Good spring for ’Cats

By Christian Malone

May 19, 2008 12:07 am

— VALDOSTA — Overall, Valdosta High’s spring season was a productive one.
The Wildcats entered spring practice faced with a lot of holes to fill, after graduating 16 starters off of last year’s team. Ten practices later, the coaches feel they are a better football team.
“This is one of the best springs I’ve been a part of,” Valdosta head coach Rick Tomberlin said. “We got a lot done.”
Friday night, Valdosta’s first-team offense scored touchdowns on two of its first three possessions, but was shut out after that by the first-team defense. The defense was ahead of the offense most of the spring, but the offense had its moments.
Valdosta’s coaches put the Wildcats through a physical, hard-hitting spring.
“We were very physical. It was full pads, full contact all 10 days,” Tomberlin said. “We did a lot of hitting. They really got after one another. Our ones have been very competitive.”
Tomberlin says he’s pleased with the team’s improvement.
“We’ve come a long way this spring,” the third-year head coach said. “We’re not ready to beat Lowndes or Northside yet, but we’re taking steps to being a real contender in (Region) 1-AAAAA.”
The defense has made big strides, Tomberlin says, after losing eight starters from last year. The leaders on defense this spring were the three returning starters — linebacker Michael Gilliard, defensive tackle Parker Mathis and defensive end Damian Doe — but other players have also stepped up to fill some of the unit’s holes.
Tomberlin also praised the improvement of the offensive line, which will have three new starters and played this spring without standout left tackle Antonio Foster, who was held out of practice while he recovered from an injury.
Valdosta will have a talented group of receivers, led by sophomore Jay Rome, who had a big spring, returning starter Tavoris Belcher and Dontavius Sapp, who got a lot of snaps in 2007 as a sophomore.
Looking at the team, Tomberlin believes the 2008 Wildcats will be the biggest and strongest he has had since becoming the head coach in 2006. He feels like the team’s weight program and agility drills have made a big difference.
“I believe that we really will be bigger, faster and stronger than we’ve been the last two years,” Tomberlin said. “Will we be better? That remains to be seen. We’ve still got a long way to go. But we will be bigger, faster and stronger.”
Question marks still remain for Valdosta. Foremost is the quarterback situation, with four-year starter Michael Turner having moved on. Kyle Rowe and Chad Prain, the top two candidates to replace Turner under center, did not take a single snap in practice, because they are playing for Valdosta’s baseball team, which competes in the state quarterfinals on Tuesday. But Tomberlin says they will be getting a lot of reps during the summer and especially once the pads come on in the fall.
Running back is also a big concern, since the Wildcats have lost college signees David Arnold (Georgia Southern) and Marcus McNair (Valdosta State). A number of backs lined up in the backfield this spring, led by Tim Kier and Vashun Johnson, but none of them separated themselves from the pack.
“We need somebody to step up at running back,” Tomberlin said. “We’ve got two big question marks there. At fullback, we feel like Damian Doe (also a defensive lineman), Desmond Smith and Emanuel Virgo are going to be able to get the job done. At I-back, we’re working Tim Kier, Vashun Johnson, Justin Williams, Reggie McQueen and possibly a couple of others who were ineligible. We’re hoping an I-back will step up.”
Valdosta will also be looking for a kicker. John Mark Stephenson, a junior, will be the starter heading into the fall, but Raphael Duncan and Stephen Adams are two other kickers who will compete for the job.
The Wildcats’ numbers are real high. The team ended spring with 97 players on varsity, and Tomberlin says basically all of the players are committed to doing what it takes to be in the program.
“We’ve got a good group of kids,” Tomberlin said. “I think, over two seasons and three offseasons, we’ve been able to eliminate the guys that don’t really want to be Wildcats. We’ve got a lot of guys out there that want to be Wildcats, and are willing to lift weights and run and be here for our workouts, and that’s encouraging.”
Valdosta’s players will take a break from football to finish out school, but will be back in the weight room for voluntary summer workouts in June.

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