Greyhounds eager to host nation’s winningest program in season opener
They’re the nation’s winningest football team with a staggering 24 state titles, six mythical national titles, and nearly 1,000 victories.
On Friday night, the Greyhounds get their shot at the Valdosta Wildcats at Greyhound Field.
And judging by the offseason buildup, a palpable stage is being set.
“It’s one of the most tradition-rich football programs in the country. They live it and bleed it. It’s something that for generations of families, it’s important,” Greyhounds head coach Justin Montgomery said. “You know that there is an excitement come fall in Valdosta, and we’re building that tradition and legacy here.”
Around the field in spring practice, summer workouts, and into the preseason, the specter of the Valdosta game has drawn mentions around the Greyhounds football program. Another measure of the expected atmosphere on Friday night? The Jones County Touchdown Club had shirts for sale focused on this week’s game starting late last week.
On Friday, the buildup ends as Jones County begins a four-game, non-region schedule that will be followed by Peach County, Houston County, and Burke County.
“We’ve talked about it a lot with our guys with the preparation process, making sure they understand our schedule is one of the toughest ones in the state of Georgia, and that we have to train and prepare accordingly. And you can’t take a day or moment off,” Montgomery said. “Every rep matters as part of our process and growth.”
The Wildcats are not some program with just dated history. It was not until 1996 that a senior class graduated from the school without at least one state title.
Head coach Shelton Felton has shepherded a rebound from the tumultuous one-year tenure of Rush Probst. Last year was his fifth as the Wildcats head coach, and they went 12-2 in advancing to the semifinals of the state’s largest classification, losing to Buford. That was Valdosta’s best season since its most recent state title in 2016.
The Wildcats have a wealth of experience on offense. It all starts with running backs Marquis Fennell and Deron Foster, both of whom rushed for more than 1,400 yards last year. Foster has committed to Oregon State, and Fennell is pledged to Stanford. New quarterback Tripp Arnold will lean on Jamarian Mingo as his top receiving target after the graduation of Prince Jean, who is now at Kentucky.
The Wildcats are mostly young defensively but did get some offseason transfer help by way of AJ Hill from Thomasville and Cook transfer linebacker Bralyn Bennett.
On Friday, all parts of Valdosta’s roster and then some will converge on Gray, including their more than 200-member band, the Marchin’ Cats.
“It allows us to get a shot at catapulting our program. It will allow us to see how far we have grown and will us to generate excitement in our community and our environment on Friday night,” Montgomery said. “I know they have some fan buses they are bringing up, so they’ll flll up their sidelines and more.
“It’ll be a really good night for our local community, everyone with the businesses in Gray will get some traction. It’ll be a fun Friday night environment for a big football game.”
By way of Montgomery and JCHS defensive backs coach Rajaez Mosley, Greyhounds players have been able to pick up on plenty of insight of Valdosta’s mentality. Montgomery was Valdosta’s defensive coordinator in 2019 and 2020, and Mosley was a standout for Valdosta as a player. It goes even deeper than that for Mosley, whose father, Reggie, also played for the Wildcats.
“Being a former Wldcat born and raised, I know what the tradition is. I bleed black and gold, but here, being a Greyhound, I bleed purple and gold,” Mosley said. “They have a tradition there, but now, we’re starting our tradition and to have something that we are growing as community and team. It’s something that I’m excited to be a part of.”
