August 25, 2026 • 20 mins
Worth County football head coach Jeff Hammond breaks down the Rams’ 49-35 season-opening victory over Brooks County and explains why Worth County must improve its blocking, tackling, discipline, and consistency despite starting 1-0.
Coach Hammond also previews a talented Cairo team and discusses what the 2026 Rams must learn from last season’s success without relying on it.
Presented by Phoebe Orthopedics & Sports Medicine #sponsored
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Coach Hammond also previews a talented Cairo team and discusses what the 2026 Rams must learn from last season’s success without relying on it.
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, welcome in, guys. It's that time of week
where we talk Worth County Rams football. And, of course,
as you can see on the screen, we've got with
us the head Ram himself. It is none other than
head football coach Jeff Hammond checking in with us. Coach,
how's it going?
Speaker 2 (00:15):
It's going all right, Phil. Just trying to get a
little bit better every day.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
I hear you, brother. I hear you. So, I know
we talked, you know, in fact, we featured you and
a couple of other coaches about the heat that has–
has been an issue for every coach to try to
work around. You know, you shared with us some of
your obstacles that you have to work around, but it
seemed like every coach I talked to has to work
around the issues. And I'm assuming, uh, those issues are
(00:40):
still prevalent with, uh, trying to get, uh, enough reps in.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Well, it's, it's not as bad as it was last week.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
Um, right.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
The wet bulb is coming down a little bit quicker. Um,
we're able to get outside. Uh, we are still going
to have to hold them for a little time and
that's not ideal, but, um, Last week's game was very
indicative of we haven't practiced. The mistakes we made and
how we played the game was more from the reps
(01:10):
that they're not getting in practice from outside. And so
having to get around it and keep them up here
a little bit longer is the only thing I know
what to do.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
Well, Coach, I got to tell you, for not getting
the reps in, for battling through mistakes, you came out
on the right end. I guess that's the positive of.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
It, right?
Speaker 3 (01:33):
Yeah, we're not going to ever not take a win.
There's always things early in the year that you're not
proud of, things that you can do better.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
I mean, we didn't tackle and block.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
As well as I want us to do, not for
a team that we supposedly are. So, Those reps got
to get in, and we got to get better at
just fundamental.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
Football. 49-35. And, again, from the outsider looking in, this
is why we're not football coaches, you know, and it
was against a really good team. A good win, 49-35
over Brooks County. So you had to be happy about that.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
Well, I mean, there's a lot of things we did
the other night that I'm very extremely happy about, but
there's things we didn't do as a champ.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
We're supposedly a championship program.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
We were up 20-something to seven in the first half
and having a chance to go get a stop and
go score again and make that game a lot shorter
that we didn't do. And kudos to Brooks County for
those kids kept playing hard and never gave in to
adversity and kept it a ball game to the fourth quarter.
(02:48):
And I think more of it is they ran out
of gas more than than anything. We were just a
little bit deeper than they were and a little bit
fresher at the end.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
So 49-35, Worth County gets off to a good start,
but as Coach says, still got some work to do
before the next opponent. We'll talk about who that is
in just a minute. First of all, though, I want
to recognize our friends at Phoebe Orthopedics and Sports Medicine.
They are sponsors of our weekly conversation this year. With
(03:20):
Coach Jeff Hammons. And so whether you need complex orthopedic
trauma surgery or treatment for that pickleball injury, the team
at Phoebe Orthopedics and Sports Medicine has got you covered.
They have the largest orthopedics team in southwest Georgia. They're
experienced physicians, advanced practice providers, certified athletic trainers, and physical
and occupational therapists focused on on restoring mobility, relieving pain,
(03:42):
and getting you back to the activities you enjoy, no
matter what it is, so you can learn more at Phoebe. Phoebe,
a better way to orthopedic care. So big shout-out to
our friends at Orthopedic Care. Speaking of that, how did
you guys come out as far as the injury list?
Were there any? And hopefully, if there were, there weren't
anything major.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Well, we're typical footballers. bumps and bruises.
Speaker 3 (04:05):
I mean, we have a couple, when you play a
physical team, we had a couple that were banged up
a little bit, but nothing serious that we expect anybody
to lose any major time over.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
Um, so that, that was a positive out of it, but,
and that's.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
Another thing with practice when you don't hit for two
weeks and you go out there and you try to
run around and play full speed, your body's not accustomed
to that thing.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
And, and, and that's, and that's where we are right now.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
So, um, Real grateful we didn't get nobody hurt, but
we got to.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Get back in the swing of things.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
All right, so take us through the game, some of
the highlights of the game, though. You did come out
some big. You had some breaks in the game. I
know Brooks County made some mistakes, and you guys did
what good teams do. You took advantage of it. That
certainly helped early in the game, didn't it?
Speaker 2 (04:58):
Oh, yeah.
Speaker 3 (04:59):
We got the ball first, and we put the drive together,
and got down there close to their red zone and stalled.
They made a good– we went forward on fourth down,
and they did a good job of tackling us before
we get to Stiggs. And a couple of plays later,
they have a bad snap, and we got a defensive score.
So that was a good way to start the game,
(05:22):
really on that. And then we got moving a little
bit on offense and scored some points and had a
couple stops early. So how we started was good. It's
how we didn't maintain that level. And we've got to
do a better job of that.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
As always, Mr. Dependable, Lindenworthy, boy, you can always count
on that guy for consistency, can you not?
Speaker 3 (05:48):
He did some good things. I mean, he took care
of the football. He was very accurate the other night.
We had some protection issues at times where we just–
green young guys and got some exotic looks that they
got to us a couple of times. So it was,
(06:10):
it was, we had some ball plays down the field,
but we have to have some time to get it off.
And so we can make some good decisions, make some
good throws. But I thought when we did give him
time and gave him a clean pocket, he did a
really good job.
Speaker 1 (06:24):
Every win is important. But one of the things that
we're going to be talking about this year, we'll be
talking about this every week that we talk to you.
In fact, I'm talking about, about it with every coach
because it's going to affect everybody, and that is, you know,
what the wins mean for the PSR formula. Now, it
seems like one of those things is kind of, you know,
agonizing to talk about and to focus on, but it
(06:46):
is what it is. And you guys have got a
very tough schedule. You know, a lot's been made of that.
You know, you played a good team Friday night. You're
going to play another good one this coming Friday night.
There are no easy ones. The great thing about that, though,
you take care of business, you will be rewarded, and
you guys are– playing an important schedule. Makes that even
more important this year, Coach, than it has in the past.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
Well, the one thing you do that you normally don't
do in the past is you cheer for teams that
you play.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
That's right.
Speaker 3 (07:14):
Because that has just as much factor of it as anything.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
That's right.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
I mean, every team we play, the only game I
want them to lose is us. So, I mean, if
they have a really good winning percentage and we drop one,
it's not the end of the world.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
Right.
Speaker 3 (07:29):
So that was one of the things that– We do
have a challenging schedule. We are playing some very good
football teams. So hopefully when the rankings at the end
of the year all shakes out, their winning percentage helps
us out and we can win more than we lose.
And so we have a good thing. But, Phil, I
(07:50):
don't really care about the formula. I mean, my job
is to get us to our ceiling. And if we're
to our ceiling– We're going to be able to go
to playoffs, and we're going to be able to play
with some good teams. If I can't get them to
our ceiling, it don't matter where we're ranked. We'd be
ranked first in the dang state and get beat in
the first round. So that all is going to take
(08:13):
care of itself when it should.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
Yeah, I got you.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
Again, Worth County putting up 49 points against a good
Brooks County team. Gets the victory. Defense did what they
had to do to stay on top and to win
the game. But now– You've got yet another good team
coming up in week two. You know, I've been saying
this all along. I think David Coleman has probably done
as good a job, in addition to you, as anybody has.
(08:39):
And I just don't think people are giving him the credit.
Doing a great job over there with the K-Road syrup makers,
isn't he?
Speaker 2 (08:47):
I think he's done an outstanding job.
Speaker 3 (08:49):
And really, what I told my guys on our team
meeting was they remind us of us last year. And
it was– you can see them in the summer. We
didn't go against them. And I got to get my
eyes on them because we were at the same place.
I can see them how they played versus Central and
(09:13):
Thomasville in week one or week two. Those kids are
playing very hard. They're very athletic. They look a lot
like we did last year on defense. They got playmakers
on offense. And they're coming off a quarterfinal run. where
I think if you ask David or those kids, in
a game they feel like they should have won.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
So, I mean, it's.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
Really a mirror image of us. What we did last
year is what they're in this year. So it's going
to be a heck of a challenge. They have a
lot of confidence.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
They beat Thomasville for the.
Speaker 3 (09:44):
First time in a long time and really beat them.
It wasn't ever a football game. They did a good
job of just dominating. Other than a couple mistakes early,
giving the ball, giving Thomasville short fields, but they bowed
the neck and kept them out of the end zone.
So they're a really solid football team and very athletic
and got some extremely good players.
Speaker 1 (10:05):
You made that comment to your team. You mentioned in
the team meeting about how they remind you of you
guys last year. Somebody else actually made that comment earlier.
It was over the weekend. You know, I talked to
a lot of people about a lot of different games.
Somebody said that same exact thing. They said, you know what,
that looks like Worth County times two or Worth County redo.
(10:29):
And so, you know, that obviously kind of shows you
what kind of job that he's done, David Coleman has
done over there. But it also, at the same time,
you know, knows that you've got a big test on
your hand. What are some of the areas that you
see K-Road doing things really well offensively?
Speaker 2 (10:45):
Let's talk about that. Their defense line will be as
good a defense line we see all year.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
Wow, really?
Speaker 2 (10:52):
They are very long. They're fast. They're explosive.
Speaker 3 (10:57):
They do a good job of destroying plays before they develop.
So that right there is going to be the biggest issue.
Their secondary is solid. They've got some really good players
back there, but I mean, sometimes I feel like I
could go play safety for Cairo right now because that
quarterback ain't got very much time to throw it.
Speaker 2 (11:20):
But they're a really good football team. That's a worry.
And then offensively, they.
Speaker 3 (11:26):
Got two or three guys that if you don't fit
it right or you don't gang tackle and fly to
the ball, they got two or three guys that can
house it from anywhere on the field.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
And that's dangerous.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
So we're going to be very, very solid on both
sides of the ball to to have a chance at this.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
Talking to Jeff Hammond, head coach of the Worth County Rams. Again,
our weekly talk with Coach Hammond brought to you by
Phoebe Orthopedics and Sports Medicine. Big thanks to those guys
for sponsoring our Worth County Rams coaches show. So I
know that you had some work, your team's got some
work to do, but some of the players or at
(12:06):
least areas of the team that you were impressed with
coming out of the game week one.
Speaker 3 (12:11):
I think we played well in all the areas, but
it's right now it's nine or 10 guys doing a
good job. And that's, and that's the issue is, is
getting 11 guys doing her job, being, being a cohesive
unit and not freelancing and not assuming somebody else is
(12:32):
going to make a play. I had a buddy, Randy Garrett.
I worked for a coffee and he always make a
comment for the game. And I thought it was the,
best thing I've ever heard was do your job, then
go help a buddy.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
And, and that was, and that's where we're at right now.
Speaker 3 (12:47):
I think the night on defense at times, we were
assuming somebody was going to get them on.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
The ground and they didn't.
Speaker 3 (12:54):
And, and where we need to have two or three
guys cleaning it up. If they don't like the play, uh,
same way offensively, it's that we, we have some good,
good looks and some very good plays that should have
been there. And it's just one guy, not, being crisp
at what they're doing. And, and I think in the past,
(13:16):
it is, and where we've been here is we've had
some of those games where early in the year where
we could be growing things where we're just going to
be better than them. And we might not play real good,
but we, we could, we're going to get by and
get the W and.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
Cause the other team wasn't on our level. But now
this year we're.
Speaker 3 (13:34):
Playing guys on our level and, And if we don't
get better in a hurry, I mean, we got a
chance to lose as many as we win. I mean,
that's just nature of the beast when you play good teams. And,
I mean, my thing is, or my guys is, how
focused can you be and how disciplined can you be
(13:56):
and selfless and to be as good as we can be?
I mean, we can't live all past experiences. I mean,
the past is done. you either can learn from it
or it's going to kill you. And like from last
year's ball club, and I'm sick and tired of talking
about last year's ball club, but they prepared. They were
(14:19):
unbelievable practice players. They loved being in the home facility.
They loved football. And if you're going to learn something
from that group, it wasn't going 15-0. It was– they
got the success was because of the preparation and the
love for the game.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
And we've got to find that. I mean, and we
got to find it in a hurry.
Speaker 1 (14:45):
So that's interesting. Because, I mean, you got some guys
that were part of that. And I know you got
some new faces. So that's kind of interesting. What you're
saying is kind of a shift in the personality of
the group as a whole.
Speaker 2 (14:59):
Well, it's human nature.
Speaker 3 (15:00):
I mean, it's... and that's why they hired me to
do this job is to get the most out of
every kid that we can get out of it. And, and,
and my stress level is off the day charts right now,
because I'm, I'm going to make every great decision, do
what I can do to get them to be as
good a person and players they can be. But the
(15:22):
human nature is, well, we've already done this. And sometimes
you got to get hit in the mouth to understand, Oh,
I'm not there. And so, And I'm not saying that
that's where we are and where we aren't, is that
you've got to pull from past experiences.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
And a lot of guys have a lot of experience.
Speaker 3 (15:44):
But they've got to also understand is the success we
had wasn't because we were the most talented group on
the field every night. The success was because we were
the best football team every Friday night. And we were
able to play within a system and play within a
scheme We were able to do things from week to
(16:05):
week that gave them advantages. And at the end of
the day, they were relentless and they were physical. I mean,
last year's group wasn't perfect by no means, but they
were– every game I played last year, we were the
most physical team.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
On the field. And that's football.
Speaker 3 (16:24):
It doesn't matter if you're in a wing tee, if
you're in a spread, if you're 4-2-5, odd stack, oaky front.
is the team that's going to be the most physical
and the most disciplined is going to be the one
that wins more than they lose.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
Right. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:41):
Well, I think the way things are going to take
care of themselves, you know, a couple of things, get
better cooperation from the weather. Look, and that's just a reality,
you know, and it has been a reality. But also,
You play these games, you go through the experiences, and,
you know, you can practice until the cows come home.
(17:01):
And I know I'm preaching to the choir here, so
I'm really kind of talking to the viewers. You can
practice until the cows come home, but it's that real
game experience. And sometimes it's those real game mistakes that,
you know, are going to wake these guys up and
say we can't do that anymore. Next time we're not
going to be as fortunate to come out ahead as
we were this past Friday night, right?
Speaker 3 (17:22):
Well, that's my goal is.
Speaker 2 (17:25):
I mean, I want the guys to play without fear.
Speaker 3 (17:31):
First and foremost, be confident in what you're.
Speaker 2 (17:33):
Doing and go play.
Speaker 3 (17:36):
And if they'll do that, it's our job as coaches
to come back and fine-tune those things or to correct
a mistake. And where we can't get a thing of
it is we make mistakes and we're not self-reflecting on
the mistakes we made. But we won, and we don't
(17:57):
have to do that. I mean, that's a recipe for failure.
You're going to end up, just like you said, getting
beat by somebody that you probably shouldn't get beat by.
If you're just thinking success with a win is all
that matters. I mean, no, the level of play is
(18:17):
what matters. I mean, I've had a lot of ball
games where I walked off the field feeling like we lost.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
Because the execution wasn't there or the effort wasn't there.
And then I've lost ballgames where I got beat by
a better team, but that was it. We played as
good as we can play.
Speaker 3 (18:36):
They had our number that night, and we can grow
from that and get ready to go do it again
the next week. So, I mean, that's where we're at
right now with this group is can we get to
really understand who we are and who we want to be,
and am I willing to put in the work to
get to where we want to be. It's easy to
go out there and say, yeah, I want to go
(18:57):
repeat and be a state champion. Well, they don't give
those trophies away. If you're going to go out there
and play deep in December, you've got to earn it.
And you earn it in August and September. I mean,
I've always said you can't win a dang state championship
in August and September.
Speaker 2 (19:11):
You sure as heck can lose one. So that's where
we are right now.
Speaker 1 (19:16):
Maybe a good idea, you know, to put that state
championship trophy, maybe just hide it somewhere. And then bring
it back out later so they're not constantly reminded of that.
Speaker 2 (19:28):
Well, I need people like you to quit bringing up
the rat poison and talking about it.
Speaker 1 (19:33):
I know. I know.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
And let's focus on this 26-ball club instead.
Speaker 2 (19:38):
Of the 25-ball club. That 25-ball club is gone.
Speaker 1 (19:41):
I hear you. Yeah, I'm trying. I'll get better. I
promise you. You know, I'm trying. But, hey, I promise.
Not– come up again. We're not going to bring it
up anymore. All right. Coach, listen, we're going to wrap
it up right there, brother. Again, congratulations on the win.
(20:02):
Coach says the glass is still half– I don't know
if it's half full or half empty right now, but
one thing's for sure, we've got to get that glass
a little more full. before this weekend because you've got
another tough one coming up against Cairo, who, as Coach
pointed out, looked really good against Thomasville. But, Coach, congratulations
on the win. Best of luck this Friday night. And
(20:23):
we'll be back next week to talk all about what
we're hoping is a win over the Syrup Makers.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
All right. Thank you for having me, Phil. Look forward
to seeing you next week.
Speaker 1 (20:31):
Same here, Coach Hammonds. Thanks so much.
Speaker 2 (20:33):
Bye-bye.
Speaker 1 (20:34):
There he is, Coach Hammonds, checking in with us on
the Workout and Coaching Show, brought to you by Phoebe
Orthopedics and Sports Medicine. Big, big ups to those guys
for sponsoring our weekly conversation with the head coach of
the Rams, Jeff Hammond. We'll come back next week and
talk more Rams football right here at ITG Next.
All right, welcome in, guys. It's that time of week
where we talk Worth County Rams football. And, of course,
as you can see on the screen, we've got with
us the head Ram himself. It is none other than
head football coach Jeff Hammond checking in with us. Coach,
how's it going?
Speaker 2 (00:15):
It's going all right, Phil. Just trying to get a
little bit better every day.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
I hear you, brother. I hear you. So, I know
we talked, you know, in fact, we featured you and
a couple of other coaches about the heat that has–
has been an issue for every coach to try to
work around. You know, you shared with us some of
your obstacles that you have to work around, but it
seemed like every coach I talked to has to work
around the issues. And I'm assuming, uh, those issues are
(00:40):
still prevalent with, uh, trying to get, uh, enough reps in.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Well, it's, it's not as bad as it was last week.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
Um, right.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
The wet bulb is coming down a little bit quicker. Um,
we're able to get outside. Uh, we are still going
to have to hold them for a little time and
that's not ideal, but, um, Last week's game was very
indicative of we haven't practiced. The mistakes we made and
how we played the game was more from the reps
(01:10):
that they're not getting in practice from outside. And so
having to get around it and keep them up here
a little bit longer is the only thing I know
what to do.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
Well, Coach, I got to tell you, for not getting
the reps in, for battling through mistakes, you came out
on the right end. I guess that's the positive of.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
It, right?
Speaker 3 (01:33):
Yeah, we're not going to ever not take a win.
There's always things early in the year that you're not
proud of, things that you can do better.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
I mean, we didn't tackle and block.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
As well as I want us to do, not for
a team that we supposedly are. So, Those reps got
to get in, and we got to get better at
just fundamental.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
Football. 49-35. And, again, from the outsider looking in, this
is why we're not football coaches, you know, and it
was against a really good team. A good win, 49-35
over Brooks County. So you had to be happy about that.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
Well, I mean, there's a lot of things we did
the other night that I'm very extremely happy about, but
there's things we didn't do as a champ.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
We're supposedly a championship program.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
We were up 20-something to seven in the first half
and having a chance to go get a stop and
go score again and make that game a lot shorter
that we didn't do. And kudos to Brooks County for
those kids kept playing hard and never gave in to
adversity and kept it a ball game to the fourth quarter.
(02:48):
And I think more of it is they ran out
of gas more than than anything. We were just a
little bit deeper than they were and a little bit
fresher at the end.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
So 49-35, Worth County gets off to a good start,
but as Coach says, still got some work to do
before the next opponent. We'll talk about who that is
in just a minute. First of all, though, I want
to recognize our friends at Phoebe Orthopedics and Sports Medicine.
They are sponsors of our weekly conversation this year. With
(03:20):
Coach Jeff Hammons. And so whether you need complex orthopedic
trauma surgery or treatment for that pickleball injury, the team
at Phoebe Orthopedics and Sports Medicine has got you covered.
They have the largest orthopedics team in southwest Georgia. They're
experienced physicians, advanced practice providers, certified athletic trainers, and physical
and occupational therapists focused on on restoring mobility, relieving pain,
(03:42):
and getting you back to the activities you enjoy, no
matter what it is, so you can learn more at Phoebe. Phoebe,
a better way to orthopedic care. So big shout-out to
our friends at Orthopedic Care. Speaking of that, how did
you guys come out as far as the injury list?
Were there any? And hopefully, if there were, there weren't
anything major.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Well, we're typical footballers. bumps and bruises.
Speaker 3 (04:05):
I mean, we have a couple, when you play a
physical team, we had a couple that were banged up
a little bit, but nothing serious that we expect anybody
to lose any major time over.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
Um, so that, that was a positive out of it, but,
and that's.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
Another thing with practice when you don't hit for two
weeks and you go out there and you try to
run around and play full speed, your body's not accustomed
to that thing.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
And, and, and that's, and that's where we are right now.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
So, um, Real grateful we didn't get nobody hurt, but
we got to.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Get back in the swing of things.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
All right, so take us through the game, some of
the highlights of the game, though. You did come out
some big. You had some breaks in the game. I
know Brooks County made some mistakes, and you guys did
what good teams do. You took advantage of it. That
certainly helped early in the game, didn't it?
Speaker 2 (04:58):
Oh, yeah.
Speaker 3 (04:59):
We got the ball first, and we put the drive together,
and got down there close to their red zone and stalled.
They made a good– we went forward on fourth down,
and they did a good job of tackling us before
we get to Stiggs. And a couple of plays later,
they have a bad snap, and we got a defensive score.
So that was a good way to start the game,
(05:22):
really on that. And then we got moving a little
bit on offense and scored some points and had a
couple stops early. So how we started was good. It's
how we didn't maintain that level. And we've got to
do a better job of that.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
As always, Mr. Dependable, Lindenworthy, boy, you can always count
on that guy for consistency, can you not?
Speaker 3 (05:48):
He did some good things. I mean, he took care
of the football. He was very accurate the other night.
We had some protection issues at times where we just–
green young guys and got some exotic looks that they
got to us a couple of times. So it was,
(06:10):
it was, we had some ball plays down the field,
but we have to have some time to get it off.
And so we can make some good decisions, make some
good throws. But I thought when we did give him
time and gave him a clean pocket, he did a
really good job.
Speaker 1 (06:24):
Every win is important. But one of the things that
we're going to be talking about this year, we'll be
talking about this every week that we talk to you.
In fact, I'm talking about, about it with every coach
because it's going to affect everybody, and that is, you know,
what the wins mean for the PSR formula. Now, it
seems like one of those things is kind of, you know,
agonizing to talk about and to focus on, but it
(06:46):
is what it is. And you guys have got a
very tough schedule. You know, a lot's been made of that.
You know, you played a good team Friday night. You're
going to play another good one this coming Friday night.
There are no easy ones. The great thing about that, though,
you take care of business, you will be rewarded, and
you guys are– playing an important schedule. Makes that even
more important this year, Coach, than it has in the past.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
Well, the one thing you do that you normally don't
do in the past is you cheer for teams that
you play.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
That's right.
Speaker 3 (07:14):
Because that has just as much factor of it as anything.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
That's right.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
I mean, every team we play, the only game I
want them to lose is us. So, I mean, if
they have a really good winning percentage and we drop one,
it's not the end of the world.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
Right.
Speaker 3 (07:29):
So that was one of the things that– We do
have a challenging schedule. We are playing some very good
football teams. So hopefully when the rankings at the end
of the year all shakes out, their winning percentage helps
us out and we can win more than we lose.
And so we have a good thing. But, Phil, I
(07:50):
don't really care about the formula. I mean, my job
is to get us to our ceiling. And if we're
to our ceiling– We're going to be able to go
to playoffs, and we're going to be able to play
with some good teams. If I can't get them to
our ceiling, it don't matter where we're ranked. We'd be
ranked first in the dang state and get beat in
the first round. So that all is going to take
(08:13):
care of itself when it should.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
Yeah, I got you.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
Again, Worth County putting up 49 points against a good
Brooks County team. Gets the victory. Defense did what they
had to do to stay on top and to win
the game. But now– You've got yet another good team
coming up in week two. You know, I've been saying
this all along. I think David Coleman has probably done
as good a job, in addition to you, as anybody has.
(08:39):
And I just don't think people are giving him the credit.
Doing a great job over there with the K-Road syrup makers,
isn't he?
Speaker 2 (08:47):
I think he's done an outstanding job.
Speaker 3 (08:49):
And really, what I told my guys on our team
meeting was they remind us of us last year. And
it was– you can see them in the summer. We
didn't go against them. And I got to get my
eyes on them because we were at the same place.
I can see them how they played versus Central and
(09:13):
Thomasville in week one or week two. Those kids are
playing very hard. They're very athletic. They look a lot
like we did last year on defense. They got playmakers
on offense. And they're coming off a quarterfinal run. where
I think if you ask David or those kids, in
a game they feel like they should have won.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
So, I mean, it's.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
Really a mirror image of us. What we did last
year is what they're in this year. So it's going
to be a heck of a challenge. They have a
lot of confidence.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
They beat Thomasville for the.
Speaker 3 (09:44):
First time in a long time and really beat them.
It wasn't ever a football game. They did a good
job of just dominating. Other than a couple mistakes early,
giving the ball, giving Thomasville short fields, but they bowed
the neck and kept them out of the end zone.
So they're a really solid football team and very athletic
and got some extremely good players.
Speaker 1 (10:05):
You made that comment to your team. You mentioned in
the team meeting about how they remind you of you
guys last year. Somebody else actually made that comment earlier.
It was over the weekend. You know, I talked to
a lot of people about a lot of different games.
Somebody said that same exact thing. They said, you know what,
that looks like Worth County times two or Worth County redo.
(10:29):
And so, you know, that obviously kind of shows you
what kind of job that he's done, David Coleman has
done over there. But it also, at the same time,
you know, knows that you've got a big test on
your hand. What are some of the areas that you
see K-Road doing things really well offensively?
Speaker 2 (10:45):
Let's talk about that. Their defense line will be as
good a defense line we see all year.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
Wow, really?
Speaker 2 (10:52):
They are very long. They're fast. They're explosive.
Speaker 3 (10:57):
They do a good job of destroying plays before they develop.
So that right there is going to be the biggest issue.
Their secondary is solid. They've got some really good players
back there, but I mean, sometimes I feel like I
could go play safety for Cairo right now because that
quarterback ain't got very much time to throw it.
Speaker 2 (11:20):
But they're a really good football team. That's a worry.
And then offensively, they.
Speaker 3 (11:26):
Got two or three guys that if you don't fit
it right or you don't gang tackle and fly to
the ball, they got two or three guys that can
house it from anywhere on the field.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
And that's dangerous.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
So we're going to be very, very solid on both
sides of the ball to to have a chance at this.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
Talking to Jeff Hammond, head coach of the Worth County Rams. Again,
our weekly talk with Coach Hammond brought to you by
Phoebe Orthopedics and Sports Medicine. Big thanks to those guys
for sponsoring our Worth County Rams coaches show. So I
know that you had some work, your team's got some
work to do, but some of the players or at
(12:06):
least areas of the team that you were impressed with
coming out of the game week one.
Speaker 3 (12:11):
I think we played well in all the areas, but
it's right now it's nine or 10 guys doing a
good job. And that's, and that's the issue is, is
getting 11 guys doing her job, being, being a cohesive
unit and not freelancing and not assuming somebody else is
(12:32):
going to make a play. I had a buddy, Randy Garrett.
I worked for a coffee and he always make a
comment for the game. And I thought it was the,
best thing I've ever heard was do your job, then
go help a buddy.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
And, and that was, and that's where we're at right now.
Speaker 3 (12:47):
I think the night on defense at times, we were
assuming somebody was going to get them on.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
The ground and they didn't.
Speaker 3 (12:54):
And, and where we need to have two or three
guys cleaning it up. If they don't like the play, uh,
same way offensively, it's that we, we have some good,
good looks and some very good plays that should have
been there. And it's just one guy, not, being crisp
at what they're doing. And, and I think in the past,
(13:16):
it is, and where we've been here is we've had
some of those games where early in the year where
we could be growing things where we're just going to
be better than them. And we might not play real good,
but we, we could, we're going to get by and
get the W and.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
Cause the other team wasn't on our level. But now
this year we're.
Speaker 3 (13:34):
Playing guys on our level and, And if we don't
get better in a hurry, I mean, we got a
chance to lose as many as we win. I mean,
that's just nature of the beast when you play good teams. And,
I mean, my thing is, or my guys is, how
focused can you be and how disciplined can you be
(13:56):
and selfless and to be as good as we can be?
I mean, we can't live all past experiences. I mean,
the past is done. you either can learn from it
or it's going to kill you. And like from last
year's ball club, and I'm sick and tired of talking
about last year's ball club, but they prepared. They were
(14:19):
unbelievable practice players. They loved being in the home facility.
They loved football. And if you're going to learn something
from that group, it wasn't going 15-0. It was– they
got the success was because of the preparation and the
love for the game.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
And we've got to find that. I mean, and we
got to find it in a hurry.
Speaker 1 (14:45):
So that's interesting. Because, I mean, you got some guys
that were part of that. And I know you got
some new faces. So that's kind of interesting. What you're
saying is kind of a shift in the personality of
the group as a whole.
Speaker 2 (14:59):
Well, it's human nature.
Speaker 3 (15:00):
I mean, it's... and that's why they hired me to
do this job is to get the most out of
every kid that we can get out of it. And, and,
and my stress level is off the day charts right now,
because I'm, I'm going to make every great decision, do
what I can do to get them to be as
good a person and players they can be. But the
(15:22):
human nature is, well, we've already done this. And sometimes
you got to get hit in the mouth to understand, Oh,
I'm not there. And so, And I'm not saying that
that's where we are and where we aren't, is that
you've got to pull from past experiences.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
And a lot of guys have a lot of experience.
Speaker 3 (15:44):
But they've got to also understand is the success we
had wasn't because we were the most talented group on
the field every night. The success was because we were
the best football team every Friday night. And we were
able to play within a system and play within a
scheme We were able to do things from week to
(16:05):
week that gave them advantages. And at the end of
the day, they were relentless and they were physical. I mean,
last year's group wasn't perfect by no means, but they
were– every game I played last year, we were the
most physical team.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
On the field. And that's football.
Speaker 3 (16:24):
It doesn't matter if you're in a wing tee, if
you're in a spread, if you're 4-2-5, odd stack, oaky front.
is the team that's going to be the most physical
and the most disciplined is going to be the one
that wins more than they lose.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
Right. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:41):
Well, I think the way things are going to take
care of themselves, you know, a couple of things, get
better cooperation from the weather. Look, and that's just a reality,
you know, and it has been a reality. But also,
You play these games, you go through the experiences, and,
you know, you can practice until the cows come home.
(17:01):
And I know I'm preaching to the choir here, so
I'm really kind of talking to the viewers. You can
practice until the cows come home, but it's that real
game experience. And sometimes it's those real game mistakes that,
you know, are going to wake these guys up and
say we can't do that anymore. Next time we're not
going to be as fortunate to come out ahead as
we were this past Friday night, right?
Speaker 3 (17:22):
Well, that's my goal is.
Speaker 2 (17:25):
I mean, I want the guys to play without fear.
Speaker 3 (17:31):
First and foremost, be confident in what you're.
Speaker 2 (17:33):
Doing and go play.
Speaker 3 (17:36):
And if they'll do that, it's our job as coaches
to come back and fine-tune those things or to correct
a mistake. And where we can't get a thing of
it is we make mistakes and we're not self-reflecting on
the mistakes we made. But we won, and we don't
(17:57):
have to do that. I mean, that's a recipe for failure.
You're going to end up, just like you said, getting
beat by somebody that you probably shouldn't get beat by.
If you're just thinking success with a win is all
that matters. I mean, no, the level of play is
(18:17):
what matters. I mean, I've had a lot of ball
games where I walked off the field feeling like we lost.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
Because the execution wasn't there or the effort wasn't there.
And then I've lost ballgames where I got beat by
a better team, but that was it. We played as
good as we can play.
Speaker 3 (18:36):
They had our number that night, and we can grow
from that and get ready to go do it again
the next week. So, I mean, that's where we're at
right now with this group is can we get to
really understand who we are and who we want to be,
and am I willing to put in the work to
get to where we want to be. It's easy to
go out there and say, yeah, I want to go
(18:57):
repeat and be a state champion. Well, they don't give
those trophies away. If you're going to go out there
and play deep in December, you've got to earn it.
And you earn it in August and September. I mean,
I've always said you can't win a dang state championship
in August and September.
Speaker 2 (19:11):
You sure as heck can lose one. So that's where
we are right now.
Speaker 1 (19:16):
Maybe a good idea, you know, to put that state
championship trophy, maybe just hide it somewhere. And then bring
it back out later so they're not constantly reminded of that.
Speaker 2 (19:28):
Well, I need people like you to quit bringing up
the rat poison and talking about it.
Speaker 1 (19:33):
I know. I know.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
And let's focus on this 26-ball club instead.
Speaker 2 (19:38):
Of the 25-ball club. That 25-ball club is gone.
Speaker 1 (19:41):
I hear you. Yeah, I'm trying. I'll get better. I
promise you. You know, I'm trying. But, hey, I promise.
Not– come up again. We're not going to bring it
up anymore. All right. Coach, listen, we're going to wrap
it up right there, brother. Again, congratulations on the win.
(20:02):
Coach says the glass is still half– I don't know
if it's half full or half empty right now, but
one thing's for sure, we've got to get that glass
a little more full. before this weekend because you've got
another tough one coming up against Cairo, who, as Coach
pointed out, looked really good against Thomasville. But, Coach, congratulations
on the win. Best of luck this Friday night. And
(20:23):
we'll be back next week to talk all about what
we're hoping is a win over the Syrup Makers.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
All right. Thank you for having me, Phil. Look forward
to seeing you next week.
Speaker 1 (20:31):
Same here, Coach Hammonds. Thanks so much.
Speaker 2 (20:33):
Bye-bye.
Speaker 1 (20:34):
There he is, Coach Hammonds, checking in with us on
the Workout and Coaching Show, brought to you by Phoebe
Orthopedics and Sports Medicine. Big, big ups to those guys
for sponsoring our weekly conversation with the head coach of
the Rams, Jeff Hammond. We'll come back next week and
talk more Rams football right here at ITG Next.
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