A region championship. Check.
An undefeated regular season. Check.
Hosting not one, but three state playoff games. Check.
Setting a school record for number of wins in a season. Check.
Setting a school record for highest ranking in its classification. Check.
For the Apalachee High School football team, making checks on their list of goals for 2009 became a hard habit to break. The Wildcats finished 12-1 overall and advanced to the quarterfinal round of the state playoffs for the first time in school history. All in all, not bad for a school whose history just dates back a decade.
“You don’t ever want to lose,” AHS coach Shane Davis said. “Losing is such a tough term. These players are winners. What they have done this year and in the past four years is something to be very proud of. They can talk about it with their college buddies and with friends years from now.”
To be one of the final eight teams still alive in the playoffs is something that practically causes Davis to have to pause and regain his composure. The coach knows better than anyone how much the players poured into the 2009 season.
“Right now there are four teams left and we beat two of them,” Davis said speaking of Rockdale County and Clarke Central. “The wins against them were no flukes either. I know they are better now than they were when we played them, but so are we. It’s a double-edged sword really. Depending on whether Griffin wins it all or not, we could end up being the No. 2 team in the state.”
The 2009 AHS Wildcats captured the emotion and spirit of students and teachers at the school.
“It’s hard to fully comprehend right now,” Davis said. “It will mean more down the road seeing 12 in our win column.”
Sunday night Davis admitted it would be tough going to school Monday knowing there would not be practice later that day.
“I’m blessed for the memories this senior class has given me,” the coach said. “Their character and intensity can’t be matched. For some of them, they don’t know where their next meal will come from or where they will sleep at night, but they come out and work hard every day at practice and do everything we ask. It’s amazing what these players have given to the football program.”
A special group of players who have made up this season’s special team will always be close to the head coach.
“How could you ever forget what these guys have accomplished?” Davis said. “They are the best.”
The 2009 season, and all that was accomplished, is not lost on offensive coordinator Joel Miller.
“Even though the season did not end the way we wanted, it was still a very positive and important season for our program,” said Miller, who, like the rest of the coaching staff received high praise from Davis for their work. “This team has set standards and goals for future teams to strive for.”
While many things were accomplished this fall and many school records established, for Miller it was winning the Region 8-AAAA championship which stands out.
“10-0 was great but you play football to win championships and we accomplished that this year,” Miller said.
When spring practice arrives in a few months, there will be a different look on the AHS football practice field.
“It will be hard next year going out for spring practice and not seeing some of these seniors faces, such as all-time leading rusher in school history, Jon Lee, or John Brown, who made 47 consecutive starts, every game of his high school career.
“These seniors are a great group of kids and football players and their impact on our program will be felt for many years. I hope that in four years in our program we taught them more than just being good football players, I hope we taught them lessons about how to be men of character and morals and men who do things the right way. I personally want to thank them for everything they have done.”
