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2023 Vidalia Indians Football Team
Photo by Pix Photography
VHS Welcomes Back Rodney Garvin
By Mike Branch
Sports Editor
sports 7 advance@gmail. com
The Vidalia high
school Indians football
team are coming off a 6-4
season and are looking to
get back on track under
new Head Coach Rodney
Garvin. Garvin is coming
back to Vidalia after spend
ing five seasons as the Head
Coach of the Tigers of Met-
ter. He had spent the previ
ous 11 years as the Defen
sive Coordinator of the In
dians under Head Coach
Lee Chomskis.
Garvin led the Tigers
to play for the State Cham
pionship two years ago, and
into the State Quarterfinals
last season, and is bringing
his hard-nosed football
back to the Onion City
Coach Garvin said,
“We had a really good run
at Metter. We won four Re
gion Championships in a
row and had a great time
over there. When we lost in
the playoffs last season,
they had already made the
coaching decision here at
Vidalia, and I was con
tacted to see if I had any
interest in coming back,
and obviously I did.
“I talked to my wife
about it. We have adult
children that graduated
from Vidalia High School,
and everyone was excited
about the possibility. The
community, former play
ers, just so many people
called, texted, came by to
see me, it was just awe
some. We had to pray about
it, but it was a quick prayer,
not even sure if I waited
long enough for the Lord
to say “No,” or not. But it
has been awesome coming
back.
“The kids over here
had a bit of shock, just the
different style of weight
training, different style of
doing things. I think they
are seeing this is the way it
is going to be. They are a
bit in survival mode right
now instead of thriving
mode, but it is going to be
like that for a few more
weeks.
“On the back of our
shirts this season we are go
ing to have, “Find 11.” And
that is something I told
Bobby Blount for 11 years
in football camp here at Vi
dalia, that we have to find
11 kids that will sell out
and give everything they
have for Vidalia, and we are
finding them, slowly but
surely.”
Coach Garvin said that
Max Beverly is going to be
a key leader for the team.
He added that he talked to
every player when he got
here and asked them who
they saw as the Captains
and leaders of the team. His
name was given to him
then, and Beverly has
proven that he is a leader.
Antonio Barren is another
name that sits at the top of
the list of key leaders for
the Indians this season. Jac-
aree Washington is another
of those names, along with
Mikal Thomas and Sam
Sapp, Carson Ricks, Ahme-
lion Jones, and Omarion
Oglesby. He stated that
they have several kids that
are stepping up and be
coming solid leaders for the
team.
There are a lot of famil
iar names that are going to
be on the VHS coaching
staff again this season.
Along with Head Coach
Garvin, Travis Blewett will
be the Defensive Coordi
nator for the Indians. Eric
McNair is the only new
name on the staff and he
comes from Metter and
will be the Offensive Coor
dinator for VHS this sea
son. He was with Garvin all
five years at Metter, and
they set the school scoring
record and then turned
around and broke it the
next season.
Other familiar names
that will be back on staff
this season are Bobby
Blount, Steve Fullam, Jay
Cravey, Josh Harrell, Der-
mon Simmons, and Willie
Hunt. All of them will be
leading this team and lend
ing their years of experi
ence to the Indians.
With that, moving into
the offense for the Indians,
Jackson Berry will be tak
ing the snaps at quarter
back this season. Tucker
McDonald, a senior who is
coming back from injury,
has been doing a good job
and is pushing Berry for
that starting role. They also
have a sophomore, DJ Wal
lace, that has taken the
third string role and is also
a receiver for the team. In
the backfield those guys
have several running backs
that they will be handing
the ball off to. That group is
led by Antonio Barren,
who is a great athlete for
the Indians. AJ McClen
don is another back that
the Indians are going to be
counting on this season. Ja-
marion Phillips has been
playing well at full back as
well as Ronald Pointer.
Oglesby and Ricks are the
other two backs that are go
ing to get lots of handoffs.
Out at receiver the In
dians will look to Dugan
Please see VHS page 26C
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