 (16:17):
And where's that at?
Speaker 3 (16:18):
I'll be here to be next ride. It's twenty first
the thing.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
Okay, so let me ask you this.
Speaker 1 (16:25):
You know, coming out of the scrimmage and really the
off season, I guess you guys participated in some of
the OTAs and passing camps, they kind of think, you know,
what's the area of the team that you're most excited about.
Speaker 5 (16:38):
I think it's just a group and whole. I mean,
did we make mistakes last Friday? Heck yeah, we made
a ton of But it's is you see glimpses or
well we.
Speaker 3 (16:51):
Can be pretty good right here, or we can be
pretty good right here?
Speaker 5 (16:54):
Is that sometimes though, when kids haven't played meaningful snaps
in games.
Speaker 3 (17:00):
Meaning, for instance, I.
Speaker 5 (17:03):
Know they weren't on the field when it weren't overtime
last year versus tops Field.
Speaker 3 (17:07):
They when they got into game, the game was.
Speaker 5 (17:09):
Already over because we were are the score had dictated
that we were in a running clock and stuff like that.
Is a lot of our mistakes that guy were his
first time been under lights, and and and the nerves,
the the sometimes they try too hard. Uh, and that's
(17:31):
when your mistakes happened. When we had a bunch of
drops in the game. That and I which we were
moving football pretty well. And it's just I mean, it's snowball. Well,
everybody's sitting there.
Speaker 3 (17:43):
What we're gonna do. What we're gonna do.
Speaker 5 (17:45):
Well, We're just gonna let him play because I'm not
concerned because when I'm watch them in practice, they don't drop,
so they I mean, and and heck, I played receiver
in all my life through college. I promise you nobody
in that stadium Phillips worse about dropping the ball and
the kid that drops it. So it's it's not it's
(18:06):
when they understand that, it's just it's still just a game.
Playing on Friday night is really no different. If I'm
practicing the right way that it is Monday through Thursday
and that and that's the challenge going to be with them,
all right.
Speaker 3 (18:23):
I hate to compare them from last.
Speaker 5 (18:24):
Year, but we won fifteen games, but we only had
two subpar practices all year. They won games and there
so a couple of games we might as should have lost.
But how they prepared and how they how confident they
were because they understood what to do and how to
do it because they made theirselves do it day in
(18:47):
and day out. Is can this group take on that persona?
Can they go out there being great practice players? And
it's been tough this you, I mean, I mean, we're
not fortunate enough to have an indoor where it's seventy
eight degrees and the only time you sweat is when
when you're actually working. All right, we're we've been out
(19:09):
in the heat and it's been very human. Uh, it's
it's it's been very difficult. I mean, if we follow
all the guidelines that the state puts us on and
and but when you do that.
Speaker 3 (19:24):
It's you're depleting your body.
Speaker 5 (19:27):
So when we go out Monday, now you've got to
turn around Tuesday, and there's no guarantee that you've recovered
from Monday. So I mean there's a lot of factors
that go into practice and and when it and and
we're playing with kiss buck Ways this year, all right,
so their workload is double. So I mean there's a
lot of factors, and we got to I've got to
(19:48):
figure out the right formula to make it where I
can get them as good as they can get and
be ready to play on Friday night.
Speaker 2 (19:57):
Well, we'll leave with this.
Speaker 3 (19:59):
You know.
Speaker 2 (19:59):
The good thing you I'm a big proponent.
Speaker 1 (20:01):
You are as good as your quarterback he is, and
as good as your quarterback will take it. You guys
have got one of the best in the business in
lending worthy. And you know, like you said, four year starter.
So man, the guy that touches the ball every play,
you got him back. That is a huge advantage you
have before the whistle starts the game.
Speaker 5 (20:23):
Now, especially in what I do offensively, it's really important
to have a guy that understands where to go with
the ball in the run game, the throw game, the
screen game. We try to build in a lot of
answers because you never know what you're gonna get from
(20:45):
play to play. Devensively and he's got to bill to
process all of that and then having the athletic ability
to execute so and he's shown.
Speaker 3 (20:57):
Time in and time out that he he could handle this.
Speaker 5 (21:01):
So and with a young with some young guys at
certain spots, all right, you might have to lean on
him little bit.
Speaker 3 (21:10):
More than we had to pass.
Speaker 5 (21:12):
I mean, I mean, if you want to compare stats
for the last year and a half, we didn't throw
up more than fifteen sixteen times a game. Because we're
up forty two to seven and a half and he's
fourteen for fifteen for two hundred yards and three touchdowns.
There's no point of just going rub assaults might his
wounds just to get numbers. So I mean, he's and
(21:35):
he's still he's going to be top ten and stayed
all time passing right, and could have quite possibly been
top two or three all time state of passing if
we would have been finishing games and completing games where
we had to play four quarters.
Speaker 3 (21:54):
And we were still putting the ball in their.
Speaker 5 (21:56):
So and that was to me, probably the thing I've
been most proud about him, if it is, is that
he had chase stats.
Speaker 3 (22:03):
I never once heard him complain about.
Speaker 5 (22:06):
Looking at oh, I could have been a four thousand
dollars passer, or I could be up there with Trevor
Larrence and all like that, and that just such says
a lot about his character as us, winning ball games
is more important than the accolades.
Speaker 3 (22:21):
Now, he still has a lot of good accidents and
we expect him to have a great year.
Speaker 5 (22:27):
We just got to run around, catch the ball, keep
him up right, defense, get stops, and I think we'll
be Okay, He's Kate.
Speaker 3 (22:35):
That's that easy, an't it.
Speaker 2 (22:38):
That's easy, man, you got it all figured it out.
Speaker 3 (22:41):
Well.
Speaker 1 (22:42):
Listen, coach, we're gonna have a plans talking to you
all season long. And of course we'll come back next
week and the week after that, and h man, I'm
just so glad that we're able to talk.
Speaker 2 (22:51):
We're county football once again in twenty twenty six.
Speaker 3 (22:54):
All right, sounds great, brother, I'll see next week, okay, coach?
All right?
Speaker 2 (22:58):
Do jeff him a head coach of the Worth County Rams.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
And again, big thanks to Phoebe Orthopedics and Sports Medicine.
Learn more at Phoebe Phoebe a better way to Orthopedic care.
Glad to have the folks at Phoebe Orthopedics in Sports
Medicine as our sponsor of the Worth County Football Coaching
Show here in twenty twenty six only at itg next.
Be sure to follow us on all of our platforms,
(23:22):
social media, our website and all the different sports that
we cover here at itg Next. Nobody does it like
we do at itg next. Talk to you guys next
week right here at the Worth County Coaching Show
All right, guys, welcome into another year of talking Worth
County Rams football. We are absolutely delighted to have back
with us the head coach of the defending.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
City champion Worth County Rams.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
And here he is, Jeff Hamond coach. First of all,
congratulations on a great season last year. Glad to have
you back for another year of talking Rams football.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
I appreciate it having me backfield, so it's always fun.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
It really is.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
I want to start off by giving a big shout
out to our sponsor this year. It's Phoebe Orthopedics and
Sports Medicine. Whether you need complex orthopedic trauma, surgery or
treatment for a minor pickleball injury, the team at Phoebe
Orthopedics and Sports Medicine has got you covered. We have
the largest orthophedics team in Southwest Georgia. That's pretty good.
(00:47):
Our experienced physicians, advanced practice providers, certified athletic trainers in
physical and occupational therapists focus on restoring mobility, relieving pain
and getting you back.
Speaker 4 (00:59):
To the activities you enjoy, like coach in his big
pickleball game that he's got going on. So learn more
at Phoebe Phoebe a better way to orthopedic care coach.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
I'm not a pickleball or I paid tennis, but that's
that's probably gonna get me hurt before anything. But h
but a lot of people are playing pickleball, so all right,
but we're not here to talk pickleball. We're here to
talk football. Coach, great year last year, of course, and
but it's a whole new season now. Uh, talk about
having to live up to the expectations, uh, you know
(01:34):
of coming off of a state championship season.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
That's the thing a lot of people don't realize.
Speaker 5 (01:39):
Well, it's hard to get to the top, and it's
even harder to stay there. Yeah, And the expectations in
the community is they experienced it and they want to
experience it every year, and they should. But the battle
you find is the complacency of of what it took
(02:03):
us to reach that milestone. Is it's going to take
even more hard work to do it again. And that's
always a challenge.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
Yeah, one hundred percent.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
You know, that's what they say about raising the bar,
you know, or whether it's sports or business, you know,
whatever you reach, if you go above and beyond what
you're expected to do, that and better the following year.
Of course, you're not gonna be able to do much
better than you guys did last year winning the state championship,
but you guys are in a new region this year,
(02:35):
so they're with that comes a lot of challenges for
the fans out there that may be uneducated on what
happened this offseason as far as the new classification changes,
that kind of thing. Tell the fans where you guys
are now this year heading into twenty twenty six.
Speaker 5 (02:50):
Well, last year we were basically to a single leary
Division one and this year we bumped up three. A
don't ask me how or why our enrollment went down and.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
We went up.
Speaker 5 (03:06):
Uh, So it's it's gonna be a new challenge, all right.
It's gonna be a it's a very very good football
league across the state.
Speaker 3 (03:16):
Uh.
Speaker 5 (03:16):
It's gonna be some new faces that we haven't played
before and some and an old face that we have
played before. So it's and we're going to be tested
in our region. So we're going to do a really
good job to be able to compete and try and
try to do what we've done in the.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
Past here in the last couple of years.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
All right, So it's a new region. Uh yeah, that
don't make any sense. You class, your your enrollment goes down,
but you you go up in region. But hey, anyway,
it is what it is. Uh, you still got to
play it. So who are some what the region is new?
Speaker 2 (03:50):
Who were the new region opponents?
Speaker 3 (03:53):
Uh?
Speaker 5 (03:53):
The top of the list, you've got Carver Columbus, who's
depending the state championship back to by Chris County.
Speaker 3 (04:02):
I think coach over there has done a really good job.
Speaker 5 (04:04):
I got to see him a couple of times on
film because we had common opponents. Uh, Will Americas has
really done super h We we were in region with
them my first year, my first two years here, and
he's taking that place out of out of the darkness.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
And really he was.
Speaker 5 (04:24):
He was one or two plays away last year from
playing for a state championship, just like us.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
Ye. So uh that those are gonna be really challenge
of ball games.
Speaker 5 (04:34):
And and and and getting to those games is gonna
be challenging too. This this group of wherever we stand
at the end, we're gonna be battle testing when region
time gets here.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
Yeah, no question about that.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
So before you get there, obviously, you guys have already
got one game, so to speak, under your belt went
up against Valdosta at Valdosta. Uh, that's about as good
a child challenges you can go take your team into.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
Well, I mean, Shelton's got a heck of a football team.
Speaker 5 (05:05):
I mean they're they're seven eighty semi finals from last year,
and they might be better this year they were last year.
I thought they do a lot of good things. Well,
they're very disciplined.
Speaker 3 (05:19):
Uh.
Speaker 5 (05:19):
Their their pace of play they play offensively is as
fast as I've seen. And I've always thought I was
pretty fast when when I was rolling, but I thought
they were actually on another level. They do a really
good job with tempo. Their defensive boxes is very very good.
But it was a good measured stick to see where
(05:42):
we are. Uh. And and moving forward in these next
two weeks to getting ready for the first game.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
Yeah, absolutely, And so again that's what I said.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
So it is the game, it didn't really matter, you know,
why not go up against the best opponent and the
best talent to give yourself a measuring stick, like you mentioned.
So you've been able to do that. I'm assuming you
guys come out of the thing. I know this is
the number one goal you guys come out of the
scrimmage healthy.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
I see.
Speaker 5 (06:08):
Oh yeah, well that was that was the brightest spot
of it is is we've got a lot of good
reps and against the quality opponent, and everybody's practicing on money.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
Uh.
Speaker 5 (06:18):
And that's that's always your fear in the summer and
scrimmage games, is you don't want to lose anybody. And
if you lose them in during the season in.
Speaker 3 (06:29):
The game, that's football. It happens.
Speaker 5 (06:31):
But you kind of hold your breath when you when
they don't when the games really don't have any effect
on the season whatsoever.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
Yeah, you're right holding your breath. And certainly the key
phrase there. So uh, let's talk about now we'll move
into the regular season. Uh.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
You guys are going to start win and against whom uh.
Speaker 5 (06:50):
Next right night we have Brooks County at home. Uh
and and we've we've played them last two years. We're
very familiar, they're very athletic. H. It'll be a rate
game one. So we we're gonna have to come out
and play solid football and grow up at certain spots.
(07:10):
And because the challenge is we're not sneaking up on anybody. Yeah,
and it's almost to a point that the teams you play,
have you surpled on their calendar.
Speaker 1 (07:26):
Uh.
Speaker 5 (07:26):
And and beating us right now is is something they
go brag about.
Speaker 3 (07:31):
And beat the chest out.
Speaker 5 (07:33):
And so the guys that I coach and the coaches
and the community just has to understand we're gonna get
everybody's a game. Uh and nobody is. Everybody's gonna be
inside to play us. So if we if we don't
execute and play with poise and do things the right way,
(07:54):
we can stump a.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
Toe a couple of times. And that's what we're trying
to prevent.
Speaker 5 (08:00):
That.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
You're right, the bulls eye on your back just got
a lot.
Speaker 5 (08:04):
Bigger, well, I mean much when we're in this business.
I mean, we don't want to be everybody's homecoming either.
So let's let's go out there and get there, get
people's best best.
Speaker 3 (08:17):
Shot, and play as good and hard as we can play.
Speaker 5 (08:22):
And and after after each game, how can we get
better to go to the next week.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
What was it like after the state championship?
Speaker 1 (08:31):
You know, because we had your last we had our
last conversation with you, you know, the week after the
state title game, and you know, then you went and
did your thing, and and of course I saw some stuff,
but talk about how a community reacts, you know, after
having not been in that position of a state champion
in you know, in their community for their team, you know,
(08:51):
talking about yeah, talk about what that means, coach, how
it brought everybody up, talk about it.
Speaker 5 (08:56):
Was very surreal and the things that came to fruition
that I tried to instill when I got here, uh,
and we followed through them. And having having a community
that really bought in supported us because when I like,
(09:23):
our stadium is built for sixteen hundred enrollment.
Speaker 3 (09:28):
And when I took over this job and I.
Speaker 5 (09:30):
Looked at it and I said that, well, the only
one negative I can see is it's too big for
a small school and we'll never pack this thing out.
And that last five or six home games, it's been full,
and people they we know what kind of community we are.
(09:52):
We're in South Georgia. I mean we don't we have
a We have a group of people that are not
well off money wise, and it's getting more expensively come
to the games and watch opponents, and so they're saving
every dime they get just to come watch these kids play.
And seeing that no one, No one are our sociate
(10:13):
economic dynamic. I mean, that's that's something that that makes
me proud and let our kids understand that they're not.
Speaker 3 (10:22):
Alone in this thing. And so it was it's we.
Speaker 5 (10:26):
It's amazing, it is I mean that we can actually
build something from the ground up and do something special
and not just my boys or my coaches or my school.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
But everybody in the community gets to be involved.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
In well so well put, so well put and uh man,
that's such a thing of pride as you just described,
you know, uh and really, you know, it's good to
want to say championship no matter what team you are,
what level you are, and there's just something really that
much more special doing it in a place like Sylvester, Georgia,
(11:05):
Worth County, Georgia, where that football team is everything to
these people.
Speaker 3 (11:10):
Coach and you and you saw it in the in
the game.
Speaker 5 (11:16):
If you watched all every state championship game that all
classifications played, our crowd size was better than everybody. And
like if anybody that can that can get up there
made it. And when we got back because we had
the early game, the ones that couldn't get up there
(11:38):
were lining the streets waiting on us to get home
and it it chokes.
Speaker 3 (11:43):
You up and it makes you.
Speaker 5 (11:44):
Happy that that I know, it's happened before, that had
happened a long time.
Speaker 3 (11:49):
But people can fall back on that I was at
the game. Wouldn't Worth County want the state championship?
Speaker 2 (11:55):
Or that was one.
Speaker 5 (11:56):
Of my groups that I know this kid, I know
that kid. It's it's a it's a really good deal.
Speaker 3 (12:02):
Yeah. All right, so coach, a lot.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
Of good things come out of last year. But you
guys had some players move on. Uh, but talk about
some of the key components, some of the key players
that are back this year.
Speaker 5 (12:16):
We got a good core nucleus coming back kid, a
lot of guys who had a lot of experiencing games
and made a lot of big plays and big moments.
Speaker 3 (12:27):
Uh. We've got a four year starter quarterback with London
that he is. He has done, had an amazing career.
Speaker 5 (12:38):
You've lost some skilled kids, but we have good skilled kids.
Speaker 3 (12:44):
In our old line.
Speaker 5 (12:47):
We got majority of them back and offensively so we
we're not far off from where we were last year
at this time. Defensively, we we we lost a good bit,
but we played a lot of kids last year and
you have our d line and our linebacker corps is
(13:08):
still really strong. Our secondary is is kind of the
point right now where.
Speaker 3 (13:14):
We've got some green out there.
Speaker 5 (13:16):
We we had we lost four seniors in the secondary
and we played six kids, so we've got to get
the experience on the back half where we're where we're
we're moving in.
Speaker 3 (13:28):
The right direction.
Speaker 5 (13:29):
But it means I haven't been a part of a
team that didn't play really really good football to around
week five, week six, so we've got plenty of time
to get there. It's just it's going to be hard
work every day and focus and understanding how how I
(13:49):
do my job. So I'm I'm I'm really optimistic about
this group.
Speaker 2 (13:55):
That's fantastic.
Speaker 1 (13:56):
That's good because you know, the the natural cycle of
high school sports, you're gonna have some good players leave,
but that gives opportunity for some of the younger guys
to step up and make a name for themselves.
Speaker 5 (14:08):
Right well, you think about it, and Rush used to
talk about this all the time.
Speaker 3 (14:15):
When we got our stretch of cop with is.
Speaker 5 (14:19):
All these kids that were on the team last year
got five extra weeks of practice and with the state
adding a week before the playoffs started, that's six extra
weeks of practice. So they making deep runs in the playoffs,
and the year before going to the quarters, last year
going to the finals. I mean, we've really almost played
(14:43):
an entire season extra.
Speaker 3 (14:44):
Night in two years.
Speaker 5 (14:46):
I mean, that's nine weeks of preparation and things like that,
which they are going to progress for because they even
when they if they're running scout team and doing other.
Speaker 3 (14:58):
Team stuff, they're still play a football, all right. And
and I think that.
Speaker 5 (15:03):
Gives us an opportunity to grow and be the next guy.
Speaker 3 (15:09):
And you're right, I mean everybody, we have.
Speaker 5 (15:12):
Some key names that are won't be with us that
were with us for three or four years that everybody
knew who they were. Always those guys leave, somebody else
has to fill the shoes, and and and the beauty
about it is is they don't have to be that
guy that left. They can be their own person. And
we have to as coaches, we have to do a
(15:35):
good job of maximizing to their ability and and and
not being hardheaded to say, all right, this worked last year,
so it's gonna work this year.
Speaker 3 (15:48):
All right.
Speaker 5 (15:48):
We might be totally different in certain avenues where it's
better for our football club and from year to year,
that's the decision we have to make as the decision makers.
Speaker 1 (16:00):
YEA one hundred percent of closing out with Jeff Hammond,
head coach of the Word County Rams.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
We're gonna be talking to coach himm.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
And all season long, every week, bringing you up to speed,
keeping you up to dat on what's happening with the
Rams as they get ready to open the season against
Brooks County.
Speaker 3 (16:15):
That when is that first county game again?
Speaker 2 (16:17):
And where's that at?
Speaker 3 (16:18):
I'll be here to be next ride. It's twenty first
the thing.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
Okay, so let me ask you this.
Speaker 1 (16:25):
You know, coming out of the scrimmage and really the
off season, I guess you guys participated in some of
the OTAs and passing camps, they kind of think, you know,
what's the area of the team that you're most excited about.
Speaker 5 (16:38):
I think it's just a group and whole. I mean,
did we make mistakes last Friday? Heck yeah, we made
a ton of But it's is you see glimpses or
well we.
Speaker 3 (16:51):
Can be pretty good right here, or we can be
pretty good right here?
Speaker 5 (16:54):
Is that sometimes though, when kids haven't played meaningful snaps
in games.
Speaker 3 (17:00):
Meaning, for instance, I.
Speaker 5 (17:03):
Know they weren't on the field when it weren't overtime
last year versus tops Field.
Speaker 3 (17:07):
They when they got into game, the game was.
Speaker 5 (17:09):
Already over because we were are the score had dictated
that we were in a running clock and stuff like that.
Is a lot of our mistakes that guy were his
first time been under lights, and and and the nerves,
the the sometimes they try too hard. Uh, and that's
(17:31):
when your mistakes happened. When we had a bunch of
drops in the game. That and I which we were
moving football pretty well. And it's just I mean, it's snowball. Well,
everybody's sitting there.
Speaker 3 (17:43):
What we're gonna do. What we're gonna do.
Speaker 5 (17:45):
Well, We're just gonna let him play because I'm not
concerned because when I'm watch them in practice, they don't drop,
so they I mean, and and heck, I played receiver
in all my life through college. I promise you nobody
in that stadium Phillips worse about dropping the ball and
the kid that drops it. So it's it's not it's
(18:06):
when they understand that, it's just it's still just a game.
Playing on Friday night is really no different. If I'm
practicing the right way that it is Monday through Thursday
and that and that's the challenge going to be with them,
all right.
Speaker 3 (18:23):
I hate to compare them from last.
Speaker 5 (18:24):
Year, but we won fifteen games, but we only had
two subpar practices all year. They won games and there
so a couple of games we might as should have lost.
But how they prepared and how they how confident they
were because they understood what to do and how to
do it because they made theirselves do it day in
(18:47):
and day out. Is can this group take on that persona?
Can they go out there being great practice players? And
it's been tough this you, I mean, I mean, we're
not fortunate enough to have an indoor where it's seventy
eight degrees and the only time you sweat is when
when you're actually working. All right, we're we've been out
(19:09):
in the heat and it's been very human. Uh, it's
it's it's been very difficult. I mean, if we follow
all the guidelines that the state puts us on and
and but when you do that.
Speaker 3 (19:24):
It's you're depleting your body.
Speaker 5 (19:27):
So when we go out Monday, now you've got to
turn around Tuesday, and there's no guarantee that you've recovered
from Monday. So I mean there's a lot of factors
that go into practice and and when it and and
we're playing with kiss buck Ways this year, all right,
so their workload is double. So I mean there's a
lot of factors, and we got to I've got to
(19:48):
figure out the right formula to make it where I
can get them as good as they can get and
be ready to play on Friday night.
Speaker 2 (19:57):
Well, we'll leave with this.
Speaker 3 (19:59):
You know.
Speaker 2 (19:59):
The good thing you I'm a big proponent.
Speaker 1 (20:01):
You are as good as your quarterback he is, and
as good as your quarterback will take it. You guys
have got one of the best in the business in
lending worthy. And you know, like you said, four year starter.
So man, the guy that touches the ball every play,
you got him back. That is a huge advantage you
have before the whistle starts the game.
Speaker 5 (20:23):
Now, especially in what I do offensively, it's really important
to have a guy that understands where to go with
the ball in the run game, the throw game, the
screen game. We try to build in a lot of
answers because you never know what you're gonna get from
(20:45):
play to play. Devensively and he's got to bill to
process all of that and then having the athletic ability
to execute so and he's shown.
Speaker 3 (20:57):
Time in and time out that he he could handle this.
Speaker 5 (21:01):
So and with a young with some young guys at
certain spots, all right, you might have to lean on
him little bit.
Speaker 3 (21:10):
More than we had to pass.
Speaker 5 (21:12):
I mean, I mean, if you want to compare stats
for the last year and a half, we didn't throw
up more than fifteen sixteen times a game. Because we're
up forty two to seven and a half and he's
fourteen for fifteen for two hundred yards and three touchdowns.
There's no point of just going rub assaults might his
wounds just to get numbers. So I mean, he's and
(21:35):
he's still he's going to be top ten and stayed
all time passing right, and could have quite possibly been
top two or three all time state of passing if
we would have been finishing games and completing games where
we had to play four quarters.
Speaker 3 (21:54):
And we were still putting the ball in their.
Speaker 5 (21:56):
So and that was to me, probably the thing I've
been most proud about him, if it is, is that
he had chase stats.
Speaker 3 (22:03):
I never once heard him complain about.
Speaker 5 (22:06):
Looking at oh, I could have been a four thousand
dollars passer, or I could be up there with Trevor
Larrence and all like that, and that just such says
a lot about his character as us, winning ball games
is more important than the accolades.
Speaker 3 (22:21):
Now, he still has a lot of good accidents and
we expect him to have a great year.
Speaker 5 (22:27):
We just got to run around, catch the ball, keep
him up right, defense, get stops, and I think we'll
be Okay, He's Kate.
Speaker 3 (22:35):
That's that easy, an't it.
Speaker 2 (22:38):
That's easy, man, you got it all figured it out.
Speaker 3 (22:41):
Well.
Speaker 1 (22:42):
Listen, coach, we're gonna have a plans talking to you
all season long. And of course we'll come back next
week and the week after that, and h man, I'm
just so glad that we're able to talk.
Speaker 2 (22:51):
We're county football once again in twenty twenty six.
Speaker 3 (22:54):
All right, sounds great, brother, I'll see next week, okay, coach?
All right?
Speaker 2 (22:58):
Do jeff him a head coach of the Worth County Rams.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
And again, big thanks to Phoebe Orthopedics and Sports Medicine.
Learn more at Phoebe Phoebe a better way to Orthopedic care.
Glad to have the folks at Phoebe Orthopedics in Sports
Medicine as our sponsor of the Worth County Football Coaching
Show here in twenty twenty six only at itg next.
Be sure to follow us on all of our platforms,
(23:22):
social media, our website and all the different sports that
we cover here at itg Next. Nobody does it like
we do at itg next. Talk to you guys next
week right here at the Worth County Coaching Show
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