Most — if not all — of the offseason talk centered on Apalachee High School and Winder-Barrow High School football was of how David Wagner went from being the Wildcat defensive coordinator to the Bulldogg head coach.
While there’s no denying that was big news in these parts, another coaching change between the schools was also important in many ways. Long-time WBHS assistant Jeff Maddox went from wearing the Bulldogg colors to the Wildcat ones. This Friday, Maddox will once again take part in the Battle of Barrow County, only this time from the AHS point of view. It will be something different for the veteran coach.
“It is a unique situation, but things happen in life for a reason,” Maddox said. “I thank the Lord every day for the opportunity I have now at Apalachee. It will seem a little strange seeing kids that I coached last year, but we have a job to do and that is to beat Winder-Barrow.”
The change to AHS has not been that difficult for Maddox, despite his long ties to WBHS. He was already long-time friends with AHS head football coach Shane Davis, AHS athletic director Brian Moore and boys basketball coach Kevin Morris. In addition, he and Wildcat assistant head football coach Matt Sorrells are first cousins.
Despite spending numerous seasons coaching and teaching at Winder-Barrow, Maddox decided it was time for a change as he disagreed with the decision to let former Bulldogg head coach Ben Corley go.
“I never actually thought that I would leave Winder Barrow, but sometimes you just get in a rut and you need a change to get re-motivated,” Maddox said. “I have always liked the way Coach Davis ran his program.
There are so many ties between the high schools in Barrow County, Maddox knows he is just one of many.
“This game got a lot more important for us after the loss last week,” Maddox said. “As much as I would love for it to be about the rivalry, it is now about us trying to get back on the winning track and getting Apalachee football going again. I know this: Coach Davis will not let us as coaches or the players overlook Winder-Barrow.”
The now AHS assistant has a tremendous level of respect for members of the 2010 WBHS football team.
“It will be good to see players such as Hogan Anderson, Jody Royal, Kendrick Davis and the rest of those guys that I built a great relationship with at Winder,” Maddox said. “But just like I had to explain this move to my own two kids, Trent and Trevor, change happens and you just keeping moving forward and doing the best you can do. I pride myself on being someone that can get along with a lot of people. The students at Apalachee are incredible, very respectful, hard-working individuals. It is really easy to build relationships with young adults when they are respectful and well-mannered.”
It’s just another part of the WBHS-AHS rivalry which will play out on the football field this Friday night at R. Harold Harrison Stadium. Once kickoff arrives, it will be just about football.
Chris Bridges is sports editor of the Barrow Journal. You can reach him at cbridges@barrowjournal.com.
