Big changes are coming to Camden County High School as head football coach Welton Coffey was promoted to Athletic Director in December. After four years as football coach, Coach Coffey will now oversee all sports programs at the school. The search for a new football coach has already begun.
Coffey will move up to take the place of Gary Blount who is retiring after 45 years in education. Blount has served as principal, assistant superintendent, deputy superintendent and athletic director during his tenure at Camden.
Coach Coffey came to Camden County in 2006 as Offensive Coordinator and was promoted to head football coach in 2013 when Jeff Herron resigned to take a job in Athens.
Although the Wildcats missed the playoffs this year, more than a dozen Camden players were honored in the postseason by being named to the 2016 All-Region 1-AAAAAAA team. Players named to the first team included senior offensive linemen Bryant “BJ” Walker and Drew Barnes, senior defensive lineman Casey McCormick, defensive back Jordan Strachan and junior punter Taylor Gebhardt. Those named to the second team all-region were senior quarterback John Jones and o-lineman Kyle Pecko. On the defensive side were senior defensive backs Cole Loden and Tyreke Williams, junior DB Jeremiah Compton, and junior d-lineman Jamie Hill. Junior kicker Oliver Kellam and senior long-snapper Nathan Chomicki were also named to the all-region second team.
At the Seventh Annual In the Game Sports Network Southeast Georgia High School Football Awards Banquet held in December, Camden County had two Offensive Players of the Year in Drew Barnes and Kyle Pecko. The award for the Wildcats’ top defender, sponsored by Southeast Georgia Health System went to Casey McCormick.
On the wrestling mat, the Camden County Wildcats Wrestling team of Coach Jess Wilder continues to win with two big victories in tournaments over Christmas break at the Coastal Clash in Charleston, South Carolina and the Osceola Knockout Christmas Tournament in Kissimmee, Florida. The two-time defending state AAAAA traditional and dual champions continued to dominate, making it to a number 31 ranking in the country by Intermat. Having moved up to the AAAAAAA classification, the Wildcats were busy preparing for the area duals competition in January, followed by the state duals later this month. During the NCAA’s early signing period, Camden senior wrestler Denton Spencer inked his letter of intent to wrestle for Gardner-Webb University in North Carolina.
The Lady Wildcats basketball team of Coach Keith Ellis have had an outstanding season, going 12-3 through December and preparing for play in Region 1-AAAAAAA against Lowndes, Tift and Colquitt County. The boy’s team of Coach Billy Wilder has not fared as well this season.
SE-SF-0117-Camden
Coffey Named Athletic Director
Search for new football coach underway
By Rob Asbell
