On October 30, 2015, Valwood’s football team traveled to Albany, Georgia for a matchup with the Deerfield-Windsor Knights. A familiar foe, the Knights were the only thing standing in the way of a region title for head coach Ashley Henderson’s Valiants.
The team fought hard, but big gains offensively eventually led to Deerfield-Windsor taking home a region title in a 34-7 victory. But one thing that the Valiants pride themselves on is perseverance; a loss becomes history after the final buzzer.
The Valiants worked their way through the postseason, taking care of the likes of Trinity Christian, Pinewood Christian, and Westfield School (the latter two of which were road wins) in order to return to Mercer University for another shot at the Knights. This contest carried much more weight; it would be for the GISA Class AAA State Championship.
The final score from Macon was much closer (28-26), but the Valiants truly lived up to their name as they enacted revenge; not only did they defeat the team that snatched the region from them, but they did so while bringing home their second state title since 2012.
Last season was memorable, but in the spirit of Valiant Nation, it’s most important to look ahead on what’s to come. According to Coach Henderson, the most important game is always the next one.
“Strength of schedule, I think, is harder this year than any year before,” Henderson said. “We always want a challenging non-region schedule; you couple that with playing in the toughest region in the GISA, and it makes for a challenging year.”
As in years’ past, the Goddard Field troops highly value their defense; it has been a pillar of the success that the team has seen since the arrival of Henderson in 2012.
“We put our most dependable guys on defense,” he said. “We play defense first. If they don’t score, they can’t win. We are flexible in what we do so we can give our offense a lot to work on each week.”
Coach Henderson, more than anything, looks to use football as a tool; a beacon of guidance and mentorship for his young men. In the end, the sport is but a path to a bright future for each and every one of the student-athletes that choose to don the navy and orange on the gridiron.
“We hope to instill a work ethic that reaches beyond the field,” Henderson said. “I think football teaches life lessons that can help our youngsters though anything in life. It teaches you to bow your neck and be tough when life hits you.”
Valwood Valiants
For The Defending Champions, Hard Work Is The Priority
Written by James Washington
Photo by Marque Milla Reese
