This week in our 4 Questions feature, presented by Baker’s Sports, we hear from Houston County head football coach Jeremy Edwards, who is beginning his second season with the Bears.
After helping lead the Warner Robins Demons to back-to-back state championships in three seasons as the team’s offensive coordinator, Edwards was hired to take over a Houston County football team that had averaged just four wins over the previous five seasons. His first season at HoCo was a successful one as he led the Bears to their best showing in eight years. Despite finishing as the No. 4 seed in Region 1-6A, Edwards led his team to two road playoff victories and into the state quarterfinals, where their season came to an end. Still, Houston County won 10 games, and the Bears return the majority of their starters and contributors from last season.
Now all eyes will be on Edwards as he and his staff try to maintain the expectations that last year’s first-year success brought. What does Edwards expect from himself and his Houston County football team heading into the 2023 season? Let’s find out:
Q. Well coach, just like that, another football season is here. You had a pretty solid debut last year, taking over a team that had won just four games the previous year and leading them to a deep playoff run. Take us back to when you first arrived at HoCo. What were the things you realized right away that you needed to do to take the football program to a different level?
A. When I took this job, I knew I was taking over a program that had the pieces to be great. These kids and their families are incredible. They just needed some mojo, and when my coordinators and I arrived in January, we hit the ground running.
Q. Coach Edwards, do you see this season as a challenge to maintain the success at HoCo? Houston County football has enjoyed flashes of success here and there, but not a lot of sustained success over the history of the football program. How important is it, in your opinion, that the school establish a pattern of winning?
A. Being a competitor, you always want to win. You don’t put the ball down and play to lose. With that being said, the future you want to create comes down to building great habits and setting the standard for the team. It requires a belief in the vision and a commitment to that process every day. There will be good days and there will be bad days. We just try to keep chopping wood today to fuel the fire for tomorrow.
Q. Despite the success of last year, what were the areas of your team that you felt your team needed to work on this offseason?
A. Going into this offseason we were able to add some coaches to our staff who I think will make a huge difference to our team. We lost three games last year to three really good football teams. We have spent our offseason working on training our players’ speed and also making some personnel moves that I feel will help us peak at the right time.
Q. I think everyone is aware of your quarterback, AJ Hill. He certainly thrived in your system last season, but I know there are many others on both sides of the ball who are contributing to the success of the team. Who are some of those other guys you are counting on to be difference makers this season?
A. I love to brag on our players. There are so many key players on our team. We have been very fortunate to have several players with offers to play at the next level. Defensively, Xavier Ryan (Army commit) and Brandon Walden have had a great offseason and will be counted on to make plays. Offensively, Ricky Johnson (Stanford commit), Kale Woodburn (Cincinnati commit), Ricordo Tarver, and Josh Henry are all senior wide receivers who are super talented. Running back Ryan Taleb is a very versatile player who can do several things to contribute. I love my players, and I wish I could list them all.
