Football can be a hard sport to love. While there is nothing like the roar of the crowd on Friday nights, the sport is just plain hard. It takes a toll on its participants physically and mentally, and the pressure to perform can be suffocating. For Lowndes High’s Zack Copeland, none of the seeming negatives matters. He absolutely loves football. It’s been his life since he was five years old and there is nothing else he would rather do. It doesn’t hurt that he has been blessed with the physical tools and work ethic to become one of the most dominant defensive players in the region.
Copeland is a 6’2”, 240-pound defensive end. He’s been the Vikings starting end for two years. While he has the ability to play other sports, he’s never done anything but play football. “I haven’t played any other sports. It’s always been just football. I love it too much to do anything else,” he says. In the offseason, which for a football-only guy can seem interminable, he does everything he can to stay in shape. Copeland runs and lifts incessantly, in that neverending quest to get bigger, stronger, and faster.
The work and dedication has served Copeland well. He has had a solid career at Lowndes, winning 16 regular-season games as a starter and making the playoffs every year. In the process, he has several college programs vying for his services. Entering his senior season, Copeland wanted to get the best out of his team and himself, make good grades, and put his team in position to make a run through the playoffs. When In the Game spoke with Copeland, the Vikings had finished their regular season and had a week off before the playoffs began. He had the opportunity to reflect on his season and evaluate his performance. Though the Vikings ended up 7-3 and a third seed heading into the postseason, Copeland feels like he accomplished his goals. “I did what I wanted to do,” he says. “I think things are falling in line.”
Playing football at Lowndes High means performing on some of the biggest high school football stages in the state. None is bigger than the annual Winnersville Classic, the showdown between Lowndes and the Valdosta High Wildcats. The last few Winnersville games have been nothing short of epic. To play well at Winnersville is to validate oneself as one of the region’s top players. This year, Copeland made his case and he did so emphatically. Despite being behind to Valdosta in almost every statistical category, the Vikings managed to pull ahead in the only one that counts – the scoreboard. And the Lowndes defense is a big reason why. Every time the Wildcats looked like they were going to put up points, the Vikings stood up and kept the ‘Cats off the board. Valdosta missed two field goals and had another blocked. And they never found the end zone. Lowndes won, 3-0, and Copeland recorded 11 tackles and forced a fumble. He was named Most Valuable Player for the game. “We had to play our best. We had to shut them down. I said a prayer before the game and asked to be able to make tackles and help our team win,” he says.
Copeland wants to make the most of the opportunities he is given. Last year, Lowndes didn’t make it out of the first round of the playoffs despite playing its first-round contest at home. This season, the Vikings must go on the road. Their task will not be easy but Copeland believes he and his teammates are ready for the challenge. “We’re going to practice hard and play every game hard. You never know which game will be your last,” he says.
It doesn’t really matter whether Copeland’s season ended November 15 or whether they are still playing when you pick up this edition of In the Game. Copeland will almost certainly have a lot more football to play. Much like he pursues opposing ball carriers, several schools are pursuing him, hoping that he will be on their rosters next year. Among those are Middle Tennessee State, Troy, and Georgia Southern. A couple of major programs have contacted him as well. “I’m going to make my decision after the season. I’m being recruited as a defensive end. The biggest thing is that I just want to go somewhere and play,” he says.
Favorites:
• Sport to watch on TV: Florida State football
• Player: Timmy Jernigan
• Sport you wish you could play: Basketball
• Best movie: Transformers: Dark of the Moon
• Food: Shrimp and fries
• Place to travel: Spain
When he started playing football, it was just a game for Zack Copeland, another way to hang out with friends and kill some time. As he grew older, he realized that he was pretty good at the game he loved so dearly. After his sophomore year, Copeland got really serious about football. “That’s when it started clicking for me. I got my first letter – it was from Georgia – and at that point I thought I could play in college. I just had to keep working,” he says.
Player Spotlight/South Georgia/December 2013
Zack Copeland
Lowndes High School
Valdosta, Georgia
Photography by: Micki K Photography
Robert Preston Jr.
Lowndes County’s big defensive tackle weighs his future options
